Darlinghurst Blog: History: Books: Trams

A well-placed source of historical photographs last week sent me some great 1940s colour images of trams trundling down Darlinghurst and Sydney streets.  

They belong to a private collector and as far as I know have never before been published, so it's an honour to be able to reproduce them here.

I had a hard time placing where exactly the photograph above was taken and had to refer to a tram line map (below, Copyright John R Newland, 2010) to see exactly where the lines ran.

I believe the photograph at the top of this post shows the 'Special' turning off Oxford Street and into Greens Road, Paddington, on its way to Moore Park. In the background there is a smokestack, which I assumed belonged to the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington (which still marks the horizon today), but it would be in completely the wrong position if that is Greens Road. If anyone can identify it, please let me know.

This one, above, was definitely taken at the corner of Greens Road and Oxford Street. As my source says, the "luminous" colour photographs "have a depth and intensity of colour that only film from that era seems to provide. Gems!".

Here's another one, above, showing the trams cruising down Oxford Street. Again, that smokestack is in the background.

The photograph above shows a tram turning from Elizabeth Street into Liverpool Street, on its way to Oxford Street. The trams really were beautiful with their lovely heritage green and cream, with red-trim, paint. They also, for some undefinable reason, remind me of great big caterpillars wriggling along the streets.

The photographs also brought to mind a book I received early last year: Bondi to the Opera House, the trams that linked Sydney, by Dale Budd and Randall Wilson.

The 92-page book was published by the Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW division) and is a comprehensive and educational look at Sydney's tram system, once one of the world's largest.

Budd and Wilson are certainly passionate about the Sydney trams, which scuttled along the streets from 1879 to 1961, and one of the things I love about the book is that they place contemporary photographs alongside historical ones, such as this one:

According to the caption information, Bennelong Point, now the site of the Sydney Opera House, was once home to a tram depot designed by government architect Walter Vernon. 

Trams terminating at the Fort Macquarie depot would arrive on the western side, while those beginning another trip would travel around the depot to its eastern side to make their first stop at the Man O' War Steps.

The ornamental tower you can see in the top left corner of the depot housed an elevated water tank - the  early 20th century version of fire safety.

Prior to the tram depot being built in 1901, the headland was home to the real Fort Macquarie: a square stone fortress with an armament of 24-pound guns and five 6-pounders. Boom.

A tram climbs through the Bronte cutting, now a car park (Copyright: From Bondi to the Opera House, by Budd and Wilson).

According to the authors, "the Sydney tram system extended from Narrabeen in the north, to La Perouse in the south; from Bondi in the east to Ryde in the west.

"From the 1920s to the 1940s there were up 1,500 trams operating on 290km of lines serving the city and more than 70 suburbs. Trams carried more than a million people every weekday."

Tram passengers line up at Market Street stop on Elizabeth Street, Central Sydney (Copyright: From Bondi to the Opera House, by Budd and Wilson).

There are more than 250 photographs in the book, featuring trams in a vast array of suburbs including Birchgrove and Balmain, Botany and West Kensington, Manly and Milsons Point. There are also a couple showing William Street and Kings Cross.

Most of the photographs were taken by John Alfred, who apparently "had a special talent for spotting unusual vantage points, often elevated," the book says.

"Starting in the 1950s he took more than 4,500 colour transparencies of Sydney trams: his total body of work amounted to more than 21,000 images, almost all of trams and trains throughout Australia."

Alfred died in 1969 - in a road accident - and his photographs are now in the collection of the Mitchell Library, part of the State Library of NSW. 

The authors owe him a great debt. 

One of the Kings Cross photographs in the book is identical to the one above, which I have framed on my wall. My father picked it up at a garage sale in the 70s. The only clue to its origin is the name of the framer printed on the back: Mr Frame of Wetherill Park. But I think it was a common travel pic of the 1940s as I have seen it before in many places.

 Pic copyright: From Bondi to the Opera House, by Budd and Wilson.

This photograph (above) showing the tram passing within a few metres of The Gap is one of my favourites in the book. I would have loved to have ridden that tram. The authors say the view would have been "stunning"

Pic copyright: From Bondi to the Opera House, by Budd and Wilson.

Back in the 1950s some major fool decided to start closing off the electric tram lines and replace them with diesel buses, the same vehicles that today emit such a foul stench and ear-grating noise throughout the city. Bravo.

The photograph above shows the last tram in George Street, Central Sydney, in November 1958. 

"It is after midnight, a wreath has been attached and everyone is trying to get into the newspaper photographer's picture," the caption says.

"This scene was repeated many times as the tram network was progressively closed down."

