There’s be lots of entertainment, lots of stalls, lots of food. We will have a stall there and will be taking people on short (10 minutes) tours of the estate to encourage them to come along to our own Open Day on the following month. (If you’ve ever t … Continue reading “Yaralla Spring Fair”

Sydney’s Grandest Markets Open

On 21 July 1898 Sydney celebrated as Mayor Alderman Mathew Harris officially opened the Queen Victoria Markets Building. The Lady Mayoress, with a commemorative solid gold key, opened the druitt Street entrance. That evening the Town Hall was transform … Continue reading “Sydney’s Grandest Markets Open”

When did the First World War End?

Have you ever looked at the date on the War Memorial in Burwood Park? It’s worth looking at carefully because it reveals an interesting fact . . the dates of the First World War are given as 1914-1919. This is in contrast to most modern sources which g … Continue reading “When did the First World War End?”

Green Lights on Calm Waters

A favourite pastime of residents is to walk along the waterfront to enjoy the peaceful vista. Not many of us know that between the “green lights” opposite the cove is a monument to one of Australia’s greatest rowing athletes, Henry Ernest Searle. Littl … Continue reading “Green Lights on Calm Waters”

Long Ago a Giant

As we board the 504 or the 438 for the CBD, most of us miss a little street 50 metres on our right hand side, Henry Lawson Avenue. Henry Lawson, an Australian literary giant of poems and stories, wrote mainly about the average Australian. He died 79 ye … Continue reading “Long Ago a Giant”

Our District’s Heritage: Not one, but two.

At the birth of Australia we had not one, but two giants of literature, Lawson and Paterson. Andrew Barton Paterson was born on 17 February 1864 near Orange NSW. He was educated at Sydney Grammar School, then he studied law at Sydney University and pra … Continue reading “Our District’s Heritage: Not one, but two.”

Ikey Solomon, another plausible rogue

When Charles Dickens visited Australia, he used characters he met or heard about for characters in his various novels. Miss Haversham, from Great Expectations was in fact Eliza Donnithorne from Newtown, Sydney. Another character was Fagin from Oliver T … Continue reading “Ikey Solomon, another plausible rogue”