A Brief History of Rockdale
Pre-1770 The traditional owners of what becomes the City of Rockdale include the Cadigal, the Gwegal and the Bidjigal tribes. Known as 'Water People', these tribes inhabit the Bay area for thousands of years before white settlers arrive. Some local suburb names are later influenced by Aboriginal words.
1770 Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook, aboard the Endeavour, ‘discovers’ Botany Bay, and disembarks to explore nearby Cooks River and Wolli Creek.
1788 The First Fleet arrives. On board the ships are marines, convicts, supplies and livestock. The Europeans reject Botany Bay and set up camp in Sydney Cove. Pemulwuy, a Bidjigal man from the Botany Bay area, leads a resistance group against the newcomers.
1790 In a reprisal killing, Pemulwuy kills John McIntire, the Governor's gamekeeper. Governor Phillip orders marines to find and decapitate Pemulwuy and 10 members. When the marines arrive at Scarborough Swamps, the tribe is long gone.
1797 Pemulwuy is shot in a battle at Parramatta and later escapes from hospital.
1802 Still an outlaw, Pemulwuy who believes he can't be killed by a bullet is shot and decapitated by two settlers. His head is preserved and sent to England.
1804 Hannah Laycock (wife of Quartermaster Thomas Laycock) receives a 500 acre land grant. She calls her property ‘King's Grove Farm’.
1812 Patrick Moore, an early settler is granted a parcel of land which he names ‘Moorefield’.
1822 Chandler granted land which he named ‘Bexley’.
1828 European settler Alexander Brodie Spark purchases Packer's Farm on the south bank of the Cooks River and builds a sandstone house called ‘Tempe’ (now the City's oldest standing residence). The same year, David Hannam settles in Arncliffe.
1839 Convict labourers dam Cooks River to provide Sydney with a reliable water supply. When the dam is finished, they realised its water is salty and undrinkable! The road over the top of the dam later becomes a thoroughfare.
1840s The ‘Village of Arncliffe’ is subdivided but because it is relatively inaccessible, remains vacant for many years.
1843 Sir Thomas Mitchell's line of road, now Wollongong and Forest Roads, is built by convicts. Later named the Illawarra Road, it follows the easiest path, along the ridge line.
1845 A Parliamentary inquiry hears that of the 400 members of one clan of Botany Bay Aborigines, only three are still alive.
1850s The first church built on present day Rockdale Park. The oldest existing church now stands in the grounds of the Uniting Church, Bay Street, Rockdale.
1859 Joseph Davis, a Sydney butcher, builds ‘Lydham’ on a sizeable slice of land on Forest Road. The house, now known as Lydham Hall, was purchased by Council in 1970 and opened to the public in 1971.
1864 Gannon's Forest Road (formerly Illawarra Road) officially opens. An earlier track skirting Muddy Creek (now West Botany Street) is also developed.
1870s to the 1890s Botany Bay becomes a resort for the wealthy and fashionable people of Sydney Cove. Council renames the area known as Seven Mile Beach in honour of the wife of Sydney's second Governor, Sir Hercules Robinson. Speculators divide up the land adjacent to Lady Robinsons Beach as housing allotments.
1870s Seaside subdivisions such as North and South Scarborough are largely unsuccessful.
1871 The Municipal District of West Botany is incorporated
1872 The first Council Chamber is built at Arncliffe.
1878 Mrs Mary Ann Geeves, superintendent of the post office attached to the general store, gives the name ‘Rockdale’ to the area at the intersection of Bay Street and Rocky Point Road. The area becomes the centre of the Council's activities, although the name is not formally accepted until after the railway station is built in 1884.
1883 A photograph taken of Aboriginal men is described as ‘The Last of the Dolls Point Aboriginals’. The caption, which may or may not have been accurate, is typical of the settlers long-held belief that indigenous people are dying out.
1883 A Royal Commission into the Noxious and Offensive Trades attacks the deplorable conditions of knackeries and in boiling down works in the area.
1884 The Illawarra Railway line is extended to Hurstville making the Bay even more accessible.
1885-6 Entrepreneur Thomas Saywell builds a substantial hotel overlooking Botany Bay, and later adds a host of attractions, including public baths, a picnic area, cottages and a pavilion. Saywell successfully promotes an Act of Parliament to erect a private steam tramway service, from Rockdale to Brighton, along the public thoroughfare.
