TROLLEY WIRE APRIL, 1982 REACHING the NORTH SHORE by K
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30 1982 YEARS NUMBER 199 Journal of APRIL, 1982 AUSTRALIAN TRAMWAY MUSEUMS ISSN 0155- 1264 - jtufm, m i REACHING THE NORTH SHORE Registered by Australia Post — Publication No. NBH 0804 APRIL 1982 Vol. 23 No. 2 1952 30 I9S2 Issue No, 199 THIRTIETH YEAR OE PUBLICATION EDITOR Laurie Gordon PRODUCTION Bob Merchant SUBSCRIPTIONS Norm Chinn J im O'Brien DISTRIBUTION Mai McAulay Peter Hallen Published by the South Pacific Electric Railway Co operative Society. Limited. Box 10.1 P.O Sutherland N.S.W. 2232. Printed by Newey and Beath Printers Pty Ltd . 10 Belford Street Brt.admeadow N.S.W 2242 Readers wanting a nostalgic, imaginative The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the look at one of the majestic but now retired authors and not necessarily those of the publishers or the C38 class steam locomotives, filmed on one participating societies. of the last journeys from Sydney to a series of country destinations can purchase a copy Subscription rates for six issues per year to expire in of A Steam Train Passes in super 8 with December: mag stripe sound from Film Australia Eton Road Lindfield 2070. The price is $65 plus Australia $7.50 postage of $1 in M.S.W. and ACT and $1.20 Overseas $9.00 other states. Write to Bob Cooper or $1.25 Recommended selling price Tracie White. All correspondence in relation to Trolley Wirt and other publishing and sales matters should be forwarded to: Box 103 P.O Sutherland N.S.W. 2232 COPYRIGHT CONTENTS Reaching The North Shore s Here and There 2S The Sydney Scene 28 Museum Notes and News $0 EKONT COVER: The two halves of the Sydney Harbour Bridge reaching out for each other are soon to forge a permanent link between the city and the north shore that will replace most of the ferries that are crossing the harbour in this mid 1930 photo. BACK COVER: Charlie horse under the control of Len Millar pulls car 251 away from the outer terminus of the Hudson Park tramway. 7 March 1982. -William F. Scott 2 TROLLEY WIRE APRIL, 1982 REACHING THE NORTH SHORE By K. McCarthy This article has been written to mark the 50th By 1841 the population of the Parish of Willoughby anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Harbour amounted to 586 persons living in 92 houses. This Bridge. After fifty years this structure still ranks as Parish was contained in a region bounded by Lane one of the engineering wonders of the world, while Cove and Parramatta Rivers, Port Jackson, Middle the manner in which it can still cope with the city's Harbour and the present Boundary Road in the transport demands continues to enhance Dr. Chatswood-Roseville area. The employment cate Bradfields's farsightedness and his understanding gories of these families included merchants, bankers, of Sydney's transport needs more than half a professionals, shopkeepers, retail traders, mech century into the future. anics as well as those employed as domestic Bradfield was also fortunate in that many servants, gardeners, stockmen, and in agricultural 41 politicians of his time, both conservative and pursuits.* These statistics indicate that North radical, could see the worth of his arguements and Sydney by this stage was becoming a dormitory between 1925 and 1932 the metropolis of Sydney suburb of Sydney. not only witnessed the construction of the Sydney Between 1846 and 1851 a land salesman, W. Harbour Bridge, but the electrification of the Meadows Brownrigg, prepared parish maps of the suburban railways and the opening of two major County of Cumberland in N.S.W. His map of sections of the city underground railway. North Sydney (Parish of Willoughby) reveals the Sydney owes much to Dr. J.J.C. Bradfield as present main road structure of Lane Cove Road. well as to the cabinet members of the Storey, (Pacific Highway) extending north westwards, Dooley, Fuller, Lang and Bavin state governments Military and Spit Roads reaching east and north of the 1920's. east, together with trunk thoroughfares branching to Ball's Head, McMahons Point, Greenwich Point, Prelude Curraghbeena Point and Bradley's Head. A sub From the earliest days of European settlement in urban street grid has emerged by this stage along Sydney, reliable transport between the main settled Miller Street and Walker Street between what is area on the southern shore of Port Jackson and the now St. Leonards Park in the north and Lavender slowly expanding North Shore became a problem. Bay in the south. As early as April 1788, just three months after By 1868 the northern boundary of this urban establishing the settlement in Sydney Cove, corridor had extended to what is now Palmer and Governor Phillip, with Hunter and Bradley, Pine Streets Cammeray and by 1893 street grids in explored the northern shoreline as far as Middle the region bounded by the North Shore railway, Harbour and Manly'. From October 1794, 30 acre Middle Harbour and Port Jackson resembled those grants were made in what is now the Gore Hill- of today.