Author Archives: localnotes

NSW Premier's History Awards

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NSW PREMIER’S HISTORY AWARDS

The NSW Premier’s History Awards are national awards, made to Australian historians in recognition of distinguished achievement in scholarly writing and publication and in the presentation of history in non-print media. The 2009 awards, each valued at $15,000, are:

  • The Australian History Prize for a book on Australian history.
  • The General History Prize for a book on international history.
  • The NSW Community and Regional History Prize for a book which contributes to the understanding of community, institutional, urban or regional history in New South Wales.
  • The Young People’s History Prize for a book or audio/visual presentation which increases the historical understanding of children and young adults.
  • The Multimedia History Prize for the presentation of history utilising non-print media (including film, television, radio, CD-ROM, DVD or website).


Closing Date for the 2009 NSW Premier’s History Awards: Friday 17 April 2009.

Guidelines and nomination forms may be downloaded from the Arts NSW website, www.arts.nsw.gov.au

 

 

Balmain Co-operative Store, Montague Street, ca1910

Balmain Co-operative Store, Montague Street, ca1910

Understanding heritage conservation. .

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Heritage Conservation in the Leichhardt Council Area – The Principles of Good Practice – An Introductory Talk

 

One of Australia’s most experienced and respected heritage consultants and Lilyfield resident Meredith Walker will present an illustrated talk on behalf of Leichhardt Council, on the history and principles of heritage conservation and the wide range of places and issues that make up Leichhardt Municipality’s heritage.

 

All are welcome to attend this free information seminar.

 

Meredith Walker is a past president of Australia ICOMOS – the international council on monuments and sites and is actively involved in the reparation and review of the Burra Charter – the Australian standard for good practice in heritage conservation.

 

 

 

Annandale acqueduct, ca 1895

Annandale acqueduct, ca 1895

 

 

 

The talk will draw on Meredith’s experiences as a resident of Leichhardt Municipality, as a member of the National Trust, and her work as co-author of The Illustrated Burra Charter: Good Practice for Heritage Places – which includes examples of good practice from around Australia – including Leichhardt.

 

A short complementary presentation will be made on the night by Christopher Reeves, Council’s part-time heritage planner, who will briefly describe the provisions for heritage conservation in the Leichhardt area.

 

A light supper and refreshments will be provided.

 

Day, Date & Time: Thursday, 26 February 2009 – 6.30pm – 8.15pm.

 

Venue: Leichhardt Council Chambers – First Floor, Leichhardt Town Hall, corner of Marion & Norton Streets, Leichhardt.

 

Parking and access facilities: the venue has disabled access via Marion Street & parking is available in the adjacent Marion Street Car park.

 

RSVP: is essential for the event, due to restricted numbers (the venue has a capacity for 55 places) and for catering purposes – Telephone (02) 9367 9220 during business hours.

 

Cost:  This is a free seminar.

Picture of the week

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Balmain Coal Mine, ca 1907.

birchgrove-postcard-9-balm

It is probably not now very well known that Balmain, for many years, had its own coal mine.

The surface works were on the site to the north of Birchgrove Primary School. The mine, at first known as the Sydney Harbour Colliery, started operations in 1897 and the last coal was mined in 1931.

The mine was the deepest ever worked in Australia and later produced methane gas, but was not a commercial success. It had poor working conditions and suffered several disastrous accidents.

 The property was sold in 1955 and the shafts filled in and sealed two years later.

balmains-own-coal-mine

Eco-Annandale 2009

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eco-annandale-2009-aquaduct-joel-tarling

 

 

Eco-Annandale 2009 is an exhibition, walk and talk examining Annandale’s contemporary eco-system.

 

The exhibition features the work of 7 local artists who have reflected on Annandale‘s  ecology in glass, on paper and by using recycled packaging. It looks at local provenance plants, the Whites Creek Wetland and the wild birds now thriving in inner-city Annandale. Bronwen Campbell will talk about the work of the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery.

 

The self guided walk takes in the sites that have been

revegetated with Local Provenance Plants by the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery’s volunteers, Annandale‘s two wetlands and the mangroves reintroduced into Rozelle Bay. The exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the dramatic changes to the local environment since European arrival in Sydney.

 

EXHIBITION

January 1 – 31, Leichhardt Library, Piazza level, Italian Forum, 23 Norton Street, Leichhardt.

 

Opening event: WEDNESDAY January 7, 2009 6-730pm, RSVP 9367 9266 or localhistory@lmc.nsw.gov.au

 

For more info, see: www.ramin.com.au/annandale/ecologically-sustainable-annandale-2009.shtml

 

eco-annandale-2009-rbcnn-banner-logo

Best for 2009!

