Tuesday 28 October, 5.30 pm for 6.00 pm
Dixson Room, Mitchell wing, State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street, Sydney
$15 (State Library Friends), $20 (seniors), $22, includes light refreshments
Bookings: 9273 14 14
Inner Sydney stories. .
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Author Archives: localnotes
Pictures of the week 7 & 8
Completed in 1885 by Colonial Architect James Barnett in cooperation with Dr Frederick N. Manning, Inspector for the Insane, some twenty neo-classical buildings were constructed and named the Kirkbride Block on the former Garry Owen estate after the U.S. psychiatrist Dr Thomas Kirkbride. Kirkbride advocated the importance of natural surroundings in the treatment of mental illness, and essential to the Callan Park plan were the extensive parklands designed by the Director of the Botanic Gardens Charles Moore.
Patients occupied the buildings until 1994 when they were handed over to Sydney University who moved their Sydney College of the Arts from Reynolds Street Balmain to the site in 1996. More on the Kirkbride model of treatment in an international context can be found here: http://www.kirkbridebuildings.com
Images – photographer Richard Hughes
Picture of the week 6
Balmain Tigers Grand Final win, 1969
A foundation club of NSW Rugby League, the Balmain Tigers played their first match on April 20th 1908 against Western Suburbs at Birchgrove Oval, winning 24 to nil. Remembering their 1969 premiership win against fellow inner-city club South Sydney, Balmain’s Francis Peters-Little says “It was one of the happiest days for Balmain, we went up and down Darling Street and just yelled and yelled and screamed, we felt so proud of our local team, it was just an awesome day”
More on the Tigers Centenary can be found at:
http://www.tigers.org.au/centenary/default.aspx
JOURNEY TO A NEW LIFE: Italian migration in NSW
We are getting a huge response to this exhibition which went up early September during History Week and continues until October 30 at Leichhardt Library.
To date we have had more than a dozen high school groups (coming from as far as Adamstown, Newcastle) seniors groups and a western Sydney historical society visit the exhibition. Developed by Co.As.It Italian Heritage, Journey to a New Life pays an emotional tribute to the courage and sacrifices made by Italians who left behind their homeland to start a new life in New South Wales.
A work-sheet for use by high school classes has been developed around the major themes in the exhibition and can be downloaded here (requires PDF reader) journey-exhibition
celebrating History Week 2008 – row, swim, sail, fish, bathe!
70 people joined us down on the waterfront at Balmain’s Dawn Fraser Baths – the oldest surviving tidal-baths in Australia- as we celebrated History Week 2008.
Heritage consultant Meredith Walker gave an illustrated presentation on the history of bathing pools around the Leichhardt and Balmain foreshores, and Leichhardt Rowing Club’s Barry Moynahan held our attention with his words and an image presentation exploring the history of the Club that was opened in 1886 by Sir Henry Parkes.
Meredith Walker has identified 9 bathing pools that have existed around the Balmain and Leichhardt foreshore since 1875. We’ll be putting up some of her research into swimming baths here on LOCAL NOTES soon.
celebrating History Week 2008 – my place
Everyone’s place has a story, and on September 10 thirty eager year 2 students from Leichhardt Public School joined us for an afternoon of discovery, diving-deep into the history of ‘their place’. The afternoon included a look at some of our photographic collection, a chance for the kids to find out who lived in their house 100 years ago using the Sands Sydney & Suburban Directory, exploring the story of the old Balmain Cemetery (today Pioneer Park on Norton Street) through a couple of 1930s newsreels from our collection and finished off with a treasure hunt around Leichhardt Library. Fun for all!
Annandale – the houses of John Young
John Young “The Eminent Australian Builder”
John Young master builder, engineer and masoner, erected a row of notable and original houses in Annandale, situated along Johnston Street. Six of these houses remain to be significant historically and architecturally: Nos 260-272 Johnston Street are: Kenilworth, Highroyd, Hockingdon, the now demolished Claremont, Oybin, Greba and The Abbey.
Johnston Street, Annandale, ca 1880s showing The Abbey
Kenilworth: 260 Johnston Street, built 1888-1889 The house Sir Henry Parkes rented for the last years of his life and died there in 1896. Originally there was another identical house called “Claremont” at 258 Johnston Street, which was demolished in 1967. This pair of houses featured a centre spire. The design of the four original “Witches Houses” display Gothic and Romanesque features which are likely the work of architect John Richards. It is thought the homes were dubbed the “Witches Houses” from the resemblance of the silhouettes of the towers to witches hats.
Kennilworth
Highroyd & Hockingdon 262, 264 Johnston Street, 1888-1890. Hockingdon and Highroyd were built as a pair, to provide an income for Young’s daughters, Annie and Nellie, although they never lived there. These two houses featured side spires, unlike the other two “Witches Houses”.
Hockingdon
Oybin: 270 Johnston Street, Annandale Situated next to the Abbey Oybin was built for the architect C.H.E Blackmann who occupied it from 1881 to 1885. A handsome example of the Victorian Italliannate villa, the home features a square tower over the front enterance, a typical feature of houses built in the 1880s in Annandale and nearby suburbs.
