John Bradfield was, by his own proclamation, ably assisted in building the bridge by his ‘Confidential Secretary’. Much of her work would be considered engineering by any standard, although she was formally unqualified.The participation of women in all aspects of society, including engineering, developed greatly during the 20th century.

A young Australian woman, Kathleen Butler, was a pioneer in her time and well recognised in Sydney in the 1920s but is now largely forgotten. Despite great innate ability her career was stymied by the exclusion of married women from many occupations. We learnt of the work of this woman, and also something of the character of the man for whom she worked – Bradfield. He recognised ability and embraced it. He encouraged Butler and pushed her forward at every opportunity.

Author Geoff Nadin told the story of a once famous Australian family. In February 1998, in South Kensington, London an unremarked daath occurred of 75-year-old retired taxi driver David Stewart Dawson.

This was the same David who, fifty years earlier in Australia had inherited a life of privilege and luxury, lived at Sydney’s best addresses, married two beautiful women, and then lost it all in scandal and shame..

This is the story of the Stewart Dawsons: watchmakers and jewellers, Australian pioneers of Jazz Age popular culture. It’s also a story of marital duplicity and deception, hubris and abuse of privilege, hedonism, fraud, and criminal violence leaving a trail of victims and damaged lives, where there were few happy endings.

There were actually more non-convicts than convicts on the First Fleet.

Kerima-Gae Topp selected a few ‘non-convicts’ and highlighted their contribution- mainly good - to those early days of British settlement here and what remainders still exist today. She also highlighted how they became involved with the First Fleet, some very reluctantly at first. We were amazed at the early age one couple first became involved with seafaring and were surprised at another two, who despite holding very important roles in these early days of settlement could have killed each other!

 

 

From Hat Factory to Home: the story of a Surry Hills building

Speaker: Angela Phippen

Australia’s First WW1 Casualties"

Speaker: John Brooks

A Close Encounter of the Scary Kind"

Speaker: Celeste Radcliffe

This revealing, sweeping narrative history begins with the shifting of the continents to the coming of the First Australians and, thousands of years later, the Europeans who dispossessed them. Hoskins explores colonists' attempts to exploit the riches of the region while keeping white Australia' separate from neighbouring Asians, Melanesians and Polynesians.

He examined how the advent of modern human rights and the creation of the United Nations after World War Two changed Australia and investigates our increasing regional engagement following the rise of China and concludes with the offshore detention of asylum seekers and current debates over climate change. Hoskins questions Australia's responsibilities towards our increasingly imperilled neighbours

 

In this illustrated talk historian and COSHA member Angela Phippen talked about the existing 19th century historic houses of the Ryde LGA. Last year she told us of many older houses that have been demolished over the last century. However you will be pleased to learn that many beautiful and important buildings have survived and are still in use. Angela showed us some of these houses and tell us their stories.

 

Did you think that Captain Cook was the first European to map Australia and Matthew Flinders the first to circumnavigate? No Way!

Abel Tasman, the Dutch East India Company and the first Dutch discoveries of Australia.

Every visitor who passes through the vestibule of the Mitchell Library stops to admire the magnificent marble mosaic of the Tasman Map which fills the entire vestibule floor.

This story of the first Dutch voyages to discover Australia is set against the background of the struggle of the newly formed Dutch Republic to gain its independence from the Kingdom of Spain and the struggle of the Dutch East India Company for trade supremacy in the East Indies against its Portuguese, Spanish and English rivals. Abel Tasman was the first European to circumnavigate Australia despite the fact that for much of his travels he was not in sight of land. Historian and author Ian Burnet tells fascinating stories from this little known part of Australian history.

Could the Rum Rebellion have been averted if Major Johnston wasn't hungover?

Would the Eureka Stockade have been different if the rebels weren't pissed?

How were prisoners to get drunk if Macquarie closed the only pub in the gaol?

And why should sailors under fourteen be deprived of their sixteen shots of rum per day?

Questions like this are raised in Matt Murphy's account of Australia's colonial history. Brimming with detailed research and irreverent character sketches, Rum looks at not just how much was drunk in colonial Australia (a lot!), but also the lengths people went to get their hands on it, the futile efforts of the early governors to control it, and the often disastrous and/or absurd consequences of its consumption.

