General

Before the digital age and the internet, the cinema was a major part of Australia’s social life. On Saturday nights in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, everyone went — or tried to go — to “the pictures”. For the children of that era, the weekly matinee at the local cinema was the highlight of the…

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin? Why can’t women put on mascara with their mouth closed? Why don’t you ever see the headline ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’? Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? Why is it that doctors call what they do ‘practice’? Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring,…

An Unlikely Dalliance . . . the actress Sarah Bernhardt, the scientist Adrien Loire and Rodd Island. She was the most famous actress in the world, a 46-year old Venus with a well-known appetite for younger men and counted numerous women and the Prince of Wales among her conquests..  He was the nephew of Louis…

From the Archives Advertisements are often the best indicators of contemporary society for while they are meant to sell goods and services, they are framed with the intention of appealing to a particular clientele. Advertisements reflect the values, concerns and aspirations of their intended audience. They are an appeal for trust, to engage in good…

From the Archives In 1963 Tulloch Ltd. designed and built the world’s first double deck railway trailer car. Four prototypes were produced at Tulloch’s engineering works at Rhodes. Later motor carriages were added to create the eight-car double deck trains so familiar to Sydney commuters. Double decker trains were introduced to relieve the congestion caused…

One hundred years ago, on 9th June, the North Strathfield railway station was officially opened. “For many years – how many cannot be definitely stated – the residents of that part of the Concord Municipality, now known as North Strathfield, had been looking forward expectantly to the establishment of a railway station midway between Strathfield…

Keeping Time. These days, almost everything has the time. Your computer, your mobile phone, the clock in your car, your blackberry, your iPhone…everything does! But back when the only timekeepers were mechanical tickers, how did you keep time? And how did you know the right time? The Pocket Watch.  A hundred years ago, men didn’t…

We remain a society fascinated by gadgetry. The industrial revolution ensured that our ancestors were similarly attracted to wondrous objects which promised to make life easier, and, at times, more profitable. We might say that all useful objects are not gadgets and all gadgets are not necessarily useful objects. Knives for picking the stones out…

Set on a picturesque headland overlooking the harbour, Sydney’s quarantine station housed close to 16,000 people from 1835 to 1984. it served as a holding station for passengers on inbound ships to New South Wales arriving from well-known hotspots for contagious diseases.  Interned for diseases that terrified the community, people held in quarantine left their…

In December 1799 Parramatta’s log and thatch gaol burnt down and was replaced by a stone gaol under the direction of the Reverend Samuel Marsden, acting as Superintendant of Public Works. The building commenced in 1802 and sometime in 1803 it was decided to add a second storey as a linen and woollen manufactory. This…

One autumn morning in August 1919, Frederick Zahra, a storeman and first aid officer at Mortlake Gasworks, became aware of a commotion at the nearby tar stills. As he ran towards the huge tanks he could hear shouting and cries for help. Reaching the scene he became aware that there were four men trapped inside….

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. It is better to deserve honours and not have them than to have them and not deserve them. Man was made at the end of the week’s work when God…