Dead Central. the State Library’s current exhibition, is on display in Sydney.
Did you know that Central Station was the site of the colony’s first major cemetery? Thousands of graves were moved to accommodate the new station, which parliament wanted initially built in Hyde Park to avoid disruption.
Graves were moved to other cemeteries across Sydney.
A great exhibition – heaps of photos and a great audio guide. And FREE!
Abbotsford. We’ve walked through here a few times, but not with an eye on history.
We followed the Canada Bay council walk which was well set out.
We discovered that the Nestle factory house (older people will know the one I mean) was once owned by A.E. Grace of Grace Bros., Abbotsford had a baths, an animal quarantine establishment operated here and that Henry Lawson lived in Abbotsford for a while.
We’ve been through here before but had forgotten the rich history. Sydney had a quarantine station for farm and domestic animals as well as for race horses.
Horse stalls
H
Probably an old punt location between Abbotsford and Gladesville
Waterfront living in Abbotsford. Just because you live on the water doesn’t mean you can afford to do anything with the site. Asset rich, cash poor.
Sydney Rowers.
Another walk from the City of Sydney – Gritty Newtown
Learnt a few things… again! Who’d have thought??
Did not know what this meant until now!
This art-deco building on King St was an icerink that transformed into summer baths!
Simply gorgeous terraces overlooking Hollis Park
The old Trocadero on King St – roller skating and dancing.
Newtown’s most sought-after address apparently
Hollis Park – beautiful
This weekend we were at Parramatta for an event, so we tacked on the Harris Park Heritage Walk for a historical wander through colonial western Sydney.
The Harris Park Heritage Walk is an initiative of Discover Parramatta
It’s poorly signposted as you leave Parramatta ferry wharf but is a good wander through Experiment Farm Cottage, Hambledon Cottage and Elizabeth Farm.
This weekend we followed a tour from https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au called Skirting Sydney.
It focused on The Rocks and around Martin Place. This tour pinpoints key sites where girls and women lived and worked, where they were educated and entertained, and where pioneering activist women held meetings, published journals and sometimes in the process expanded the possibilities for all women’s lives.
Good stuff.
So the hunt to track down all the family street names from 2018 continues in the background.
We were delighted to trip over Kernot St, just near the big Mallee Fowl on the Silo Art Trail
Another City of Sydney walking tour through a history of Commercial & Retail Sydney
Down Martin Place where the Commonwealth Bank and original MLC building are, through the Grace Hotel which was requisitioned by General MacArthur in WWII, past the AWA Tower – “Sydney’s Eiffel Tower”, the beautiful Dymocks Building, State Theatre, Arthouse Hotel, Tattersall’s Building and more.
A beautiful autumnal day for a historical wander around Glebe.
We visited the house where Robert (born Robin) Askin grew up, saw the park where a wireless was installed for poor families to hear the current news, had breakfast in one of the old original pubs, learnt of the strong medical ties to the area and were staggered to learn that Glebe Public School once had 2,300 students!
Another City of Sydney walk History Walk – Customs House to Millers Point
We went, for the first time, to Observatory Hill Park and went through the observatory. Was great. And free! Site of Sydney’s first windmill with beautiful views of Sydney to the east and west. We discovered Ferry Lane and The Paddock, had a drink at the Lord Nelson, found a still in use cast iron urinal and discovered the laneway below Lower Fort St.
We were down in Melbourne for the weekend. We stayed in the CBD and so did a couple of city walks.
Like Sydney, Melbourne city council publishes different walks. We did the Street Art walk and the Laneways walk. Really well done.
So, this weekend, we... 