29 CREMORNE POINT The Heart of Cremorne Point Robertson Point - c.1937 This walking tour will take you throughthe built environment of this unique foreshore landscape and includes fine examples of federation and inter-war houses, as well as apartment buildings and former boarding houses. Along the walk you will also experience the natural landscape and gain some insight into the history and development of the Point. A Brief History of Cremorne Reserve In c1832/33, 86 acres of Cremorne Point were granted to a Scottish watchmaker, James Robertson. He built a house at the tip of the point today known as Robertson's Point. Prior to European occupation this foreshore land was inhabited by the Cammeraygal People and they called it Wulworra-Jeung (also spelled as Wul-warra-Jeung). In 1853 the land was sold to James Milson and three years later 22 acres were leased to J.R. Clarke and his partner Charles H.Woolcott, a former Town Clerk of the City of Sydney and resident of Ivycliff at Berrys Bay. They turned it into an amusement park called Cremorne Gardens, after a similar pleasure garden in London. The Gardens opened on Easter Monday, 24th March, 29 Heritage Leaflet Series 1856, with a display of fireworks. Other Cremorne Point attracted a number of amusements, including merry-go-rounds, prominent Sydney architects, such as J. band music, dancing, archery, quoits and Burcham Clamp (who also lived at the refreshments, were offered for 2 shillings Point at 'The Laurels'), Waterhouse (BJ) admission charge which included the and Lake, Rutledge Louat and Master ferry fare from Circular Quay. The builders J.A. Hall and J. Verrills. Gardens were not a success however, and closed after six years. Along the walk you will also come across many interesting natural and historical As with other foreshore land grants in features, such as: Sydney, the narrow strip of land fronting •the MacCallum Pool, the Harbour was set aside for public •bush regeneration projects, purposes. However, it had to survive •an Aboriginal shelter, some major threats of land grabs and •ferry terminus and wharf, industrialisation before it was officially •Robertson's Point Lighthouse, gazetted in 1905 as a Reserve. From the •site of the Cremorne Pleasure Gardens, •and the Old Cremorne Wharf 1870s and 1880s a number of land subdivisions were planned and coal mining proposed after two successful bores were sunk confirming a coal seam. Fortunately none of this development occurred due to community protest and the Point remained relatively unscathed until the first residential subdivision in 1903. Cremorne is a good example of residential housing and land-use history following the first subdivision of 1903. Most of the buildings in Cremorne Point date from the Federation housing period through to the 1920s and 1930s. There are many fine examples of houses and apartment buildings and, as Cremorne was also a tourist attraction, particularly in the 1920s, a number of large guest houses were established on the Point. The main streets included in the walk are Milson Road, Cremorne Road, Kareela Road, Bromley Avenue, Bannerman Street and Prior Avenue. 2 29 Heritage Leaflet Series MILSON ROAD .......... volume of Federation Free Style work came from the office of the NSW Government Tour commences at the northern Architect, Walter Liberty Vernon... By end of Milson Road on the western definition, a 'free style' is not unduly side at the end of Sirius Street. constrained by rules, and Federation Free Style is no exception. Designers did not hesitate to Milson Road is named after James Milson, use asymmetrical planning and massing, an early land grantee, as is Milsons Point. Classical elements, if used at all, were Most of the following examples of frequently distorted, incomplete or placed in an housing styles date to the period 1912 - unusual context... Touches of Art Nouveau 1920s were often introduced, especially in the lettering applied to the facades of buildings." No. 90 Milson Rd. A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving and Peter Reynolds (1994) No. 86 Milson Rd. 'Mayfair Court' is representative of the inter- war flats development in Cremorne and a good example of this type using Federation details through to the Reserve and the harbour aspect. Federation Free Style. No. 82 Milson Rd. A good example of a conservative Federation Arts and Crafts design utilising traditional double-fronted and hipped and gabled forms, with restrained timber detailing to verandahs. A Federation Free style inter-war "Federation Arts and Crafts style (1890 - 1915) apartment block, 4 storeys. Note the use was concerned with the integration of art into of sandstone and the shingled bay everyday life through the medium of window. craftsmanship. There is a strong flavour of morality, with stress on the truthful use of "[Federation] Free Style [c1890-c1915] materials and the honest expression of function. architects were not unduly concerned with Arts and Crafts buildings are unpretentious advanced technology; they sought to design