"^f"?»-n-S«r»w' V2o£) 1225 the balmain The Peninsula □ □ □ L association cil incorporated BEDi news sheet

Vol 28 No 3 issue 223 Founded 1965 June/July 1993

Movement on the Five Sites is anticipated that the landscaping will be tower on the ridge was out of keeping with the Atlast! theA 5step sites.forward Followingon the five rezoning consultativeof designed to assist in the thermal control of character of the area. If it Is necessary to meetings of the applicants, Councillors and the buildings. The storm water run-off will be maintain the number of people to get 32% of residents, Council will be shortly exhibit the retained and filtered before it enters the the site open space then they could be Draft Local Environment Plan for the old harbour. Pedestrians and cyclists will be accommodated in less exclusive water-front Gnilever site for public comment. TTie new provided with safe and easy access through warehouse type buildings on the southern environmentally sensitive plan should create the site. Improvements will be made to the side of the site. These buildings would reflect the urban village of White Bay. The buildings, Victoria Road and Robert Street intersection the size and scale of other buildings around their uses and their size will have a diversity will be upgraded with a bus-only lane Mort's Bay with a mixture of uses such as and density to match the existing character planned. Light Rail or Trolley Bus service studio apartments, offices, & kiosks, giving a of the Balmain Peninsula. using the old Clebe Island Bridge is en- greater range of affordabilty and a more A small group of retail shops will surround visuaged, as is a ferry wharf and foreshore active use of the site for all. the community recreational facilities in the park in front of the site. The dilemma is should we accept this sort restored Historical buildings. A diversity of Section 22 Committee of compromise, or do we maintain the stand accommodation in the form of semi-shared There have also been 5 meetings about of no rezoning until the funds for 100% open units, serviced apartments, shared houses, the Monsanto, Balmain Power Station and space are available. This course of action will hostel and housing for the aged, students and Caltex sites, with the Department of Planning almost certainly result in the State disabled as well as the conventional 1. 2 & 3 and Govemment instrumentalities on the Government again taking away the planning bedroom town houses will maintain section 22 committee. An on-site meeting at powers and we will be back in court to recover Balmain's socio-economic diversity. Caltex looked at the extent of the proposed them. Council is keen to hear what the feeling Shopfront commercial offices and the op>- foreshore park, the type and spacing of of the community is on this most important tion of working from home are encouraged. existing houses in Wharf Rd, the views out issue. All buildings will of energy efficient design and the view from the water. It was expressed A i d N i c k M a s t e r m a n and incoqporate energy saving appliances. It at the meeting that the proposed 7 storey

Transport Management can travel on road as well as track or 0-Bahn. costs amounted to 60% of that required for a These are more versatile as they can leave light rail system. the track to service communities away from For many years Balmain residents have the elimination of heavy traffic volumes the railway with no loss of time or need for I^he principle transport goals should be campaigned for minibuses for the narrow on residential streets, The root problem is the the commuters to change vehicles. They are streets of the Peninsula. Mercedes-Benz have high level of car dependence. quieter than trams and the capital cost and a 22 passenger bus which is less than 2 Planned and orderly transition to a low car visual pollution of overhead cables in urban meters wide. The front wheel drive allows a dependence would be preferable in terms of s t r e e t s i s a v o i d e d . A n o t h e r f e a t u r e i s t h e l o w floor only 380mm above the road - just a little the preservation of lifestyle options. Various floor with stepless entry of benefit to the above curb height. This vehicle would be ideal approaches to the road traffic problem are aged and disabled. An 0-Bahn bus service is for off-peak service as well as for a shuttle bus presently being studied by the Leichhardt operating successfully in Adelaide and the connecting to ferries. Council's Transport & Traffic Committee. These include light rail, minibus and diai- a-ride services, cycleways and pedestrian provisions. The City West plan to convert the goods railway in Pyrmont to light rail has a private company operating the service as far as the Fish Markets even though the line continues through Lilyfield, Leichhardt. bulwich Hill to Sydenham. The railway is electrified from Rozelle to Sydenham. The relative cost of a tramcar, compared to a bus, has risen corv siderably over last fifty years. The cost of a new Mercedes minibus is $ 100,000 or a large bus $200,000, while quotations for a tramcar exceed $1.5 million. Dual powered (600V ITie city of Itssen has met the increasing challenge