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ÒNurungiÓRemembered OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE CONCORD HERITAGE SOCIETY email: [email protected] EDITOR LOIS MICHEL No.191 AUGUST 2012 9744-8528 PRESIDENT The Parramatta River Story MARK DURANCE 9743-0583 Part 5 of a series on the historic Parramatta River by a long-time resident, A S Mendel PUBLIC RELATIONS Vacant The days when An interesting sidelight of the Rosehill Parramatta was Rosehill district is that it gave its name to one of our SECRETARY/TREASURER most beautiful parrots. LOIS MICHEL The hop fields of Kissing Point gave way to 3 Flavelle Street progress and, a little upstream, Lars These birds occurred in great numbers in the (P.O. Box 152) Halvorsen built his Fairmiles to supple- area, and were called Rosehill parrots, Concord 2137 ment the war effort in World War II. colloquialised to Rosehillers and later Phone: 9744-8528 reduced to Rosellas. Fax: 9744-7591 Under the Ryde road bridge, passing Horse- ----------------- shoe Bay and the spot where the Ryde punt Parramatta was actually the second settle- MEETINGS once crossed to Meadowbank, then under ment after Sydney Town. General Meetings the railway bridge with Homebush Bay Its old buildings tucked in amongst the cit- 1st Saturday of month stretching away southward and with ies modern development perpetuate (except January) Ermington, now a densely populated area Parramatta’s past in stone. at 2:00 pm in the leading up to Rydalmere with Dundas and The original St John’s Church of England City of Canada Bay the rolling “Hills district” beyond. Museum was established in 1803. The level land on the western banks of 1 Bent Street, Concord Recent excavations have uncovered the Homebush Bay, once a ti-tree and mangrove 9743-3034 footings of the parent church. flat, now forms the site of the largest ply- Executive Meetings wood factory in the southern hemisphere. Between 1817 and 1820 the twin towers 4th Wednesday of month were added and today they represent the On the gently rising land beyond, the State at 7:30 pm in the oldest civic structure in this second oldest Museum abattoirs flanked by tall broadcasting town. (all members welcome) masts, is backed by the green paddocks of Flemington, giving a faint rural backdrop. Trailing this latter period by just twenty Walker Estates Committee years, the Catholic church of St Patrick This position is vacant The name Ermington is slightly out of char- remains one of the show places of the early acter, the Ermington of the “Old country” years. Tours Organiser being located as far south as Plymouth, in Sandra Elliott, 9797-1040 the south-down county of Devon. Elizabeth Farm house still extant, was built [email protected] in 1794 and is the oldest dwelling on the Dundas derives its name from the British mainland of Australia. Museum Committee Colonial Secretary in office during the forma- Meets on 2nd Wednesday of tive years of the colony. John Macarthur, the “stormy petrel” of Bligh’s month at 10:00am at museum and Macquarie’s times, raised Australia’s The last bridge at Silverwater joins Chairperson first Merino flocks here. Lorraine Holmes, 9743-2682 Ermington to the Western Highway, and the newer suburb of Silverwater is an extension Although James Ruse was the first farmer Oral History Committee of Lidcombe and Auburn, fronting the river commissioned by Phillip to pioneer the just as the first fresh water comes in from district, he sold his farm to Dr Harris in the south. 1793, later settling in Campbelltown where he was buried. * * * * This Duck River or Creek is almost imme- CITY OF CANADA diately joined by the estuary of the Darling It was Phillip’s surgeon who built the Experi- Mills Creek coming in from the north-west, ment Farm cottage in 1796. BAY MUSEUM after circling the Dundas-Carlingford high 1 Bent Street, Concord country. All the territory between these two arms Diary Dates Open Wed & Sat was once called Rosehill. 