Paddington "slums" in the '60s ...

I love an old photo of Paddington and this one is a beauty.  This caught my eye at the launch of the Woollahra Plaque scheme and the local history staff helpfully sent a scan my way.  This was a slide that was taken by local resident Geoffrey Paton in the 1960's which has been donated to the local history centre.  The handwritten note on the border of the slide describes this as "Paddington slums from the Bowling Club.  Quarry St.  Woollahra c. 1960".

The biggest issue in trying to replicate this now is all the damn trees!  I am not convinced it was taken from the bowling club but I will tell you I recognise that intersection at the top middle of the photo.  That my friends is Gurner Street (so you can see the famous Corner Store).  The terraces on Cascade Street are quite easier to recognise as well.

Wynne Prize

The "View from Cambridge Street, Paddington" has featured in many artworks over time.  In 1945 it made the finals of the Wynne Prize.  Painted by James Crisp (1879-1962).

Unfortunately the AGNSW doesn't have photos of all the finalists from back then so this might take some time to dig up.  If anyone has the work please send us a photo!

Woollahra Council Garden Competition ...

Woollahra Council's garden week (link here) was held back in September.  There are quite a few categories and 52 Cambridge Street entered their courtyard 'country club' / putting green in the small garden category and were surprised to receive 2nd place.

Pictured above: Cambridge Street residents accept their certificate from host of ABC tv show Gardening Australia Costa Georgiadis and Mayor Andrew Petrie.

5 Cambridge Street ...

5 Cambridge Street is currently on the market, scheduled for auction by McGrath's on the 23rd of November.  Described as being 'transformed with contemporary design, this Paddington terrace showcases a luxurious aesthetic across three impressive levels.  It is quietly set in a wide tree lined street, near popular Five Ways village and metres to Glenmore Road Public School'.  My personal aesthetic prefers a few more historical details but I am sure this will appeal to someone.

Number 5 forms part of a group of seven terraces from 1 to 13, built in the late 1880's by W. B. Proud*.  This style of small scale development (with the builder also living for a time at number 3) was typical of much of the development of Paddington.

As with previous open houses this usually provides an excuse to dig out the Sands Directory and see who has been sleeping at 5 Cambridge.  The register for 1894 has a pretty full house at #5, Mrs John Hall, George Hall (musician) and Charles Hall (teacher of dancing).  It is a pretty common surname so we were not sure that Trove would add much to the story, however, Charles made the papers on 13 September 1892 after being charged with 'deserting his wife'.  The below article provides an illuminating look at his finances ...

Sadly, Charles' next entry was his funeral notice from 12 March 1895.  Both Mrs John and George had inserted notices paying their respects.  As can be deduced from the above article, where George ended up paying most of the maintenance for his brother, it was George who seems to have been the more successful.  There are frequent mentions in the paper of George being the Musical Director for a number of plays and opera's.  After cutting his teeth on the Sydney circuit it looks like George established himself on the London stage as this following article from 23 January 1910 attests.

I couldn't really find much more on the Hall's.  James Bannister-Howard was a prominent British producer right up to his bankruptcy in 1933 (the depression perhaps).  His wages bill alone in 1931/32 was GBP 80,000.  I wonder if George was still on the payroll then?  His bankruptcy didn't stop the big man and here is a link to a photo of him in 1935 (aged 68) celebrating his engagement to a Miss Cecil, who is in her early 30's!

* this is per the Paddington Council rate books and some gueswork.  W. B. Proud is listed as resident at #3 and owner of 3 through 9 in 1889.  Per Trove, he was also a builder who won a number of Government contracts including extensions to the Insane Hospital at Parramatta and the lockup at Leichhardt.  Based on the look of the terraces nos. 1 through 13 appear part of the same group (the 'double wall' is between 13 and 15) so I guess that Proud built them all, and kept the ones in the middle?

27 Cambridge - then and now.

I came across the excellent blog of expat Aussie John Mansel-Pleydell the other day (link here) which had a great section about growing up in Paddo in the 70s.  John lived at 27 Cambridge, the above shot is c. 1976 and the one below is from this year.  I emailed John and he recalled that the house had previously been a boarding house when his parents bought it, both the verandah and porch had been covered in and used as extra bedrooms and kitchenettes.  Interesting what John noticed most about the 'now' photo was the bars on the windows which I guess are de rigueur on most inner city terraces these days.

Woollahra local history plaque scheme comes to Paddo ...