 Pic copyright: From Bondi to the Opera House, by Budd and Wilson.

The La Perouse and Maroubra routes were the last to be served by the trams, with the final day of operation on 25 February 1961.

"Travellers packed aboard the trams and crowds gathered at vantage points along the route," the book says.

The very last tram (pictured above) was "jammed to the rafters" and it would be "36 years before a tram again carried passengers in Sydney."

Pic copyright: From Bondi to the Opera House, by Budd and Wilson.

Some of the trams were donated to various institutions and museums, such as the Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus, south of Sydney. Many other trams were burned to death, as illustrated in this very sad photograph above.

Trams, or light rail, returned to Sydney in 1997 and the authors hope that this network is expanded.

The City of Sydney is pushing the NSW Government to commit to an expanded network, including the addition of a line along George Street, which they would like to close off to north-south traffic.

Part of their vision is detailed on their website, which is worth visiting just to see, at the bottom of the page, a film that was shot in 1906 by someone on the top of a vehicle cruising down George Street. 

The animation at the top of the page showing what George Street would look like with trams today is also pretty cool.

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From Bondi to the Opera House, the trams that linked Sydney

By Dale Budd and Randall Wilson

Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW)

92pp, $39.95

www.bonditotheoperahouse.com

Darlinghurst: Detritus: NSW State Election 2011

In case you hadn't noticed there is a state election coming up in 10 days. Power poles around Darlinghurst and Sydney are covered in placards featuring the grinning faces of those who wish to represent our neighbourhood's needs on a state level, while on the streets politicians and would-be politicians are handing out flyers in a bid to win our votes.

Last weekend Kings Cross Markets at Fitzroy Gardens was full of pollies. Outgoing NSW Premier Kristina Keneally wandered around the gardens with a bunch of NSW Police's finest and Sydney Lord Mayor and State Member for Sydney, Clover Moore. There was also a couple of people handing out fliers for the Australian Sex Party's candidate Andrew Patterson. 

It doesn't seem as heady as it was in the lead-up to the federal election in September last year, when you could barely walk through the gardens without being harassed by Malcolm Turnbull, but the state pollies are putting up a good enough fight.

Without revealing my personal political preferences, Christian Democrats candidate Peter Madden would be wise to crawl back in to whatever dark and damp place on earth he emerged from.

Darlinghurst is in the Seat of Sydney, which covers an area of about 91sqkm of the CBD and the inner east and includes suburbs such as Pyrmont, Ultimo, Chippendale, Surry Hills, Edgecliff, Woollahra and all islands in Sydney Harbour. 

Ms Moore has held the seat since 1988, when it was known as Bligh. The seat was renamed Sydney in 2007 when it gained the CBD in a redistribution. Ms Moore has also held the office of Lord Mayor since 2004.

The City of Sydney remains a very safe seat for Moore with a 16.6 per cent margin over Labor. 

So who are the alternatives and what are their policies? Here is a quick potted look at the five main candidates for the seat. Click on the candidates's names to visit their websites.

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Clover Moore, Independent

I know that Ms Moore likes dogs and cycleways, but I can't find a list of policies or election promises on her website. I received one of her pamphlets in the mail but it only talks about the things she has done in the past, which date back to 1993 and include the introduction of the Same Sex Adoption Bill, changes to the liquor licensing laws to encourage small bars, and some changes to strata legislation.

Sacha Blumen, NSW Labor

Mr Blumen has lived in Sydney for 10 years, holds a doctorate in pure mathematics, is a national energy policy advisor and a past president of the 2011 Residents's Association. He presently lives in Elizabeth Bay. His vision for Sydney includes reducing alcohol-related violence, campaigning for marriage equality and introducing early intervention programs for people experiencing homelessness. 

''I stand for a Sydney that is an even better place to live, has a full time voice in parliament and is diverse and inclusive,'' he writes on his election material. 

''This is my vision for the Sydney I love.''

Mr Blumen also supports a national price on carbon. He has taken aim at Ms Moore by promising to be a full-time MP and says he wants to reclaim community rights to appeal State Government development decisions.

Adrian Bartels, NSW Liberal

Mr Bartels is just 33 and a mortgage broker with his own Potts Point-based business, Bartels Property Finance. He was raised on Sydney's north shore and moved to the city electorate 14 years ago. Mr Bartels is the chairman of the Potts Point Partnership, which supports local businesses. He is opposed to the demolition and re-development of Fitzroy Gardens. 