 

The story of Surry Hills is one of the more remarkable tales of Sydney. In the early days the suburb attracted some of the “Colonial Gentry” of the time and during the 1840’s Surry Hills had become a desirable residential area. The gold rush of the 1850’s saw a massive population boom across Sydney with increased housing pressure for Surry Hills and by 1890 the area had become virtually built out. Surry Hills became widely described as a “slum”, with “blighted living conditions”. The winds of change arrived in the 1950’s with a major influx of post war migrants – the Greeks, Italians and Lebanese, who purchased many of the cheap old terraces - that they then refurbished. During the 70’s and 80’s young urban professionals joined the party, enjoying the proximity to the city and the fascinating lifestyle of residing in renovated 19th century terraces. By the 1990’s, Surry Hills was back on the rich-listers agenda, with the much-despised terraces of the past attracting 7 figure sums. Today Surry Hills is a diverse cosmopolitan suburb well known for its art galleries, antique dealers, cafes and pubs, fashion and rag trade outlets. A wonderful outcome for a unique area.

Little known in Australia now the Cato Street group is in the top three groups of conspirators caught in their attempts to change Britain into a people’s republic and free Ireland. Eleven conspirators were tried for high treason and sentenced to death by being 'hung, drawn and quartered'. They were the last in England to ever receive this penalty, and the last in the 1800s to be convicted of high treason.However, the King respited these harsh sentences to 'hanging and beheading' for five, 'transportation for life' for another five, and 6 months' imprisonment for one.

The stories of Greek-Australian women over almost 200 years reveal and revel in individual and collective successes, failures, hopes and dreams, of an Australia of challenges, a Greece of memory and a faith in the unfolding of a potentially unlimited future. This presentation attempts to instigate a detailed inquiry into a historical understanding of Greek-Australian women.

Shirley is involved in a long running campaign to save the Huskisson Anglican church site from over development. Her story involves 2 acres of land, 3/4 of it Anglican, 1/4 of it the local Aboriginal Land Council and it is a ripper of a story involving a Cyril Blacket Church, indigenous graves, and some lovely old trees. It also includes political intrigue, community commitment and religious bigotry. Being a dyed-in-the-wool urban historian long at home in the middle of Sydney, she told of her unexpected journey into new ways of looking at history.

When the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge was completed in May 1889 it was the last link in a continuous railway network connecting areas north of Brisbane through Sydney and Melbourne to Adelaide and beyond. It was a necessary pre-requisite for federation and Henry Parkes said as much in his speech at the opening. The reason that a structure, almost within the suburbs of Sydney, was the last to be built, on a railway which stretched for thousands of miles, was the immense engineering difficulty of the site. At the time of opening it was an internationally acclaimed wonder, having the deepest foundations of any bridge in the world. Built by American contractors, Sam Ryland and Edwin Morse, they took a scrap book a & photo albums of their work home at the end of the job. 125 years later Bill Phippen tracked the albums down in Kansas City & Washington from where high resolution scans of the images were prepatriated and these inspired a book about the whole saga. In 2019 The Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge was recognised by Engineers Australia with the Colin Crisp Award for documentation of engineering heritage.

A bit of a tradition with the City of Sydney Historical Association, each year we have some of our COSHA members presenting some of the stranger stories from the past. This year three different COSHA members presented.

Betty Candy: ‘The strange Antecedents of the Dog on the Tuckerbox’

Ruth Saunders: "AFTRS and Elephants"

Celeste Radcliff: ‘Australia’s Prince of Thieves’

Did Jane Austen (1775-1817) have an Australian connection? In ‘Jane & D’Arcy’, Australian author Wal Walker makes this groundbreaking claim. ‘Jane and D’Arcy’ is the history of Jane Austen and a young Irish surgeon D’Arcy Wentworth. ‘Folly is not always Folly’ tells the story of their first meeting, family connections, their romance and adventures, and their separation, on the eve of D’Arcy’s departure for New South Wales.

Wal Walker is a grandson of D’Arcy Wentworth’s great grandson. He has written his family’s untold story of D’Arcy and Jane Austen. Wentworth (1762-1827) was the love of her life. Through a close reading of Austen and a deep knowledge of Wentworth’s life, Walker demonstrates where and when they might have met, and what brought them together.

In 1951, 3,500 glass plate negatives in cedar boxes were found in a garden shed in Chatswood. This extraordinary discovery turned out to be the most complete record of the goldfields era anywhere in the world. Bernhardt Holtermann commissioned the photographs after finding the world’s biggest specimen of reef gold at his Star of Hope mine in 1872. The plates were donated to the Mitchell Library in 1952. Patrick Dodd from the Library told us the fascinating story behind the Holtermann Collection and showed us some of the fascinating images from that time 

In 1916 and following 60 years of deliberation, frequent acrimonious debate and occupying diverse locations embracing the Botanic Gardens, Hyde Park, Moore Park and Billy Goat Swamp, Sydney’s zoo found itself settling on the southern slopes and shores of historic Bradleys Head. The zoo’s subsequent 100 year journey, and one not without its challenges, saw the creation and development of a nationally and globally renowned conservation enterprise and one arguably occupying the planet’s most striking and breathtaking zoological locations. During his 25 year association with Taronga and Taronga Western Plains Zoo, speaker Guy Cooper fielded a range of responsibilities. Linked initially to a major sponsorship and later Board member and Deputy Chairman, he chaired the Finance and Marketing Committees prior to occupying the role of Director and Chief Executive from 1998 to 2009. His connection continues in the role of an Executive Patron of the Taronga Foundation.

