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25.01.2022 MEET THE AUTHOR | Meet award-winning historian Grace Karskens and hear more about the everyday lives of ordinary people in the early colony, both Aboriginal and... British. Meet Grace Karskens, Thurs 24 September @ 6.30pm Online With her book ‘People of the River’ Grace Karskens journeys into the lost worlds of the Aboriginal people and the settlers of Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. The Aboriginal people had occupied Dyarubbin for at least 50,000 years. Their history, culture and spirituality were inseparable from this river Country, where the two early Australias - ancient and modern - first collided. Bookings essential https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au//library-events/Meet-Grace-

24.01.2022 A friend with a similar interest in rock art told us about this site (and others) in the Berowra area. The engraving of a kangaroo is a beautiful example of the... artist's skill. Many other engravings at the same site, all surrounding a small rock pool. Unfortunately the site is right in the middle of a track which is regularly used by walkers and push bikes :(

23.01.2022 HORNSBY SHOPPING FOR BEROWRA RESIDENTS 1930s to 1940s For Berowra residents the nearest big shopping location has always been Hornsby, and in the 1930s this usually meant a walk to the station and a twenty minute train ride. At this time the shopping precinct was on the westside of Hornsby and, even then, the area was run down and unattractive as the shops never seemed to change hands or update. One notable exception was when one of the dreary stores closed it doors and wa...Continue reading

22.01.2022 BEROWRA’S CHURCHES The first church in Berowra was the St Marks Church was built on its current site, the corner of Park Road and Crown Road (in 1952 both roads were renamed Berowra Waters Road). Land was acquired by the church the year before and plans were drawn up by Hornsby architect, Mr. Walter E. Bevan, before tenders were called for and closed in early June 1906. After much anticipation on Saturday, 6th October 1906 the new Anglican Church at Berowra was opened. The St...Continue reading

21.01.2022 An assortment of some very early Gosford Photos and sketches and a few history notes.

21.01.2022 EATON’S HAMPDEN HOTEL PENNNANT HILLS INN HOTEL PENNANT HILLS A railway station at Pennant Hills opened on 5th April 1887, whilst Thornleigh Railway Station opened six months before with the Northern Line on 17th September 1886. Being the first station opened Thornleigh was initially much busier. Importantly it also had a goods siding yard which meant orchardists went there to load their fruit for market. Local man Patrick Duffy took advantage of this when he opened the Ro...Continue reading

19.01.2022 HAWKESBURY RIVER RAILWAY FAMILY HOTEL HAWKESBURY RIVER HOTEL THE ANGLERS REST When Richard Palmer applied for his conditional licence to open a hotel at Brooklyn the local police opposed his application as there was already several hotels in the area. However, the village was a bustling railway, fishing and tourist location, and in response Palmer produced ten witnesses who all described the shortage of decent accommodation at Brooklyn. As many as forty visitors camped at... Izzard’s boatshed at any one time, and visitors were even forced to use spare railway carriages at the station. The licence was approved, with a quality stone building was erected and the Hawkesbury River Railway Family Hotel was opened on 3rd July 1900. It immediately proved to be a very successful competitor to the popular Brooklyn Hotel. At that time a further licence was required to host live musical performances, but Richard Palmer got around this by building his own hall separate from the hotel but nearby. This building is still standing and today it is used by the Hawkesbury River Real Estate. Palmer retired in 1907 and sold up. After a number of short-term licensees eventually John Bruce became the long-term licensee from 1932 to 1949. By this time all other competitors had been seen off. In 1938 the name was shortened to the Hawkesbury River Hotel. For the restricted Sunday trade the pub had a distinct advantage because of its location. The law at the time meant patrons on Sundays had live at least 10 miles from the location of the pub to be classified as a bona fide traveller. Many people looking for a Sunday drink would come out to Brooklyn by train from Sydney and the Central Coast. These Sunday trains were often packed with prospective drinkers. In 1961 the hotel was remodelled to modernize it. When it reopened on 1st May 1961 it was renamed The Anglers Rest. Fortunately, many of the Anglers Rests Hotel’s features still reflect its early life. The current owners of the Anglers Rest Hotel, Geoff Watts and Mal McKellar, have owned the pub since December 1985, but it is currently for sale for around $4,000,000.

