Posts

10 October 2018

Posters, ghost signs and billboards

We’ve had our share of memorable advertising and the recent use of the Sydney Opera House as a ‘billboard’ is without a doubt one of the most controversial.

Urban life

15 August 2018

The island laboratory

Picturesque Sydney Harbour has 13 islands, each with its own fascinating history. One of them, Rodd Island, was once converted into a laboratory in the late 19th century.

Science Maritime

2 August 2018

The art of interview

On Monday I attended a seminar presented by the Walkley Foundation, ‘The art of interview’, which have provided some valuable insights for oral history.

Public history

1 August 2018

Historic Sydenham pub gutted by fire

On Monday we heard that the 86-year-old General Gordon Hotel in Sydenham had been gutted by a ferocious fire. I spoke about it’s history on 2SER.

Architecture Food & drink

18 July 2018

Women Trailblazers: Pearl Gibbs

The exhibition, Blaze, features fascinating stories of women trailblazers including that of the Aboriginal activist, Pearl Gibbs.

Aboriginal history Activism Women

5 July 2018

Sydney’s wining and dining evolution

Today any bar or restaurant in Sydney offers an extensive wine list and array of scrumptious dishes from around the world. But it hasn’t always been so.

Food & drink Migration

20 June 2018

Waverley Cemetery’s burlesque star

Waverley Cemetery is the resting place of many well known people, but one person has largely been forgotten in the history books – Maggie Oliver.

Entertainment Women

4 June 2018

Thoughts from Audiocraft 2018

Audiocraft included two days of talks and workshops covering the best in audio production. I’ve come away with a range of ideas.

Public history

25 August 2016

Colonial neighbours: Reynolds’ cottages

Reynolds’ cottages on Harrington Street, The Rocks have survived for 187 years! I spoke about them on 2SER for the Dictionary of Sydney.

Architecture Colonial life

20 July 2016

“I challenge you sir!” – Duelling in colonial Sydney

Did you know a duel took place in a field in Homebush one morning in March 1827? I spoke about duelling in colonial Sydney this morning on 2SER Breakfast.

Colonial life Crime

6 July 2016

NAIDOC 2016 – Sydney’s Aboriginal people

NAIDOC 2016 is in full swing and the Dictionary of Sydney recently published new articles about two interesting characters from Sydney’s Aboriginal past – Carangarang and Willemering.

Aboriginal history Colonial life

22 June 2016

Kate Leigh: ‘the Sly-Grog Queen’

The Dictionary of Sydney has some fascinating new articles including one on the famous ‘the Sly-Grog Queen’ and ‘worst woman in Sydney’ – Kate Leigh.

Crime Women

8 June 2016

Sydney’s wild weather

Wild weather just hit Sydney and images captured by awestruck residents have dominated the news. I spoke with Jamie on 2SER about Sydney’s stormy past.

Urban life

11 May 2016

Constance Kent: The ‘murderess’

In 1929, 85-year-old Sydney nurse and public servant Ruth Emilie Kaye confessed to murdering her three-year-old brother. Her real name was Constance Kent.

Crime Women

20 April 2016

The Ultimo World War I Roll of Honour

For decades a World War I honour board lay in the attic of an Ultimo church. It features 36 names. These are their stories.

War Public history

14 April 2016

The Appin massacre – 200 years on

This Sunday 17 April 2016 marks 200 years since the Appin massacre, when at least 14 Aboriginal men, women and children were killed by soldiers under the command of Captain James Wallis, as part of a military reprisal raid ordered by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. I spoke about this dark moment in our history with Mitch […]

Aboriginal history Colonial life War

16 March 2016

The Trocadero: Sydney’s most glamorous dance hall

There’s been a lot of talk about Sydney’s night life lately so I thought I’d look at one of the city’s most popular venues between 1936 and the late 1960s. The Trocadero on George Street was Sydney’s most glamorous dance hall and played host to a range of VIPs, including the Queen. I spoke to Mitch about it on […]

Entertainment Leisure

3 March 2016

200 years of public architecture

The State Library of NSW has just opened a new exhibition – Imagine a City: 200 Years of Public Architecture in NSW. In the Dictionary of Sydney, architects Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill detail how Sydney’s built environment developed from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 and the establishment of the Government […]

