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…
As previously explained, the Bailey and Cashman families took over the crossing service from about 1832 or soon after – both families competed for customers, each having a boat ready at any time. Old timers tell us that when a boat was required on the northern side, a hurricane lamp would be lit and slowly…
This story is about a childhood memory of a haunted house. It’s a memory associated with my grandparents who lived in Davidson Avenue, Concord from about 1939 until their deaths in the 1960s. They were the best grandparents any kid could wish for. Between 1913 and 1924 my grandmother had given birth to five girls,…
As we board the Rivercat for the CBD, we take for granted the old boatshed on our left. As we cast our critical eye over this building, we are oblivious of its history in the early development of our nation. The earliest resident is believed to be Alfred Bailey who first built a lean-to about…
Just inside the main entrance to Parramatta Park is an obelisk which marks the spot where Lady Mary Fitzroy, wife of Sir Charles Fitzroy, former Governor of New South Wales, received fatal injuries in a driving accident on December 7, 1847. The Governor and Lady Fitzroy, accompanied by Lieut. Charles Masters, were setting out to…
Visit our museum to meet our life-size replica. The Old English Sheepdog is the brand mascot for Dulux paint. The dog was first introduced in advertising campaigns in 1961. Since then they have been a constant and highly popular feature of Dulux television and print adverts wherever the paint is sold. So much so, that many…
The Rocks is really a most extraordinary place! A small district of Sydney, without the distinction of its own postcode, it stands on the high ground west of Sydney Cove, nudging at the edges of the city, its highways and byways running above and below and around the giant turrets and ramparts of Hawkesbury sandstone,…
REMEMBER WHEN “It all started back in ‘66 when they changed from pounds to dollar – me bloody overdraft doubled. Then they brought in kilograms instead of pounds – now I’m only producing half of what I used to. Then they changed rain to millimeters and we haven’t had an inch of rain since. They bring in Celsius…
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