17.01.2022 BEROWRA’S RED HAND STENCILS In Berowra Heights, near Alan Road, there is an overhang that once displayed 27 impressive hand stencils, most of them were very clear. Tragically, in 1985, much of the overhang was accidently badly damaged by the Water Board during installation of the sewer to the area. Over half of hand stencils were lost but some restoration of the site was undertaken and today some good examples can still be seen including a polydactyl (hand with 6 fingers). I...n a cave under a high waterfall, just off Gully Road, there were numerous quality hand stencils. Unfortunately, a few years ago the cave roof split off and came down leaving no stencils visible today. There are a number of other overhangs, in and around the Berowra district, that show red hand stencils and red ochre painted images. This includes a cave of the western side of Berowra Waters, near the ferry ramp, that has a number of hand stencils amongst an amazing stencil of a baby’s hand.

14.01.2022 The Bush Telegraph's 1990 local business directory. It is interesting to see how many of these local businesses are still around today.

14.01.2022 BEROWRA’S PACIFIC HIGHWAY SHOPING DISTRICT 1945 1970 In Berowra prior to World War 2 there were very few shops. Foster’s Store was the main business located on the railway side of the Pacific Highway, just above the Railway Station. A smaller mixed business store in Cowan Parade was run by various storekeepers including Alf Harvey in the 1930s. In addition, the Berowra Tavern, located almost opposite Foster’s Store on the Highway, had a small milk bar type store at the sou...Continue reading

14.01.2022 60 YEARS AGO (1960); Asquith Boys High School opens Two shops built beside original corner store at the Crossroads... Berowra Netball starts under the Berowra RSL Youth Club run by the sub-branch Pacific Highway at Berowra widened, kerb & guttered, with considerable work on Berowra Waters Road & Pac Highway intersection done Berowra Public School expanded with new infant & kindergarten rooms, a clinic & staff room opening on 17th March High Street, Berowra constructed Berowra Cricket & Soccer clubs jointly propose to Council plans to enlarge & improve Berowra Park. This does not materialize until 1969 An 80 million litre water tank installed at Berowra ending constant & serious water shortages for residents

13.01.2022 135th ANNIVERSAY OF THE TRACK TO WARATAH BAY Boat builder, Edward Windybank, went down to Waratah Bay, on Cowan Creek, in 1888. There he started from scratch to set up an operation to service the tourist trade that came out from Sydney to appreciate the extraordinary beauty of the area. In 1894 the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park became Australia’s second national park to be declared (after the Royal National Park in April 1879) and Windybank had a distinct advantage by alr...Continue reading

13.01.2022 BEROWRA’S HAPPY VALLEY & BISLEY Mary Wall was the first European settler in the Berowra district. From 1879 she had a conditional land grant of 60 acres. When Mary applied for her land grant she declared that she was separated from her husband Nathaniel John Wall and she came out to Berowra at roughly the same time her husband took up 90 acres through a land grant at North Hornsby (later renamed Asquith). When the railway surveyors and engineers were planning the location of... the new railway north of Hornsby, they worked out the best route was along Old Peats Ferry Road which passed right through Nat Wall's land. A large portion of Wall's original land grant had to be acquired and as compensation Wall was offered his choice of Crown Land in the district. Nat Wall chose land in Berowra in a valley between modern day Woodcourt Road and Lonsdale Avenue. Nat Wall’s new land was reasonably fertile with a stream that never ran dry running down the middle. Further down the valley several early poultry farms were established soon after the railway opened in 1887. In those early developing years area became known as Happy Valley. In later years some of the area was used by Merriwonga dairy for its cows to graze. It is widely accepted that Mary and Nat Wall were only separated by convenience as this allowed them to apply for two large land grants in separate locations and doubled their chances of success. It was no surprised that not long after Mary Wall had met the conditions of her grant, and it was formally approved, that she relocated to her husband’s property at North Hornsby. This is where she died on 27th May 1910, aged 78. On 9th July 1911, 14 months after his beloved wife’s death, at Wall also died at his North Hornsby house, aged 93. The Walls are buried together in the Gordon cemetery with a joint headstone. Around 1905 Mary and Nat Wall’s daughter, Elizabeth Smith, built her home at the top of Happy Valley on her father’s land. Aunty Lizzie, as she was known, had her house right in the fork of the then unnamed Woodcourt Road and Lonsdale Avenue. Pat Lawless was Mary and Nat Wall’s grandson, and it was said, that the year before the railway opened, Mary had carried Pat from Pearces Corner to Berowra as a baby (Pat was born in 1886), and he grew up on Mary’s Berowra farm. In the 1934 Pat decided he would have local builder, George Huett, build him a house on the family’s land in Happy Valley, next to his Auntie Lizzie. Lawless named his house BISLEY after "The Bisley Shot", a shooting competition in Surrey, UK, which Pat once won. 86 years on Bisely still stands proudly in Lonsdale and is still in the Wall family. Pat’s grandson, Bruce, and his wife live there today. Lonsdale Avenue and the bottom part of Woodcourt Road were both named in 1951 when the area started to be sub-divided. Sadly, from then on, the original name for the area, Happy Valley, was forgotten.