Architecture Colonial life

17 February 2016

William Chidley: an eccentric campaigner

Speakers’ Corner in Sydney’s Domain has become known for its function as a place where individuals can share what’s on their mind. One famous eccentric campaigner, William Chidley, was a regular sight at the Domain from 1912, and became known for his thoughts on vegetarianism, fresh air, comfortable clothing and even, ‘correct sex’. I spoke […]

Activism Urban life

20 January 2016

New tour! Sydney Harbour Islands

The Dictionary of Sydney has launched a new tour! Following on from Convict Parramatta, we can now explore Sydney’s harbour islands on our mobile devices, from the Royal Australian Navy base we know as Garden Island in the east, to the prison-turned-dockyard, Cockatoo Island, in the west. I spoke with Mitch about it on 2SER […]

Aboriginal history Maritime Colonial life

9 December 2015

Sydney’s cultural life

We’re coming into the festival season, where our city seems to come alive with a variety of cultural events and activities. Let’s go back to the 1800s and see how culture developed in Sydney, from unruly pastimes to popular sports and theatrical pursuits. Listen to the podcast at 2SER radio. Many of our city’s most […]

Entertainment Leisure Colonial life

2 December 2015

Sydney’s ocean pools

It’s summertime and as the temperatures rise, Sydneysiders will no doubt be flocking to the city’s famous beaches. This morning for 2SER Breakfast, I thought I’d talk to Mitch about our love affair with sea bathing and how our ocean pools have played a crucial role in our beach-loving culture. By the late 19th century, Sydneysiders […]

Leisure Urban life

25 November 2015

Woodford Academy

It’s holidaying season and a good time to venture beyond Sydney. A trip to the Blue Mountains is always a great idea, and the National Trust property, Woodford Academy, is even more reason to explore one of our most picturesque regions. I spoke with Mitch on 2SER Breakfast about its development, from an historic inn […]

Architecture Colonial life

18 November 2015

Bodgies and African American culture in Sydney

Ever heard of the term bodgie? What about widgie? When we think of great social change, people often cite the 1960s as a decade of transformation. But toward the end of World War II in the 1940s, a subculture emerged among Sydney’s youth – they called themselves bodgies and widgies and drew their inspiration from […]

Migration Entertainment Urban life

4 November 2015

Flashback to Sydney’s old trams

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the new light rail project and the disruption being caused by the closure of George Street in Sydney. In a case of history repeating itself, Sydney’s seen it all happen before from when the first line for horse-drawn trams opened in 1861 to when the cable tramways […]

Transport Urban life

23 September 2015

Iris Webber: ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’

When you think of Sydney’s dangerous crime queens of the 1920s-30s, the names Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh might come to mind. But there was another woman who earned a reputation as ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’. Her name was Iris Webber – a petty thief and sly grog seller who allegedly carried a […]

Crime Women

9 September 2015

History Week 2015: War, Nationalism and Identity

History Week has been going for 18 years and there will be many interesting events being held in Sydney and across NSW with the theme: ‘War, Nationalism and Identity’. One of the key issues being discussed is how Australians commemorate war. For instance, did you know Australia is spending more money on its World War […]

War Public history

26 August 2015

Long Bay prison

Long Bay prison was actually opened this month 106 years ago and saw some of Sydney’s most notorious underworld figures incarcerated within its walls. I spoke to Mitch on 2SER Breakfast this morning about its history as detailed in the Dictionary of Sydney. The Long Bay prison complex is significant as the only prison in Australia […]

Crime Architecture

19 August 2015

Sydney’s ‘pissoirs’ and public lavatories

It’s a thing we all need, take for granted and is perhaps one of the more awkward topics to discuss, but when did Sydney first see public lavatories in its streets? This morning I spoke with Mitch on 2SER Breakfast about Christa Ludlow’s fascinating entry in the Dictionary of Sydney.