Sadly not to Cambridge St, or just yet anyway - we did get 2 on the shortlist!  See the full list below.  But the local heritage plaque scheme that we mentioned in October last year has announced the first 4 plaques.  The first one has already been unveiled in Watsons Bay and Rudy Komon's plaque (see above for details) will be unveiled in the new year (I think in March '14 to coincide with Art Month).  The Rudy Komon art gallery at 124 Jersey Road is now the endota day spa.

Nominations are again now open for the next round of plaques (the Council will make another 4 next year) so once again lets get some Paddington (and Cambridge St) entries in there.  Here is the link to the online nomination form.

Even more corner store ...

So here is another view of Paddington by Cedric Emanuel.  This time it looks like he is on Hargrave Street, looking towards Cascade and Gurner streets.  If you look carefully, apart from noticing the lack of cars on the streets, you will see the Cambridge street corner store on the right hand side.  This came up on ebay a few months ago.  I then tried to replicate the view today and realised Cedric took a little bit of artistic licence with this work - there was no angle I could find on Hargrave Street that allowed me a view of the Cambridge Street shop.

Wang Xu's take on Cambridge Street

Born in China in 1949, Wang Xu has had a pretty successful art career since arriving in Australia in 1989.  He is a regular Archibald finalist (2005, 2007, 2008 and 2013) as well as a finalist in the Wynne (2007) and Sulman (2006, 2011).  Based on this submission (thanks Simon!) he has also graced Cambridge Street with his presence, the above shot being a pretty good likeness of number 52 (although he has called the work "Glenmore Road 2".

He is apparently quite well known for his vivid urban scenes and streetscapes and you can see more of them here.  A bigger version of 52 is here.

48 Cambridge Street

48 Cambridge Street just hit the market.  The campaign is being run by Di Jones who write that it is "set on one of Paddington's finest streets, renowned for its elegant architecture, this grand 1890s Victorian Italianate terrace blends classical finesse with creative design." Not bad.  Although I think the 1890s sells it short, from my research it was built c.1888/1889.  This is out of the 1889 Paddington Council rate book, the group 46 through 52 were built by the same firm (Allum Bros.) and in 1889 the council charged rates for dwellings at 48 through 52 and just for land at 46.  I really liked how, despite a contemporary renovation to the main living room area, the original decorative corbels (photo below) still flank the arch from the entrance hall - they are classics.

Now can we answer the question 'who's been sleeping in my house?'.  We'll have a go.  The Sands Directory is a great place to look, here is the link we have previously posted to 1894.  As you can see Captain Robert Mailler lived here, and with Sydney being such a martime centre back in the 1800s I am pretty sure we will be able to discover something about him on trove ... and I am not to be disappointed.  Hundreds of articles on the good captain ...

One of them reminds us of the house's name - "Perim" in the death notice for the Captain back in 1895 at the ripe old age of 81.  A lot more of his life story is revealed in an article on his wife Agnes who lived to be 103.  Captain Mailler apparently held the mail contract to New Zealand "until the wreck of his vessel" which was the 'William Denny'.  More on the boat here and here, apparently you can dive the wreck it is just off Auckland.

In other 'who's been sleeping' links this house was also owned by Rebecca Cooper, the old Paddington landlady that was featured in the ABC tv documentary who owned over 100 Paddo terraces back in the day.  We'll post a feature on Rebecca in the coming weeks.

"Horseshoe" Collins

Another Captain of the Australian XI on Cambridge Street?  Looks like it.  Not a resident but an alumni of Glenmore Road Public School (see the article below).  Collins captained Australia to an Ashes series win in 1924/25 and before that won a NSWRL Premiership for Eastern Suburbs in 1911.  "Horseshoe" earnt his nickname on account of his luck and his proclivity for gambling (he was also handy at winning the toss).  In later life he became a bookie.  More of his life in his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry here.

On the corner of Sutherland Street and Cambridge Street.

Well the street map would've looked a little different if Paddington Council had got its way back in the day.  We've already learnt the Council was trying to get Cambridge Street to link up with New South Head Road.  The article below from the Evening News of 6 September 1895  explains that they were trying to reclaim a portion of the infamous quarry to link up Sutherland Street to Cambridge Street (rough illustration above).  I wish they did it, would be a great shortcut to the Four in Hand!

a postcard from Cambridge Street ...

So I haven't come across many postcards of Cambridge Street.  In fact, I think this is the first.  It is probably very familiar to any parent of a school age child as you get this in the pack from Glenmore Road Public School.  It is also the image on the fund raising tea towel - be sure to buy yours at the 130th school celebrations in September.