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Iron Cove bridge, looking towards Callan Park, ca 1905

Iron Cove bridge, looking towards Callan Park, ca 1905

 

 

We were amused (yet also sobered, given the severity of the 1890s depression) by the following note from a Balmain Council meeting we came across recently, as reported in the Balmain Observer, December 1897:

 

Q: Are the Council’s employees entitled to any holidays, besides public holidays, during the year?

A: In 1881 we instituted a system of a fortnight’s holiday, but it was only twice taken advantage of, our officers being too, too busy to take advantage of such luxuries.

 

With best wishes for the holiday season!

 

Bruce, Amie & Garry

Local History team

Leichhardt Council

Italian family history in Sydney. .

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Interest in family history research continues to grow, particularly since the recent screening on SBS of the Australian version of Who Do You Think You Are?

 

However many tracing their family tree are often faced with the problem of how to access overseas records.

 

Co.As.It Leichhardt’s Italian Family Hitory Group has announced that arrangements have now been finalised which will enable those Sydneysiders with Italian ancestry to undertake research into tracing their Italian ancestors in Sydney instead of overseas.

Arrival in Sydney, ca 1955

Arrival in Sydney, ca 1955

 “After eight years of negotiations I am very pleased to say it will now be possible to order copies of records on microfilm containing the actual entries of official Italian registers, both civil and church” said Dominic Arrivilo, Chairperson of the Co.As.It Italian Family History Group.

 

At present 48 reels containing the registers of the Aeolian Islands (Province of Messina) are available at Casa D’Italia, Co.As.It HQ at 67 Norton Street, Leichhardt.

 

For further information contact Linda Nellor, Co.As.It Heritage Officer on 02 9564 0744 or Dominic Arrivolo on 02 9789 1787.

"Red Lines" trams. .

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web2008_1123loftusredlinesd1

It is now 50 years since mass tram services operated in the inner-west. Trams operated in the inner-west between 1882 and 1958 and were originally driven by steam power. From the early 1900s as Sydney’s electricity supply expanded, trams were converted to electric operation. Sydney‘s tramway system developed into the largest in the British Commonwealth outside of London and supplied transport to the growing suburbs.

At its peak in 1922 some 1,600 trams were operating across the city. Most inner-west trams operated from Fort Macquarie (today the site of the Sydney Opera House) and travelled down George Street. In peak periods additional services operated from Railway Square. Inner-west services were known as “red lines” services due to the red destination signage they displayed.

marionstreettram

The controversial decision to phase out trams altogether in favour of government buses was made as early as 1938. Trams were blamed for traffic congestion in the city centre, and post-World War II as Australia’s car manufacturing industry bloomed interest groups such as the National Roads and Motorists’ Association and the Modern Road Transport Association lobbied government calling for the removal of trams from Sydney streets.


Services to Five Dock and Abbotsford were replaced by buses in 1955. The last tram services from Leichhardt and Balmain operated on Saturday 22 November,1958. The last tram service in Sydney operated from La Perouse to Maroubra on Saturday 25 February, 1961.


darkingstreetca1955

Picture of the week

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fountainceremony1

One of the few war memorials erected during WW1, Balmain’s Unity Square was renamed Loyalty Square at a ceremony on April 24, 1916. The memorial drinking fountain, featuring the words ‘Peace, Honour, Empire, Liberty’ recorded the names of 38 Balmain men who lost their lives at Gallipoli.

Marine Officer, Convict Wife : the Johnstons of Annandale

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George Johnston played an important part in creating a viable colony out of pitiable beginnings. He gained enduring notoriety for deposing govenor Bligh in 1808 but his wider role as a soldier and entrepreneur was no less important. In a new book written by Alan Roberts of the Annandale Urban Research Association Johnston’s achievements, and their personal cost to him, provide for a fascinating read.

More striking is the depiction of Esther, a young milliner transported for stealing 21 yards of silk lace who rose to play a key role in managing Johnston’s large pastoral properties. The name of Johnston will always be associated with Annandale, if only for Johnston Street. Marine Officer, Convict Wife is a study of place as well as personality, tracing the development of Annandale from 1793 when the family farm and mansion dominated the district just west of Sydney, to the 1870s when it began to take shape as a suburb.

Paintings, drawings and photographs illustrate a new world being created in an unfamiliar landscape. Funded through Leichhardt Council’s Local History Grants Programme, Marine Officer, Convict Wife will fascinate not just those who enjoy local history and architecture, but anyone with an interest in the early days of white settlement in Sydney. Available from all good bookstores, Marine Officer, Convict Wife retails at $29.95