David Hunt's first book "Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia" won the Australian 2014 Indie Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year. Girt is four parts narrative Australian history and one part satire and encourages even readers with no knowledge of Australian history to read and enjoy. “True Girt, volume 2 of The Unauthorised History of Australia”, was published in 2016 and continues Australian history in the same light vein. David is a most entertaining speaker and held us spellbound with his interpretation of our history.

Noel Phelan, long time guide and presenter from the Australian National Maritime Museum told us the story of the Halvorsen family, who came to Australia with very little and worked very hard to build a better life. However they did more than that - they showed extraordinary commitment to boat building and excellent craftsmanship and boat design skills that made their boats highly desirable. They also demonstrated outstanding seamanship by sailing their yachts with great success. Halvorsen yachts won back to back handicap honours three times in the Sydney Hobart race and they also built and raced the first Australian challenger for the America's Cup - GRETEL for Frank Packer.

Ken Hall took us to the First Fleeters’ Memorial that is part of the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park. It was previously known as Botany Cemetery. The Heritage section began as the ‘Pioneer Memorial Park’ that was established through the dedicated effort of Mr Fred W. Read and contains many surviving memorials that were transported in 1901 from earlier burial grounds in Sydney. Pioneer Memorial Park is a heritage listed landmark of NSW, where memorials of early pioneers and prominent citizens of the colony of New South Wales still stand today - there are 746 surviving memorials of the many that were transported from the early burial grounds of Sydney in 1901.

Robert Mills showed us the changing faces of Sydney throughout the years from his vast collection of postcards. 100 years ago the postcard was a prime means of communicating with friends and business associates. Multiple mail deliveries per day ensured that messages sent in the am would be delivered in the pm (same day). Cards were also often produced for business use and advertised all manner of activities and products. Maps also appeared on cards. Often the only communication with family members from home the cards that remain tell history as it happened on the other side of the world

Angela Phippen, Dennis Dostine and John Brooks with their strange and probably true stories.

There was Q & A session after the speakers presented which was both entertaining and provoking.

Warren Fahey, cultural historian, author, broadcaster and performer told us the stories of the 2011 post code of Sydney’s inner-east that offers a fascinating history of Sydney’s high life, low life and, sometimes, very low life. All five precincts are alive with curious history. Warren delivered an eclectic romp through the social history of Sydney’s most famous neighbourhood from scenic roller-coaster rides at Rushcutter Bay’s White City amusement park; maritime mischief down at the ‘Loo; the scandal of ‘peeping Toms’ at Elizabeth Bay; and memories of cabaret’s greats at the Silver Spade in Potts Point, to the origins of the darker side of Kings Cross..

The Cooks River has been the subject of extensive pollution since settlement. The latest in a long line of human transformations of the river concerns the inundation of unsightly plastics but the river has been abused forever. Flotillas of human refuse that travel up and down with the tides. The point of using heritage is to raise awareness of the river as a resource for the people of the region. Unless the area is looked after, and that connections between people and river are re-made, the river will continue to be treated as a dump. Most people do not know it exists, and, if they do, many outsiders regard it as a muddy drain.

Extensive historical research forms the background to Julian Leatherdale’s debut novel set in the Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath. Julian shared some surprising stories that he uncovered about this iconic hotel that was opened in 1904 by the wealthy retailer Mark Foy originally as hydropathical sanatorium including the strange but true history of the hotel and the shocking reality of the interment of Germans in NSW during World War Two.

There were many dreams in early colonial Sydney for a world standard city and many ambitious plans were made by the Governors and architects of the time, only to be dashed by interference from the old Country and the representatives who arrived out here. Ken Hall spoke about the buildings roads and other structures that might have been.  

Macarthur is remembered by most people for laying the foundations of the great Australian wool industry. In fact he spent so much time away from home fighting Governors and facing a court martial in England, his practical achievements owe a very great deal to the persistence and loyalty of his wife and sons. He was a complex character. Some saw him as scheming and devious with disdain for any official who dared to thwart his ambitions. Others saw him as a brilliant publicist and organiser who did much to focus and promote attention to the potential of the colony. Patrick Dodd is a volunteer guide at the State library of NSW, the Australian Maritime Museum and HM Bark Endeavour.