1886 Rockdale's first telephone is installed at Rockdale Post Office.
1887 The tramway service to Sans Souci opens and together with Saywell's private tramway effects the pattern of development and again inspires subdivisions of nearby land.
1888 The name of the Municipality changes to Rockdale.
1888 The new Council Chamber is built on the existing Town Hall site.
1888 Moorefield Racecourse opens in the area bounded by President Avenue, Marshall Street and the Princes Highway, Kogarah.
1889 The opening of P J Moore's Moorefield Racecourse prompts local entrepreneur Thomas Saywell to open Brighton Racecourse. Council decides to establish a free library. The Mayor, Alderman W G Judd, buys some of Sir Henry Parkes' collection of books (up for sale at Angus & Robertson's), and appoints the Town Hall caretaker, also the Inspector of Nuisances, the librarian!
1891 Rockdale Municipality has 1138 houses.
1899 The ubiquitous Thomas Saywell converts his steam trams to electricity - and later sells the electricity to Council to power the Rockdale shopping area and the Town Hall!
1900 The Municipality of Bexley is officially named and incorporated.
1901 Rockdale Municipality has 1636 houses.
1909 The Arncliffe-Bexley steam tram begins operation (the line closes in 1926).
1917 Colourful local character Thomas Ley is elected to State Parliament. Ley later represents the St George area in both State and Federal parliament, and at one point is the NSW Minister for Justice. Believed to be responsible for several ‘disappearances’ and murders of political opponents, he is eventually convicted of murder in England, where he dies in a criminal lunatic asylum.
1921 Rockdale Municipality has 5193 houses.
1928 A second Brighton Baths opens, replacing Sawyell's private baths.
1931 The East Hills railway extends to Kingsgrove.
1931 The Depression leads to the establishment of unemployed camps at North Brighton.
1933 Rockdale Municipality has 9157 houses.
1937 The tramway service to Sans Souci is replaced by a trolley bus service.
1938 Aboriginal activist Pearl Gibbs, who was born in Botany Bay, is instrumental in organising a ‘Day of Mourning and Protest’ and an historic deputation to the Prime Minister.
1940 The present Town Hall opens.
1948 The Rockdale Municipal Opera Company begins.
1948 The Cooks River is diverted to make way for extensions to the airport.
1949 Bexley and Rockdale Councils amalgamate to form the Municipality of Rockdale.
1950 Rockdale Council received the A R Bluett Award for being the most progressive Council in NSW.
1950s-60s Rockdale experiences a surge in the building of flats, home units and villa units. In 1968, the first multi-storey block is built in Trafalgar St, Brighton Le Sands.
1951 The last race meeting is held at Moorefield Racecourse. The area is subdivided for housing, two schools and a TAFE College.
1955 Rockdale Library starts a mobile book service.
1960 The Rockdale Community Mobile Nursing Service is founded.
1963 The Rockdale Meal Service (formerly known as Meals on Wheels) starts.
1965 Captain Cook bridge opens.
1966 Violent storms destroy much of Lady Robinsons Beach.
1967 Aboriginal people gain the right to vote.
1971 Rockdale Council celebrates its 100th birthday.
1972 The right of principals to remove Aboriginal children from schools is removed.
1976 An Olympic swimming pool opens at Bexley.
1980 The Al-Zahra Mosque is built in Arncliffe.
1982 Rockdale establishes a Sister City relationship with Bitola, Macedonia.
1983 The new Administration Centre behind the Town Hall opens.
1984 The Central Library is moved to the Town Hall.
1988 Australia's Bicentenary celebrated with a re-enactment of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet in Botany Bay. Aboriginal elder Burnum Burnum, representing the Aboriginal people of Eastern Australia, plants an Aboriginal flag in Dover, United Kingdom.
1988 The Bicentennial Park at Rockdale opens.
1990 Rockdale Town Hall celebrates its 50th birthday.
1991 The 23rd Field Regiment is granted the Freedom of Entry to the Municipality.
1991 Pemulwuy's contributions to his people are commemorated when a community high school is named in his honour.
1992 Rockdale Council's application for City Status is presented to NSW Government.
1992 After much public debate, work begins on the controversial third runway.
1993 A new NSW Local Government Act is introduced and Aldermen become Councillors.
1994 Spring Creek Wetlands opens.
1995 Rockdale is declared a City.
1996 Rockdale celebrates 125 years of local government.
1997 Bexley Community Centre opens.
Exploring the City’s Heritage
Heritage Walks and Drive
Rockdale City Council completed a comprehensive Heritage Study in 1991, and has compiled two Heritage Walks and a Heritage Drive to encourage residents and visitors to explore and enjoy the architecture and natural areas identified in the project.
