City of Canada Bay Heritage Society

• To foster interest in and inform the community of the heritage – historically and culturally – of the City of Canada Bay LGA.
• To promote the preservation, restoration, conservation, maintenance and use of all places, buildings, monuments, etc., of historic, architectural, cultural and environmental significance within the area.
• To acquire and preserve for the Society, books, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, oral histories, etc., as may be considered to have a bearing on the history of the area.
• To establish and conduct a social history museum.
• To foster interchange of information among members of the Society and any other interested people, by talks, readings, discussions, exhibitions of heritage, historical and archival material, and excursions.
• To affiliate and co-operate with other Societies and Institutions having objects similar to those of this Society

Before the iPad and iPhone! Before CD and DVD players! Before gaming consoles and TV! Just how did people have fun in the early 20^th century?

You might think life would have been so boring. It certainly wasn’t!

People made their own entertainment, making do with whatever was on hand.

During the early 20^th century we could find many ways to enjoy ourselves. Dances were held regularly by churches, schools and community groups, where the whole family – from the youngest to the oldest – could enjoy an evening out. Card evenings, at home or in a local hall, were another great social event.

The 1910-1920s were a boom time for theatres in Australia, where we could be whisked away to exciting foreign places for a couple of hours of romance, horror and adventure.

But most of our entertainment was within our own homes. For music many homes had a piano or small reed organ and many happy hours could be spent around these singing the latest songs. If there was no talent for playing a musical instrument there was always the wind-up gramophone and your collection of 78rpm records where you could enjoy singers from all over the world, as well are our own homegrown entertainers, singing their latest songs. Children, and adults too, could sing along and dance around to these tunes. Children would also make their own musical instruments from scraps of cardboard, boxes and other bits and pieces around the house and then form their own musical bands.

Every home would have a collection of board games where all the family could sit around the table after dinner and play their favourites – Snakes & Ladders, Ludo, Scrabble, Monopoly. Card games were popular, from the simple, such as “Old Maid” or “Grab”, to the more adult variety of “Crib”, “Euchre” or “Bridge”.

With the coming of the wireless (radio) in the 1920s there was even more to enjoy: serials such as “Search for the Golden Boomerang”, “Dad & Dave”, “Blue Hills”, and “ Mrs ‘Obbs”. There was something for everyone. There were quiz shows, variety shows, talent shows, plays and, always, The News.

In other words, we of an earlier generation had everything that the children of today have – it was just in a slightly different form. We had our outside entertainment, our card and board games, our music and radio. The younger generation has all this, too – but it’s all on their iPad or smart phone.

Please come and visit our museum and see for yourself.

Visit our Current Display Photo Gallery

Our monthly newsletter “Nurungi”, keeps members and others advised of coming speakers or activities as well as news of the society and it contains interesting articles and snippets of historical information that have been added to the web site during the month.

Subscribe to receive the latest “Nurungi” newsletter

These tours are usually held on the last Sunday in April, July and October.

Tours for 2018:

• Yaralla, 29th April
• Rivendell – 29th July
• Yaralla – 28th October.

More information on Open Days at Yaralla and Rivendell

If you would like to add your name to our waiting list to be notified of the next tour of these estates, complete the form.

You will be notified approximately two months prior to the date of the tour.