The history of rowing in Australia began in the early 19th century. In 1818 the crews of three convict ships, the Batavia, the Guildford, the Minerva plus a crew put together by Captain John Piper raced from Bradleys s Head to Sydney Cove. They raced the 3.5 miles in 15 minutes1, 2. An interesting side…
Child-size Chair Many years ago this small child-size chair was donated to our former museum situated at the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital. It has the words “My Birthday” engraved on the backrest. The only other information we were given was that it was “in memory of Olwyn Jean Gaward”. We could possibly make an educated…
Another year has passedAnd we’re all a little older.Last summer felt hotterAnd winter seems much colder. There was a time not long agoWhen life was quite a blast.Now I fully understandAbout “living in the past”. We used to go to weddings,Football games and lunches . . .Now we go to funeral homesAnd after-funeral brunches. We…
There’s some confusion about exactly when the first camels and their handlers arrived in Australia, and for what purpose. We do know that “Harry” was the first camel to arrive in Australia after landing in Port Adelaide on 12 October, 1840. The animal was shipped from Tenerife, Spain, by the Phillips brothers, Henry Weston and George. Camels…
Educational requirements of Concord were commenced in a private school conducted by Mrs. Love, near Bray Grove. On Mrs. Love’s demise, her daughter continued the school, with the address on her letters: “Miss Love, ‘Love Dale,’ Concord, opposite Kissing Point.” (Note: At that time Ryde was known as Kissing Point.) Some few years prior to…
Bungaree, or Boongaree (1775 – 24 November 1830), was an Aboriginal Australian from the Kuringgai people of the Broken Bay area north of Sydney, who was known as an explorer, entertainer, and Aboriginal community leader. He is also significant in that he was the first person to be recorded in print as an Australian, and…
Ten days after the landing at Sydney Cove on the 26th January, 1788, Captain John Hunter with Lt. Bradley, led an expedition along one of the rivers running into Sydney Cove. This is now known to us as the Parramatta River. Having left at daylight, the expedition proceeded up the river, passing several natives in the…
Though Christmas may be celebrated differently around the globe, there’s one festive tradition that is shared the world over – dinner. Be it roast turkey with all the trimmings, spicy meat stew, grilled seafood, or even Kentucky Fried Chicken, ‘tis the season for feasting. Here are nine traditional Christmas meals to truly whet your appetite….
Just a reminder that our November speaker, Andrew Tink, will be talking about ‘Honeysuckle Creek: the story of Tom Reid, a Little Dish and Neil Armstrong’s First Step. His talk is about the pivotal role that the tracking station at Honeysuckle Creek played in the first moon landing. His book gives a gripping account of…
Often when we talk about early colonial history of Australia we mention great governors such as Major General Lachlan Macquarie (1810-1821), or the 1808 Rum Rebellion agitator Mr. John Macarthur. However, what if we explored the lives of each of their wives, Elizabeth and Elizabeth? On Saturday 3rd September, City of Canada Bay Heritage Museum…
For those who love the philosophy of ambiguity (as well as the idiosyncrasies of English).One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!Atheism is a non-prophet organisation.If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she…
Original Edition of The ANZAC Book The ANZAC Book is a true Australian artefact. There’s no war book that’s quite like it. It’s also a time capsule. The book tells us something about what men thought then – in 1915 – on Gallipoli and cut off from the world. It is not the story of…
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