the balmain association mmm si incorporated NEWS SHEET

Vol 26 No 11 Issue 209 FOUNDED 1965 DECEMBER 1991 Extend Public Participation Street as well as a reservation for extra lanes ThebyRezoning LeichhardtWorkshops Council conducted have been on Rd from Iron Cove Bridge to concluded and there is agreement that Terry Street was well supported. The street they generally presented a consensus of network as portrayed on the sketch is not residents* views and concerns. The desirable and does not follow the site levels. Council is now expected to determine the Chemplex representative, Mr John Boyd, Local Environment Plans before the end stated that they had not tendered for of the year. Cockatoo Island as it does not appear to be As we forecast last month, the Depart a viable development ment of Planning is still formulating their The Caltex workshop wants Council to Regional Environmental Plan which they request the State Government to purchase had proposed to exhibit on 18 November 'Vs of Ballast Point for a park and to allow and is now due "before the end of the year". development on the remainder. If this re There is, however, a possibility of a legal quest was unsuccessful a minority report challenge to this process from the Council had two schemes which approximated the and the Local Government Association. Commissioners' recommendations. Caltex Some of the developers have discussed advocated the adoption of the "umpire's" the rezonings with the workshops and decision. agreement had been achieved on general The next step in the public participation principles. The most developed concepts operation is to produce measures to control were from Leda on the White Bay site and the effects of the development on these five the sketch illustrates some of the ideas sites and others such as the MSB buoy site promoted by members of the workshop and the White Bay Power Station which is committee. The main principle agreed to about to be demolished. The Council is ex was the linkage of open space through the pected to form the precinct committees that site from Punch Park to \S^ite Bay Park. we have been advocating. However, the Variations to access roads and traffic traffic control measures and improvements arrangements are imperative and the to infrastructure and amenities need to be recommendations include: (a) Improve !DEX€> t=aL-. considered over the whole Peninsula and ments to access Victoria Road and keep the precincts need to work in conjunction. heavy vehicles out of narrow suburban A future resident committee should ex streets, (b) Extension of Booth Street to No detailed concept has been revealed amine the traffic calming measures required Roberts Street, (c) Extension of Reynolds by Chemplex but general agreement was especially for the Darling Street shopping Street to Roberts Street, (d) Closing off reached for waterfront open space with the area. Contributions should be obtained from Buchanan Street to form a cul-de-sac possibility of enlarging the Balmain High the developers as well as the State serving only the commercial premises of the School playing field. The widening of Terry Government to finance this work. Ampol and Unilever sites. Street between Victoria Road and Margaret

President Jane Ward for the Management Committee wishes you all the best for the Festive Season.

' AMerryXmas Please join us at 3-6pm on Saturday December 21 at the Watch House for and a C h r i s t m a s d r i n k s Happy New Year to All Snowy Baker, Olga Petrove, Ruby De G o u r i i e s C o m e r Remer and Charlie Chaplin. One of 's silent movie stars Picture Theatres was who was born in Balmain in 1890 and grew up here with Picturearound sho^ the operated 1930s by in the Balmain National her two sisters. Her father, Joseph Cox, Theatre (the "Old Nash") in Rowntree was a local real estate agent and her Street and Kings on the corner of mother, Charlotte Louise Hancock. Birchgrove Road and Darling Street. Beginning in 1907, Lottie's work as a Screenings were on six nights a week film director and actor appears today as with a children's matinee on Saturday a significant departure from the accepted afternoon. Two others were the Rozelle norm. The bohemian life of an actor, in Hoyts at 730 Darling Street and the those early years, still attached a Amusu on the corner of Darling and considerable social stigma. Her Thornton Streets. The old Amusu was association with known to the children as the "Bug produced many well loved films House". One of the buildings, Kings, including 'The Mutiny of the ", has been demolished. 1916, and those adapted from C J Emerging from its shroud now is the D e n n i s ' p o p u l a r p o e m s " T h e refurbished Bijou (Hoyts) Theatre in Sentimental Bloke", 1919, and "Ginger Rowntree Street adjacent to Darling St. Mick", 1920. Lottie Lyell died at the This building has retained its 1930s early age of 34 years. remodelled Art Deco facade and will Before the talkies arrived in the be recycled as ofFxce space and shops. 193Ds a pianist or a small group of Being in a prominent position its colour musicians would synchronise sound to scheme compliments the 1887 Post the mood required by the screen action. Office opposite. The Powerhouse Museum's Kings The National Picture Theatre was Theatre has a Photoplayer to built in 1913. The entrance was in accompany silent movies. It is a piano Darling St where the foyer held the which has buttons to operate sound ticket office and later the milk bar. It is effects such as pistol shots, bells, now a gift store at 371A Darling Stteet whistles, etc. and when the proprietor renovated the From 1947 to 1964 the building was shop she discovered, under layers of known as the Balmain Hoyts, after lino, the foyer's original tiles which are which it had a variety of uses. Live now on view. Another entrance led to performances came again in the 1970s the National Billiards rooms above (the when Reg Livermore opened the re Loft) and there was also the Vaudeville named Bijou with Betty Blockbuster Theatre entrance in Rowntree St which Revues. It was last used as a roller has been retained. skating rink. Let us all wish the Wednesday evening was vaudeville phantom of the theatre a renewed life in night with entertainers such as Harry the Bijou complex. "Peanuts and Clay's Revue Company, the lollies!" sez a boy upstairs. Manchurians (Chinese jugglers), Source: "Brilliant Careers" by Slavin and Thompson (smart Andrea Wright. The Association Hist pattcrists), the Saldines (specialty act) ory Committee requests further and the comedian, Roy Rene. Silent information on the picture theatres of movies shown on other nights starring Balmain and Rozelle.