individual transfmrt p4>scs to public lransp<.irt. The first electric & diesel) buses are now available that track-guided bus operation cominenced in 1980. Since 1988, the.se bases have shared the city ham tunnel to avoid ^ityjcnuyjigfngjhaos. Passengers etijoy a smooth trip to thecit>- without inter^tions, pa^ cc^e^o^ widowed mother, while next door Maybanke Maybanke Anderson These were busy years for Maybanke: accommodated brother Henry. Maybanke earning a living, petitioning for a divorce, 1845-1927. and her husband Edmund Wolstenholme, serving as president of the Suffrage League. timber merchant of Mailland, whom she had In 1894 she established her own newspaper, married on 3/9/1867. Norman Selfe married the Womens Voice and in it she wrote frankly John Booth's daughter Emily Ann. in 1872. of matters of marriage, sex, divorce and the Norman had been campaigning for better lack of property rights. In July 1895, the technical education in NSW from as early as Kindergarten Union of NSW was instigated to 1865 when he taught the first class in mech provide Free Kindergartens wherever anical drawing at the Mechanics School of possible in poor neighbours. The first one was Arts in Rtt Street. Sydney. in Woolloomooloo in 1896. Maybanke was on In 1 I years of marriage to Edmund, the committee and acted as the first president Maybanke had seven children of whom only till Lady Hampden arrived. three lived longer than five years. Edward, From 1895 to her death in 1927 she Harry and Arthur, who drowned in early adult laboured for the children of the poor to give hood. The marriage was strained because of them practical held in setting up new centres E d m u n d ' s a l c o h o l i s m . i n c i t i e s a s f a r a s A d e l a i d e a n d B r i s b a n e . With Norman Selfe's financial assistance, Australia's first playground opened in 1915 Maybanke, in 1879. moved to a substantial after a powerful pamphlet "Play and house, once more named Maybanke. on the Playgrounds ' published by Maybanke. She comer of Wardell Road and Frazer Street, lived with her friend, Maude Fox of Eversley Marrickvil|e (Now Salvation Army accom 8 Rose Street. Birchgrove, for a time before modation). her marriage to Professor Francis Anderson on 2nd March 1899 at St Andrew's By 1885 the marriage was over. At first Maybanke ran a boarding house to support Congregational Church. Balmain. The her family, then, in July 1882. began her long Church was very advanced in its attitudes, as Carolinedecision Chisholm of the Selfe was Family influential to come in the to association with education, when she opened it not only permitted female ordination, but it Australia. Henry, Bessie and children. a school for young ladies. By 1890 Maybanke also married divorcees. Morman. Henry and Maybanke, arrived on College had enrolled pupils from The Workers Education Association Of the Bangalore on the 13th January 1855. kindergarten to matriculation level, preparing NSW (WEA) was formed in 1913 with both The family spent their first years in Entally them "for all the University of Sydney public Francis and Maybanke contributing their H o u s e , M a r y R e i b e y ' s f o r m e r h o u s e i n examinations". experience as speaker at the conferences. The WEA pamphlet no. 1 was Maybanke's Macquarie Place. Sydney, then moved to the From 1880 to 1927. Maybanke was an Rocks area. Maybanke, born 16/2/1845 in active participant in many movements and "The Root of the Matter". Surry, England had received her unusual events that shaped the democratic institut Maybanke gave 40 years of service as name from her great, great grandfather s sur ions of modern Australia. Law reform, headmistress, philanthropist, professor's name. Maybanke's education had begun in women's suffrage, the growth of a free wife, speaker, donor, hostess, founder and England where she attended a day school, education system with professional teacher patron of numerous associations. but little is known of her time at the Rocks training. Federation and the war time cam Source: "Maybanke Anderson" by Jan except that it is known that she had a love of paigns against venereal diseases that Roberts, Published by Hale & Iremonger. reading. She received no tertiary education contributed to the establishment of public A Free Kindergarten was set up at 143 or training but was guided by common sense health and family planning. The Australasian Beattie Street, comer Lawson Street, in the and an indomitable will. Home Reading Union was formed in 1892 former Mertonville Hotel in 1913 with Miss The move from the Rocks to Balmain in with Mrs Wolstenholme as General Secretary. Swinbourne, Teacher, 1914 Miss Brown. 1870 came, when her brother. Morman Selfe. Readers formed groups to discuss articles, to 1915-1916 Miss P King. The Balmain Phoenix purchased some land and built twin terraces, exchange books and present papers. Kindergarten at 36 Evans Street, Rozetle, now 21 & 23 Wharf Road, Birchgrove, still Reading lists were published in the opened in 1916 and continues today, standing but much changed today. Australasian Home Reader, Maybanke was a Katb - Harney Normanton was lived in by Norman and his regular contributor.