The Arncliffe Heritage Walk and the Rockdale Heritage Walk are both two hour journeys that explore the City's architectural styles. Many fine Victorian and Federation houses and public buildings are noted along the way.
The Rockdale Heritage Drive is a two hour, 25km trip that will give you an understanding of the original landscape and how the City developed. It highlights important natural areas and buildings which have been identified as heritage items (or places of historic interest).
Instructions for the Heritage Walks and the Heritage Drive can be printed out here (PDF Format).
Arncliffe Heritage Walk (PDF Format/1255k)
Rockdale Heritage Walk (PDF Format/1329k)
Rockdale Heritage Drive (PDF Format/2411k)
Aboriginal Names Used in the City of Rockdale
Kogarah
Kogarah is from an Aboriginal word meaning 'a place of rushes'. Often spelt ‘Koggerah’ in early documents, the name was not officially applied to the district until after the opening of the Illawarra Railway Line in 1884.
Kyeemagh
Kyeemagh takes its name from the former Kyeema Polo Ground, which was derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'beautiful dawn'. The 'gh' was added at a later date, before the area was subdivided as the North Brighton Suburbs Estate.
Turrella
Turrella is an Aboriginal word meaning 'reeds growing in water'. The name was not officially applied to the district until after the opening of the East Hills Railway Line in 1931.
Architectural Styles
Rockdale City Council is concerned about protecting the heritage of the local area, and has undertaken a comprehensive Heritage Study to identify every residential building in the City by its architectural style:
Victorian Circa |
1840 - 1890 |
Federation |
1890 - 1915 |
Californian Bungalow |
1915 - 1940 |
Between the wars |
1928 - 1940 |
Post war |
1940 - today |
The information has been compiled into a colour coded map which can be seen in full at Council's City Development Department.
Many of the city's significant buildings have been included on Council's Heritage List and more will follow.
The information below explains and illustrates the major periods of development in the City.
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The Victorian Style (1840-1890) |
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The Victorian Style (1840-1890)
Buildings dating from the 19th Century (specifically between 1840 and 1890) are known as Victorian. Many public buildings of this style were built in the City of Rockdale, as were private homes (including large mansions, villas, smaller houses, terrace houses and farm houses).
Some Victorian architecture remains in the City, though the style comprises only 10% of the total number of buildings in the area. Victorian houses have the following external features:
- Single storey (usually)
- Double fronted (with one room projecting forward)
- Verandah stretching across the front of the building (featuring patterned tiles and cast iron decoration)
- Slate and/or corrugated iron roof (if it hasn't been replaced)
- Rendered painted brickwork walls (some may have been built of stone or timber)
- A number of chimneys
Interior characteristics include high ceilings, elaborate cornices, ceiling roses and marble or timber fireplace surrounds.
Where to Spot Victorian Architecture
- Victorian House Museum at Lydham Hall
- Rockdale Station
- Arncliffe Station
- Along Forest and Wollongong Roads (various mansions)
- Throughout the residential areas of Rockdale, Arncliffe, Carlton and Bexley (villas)
View a map detailing the Distribution of Victorian buildings (1840-1890) in the City .
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The Federation Style (1890-1915) |
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The Federation Style (1890-1915)
Federation architecture flourished near the end of the nineteenth century and continued up to 1915. The style is well represented in the City of Rockdale by a number of buildings, including Bexley Primary School and Arncliffe Public School.
Federation houses have the following external features:
- Red brick walls (though some were built of stone, and several of timber)
- Matching red Marseilles patterned terracotta roof tiles
- Slate roofs (corrugated iron was usually used for the rear roof section)
- A verandah under the main roof, featuring decorative timber work and floor tiles
- Casement and headlight windows at the front.
Where to Find Federation Architecture
- Several local public buildings, include rows of shops
- The Schools of Arts at Rockdale, Bexley and Carlton
- The fire station and old post office in Arncliffe
- Individual detached and semi-detached houses throughout residential areas.
View a map detailing the Distribution of Federation buildings (1890-1915) in the City.
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Californian Bungalows (1915-1940) |
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Californian Bungalows (1915-1940)
Californian Bungalow is the term used to describe houses built between the First and Second World Wars, when demand for housing was high. Some 20% of the current total of buildings in the City are Californian Bungalows.
