Short histories of people and locations from the history of the Sutherland Shire.
Published on: Wednesday, 26 June 2019
What do Sydney’s second airport, innovative artist George Gittoes, a diet of grass and bird bones, and a well-known Australian jewellery company have in common?
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Published on: Monday, 25 February 2019
What do: a) entertainer Mickey Rooney; b) an example of early 20th century crowdfunding; and c) plans for Australia’s first venture into space have in common?
Published on: Thursday, 20 December 2018
‘A limestone cave within 20 miles of Sydney. It seems unbelievable, and yet it is true,’ reported the Sydney Morning Herald in 1933, ‘for in the National Park, not a mile from Lady Carrington Drive, nestles this geological freak.’ Now known as the Palona Cave, this ‘Jenolan in miniature’ is a remarkable natural time-capsule which has surprised and intrigued visitors who, over time, have continued to discover – and rediscover – this ancient and vital edifice.
Published on: Monday, 12 November 2018
‘Previous wars have been a limited business; they were the affair of men,’ recorded the Australian Red Cross Society in the wake of the armistice that ended four years of fighting on 11 November 1918. ‘But in this war, woman was asked to throw herself into the national struggle, and she responded with an enthusiasm and a downright efficiency which surprised most of the other sex, and perhaps, many of her own.’ Amongst those who so readily volunteered for Home Front duties during WW1 were dedicated women from the Sutherland Shire.
Published on: Monday, 10 September 2018
On 26 August 1768, Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook left England aboard the HMB Endeavour on his ‘first voyage of discovery.’ Twenty months later the ship sailed into Botany Bay and on 29 April 1770 Cook and his crew rowed ashore and first encountered the local inhabitants, the Gweagal people. As the 250th anniversary of this meeting approaches it is worth reflecting on how previous generations have chosen to observe this historic occasion in the Sutherland Shire.
As host LGA during the Captain Cook Bicentenary Celebrations, 1970 was a very busy year in the Sutherland Shire. In all, around 200 activities, displays and projects were staged locally to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Endeavour’s arrival. The centrepiece of the yearlong festivities was a colourful re-enactment of Cook’s landing at Kurnell on 29 April. It was a lavish depiction witnessed by millions, including royalty. But it was also an event beset with planning and logistical challenges, political squabbles, and more than a few last minute surprises.
Published on: Friday, 15 June 2018
There is always something fascinating about a shipwreck. The very word summons endless images of desperate characters, groaning vessels and nature’s fury; dramatic scenes of tragedy, daring, chaos, and farce; fateful turns of mischance and fortune; and thrilling tales of life and death. But one need not look to distant reefs and isles to uncover accounts of maritime disaster and providence, as many extraordinary stories can be found along the coastline and waterways which define the Sutherland Shire. At Cronulla – not too far from the Post Office – there are 8 plaques in the pavement, each about a different 19th Century ship that was wrecked nearby.
Published on: Tuesday, 15 May 2018
On 1 August 1870, an article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald which described in vivid detail the wild and magnificent territory through which a new road was projected. The district - then known as Bottle Forest, but now called Heathcote - was an untamed land of dramatic scenery, abundant wildlife, and a mysterious presence which unnerved even the hardiest of local bushmen.
Published on: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Every year, thousands of Australians travel overseas to explore the First World War battlefields where Anzac soldiers fought and died, and to visit the graves of the young men who will forever lie in distant military cemeteries. Our war dead, who rest in foreign soil, ought never to be forgotten. And nor should those servicemen and women who survived hostilities and returned to Australia, hundreds of whom now lie peacefully right here in the Sutherland Shire.
Published on: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
The Sutherland Shire may not have the Art Deco buildings of other Sydney areas like Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay, but certain quarters – especially at Cronulla – have a distinctly ‘modernist’ appearance. This is due to the district’s rapid development during the interwar years when the impact of this style was at its peak.
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