Wollongong Advertiser history columnist Carol Herben OAM uncovers the history of the region, from scandalous tales and brushes with the law to the development of our towns.
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The Illawarra Mutual Building Society has now become the IMB Bank.
After the Wollongong council aldermen met on March 1, 1872, the Illawarra Mercury published the results of the meeting.
The following two-part story brings out another view of Wollongong's early history, namely "civic history". The government passed the Municipalities Act in 1858, providing the framework for local councils to become municipalities.
James Kirby was born in 1860 in Sydney and trained as a bootmaker as a young man.
Prior to 1850 George Hewlett had opened a general store in lower Crown Street on the corner of Moore Lane.
It was reported in the newspaper in 1924 that one fire brigade had been established at Corrimal and one at Balgownie
Prior to 1850 George Hewlett had opened a general store in lower Crown Street on the corner of Moore Lane.
On October 7, 1984, the Member for Heathcote, Rex Jackson, unveiled a memorial to Charles Harper and at the same time renamed Helensburgh Park, where it was erected, Charles Harper Park.
Prominent citizen and businessman William Louis Howarth arrived in Wollongong sometime before 1900 with his wife Eliza and their two children, Gladys and Daphne.
In the 1930s W. L. (Bill) Harrigan's motor vehicle "Leaping Lena" was the centre of attention at many of the parades held in Wollongong.
As Joseph and Rebecca Makin did not sell the old Royal Hotel on the corner of Crown and Corrimal streets, they concentrated on making the building work for them.
When the marriage of Joseph Makin to Rebecca Kerr took place in February 1864 at Dapto, this was to be the start of a very successful partnership lasting 56 years.
The construction of the Illawarra railway was undertaken in three sections.
With the colony of NSW in the grip of severe droughts from 1813, affecting the outlining areas of Sydney, Governor Lachlan Macquarie directed George William Evans, the assistant Land Surveyor, to explore a passage beyond the Blue Mountains in search of good soil and an abundance of fresh water.
Thirroul residents were the first in the Illawarra to propose a memorial to those servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.
On Tuesday, December 26, 1893, a picnic was organised near the Minnamurra River. The party of eight hired a flat bottom boat and ventured onto the Minnamurra River.
At the time of the Mount Kembla mine disaster on July 31, 1902, a 23-year-old miner named George Ramsey was working in area No 6. He knocked off work an hour earlier, at 1.45pm, as he was to meet a friend from Sydney. As he was walking out he felt a big blast of hot air. He ran only about 300 yards before being overtaken by gas.
For some 17 years I have been undertaking research into the people who died of tuberculosis and are buried at Waterfall Sanatorium Cemetery. Through this research I have found a number of veterans of World War I and one Boer War one buried in Waterfall General Cemetery.
As the Australian prisoners had been kept in the large hold of the German raider Wolf for almost seven months, they were taken off the ship at Kiel Harbour on March 2, 1918.
Although not a local story, this incident shows how innocent civilians suffered during World War I.
Over recent months there have been many sightings of a black panther on walking tracks around the Otford area.
The Royal Australia Navy decommissioned the HMAS Bombo in February 1946 and sent her to undergo a conversion from a war ship back to a coastal trader.
State Metal Quarries, owned by the state government, ordered the construction of a ship to transport blue metal from the Kiama district to Sydney. Selected to carry out the work was Henry Robb Ltd, located on the River Forth in Leith, Scotland.
In early 2014, I submitted a nomination to the NSW Heritage Office to list the old Post and Telegraph Office in Market Street, Wollongong, which is now the Illawarra Museum, on the State Heritage Register.
It is interesting to note that in the late 19th century people liked to publish their adventures in the newspaper.
In 1815, NSW had been in the grip of a severe drought for the second year running - farmers were struggling to grow their crops and feed their livestock.
On Friday, September 5, 1902, the Minister for Public Works introduced a bill into NSW Parliament to authorise the construction of a water storage dam on Cataract River.
A meeting was called at the temporary Wesleyan Chapel at Bulli on Friday, August 21, 1863 for the purpose of discussing plans to establish a Wesleyan church in Bulli.
The image this week shows those present at the opening of Wollongong Hospital in July 1907.
In the early days there were a number of pioneering medical practitioners who established themselves in Wollongong.
The workload of the Heros tugboats increased especially during World War II.
J. Fenwick & Co of Sydney commissioned J. P. Rennoldson of South Shields, England, to build a new tugboat to their specification.
Wollongong Swim Club is one of the oldest swimming clubs in Australia.
The Illawarra Historical Society will celebrate its 70th anniversary on December 5.
During his lifetime Benjamin (Ben) Rixon, who served the colonial government well, was also a very community-minded man.
The community of Wollongong and surrounds thought that Ben Rixon deserved a reward.
The Homestead in Dymock Street, Balgownie, was completed about 1927 for the Oxenbridge family to settle in.
James and Louisa Oxenbridge with their family moved to Mount Pleasant about 1895 and by 1909 James became a retail agent for Mt Pleasant Coal Company, selling coal.
From the time of settlement, communication outside Illawarra was by mail forwarded by steamer to and from Sydney.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of St Therese Church, better known as the Little Flower Church at West Wollongong.
Two well-known local men ventured into the business of manufacturing coke, salt and crushed bone.
The Oxford Tavern site in lower Crown Street, which is currently being excavated by archaeologists, has been home to a number of different buildings over the years.
Even though Robert Jenkins conveyed only 2000 acres to his brother William Warren Jenkins in 1843 after their mother’s death in 1842, it seems that by the time W.W.Jenkins died he had acquired another 1000 acres as well as some smaller holdings, bringing his estate to about 3500 acres at the time of his death in 1884.
From the earliest settlement of Cordeaux River Valley, landholders began to clear the dense forests, build their homes, plant orchards and add livestock to their properties.
The early settlers of the Cordeaux River valley, finding rich red volcanic soil plus an abundance of water supplied from the Cordeaux River, realised the valley was an ideal spot for cultivation and to settle and raise families.
The launch of the book The Village Blacksmith highlights the life and times of world champion rower William Beach.
The image shown this week is a very early photograph of a wooden building that once stood on the site where the Commonwealth Bank in Crown Street is located today.
Early in 1952, publican John Mortimer Hayes lodged in Wollongong Licensing Court an application to transfer a licence for a hotel yet to be built at Fairy Meadow.
The decision to commence operations of Hoskins Iron and Steel close to Port Kembla created much employment and was the start of a giant footprint for a colossal steel industry.
While holding the position of alderman, William Wiley, through the agent W.Osborne, had advertised cottages for sale in New Dapto Road and Hercules Street in January 1886. W.Osborne put the Zlotkowski Estate subdivision on the market in October 1887.
When the early settlers arrived in Illawarra, they were isolated from trading at the markets in Sydney. The earliest vessels called regularly to deliver goods and take farmers’ produce to market.
William Wiley, one time mayor of Wollongong Municipal Council for the periods of 1886-87 and 1889-90, rose quickly in the Wollongong area as a property dealer.
Information courtesy of Carol Herben OAM. Call 0409 832 854 or email sycado6@bigpond.net.au
