The River Foreshore Parramatta Front cover image: Windmill of Parramatta by Fleury, 1853. (Source: City of Parramatta, Cultural Collection object no. 2012.10.1) COMPILED BY: Neera Sahni, Research Services Leader & Caroline Finlay, Research Facilitator Research & Collection Services Parramatta Heritage Visitor & Information Centre 346A Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 June 2021 This work by City of Parramatta, Research & Collection Services is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License. Based on the work at Parramatta History and Heritage ISBN: 978-1-876941-44-4 (ebook) CONTENTS Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 1. First European Exploration of Parramatta, 22 to 28 April 1788 ............................... 6 2. Governor Phillip and the ‘Kings Wharf’, 1788 ................................................................ 11 3. Governor Arthur Phillip ........................................................................................................ 13 4. John Irving – Australia’s first emancipated convict .................................................. 32 5. Shale and Brick Quarry – River Foreshore Parramatta ........................................... 35 6. Thomas Halfpenny – George (High) Street – Parramatta Pioneers ..................... 37 7. Parramatta’s Rangihou Reserve and its Maori History ............................................ 39 8. Howell’s Wind and Water Mill – Parramatta .............................................................. 45 9. The First King’s School – Harrisford House Parramatta .......................................... 47 10. Lennox Bridge, Parramatta, 1836-1839 ......................................................................... 50 11. Parramatta Gasworks and the Australian Gas Light Company ........................... 53 12. Byrnes Cloth Factory Parramatta ................................................................................... 56 13. Harvey’s Mill, The Cumberland Steam Mill, and Dares Mill, Parramatta ........... 58 14. The Parramatta River 1848 to 1861 – Personal Observations ................................ 60 15. Captain Henry Mance – The Prince of Parramatta River ....................................... 64 16. James Houison’s Bond House, Church Street, Parramatta ..................................... 67 17. The Centennial Baths of Parramatta ............................................................................. 69 18. River Foreshore Parramatta – Public Health Issues 1889-1940 .............................. 73 19. Where the Riverside Theatres Stand ............................................................................. 75 20. Australia’s Retail History – the David Jones building Parramatta ....................... 82 21. Parramatta Gaol Bridge: 1794 – 1837 ............................................................................. 86 22. David Lennox and Lennox Bridge .................................................................................. 88 23. Gasworks Bridge ................................................................................................................... 94 24. Bernie Banton AM ................................................................................................................ 96 25. Barry Charles Wilde........................................................................................................... 102 26. Rivercat Wharf – Parramatta ........................................................................................ 106 27. Parramatta – former Shell site at Camellia ............................................................... 108 28. The Demolition of the David Jones Building ............................................................... 111 29. Research Library Resources .............................................................................................. 112 30. Images .................................................................................................................................... 113 References ................................................................................................................................... 115 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This book has been compiled from the articles written by the Research and Collections team at the City of Parramatta. More information and stories on Parramatta’s history can be found on our website https://historyandheritage.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/ All content in this book is released under the Creative Commons, Share-a-Like License. We thank everyone who has helped in any way to bring about this book. 3 INTRODUCTION Neera Sahni This historic precinct of Parramatta includes the section of the river from the Gasworks Bridge to the Marsden Street. It was once the heart of the township where industry, commerce and agriculture all met for trade and exchange. Prior to European arrival in 1788 it was the tidal meeting place of fresh and salt water, and the Darug meeting place which gave Parramatta its name, the place ‘where eels lie down’. Plan of the town of Parramatta and the adjacent properties showing the river foreshore 1844. Source: State Library of New South Wales This stretch of river foreshore, particularly the southern bank, was arguably the most significant piece of land during the early European settlement of the area. It was here that Governor Phillip landed his boats on 2 November 1788, six months after first discovering the site, and it was from here that they set about building Australia’s second European settlement. Between 1788 and 1840 this section of river was also of great importance for the feeding of the Sydney region. Australia’s agricultural and farming industries were born in the Parramatta district and the services to support them sprang up along these riverbanks. Before this the foreshore was of immense significance to the local Darug People as it was the meeting place of the salt water from Sydney Harbour and the fresh water from the Parramatta River. The tides and extremes in climate meant that this section of river could range from being virtually empty of water to a raging torrent. This changeability was also the source of the local Burramatta name ‘Parramatta’ meaning ‘where eels lie down’. This phrase referred to the period when the eels travelled up the river to spawn and many were caught in the open at low tide. In this book articles cover the how the early township of Parramatta developed along the foreshore. All this started to change around 1860 with the opening of the 4 railroad line which ran from Sydney to Parramatta. This saw the movement of goods and services to the southern side of Parramatta and the movement of the centre of the city towards Centenary Square. 5 -1- First European Exploration of Parramatta, 22 to 28 April 1788 Neera Sahni The residence of John McArthur Esqr, near Parramatta, New South Wales circa 1822. Source: J. Lycett State Library of New South Wales FL3541311 The town of Parramatta may have been established on the 2 November 1788, but this proclamation was made on Phillip’s second visit to Parramatta, or Rose Hill as it was first named. Earlier in the same year the first visit to the site was made by Phillip, Surgeon John White, Lieutenant Ball, Lieutenant George Johnston, Lieutenant Cresswell, the judge advocate, and nine soldiers and two seaman. On the 22 April this group left Sydney Cove to continue their survey the limits of the harbour and to see if they could locate the large river they thought would run from the foot of the Blue Mountains. John White, the First Fleet surgeon, who was also a keen naturalist, in 1790 published an account of this journey in a book with the rather long winded title, ‘Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, with sixty-five plates of non descript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions’. What follows is his full account of their journey and the discovery of Parramatta. 6 Great Brown Kings Fisher, 1790. Source: Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales 22 April 1788: On the morning of this day the governor, accompanied by the same party, with the addition of Lieutenant Cresswell of the marines and six privates, landed at the head of the harbour, with an intention of penetrating into the country westward, as far as seven days provisions would admit of; every individual carrying his own allowance of bread, beef, rum, and water. The soldiers, beside their own provisions, carried a camp kettle and two tents, with their poles, &c. Thus equipped, with the additional weight of spare shoes, shirts, trowsers [sic.], together with a great coat, or Scotch plaid, for the purpose of sleeping in, as the nights were cold, we proceeded on our destination. We likewise took with us a small hand hatchet in order to mark the trees as we went on, those marks (called in America blazing) being the only guide to direct us in our return. The country was so rugged as to render it almost impossible to explore our way by the assistance of the compass. In this manner we proceeded for a mile or two, through a part well covered with enormous trees, free from underwood. We then reached a thicket of brush-wood, which we found so impervious as to oblige us to return nearly to the place from whence