Oybin
The Abbey
The Abbey is the most notable and renowned of the houses built by John Young, It has been suggested that the architect may have been William Wardell (architect of St Mary’s Cathederal) in conjunction with Young. The Abbey has been described as a stone Gothic Revival mansion, modelled on a Scottish manor. Young gave his imagination free rein and the house incorporates gables, arches, gargoyles, lions, quatrefoils, chimneys, turrets, a cloister and a tower with copper cladding (it was rumoured that Young may have stolen gargoyles from St Mary’s Cathedral, which he built, but there was no proof). Young was the highest ranking Mason in Australia and The Abbey incorporates Masonic themes. It is possible that the building may have been used by Young as a Masonic Lodge. After Young’s death, The Abbey was occupied by a series of tenants, who subdivided the house to create flats and flatettes. A new owner acquired the house in 1959 and restored it. It is now on the Register of the National Estate.[1]
Kentville
Kentville, was built as John Young’s home, in a three-hectare garden setting adjacent to Rozelle Bay. The land was bought by Young in 1877, and included a cottage built by Robert Johnston. Young enlarged the cottage and named it Kentville after his home county in the UK. He also built a bowling green on the land and opened it to the public – thought to be Sydney’s first lawn bowls green. Young hoped that the Annandale area would be fine enough to rival places like Darling Point – a suburb for the “genteel” classes – but by 1895 Annandale was referred to as a “working man’s suburb”, similar to its neighbouring inner-city suburbs, with workers housing interspersed with manufacturing industry. John Young’s vision for Annandale was never realised.
This image taken in 1952 shows number 262-268 Kenilworth, Highroyd, Hockingdon, Greba.
References
1. The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/34
2. The Annandale Association Newsletters.
3. Annandale – Buildings file in Leichhardt Local History collection.
Current News on the Houses of Sir John Young
The magic touch in inner Sydney
at the water’s edge : History Week 2008 September 6-14
We are celebrating life at the water’s edge during September!
Wherever waters rise or fall, there’s a story, and events across the Leichhardt area in September are a great opportunity to explore just how central the water’s edge has been since before European colonisation.
From photographic exhibitions, speakers nights to guided walks there’s plenty happening – download our events list here (requires PDF reader):dl_brochure_web1
And don’t forget we are wanting to hear about your time spent ‘at the water’s edge’ – log on and share your memories – see the ‘MY WATER’S EDGE’ tab at the top of our masthead, and get typing!
'Open Council' – the Leichhardt experience
On Friday 1st of August The Balmain Association launched their latest publication Open Council A New Era In Local Government by Issy Wyner.
Issy Wyner was an Alderman and Councillor on Leichhardt Council for 25 years spanning 1959 – 1991 and Mayor of Leichhardt in 1989-1990. His work and experience make him a highly relevant author on the topic of Leichhardt’s experience with the principles of an ‘open council’ which advocated public participation and open government.
Wyner doesn’t hold back in his criticism of some of those he shared the Council table with, or of state governments of any colour. Open Council A New Era In Local Government presents a very personal view of the local government experience post-war at Leichhardt Council.
Open Council is for sale at Leichhardt Library for $20.00
The horse trough on Johnston Street. .
Some of you might have noticed the horse trough on Johnston Street, Annandale just outside Annandale North Public School. You may even have wondered about its story or stopped to have a closer look. If you have done the latter you would have noticed on the inside the words George & Annis Bills Australia. But what is the meaning behind these words? Who were these people? And why are their names there?
This is the story
It begins in 1859 when George Bills was born in Brighton England. He came to Australia as a young man and he and his brother established a wire mattress manufacturing business in Kent St Sydney, which operated successfully over many years.
During his lifetime George was a philanthropist, who took a keen interest in seeking out cases of human need and gave many thousands of pounds anonymously to assist needy people.
George Bills died 14th Dec, 1927 and his wife Annis died on the 20th June 1910. After providing some personal bequests, his will directed the income from the residue of his estate to be used to provide troughs for horses, and for the purpose of preventing cruelty, and the alleviating the suffering of animals in any country.
More than 500 troughs were erected in Australia, mostly in NSW and Victoria and some in overseas countries – England, Ireland, Switzerland (for donkeys) and Japan.In the early stages of trough supply, each was individually designed and constructed. One of the first was a granite Memorial trough, hewn in one piece as a memorial to Mr Bills. It was situated in Barton St, Hawthorne, Melbourne; the trough has long since been removed.
Later a standard design was adopted, and Rocla concrete products supplied many hundred of the troughs in Victoria and NSW. Troughs were supplied on application to the Bills Trust by local councils and truckloads of ten would often leave the factory for installation by a team of workmen. Most of the troughs were made and supplied in the 1930’s in Victoria.
The cumbersome steel & concrete moulds were later transferred to the Rocla factory in Junee NSW, where about 20 troughs were made in 1938. The moulds were then taken to Sydney where about 200 were made and supplied to various areas. However the growing use of motor vehicles caused a halt in demand and none were installed after World War 2.
A large number of troughs were erected in the streets of Sydney, but have been removed over the years. There is a growing interest in the restoration of those that remain. Annandale resident and long time campaigner for the protection of Annandale’s built heritage Betty Mason told me recently that Council had planned to remove the trough in Johnston St in the 1970’s but a strong campaign by the Annandale Association saved it. Several attempts have been made to grow flowers in the trough over the years and thankfully the ones there now seem to have taken and are surviving, which is a great improvement on the weeds & refuse which gathered in the past.
David Lawrence, Annandale.
Further info. on Bills troughs can be found at:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~geogem/index5.htm
http://billshorsetroughs.spaces.live.com/
Images:
Bills Trough, Johnston Street, Annandale, 2008