10am to 4pm AUGUST 4: John Oakes, Railcorp NSW, Today Rosehill is better known for its race- Guest Speaker “Mortuary Stations” on 1st Saturday of each course, but at one time the whole of SEPTEMBER 1: Andrew Tink, “Lord Sydney: month at 2:00 pm Parramatta was called by that name, later the life and times of Tommy Townshend. to be changed to Parramatta, the Aborigi- OCTOBER 6: To be advised Phone: 9743-3034 nal name for “a good place for eels”. during museum hours This country home remains the sec- On a Lighter Note . ond oldest of our colonial homes. The Working Bees Kings School built in 1835, is the World’s easiest quiz fourth and oldest of the greater public A very special thank you to all schools on the Parramatta River those members who turned up 1. How long did the Hundred Years’ system. for the last working bee. War last? (See Secretary’s Not far away from here on the Wind- Desk.) A great deal 2. Which country makes Panama sor Road the short-lived battle of was accomplished hats? Vinegar Hill took place. but there is more to 3. From which animal do we get cat Major Johnstone, under the direction be done. gut? of Governor King, succeeded in quell- ing the riots, led by his namesake, the And, if you can’t 4. In which month do Russians cel- rebel leader, more by diplomacy than manage the heavy work, we ebrate the October Revolution? have boxes of paperwork that with actual bloodshed. 5. What is a camel’s hair brush made need to be sorted. The Dog-trap Road, the Western of? Road, the road to Windsor, the road to We will be scheduling another 6. The Canary Islands in the Pacific Wisemans Ferry and Kissing Point one for Saturday, 11th August are named after what animal? Road all radiate from Parramatta. commencing at 10:00 am. 7. What was King George VI’s first They still service these districts, so If you can’t manage the whole name? Parramatta was destined to become day, then please come and a city in its own right. spend what time you can man- 8. What colour is a purple finch No legend of the river would be com- age. 9. Where are Chinese gooseberries plete without its sporting memories. We will supply lunch and morn- from? Everyone knows the “Head of the River” ing and afternoon tea. 10. What is the colour of the black box was once staged on the Parramatta in a commercial aeroplane? River. Conditions were entirely Please let us know if you are different from those on the dam- coming so that we can (You only need three correct answers to controlled Nepean. organise the catering. pass. Answers on page 3.) There was no following flow nor smooth surface water. To the contrary a sudden southerly squall developing Things you didn’t want to know! across the broad Hen and Chicken Bay or a tidal change could give the Shakespeare invented the words “assassination” and “bump.” race to the strongest and not neces- The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. sarily to the more skilled Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes. Also the bends in the stream offered more difficult negotiation. (This series of 6 articles was printed in the “Adver- tiser”, November/December 1971. Many of the factories and buildings mentioned in the article are now long gone. It is only through the work of people such as A.S. Mendel that the memories can be preserved. That is why oral histories and written anecdotes are so important us.) Museum Committee Our next meeting is on Wednesday, 8th August at 10:00 am in the mu- seum. This is to finalise planning for our Nursery Rhyme display which opens in December. We also need to make plans for future displays. Our Royal Family display will stay on until the end of September to give everyone a chance to visit. We will then use our own objects until we need to set up the Nursery Rhyme display. If you would like to become part of this We have recently received two photographs from the Harden-Murrumburrah group please come along to the meet- Historical Society but we have no information about the group. The pennant ing. New blood and new ideas are reads: “Western Suburbs Convent Schools Sports” and the year “1967”. Does always welcome. anyone know of this group? Or of any of the children in it? I Remember . Some Bowls History 1 Starched circular petticoats which Bowls today could very aptly be and her advisers deeming the game an stood up by themselves after being described, particularly in the present excuse for unlawful assemblies and ironed company, as a Sport of Gentlemen. conspiracies. 2 Listening to the “Argonauts” and Being bowlers, I thought you would be Not only did the game have a colourful “Yes What” on the wireless interested to know that in the very early history, it also had early ties with the 3 Taking the billy can out to meet the days, as the game grew in popularity, church as, when John Knox visited milkman in the morning. It was it came under the ban of King and Calvin at Geneva one Sunday, it is filled from the huge milk cans on the Parliament. Both feared it might jeop- said he found him engaged in a game; back of a horse-drawn cart. ardise the practice of archery, then so and John Aylmer, though Bishop of important in battle. Statutes forbidding London, enjoyed a game on a Sunday 4 Catching the tram to school.