Busted Walking Tour

1st stop: Balmain Library

 

 The Busted Walking tour was a sunny Sunday in Balmain and a wonderful group of 18 local history enthusiasts and heritage consultants gathered at Balmain Library for morning tea and a sneak preview of the Busted Exhibition, which showcases 8 mug shot images, courtesy of the Justice and Police Museum, a street landscape of Beattie street and a 1958 shot of the Balmain courthouse registry room.

 

A short film “Balmain Boys Do crime” flavours the exhibition with some old time Balmain characters, Larrikins at heart, they share stories of SP bookmakers, local pubs and a few scandalous crime stories from decades ago.

                                     

The walk took us to the historical  Balmain courthouse, then the confectionary shop run by the notourious cross dressing convicted murderer Eugene Falleni and wife Annie Birckett. Next stop was further down Darling street for a guided tour by Kath Hamey and June Lumsman of  the Balmain Watchhouse which once operated as a an overnight lock-up. The Balmain Association, showcased police uniforms, historical photographs, stories and newspaper clippings of gripping local crime from yesteryear.

  

The Exhibition is open from September 5^th – October 31^st at Balmain Library.

History Week 2009

Scandals, Crime and Corruption

Exhibition: BUSTED! A snaphot of crime in Balmain

Dates:September 5 – October 31

 

Cost: Free

Where: Balmain Library,

Balmain Town Hall building

370 Darling Street, Balmain

Presented by LEICHHARDT LIBRARIES

 Email:localhistory@lmc.nsw.gov.au

Family history BALMAIN Workshop:- you’ve done the research, now what?

Join genealogist Terri Kempe as she discusses techniques and strategies to use when writing up family histories and memoirs.

 

Date: Tuesday September 8

Time: 6.30pm

Cost: Free

Where: Balmain Library

Balmain Town Hall building

370 Darling Street, Balmain

Presented by LEICHHARDT LIBRARIES

Email:localhistory@lmc.nsw.gov.au

BALMAIN Author talk: RAZOR by Larry Writer

Date: Tuesday September 15

Time: 6.30pm

Cost: Free

Where: Balmain Library,

Balmain Town Hall building

370 Darling Street, Balmain

Presented by LEICHHARDT LIBRARIES

Email:localhistory@lmc.nsw.gov.au

History Council History Week 2009

Oral history seminar: family and photographs

Leichhardt, 1950

Saturday 25 July 2009

10.30 AM to 4.45 PM

Metcalfe Auditorium Macquarie Street wing, State Library of NSW

Cost: $48, $42 (Friends) $38 (Oral History Association of Australia members) includes lunch. Morning or afternoon sessions $18 each ($30 with lunch)

George Imashev, formerly of the Australian War Memorial will present a family history: Recorded memories of my family — from Bohemia to Batemans Bay. Sue McClean and Frances Rush, both members of the OHAA, will combine to examine selected photographs as inspiration and background for history and oral history. Sue McClean will address Remembering Burdekin House — a mystery, and Frances Rush will offer A Bea on my bonnet — memories of Bea Miles.

In the afternoon, Rosemary Block, the State Library’s Curator of Oral History, will conduct a practical seminar on oral history practice and technique.

BOOKINGS: 9273 1770 or bookings@sl.nsw.gov.au

The Abbey, Johnston Street, Annandale

The Abbey, 1880s

The entire contents of the Johnston Street, Annandale landmark home The Abbey, being the lifetime collection of Dr Geoffrey Davis, an eminent Sydney physician and music lover. is to be auctioned.

Furnishings include dumbwaiters, revolving bookcases and many cedar chests, extensive display cabinets and bookcases, washstands, desks, chesterfields, early coffer, Georgian gateleg table, boxes and compendiums of all shapes and sizes.

Viewing is Friday 22nd May with the auction happening on both Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th May. The Auctioneers have offered an opportunity for the Annandale Historical Society to ask those attending on the 3 days to donate a gold coin as a means of raising funds for its work.