We did a bit on the history of GRPS a little while ago, click here for more on that.

Enjoy the school holidays!

Cambridge Street lane

The above photo shows the Cambridge Lane street sign at the top of Cambridge Street.  We can accurately date this street sign to between 45 to 64 years old, due to the 'City of Sydney' markings on top.  As mentioned previously, Paddington Council was absorbed into City of Sydney council in 1949 and then the northern part of Paddington was then split out of Sydney and into Woollahra Council in 1968.  You can find quite a few of these Sydney signs around but I haven't seen a Paddington Council version anywhere although we will keep looking.

Sensational accident.

A sensational accident on Cambridge Street? Well maybe not if you asked the horses.  The above article is from the SMH of 24 January 1906.  A four wheeled waggon piled high with furniture and pulled by two horses got a little out of control coming down Cambridge lane.  Despite applying the breaks and trying to take the corner the horses and waggon took the 30ft shortcut over the retaining wall to Glenmore Road where I guess White's is today.  The horses "were not very seriously injured" but the furniture was smashed to bits.

Glenmore Road Public School turns 130.

1883 + 130 = 2013.  So the good folks at Glenmore Road Public School will be celebrating the 130th at the annual school fete - lock in the date of September 8th.  As part of those celebrations I hear they will be chasing up any old stories or photos of the school.  Send some through if you have them.  Contact details here.  We will also try and dig up some stories ...

Cascade Street quarry.

The SMH of 9 March 1901 reported on the various goings on of Paddington Council.  Mr D. Moon of Cambridge Street Paddington (n.b, the Sands tells us that David Moon lived at 'Westbury', 47 Cambridge Street) wrote to Paddington Council "complaining of the great danger to life and limb and the continuous damage to property by reason of blasting in the quarry in Cascade street; also stating that if blasting were necessary powder should be used. The operations going on caused the ceilings to fall and damages to windows, etc. Unless further damage was at once prevented he would apply to the Supreme Court for an injunction".  And here I am complaining about fireworks on the harbour!

I am not sure when they stopped the blasting but the quarry is now the site of a number of apartment buildings.  

On the cover of a magazine ...

So I got a great tip off the other day that a couple of Cambridge Street terraces had made the front cover of a magazine.  I was just about to rush to the newsagents when I looked at the date - January 1978!  This was going to require a trip to the library.  Luckily the State Reference Library has a copy of every Australian Reader's Digest magazine published.  And they have every issue since 1960 at the library (older ones are offsite) so it was only a short wait to collect this.  Now the problem is that Reader's Digest were doing wrap around covers back in the day and the State Library in its wisdom has bound up all the old copies so it is hard to get a single photo which is why I have the side by side shots above.

This artwork by Jeannie Baker is called "Paddington Terraces".  Jeannie is an artist and children's book illustrator (her website here) who is famous for her collage style works.  What I like about the image is the window boxes at 52 (which was apparently the kitchen back in 1978 but is now an ensuite bathroom).  Great stuff and I love getting random tips with old information so keep sending them in.

Who's been sleeping in my house - this Friday!

So be sure and watch the ABC this Friday (29 March) at 8pm as the ABC series Who's been Sleeping in my House?  makes its way to Paddington (and Cambridge Street).  There have been a few reviews (here's the link to the SMH) and we are pretty excited to see what actually makes it onto the small screen.  I might even be able to wangle an interview with the residents!

Pigeon mail on Cambridge Street?

The following article is from the SMH of 25 March 1901.  On first reading I was wondering why carrier pigeon messages warranted reporting in the SMH.  Were they novel?  But then it twigged it had something to do with the military.  You might be, as was I, wondering what military expeditions were afoot in 1901.  The answer is the Boer War, and in 1901 it was the 5th rotation of NSW troops off to South Africa.  The 'British Princess' and 'Ranee' were carrying much of the 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles.  They were more troubled by disease than the Boers, losing 32 to illness and 7 to the enemy out of their 1,000 strength.  They returned to Australia on 2 June 1902.  If you are interested here is a link to more of the 3rd NSW's history.  They had some nice kit back in the day.