naval and merchant vessels were built or Cockatoo Island refitted, including the Tribal class destroyers during World War II, the Annuat Subscriptions F^orArchives most of has this beenyear, the InvolvedAustralian in a passenger ship Empress of Australia and the are now due. project aimed at the preservation of the replenishment ship HMAS Success. records of Cockatoo Island Dockyard. The project, undertaken with extensive Work on the dock began in 1851 and the assistance from the company and the Please send your Dockyard was used for shipbuilding and Department of Defence, has resulted in the contributions as early as refitting until this year. identification and transfer to the Archives' possible. It was operated by the NSW Government custody of some 580 series of records. These until 1913, when it was transferred to the represent a most important resource for the Commonwealth. From 1933 it was leased to study of maritime, industrial and social Turn to back page for the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Co history. important details. (now called Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd). The Australian Archives NSW Regional During its long history a wide variety of Office is located at 24 Market St . V J Wee Georgie Robinson McGoogan. The lightweight hollow spars memorabilia should be a mecca for anyone were fashioned from oregon pine by with a few drops of salt water in their veins. Michael Staples. The Maritime Museum opened to the Australian National Maritime One of the outstanding displays at the Britannia is now suspended majestically Museum in Darling Harbour, is the public on 30 November 1991 and I was as a fully rigged sailing vessel from the ticket holder No 1. Admission costs $7 for BritanniOy an 18 footer built in 1919 and centre of the Museum's main gallery (see adults, concession $4.50, children $3.50 sailed by noted Balmain shipwright, picture below) alongside another favourite, and families $17. Open 7 days 10am to *Wee" Georgie Robinson. With a crew of Australia II with its revolutionary winged 11 he raced Britannia on Sydney Harbour 5pm. Congratulations to the Australian keel. A video made by the late George National Maritime Museum. and interstate for 26 years. Cheered by Robinson and a display cabinet of Kath Harney ferry loads of spectators and punters, the crew of up to 16 sailed, bailed and b r a w l e d t h e i r t i m b e r b o a t s a r o u n d t h e harbour. George's father started the Sydney Fly ing Squadron in 1890 and George sailed the 6 flEdna, 8 footers, 10 footers, 12 footers, 16 footers and finally 18 footers, winning a race in every class. George took a year off from his work at Cockatoo Island to build h i s f a m o u s I n 1 9 4 5 h e t o o k d o w n the rig, installed an engine and added a cabin. Britannia became the Squadron's starter boat. Robinson cherished his famous boat all of his life. The Museum acquired the Britannia in 1986 and reconstructed the vessel to its 1940s design. The late Arthur Griffiths of Birchgrove painstakingly removed the many layers of paint which masked the fine cedar hull beneath. The conservation was continued by Richard Wood and Nigel Shannon with sailmaker Dennis