It might seem like a strange thing to do but City of Sydney Historian Dr Lisa Murray compares a visit to a cemetery to visiting a sculpture park or museum and encourages everyone to visit cemetaries like they visit their local park. Lisa talked about her new book and told us some of the strange and interesting stories of many of Sydney's cemeteries and the people buried there. The ultimate handbook - from crowded inner-city plots to spacious burial grounds in semi-rural spots. Cemeteries are not simply places for the dead - they are designed for the living.

COSHA members had a conducted tour of one of Sydney’s earliest churches, the original church was built by orders of the colony's first chaplain, the Reverend Richard Johnson, using convict labour in June 1793. The wattle and daub construction church was later burnt down by convicts in 1798. The current church is the second church building on Church Hill, and was designed by Edmund Blacket. It was built 1848-56. The Church contains interesting objects from the First Fleet onwards.

Phillip Black, Beryl Davis and Robert Hutchinson with their strange and probably true stories.

There was Q & A session after the speakers presented which was both entertaining and provoking.

Peter Edwards is a member of Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) and also one of the earliest members of City of Sydney Historical Association. He was a committee member for several years, only resigning when he needed more time to finish his book. After many years of research, Peter Edwards has completed his book, The Convict Lottery.

The books has been reviewed by Christine Yeats, Senior Vice President of RAHS and a book note has been published in the March edition of the History magazine.

This year will mark the 75th anniversary of  the Japanese midget submarine raid on Sydney.  Three midget submarines crept

into Sydney Harbour on 31 May 1942, determined to sink the American cruiser USS Chicago. However they didn’t get very far. This is a true but farcical story of what happened to the submarines, and worse, how we –the Australians and Americans- handled the situation.

It is the most amazing narrative of our closest brush with invasion .

Presented by Peter Grose, who is a former journalist, literary agent and publisher and has written several acclaimed books. 

This is the remarkable story of the Swiss born Nazi spy, Annette Wagner who arrived in Sydney in March 1938 and departed Australia in February 1940.

Less than 4 months after arriving in Australia in 1938, she acquired espionage’s greatest communication asset — broadcasting her own programs on public radio to nationwide audiences — a secure channel for transmitting coded messages.

Overlooked in the National Archives for nearly seventy years, the story of the broadcasting spy may now be told. 
This is not just an academic study. Greg Clancy’s uncle knew Wagner and flew her to Newcastle, unaware she was taking aerial photographs of the city’s its steel works during the flight.

Presented by Michael Pembroke - writer, naturalist and judge of the Supreme Court of NSW

Having selected Botany Bay as the replacement for their former North American colonies and as the place to transport prisoners from Britain’s overcrowded gaols, they adopted a new enlightened attitude which would see New South Wales offer their convict population the opportunity to redeem themselves and become model settlers in a new land. In choosing Arthur Phillip to help plan and implement this new policy, history shows us that the British Government chose the right man.

Not only did he successfully lead the biggest and longest fleet transporting convicts through largely uncharted waters ever attempted to that time, but he did so with minimal loss of life due to his policies and practices to protect all concerned from the diseases normally endemic on long sea voyages.

‘MINDING HER OWN BUSINESS: COLONIAL BUSINESSWOMEN IN SYDNEY

A talk by Dr Catherine Bishop, Research Officer, Dean's Unit - School of Humanities & Comm Arts at the University of Western Sydney.

‘ CHASING THE FOX: SLY-GROG IN 1930S ERSKINEVILLE & ALEXANDRIA.

A TALK BY CITY OF SYDNEY HISTORIAN DR LISA MURRAY

The razor gangs of Surry Hills and their female figureheads – Kate Leigh and Tilley Devine – have gained notoriety in 21st century popular culture as the epitome of Sydney’s organised crime. But local crims in Erskineville and Alexandria were equally notorious and violent. City Historian Lisa Murray shared some of her latest research on gambling, sly-grog and crime in the suburbs of Erskineville and Alexandria, drawing up the City’s oral history collection.

 

 

 

 

 

DICK WHITAKER TALKED ABOUT

“GREAT SYDNEY STORMS OF THE PAST”

Hail Storm Rose Bay 1942

One of televisions well known weathermen and enthusiastic historians Dick Whitaker wasable to draw on records of how the Sydney weather can become violent.

Major storms are not new to the east coast of Australia and the location of Sydney has placed it in the path of many of these displays of the destructive power of nature.

HMS Endeavour of the coast of New Holland, by Samuel Atkins c.1794
Far from help in 1770 and with the potential to destroy Cook’s and Banks’ voyage of discovery, the refloating and repair of the bark Endeavour was not only superb piece of seamanship but also a most significant event for the history of the settlement Australia by the British.
Drawing on the ship’s log, Cook’s journal and accounts from officers and scientists on board as well as the observations of modern historians, Researcher Carolyn Davey revealed the remarkable skill and courage the crew showed as they refloated their ship off the sharp coral.