13.01.2022 60 YEARS AGO (1960); Asquith Boys High School opens Two shops built beside original corner store at the Crossroads... Berowra Netball starts under the Berowra RSL Youth Club run by the sub-branch Pacific Highway at Berowra widened, kerb & guttered, with considerable work on Berowra Waters Road & Pac Highway intersection done Berowra Public School expanded with new infant & kindergarten rooms, a clinic & staff room opening on 17th March High Street, Berowra constructed Berowra Cricket & Soccer clubs jointly propose to Council plans to enlarge & improve Berowra Park. This does not materialize until 1969 An 80 million litre water tank installed at Berowra ending constant & serious water shortages for residents

13.01.2022 BEROWRA’S IVANHOE FOR SALE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 70 YEARS John McNally had a quality 3-bedroom brick house built on a double block at 2 4 Hillcrest Road in 1951, which he named Ivanhoe. McNally was a well-known and successful grazier in the region of Longreach (Central Queensland) where he was one of the first settlers to that area in 1887. He also served a term on the Longreach Shire Council from 1906 to 1908 and he initially made his considerable wealth from water tank...Continue reading

12.01.2022 LOCAL FAST FOOD FRANCHISES The closest Berowra has had to a fast food franchise is the Subway restaurant on the Pacific Highway. Local to Berowra we had the following; The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Australia was in Guilford which opened 27th April 1968. The Asquith KFC franchise was not far behind and opened on 17th December 1969. ... The first Pizza Hut in Australia was at Belfield in opening in April 1970. The Mt Colah Pizza Hut opened in one of their characteristic buildings in 1972. Mcdonalds opened their first restaurant in Australia at Yagoona on 30th December 1971. Waitara McDonalds was the first to open locally on 15th February 1974 at its current location. The drive through opened at Waitara in 1978.