(5) By 1891 the population of this region Artarmon areas of the North Shore, followed by was made up as follows:- smaller 25 acre grants2. During the early 1800's the Population North Shore-Lane Cove area was the principal North Sydney 17,106 source of timber for the Sydney market3. This North Willoughby 3,411 cleared the land for farming, consisting mainly of Sydney urban population growth for this period small holdings, orchards, dairy herds and market is best illustrated by the following table:-'6' gardens. Census returns:- 3-4-1881 5-4-1891 31-3-1901 2-4-1911 City of Sydney 105,901 118.358 126,138 119,771 Suburbs South of 107,423 238,362 312,907 421,162 Harbour Suburbs North of 14,835 32,038 53,364 95,416 Harbour Totals 228,159 388,758 492,409 636,349 3 TROLLEY WIRE APRIL, 1982 Ferries Point and Blues Point while "Fairy Queen" was Early transport connections between Sydney subsequently purchased from Mr. Waterhouse to and the North Shore generally consisted of residents operate to Milson's Point. "The Brothers" was rowing their own boats across the narrow part of the sold by Waterhouse to Hudson Brothers and this harbour, but a "waterman" service was soon was lost c. 1886 at Port Stephens. established where rowers and their boats plied for The North Shore Ferry Coy. was established in hire from Sydney Cove to locations around the 1861 by Messrs. James Milson, Charles Frith, harbour for either a set fee or a negotiated charge. Francis Lord and William Tucker. Their first By 1883 "Waterman" hiring rates were:-(7) steamer was "Kirribilli" which was able to carry 60 From Sydney Cove per person to vessels lying in:- passengers between Circular Quay and Milson's Sydney Cove 6d. Point. Traffic increased steadily causing between Fort Denison and Millers Point. .Is 6d. "Alexander" with a capacity of 7 5 passengers to be between Fort Denison and Bradley's Head2s 6d. commissioned followed by "Waratah", "Cam- in the stream 1 s 6d. meray", "Gomea", "Galatea", "Coombra" and between Bradley's Head and Watsons "Nell". The fares remained at 3d each way during Bay 4s 6d. the day and 6d between 7pm and 11pm. Weekly between North and South Heads 7 s Od. tickets were available for 2s 6d and monthly family From Sydney Cove to Dawes Point 6d. tickets cost 12s 6d. to Mossrhan's" Bay 4s Od. As early as 1858 a ferry service worked by to Quarantine Grounds 8s Od. "Black Swan" operated during holiday periods to Manly 8s 6d. from Woolloomooloo Bay to Mosman. Around By this stage regular ferry services operated 1871 R. Harnett commenced a weekday service between Circular Quay (Sydney Cove) and Milsons between Circular Quay and Mosman using Point, a journey for which a "waterman" would "Herald" on an hourly frequency between 9am to possibly demand Is 6d. 6pm. An advertisement in "The Sydney Morning In March 1841 a Mr. Buddivant built a wooden Herald" during December 1871 announced a half vehicular punt named "Princess" fitted with a 20 hourly timetable on this run on Saturdays; fares h.p. steam engine imported from England. The charged were 6d each way for adults, children service did not commence until August. Mr. Ralph under 12 years of age were half price, while those Mansfield, the first secretary of the Australian under six were carried free. Gaslight Coy. was also secretary of this ferry This Mosman ferry service did not prove profit enterprise. A public notice of March 1842 indicates able. In January 1872 Mr. Harnett held a meeting that the "Princess" plied between Windmill Street of Neutral Bay residents, and although this was not (Walsh Bay) and the North Shore offering passage attended to the degree which Mr. Harnett had for 3d per person with a 2s 6d toll for four wheeled hoped, he altered his ferry route to operate between horse hauled vehicles. This venture was not suc Princess Stairs (Quay) and Mosman calling at cessful and during the following year the steam Neutral Bay (Abbots Wharf). He subsidised Mr. J. engine was removed and used in a steam flour mill Halstead to run the "Aberona" on this service. at Maitland.18' Patronage increased and the ferries "Florence", During 1845 Thomas and Joseph Gerrard "Golden Rose", "Speedwell" and "Matilda" are established the first regular steamer service between recorded as operating on this route. This ferry run Windmill Street and Blues Point (Walsh Bay to passed through the hands of Mr.