North Shore Historical Society Inc. PO Box 399 North Sydney NSW 2059

Email: NorthShoreHS@Hotmail.com ABN 58 742 490 986

President ph: 9929 6637 Affiliate Member of Royal Australian Historical Society

BULLETIN for October 2017

ISSN 2207-936X

NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the Society is the Annual General Meeting

which will be held on Thursday 12th October 2nd floor Conference Room, Stanton Library, Miller Street, North Sydney.

Light refreshments served from 6.30pm prior to meeting which commences at 7pm.

Guest Speaker: Toni Hurley

Toni is a granddaughter of photographer Captain Frank Hurley, and is one of six children of Hurley’s son, also Frank. She has taught History in NSW high schools for many years and is now teaching at the University of Sydney in the Teacher Education program. Toni is co-author of the Antiquity series of senior Ancient History texts and is currently President of the NSW History Teachers’ Association.

Topic: Frank Hurley the Artful Photographer

Toni will share some family memories of her grandfather and provide an overview of some highlights of his photographic career, with a particular focus on his Antarctic adventures and his WWI photography. Toni’s history teaching career has led to her special interest in Hurley’s use of composite photos to capture the reality of trench warfare during WWI and the resulting conflict with historian, Charles Bean regarding what constitutes ‘historical truth’. Frank Hurley c1914

Hurley photo - Ypres Sept 1917

New Committee for 2017-18 At the Annual General Meeting 14th September 2017 the following Office Bearers were elected: -

President Gaynor Austen

Vice Presidents Don Napper, Geoff Huntington

Treasurer Don Napper

Secretary Vacant

Minute Secretary Liz Hurst

Guest Speaker Co-ordinator Vilma Bowers

Publicity Barvara Hush

Outings Co-ordinator Susan Wade

Publications Editor Geoff Huntington

Membership Officer Trish Heffernan

Message from the President

After 8 years at the helm of the Society, Geoff Huntington, has decided to stand down as our President. On behalf of all Society members, I would like to thank Geoff for the outstanding way in which he has led the Society and its activities over these years.

Geoff became a member of the Society in 2005, joined the Committee in 2006, and became President in 2009. Geoff has made an enormous contribution while in office. He has:

- Designed the Society’s current logo - Organised digitisation of the Society’s Journal to make it available online, including indexing 50+

year of its content (the Society gained the North Sydney Council Australia Day Community Event of the Year Award for this initiative)

- Introduced a new constitution - Guided the incorporation of the Society and gained charity status for it - Edited the Society’s Bulletin and expanded its content - Has been a co-editor and then editor of the NSHS Journal, re-invigorating it after several years

hiatus

Fortunately for us all, Geoff has agreed to remain part of the NSHS Committee, and to continue as our Publications Officer.

I feel very inadequate taking over from Geoff in this role. Unlike many of you, I am not even a long-term North Sydney local, having been raised in Melbourne, worked for a period at the National Library in Canberra, and then spent the rest of my working career in library science at colleges and universities in Brisbane. I do, however, have an academic background in history, having completed an Honours Degree in History (specializing in Australian history) at the University of Melbourne. After I took early retirement from work in Brisbane I spent time as a volunteer researcher for the National Trust of Queensland, assisting their Information Officer with heritage-related research, and writing articles for their state and national Bulletins.

When my husband and I relocated to Sydney in 2009 we joined NSHS (with my parents-in-law being the Society’s last remaining 1958 Foundation members, what else could we do?) I have been Secretary of the Society since 2014. I am also currently a member of RAHS, the National Trust (NSW) and the Brisbane History Group.

I really look forward to working with you all to ensure that the Society remains a vital element of the North Sydney community, helping to safeguard its history and heritage. We also aim to provide relevant and interesting meeting speakers and external activities, in order to keep members engaged with local and broader historical issues. I would be really keen to hear suggestions from you at any time on how we can best achieve this. Gaynor Austen , President

Vale Cynthia Brew

One of NSHS’s longest serving members, Cynthia Brew, passed away on 24 August 2017. Cynthia joined the Society in 1989, and by 1990 was already leading excursions and walks for the Society. Throughout her 28 years of membership, Cynthia remained an active and engaged participant in our activities. During that time she led more than 40 excursions and walks for members to places as diverse as Liverpool and Moss Vale, as well as to areas all over the lower North Shore. Although her health deteriorated in recent years, Cynthia, a former PE teacher, refused to allow these difficulties to slow her down, and

was still participating in our outings through 2017. An inveterate traveler, Cynthia had even booked her next cruise holiday for the end of this year! She will be sadly missed by all in the Society who knew her.