Mr Bartels also promises to be a full-time MP, unlike Ms Moore, who juggles positions. As part of the new wave of Liberal thinking, he believes in climate change science and wants an investment in renewable energy technology to create jobs for Sydney. Mr Bartels also wants a whole of government approach to managing late night areas and reducing alcohol-related violence. 

De Brierley Newton, NSW Greens

Ms Brierley Newton was born and raised in Sydney and is the former head of the Billy Blue School of Graphic Art. She presently runs a communications and advertising consultancy, but promises to be a full-time MP and to run for ''the people of Sydney and not corporations''. 

Ms Brierley Newton wants to extend the city's light rail from Central to Circular Quay and the new suburb of Barangaroo, as well as introducing high speed rail between Sydney and other capital cities. She wants greater investment in renewable energy technology and promises to protect the city's food supply by zoning land on the Sydney fringes as agricultural, so that it can't be developed. 

Andrew Patterson, Australian Sex Party

Mr Patterson spent 13 years with the Western Australia Police, working up to Detective Sergeant and specialising in child protection and the adult industry. He was a former chief investigator with the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption and presently works as an internal ombudsman with the Waringah Council in the city's northern suburbs. He lives in Ultimo. 

Mr Patterson joined the Australian Sex Party last year because he is a strong believer in civil liberties, and holds a masters in ethics and legal studies. He wants to extend trial ethics classes to all public schools, introduce voluntary euthanasia laws and stop police sniffer dogs in venues and on the streets. Mr Patterson also advocates for the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use and wants drug use to be treated as a health issue and not a criminal one. He also wants to extend the use of drug injecting rooms beyond Kings Cross. The party would also campaign for 24-hour weekend public transport and would argue against internet filtering. 

Peter Madden, Christian Democrat Party

Mr Madden is the director of Heal Our Land Ministries, a frightening religious cult. He claims to be a former sex addict so, naturally, he is now anti-prostitution and wants to halve the number of brothels in Sydney over the next eight years. Mr Madden wants to move Mardis Gras off the streets and in to a stadium, as a bid to curb teenage binge drinking and teenage pregnancy. I really don't want to waste any more time on this bozo, so if you are interested in his polices, visit his website. That's him on the right, with CDP leader Fred Nile. 

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Election day is Saturday March 26. Polling places open from 8am to 6pm. 

Polling places in Darlinghurst include St John's Church Hall, Darlinghurst Public School, St Vincent's Hospital and St Peter's Church Playhouse (Forbes Street). 

For more details about pre-polling and enrolling, visit the Australian Electoral Commission's Vote NSW website:

http://www.votensw.info/

Across the Border: Paddington: Retailers: Mrs Press

Marriage and cohabitation are not for me, but I have to admit I am an incurable romantic. I love roses, silk lingerie and perfume, moon-gazing, music on old record-players, drinking Champagne from old-fashioned glasses and reading poetry aloud. I love dressing-up and having parties and making my apartment as pretty as can be. And I really, really love the Mrs Press Dressing Room in neighbouring Paddington.

Sorry readers, this is a girly post, but I figured with Valentine's Day coming up (on Monday), Mrs Press would be an ideal place to purchase pretty pleasures for the lover-girl or girls in your life. And I do like to talk about fancy frocks. And silk. Oh, how I love silk.

Former Vogue writer Clare Press opened her first clothing store in a shopfront at 136 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, in late 2009. I was an early visitor to her store, drawn in at first by a striking, hand-printed dress in the window and then lost for a long time perusing the clothes and accessories within. It was like a gorgeous dress-up box with all the things I love. I spent quite a bit of money that first time and thought it was best to avoid the place for a while if I wanted to continue paying the rent. But then all of a sudden in June last year, Mrs Press was gone! Apparently the Darlinghurst building, Kurrajong, is suffering from concrete cancer, which is why it is now covered in scaffolding:

It's unlucky for the building, but luckily for us, Mrs Press moved up the road, to a shop in Paddington. 

And what a gorgeous job she has done decorating the new shop. There is a marvellous black cast iron spiral staircase at the back and other black highlights throughout the mostly creamy, luxurious room. I recently saw the film, Coco and Igor, about the romance between the French fashion designer and the Russian composer. There were many great sets of Chanel's country home, which was decorated in black and white, and the Mrs Press Dressing Room is quite similar. It looks so good, like a box of Chanel perfume and I now want to paint the trimmings in my apartment a glossy black. 

The shop is housed in an 1880s terrace on the northern side of Oxford Street, on the slope that leads up to Woollahra. The building must have originally been home to a confectioner as in December 1889, J.B. Taylor and Co held an auction on site to sell off the ''stock in trade of a confectioner''. In the 1920s the building was home to Webster and Foley Real Estate and then the next newspaper reference I can find for the building is a blunt job advertisement from January 1953: ''Delicatessen. Wanted: Experienced woman with references''. Before Mrs Press moved in, the site was home to Mimco fashion accessories.