honestly with traditional materials while and informal, evoking an atmosphere of avoiding being shackled by stylistic dogmas comfortable familiarity... In Australia, from the past... In Australia, the greatest Federation Arts and Crafts architecture 3 29 Heritage Leaflet Series exhibits qualities similar to those of the representative of the development of such overseas models from which it drew buildings at Cremorne Point. inspiration... Designers aimed for informality in planning, massing, fenestration and "Throughout the Victorian and Federation landscaping. The roof is the dominant element, periods, Academic Classical and Free featuring gables (with barges or parapets) Classical styles co-existed, which is to say and/or hips of medium to steep pitch and that some buildings were more correctly prominent eaves... Interiors frequently display classical than others. It is hardly surprising timber panelling and sturdy ceiling beams. to find that a similar state of affairs prevailed Touches of Art Nouveau are common, both during the Inter-War period. Eight Inter- externally and internally." War styles [including Inter-War Free Classical] have a basis in classical A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture architecture. A negative definition of Inter- by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving and Peter Reynolds (1994) War Classical (c1915 - c1940) could be Go down the Sirius Street steps into 'anything that is derived from some kind of Cremorne Reserve. Note that Sirius classical architecture but does not fit into Street's name is a reminder that any of the other seven categories'... A Mosman Bay was known in the continuation of Victorian Free Classical and 19th Century as Greater Sirius Cove. Walk south through the Federation Free Classical, the style suited Reserve. designers unwilling to comply with the rigours of academic classicism... The style Aboriginal Shelter was ebullient and self-confident... The style was widely distributed [throughout Prior to the arrival of Europeans to this area, the Cammeraygal People enjoyed Australia], covering the range from large these wonderful foreshore areas with urban buildings to smaller institutional and their sweeping panoramic views of domestic buildings." Sydney Harbour and an abundance of fish and shellfish. They would have A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture moved about in family groups and used by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving and Peter Reynolds (1994) rock shelters such as this one. They called No. 32 Milson Road the point Wulworra-Jeung. A fine example of Federation Arts and No. 48-50 Milson Road Crafts (or Federation Filigree style) style This was the site of the former 'Ritz Hotel' in spite of the unsympathetic upper a well-known guest house from the 1920s. verandah, one of a number of similarly The original building was an imposing large and well designed houses along the inter-war apartment building designed in Point. (c1914) the Inter-War Free Classical style and 4 29 Heritage Leaflet Series "The start of the Federation period MacCallum Pool marked a decline in the use of cast iron for structural and ornamental From the 1920s, North Sydney Council components of verandahs and a marked and residents worked to beautify the pool growth in the use of wood for these site which had fallen into neglect. In 1930, components. The change was triggered the Council took over the bathing pool off by the developments in the domestic and renamed it MacCallum Pool in architecture of Britain and, especially, recognition of the valuable work carried America... Timber posts, balustrades, out there by Mr. MacCallum. brackets and valances had a chunkier "MacCallum Pool... was started by a quality than their counterparts in cast first Olympic swimmer. his name was iron, but the 'filigree screen' effect could F.C.V. Lane, known as Fred Lane, and he still be obtained, especially when lattice made of light wooden laths was used lived at number 17 Milson Road... He started the rock pool; rocks [came] from together with the more substantial round about. It sort of enlarged over the turned or sawn components... It is not by years. Then Mr. Lane sold his house and chance that the finest examples of went over to Cremorne Road and Mr. Federation Filigree (c1890 - c1915) domestic architecture are to be found in MacCallum took over the pool and he was a delightful old gentleman... the hot, humid, coastal areas of Queensland..." He enlarged the pool and did a lot of work around [it]. I used to make badges A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture for him which we sold for, I think it was by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving and Peter Reynolds (1994) five shillings for a year and it was only No. 26 Milson Road 'Galada'. ever local people who swam in the pool... C.B.P. - Cremorne Bathing Pool - it was A substantial and typical Federation Arts a navy blue cloth [badge] in the shape of and Crafts style residence designed by a shield with C.B.P.