City of Canada Bay Heritage Society

City of Canada Bay Museum

City of Canada Bay Museum

Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital (Rivendell) photo

Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital (Rivendell)

Walker family at Yaralla photo

Yaralla Estate

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Use of Yaralla grounds

To enquire about the use of the Yaralla grounds for photography or any other use, please contact:

Deborah Jenkins
0423 294 110
Sydney Local Health District

Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital (Rivendell) Open Day

Sunday, 30th July, 2023

10:00am – 1:30pm

Open Days 2023

Dame Eadith Walker Estate (Yaralla)
and
Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital (Rivendell)

use the Open Day tours tab below to sign
up and be notified of the dates

Upcoming events

October Speaker

Ian Burnett“Joseph Conrad’s Eastern Voyages”City of Canada Bay Museum –…

November Speaker

Richard de Grijs“All Hands to Dance and Skylark”(Captain Cook and…

Museum Displays

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  • To foster interest in and inform the community of the heritage – historically and culturally – of the City of Canada Bay LGA.
  • To promote the preservation, restoration, conservation, maintenance and use of all places, buildings, monuments, etc., of historic, architectural, cultural and environmental significance within the area.
  • To acquire and preserve for the Society, books, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, oral histories, etc., as may be considered to have a bearing on the history of the area.
  • To establish and conduct a social history museum.
  • To foster interchange of information among members of the Society and any other interested people, by talks, readings, discussions, exhibitions of heritage, historical and archival material, and excursions.
  • To affiliate and co-operate with other Societies and Institutions having objects similar to those of this Society
Map-of-Suburbs-of-CCB drawing
Map of Suburbs City of Canada Bay

Open Days are subject to Covid restrictions and may be cancelled.

Tours of the Yaralla Estate (Dame Eadith Walker Convalescent Hospital) are usually held on the last Sunday in April and October.

Tours of “Rivendell” (The Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital) are usually held on the last Sunday in July.

Link to more information on Open Days at Yaralla and Rivendell

If you would like to add your name to our waiting list to be notified of the next tour of these estates, complete the form (right).

You will be notified approximately two months prior to the date of the tour.

Subscribe for Tour Notifications

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Our monthly newsletter “Nurungi”, keeps members and others advised of coming speakers or activities as well as news of the society and it contains interesting articles and snippets of historical information that have been added to the web site during the month.

Complete the “Subscribe to Nurungi” form (right) to be added to the mailing list and receive the latest “Nurungi” monthly newsletter sent at the end of each month).

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Joseph James Gates (1861-1929)

The discovery of gold in Australia in the 1850s led to the opening up of the country as settlement expanded beyond the original 19 counties proclaimed in 1829. A succession of gold rushes in New South Wales and Victoria transformed the political and economic landscape from its convict origins to a largely unregulated market. Freed…

Moments in History – September

September 1948: It’s 75 years since Australia’s first HOLDEN motor car rolled off the assembly line. It cost £675 plus tax, or a total of £733 to buy. September 2, 1901: The first RUGBY UNION TEST match was played between Australia and New Zealand. The Kiwis ran out winners 14-3. September 3, 1901: Australia’s first…

From Our Collection

Glove Stretchers Gloves have been used since prehistory and they have been worn for warmth, protection, a badge of distinction and as part of fashionable dress. During the Victorian era gloves were a status symbol and a lady wouldn’t dream of going outside without her gloves. Gloves were made of kid, thread, silk or washing…

Concord Quarry Explosion Aftermath

Frank Jones’ downfall came when he accidentally set alight to a shed at Concord Quarry and was badly injured. While he was being rescued police found two revolvers nearby.  These had been used in several holdups and they led to his identification. Two years before the quarry explosion, Jones had been sentenced for holding up…

Captain Cook and Health at Sea

Captain James Cook was a skilled sailor who had explored more of the world’s oceans than anyone before him. But his success was not just based on his seamanship; he also understood the importance of maintaining the health and well-being of his crews. Over the course of his three famous voyages to the South Pacific,…

Longbottom

Longbottom Farm

This area has an extensive history well beyond the Longbottom Stockade that was established there. Although there is nothing of Longbottom to be seen there now, the area still holds a lot of Concord and Sydney’s history. “Longbottom” is a traditional English place name derived from the old word “bottom”, once used in the north…

Vale Hazel King

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved member, Hazel King, on 31st August.  She was a dedicated guide on our Open Days at Yaralla and Rivendell and, in 2021, was awarded an OAM for her service to horticulture and to community history. Hazel’s father was employed as the head…

Concord Quarry Explosion

At about 9:30 pm on Saturday, 27th July 1935, there was a loud explosion coming from the vicinity of the Concord Quarry in Ian Parade, opposite Exile Bay. People living nearby immediately contacted the police when they could hear shrieks of distress coming from the area. When Constable Adams, who was on his way to…

George C Cummins (1885-1953)

An Inspired Life Although now largely forgotten, George Cummins lived a remarkable life, inspiring all who knew him by his achievements as much as his generous spirit. He was a leader on the sporting field, an officer in both world wars, an admired teacher and a much-loved family doctor. Born 17 June 1886 on Dumaresque…

Two Journeys with the Putney Punt

In April 2023, unbeknown to us, author Vanessa Berry visited our museum and left this comment on our website. With Vanessa’s permission, we are sharing it with our many subscribers. On display in the City of Canada Bay Museum is a model of the car ferry that crosses the Parramatta River between Mortlake and Putney. Although officially…

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