Now I am not sure if the birds were meant for Victoria Barracks and were just intercepted at Cambridge Street, or if a local pigeon enthusiast hired out a few of his birds for government work.  However the system worked it appears a Mr A Bassetti, who lived at 13 Cambridge Street, received a number of birds back from the military transport 'Ranee'.  One from Capt. Copeland and another from Capt. Stokes. I couldn't really find out much more about our correspondents except for confirmation of their service.  At least the odds were in their favour that they made it back.  As for Mr A. Bassetti the Sands Directory records the main resident as a J. B. Bassetti.  This family was better known for its pub rather than its pigeons, being the proprietors of the Solferino Hotel on Sutherland Street.  The Solferino, which opened in 1878, is better known today as the 'Four in Hand'.  Gee you can learn a few things here!!  

Monty Noble

Montague Alfred Noble, otherwise known as MA Noble if you've seen the grandstand named after him at the SCG, was a pretty handy cricketer.  He rose from the Paddington club to captain Australia at test level and at the time was only one of two men to record the "double", 1000 test runs and 100 test wickets against the English. He was named Wisden cricketer of the year in 1900. You can read more about him in his Australian dictionary of biography entry here.

Of more interest to the Cambridge Street resident is just what connection Noble has to the street.  Well, according to the Sands Directory his mother, Maria, lived at 41 Cambridge Street from 1893 into the 1900's.  His brother Henry, "a well-known Anglican clergyman", lived just down the hill at 59 Cambridge Street.  Now the Sands doesn't give the full list of occupants of a house but I assume that MA Noble, who was born in 1873, would have lived with his folks until he got married (which he did in 1914).

Paddington was a veritable cricketing academy in the day, with 3 players from the district club representing Australia.  In addition to MA Noble, we had wicketkeeper JJ Kelly (whose address I am yet to track down) and legendary batsman Victor Trumper (who lived at 112 Paddington Street).  Noble and Trumper both also turned out for the Paddington Baseball Club.

Toulouse-Lautrec and Cambridge Street?

The National Gallery of Australia has a Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition on until 2 April 2013.  If only Toulouse-Lautrec was so acceptable in the Australia of the 1950s then it might have just saved someone a fiver!  As the following articles from 1954 report - Harry Robinson, a resident of Cambridge Street Paddington was charged and fined 5 pounds for exhibiting a mural version of 'The Salon' (pictured above) at his Kings Cross cafe, 'The Moulin Rouge'!  

8 February 1941 ...

On this day in 1941 a Cambridge Street resident, Sapper J. W. G. Gleaves, was awarded the George Medal for courage at Tobruk. Sapper Gleaves lived at 8 Cambridge Street.

The George Medal (pictured above) is a civil decoration in the UK and Commonwealth, instituted by King George VI in September 1940 and awarded for "acts of great bravery".  Whilst primarily for civilians it is awarded to military personnel for gallant conduct not in the face of the enemy.  The following article from the SMH on 29 May 1942 sets out the circumstances of Gleaves' conduct becoming.  

Who's been sleeping in ... Cambridge Street?

So Cambridge Street will be on the telly some time this year.  Some of you may have seen the TV cameras sniffing around the street back in May last year.  Well, the episodes have been edited and now the promo for season 2 of the ABC tele show "Who's been sleeping in my house" is up on youtube.  Here is a link.  No dates set yet for airing but likely whenever peak ratings season is!!

Cambridge Street's Australian of the Year.

Happy Australia Day!

The 2013 Australian of the Year is Ita Buttrose.  Known primarily for her magazine exploits (founding editor of Cleo, editor of the women's weekly etc) she also works extensively for a number of medical charities.  Less well known is that Ita was a former resident of Cambridge street!  We are still trying to work out the exact dates but I have spoken to her former landlord who confirmed the story, I think late 70s or early 80s.  We will try and get an interview with her.  Until then we will keep you guessing as to what number she was at ...

The Hon. John Hepher

The Hon. John Hepher MLC, who lived in Cambridge street in the late 1920's.  He would've been in his 70s when listed as resident at 67 Cambridge Street in the Sands Directory of 1926.  He was an MLC (Member of the Legislative Council, NSW's upper house) from 1899 until his death in 1932 at the age of 83. You'd think that is a pretty good electoral record but you would be wrong. From 1856 to 1934 the upper house was filled by appointment. And once appointed the term was for life. That is a pretty good gig but even that was a watering down of what Blue Mountains explorer William Charles Wentworth wanted (he had asked Britain for a hereditary peerage for the NSW upper house!).

