THT HUI\TER'S HIIL TRT]ST JOT]RITAI PpesERVrNc AusrRALrA's OLoesr Gtnoe w Susuna Volume XXVI No.2 APRIL 1997 ISSN 0310-0111 "rrty // ? b. ---- .-''=-EEE= -->_ - ?-._. :- -:-..-.i- I -::4.---;:;:--l:si lr :--:r*l) - --. -: n< f.r q-= --:= -.*--. -;=- r cji:a=i-: -".-.-_ _-"t Spectators gathered around Searle's Monument at Henley, the finish line for the World Championship Sculling course, cheering as Major Goodsell crosses the line to retain his title in May 1926. Rowing heritage at Henley GiL Wahlquist & Diana Drake The Hunters Hill Trust has made a submission to The priorities are to: Legitimi.se public access to the Hunters Hill Council concerning the disposal of a superb beach and tree-lined foreshore; Recognise block of Department of Housing units at 15 Dick the role played by the site in the history of rowing Street, Henley. The Trust contends that this block in Australia; Recognise the connection with the of land has played an important part in the public land's first European owner, Dr William Bland, and and sporting life of the citizens of Sydney and that his part in the foundation of many important development should accommodate public needs and t'eatures of Australian life; and Add the beach to recognise the important history of the site. Schedule 6 of LEP 14 (Environmental Heritage). Bland was a member of the Council until 1848 HTSTORY OF TTIE SITE when he was defeated by Robert Lowe' Lowe The first European owner of the Henley peninsula Bland's appointment to the Senate of was Dr Williim Bland (1789-1868), granted 30 opposed SyOney University, bringing up the 1813 conviction acres in April 1837. The area was at that time murder. Bland challenged Lowe to a duel but generally referred to as Three Brothers Point' for Lowe did not take him up on it. Bland returned to ierived from the Aboriginal narrte (Jrroo-Bunchi fot the Legislative Council as a nominated member in a formation of three rocks jutting out into the and retired in 1861. Parramatta River. The locality was named 1858 Blandville in the 1860s when first attempts were He was the first president of the Australian Medical made at subdivision. Association and a prime mover in founding the Sydney Dispensary, the ancestor of Sydney In his memoir of Dr William Bland, Dr George Robert Hospital. He invented an airship and exhibited a Mackaness reports that Bland was the son of model in 1852 at the Crystal Palace. The German Bland, a distinguished London physician and Zeppelin resembles this model. Bland also devised a obstetrician. William was educated at the Merchant meltroO suppressing spontaneous combustion in School and later apprenticed to his tather' of Taylors' was the aneurism tn' tgO he qualified at the Royal College of wool ships. Another invention needle, a surgical instrument used in operations on Surgeons in London for the Naval Service' In i813' whiL serving in H.M. sloop Hesper on the East hlood vessels. Indies station he became involved in a quarrel with he Bland had a house in Pitt Street in the city and the purser of the ship, Robert Knight Case whom was seems not to have ever lived on his grant nor even subsequently killed in a duel at Bombay' Bland have undertaken any "improvements" on the tried for murder at Calcutta and was sentenced to a to property. One possible exception might have been minimum penalty of seven years transportation to ihe establishment of a stone quarry in the centre of Botany Bay. He wx 24 Years of age' the property as shown in an 1857 subdivision plan' (Mitchell Library: ZMZ }lL.l42ll1857ll) The Soon after his arrival in Sydney he was appointed name Blandville nonetheless appeared in real estate as a professional prisoner in charge of the lunatic down the years from September asylum at Castle Hill. After 12 months he was advertisements 1866 to 1901. emancipated and fully pardoned' He established a private medical practice and became a friend and In December 1895, during the golden age of rowing iupporter of William Charles Wenlworth' on the Parramatta River, one H.M' Shelley wrote to Hill Council proposing that the name of After lampooning Colonel George Molle, then Hunter's area be changed to Henley, a reference to military commandant of New South Wales, in 1816' the the home of rowing in England' and later making a sarcastic attack on Governor Henley-on-Thames, submitted names of local land owners and Macquarie in 1818, Bland was arrested, charged Shelley the proposed change' At with libel, fined f50 and sent to Parramatta Gaol residents who supported another meeting in September 1901 council received for 12 months. a petition from Shelley offering a new suggestion renaming. Shelley argued