By 1916 three hundred men from Concord had enlisted, eleven had died, twenty-one wounded and five invalided home. They went to Gallipoli, France, the deserts of Egypt and North Africa. The Council supported the national war effort to the full. Those left at home devised all kinds of community functions to raise money to provide…
A prominent Sydney physician, Dr George Fortescue, bought an estate on the Parramatta River in 1851. He named the area “Chiswick” after the village on the Thames River and his home “Wymston” after the Fortescue family estate in Devonshire. Blackwall Point Road was laid out in the late 1870’s but few houses were built in…
CYCLISTS! YOUR KING & COUNTRY NEED YOU! New cyclists battalions to be raised at once. Who will ride in the ranks of the famous Essex regiment? Unique opportunities for keen, fit wheelmen How and where to join… Most of us have more than one hobby, a number of interests, which can be quite…
The question of what becomes of beer confiscated by the police in raids upon sly grog shops was raised at Burwood Court yesterday. Mr. Williams S.M., said that he thought that the police sold the liquor. Sergeant Saunders said that the present practice was to give to public hospitals for the benefit of the inmates. Mr. Williams:…
At the first mention of the word “Denison” we immediately think of Fort Denison. I am sure that the builders of our complex had a former governor in mind when naming the building. William Thomas Denison was born in London on May 3, 1804. He was sent to Eton for his education and at age…
This post is about the shocking murder of two innocent men during the botched robbery of the local toll-gate at Parramatta in 1814. In addition to the two deaths another two men were almost executed for a crime they did not commit. On the fateful evening of Saturday 28 May 1814, the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales…
Exploring the oldest road in Australia, George Street. The content is from a frail old book The Story of Old George Street – A Chapter in Old Sydney (1920) by Charles H. Bertie. The book includes the history, the landmarks and buildings plus all the crazy characters that made this Sydney street unique ‘It has been said…
The opening of Concord West railway station in 1887 led to an increase of population in that area and the Catholic Church saw the need to establish a church so, in 1921, land on the corner of Queen & Stuart Streets was purchased to build St. Ambrose Catholic Church. Adjoining land was subsequently bought, at…
The NSW suburb of Abbotsford was originally part of Five Dock farm and takes its name from our own Abbotsford House. Our Abbotsford House was built in 1878 by Sir Arthur Renwick (1837-1908), a doctor, politician and philanthropist. Sir Arthur was born in Glasgow, and named his mansion after Abbotsford House on the banks…
When Europeans arrived in 1788 Homebush Bay consisted of extensive tidal wetlands and thick bush. The area was first known as ‘The Flats’, and was recorded by Captain John Hunter within ten days of the arrival of the First Fleet. Although reports of the time commented on the Aboriginal people living in the area, there…
Before he 19th century, most women just wore nothing beneath their chemises. The no knickers thing was not as scandalous as you might think, dresses were long and worn with many layers of petticoats and underskirts that varied with fashions but also provided modesty. By the time the huge, mid-19th century crinolines showed up on…
I don’t think our kids know what an apron is The principal use of Grandmas’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few and because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses, and aprons required less material. But, along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot…
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