BLOG
An excellent establishment
City living in Sydney in the early part of the 19th century could be dangerous and insalubrious, especially for the poor. Adult hospitalisations were dominated by the complaints of hard living in humble circumstances—primarily gastrointestinal, dermatological and...
A story of escape: a terrible true tale or fake news?
One of the most perplexing tales to come out of Norfolk Island in the nineteenth century is the story of Bennett and Balsto. A story that beautifully illustrates both the complex difficulties that historical researchers can face, and the oft-stated advice to not...
Annie Wyatt, heritage warrior
The National Trust of Australia is celebrating its 75th anniversary this week, so it seemed like a perfect time to talk about the inspiring woman who made it all happen. ...
Balmain Colliery
The deepest coal mine ever worked in Australia was on the waterfront in Sydney's inner western suburbs. This week we took a look into the pit of a surprisingly little known historical industrial site. [button...
They had no Shelf Control: book thieves in colonial Sydney
For as long as we have had books, books have had value. Intellectual value, sentimental value and, of course, cash value. Sydneysiders have had access to books since the arrival of the First Fleet. These items were, of course, scarce and, although some books were...
Sydney’s smallpox epidemic in 1881
As we stare down the barrel of an unknown pandemic, we remember that the city has seen quite a few epidemics in its time. Prior to the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919, an outbreak of smallpox took hold of the city and its imagination. [button...
‘The difficulties that beset the paths of working mothers’
It was International Women's Day on Sunday 8 March, so this week I thought we could reflect on how women have worked together to improve their lives in Sydney. ...
Enmore Theatre: Sydney’s longest running live entertainment venue
Sometimes you are involved in making history without even realising it, and anyone who has seen something at the Enmore Theatre has been part of something special. Listen to Mark...
Remove your dead! The exhumation of the Devonshire Street cemeteries
Recently we have seen the New South Wales State Government resume whole streets and blocks for projects like the Sydney Metro and Westconnex. Houses, pubs, shops, streets and parks have been reclaimed by the government to make way for the building of new transport...
An Old Swamp in the City
The new decade began in Australia with an apocalyptic vision of drought, fire and flood, but it’s always a bit of shock to Sydney when natural disasters sneak up on the inner city too. Last week as flood waters in Marrickville submerged cars, factories, studios,...