See the Lawson’s Auctioneers site at http://www.lawsons.com.au/

More info. on The Abbey can be found at: http://localnotes.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/the-houses-of-john-young/

NSW Premier’s History Awards

NSW PREMIER’S HISTORY AWARDS

The NSW Premier’s History Awards are national awards, made to Australian historians in recognition of distinguished achievement in scholarly writing and publication and in the presentation of history in non-print media. The 2009 awards, each valued at $15,000, are:

• The Australian History Prize for a book on Australian history.
• The General History Prize for a book on international history.
• The NSW Community and Regional History Prize for a book which contributes to the understanding of community, institutional, urban or regional history in New South Wales.
• The Young People’s History Prize for a book or audio/visual presentation which increases the historical understanding of children and young adults.
• The Multimedia History Prize for the presentation of history utilising non-print media (including film, television, radio, CD-ROM, DVD or website).

Closing Date for the 2009 NSW Premier’s History Awards: Friday 17 April 2009.

Guidelines and nomination forms may be downloaded from the Arts NSW website, www.arts.nsw.gov.au

 

 

Balmain Co-operative Store, Montague Street, ca1910

Shake Your Family Tree!

Join the folks at National Archives of Australia in a one day workshop on February 25 as expert family history researchers share their techniques on genealogy research.  More info. can be found here (requires PDF reader): syft-sydney_tcm2-199502

Understanding heritage conservation. .

 

Heritage Conservation in the Leichhardt Council Area – The Principles of Good Practice – An Introductory Talk

 

One of Australia’s most experienced and respected heritage consultants and Lilyfield resident Meredith Walker will present an illustrated talk on behalf of Leichhardt Council, on the history and principles of heritage conservation and the wide range of places and issues that make up Leichhardt Municipality’s heritage.

 

All are welcome to attend this free information seminar.

 

Meredith Walker is a past president of Australia ICOMOS – the international council on monuments and sites and is actively involved in the reparation and review of the Burra Charter – the Australian standard for good practice in heritage conservation.

 

 

 

Annandale acqueduct, ca 1895

 

 

 

The talk will draw on Meredith’s experiences as a resident of Leichhardt Municipality, as a member of the National Trust, and her work as co-author of The Illustrated Burra Charter: Good Practice for Heritage Places – which includes examples of good practice from around Australia – including Leichhardt.

 

A short complementary presentation will be made on the night by Christopher Reeves, Council’s part-time heritage planner, who will briefly describe the provisions for heritage conservation in the Leichhardt area.

 

A light supper and refreshments will be provided.

 

Day, Date & Time: Thursday, 26 February 2009 – 6.30pm – 8.15pm.

 

Venue: Leichhardt Council Chambers – First Floor, Leichhardt Town Hall, corner of Marion & Norton Streets, Leichhardt.

 

Parking and access facilities: the venue has disabled access via Marion Street & parking is available in the adjacent Marion Street Car park.

 

RSVP: is essential for the event, due to restricted numbers (the venue has a capacity for 55 places) and for catering purposes – Telephone (02) 9367 9220 during business hours.

 

Cost:  This is a free seminar.

Picture of the week

Balmain Coal Mine, ca 1907.

It is probably not now very well known that Balmain, for many years, had its own coal mine.

The surface works were on the site to the north of Birchgrove Primary School. The mine, at first known as the Sydney Harbour Colliery, started operations in 1897 and the last coal was mined in 1931.

The mine was the deepest ever worked in Australia and later produced methane gas, but was not a commercial success. It had poor working conditions and suffered several disastrous accidents.

 The property was sold in 1955 and the shafts filled in and sealed two years later.

Eco-Annandale 2009

 

 

Eco-Annandale 2009 is an exhibition, walk and talk examining Annandale’s contemporary eco-system.

 

The exhibition features the work of 7 local artists who have reflected on Annandale’s  ecology in glass, on paper and by using recycled packaging. It looks at local provenance plants, the Whites Creek Wetland and the wild birds now thriving in inner-city Annandale. Bronwen Campbell will talk about the work of the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery.

 

The self guided walk takes in the sites that have been

revegetated with Local Provenance Plants by the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery’s volunteers, Annandale’s two wetlands and the mangroves reintroduced into Rozelle Bay. The exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the dramatic changes to the local environment since European arrival in Sydney.

 

EXHIBITION

January 1 – 31, Leichhardt Library, Piazza level, Italian Forum, 23 Norton Street, Leichhardt.

 

Opening event: WEDNESDAY January 7, 2009 6-730pm, RSVP 9367 9266 or localhistory@lmc.nsw.gov.au

 

For more info, see: www.ramin.com.au/annandale/ecologically-sustainable-annandale-2009.shtml