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Totem Pole in Victoria Park, Sydney : Standing on a grassy green corner of Sydney's Victoria Park near Sydney University is a tall, richly
decorated Native American totem pole. Intrigued by its presence, we decided to uncover its origins and significance. READ MORE
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In March 1930, a Gypsy Moth aircraft crashed at Maroubra Junction. The pilot and passenger narrowly survived, but in the wake
of the wreckage, a series of tragedies unfolded that would cast a long shadow over the reputation of a local Maroubra businessman.
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What became of the iconic Bondi Mermaids which sat on the Big Rock at Ben Buckler in the 1960s and 1970s and their creator
Lyall Randolf? READ MORE
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Alison Park is a beautiful civic park located off Alison Road adjacent to Randwick's commercial centre. It is a quiet sanctuary, lined with mature trees including magnificent Morton Bay Figs,
and surrounded by heritage buildings. Much has happened in the Park over its long history. READ MORE
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Lake Kippax & Fountain : Tucked away in a green leafy oasis in a corner of Moore Park near the Sydney Cricket Ground is an impressive fountain featuring the sculpture of a woman athlete.
It is in the middle of a large pond known as Lake Kippax. It has seen its fair share of controversy over the years. READ MORE
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In April 1959, thousands of Sydney-siders visited David Jones Gallery for the seminal photographic exhibition "The Family of Man".
The largest ever presented, it toured internationally after opening in New York in 1955 with images of people from around the world. Its theme was the universiality of
humankind. Not without controversy, this early "blockbuster" wowed Sydney audiences. READ MORE
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A very interesting headstone in South Coogee's Randwick General Cemetery is that of Sydney Fewtrell. Beffittng his role as the Chief Officer of the cargo ship
S S Sumatra, wrecked off the coast near Kempsey during a 1923 gale, is in the shape of ship's anchor. How Fewtrell came to be buried here is a tale of vast distances,
omens, and tragedy. READ MORE
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Grotto Capri Restaurant opened in 1955 and was a Kensington fixture until it closed in 2011. Once part of a vibrant entertainment scene
along Anzac Parade, Kensington - its colourful and extravagant faux under-sea decorations made it a favoured place for a celebration. READ MORE
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Joe Thomal was a champion boxer in the early 20th century and also became a sucessful actor and celebrity. Yet in a time when Australan society was
dominated by the "White Australia Policy", he did this despite being born in Africa and Black! READ MORE
The Giant Rubik Cube on Maroubra Beach is an iconic piece of street art and has become a motiff for the suburb.
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The Matraville Star Drive-In was an exciting venue for eastern suburbs youth from its opening in 1958 till it
closed in 1984. It was used to make an action based movie called Dead End Drive-In in 1985, and was then
demolished. READ MORE
| Lloyd Berrell: 1950s young up-and-coming movie star died mysteriously on his way to Britain in
the West Indies in 1957. READ MORE
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When Sonny Clay led 22 black American Jazz musicians to Australia in 1928, they wowed audiences with innovative new sounds
but others were affronted by what they saw as scandalous behaviour. The band was subject to shameful treatment and deported.
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Walter Burley Griffen and his wife Marion were among the most famous architects in the world, responsible for the design of Canberra. We stumbled upon
one of his designs at nearby Waverley Cemetery, the tomb of builder James Stuart. READ MORE
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Discovering a carte de visite image of 19th century Sydney photographer, Albert Lomer, sent us in search of the fascinating story of his life,
work, and the business he founded. READ MORE |
Earl Grant : Sydney's Nightclub King -
During the 1960s, American organ virtuoso, Earl Grant wowed Sydney audiences. What became of him? READ MORE
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Fifty years ago in October 1972 Joe Cocker and his band were deported from Australia, despite popular acclaim, after a wild night and drug convictions
in Adelaide. Was he, authorities feared, corrupting Australia's youth, or because a government with flagging popularity wanted to build support
by making Joe Cocker a scapegoat? READ MORE
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Lost Coin Mystery - Coming across a tiny silver coin from 1843 with a value of three half pence while metal detecting in Coogee posed a numismatic mystery. Research
showed how it come to be lying in Coogee's sandy soil 180 years after it was minted far away.
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The Betrayer was a 1921 Australian-New Zealand film about inter-racial romance between a white Australian and a Maori girl partly shot at Coogee.
It had a strange, socially awkward plot - so strange it is hard to imagine what the producers & writers were thinking of!
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Research is in: humans are becoming cooler! -
Normal body temperature is said to be 37 Celsius (98.6F) based research by 19th century
pioneering German medico, Alfred Wunderlich. However, later research shows humans have a wider
variation in "normal" temperature and populations as a whole are becoming cooler. READ MORE
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BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 1919 SPANISH INFLUENZA PANDEMIC IN AUSTRALIA
A list of online works about the Spanish Influenza in Australia in 1919 available online.
Useful for other researchers.
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Vaccination 1960s Style - Back in the day, school vaccination programs were rough and ready affairs, and children did
not really know what was
going on. But it allowed them to enjoy for decades freedom from fear of contagious disease until the new scourge of COVID19 in March 2020. READ MORE
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Many people assume that Australia has competed in all modern Olympic Games under the same Australian flag. This is not strickly true
and in two cases, at least, used a specially designed, quasi-official flag to compete under a country called "Australasia".
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Sunshine Sally was a 1922 silent-era movie partially set on Coogee Beach. READ MORE
about the film and the fascinating history its star, Yvonne Pavs, and its other actors.
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Clock Towers were once a common sight in cities and suburbs, essential pieces of public infrastructure. There are
fewer around today: check-out those that still remain in the local area. READ MORE
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SHIPS carrying the first European settlers to Sydney, known as the First Fleet, arrived between the 18th and 20th January 1788
before finally anchoring in Sydney Cove on the 26th January, 1788. Up until October 1792, relatively few other ships arrived in Sydney.
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