that the name When he was released from gaol in 1819 he settled for Blandville caused confusion and was misleading to down and devoted himself to philanthropic works' many because it was similar to Granville and close He was honorary surgeon to the Benevolent Asylum to Gladesville. The petition suggested the name be and played a part in the establishment of a grammar changed to The Brothers after the Three Brothers sctro-ol whose buildings were handed over to the southern point of Blandville' The University of Sydney in 1853' He was a life rocks at the preferred the earlier suggestion of Henley, member and benefactor to the Sydney Mechanics' council avoicl confusion with the "Brothers' College" in School of Arts. He took an active role in opposing to Governor Darling's attempts to revive press the locality. censorship in the colony and in 1835 became council meeting on October 25 l90l it was secretary of the Australian Patriotic Association At a decided that the name be changed to with Wentworth, Sir John Jamieson and others' formally Henley and the change was duly notified in the Gazette. Thus the memory of Dr The efforts of the Patriotic Association led in 1843 Government Bland was erased from the map for nearly the first election of representatives of the people William to block on to the new Legislative Council' Bland and 60 years until a Housing Commission Road was named Blandville Court in Wentworth topped the poll to represent Sydney' Victoria reference to the earlier name of the locality' 2" ROWING TIERITAGE When his remains arrived in Sydney on their way Regattas had been a regular feature of social and north the whole city was decked out in a display of sporting life on the Parramatta River since at least mourning. "Such a scene", said one newspaper "has the mid 1840s. In June 1877 the first race for the never been witnessed in Sydney before and the title of "Champion Sculler of the World" was held streets were never so crowded on any occasion, not on the river, with the Three Brothers rocks even excepting the day of the departure of the designated as the finishing point and the starting Soudan Contingent". (sunday Times L5.12.1889) In point opposite Uhrs Point, near today's Ryde devoting six lengthy and closely-printed columns to Bridge. Also in 1877 the Victorian Rowing describing the city's mourning, the Times declared Association suggested to Sydney Rowing clubs that that the whole community felt that "a national loss an international eight-oared race be rowed on the had been sustained and that a calamity had Yarra. When the first race took place in 1878, New overtaken our country". South Wales was represented by the Mercantile Rowing Club which had been formed in 1874. A memorial to Searle was erected in the parramatta River at the Three Brothers rocks off Blandville. By 1882 the club had a training establishment at The memorial became the finishing marker for Blandville in the centre of what is now 15 Dick Parramatta River rowing races. After recent damage Street. (ref: jetty lease to the Club shown on 1882 by a speed boat it has been restored and remains Lands Department plan no.135-574 sheet 5) This one of our few memorials to an Australian who was establishment was described in the L886 Yearbook an international sportsman in the 1fth century. Just of New South Wales as having an area of 100 ft as the Searle monument was erected at Blandville water frontage by 200 ft depth, with thereon erected because of the site's association with rowing, so too "boat a shed, 60 ft by 20 ft; housekeeper's cottage recognition of the nearby beach at 15 Dick street of three rooms, and club dwelling of brick, would similarly honour the pride which Australians containing dining hall, 30 ft by 15 ft; two sleeping have in their rowing sportsmen and women. rooms, each 30 ft by 15 ft.' A verandah ran around both sides and accommodation was provided for 20 HousINc Corrlutsstorrt memtrers. The yearbook listed the club fleet as In 1910 the Mercantile Rowing Club moved its comprising 3 eights, 1 six pair, 1 four pairs, 5 main clubhouse to Mosman. It subsequently became string-test fours, 3 clinker fours, I tub four, 3 pair the Mosman Rowing Club. The Club,s Dick Street oars, 4 racing and 6 practice skiffs and 3 sculling land became the property of H E and A T Morgan clinkers, a total of 30 boats which were capable of and remained in their ownership until February putting afloat 124 members. 1947 when the land was resumed by the Housing Commission of NSW. It was thus from the beach of 15 Dick street that some Australia's of best oarsmen took to the water In its June 1948 issue, the magazine Buitding and.