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 attend a wedding in Sydney, when the four horses attached to their carriage became frightened and dashed wildly down the hill from Government House.
The carriage struck a stump, throwing the occupants violently out. The Governor escaped practically unhurt, but Lady Mary and Lieut. Masters were so seriously injured that they died the same day.
The maddened horses careered along George-street as far as Church-street, where they crashed into a building which stood on the site now occupied by Tattersall’s Hotel. As a result of the tragic happening, a gloom was cast over the whole Colony.
Subsequently Governor Fitzroy had an entrance made to the Domain (the Park) at Macquarie Street, and he used this instead of the George-street one. The obelisk was unveiled on Centenary Day, 1888.
Old Government House, Parramatta
Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW),
26 October 1933. http://monumentaustralia.org.au/
Sydney is made up of many fascinating suburbs and areas, many of which are such a normal part of Sydneysiders lives that they spare little thought for the history of these areas, let alone for the names they go by. Today most are simply residential suburbs, home to countless families. Mortlake is just one such…
Russell Lea Manor, also known as Russell Lea House, was the home of Russell Barton (1830-1916), and was situated north of Lyons Road between Sibbick Street and Lyons Road. The suburb of Russell Lea takes its name from this grand home. Russell Barton rose from humble beginnings to become a pastoralist, mine-owner and politician. In the late 1870s…
On 11 December 1920, the town clerk of the Municipality of Concord wrote to the Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales requesting assistance to form a local voluntary fire brigade. Town Clerk, H. A. Furness, stated that: “At last meeting of the Council of this Municipality I was directed to ask you that…
On Tuesday, 17th April, 1900, the Daily Telegraph published the following article: Through the courtesy of the trustees of the Walker Estate, the 5th Regiment (Scottish Rifles) camped for the principal part of their Easter training at Rhodes. The position taken up is a splendid one overlooking the Parramatta River and closely situated to the…
Came across this poem on Facebook. It was written by Kathleen O’Mara in 1869, reprinted during 1919 Pandemic. It is Timeless…. And people stayed at homeAnd read booksAnd listenedAnd they restedAnd did exercisesAnd made art and playedAnd learned new ways of beingAnd stopped and listened more deeplySomeone meditated, someone prayedSomeone met their shadowAnd people began…
Members of the City of Canada Bay Heritage Society would be aware that No. 1 Bent Street is the address of the Heritage Society’s Museum, located in the former Concord Library. Bent Street was named for Ellis Bent (1783-1815) who, before travelling to Sydney, accepted an appointment as Deputy Judge-Advocate of N.S.W. He arrived aboard…
