Willoughby Council Bushland Manager Alfred Bernhard will talk about the bushland development through the years with reference to – human intrusions into that landscape: the quarries, the piggery and the owners extant ruins, the canalisation of the creek as a Depression works project; the development of the Suspension Bridge; the Incinerator; latter day developments with the infill of the valley, sport fields and the Lawson Cave.
When: Saturday 13th August 2022
Where: Chatswood Library
Paul Storm, President of the Society recently spoke on the Great Expositions (Expos) of the 1800s in London and Sydney covering commercial, cultural, industrial, promotional material and arts & crafts.
Many mementos were struck to mark then occasions of the Expositions.
Paul mentioned the David Warner photographs of developments in Willoughby in the 1930s held by the Society. Julie Warner has subsequently brought more personal items related to Artarmon where they lived including Real Estate posters and photographs of their home and of council events. Amongst the items donated was a small scarf of the Sydney International Exposition in 1879 as a souvenir. Paul has had a long interest in Great Exhibitions. Paul’s presentation focussed on items that have come to Paul personally. A show and tell presentation of items ensued including:
• A cast bronze medal from the 1879 exposition with the emblem of progress of NSW and the exhibition building on the front. A wreath on the back composed of Australian wildflowers. Made in Sydney with high quality press.
• A medal of the Melbourne Exposition 1880– Queen Victoria on one side and wreath of Bay leaves on the other.
These exhibitions were an established event to the first world war. The 1851 London Exhibition was driven by Prince Albert. A national promotion of industry, art, agriculture, the economy and non- material aspects of society e.g. Education. It was a roaring success. A model for future exhibition buildings it was 100 metres long with a dome in the centre, it was used from then around the British world – called The Crystal Palace as it was largely glass. Out of this came the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Crystal Palace included the trees in Hyde Park. A prefabricated fountain was built next to the building. Day excursions were organised by Thomas Cook and sons to visit the Exhibition.
• Two other souvenir Medals were presented for examination.
One from the 1851 exhibition. The other for the Crystal Palace Sydenham where the exhibition was moved from Hyde Park. In this location it was used more permanently. In 1936 the Crystal Palace caught fire and was destroyed. The Sydney Exhibition building in the Botanic Gardens was also destroyed by fire 4 years later. The gates of the main entrance remain. A small remnant of the building are remains of stonework incorporated into the restaurant in the Botanic Gardens. The Australian exhibits went to the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Mary Ann Street.
The Royal Alexandria building in London burnt down before the exhibition started. In 1892 in Chicago – the Colombian exhibition was very large. In Australia, they grew out of state exhibitions and agricultural exhibitions.
Following the Crystal Palace, the term Exhibition was used (Exposition in America) for these large exhibitions but now is used more widely.
The Eifel Tower was built as a temporary structure for the 1879 exhibition for the centenary of the French revolution. Also, to demonstrate prefabrication. By 1900 the cost of demolishing the Eifel tower was untenable and radio and telecommunications repurposed the tower.
Other items presented included:-
• A Medal for the Colombian exhibition 1892. Columbus on one side. In an embossed aluminium box.
• A Jam Label. Great exhibitions became a status symbol for many businesses. E.g. on Jam Labels to show prizes won at these exhibitions.
• 2 medals that came out of pianos – reproductions of medals won by the manufacturer.
• Melbourne exhibition medal 1880 – with the older Queen Victoria
• 3 prints of a set of 6 – done by an English printer George Baxter with multicolour printing. Up to 12 or 14 blocks – 1 for each colour. Final block would be for a black outline. He had a stall at the Great Exhibition where he sold prints.
• A print of the exhibition building itself by Baxter
• Commercial letterheads of a locksmith including medals he had won and glass bottle manufacturers in London including medals won.
• A Medal for the British and Indian exhibition in London and guide to the exhibition with a picture of the citation received with the medal.
• Photographs in fold out – 1900 the Universal exhibition in Paris. Both banks of the Seine were cleared for 100s of metres and allocated land to each country. Each country built their own hall. The Trocadero was one of those. The Trocadero has survived.
The Crystal Palace moved from Sydenham to Shepherds Bush –‘ the Great White city’ was made of plaster built as temporary structures in the early 1900s. The tennis courts in Sydney were named after the plaster exhibition halls. Here in Australia the Melbourne Hall built of timber survived through consistent use.
In 1906 the first New Zealand exhibition was held in Christchurch
Launceston exhibition building from 1885 has survived.
Other items presented included
• Entrance tickets for the Columbian exhibition
• Visiting cards with illustrations of the great exhibitions
• Invitation to the Louisiana Purchase centenary exhibition official opening
• Notepaper and postcards from Paris 1900 with exhibition buildings
• Brussels 1958 stamps including the Atomian
• American stamps 1898.