11.01.2022 BEROWRA’S HAPPY VALLEY & BISLEY Mary Wall was the first European settler in the Berowra district. From 1879 she had a conditional land grant of 60 acres. When Mary applied for her land grant she declared that she was separated from her husband Nathaniel John Wall and she came out to Berowra at roughly the same time her husband took up 90 acres through a land grant at North Hornsby (later renamed Asquith). When the railway surveyors and engineers were planning the location of... the new railway north of Hornsby, they worked out the best route was along Old Peats Ferry Road which passed right through Nat Wall's land. A large portion of Wall's original land grant had to be acquired and as compensation Wall was offered his choice of Crown Land in the district. Nat Wall chose land in Berowra in a valley between modern day Woodcourt Road and Lonsdale Avenue. Nat Wall’s new land was reasonably fertile with a stream that never ran dry running down the middle. Further down the valley several early poultry farms were established soon after the railway opened in 1887. In those early developing years area became known as Happy Valley. In later years some of the area was used by Merriwonga dairy for its cows to graze. It is widely accepted that Mary and Nat Wall were only separated by convenience as this allowed them to apply for two large land grants in separate locations and doubled their chances of success. It was no surprised that not long after Mary Wall had met the conditions of her grant, and it was formally approved, that she relocated to her husband’s property at North Hornsby. This is where she died on 27th May 1910, aged 78. On 9th July 1911, 14 months after his beloved wife’s death, at Wall also died at his North Hornsby house, aged 93. The Walls are buried together in the Gordon cemetery with a joint headstone. Around 1905 Mary and Nat Wall’s daughter, Elizabeth Smith, built her home at the top of Happy Valley on her father’s land. Aunty Lizzie, as she was known, had her house right in the fork of the then unnamed Woodcourt Road and Lonsdale Avenue. Pat Lawless was Mary and Nat Wall’s grandson, and it was said, that the year before the railway opened, Mary had carried Pat from Pearces Corner to Berowra as a baby (Pat was born in 1886), and he grew up on Mary’s Berowra farm. In the 1934 Pat decided he would have local builder, George Huett, build him a house on the family’s land in Happy Valley, next to his Auntie Lizzie. Lawless named his house BISLEY after "The Bisley Shot", a shooting competition in Surrey, UK, which Pat once won. 86 years on Bisely still stands proudly in Lonsdale and is still in the Wall family. Pat’s grandson, Bruce, and his wife live there today. Lonsdale Avenue and the bottom part of Woodcourt Road were both named in 1951 when the area started to be sub-divided. Sadly, from then on, the original name for the area, Happy Valley, was forgotten.

08.01.2022 Coronation Street, Hornsby fire of 1911 On the evening of 6th March 1911, a small fire broke out in a pile of empty wooden packing cases at the rear of McDonal...d’s grocery store located on the southern side near the Railway Hotel of what was then Burdett Street (renamed three months later to Coronation Street to commemorate the coronation of King George V). Quickly the fire took hold and soon the roof of the store was ablaze when the alarm was raised. Senior Constable Wade who was on duty near the Railway Hotel soon realised he had no hope of saving the store, so he turned his attention to the adjoining building occupied by the Bank of North Queensland. Upstairs he found the bank clerk overcome by fumes and rescued him. Nearby shops and houses were evacuated and willing helpers carted out furniture into the street away from the fire. The Willoughby Fire Brigade was called but they refused to attend claiming that Hornsby was out of their area. For three hours residents toiled with buckets of water but it was a losing battle. Finally, a fire hose was brought from the Railway Station and tapped into the Council water main. A large crowd gathered nearby and scattered when the walls of the grocery shop gave way. By 1am the fire was under control. The grocery shop and bank were destroyed excepting the bank’s safe. Other adjoining shops were damaged. The dressmaker lost her sewing machines as well as one dress that was going to be worn at the coronation of King George V. Estimated damage was between 4,000 to 5,000. By HSHS member Robert Green

07.01.2022 A site on the Central Coast that some claim is meant to depict a line of rabbits. Others say the figures are of initiated boys ascending. Some even claim that t...hey are bilbies. The 2nd image is by Neagle from 1798 and appears to be quite similar to the rock engravings. "Aboriginal men imitating dogs [dingoes]. A group of men and boys taking part in an initiation ritual. The wooden swords stuck in their girdles represent the curled tail of a dingo. By this ceremony, power over the dog was given to them....and it endowed them with whatever good or beneficial qualities that animal might possess." From 'An Account of the English colony in New South Wales: with remarks on the dispositions, customs, manners of the native inhabitants of that country' - by David Collins (1756-1810) Stitched image of the engraving site is by Sydney Rock Art.

07.01.2022 BEROWRA’S PACIFIC HIGHWAY SHOPING DISTRICT 1945 1970 In Berowra prior to World War 2 there were very few shops. Foster’s Store was the main business located on the railway side of the Pacific Highway, just above the Railway Station. A smaller mixed business store in Cowan Parade was run by various storekeepers including Alf Harvey in the 1930s. In addition, the Berowra Tavern, located almost opposite Foster’s Store on the Highway, had a small milk bar type store at the sou...Continue reading