Following public exhibition of the plan, a The Barcham promoted Main Street Open Space Strategy Workshop was held on 21 May to discuss the program for the Darling Street shopping area document prepared by the Planning is not included in the costing. The planners Ieichhardt-^Strategy Council's assumes Open that additional Space Department. There was some criticism of the estimate this at $1 million but they have not development will cause an increase in strategy. Hall Greenland proposed an activist suggested where the finances will be ob demand for open space and recreation and campaign to get the State Government to tained. Some help may come froni the that this will be best satisfied through the respond to the demands of regional space. Government Main Street program. provision of a diversity of opportunities based Admittedly- the projected population Our representative on the Trees & Open upon a system of local, district and regional increase does not include the nearly 2,000 Space Committee, Bob Nicholls, reports that facilities, principally by improving linkages expected from the five Peninsula sites (the the group had an inspection of all of the between existing parks and identifying open space from these will be in land not proposed linkages and acquisitions on acquisition sites with strategic benefits. funds) but it would be foolish to argue that Saturday 15 May. They propose to discuss The plan proposes a 10 year time frame there should be no further development in the the strategy on 3 June. The Town Plan in which the cost of over $13.5 million is municipality. It is stretching credulity to ex Committee will respond to the plan at their obtained from Sect 94 contributions from pect a financially strapped State Government meeting on 7 June. Council will consider both developers. The Planning Officers attribute a to give up revenue producing sites. The of their responses on 29 June in order to seek projected population increase of 4,030 Ballast Point Park Committee is struggling to to adopt a Strategy and Contributions Plan by persons, in the period, to land development. have their project recognised. I July. front wall of the properties. If the brigade station. On 4th January, 1907 the site was Rozelle Fire Station No 49 attended a call to fight a fire and the building chosen by the Minister of l\ibiic Works at a T^he old Rozelle Fire Station at 749 was not covered by the insurance company, cost of £1200. W J Henley of Drummoyne M. Darling Street, between Oxford and no action was taken. The insurance plaques quoted £1785 to build and to complete in 23 Park Streets, is undergoing a transformation became collectors' items and could be seen weeks. When the keys were officially handed to an exhibition space and office space. The on many Sydney buildings up to the 1960s. over on 1st October 1909 the brigade new owners have addressed the station's There were many moves to introduce consisted of 4 permanent and 4 partially paid heritage aspect with little exterior change. We government legislation to reform the fire bri volunteers. The first engine was horse drawn welcome the sympathetic recycling of the gades' system. Factional interests held up the and water was pumped to the fire by hand. building. passing of the first Fire Brigades Act until The correspondence books viewed at the MSW Fire Brigade Headquarters 219 Elizabeth St, Sydney, dealt with repwrting of fires in the district, repairs and extensions to the building. One particular fire was at Hylands Shoes in 1936. Mr Athol Reginald Hyland was charged with arson! From 1918 until 1923, when a motor engine was installed, there was much con cern over the rising prices of horse shoeing. The cost was 10 shillings per set with re movals at 6 shillings. Horse "Sharpiey" was reported lame. The Brigade applied to spell him on a grassed area with extra feed, carrots, etc. Fireman F Hush was the horse carriage driver. The Station closed on 2nd January 1945 but was used as Bush Fire Station Mo 99 and Fire protection services in MSW last 1884 that established the Metropolitan Fire later as a workshop until 1956. In 1953, the Balmain Brigade used the t>uilding while the century, have a history of bitter rivalry, which Brigade. The Act brought some semblance of on occasion ended in fights and even hose order to the functions of the city and Balmain building was upgraded. 1967 a "Fire slashing tactics were the results of each suburban fire service. The volunteer fire com Sale" of scrap metal and fittings. 300 feet of brigade wishing to be recognised as the most panies received an annual subsidy, although copper tubing was reported stolen. efficient. To compound the difficulties, fire their members' services continued to be un Station Officers: 1910-1916, Augustus J fighters had to put up with poor water supply paid up to 1902. In 1909, a new Fire Brigades Gerard. Mr Gerard died from bums received and the equipment consisted of buckets, Act established the State wide authority of while fighting a fire at Bliott Bros. 1918- manual pumps and hand drawn carts. the MSW Board of Fire Commissioners. The 1924, George W Tumer. 1925-1927, Thomas The first organised fire protection services system of fire protection to day is based on Amor. 1926, W J Bartie. 1929, Walter were formed by insurance companies in the the 1909 Act and subsequent amendments. Warland. 1930-1933, H Bullock. 1934, W late 1830's. By the 1850s the brigades were Rozelle or Balmain West till 1897, had a Hall, 1935, W Bartie. 1936, J Shuttleworth, financed from the insurance companies volunteer fire brigade at 584 Darling Street 1939, H Douglas. 1940, E Wilson. 1941, H annual subscriptions and the firemen were from 1887 to 1895. The area of the Rozelle Lewis. 1942, W Annsell. 1943, J Brunty. paid for their service. The brigade was Fire Station was purchased from the 1944, E Fisher. 1945, K Savage. instructed to attend only those fires covered Gilchrist Estate in 1874 by William Paling and Source: MSW Fire Brigade Headquarters by the subscribing company that were John Henry Starling. It would appear that no Archives. identified by plaques attached to the outside development was made prior to the fire Kath Harney.

