Who are we?

Twenty-seven people were all there were when Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition went awry. Luckily for us (they were lucky enough, all surviving after months and months), one of those was a photographer, Frank Hurley, whose amazing photographs documented the 22 months spent stranded on the world’s most remote continent. Ernest Shackleton set out in 1914 for…

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…

The first NSW Military Unit with a Scottish Association was The Duke of Edinburgh’s Highlanders formed in 1868. The Unit wore a kilt of Black Watch tartan and became known as the Highland Brigade before it was disbanded in 1878, following a decline in numbers caused by curtailment of new enrolment by Sir Henry Parkes, then the Premier of…

The borough of Five Dock, which includes Burketown, Drummoyne, and Birkenhead, was incorporated on the 25th of July, 1871. It is bounded on the north by the Parramatta River, on the east by Iron Cove Creek and Parramatta-road, on the west by Concord and Hen and Chicken Bay, and on the south by Ashfield. lt…

When the 20th century was new, Australians took active part in most of their amusements.  At home they would play musical instruments, or they would play cards or other games, they would watch magic lantern shows, or they would read. If they went out it was likely to be to a dance, unless it was…

Why is the wreck of this ship being remembered in the Australian maritime history books all these years later? Because it remains one of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history resulting in the tragic loss of 89 lives, mostly due to cold and exposure. They were in sight of land but unable to reach…