06.01.2022 BEROWRA’S DEVELOPMENT BATTLE WITH LANDCOM In the late 1960s and early 1970s various sections of Crown Land around the village of Berowra were rezoned R2 (low density residential development). In the early 1990s the NSW State Government’s property development organization, Landcom, were instructed to develop suitable Crown Land for sale. Landcom put together sub-division plans for a number of areas of R2 zoned Crown Land in and around Berowra, the majority of which were prist...Continue reading

06.01.2022 HOPEVILLE PARK, HORNSBY HEIGHTS In 1931 a group of local residents, who had been made homeless in the early part of the Great Depression, applied to Hornsby Shi...re Council for an area suitable for a camping site. Council looked at their request sympathetically and Normanhurst Park was initially favoured. However, Normanhurst residents put up strong objections and another site had to be found. The location ultimately selected was a section of cleared Crown Land, off Galston Road, in an area called Fish Ponds Reserve, which had been previously used as private trotting track. The waterboard quickly connected pipes to provide communal water to the area. They also provided material for sanitary conveniences which were erected by the residents and were their responsibility to maintain. For a communal area a large marquee was erected in the centre of the cleared reserve. This was eventually surrounded by 23 structures which acted as temporary housing for homeless families. Council strictly stipulated families moving into the camp had to be from the Hornsby Shire. The building materials used for the structures included timber chopped out of the bush, flattened old kerosene tins and hessian bags covered in white clay sourced from around the nearby creek, which, when dried, made the hessian very stiff like a board. There was also an appeal for material that went out to the wider community via an article in the Advocate newspaper in September 1931. Requested was old iron, timber and any other building material for the camp, which had been named HOPEVILLE by those living there. Local residents and businesses answered the call and the unemployed suburb quickly took shape. Men from Hopeville got some work through the Government works program that was run by Council. Work on these projects was in high demand, irregular and for little pay, but every little bit was welcome. Families also established their own vegetable patches and fruit trees, as well as traded and shared anything extra amongst their community. Over the next 5 or 6 years the economy improved and more regular work became available. Slowly Hopeville residents were able to leave the camp and move into proper housing, As each site was vacated the rough accommodation was dismantled and disposed of by Council. By 1937 the last Hopeville resident had left and the area was entirely clear. It is interesting to note that at the time Hopeville was established Hornsby Council actually had no formal control over the land. The reserve was finally handed over to Council in April 1966, just before the wider area was first sub-divided in 1968. Hopeville Park was officially opened in November 1978. It was appropriately named after the Depression camp which proved to be a valuable safety net for nearly two dozen local families during a very difficult period. Today Hopeville Park is a highly valued piece of open space which is surrounded on two sides by valuable native bushland that compliments the wider residential area. Since the 1960s the reserve has always had an informal kids’ bike track built and maintained by locals. This still exists today and is perfect for young BMX riders learning the ropes. It also has a popular playground which is being upgraded by Council in 2021. In addition, there is a large open grassed area that is a great place for a large social gathering, family picnic or to kick a ball.

06.01.2022 BEROWRA’S CAPTAIN TALBOT Captain Robert Francis Talbot was born in Ireland in 1842 and died in Berowra in 1935. Talbot joined the Royal Navy in 1860 and served all over the world including the West Indies (Port Royal), American Civil War and Mexican War. ...Continue reading

05.01.2022 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN BEROWRA DITRSCIT 50 YEARS AGO (1970); 1,331 houses in Berowra & many more new houses being built Sneddon’s goat farm towards the end of Turner Road is approved sub-development & Alston Drive sub-developed ... Berowra RSL sub-branch youth club hold a huge combined sports march at Berowra Park Sunday 15/2 Village Shopping Centre open officially on 11th April, moving district’s main shopping area from the Highway to the Crossroads Berowra Catholic Church opens in Warrina Street 26th April Berowra RSL Swimming Club established Berowra Ladies Hockey Club formed Traffic lights installed across Highway opposite railway station entrance Part of Anembo Road constructed by Council linking Waratah & Yallambee Roads Westfield Shopping Centre (Stage 2) opens Yallambee, Elizabeth, Lonsdale, Wideview, Turner & Alan Roads all sealed (at least partially). Drainage work in Lonsdale to alleviate common flooding Barnetts Road formed but not sealed Construction of Gwandalen & Kywong Roads Electricity sub-station constructed in Bambil Rd Redwood, Ti Tree, Kauri & Bracken all approved for sub-division & named Berowra RSL Sub-branch swimming club established Berowra Heights Hotel/Motel (the Pub) opens Monday 29th June The Ampol service station opens Monday 13th July Julie & Jan Belcastro Dance School starts in old Uniting Church Hall in Alan Road Foxglove rubbish tip opens 17th August, the same day Kookaburra Rd (Hornsby Heights) tip closes Diane Place approved for sub-division & named Dr Lucas sets up his surgery in his house in Alan Rd Patrick Place & Gooraway Place approved for sub-division Jehovah’s Witness unsuccessfully apply to council to build a large church at the end of Berkeley Close that would have closed off the future link to Clinton Close (linked in 1974 although both roads are still called close) Sultan of Brunei, Borneo, visit Berowra Waters as Bill Wilkinson’s guest Hornsby Mini Dirt Bike Club established