Urban life Architecture

5 August 2015

Elizabeth Kata: An Australian in Japan during World War 2

It’s 70 years since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. As the bombs fell and killed an estimated 250,000 people, Sydney-born author Elizabeth Kata was interned in the mountain resort village of Karuizawa. The Dictionary of Sydney has more about her amazing story of love in a hostile world and […]

War Women Literature

15 July 2015

Wonderland City: Sydney’s amusement parks

It’s been 150 years since the famous author Lewis Carroll published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but did you know Sydney had its own Wonderland back in the early 1900s? I thought I’d delve into the Dictionary of Sydney and spoke to Sophie on 2SER Breakfast about our city’s love of amusement parks. It turns out […]

Entertainment Leisure

1 July 2015

40 years: The Juanita Nielsen disappearance

This Saturday 4 July 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the disappearance of the heritage conservationist and publisher Juanita Nielsen. Even today, the mystery of her disappearance and presumed murder continues to overshadow her story, however, Nielsen is also remembered for her active role campaigning against the development of Victoria Street in Sydney’s Potts Point. […]

Activism Women Architecture

17 June 2015

Law and Order in Sydney

Monday 15 June 2015 marked the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, or the Great Charter, which has been widely recognised as the most famous legal document in the world. With all this talk about Magna Carta, being the origin of the rule of law and an important step toward modern democracy, I thought I’d search […]

Crime Colonial life

3 June 2015

Sydney’s love affair with cinema

There’s so much to see at Australia’s second oldest festival, the Sydney Film Festival, with both international and Australian films being showcased in various venues across the city. How did our love affair with film and cinema begin? I spoke with Mitch on 2SER on behalf of the Dictionary of Sydney.

Entertainment Urban life

21 May 2015

Sydney’s writers

Sydney Writers’ Festival is underway at the moment, with a range of interesting events centred around storytelling with the nice tagline ‘it’s thinking season’. So I thought I’d take a look at the history of the written word in our city and spoke to Mitch on 2SER Breakfast.

Literature Colonial life

22 April 2015

Anzac Day in Sydney

This Saturday will mark 100 years since Australian troops landed at the Gallipoli peninsula and commenced a disastrous eight-month military campaign. Every 25 of April we remember that first day of battle, but how did these commemorations begin? I spoke to Mitch on 2SER Breakfast about it this morning.

War Urban life

7 April 2015

The Order 1886 – Immersive history

Below is a talk I presented at the exclusive Sydney media launch of Sony PlayStation’s historical immersive game, The Order: 1886. See the project page for a summary of the event. The Rocks is a ‘relic of a vanished underworld of convict days’.1 Brian Penton, Landtakers: The Story of an Epoch (1934) via Project Gutenberg When the […]

Public history Entertainment

18 March 2015

The Castle Hill convict rebellion

Yesterday our best known Irish pubs were sprinkled with green decorations in celebration of the Feast day for the Patron Saint of Ireland — St Patrick. I delved into the Dictionary of Sydney and found out that 211 years ago, Irish convicts attempted to take control of the city! Historian Anne-Maree Whitaker describes how prisoners staged a […]

Colonial life Crime Activism

11 March 2015

Sequins & Feathers: Sydney’s history of cross dressing

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras parade happened on Saturday night and it was just as vibrant as it has been since it started 37 years ago. About 10,000 people and 150 floats spanned five kilometres covering themes including marriage equality, and half a tonne of glitter was used to adorn its participants, many […]

Entertainment Women Urban life

4 March 2015

Wining and Dining in Sydney

This year’s NSW Food and Wine Festival have just finished and they featured an array of culinary delights, celebrating the many cultures present in Sydney. But our culinary tastes weren’t always this eclectic! I spoke to Mitch on 2SER Breakfast this morning about how our strong ‘foodie’ nature, became an entrenched part of this city’s […]

Food & drink Migration

11 February 2015

Chinese life in Sydney

As we welcome the year of the sheep and the Lunar New Year celebrations kick off this Friday, let’s take a step back in time to the 1800s and look at the Chinese experience in Sydney. I spoke with Mitch Byatt on 2SER about it this morning.

Migration Colonial life Urban life

4 February 2015

Bungaree: The First Australian

The exhibition Bungaree: The First Australian is showing at Mosman Art Gallery at the moment, which pays homage to this important Aboriginal figure from Sydney’s early colonial days. Fascinated by images and accounts of him wearing discarded British military uniforms and imitating the city’s earliest governors, I decided to explore his story in the Dictionary […]

Aboriginal history Colonial life Maritime

28 January 2015

Women’s Sydney

What was life like for women living in Sydney during the early 20th century? Dictionary of Sydney contributor Delia Falconer paints a colourful picture of bohemian enclaves and the freedom of the city. I spoke to Mitch Byatt about it this morning on 2SER Breakfast.