These houses are mostly single storey, made with red bricks and red terracotta roof tiles. Like Victorian and Federation houses, Californian Bungalows have tiled verandahs, decorative timber work and headlight windows at the front of the house, and a corrugated iron roof at the back. Unlike Victorian and Federation houses, they usually have a driveway and a garage for a car.
Where to Find Californian Bungalows
All over the City of Rockdale, as in-fill housing between Victorian and Federation homes, with concentrations in Brighton, Bexley and Arncliffe.
View a map detailing the Distribution of Californian Bungalows (1915-1945) in the City .
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'Between the Wars' Styles (1928-1940) |
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'Between the Wars' Styles (1928-1940)
Between the First and Second World Wars, several architectural styles flourished. Extensive in-fill development between older houses took place all over the City (especially during the 1930s) and Californian Bungalows continued to be built, while new housing estates opened (such as those in Kingsgrove) and Art Deco flats and shops were developed.
This style of housing is largely represented by single storey homes built on large blocks. Between the Wars style homes feature:
- Double front with hip roof and a verandah or porch
- Walls made of dark liver coloured bricks featuring geometric patterns in the brickwork to the front of the house
- Roofs of dark red-brown glazed tiles
- Casement windows and front doors featuring lead light in geometric or Art Deco patterns.
These houses usually have one fireplace in the living room, and ceilings featuring Art Deco designs.
Where to Find 'Between the Wars' styles
- Flats, particularly near the Rockdale Railway Station
- Art Deco rows of shops at Kingsgrove and Bexley
- Rockdale Town Hall (also Art Deco)
This style is distributed widely throughout the city, in the form of further in-fill developments, with large concentrations in Kingsgrove.
View a map detailing the Distribution of Between the Wars (1928-1940) buildings in the City .
'Post War' styles (1940-today)
The Post War style encompasses all the development in the City of Rockdale after the Second World War. The period's earlier housing styles are simple and modern in design, and made from either weatherboard, asbestos cement or brick veneer. Redevelopment, from three storey walk up flats to town houses, villas and dual occupancies followed later. Even more recently, high density/rise housing has been constructed in parts of Brighton Le Sands and the Rockdale Town Centres. The 'Post War' style is also used to identify older properties which have been modernised since 1940.
For more information, go to Contacts, links and further reading.
Lydham Hall
Lydham Hall, which stands on the crest of a high ridge overlooking Botany Bay, is one of the oldest homes in the St George area. Built in the early 1860s for businessman Joseph Davis and his family, it later became the childhood home of Australian author Christina Stead.
Rockdale Council purchased Lydham Hall in 1970, to celebrate our Centenary. Council opened the building to the public on February 20, 1971, and St George Historical Society members have been volunteer guides at the site ever since.
Lydham Hall has one of Sydney's finest collections of antique furniture, most of which is on loan from the National Trust, as well as a unique collection of Willow Pattern China. A Museum containing a collection of items of local interest is located upstairs. A number of books covering the history of our area are also available from Lydham Hall.
Location
18 Lydham Avenue
Bexley
Phone 9567 4259
Opening Hours
Lydham Hall is open to the public on Sundays between 2pm and 4pm, and also by appointment.
Open Days and Displays are held throughout the year. For further details, phone 9587 8307.
Admission Charges
Adults $4
Concession $3
Children $2
Special Events
Lydham Hall is available for special events, including baby naming ceremonies, weddings and wedding photography. Group tours can also be arranged. For details, contact:
Mrs Gloria Henke
Contact No: 9587 8307
The St George Historical Society
Members of St George Historical Society Incorporated have been volunteer guides at Lydham Hall for more than 30 years. Its monthly meetings feature an address by a guest speaker on a topic of historical or general interest, followed by a light supper.
Meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month (except January) at 2pm above the Central Library at Rockdale Town Hall.
The Society arranges outings throughout the year, and produces a Bulletin which is mailed to members. Annual subscriptions are $10 single or $15 per household.
Conserving our Heritage Places in Rockdale
Rockdale City Council has undertaken a Heritage Study of the entire City. It recorded the history of local development from when the first land grant was issued in 1804 up until the 1990s, when the study was completed.
The Heritage Study identified a number of buildings and houses as well as natural areas and parks worth listing as ‘heritage items’. Many of these significant properties have been included on Rockdale City's Heritage List (part of the LEP2000).