04.01.2022 ASQUITH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY 1960 2020 The first landowners where Asquith Boys High School now stands were brothers Hugh and Jeremiah Fear. Hugh owned the smaller southern portion, that now consists of the playing field and industrial arts block, and Jeremiah’s 22 acres, purchased in 1862, is where most of the present-day school buildings are sited. Jeremiah cleared his land and while doing so lived a bark and pole hut before constructing a more permanent weatherboard ...Continue reading

04.01.2022 HORNSBY SHOPPING FOR BEROWRA RESIDENTS 1930s to 1940s For Berowra residents the nearest big shopping location has always been Hornsby, and in the 1930s this usually meant a walk to the station and a twenty minute train ride. At this time the shopping precinct was on the westside of Hornsby and, even then, the area was run down and unattractive as the shops never seemed to change hands or update. One notable exception was when one of the dreary stores closed it doors and wa...Continue reading

03.01.2022 BEROWRA WATERS' MONEY SHOT There are various photos taken from the exact same spot over 110 years. It shows the "money shot" at Berowra Waters looking from the eastern side across to Dusthole Bay, often with the ferry in the middle of the creek. Recently this inspired me to look for where exactly this vantage point is on the eastern side of Berowra Waters half way up the escarpment. ... On a clear winters day I climbed up, from the hairpin, and worked my way along the a couple of ridges above the road. It was hard going but after about half an hour I came to a place where the bush opened up about 15 metres directly above the road. Not the easiest place to find or get to but it was well worth the trek in the end. It would have been a lot harder 110 years ago with all the equipment that was required to take a quality photo. These photos go from 1910, 1920s, 1937, 1955, 1990s, to July 2020.

02.01.2022 BEROWRA’S OLDEST VEHICLE, STILL RUNNING TODAY Berowra poultry farmer, Charles Woof, from Eureka Farm which was located on the then unnamed Alan Road, in 1916 purchased a 1908 Albion chain-driven lorry. This was one of the first privately owned vehicles in the Berowra district. Woof mainly needed his Albion to cart supplies from Hornsby to Berowra along the rough dirt road, that after 1930, would become the Pacific Highway. In addition, on weekends in the warmer months, Woof ...used his Albion lorry to transport tourists, for a fee, from Berowra railway station to Berowra Creek and back. During the War there was quite severe gasoline rationing, so Chas Woof converted his Albion truck to run on kerosene. This was not very good for the old lorry’s motor and after the War Woof upgraded he vehicle. The old Albion was sold to Mr George Chandler who was running his own poultry farm, called Careenya, located where Wideview Public School is today. Over time a Mr Thorn took over Careenya and with it he inherited the old Albion which, at that stage, was not running. It had been left abandoned on the old farm where the Wideview Road School now stands. Teenager Keith Holmes (born in 1933) discovered the old lorry and Mr Thorn told him he could have it if he was able to drive it away. Obviously Thorn thought the young Holmes was no chance of getting the beat up old Albion’s motor ticked over let alone getting it off the farm. Somehow, not only did Keith drive it out, he restored the old truck and it still runs perfectly today. These days both Keith and his 1908 Albion are up in Dorrigo (northern NSW), with both still going strong.