From Track to Tarmac

A Premier Place to Introduction A guided walking tour of the streets and Live laneways of North Sydney focusing on our State’s political history and political figures A walking tour of the homes and who represented the area including the haunts of North Sydney’s former residences of Alexander Berry, Sir politicians George Dibbs, Bernard Holtermann, Edward M. Sayers, William Tunks and Colonel Distance: 4.6 km George Barney. On this walk we will also Approximate time: 3.3 hours view changes in the North Sydney Grading: medium to high landscape over the past 150 years since the people of NSW elected their first Parliament. North Sydney has always been unashamedly conservative but sometimes independent in its political leanings (especially in more recent times with Ted Mack and Robyn Read). Labor members at state and federal level have been rare, unless they had a maverick past. William Morris Hughes, for example, was a right wing politician who represented North Sydney but had started his political life on the left. By the 1880s the North Shore of the harbour had become a desirable living area, attracting professionals and businessmen who worked in the city and commuted by the steamers. A cluster of early political representatives lived in the central portion of North Sydney, yet others lived in Kirribilli and Neutral Bay. Unfortunately some of the homes of our politicians have been demolished to make way for development in the Central Business District and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Warringah Expressway. North Sydney History Walk : A Premier Place to Live Page 2 Our walk begins at North Sydney Railway Station GRAYTHWAITE, Union St Graythwaite is a fine house surviving as an example of the 19th Century residential Take stairs near entrance to Centra architecture of this area. The site is unusual in Hotel and cross over to Walker St. that it retains its original large tract of land with Turn right into Mackenzie St garden layout and historic plantings. Graythwaite is a former c1823 residence which has been WANGAN, Mackenzie St altered and has grown during the 19th century to Wangan (originally with a slate roof) was erected a grand villa c. 1874/75, and then undergone in 1870 by Mrs Catherine Dangar as the family adaptation to a convalescent hospital and home. Her husband Thomas Dangar (1807– nursing home after 1916. 1878) was a member of the Legislative Assembly 1861-1864, a member for the Upper In September 1832, Thomas Walker, public Hunter 1861-1864, and was involved in many official, paid 60 pounds 9 shillings for a 39-acre government committees. land grant. On the 25 October 1833, Thomas Walker conveyed 13 acres of his grant, to the Apart from his political duties, he was a north and east of where Graythwaite was later storekeeper and postmaster. He first worked in built, to William Miller, for 20 pounds thirteen Sydney, then moved to West Maitland and shillings. By 1837, Walker had built himself a began business in 1834, becoming the first residence on his grant almost adjacent to Miller's postmaster in Scone, 1836-1840. He also newly built house. An 1837 plan of the established the first Inn and store in Scone and Government Reserve on North Shore shows the carried mail and stores beyond the Liverpool Walker and Miller houses. In January 1845 Range before 1840. He also opened a store at Walker drew up his Will bequeathing his house Muswellbrook. In 1860 he returned to Sydney, Euroka and 16 acres to his wife. He died in and by 1864 listed as a squatter. 1850. Thomas and Catherine Dangar sold the house to Three years after Walker’s death, the house and Mrs Catherine Mackenzie (hence the name of remaining land was sold to George Tuting, a this street) in 1875, and the latter sold it to Mrs mercer of Pitt St, Sydney for 1500 pounds, at Charlotte Smith about 1903. It was then which time the grounds were described as acquired by the Trustees of St. Francis Xavier’s comprising 113 acres. Tuting held the land only Church for a presbytery. briefly, possibly for the purposes of speculation at a time when land and house prices boomed in Walk along to end of Mackenzie St. Turn the early 1850s after the discovery of gold. He left into Miller St then right again into sold the house and land in 1853, for more than Lavender St. Cross over traffic lights and double what he had bought it for. On the 23 July walk along Union St to entrance of 1855, Tuting conveyed the house and land to Graythwaite (past entrance to SCEGS) Edwin Sayers, Sydney for £3900 pounds. North Sydney History Walk : A Premier Place to Live Page 3 The new owner, Edwin threatened the Savings Bank of New South Mawney Sayers (1818- Wales he appeared at its doors and wrote in his 1909), was a shipowner own hand a proclamation guaranteeing its who had arrived in Sydney deposits' (Australian Dictionary of Biography). from Melbourne about 1850. He was mainly interested in the coastal Merchant and ship shipping trade. Sayers owner, Dibbs was occupied Euroka and educated at St remained there until 1868. As a merchant Philip's Church of seeking to utilise all of his available capital and England School and with the problems of unexpected calls being then the Australian made upon his resources, from unexpected College under the financial crises or due to the vagaries of bad Reverend J. D. shipping weather, Sayers needed to use his Lang. He became substantial house as security for loans at times. junior clerk with William Brown & Sayers was also a Member of the NSW Co., wine merchants Legislative Assembly 17 Jun 1859 -17 Jun 1859; in 1848. He joined and Member for St Leonards 17 Jun 1859 - his brother in Dibbs & Co., commission agents, 17 Jun 1859. He was a founder of North Sydney in c.1854; associated with father-in-law in School of Arts, Warden of St Thomas' Church of business ventures 1857-1859; then returned to England. He died in Mosman in 1909. J.C. Dibbs & Company, as manager of Newcastle branch and later the Sydney office. On 16 April 1860 Sayers conveyed the title to He travelled to Valparaiso, Chile, as corn factor, Clark Irving and others as trustees for the benefit opening a branch of J.C. Dibbs & Company in of Sayers' creditors. On 20 April 1860 further 1865; he was bankrupted by the failure of the conveyance of all of Sayers property to trustees Agra Bank 1866; he returned to Sydney in 1867 was signed. Sayers’ financial difficulties and by 1875 he had paid his creditors in full. continued until 8 July 1867 when the property was offered at auction by Richardson & Wrench, He appears to have left Euroka by 1880 when on behalf of the mortgagee. There were no he was gaoled for a year 1880 - 1881 for buyers. refusing on principle to pay £2000 damages for slander. He was a Member of Legislative The property was later acquired by Thomas Assembly representing West Sydney 1874- Allwright Dibbs, manager of the Commercial 1877, St Leonards 1882-1885, The Banking Company of Sydney. He leased the Murrumbidgee 1885-1894 and Tamworth 1894- house from 1872-1880 to his brother Sir George 1895.He was made Knight Commander of the Richard Dibbs (1834-1904), who was Premier Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in of NSW and Colonial Secretary 1891-1894. He 1892. Dibbs also moved into importing and ship was Premier in 1893 during the emergence of owning from 1869, becoming the Chairman of the financial crisis which resulted in panic the Australia Steam Navigation Co. and taking a concerning the colonial banks. 'When panic leading role during the 1878 seamen's strike over use of Chinese labour. He announced North Sydney History Walk : A Premier Place to Live Page 4 conversion from free trade to protection in July and liberty as a Convalescent Home for our Sick 1887, represented New South Wales at the 1891 and Wounded Soldiers and Sailors and when Federal Convention and represented New South not required for that purpose as a Convalescent Wales, Victoria, South Australia and New Home in perpetuity for distressed subjects of the Zealand on a financial mission in London in British Empire regardless of Sect or Creed.' An 1892. He was also managing trustee, Savings official opening of Graythwaite was held on 1 Bank of New South Wales, 1896 - 1904. March 1916. Dibbs presented the deeds of Graythwaite to the Premier who handed the property on to the NSW branch of the Red Cross. Alterations were made to Graythwaite to fit it out as a convalescent home. The house was at first used for less severely ill convalescents. In 1918, the Red Cross decided that Graythwaite should be converted into a Hostel for long-term cases of disablement. A change in emphasis required substantial changes to the building. Graythwaite was later used as a convalescent 1897 view of the Graythwaite with widows walk home to 1977, when non-military cases were intact. (North Sydney Heritage Centre, PF 1773 ) referred by the Health Commission. The Red Cross then decided to relinquish the Hospital to His brother Thomas Allwright Dibbs had been enable it to be used as geriatric hospital by the buying up many parcels of land on the North Home of Peace Hospitals, under the supervision Shore and by 1882 Euroka became the family of the Health Commission. The buildings were home of Thomas Dibbs who renamed it officially handed over in December 1980.

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