Woollahra Council Plaque Scheme

Woollahra Council has just launched a plaque scheme, kind of like the Blue Plaque scheme in London. Here is the link to Woollahra's.  Now the plan is for council to put up four plaques during 2013, and community nominations for the first round of plaques are due in February.  You can find the nomination forms on the council website.  

I would love to see some plaques on Cambridge Street so encourage everyone to put in an application.  There are quite a few notable residents that I have written about so far, the distinguished soldier, the famous poet, and the boxing champion to name but a few. There are even a few others I haven't got around to posting about yet, the diplomat, the Australian cricket captain and the accomplished artist (with work in every State Gallery and the NGA).  

40 to 48 Cambridge Street

Here is another Cedric Emanuel sketch of Cambridge Street, again taken from his Paddington Sketchbook published in 1975.  46 Cambridge has the enclosed balcony look which has since been reversed.

Sands Directory - 1892

And here is 1892:

Sands Directory - 1891

Some more Sands Directory screenshots.  Here is 1891:

White City - 1971

Here is an old photo from the City of Sydney archives.  It is pretty easy to search the archives but you have to be a little creative.  The above photo is described "Victor Trumper Oval: view across the oval to the harbour in the distance".  Hopefully the date is correct!  It is listed as January 1971. 

It is a pretty nice shot of White City, taken from an apartment building in Rushcutters Bay by the looks of it.  Whites apartment building on Glenmore rd is quite prominent.  Across the road from that, to the left of White City in the photo is what I understand was the old Firestone tyre factory.  The big green awning of White City is sporting a nice Ampol banner and then behind that you see Cambridge street snaking up the hill.

Michael Tuite

Michael Tuite is listed in the Sands Directories as living at 43 Cambridge Street in the early 1890s.  The directory also lists his occupation as "musketry instructor". Intrigued, I ran his details through internet and Trove and came up with some more of his story.

Tuite had quite the distinguished military career.  Attaining the rank of Warrant Officer, Tuite served with the NSW contingent that went to the Sudan in 1885 (which they spelt 'Soudan' back in the day, hence the patriotic naming of the lane just off Hampden Street).  Prior to joining the colonial forces, Tuite was originally part of the 12th Suffolk that was sent to Australasia in the 1850's. Regiment records indicate that he wasn't present in Ballarat for the Eureka Stockade but he was with the 12th when they were sent from Sydney to break up the Lambing Flat Riots in 1861.

The SMH of 18 December 1886 reports that the Governor of NSW presented Tuite with a medal "recently received from Her Majesty the Queen, for long and highly meritorious service (including the New Zealand war 1863-6, and the Afghan war 1870-1880). Mr. Tuite, besides being in possession of medals for the above campaigns, wears that for Egypt, and the order and medal presented to a selected soldier from each regiment serving in India at the time the Queen was proclaimed Empress of India, at Delhi, on 1st January 1877."

The Australian War Memorial also has in its collection a silver tray that was "presented by his worship the Mayor of Sydney Thomas Playfair Esq. To Segt. Major Michael Tuite for Distinguished Service rendered at the Soudan on the recommendation of Colonel Richardson Commandant NSW Contingent, 1885". He had also been mentioned in despatches for his service in the Sudan.

Frampton

This simple drawing appears in 'Paddington: An area of special architectural interest', published by the Paddington Society in 1969.  You can find it in the local history section at Paddo library if you are ever up there (the local history section is mostly available for reference not for loan unfortunately).  The accompanying text reads ...

"The later estates often had the terrace house dressed up into a most pretentious form. The example given here could, I suppose, be called Baronial, is dated 1889 and is called Framton [sic], it is 59 Cambridge Street.  Behind this extraordinary faceade lies the typical terrace house plan.  It is interesting to note the gothic pointed arch motif in the cast iron on the balustrade as this was contemporary with more completely gothic buildings.  In 1893 there were 3,774 dwelling houses in Paddington with an average of 4.8 persons per house"

Cambridge Street sketchbook ...

In their 1975 book, "Paddington Sketchbook", the artist Cedric Emanuel and author Patricia Thompson devote a couple of pages to Cambridge Street.  The illustrations come from that book as does the following extract:

"Paddington is surrounded on three sides by first-class parks and sportsgrounds.  Its own municipal council created, or helped to create, those to the north and east - Weigall Ground, White City, and Trumper Park. There was also Sydney Stadium which, until it was demolished to make way for the Eastern Suburbs railway, stood at the corner of Neild Avenue and New South Head Road.

In the early days, terra firm began at Lawson Street and lower Glenmore Road. Then New South Head Road was built and the land between came into use. A family named Ridley cultivated vegetable gardens very successfully. For a time Paddington was Sydney's main supplier of fresh vegetables. Later the land was leased to Chinese market gardeners, who were gradually dispossessed as the council pressed forward with its reclamation programme.

Near the foot of Cambridge Street, which runs into Glenmore Road behind White City, was a dairy. During the great storm of 1900 there was an abnormally high tide and the unfortunate cows were washed into the bay, bellowing mournfully."

'Sir' Robert Bear

The 1891 Sands Directory listing has "Bear Robert, bookseller" as the resident of 26 Cambridge Street. I thought that his occupation might provide a little help in tracking down some biographical information, and I was right. It turns out Robert Bear was reasonably well known back in the day, in an infamous way. His book shop was the first commercial outlet for radical literature and I've read that he apparently had the largest sales of pornographic material in Sydney. If that is not enough he apparently sold birth control appliance and items of feminine hygiene. The photo below is of his shop, at 16 Park Street Sydney. I presume that Robert is the chap on the left.

As befitting such a interesting fellow he has a few mentions in the press at the time, usually relating to going to court.  There is one great article in the SMH of 2 May 1888 (link here). In this instance, Robert had been charged with a breach of the Obscene Publications Act for selling a book entitled "The Fruits of Philosophy, or private companion for married people, and those about to marry". The defence contended that it was a medical work. However in giving judgement the Judge said that he had carefully read through the book (of course!) and he certainly thought it was a case where the volume should be treated as an obscene book. He had looked at the dictionary to learn that 'obscene' was 'anything that was offensive to chastity and delicacy'. In the judges opinion the book was undoubtedly offensive to chastity and delicacy and if allowed to fall into the hands of young people would cause immorality. I tried to track down a copy of said book, it looks to be the work of Charles Knowlton who first published it in 1832, and from the snippets that google had posted it did seem to be quite a medical explanation of facts for those about to marry, which makes me question contemporary descriptions of him selling pornography.

There is also little about his 'knighthood', except for the fact that another source believes it was invented just to sell more books. I would've thought you could get away with impersonating a knight at the time (especially if you couldn't even publish some sexual health books) so maybe he bought it, but eBay wasn't around then!

One other random link to the present is through his correspondence. Being a radical book shop owner he was receiving letters from all over the globe, and those letters are now worth thousands to stamp collectors! Here is a random link to the Australian Postal History Society showing five letters addressed to Sir Robert from a chap in New Guinea and Nauru with rare postmarks. One of them sold for $3,000 at auction in 2007.