Thursday, December 10, 2009

Local Pottery

The following article was sent to RDHA from a lovely lady to let us know about her families history here in Rockdale. I for one had no idea that this Pottery business even existed let alone here in Rockdale.
This is a terrific article and I hope that you will appreciate it as much as I did when I received it earlier this year. We would be interested to hear from anyone who has pieces of this pottery and how they came about acquiring them.








If any RDHA members or anyone who has similar stories that reflect Rockdale Cities past who wish to have it placed in our Blog please contact me at rdha@netspace.net.au

Friday, September 4, 2009

I Remember

This entry entitled "I Remmeber" were written some years ago and unfortunately not signed or dated. It was published I believe several years ago by The St George Historical Society but I don't know if they got any replies.
So if you think you now who wrote this or can shed some more light on the items mentioned we would be only too pleased to hear from you to share with us the lost history of our community...
  1. I was born in Arncliffe in 1903, a notable event for the world, but was it for me?
  2. The Arncliffe - Bexley tramway was in its infancy, the first tram departing from Arncliffe Railway Station admidst great pomp and ceremony.
  3. The Kindergarten School conducted by Misses Cork and Osborn. School located at 75 Hirst Street Arncliffe. A weatherboard structure, subsequently transferred as a residence to Broe Avenue, to accomodate Granny Litely.
  4. The fire that burnt that structure to the ground, and the burning to death of the dear old Granny at the same time.
  5. Arncliffe Park with its post and rail fence, its creek, now a piped drain way, its pear tree, the weatherboard pavillion in the centre, where the present Soldier Memorial Oblesque is located. The fence enclosed cast iron drinking fountain, with its cast iron cup attached to chains.
  6. The horses which roamed the park and the mushrooms.
  7. When that portion of Broe Avenue between Station Street and Wollongong Road was a paddock, and palings removed to allow access to each.
  8. Bobby Dunsworth, that pleasant old "Cop" who was fond of the "kids", playing football with them, and lecturing them for their wrong doings.
  9. The 'top picture show", the Lyric, with its roof half way along. The rainy Saturday nights when those front part patrons crowded into the back part to escape a wetting and to enjoy the show on a wet glittering screen. The nights when the stubborn old donkey engine would not start, and the apology from the proprietor, "Old" Blackadder and later Matt Predaeux and the Matters family.
  10. The nights when the front patrons were noisy.
  11. The scren effects, peas in a film tin rattled for water effect, two halves of a coconut shell tapped on boards to imitate horses running and a 6d. cap gun for the revolver shooting of William S Hart.
  12. The 'bottom show", the "Tin House", the Elite Theatre in Barden Street, Proprietor King, with the word REX in electric light on the outside of the building, right hand top corner of the screen. What seats -- and those trained fleas. Mr King was killed in a railway accident.
  13. The night the films caught fire.
  14. The Highbury Barn Hotel with its hitching rails, its fenced in small pepper corn tree.
  15. The Arncliffe Hotel - Mitchels - withs its verandah, hitching rails water trough and big pepper corn trees.
  16. The Dettman Timber Factory fire, the night Fire Captain Wolfendon was killed by the falling chimney stack.
  17. The bell which rang at the railway station as a warning to intending passengers that a steam train was passing under the Forest Road overhead bridge.
  18. The railway level crossing gates at the foot of Done Street. The days the World War 1 started and finished. The passing through Arncliffe of the "Kangaroo" recruits.
  19. The seven year supremacy of the Arncliffe "A" cricket team with repeated ability to beat an English Eleven. What cricketers the victorious team had, to mention a few: Charles Walker Captain, Charlie Crispo, Dan Moloney, Albert Ford, Nipper Nosworthy, Percy Marr, Frank Donaghue, George Crispo, Ray Freemas, that master hitter, alleged to have put a ball in Station Street.
  20. That stately homes and properties of the Judds, the Gibbons, the Farleighs, the Esdailes, not forgetting the Castle near Tempe and the advent of Earl Park as the league Football Centre of the St George District.
  21. The brawl on Earl Park after Balmain v St George match.
  22. The last tram on ther Arncliffe - Bexley run and the good bye to old "Hughee" the driving ace who beat "Old" Wright's buses to Arncliffe.
  23. Arncliffe School with its Montgomery, Heatherton, Finlayson, Morrow and Ben Roberts, Kate Smith, Mrs Bingham, not forgetting Miss Allen the teacher with a wonderful memory of faces.
  24. The old sewerage farm and the anguish of the advent of the southerlies, which wafted the obnoxious perfume in all directions.
  25. The Depression and its heartache.
  26. The first Electric Train through Arncliffe.
  27. Vincents and Lustys nurseries.
  28. The great blow which blew the Seventh Day Adventist's Church from its foundations.
  29. The great Waratah - Wanderers, Mortdale Deathadders, Marist Brothers and Bexley waratahs. Football tussels on Arncliffe Park and the fights among the enthusiastic followers.
  30. The swims in creeks, Ducky, Springy, Cooksie in our birthday suits and treacherous Jackoes where a number of our school mates lost their lives.

This document was written a long time ago but if anyone has any information about who may have written it or when it was written could you please let us know.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Arncliffe in the 19th Century A Window to our Past

How it was a view to our past
A small sample of the "Esdaile Collection" available at the History Library Rockdale Town Hall.



Esdaile's House The Towers 105 Forest Rd Arncliffe

Arncliffe Park and Wollongong Road

Friday, July 31, 2009

Our 20 Most Precious Heritage Buildings

Segenhoe St Arncliffe
Kembla St Arncliffe
Wollongong Road Arncliffe
Frederick St Rockdale
The Gables
Arncliffe Public School House
Roslyn Hall Circa 1888
Meryton Circa 1885
Glenwood Circa 1886
Dundry Circa 1888
Coburra Circa 1905
St Elmo Circa 1897
Gladstone & Wentworth Circa 1886
Dapeto Circa 1885
Fairview Circa 1884
Belmont Circa 1884
Forsythe Circa 1868
Cairnsfoot Circa 1884
Lydham Hall Circa 1860
Tempe House Circa 1836

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Country Favorites
















The following photos are just a small example of what the association came across on its many trips to country centres like Bathurst, Goulburn, Lithgow just to name a few. If you are interested in period homes then take a trip to any one of a dozen or more country towns within 3 hours of Sydney and you will come across same of the most beautiful period homes you have ever seen

Built on Stone Part 2
















Built on Stone Part 2 is to again show some more examples of period homes etc in Arncliffe, Banksia and Rockdale built using locally quarried sandstone. These are only a small example as we have not yet discovered all of those that exist.