F r e d e r i c k V a l e today. His daughter Emma died aged 10 the Gilchrist Estate in 1866. His son Charles months in 1875. In 1875 Vale sold the Dry Vale was a very well known resident of A prominentyears in Balmain hotelier wasin the Frederick early Dock and Sarah died two years later of Bellinger River and the Association was Vale. Frederick married Sarah Crane at consumption aged 44 years and was buried honoured to have had his grandson, Mr John St James Church, Sydney on 2 January in the Balmain Cemetery. He went to live at Vale of Grafton with some of his family as 1855 when he was licensee of the Balmain Boat Harbour on the Bellinger River in guests at our launch of "Called to the Bar" Hotel in Darling Street (opposite the 1881 where he died aged 59 years and was at Clontarf. We hope to receive from him a Watch House now demolished,). buried there. In his early years in Balmain photo of Frederick and Sarah Vale which Frederick and Sarah went on to have 12 he was very politically minded as were shall be treasured. "Called to the Bar" is children, all except one were baptised in St many publicans in those days. available for $15 postage paid from the Marys Church, Balmain — Alice 1855, He owned land in Cove Street, Balmain Association Inc PO Box 57 Frederick 1857,Emest 1859,Thomas 1860, Birchgrove, which he had purchased from Balmain 2041. Charles 1862, Walter 1864, Florence 1866, Valetta 1870, Edith 1872, Emma 1874. Fred Vale had built the Warwick Castle on the comer of Mort and Darling Streets, Balmain in 1860 to the design of the well known Balmain architect, James McDonald. When he sold it about 1867 he moved his family to The Australian Hotel and Cafe in George St, Sydney where Valetta was baptised. He returned to Balmain in 1870 when he bought Thomas W a k f e r ' s D o c k I n n o n t h e c o r n e r o f Cameron and College Streets. At the time of the death of his daughter, Valetta, at the age of 13 months, he called the hotel The Clarendon, but next year he renamed it the Dry Dock Hotel as it is called Warwick Castle Hotel 1930 W H AT ' S O N

I n Yo u r G a r d e n Christmas Drinks—3-6pm December 21 at the Watch House Hydrangea—Summer's super shade lover Carmen Hagen—Paintings. PerfectHydrangea for partly produce shaded their parts posies of well of watered bloom from gardens, around February 22 • March 1 November to well into February. You can cut flowers for Christmas arrangements or for an even longer indoor display Ann Sheridan—March 6-15 you can grow them in pots. The most common and most Margaret Margeson—March 21 - 22 beautiful species is macrophylla, sometimes known as a hortensia. Renata Fisher—March 28 - April 5 These now come in a big range of colours and mature shrubs can be anything between 50cm to 2m tall. Greenthumb groundrules. Climate. Best is cool and moist although O U R H O U S E WAT C H Hydrangea do well in most gardens where water can be assured. Frequent hot dry winds are not The Watch House Is open every helpful. Saturday from Site. Hydrangea like a few hours of morning sun 12 to 3pm • Call in for coffee 'but prefer to spend the rest of the day in bright dappled shade. The hotter your garden the more shade they will accepL The The Balmain Association meets on the first eastern or southern side of the house is good. Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the Soil. Must be well drained yet reasonably water retentive. Water Watch House, 179 Dariing Street, Baimain. generously during the warmer half of the year, less in winter. Feed Send maii c/o PO Box 57, BALMAIN. 2041 with annual ai^lication of complete plant food in early spring. Bonnie Davidson Our editorial phone is 818 4954 Interested artists, potters, sculptors etc. who would like to organise an exhibition in the Watch House are urged to Subscription Renewal contact Steve South on 8101411. The Watch House can also be made available as a meeting place for local organisations. Yourwelcomes 1992 Subscription your early is now contribution due and before your the Committee Christmas holidays. The rates are the same as the previous year as we have kept our printing costs under tight control. However, the subscriptions wiU now include postage. ^ ^ ^ 1^ A the balmain association inc Although our deliverers have been reliable and are willing to continue there are advantages in distributing the News Sheet en representing r U r Li 11 Balmain, Birchgrove, Rozelle tirely by post. Most importantly membership records would be more Our Ainu Are To: accurate because the News Sheet would be returned if a member had moved without notification. Distribution would be simplified • improve the living, working and recreational to a bulk postage and you would receive your copy earlier and more a m e n i t i e s o f o u r a r e a • maintain ail features having natural architectural safely as it would not be like junk mail. The bulk mail cost would be only a little more than that of the present third of copies posted and/or historical value in envelopes. • compile and record history of the area & keep a Please note that subscriptions are $16.00 for Households and permanent collection of Items of historical interest $7.00 for Students/Pensioners. Both include postage. Those • seek the cooperation of everyone concerned in the members who have paid in advance have received a Xmas bonus. realisation of the above Season's Greetings from your Committee. the balmain association incorporated MEMBERSHiPFORM B o o k s F o r X m a s G i f t s Return to Treasurer, PO Box 57, BALMAIN 2041 Half Thousand Acres $20 NAME: The Balmain Book $20 ADDRESS: C h r i s t i a n B r o t h e r s & B a l m a i n $25 Leichhardt Historical Journals $10,$15 Around Balmain (special) $7 P O S T C O D E H O M E P H O N E : Called to the Bar $13 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION History Trail $2 Leaflets $1 Please circle-... .NEW MEMBER/RENEWAL Single/Family/Household. S16.00 Stop Press. Balmain Post Office to be auctioned. Organisation$21.00 Pensioner or Studeni$7.00 Printed on recycled paper Above rates include postage © Not to be reproduced without authorisation Qieques should be made payable to Hie Balmain Association Inc