Society’s End-of-Year Celebration

The Society’s End-of-year function will have a new format this year. Instead of our traditional afternoon tea at Don Bank, we will be devoting our November General Meeting to a celebratory “Get to Know North Sydney history” Trivia Night.

After beginning with yummy refreshments, we will then get down to learning more about our local area. Council Historian, Ian Hoskins, with assistance from his staff at the Heritage Centre, will be setting us a series of questions on various aspects of North Sydney history, based on his vast knowledge of the area. Together we will try to work out the answers. At the end of the evening the experts will be available to expand on, and to answer queries about, the information we have gained.

No prior knowledge required. Come along and find out things about North Sydney that you never knew!

And get to know other NSHS members. friends and visitors are welcome to join in the fun.

When? – 6.30pm, Thursday, 9 November, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Stanton Library

No RSVP required. Just sign in on the normal meeting Attendance sheet

Membership subscriptions are now due.

Amount is $15 per person for 12 months

Pay October meeting or post cheque to PO Box 399 North Sydney 2059 EFT details: North Shore Historical Society Inc; Bank = St. George; BSB = 112879; Account = 039538385

Please ensure your surname and payment purpose are included in the transaction details

in order for us to identify you and the reason for the payment.

Wading through the Archives

Susan Wade

Recently I came across a report which the Town Clerk had sent to the Local Government Association, Bridge Street Sydney, in October 1952, detailing some of the current works and services undertaken or conducted by North Sydney Council in recent times. It was in response to the proposal, by the Commonwealth News and Information Bureau, for a Local Government 16 millimetre film of special public interest, to be shown throughout the State.1 To set the context: Sixty five years ago in October 1952 in Australia:

The Monarch was the newly crowned Elizabeth II, the Governor General was Sir William McKell, the Prime Minister was Robert Menzies and the Premier of New South Wales was Joseph Cahill.

The population had reached 8.6 million.

Some of the more notable events included disastrous floods in Moss Vale in June. Many highways were cut in NSW, and landslides rendered the Unanderra-Moss Vale railway unusable for two months. In September Qantas commenced its first services between Australia and South Africa, and Lang Hancock was soon to discover the world’s largest deposit of iron ore in the Hamersley Ranges of W.A.

In the Arts Joan Sutherland made her debut at Covent Gardens and William Dargie won the Archibald Prize with his portrait of Essington Lewis.

In sport Marjorie Jackson won gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres at the Helsinki Olympics and Shirley Strickland won a gold medal in the 80 metres hurdle. Norman Von Nida won the Australian Golf Open and Frank Sedgman won the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon.

In science the first British nuclear test in Australia commenced on the Monte Bello Islands with the detonation of an atomic bomb of 25 kilotons yield.

For North Sydney in 1952, the Town Clerk Mr. L. Fitzpatrick reported:

North Sydney Olympic Pool. It was claimed that this pool was unique in that it had not only a filtration plant but was capable of being operated with both salt water and fresh water. During most of the season it was operated with salt water, but on the occasion of the Empire Games held in Sydney in 1938 the pool was filled with fresh water. It was acknowledged as the venue for most large and important carnivals in N.S.W.

Photo- Official opening of North Sydney Olympic Pool 1936

St. Leonards Park Music Shell. The Council conducts what is understood to be the only Music Shell of its type in Australia. It was erected at a cost of £7,000 and had seen “many splendid concerts, including performances by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the conductorship of Mr. Eugene Goossens.

1 Local Government Association N.S.W. Bulletin 17

th September 1952.

The public have also witnessed experiments in the Shell of broadcast performances of the sound of television”.