Anyway, back to the clothes and potential Valentine's Day treasures. Mrs Press stocks a little range of soaps, hand creams, body washes and scented candles in beautiful art nouveau packaging. Most women I know would be very happy with any of these pleasant smelling delights. 

The only problem is deciding between the cream (marigold) and the pink (tea rose).

If you want to spend a little more money, Mrs Press's dresses are divine. There are some on sale at the moment for just $60, while others go up to $200 and $400. The dresses are mostly made from silk or a woven wool and are cut with history in mind. There are a few floor-grazing frocks at the moment, which have gorgeous 1940s inspired bodices, so your gal can look like a vintage movie star.  I also love the sexy silk kimono style jacket (only $80), which is great for a gift as it doesn't really need to be tried on to get the size right. Mrs Press will help you anyway. I would recommend buying the kimono top and a matching pair of dusty silk gold knickers (only $30) with sweet-bows on each side. (Model Jerry Hall is a big fan of knickers and keeps hers in colour-coded drawers. Hall has always been a proponent of big knickers and I have to agree: there is nothing more ugly that tight underwear. So take Hall's advice and buy up a size.) 

But please don't purchase your valentine this delicate, sequined bolero (below right), which is so glamorous and looks like fun to wear - because I am saving up to buy it! 

Mrs Press, or one of the lovely shop women will wrap your treasures in tissue paper, ready for presenting to your sweet lover. If you cook her dinner too, she'll love you even more. 

Happy Valentine's Day readers. And if you don't have a lover, don't worry, Valentine's Day is just for fools.

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Mrs Press Dressing Room

436 Oxford Street

Paddington NSW 2021

02 9331 7332

www.mrspress.com

Darlinghurst: An Introduction

Located on the eastern edge of the Sydney CBD, Darlinghurst - with a population of just over 10,000 - is bordered by Woolloomooloo, Kings Cross, Paddington and Surry Hills.

William Street, known for its street prostitution, borders the neighbourhood on the north, while Oxford Street, famous for its gay bars and night life, runs along Darlinghurst's southern end. To the east are the posh suburbs of Woollahra, Darling Point and Double Bay.

Linking William and Oxford Streets, running north to south, are Darlinghurst's main streets - Victoria Street and Darlinghurst Road, which are home to cafes, pubs and boutiques.

I have names for all the different parts of the neighbourhood, such as The Ridge, The Flats, and The Lowlands but I won't go into that now, suffice to say that I live on "Darlinghurst Hill", the highest point of the suburb on Royston Street.

Darlinghurst is home to writers, musicians and artists, including actor Hugo Weaving, filmmaking couple Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin (who live in the suburb's historic mansion, Iona), author Peter Robb and novelist Mandy Sayer, whose husband, playwright Louis Nowra, lives across the border in Kings Cross.

The neighbourhood's prominent sites include St John's Anglican Church (the steeple of which I can always see from the window of a plane):

St Vincent's Hospital:

and the Sydney Jewish Museum (which I used to live across the road from).

Another famous landmark is the Harry Seidler-designed, 43-storey Horizon building, which casts a shadow on the neighbourhood and can also be used to pinpoint Darlinghurst by air.

The suburb also hosts a fire station, a Ken Unsworth sculpture (unaffectionately dubbed "Poos on Sticks"; shown in the photograph at the top of the page), as well as the Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst Courthouse and the National Art School.

Darlinghurst does not have a train station (Kings Cross Station is nearby) but is serviced by the rogue 311 Bus (more on that another day).

For a history of Darlinghurst read Larry Writer's fine book, Razor, and for the suburb's Wikipedia entry click here.

Darlinghurst: How I Love Thee So

I dreamt up this blog last Thursday evening after a month of travels in Alaska, Canada and California. It was my last night before I was due to return to Australia and I was lying awake in my Hollywood hostel bed, unable to sleep because I was consumed with thoughts of home.

I so missed my little apartment on a hill in Darlinghurst. I missed my bed, the view of Rushcutters Bay from my kitchen, the patchwork of Paddington's terrace-house rooftops spread out before my sunroom, and the stamp-sized squint of Sydney Harbour from another window. I wanted to sit in the sun in my favourite cafe. I longed to walk the streets. I even missed the 311 mystery-bus.

And I'd only been gone for one month.

So this is my little ode to the neighbourhood I love and long for.

Perhaps it will also be a small picture of a place and time.