P r i s o n e r A b d u c t e d loaned to the Balmain Association for display are still noticing the after effects of carrying in the inner left hand cell. When art exhi bookcases and display cases up the rather bitions became a regular part of Watch House steep stairs and unloading the boxes of I^heabducted semi-clad from body the Watch of a manHouse bywas two activities, it was relegated to the back cell. Association books on to shelves. women on Monday 24 May. The daring ex Mow, thanks to years of fund raising and In the process we have also found a num ploit was carried out in broad daylight, the research efforts, the History Committee has ber of items that can no longer be ac body being placed in the back of a car and been able to re-establish the long neglected commodated in the Watch House but which driven off in the direction of the City, The permanent history display in the back cell. might be of interest/value to the public. We women had apparently decided to give them Montague Design, a Balmain firm, has been will have a table at the Balmain Markets on selves up as they were sighted 30 minutes engaged to implement the design based on Saturday 12 June to sell old books, as well as later in Albert Street carrying the body into large scale murals produced from photo some miscellaneous items. In addition, we t h e J u s t i c e & P o l i c e M u s e u m u n d e r t h e graphs in the history archives. These will are putting on the market three Bentwood direction of a young woman who was not, create a background for smaller display chairs that have been in the Association's however, in uniform. Shortly afterwards the panels of photographs, illustrations and text possession for some years. They are in ex women reappeared and drove off. that will display the history of Balmain, its cellent condition as they have been recaned The reason for the abduction can now be architecture, industry and residents. In order and repaired. Also available are a painted publicly announced. The body was that of the for the work to be carried out, the back cell timber bookcase, I22cm high 91cm wide mannequin that has been seen from time to has been emptied of items accumulated over 30cm deep and an ancient Smith Premier time in the back left cell of the Watch House, many years, much of which has been moved typewriter, Contact 818 4954 with your offer. clad in workman's clothing, leaning some to the upstairs history store room. That, too, We hope to open the History Room officially what drunkenly against the cell wall. Some has undergone a considerable house clean in September. years before it had been apprehended and ing and several members of the Association D e b b y H i c h o U s n e w F f l M U W M " V « > For brightening up a dull wall or fence use Parish Records can be made of the climbing roses. They are not self-supporting and therefore must be '"The History Committee's ongoing attached in some way. Trained on wires, A commitment to the preservation of church registers has now included St John's Choosing and Planting Roses climbers can be useful for screening. Miniature roses are fast increasing in pop Church, Birchgrove. We thank the church Rosessituations.are suitable Thefor mosta range popularof garden are the ularity and are ideal for pots, baskets or low wardens, Parish Council and the Rev Tony edgings along paths. Humphries for allowing the copying of the hybrid tea roses with perfectly shaped flowers Parish Baptismal up to 1957 and marriage ideal for picking and which may be grown in Roses love sunny and open positions and r e c o r d s t o 1 9 6 3 . beds or borders. However, for a good supply five to six hours of sun each day are required Pascoe's copied them on to microfiche for of colourful long-lasting blooms you should f o r t h e m t o fl o w e r w e l l . S o i l s s h o u l d h a v e our archives and a copy has been given to St select floribunda roses. Although individual good drainage with organic matter worked in J o h n ' s C h u r c h . flowers are smaller than the hybrid teas they before planting. Keep soils moist over dry give massed colour effects. months. Mever plant roses where other roses have been grown as they City's Goal: No Cars are such heavy feeders that they thoroughly ex T^he country that