Background: The Music Shell was designed by acclaimed architects Peddle Thorp and Walker in the Art Moderne style. It is a two level building at the rear providing a band practice room with storage for chairs. At the front, the stage area is enhanced by a dramatic roof structure that is enhanced by relief sculptures and other refined detailing, including urns and decorative grilles on either side of the stage. It was completed in 1948 and officially opened on 13 November by the Honorable Clive R Evatt, Minister for Housing, with an audience of 4000 watching a performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the North Shore Choral Society.2

And for your interest: The Myer Music Bowl, often considered the first of the style in Australia, was opened by Prime Minister Menzies in 1959.

Children’s Library and Community Centre, Green Park, Cammeray. “This delightful structure was erected at a cost of £6,000 and had been partly financed by local residents via the local Progress Association. The library and Community Centre was run jointly by 3 members of the Progress Association and 3 members of the Council. Its principal function in 1952 was providing library facilities for children and a means for learning arts and crafts.”

<< Kendall Community Centre, Green Park- 1952

Development of Parks and Playgrounds. The Council was involved in carrying out a very large scheme involving partial reclamation of a large area to be developed into playing fields. Financial assistance was forthcoming from the Old Falconians Memorial Playing Fields Committee (North Sydney Boys’ High School). This support gave them playing facilities at one ground and naming rights to use “Old Falconians”, the name derived from Falcon Street which is the address of the school.

The fields were to be a memorial to the old boys of the school who fell in the two world wars. The sum aimed at for the fund was £12,000 and a site had been chosen on which would be constructed a full sized oval, and all necessary modern sporting facilities. The site was Tunks Park Sport Fields near Mortlock Reserve, Brothers Avenue, Cammeray.3

Anzac Memorial Hall. The Hall was made possible by the Council acquiring the land and the initial financing for the building, which was in its early stages. It was intended that the money for the building would be repaid to the Council by the Club, while the property would remain in the ownership of the Council. It was stated “This club is unique in the Commonwealth and has established its own bowling greens and tennis courts and other amenities within its boundaries”. North Sydney ANZAC Memorial Club was dedicated in memory of those who served in World War One and World War Two and the foundation stone was laid on November 22, 1941 by the Mayor of North Sydney, Ald. J. Cramer, representing the citizens of North Sydney and Major-General Fewtrell representing the soldiers.

2 http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails

3 The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 26 June 1946.

(Moving forward sixty nine years, the ANZAC Club’s popularity had diminished, thus resulting in Council’s decision to terminate the club’s lease on 31 December 2010 after a public meeting took place “to determine the best use for the value of the site,” according to Council’s project information page. In May 2014, the old ANZAC Club in Cammeray was approved for demolition; in its place a new primary school was considered necessary to combat the rising enrolment numbers in North Sydney schools. The new Anzac Park public school opened Term 1, 2016).

And to finish, back to our Australia wide context – where I find it incredulous that a significant film produced in Australia in 1952 was Mike and Stefani, an Australian drama film produced by the Film Division of the Department of Interior for the Department of Immigration. It told the true story of Mike and Stefani, a young Ukrainian couple (playing themselves) who decided to emigrate to Australia. However, they first had to undertake a gruelling medical examination and interrogation by Australian Immigration officers. The film was created to counter criticism of Australia's post-war

immigration policy that it was too lax; it was 64 minutes long. (It appears to me that throughout our history our immigration stance is a continually contentious simmering pot!). The Mike and Stefani film can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gYVQbP60vM

November 2017 Outing

Tour of St Thomas’ Anglican Church, North Sydney Thursday 16 November at 10 am for approx. 1 hour.

Meet in front of the church. Max number of attendees 20.

To participate please register by emailing susan.wade@ozemail.com.au or phone 0402 172 214.

Some interesting history you might like to know:

The first church on the site, called St Thomas', was designed by Conrad Martens and opened in 1846. Martens personally carved the font, which is still in use. In the later years the Anglican architect Edmund Blackett was recommended to design a larger church; it opened in 1884. The style is English Gothic.

The exterior is beautiful sandstone with tall spires and a very large entrance area. The inside is stunning with light coloured sand stone, dark wooden pews, and red carpet all combining to give the church a very classic old world feel. St Thomas' is very spacious and the aisle is one of longest in the southern hemisphere.

Sketch of St Thomas’ 1857