Sandy Bay Historical Society, Hobart,Tasmania. | Community
Sandy Bay Historical Society, Hobart,Tasmania.
Reviews
to load big map
25.01.2022 Old and new road to sandy Bay possiable date 1804 not exactly to scale
25.01.2022 A Cemetery with a grand view... The Queenborough Regional Cemetery was opened in 1873 by two Sandy Bay businessmen, George Luckman and Stephen Large. Over 3,000 burials took place at the cemetery. Many of the early Settlers and Merchants of Sandy Bay and well known Hobart Town identities were buried there. One of the earliest Naval burials took place there in 1877. The cemetery originally occupied the site from the edge of Sandy Bay Road, extending up Nelson Road on the left..., to where Churchill Avenue and the Hutchins School are today. By 1913 the Queenborough Cemetery Company had run out of money to maintain the cemetery and the entire site lay derelict until the Hobart City Council purchased the site in 1915 and later built sports grounds on the lower portion - Queenborugh Oval . The remainder of the cemetery was used until it was closed in 1934 and was later dismantled in 1961 for the construction of The Hutchins School and associated sports grounds. In Peel Street, the headstones of many of the dead have been preserved in a memorial garden. Other headstones from the original Queenborough Cemetery have been removed to a dedicated area at Cornelian Bay Cemetery in New Town. See more
24.01.2022 During the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu Pandemic, Tasmania closed its borders early. Returning soldiers were quarantined at Barnes Bay on Bruny Island . Some were also quarantined at Claremont Hospital for seven days. Soon enough the flu found its way into the local communities, 'with the niece of a New Norfolk Counciller succumbing to the illness in Sandy Bay'. The Virus spread and there was no Victory Parade for the returning soldiers. Soup Kitchens were set up around the State one being at St Matthias Anglian Church Sandy Bay. 'A blessing for many poor families and others who were in distress on the account of the pandemic'. .
24.01.2022 Another lovely early photo of Hobart Town showing Hunter Street, the Docks, the Town Hall and the Supreme Court facing Macquarie Street. The beginnings of Franklin Square planted with oaks, in 1863 and later elders, elms, limes and other European trees on the former parade and muster grounds. To the right is the Mariner's Church which was moved to Sandy Bay and became St Peters.
24.01.2022 More of Maria Grists' collection ... H.J Hellessey's photographic postcards c, 1930's to 1940's
22.01.2022 Sharing Maria Grist's collection of early photos of kunany/ Mount Wellington. Many of us have photos of family, taken on walks on the Mountain . Do you?
21.01.2022 Here's another map of the early Sandy Bay Road .The date of the map above is much later than 1804... The names of the early farmers of Lower Sandy Bay are listed on the map... L to R ...Fisher; Sharp; Moody; Hogan;, Ross; Garth; Flexmore ( George); Firth; Mrs.Free; Lord; Eddington; Mr Lord; and Mr Beaumont . Looking at the dates of the farming families gives a clue... Beaumont's Farm was owned by John Beaumont between 1813 and 1834. Patrick Gould Hogan bought Benjamin Brigg...s's land Grant in 1819 '( Mr Hogan's Farm is now where Mawhera Avenue is.) Hogan was one of those, who in 1834 signed a petition for a better road to be made. Even by 1838 the Press stated that the Sandy Bay Road was only completed for a little less than two miles. 'The Early Settlement of Sandy Bay' by Amy & Fern Rowntree (published in 1959) gives a glue to the possible date of the above map ... between 1834 and 1838 . See more
19.01.2022 Maps tell stories, this one dates from the mid 1830's. The names on the map give a clue to the date. This map shows the 'New Road' - Sandy Bay and the names of the farmers of the area with their farm houses in red. A number of the original Norfolk Islander location orders had changed hands by the 1820's... By 1821 George FLEXMORE, son of Norfolk Islander Francis Flexmore, had bought Hannah Ronay's grant. Edward GARTH and family were farming next door. Benjamin Briggs grant ...was sold to Patrick Gould HOGAN in1818. James MOODY bought the Kidner grant in 1827. James SHARP had bought Barnard Walford and John Cropper's grants and was listed as a farmer of Sandy Bay in 1833. The FISHERS were still farming and one can locate the second GARTH farm. Further south John and George CARTWRIGHT had bought 400 acres belonging to six Norfolk Islander families by 1826. Sharland, the Assistant Surveyor wrote about the 'New Road in 1837. See more
18.01.2022 How many of these Tasmanian firsts do you know? There's mention of Sandy Bay, and New Norfolk. One to share with your grandchildren.