NB NSW had the first commemorative stamps in the world.
• Cards from St Louis exhibition- ‘glow cards’ printed in silver. Other techniques – ‘hold to light’ card with a layer inside with designs which supplemented the design on the front. Others with perforations held to the light so the windows or sun would glow. Mechanical cards also.
• Shares could be bought in exhibitions with free entry.
• Labels from Melbourne of the centenary and the following 5 years.
• Other stamps and money of international exhibitions. Eg. Expo in Japan.
• Book about the exhibition 1979 centenary.
• Catalogue of the 1851 exhibition.
• Book of 1862 arts and crafts exhibition in London.
Join us to hear SPEAKER Paul Storm, talk on the Great Expositions (Expos) of the 1800s in London and Sydney covering commercial, cultural, industrial, promotional and arts & crafts.
Saturday 11th June 2022 at 2 – 4 PM
Willoughby Room, Chatswood Library
Upcoming exhibition
An exhibition of over 140 schools that have operated in the Willoughby District since 1850.
The exhibition elicits fascinating aspects of the stories of our local schools. When and where were they were located? Who operated them? Who were the teachers? What did students get up to, both in and outside of school hours.? Read about Willoughby’s first schools and some of its most significant people of the eras.
Our Museum re-opens on:
Sunday 6th February
Hours: 1 PM to 4 PM every Sunday
Hope to see you soon.
Proof of double dose vaccination required for entry,
Featuring photos and stories of Growing Up in Willoughby as told by Brian Day, Mary Thom, Laurie Grundy , Tony Butz and Ted Smith from the Green family – the houses they lived in, the lives they led, the builders who built the houses, and Willoughby as they remember it.
The 9 April 2020 saw the last printed issue of the North Shore Times – the end of an era for our community who twice weekly for decades had the paper delivered. (Future editions will still be available online.)
by Mary Thom
To become a member: Direct deposit $20 ($30 family) to: BSB: 032 090 Account Number: 973362 with your name in the reference field. Then complete an application form available at: Membership Application Renewing members only need to complete new application if your details have changed.
For a limited time you can access Ancestry.com from home for free via Willoughby Library.You can search for family members or consider researching a prominent person in the Willoughby area. If you would like some ideas on what to research contact us at willoughbydistrict@bigpond.com
Step 1: Search Google to find the Library site.
Click thru on the Library link.Step 2:
Then click on ‘Catalogue‘Step 3.On the upper right-hand side of the page click ‘Login‘
Then enter your library card number and password. Then click ‘Login‘.Step 4:
Click on “Home’ at the top left-hand of the Welcome page.Step 5: Page down to see Ancestry.com on the right-hand side of the page.
Click on “Ancestry.com‘ to bring up the Ancestry Search page
Now you can begin Searching.
To become a member: Direct deposit $20 ($30 family) to: BSB: 032 090 Account Number: 973362 with your name in the reference field. Then complete an application form available at: Membership Application Renewing members only need to complete new application if your details have changed.
Just before we closed the Museum for the COVID19 health emergency the newly assembled Willoughby East Bungalow Gable Vents panel and the three panels of the Chatswood House Names were installed. When we are able to open the Museum again at some indefinite stage in the future this display will be waiting for you.
illoughby East Bungalow Gable Vents – Fourth Avenue opposite Willoughby Park is a treasure trove of roof gable vent decoration. There are plenty of examples similar to this form of detailing throughout Willoughby City but particularly concentrated in these buildings built by Greens as good examples of interwar bungalows. The block – Fourth Ave/Robert Street/Eastern Valley Way/McClelland Street is an intact collection.
(REW Imagery©)
To become a member: Direct deposit $20 ($30 family) to: BSB: 032 090 Account Number: 973362 with your name in the reference field. Then complete an application form available at: Membership Application Renewing members only need to complete new application if your details have changed.
When Chatwood as a residential suburb began to be developed from the late 1890s most houses were identified by a house name, not a number. The names may have developed from a number of sources eg: a family name, where the family originated from, classical references or aboriginal names.
By the mid 1920s house numbers were becoming the normal postal identification in a street address.
However many of these original names remain as nameplates on numerous Chatswood houses. One hundred and thirty five nameplates feature on these panels.
Some houses have been renamed with more modern versions.
There are some one hundred and fifty names still viewable on Chatswood houses, substantially in the North Chatswood (inc Roseville) and South Chatswood Federation and Interwar built heritage conservation areas.
The house addresses are not identified for privacy purposes.
All photos were taken from the public domain – the footpath.
( REW Imagery©)
To become a member: Direct deposit $20 ($30 family) to: BSB: 032 090 Account Number: 973362 with your name in the reference field. Then complete an application form available at: Membership Application Renewing members only need to complete new application if your details have changed.