formulated "woonerfs" A (shared traffic zones) now proposes to haust the soil and this can ban cars from the centre of Amsterdam. Wall lead to a condition called "rose sick". Newly planted to wall traffic, noise and fumes in the stove roses don't like strong fer pipe streets and stiff gridlocks on the canal t i l i s e r s a r o u n d t h e i r r o o t s . bridges have brought on the decision. The Best time to feed roses is present image of the automobile there is August and February. approximately that of a leech on the body of the community. Bonnie Davidson A step-by-step plan aims to make life as unpleasant as possible for motorists who insist on nudging their way around the city's Fenwick Development Notice to Members inner ring of canals. Cars will be squeezed off T^he 27th Annual General Meeting of the the streets by wider footpaths and new A Balmain Association Inc will be held on bicycle lanes, while parking spaces will be cut Ieonie-/organised McDonald a petition of East of Balmain 767 residents has Wednesday 4 August at 7.30pm in the Watch back sharply. The city held a referendum last requesting Leichhardt Council and the House 179 Darling Street. year in which almost 53% of the voters Minister for Planning, Mr R Webster, to try and backed a plan for a mostly car-free centre. prevent the development of 8 townhouses on the Fenwick site in Weston St. The Baimain Association Inc This small parcel of land, owned by Save Our Hospital Brambles, is where Fenwick & Co have op representing Balmain, Birchgrove, erated a tugboat service for years. It would be Rozelle. Parliament House on Tuesday 11 May a valuable acquisition to the llloura Reserve. More than 1,000 people rallied outside O u r A i m s A r e T o : to protest against the State Government's Mr Webster claims that the land is not of • Improve the living, working and proposal to slash the range of services at recreational amenities of our area regional significance even though it is at the Balmain Hospital. Rally organiser, Sandra entrance to the Reserve where families from • maintain all features having Nori MP, said she was heartened by the great all parts of Sydney come to enjoy harbour natural architectural and/or tumout. Support came from all sections of celebrations. It has a commanding view of historical value the community as well as from neighbouring Millers Point and Darling Harbour. • compile and record history of suburbs. The site is valued at $2.5 million which is the area & keep a permanent out of reach of the Council finances. Council collection of items of historical planners say that the developers would be W h a t ' s O n interest required to assign the foreshore to the : • seek the cooperation of Council as a sect 94 contribution to provide everyone concerned in the a link from the ferry wharf to llloura Reserve. Ejdiibitions at the Watch House realisation of the above The original stone building of Bell's Shipyard • Tom Mravicic - Jun 12^14 The Watch House is open every (c 1838) is a heritage item and would have to • Carmen Hogue - Jul 3-7 be preserved. • Margarita Bogehoiz - Jul 17-25 Saturday from 12 to 3pm • Ju l i e C h a mb e rl a i n - The Balmain Association meets on the first Jul 31-Aug 1 Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in Snapper Island Picnic , • Nadia Mllat - Aug 7-8 the Watch House 179 Darling Street, Balmain. • Robin Elphick - Aug 13-15 Ma/y c/o PO Box 57. BALMAIN. 2041. Clontarfto visitCottage Snapper Committee Island on invites Sunday you 20 ' ; • Bonnie Tosswill - Aug 21-29 June. BBQ facilities are available including Our editorial phone^x is 818 4954 • B a l m a i n A r t S h o w tea and coffee. The Maritime Museum will be Interested artists, potters, Leonard Markevitch - Sep 4-12 open. Ferry departs Elliott Street Wharf • History Room - Sep 18-19 sculptors, etc. who wouid like to I0.30am promptly and returns 3pm. Adults • Klin Sullivan - Sep 25-26 organise an exhibition In the Watch $10 Concessions $8 Children $5. Booking : House are urged to contact Steve essential. Tel 818 4954. South on 810 1411. Printed on recycled paper by Snap Print, Balmain Annual Subscriptions: The Observer is printed bi-monthly . © Not to be reproduced without Household $16, Pensioners & authorisation Students $7, Organisation $21.