Deep history of Botany
Ada Kwok 2019 Contents:
Page 1 – Statement of acknowledgment
Page 2 – Background of Botany
Page 3 – History of Botany
Page 4 – First people on the land
Page 5 – Early industries of Botany
Page 6 – Old vs New Botany (photos)
Page 7 – Bibliography
I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I work and live, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. I would like to pay respect to the Elders past, present and the emerging.
Background of Botany:
Botany is a suburb located in the south-eastern region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The suburb Botany is located 11 kilometres south of the Sydney Central business district and sits on the north shore area of Botany Bay and is therefore part of the Bayside Council. Initially, Botany was planned on an agricultural district, this was the same as the neighbouring suburbs, that were used for market gardens. However, this soon became an industrial area with slaughter works. On the shores of Botany Bay, there is a popular hotel (Sir Joseph Banks Hotel). In 1850s, a private zoo had been established there and anyone who visited during this time, were able to horse ride, play football and cricket. In 1858, The Sydney Waterworks were established in Botany. International athletes challenged the locals in the Sir Joseph Banks Handicap on the racetrack. The Sir Joseph Banks pleasure gardens were renovated with local industry contributions in 1988. The racing track was fixed and renewed just as an annual event (Botany Bay Gift) started again, this attracted a lot of international athletes, that were keen in competition.
History of Botany:
The heritage of the Botany area is closely correlated to the discovery of the eastern seaboard of Australia and the start of the nation. Captain James Cook first discovered, more so ‘discovered,’ this continent, when he first made a landfall at Botany Bay in 1770. Along with the Endeavour’s botanist, Joseph Banks and his assistant, Daniel Solander, they both spent several days ashore, recounting and collecting a range of previously unknown species of plants. At the beginning, Captain Cook had always wanted to name Botany Bay as ‘Stingray’s Harbour,’ however, after Bank’s findings, he decided to settle with the name ‘Botany Bay.’ Due to this, Botany, might as well claim to have the oldest English place name in Australia. There are two specific and significant elements that symbolises the City of Botany Bay’s emblem, these include, botany and the water. These two signifies the vital importance of the area. When Governor Philip arrived in 1788, he found the bay way too shallow in some areas and so he deemed it unsuitable as a harbour. As a result, to this, the First Fleet sailed on Port Jackson finding a more suitable site for settlement at Sydney Cove. In 1809, Edward Redmond, became the first ever recorded white settler in the Botany region, the land was so swampy that he named it ‘Mudbank.’
First people on land - Aboriginal people:
Botany’s earliest residents were the Aboriginal people, they have lived in the Botany region for over 9000 years. It has been recorded and estimated approximately 1000 to 1200 aboriginal people lived around the shores of Botany Bay. The Aborigines called this land, ‘Gwea.’ However, shortly after, when European settlement took control of the land, the name soon became ‘Botany.’ The village was often referred to as ‘Booralee’ and it was seen on the maps that Botany beared this name. the Kameygal set up camps along the banks of the river, Cook River and on the northern shores of Botany Bay. The Gweagal mainly on the southern side around Kurnell, although the Aboriginal lines or boundaries are somewhat blurred. It was unclear to both the Aborigines and the European, which section of the land belongs to whom. The Cadigal were there at the time however, they were more to the western shores of the bay. In the Sydney atmosphere and climate, the Aboriginal people had thrived, and their way of life was perfect and undisturbed in their eyes until the English arrived and exposed them to diseases, which includes measles and smallpox, due to this, it decimated their people. Much to their peril, the Cardigal retreated further towards the West, and the local Botany tribes remained along the northern shoreline of Botany Bay.
Early industries:
In the earliest Botany industries, the three most important resource in the evolution includes, fishing, salt and shell lime. Water reserves below the Botany are still strategic in flooding the parks and reserves in the area. Under Botany, a thin layer of sandy soil and mulch, encompasses the Botany Aquifer, which acts like a sponge and retaining water for several months after each set of heavy rain. This section runs from higher ground at Centennial Parklands out to the North Shore of Botany Bay itself. A main section of this section of system is the Botany Wetlands, the largest freshwater wetland in the Sydney region. The European settlers and convicts on the land collected shells cast aside by the Aboriginal people and these were burned to create semi-rocks, lime for the manufacture of mortar for building buildings across Sydney. This was transported to Sydney town by small boats. Around the north shore area of Botany Bay, where tons of salt were produced per week, this was known as Saltpans. Fishing then became another strong early industry with plentiful supply, the fishing villages sprang up all around Botany Bay. This became an important part of Booralee village, and an interdependent community of established families gained the rewards of the sea throughout the profitable era, 1860s and 1870s. It is known that many of these related members of families still live within the area. There are several names which are carried by direct descendants of servants of the Lord family. These names include, Duncan, Bagnall, Johnson and Puckeridge. In 1815, Simeon Lord, who was an ex- convict took advantage of the natural landscape, when he dammed a stream close to Botany Bay and then established the first privately owned and run woollen mill on its banks and a flour mill on a nearby body of water. The two ponds he created are now local landmarks, known as the Engine pond and the Mill Pond. Simeon Lord was someone who recognised the value of Botany’s water and becoming really rich from controlling it. He became one of the colony’s earliest manufacturers and held several diverse business interests, which ranged from sealing to cloth manufacture. Lord was listed as the first person to export Australian wool.
Old vs. New Botany:
Botany road was surveyed as 1863, this road ran from Mascot to Botany. Until 1882, this road also known as ‘Corduroy Road’ was a toll zone road and charged on going people threepence. About a decade later, in the early 1880s, the horses powered the first tramline, this ran from Sydney’s central business district all the way to Botany. However, due to unfortunate turns, the tramline was electrified, which caused the tramline to cease operation in 1960s.
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