You can find a brief biography of John on the NSW parliamentary website here.  He was born in 1850 in Cambridgeshire England and arrived in NSW c. 1882 where he set himself up as a tailor. He was an ALP man and trade unionist (how times change!), becoming the President of the NSW Tailors Union and also leading the Eight Hours Committee (as in 8 hours work, 8 hours rest, 8 hours play) which was a huge movement back in his day.  I have included an example of a great 8 hours banner from the Pressers Union which is on display at the Sydney Trades Hall.  Sydney was the first place to get the 8 hour day (and then only for stonemasons), most of the rest of world worked over 10 hours a day, six days a week so we do have a bit to thank these guys for.  The 8 hour workday only became standard across Australia in the 1920s.

As befitting an MLC there are a few old newspaper articles available on Trove.  One notable incident of his parliamentary career was his being physically carried in to the upper house to vote on the Mortgages Taxation Bill whilst he was seriously ill.  Now that is dedication.

Charles Oertel

In the 1890s it was not uncommon to have an occupation listed after a residents name in the Sands Directory.  One such example is Charles Oertel, listed as an 'aerated water maker', who lived at 65 Cambridge street in the 1890s.

That occupation provides a little bit to go on, and searching the old SMH on trove does turn up quite a few references to the commercial enterprises that Oertel ran.  Initially, the firm was Dalm & Oertel, although during the 1890s it appears Oertel was running the whole show by himself.  And doing pretty well, winning medals at the Chicago Exhibition according to the following article ...

If you are a collector of old glass you may see an old Oertel, or Dalm & Oertel bottle turn up.  The photo above is from an auction earlier this year and this example was estimated at $150-$200. 

The favourtie advertisement that I came across is transcribed following.  If true I might just have to make a pitcher of lemonade this summer in honour the man who was quenching Cambridge Street's thirst 125 years ago ...

"18 November 1885
Reform in the Manufacture of LEMONADE
The LEMONADE, prepared by Australian grown lemons by Messrs Dalm and Oertel, Mineral Water and Cordial manufacturers, 403 Pitt-street Sydney, has proved a decided success. We are in receipt of letters from leading Sydney physicians, members of leading Clubs, families, etc, who admit in laudable terms the superiority of our LEMONADE, and pronounce it to excel by far every article of that kind they have hitherto tasted. It has an exquisite flavour. It is free from substances injurious to health. Every drop of water used is carefully filtered. It is well aerated with thoroughly cleaned carbonic acid gas.

REASONS why in Australia, where the finest lemons grow, one rarely tastes good Lemonade - "Oil of Lemon", commonly used by lemonade makers, is an imported article, extracted from lemon peel. Owing to its high price when pure, it is often adulterated. It is only a poor substitute for the geniune article. Messrs DALM and OERTEL have entirely discarded it.

Ask or send for DALM and OERTEL'S LEMONADE,
Delivered regularly in town and suburbs by our carts.
All orders punctually attended to."

The Terrace Times cookbook, Paddington edition

I have a collection of Paddington books (although some are more accurately described as pamphlets) and none is as random as the Terrace Times Cook Book.  Published in 1975 it contains a number of recipes of that age that we are yet to experiment with.  The local history section at Paddington Library, which has an interesting collection of material available for reference, has a copy.  Or you can often find copies on ebay for not very much, I think my copy cost $3.

As well as the recipes the book does have some interesting pencil sketches of local terraces illustrated by Pauline Clements.  Copied above is a sketch of 52 Cambridge Street.  I nearly skipped straight past until I recognised some of the distinct features of the house.  Pauline has used a bit of artistic licence with the proportions but if you stand outside the door of 302 Glenmore you will spot the resemblance.

Recipe wise, the book contains many gems of mid-70s dinner party cuisine.  You'll need a pantry with quite a few tins and a decent booze cupboard to make any of the desserts.  They divide it into courses and meats etc but surprisingly even Aspics gets its own category!

Happy new year ...

We've already posted about Cambridge Street's own poet laureate, Christopher Brennan, but we have uncovered another one.  The following verse is referenced in the book "Paddington Sketchbook" by Unk White and Patricia Thompson and also "Paddock full of houses" by Max Kelly.  It is from Brennan's friend, Professor John Le Gay Brereton, who wrote:

     "Tomorrow night expect me where the cows
      Of rural Paddington serenely browse
      Where Cambridge Street o'erlooks the placid Chows"

Well the dairy at the Alma street end of White City is gone and so are the Chinese market gardeners.  But the peaceful atmosphere that Brennan was attracted to still remains, although not as rural as it was then.  Happy new year!