16.01.2022 Part 2 of Maria Grist's collection of early printed post cards
15.01.2022 One of the first motion picture films ever taken in Tasmania, the Hobart Regatta 1913... Besides the boats, and jetties and boat yards have a look at the elegant ladies in their large white hats in the background. Do you recognize anyone?
15.01.2022 Does any one have any photographs of 'Lerunna' 556 Sandy Bay Road before it was demolished in the 1960's ... Here is a beautiful water colour of 'Lerunna' built by one of the Lipscombe brothers, bought by Charles Orr Abbott in the late 1870's and later owned by Alan Miller and his wife Dame Mable Miller ...Sadly 'Lerunna' was demolished in the 1960's & a block of flats was built, which still stand on the site today... A number of the lovely old properties along Sandy Bay Road have been bought by overseas & interstate investors, and renovated beyond recognition or demolished with no thought of the history that came before.
14.01.2022 Putting the early history of Tasmania into perspective. Take a step back in time and have a look at the history of the huts on the Mountain. Beautiful black & white photos of the Fern Retreat Hut and a today's walk amongst the Tree Ferns to locate the hut.
12.01.2022 An interesting talk by John Stephenson from Forgotten Tasmania - Beatties studio on the History of Tasmanian Photography.... J.W.Beattie died in Sandy Bay in 1930....Sit down with a cuppa and enjoy watching the talk.
11.01.2022 Today one can take a walk on part of Edward Garth's first Land Grant in Sandy Bay. One steps back in time walking up McAulay Road lined with the remains of Hawthorn hedges. Further up the road turn left onto the track into the Maning Valley, the track winds its way through the trees beside the Garth/Maning stream to Maning Avenue. Either turn left into Maning Avenue, walk up the slope to the top of the Avenue and walk back down the hill to Sandy Bay Road or take the steep... steps to the right which lead up to Churchill Avenue. The Garth/ Maning stream was very important for those first settlers, it enabled the Garths to farm in this area for over 80 years. This gives an idea of the topography of the land with the steep hillside and deep valley and the little beach between Havery's Lane and Maning Avenue, part of Edward Garth's first Land Grant. See more
10.01.2022 An Original May Gibbs drawing from 1919 which she drew for the Spanish Flu epidemic.
10.01.2022 Posting this again as most of the photos of yesterday's original post appear to have disappeared! ... One can take a walk on part of Edward Garth's first Land Grant in Sandy Bay. One steps back in time walking up McAulay Road lined with the remains of Hawthorn hedges. Further up the road turn left onto the track into the Maning Valley, the track winds its way through the trees beside the Garth/Maning stream to Maning Avenue. Either turn left into Maning Avenue, walk up th...e slope to the top of the Avenue and walk back down the hill to Sandy Bay Road or take the steep steps to the right which lead up to Churchill Avenue. The Garth/ Maning stream was very important for those first settlers, it enabled the Garths to farm in this area for over 80 years. This gives an idea of the topography of the land with the steep hillside and deep valley and the little beach between Havery's Lane and Maning Avenue, part of Edward Garth's first Land Grant. See more
10.01.2022 Take a walk down some of Sandy Bay's Lane Ways . First we have Harvey's Lane linking Norfolk Crescent to Sandy Bay Road . Then the two Garth Lanes linking Norfolk Crescent to Garth Avenue then onto Sandy Bay Road and the beach below. Followed by the Lipscombe Lane, the- right of way from Sandy Bay Road to 'Long Beach' below. ( Now called Nutgrove Beach. ) This is where Sandy Bay Road used to end and where the first Horse Races were held.
07.01.2022 A work in progress by Imogen Wedgman . Best viewed on a computer . Click on the button on the far right hand side ( under the little house.) Interesting reading.
