Daily Archives: September 24, 2008

JOURNEY TO A NEW LIFE: Italian migration in NSW

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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

Pietro Carnavale, with co-workers on the Hume Weir preparing Sunday lunch, Albury 1927.

Santo Acruri arrives in Sydney, March 1956. Image courtesy Acruri family.

celebrating History Week 2008 – row, swim, sail, fish, bathe!

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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

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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!