Women Urban life

21 January 2015

Tourist Sydney

It’s summertime in Sydney and with tourists swarming our popular attractions I thought I’d explore the history of tourism in our city on 2SER radio this morning for the Dictionary of Sydney.

Leisure Transport Urban life

14 January 2015

Parramatta Gaol

Another week, another Dictionary of Sydney story on 2SER. Today I looked at the history of Australia’s oldest correctional centre – Parramatta Gaol.

Crime Colonial life Architecture

7 January 2015

Circus in Sydney

The Sydney Festival kicks off today featuring many circus and cabaret acts. But did you know Sydney has a long history with the Circus, dating back to 1850?

Entertainment Leisure

13 October 2014

Sam Hood: Uncovering Sydney’s past with photographs

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of presenting to members of the North Shore Historical Society on some of the incredible stories unearthed during my time at the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM). Of particular focus was the work of a group of researchers or ‘super sleuths’ on Flickr Commons, who tirelessly researched the museum’s Samuel J Hood collection and shared their discoveries with the world.

Public history

Posters, ghost signs and billboards

The island laboratory

The art of interview

Historic Sydenham pub gutted by fire

Women Trailblazers: Pearl Gibbs

Sydney’s wining and dining evolution

Waverley Cemetery’s burlesque star

Thoughts from Audiocraft 2018

Colonial neighbours: Reynolds’ cottages

“I challenge you sir!” – Duelling in colonial Sydney

NAIDOC 2016 – Sydney’s Aboriginal people

Kate Leigh: ‘the Sly-Grog Queen’

Sydney’s wild weather

Constance Kent: The ‘murderess’

The Ultimo World War I Roll of Honour

The Appin massacre – 200 years on

The Trocadero: Sydney’s most glamorous dance hall

200 years of public architecture

William Chidley: an eccentric campaigner

New tour! Sydney Harbour Islands

Sydney’s cultural life

Sydney’s ocean pools

Woodford Academy

Bodgies and African American culture in Sydney

Flashback to Sydney’s old trams

Iris Webber: ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’

History Week 2015: War, Nationalism and Identity

Long Bay prison

Sydney’s ‘pissoirs’ and public lavatories

Elizabeth Kata: An Australian in Japan during World War 2

Wonderland City: Sydney’s amusement parks

40 years: The Juanita Nielsen disappearance

Law and Order in Sydney

Sydney’s love affair with cinema

Sydney’s writers

Anzac Day in Sydney

The Order 1886 – Immersive history

The Castle Hill convict rebellion

Sequins &#038; Feathers: Sydney’s history of cross dressing

Wining and Dining in Sydney

Chinese life in Sydney

Bungaree: The First Australian

Women’s Sydney

Tourist Sydney

Parramatta Gaol

Circus in Sydney

Sam Hood: Uncovering Sydney’s past with photographs

Posters, ghost signs and billboards

The island laboratory

The art of interview

Historic Sydenham pub gutted by fire

Women Trailblazers: Pearl Gibbs

Sydney’s wining and dining evolution

Waverley Cemetery’s burlesque star

Thoughts from Audiocraft 2018

Colonial neighbours: Reynolds’ cottages

“I challenge you sir!” – Duelling in colonial Sydney

NAIDOC 2016 – Sydney’s Aboriginal people

Kate Leigh: ‘the Sly-Grog Queen’

Sydney’s wild weather

Constance Kent: The ‘murderess’

The Ultimo World War I Roll of Honour

The Appin massacre – 200 years on

The Trocadero: Sydney’s most glamorous dance hall

200 years of public architecture

William Chidley: an eccentric campaigner

New tour! Sydney Harbour Islands

Sydney’s cultural life

Sydney’s ocean pools

Woodford Academy

Bodgies and African American culture in Sydney

Flashback to Sydney’s old trams

Iris Webber: ‘the most violent woman in Sydney’

History Week 2015: War, Nationalism and Identity

Long Bay prison

Sydney’s ‘pissoirs’ and public lavatories

Elizabeth Kata: An Australian in Japan during World War 2

Wonderland City: Sydney’s amusement parks

40 years: The Juanita Nielsen disappearance

Sequins & Feathers: Sydney’s history of cross dressing

Sequins & Feathers: Sydney’s history of cross dressing