A property may have heritage significance if it has social, historical or cultural value, and/ or if it displays:
- The features and characteristics of the period of development, and/or
- Unusual or rare aspects of an architectural style.
There are many owners of heritage listed properties in the City of Rockdale. Council aims to ensure that owners of heritage listed properties are still able to make alterations, extensions (including first floor extensions) or additions to their properties, build carports or garages, make changes to interiors and paint the property in the colour choice of the owner. Council also offers assistance to owners of heritage listed properties, including waiving of development application fees on any application for a heritage property where a development application is not usually required, and consideration for a range of uses for the property which might not otherwise be permitted in the zone. With regard to heritage listing, Council will only make a decision to include a property after seeking approval from the owner through a consultation process.
A property may have heritage significance if it has social, historical or cultural value, and/or if it displays:
- The features and characteristics of the period of development, and/or
- Unusual or rare aspects of an architectural style .
Heritage Listing
The facts about heritage listing dispels any myths about what you can and cannot do to heritage properties. There are actually many benefits to heritage listing and Council has developed a number of initiatives that can help you conserve your property.
Many significant properties have already been included on Rockdale City's Heritage List (part of the LEP 2000) . Our guide to How to Place Your House on the Heritage List will take you through the steps involved.
Heritage Walks and Drive
The City's history is rich and colourful, and its heritage buildings and natural areas are valued. Council encourages residents and visitors alike to take an Historic Walk or Heritage Drive around the City of Rockdale. Enjoy!
Current Heritage List
The most significant properties in each period of development have been included on the Heritage List (part of the LEP2000) which forms a part of the Rockdale Local Environment Plan 2000. (The full version of the Rockdale Local Environment Plan 2000 can be purchased at our Customer Service Centre, 2 Bryant Street, Rockdale.)
The Heritage List also contains natural items (including bush and wetland areas ) and items which were previously identified in the Rockdale Planning Scheme Ordinance. Some items were included because a property owner successfully applied for a heritage listing .
Our Guide to the City of Rockdale's architectural styles explains and illustrates each period of development.
To explore the city's heritage take a Heritage Walk/Drive , visit Lydham Hall or contact a local heritage group.
Heritage Links and Information
Contacts
- Rockdale City Council's Urban and Environmental Planning Unit can provide general information about heritage matters in Rockdale by phoning 9562 1666.
- Council's Local History Librarian conducts property searches to determine the age of houses in the City.
- The St George Historical Society Inc meets on the third Saturday of each month (except January) in Rockdale Town Hall at 2pm. The meetings often include a Guest Speaker and prospective members and visitors are welcome to attend. The Society produces a member’s bi-monthly newsletter, and runs an Historic Museum at Lydham Hall . Contact the Society on 9567 4259.
Links
Publications
Publications available from Council:
- Rockdale Heritage Study
- Rockdale Draft Heritage Guidelines
- Rockdale Heritage Drive pamphlet (free)
- Rockdale and Arncliffe Heritage Walk pamphlets (free)
- Caring for Old Buildings (National Trust pamphlet) (free)
History Books
History books held at Rockdale Library and available for purchase from Council:
- Greeves, Jervis & Rathbone, Rockdale: Its Beginning and Development (Rockdale Council, 1986)
- Rathbone, R.W A Village Called Arncliffe (Wild and Woolley, 1997)
- Rathbone, R.W Brighton Le Sands (Rockdale City Library, 2000)
- Rathbone, R.W The Origins of the Street Names of the Municipality of Rockdale (Rockdale Municipal Council, 1989)
Technical Books
Technical books held at Rockdale Library and available from most bookshops include:
- Apperly, I.R, A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture (Angus & Robertson, 1989)
- Stapleton, I, How to Restore the Old Aussie House (The Flannel Flower Press, 1991)
- Evans, I, Caring for Old Houses (Flannel Flower Press, 1988)
- Department of Planning, Getting the Details Right (Flannel Flower Press, 1989)
- Stapleton, E.L, Colour Schemes for Old Australian Homes (Flannel Flower Press, 1984)
- Fraser, H, The Federation House (Landsdowne Press, 1986)
- Evans, I, The Federation House (Flannel Flow Press, 1986)
- Howells, T, and Nicholson, M, Towards the Dawn (Hale and Iremonger, 1989)
Cuffley, P, Australian Houses of the 20s and 30s (The Five Mile Press, 1989) |