04.01.2022 The 1901 Panorama view taken from Mornington Hill across the Derwent shows the rural hillsides of Sandy Bay. One can clearly see the Hawthorn hedge rows dividing the fields and property boundaries. The main road systems of Sandy Bay, follow the boundary lines of the original Norfolk Islander Land Grants. Today's Avenues were the original cart tracks and right- of- ways to the settler's homes. Why Hawthorn ? We must remember that Tasmania was a British Colony and 'back home' ...hedges were used during the 'Peak of the Enclosure Period' in the U.K. between 1750 and 1850, when open land was divided into small plots. Fast growing shrubs like Hawthorn were planted out to form the boundaries. Hawthorn grows quickly in the first 15 years and is easily propagated. Barbed wire fences were not used in Australia until the 1890's, having been patented in the U.S.A in 1868 by Michael Kelly. The early settlers of Tasmania, defined boundaries using 'wicker fences - closely planted hawthorn seedlings. 'The Hobart Town Gazette of August 1825 advertised - 20,000 hawthorn seedlings for sale, ‘sent from England as bundles of whips packed in a dry cask located in the ships hold’. This hedge is a testament of its tolerance, as the whips had survived the 6 to 8 month journey. A Hawthorn Whip may be just a 2ft twig but in a year it will be waist high and in 2 it will reach your shoulder!' See more
02.01.2022 Using maps; the topography of the land; lists of land owners and dates can confirm a time and place.... In the book 'Sea Wolves and Bandits' by Leslie Norman. (published in 1946, based on oral histories.) Leslie Norman places a 'smuggling event' at Garth's Hut in the valley south of today's Alexandra Battery in 1810. The event is more likely to have occurred in the area of Edward Garth's first Land Grant, in the area of today's Garth and Maning Avenues. There is a little b...each below the cliffs at today's Maning Reserve and there are steep gullies leading up to the foothills on Mount Nelson on Garth's first Land Grant. Edward Garths neighbours at the time were Benjamin Briggs, Thomas Kidner and Barnard Walford. They all gave evidence at Terrance Flynn's trial in Sydney. Elizabeth Walford gives compelling evidence..."I was coming home from Mr Garths in company with my father. Mr Garth is a settler and lives at Sandy Bay , about two miles from Hobart Town. I heard the report of a gun. We had left Garth's House about a quarter of an hour before I heard the report.... Garth's house is about half a mile from ours." ... (Gath's hut is in the valley south of the Alexandra Battery , is four miles from Hobart Town and one would doubt if one could have heard a gunshot from there!) Edward Garth did not obtain his second land grant south of today's Alexandra Battery until 1813 . He later bought W. McLaughlin's grant where Gath's Hut was built. There is no doubt that smuggling occurred in the area off Gath's Bank and that the contraband was hidden on the slopes of Porter's Hill and Devil's Glen, but at a later date . Smuggling was going on in the Sandy Bay area during the 1820's -1840's All the little beaches south of Chaffey's Point (Wrest Point) and Garth's Point ( Blinking Billy Point were good drop off points for early smuggler's contraband. See more
02.01.2022 Salamanca Place in the 1890's.... home to the warehouses that stored the supplies and goods sailed in and out of the Colony and surrounds.
02.01.2022 You'll find some interesting Maps and photos on the site below ...Hobart Dejavu photos... Sandy Bay Road and the Deviation ... At one stage upper Sandy Bay Road was called Montpelier Road it appears on the 1948 map of the area.
02.01.2022 Part 3 of Maria Grist's collection photos of excursions and huts on the Mountain.
02.01.2022 A beautiful sunset over the yachts at the DSS, the Wrest Point Tower and the hills of Sandy Bay March 2020. Keep well and stay safe everyone.
02.01.2022 We bid farewell to Barbara Hamilton - Arnold 1927-2020, Writer, Historian, Family Chronicler. and Passionate enthusiast for Tasmanian's Colonial History and a member of a number of historic and heritage societies ( notice in the Mercury, Sat 16th May 2020)... Barbara edited the 'Letters of G. P. Harris 1803-1812', Deputy Surveyor- General of New South Wales at Sullivan Bay, Port Phillip and Hobart Town , Van Diemen's Land. ( published in 1994)... George Prideaux Harris was the first white settler of Sandy Bay. 'His Sandy Bay Cottage was in the area where the historic home of Ashfield stands today.' George Prideaux Harris surveyed much of the Hobart district including Sandy Bay.
01.01.2022 The First settlers of Queenborough -Sandy Bay were the Norfolk Islanders. Most of them had spent two decades farming on Norfolk Island before being transported to the Derwent. They and their fellow Norfolk Islanders brought much needed farming and other skills to the fledgling Colony in Van Diemen's Land 1807-1813.
01.01.2022 Mount Wellington from Sandy Bay from Maria Grist's collection of H.J. Hellessey's postcards c. 1930's-1940's.
