Photo Stories

Wildlife of Woollahra

Creature comforts and playful paws: animal images from the Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive.

Horse outside of the Town Hall and Council Chambers for Vaucluse Council, Watsons Bay, 1910. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf004083.

Horse outside of the Town Hall and Council Chambers for Vaucluse Council, Watsons Bay, 1910. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf004083.

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Woman with dog and child sitting on grass at St Brigids, ca. 1913-1916. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002457.

Woman with dog and child sitting on grass at St Brigids, ca. 1913-1916. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002457.

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The gardener with a dog in the garden of St Brigids, Double Bay, ca. 1913-1916. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002118.

The gardener with a dog in the garden of St Brigids, Double Bay, ca. 1913-1916. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002118.

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Pony in a field, Rose Bay, ca. 1919. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf004964.

Pony in a field, Rose Bay, ca. 1919. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf004964.

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Man wearing suit and hat reclining on tennis court with dog, at 'St Brigids'. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002458.

Man wearing suit and hat reclining on tennis court with dog, at 'St Brigids'. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002458.

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Moulder family, friends and two dogs around the tea table in the garden of St Brigids. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002078.

Moulder family, friends and two dogs around the tea table in the garden of St Brigids. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002078.

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Young girl nursing a cat, The Retreat (laneway), Double Bay, 1940s-1950s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002764.

Young girl nursing a cat, The Retreat (laneway), Double Bay, 1940s-1950s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf002764.

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Unknown good dog, from photograph album entitled 'Yatalunga', ca. 1920s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005075t.

Unknown good dog, from photograph album entitled 'Yatalunga', ca. 1920s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005075t.

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Cow under a tree, Faraday Avenue, Rose Bay. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf000558.

Cow under a tree, Faraday Avenue, Rose Bay. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf000558.

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Tiger Shark at Watsons Bay, 13ft. 10in. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005738.

Tiger Shark at Watsons Bay, 13ft. 10in. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005738.

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Circus elephants at Lyne Park, 1994. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005691c.

Circus elephants at Lyne Park, 1994. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005691c.

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Alexandra Mckenzie with Coco the cat, interior decor business No. 78 Queen Street, Woollahra, 1994. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf008348.

Alexandra Mckenzie with Coco the cat, interior decor business No. 78 Queen Street, Woollahra, 1994. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf008348.

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A dapper dog steps out at People and Pets Day, 1998. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005892b.

A dapper dog steps out at People and Pets Day, 1998. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf005892b.

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Pets Day at Lyne Park, 2001. Woollahra History and Heritage Society, Bruce Crosson. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf004878.

Pets Day at Lyne Park, 2001. Woollahra History and Heritage Society, Bruce Crosson - Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive, pf004878.

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Stories from the neighbourhood

Images from a display illustrating anecdotes of early local resident James Arthur Dowling and others as part of the 2011 Heritage Festival.

Postcard of Rushcutters Bay

Postcard of Rushcutters Bay with boatsheds in the foreground and the 'ladies and gents baths' in the distance, early 20th century

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Postcard of boatsheds

Postcard of boatsheds along New Beach Road at Rushcutters Bay, early 20th century

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New South Wales Naval Brigade

The New South Wales Naval Brigade at Rushcutters Bay, prior to departure to the Boxer Rebellion, 1900

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Tram on New South Head Road

Tram on New South Head Road approaching Mona Road, Edgecliff, c1918

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Ivisons's Garage

Ivisons's Garage and shops along New South Heath Road at the corner of Darling Point Road, Edgecliff, 1929 (Photo: Herbert Shaw)

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Greenoaks Avenue

Greenoaks Avenue, Double Bay, looking towards 'Ecclesbourne' from below 'Bishopscourt', 1929

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Tennis match

Tennis match in the grounds of 'Brooksby', 45 Ocean Avenue, Double Bay, 1930s

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'Yatalunga', 87-89 Yarranabbe Road, Darling Point, the home of Henry Barre Phipps in the late 1920s

'Yatalunga', 87-89 Yarranabbe Road, Darling Point, the home of Henry Barre Phipps in the late 1920s"

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Yatalunga, Darling Point

Relaxing by the pool on the shores of Darling Point at 'Yatalunga', late 1920s

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Double Bay foreshore

Double Bay foreshore looking towards houses at Darling Point, early 20th century

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Postcard of Rushcutters Bay showing the shoreline

Postcard of Rushcutters Bay showing the shoreline before reclamation was completed in the 1880s

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Postcard of Darling Point

Postcard of Darling Point and the house 'Lansdowne', today the site of McKell Park, late 19th century

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Postcard of the beach in front of Steyne Park

Postcard of the beach in front of Steyne Park, Double Bay, late 19th century

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Old South Head Road - 200th anniversary

The 200th anniversary of the building of the Old South Head Road was commemorated on 6 June 2011 at Watsons Bay. The construction of the road to South Head commenced on 25 March 1811 and was undertaken by 21 soldiers of Lachlan Macquarie's 73rd Regiment. The road followed the approximate route of an earlier track cleared to the look-out post (later site of the Signal Station) and was completed in ten weeks.

Initially referred to as the South Head Road, it became known as the Old South Head Road to distinguish it from the New South Head Road built along the Harbour's edge from 1831. Part of the road, from Paddington to Bondi Junction, was gradually renamed Oxford Street from 1875. A stone obelisk marking the road's completion stands near Robertson Park, Watsons Bay.

Obelisk at Watsons Bay

The stone obelisk at Watsons Bay

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Obelisk inscription

Inscription on the stone obelisk marking the completion of the road to South Head

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Old South Head Road 1920s

Old South Head Road from recreation land near the Macquarie Lighthouse, 1920s

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Oxford Mall, Bondi Junction

A section of Oxford Street was closed to create the Oxford Mall at Bondi Junction in 1979

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Oxford St, Paddington 1910

Oxford Street looking east from William Street, Paddington, 1910

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South Head c1894

Old South Head Road approaching Watsons Bay, passing the Signal Station (right) and the Congregational Church and South Head Family Hotel (left), c1894

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Tram at Lighthouse

Tram on the Old South Head Road approaching the Macquarie Lighthouse, early 20th century

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Watsons Bay c1905

View of Watsons Bay, the stone obelisk sited at the fence line in front of Dunbar House, c1905

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Watsons Bay map 1860

Map of Vaucluse and Watsons Bay showing the route of the South Head Road from the flagstaff down to Watsons Bay and the stone obelisk, c1860

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Watsons Bay postcard

Postcard of Watsons Bay, the Old South Head Road reaching its end at the Bay, early 20th century

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Dressing the part

Dressing-up is an age-old, universal amusement. These images from our collection showcases the joys of dressing up, whether for a fancy dress carnival, for the school play or for the local team.

Sydney's White City amusement park, which forms a backdrop to a number of these images, operated seasonally between 1913 and 1917, occupying for the summer months some 10 acres of ground at Rushcutters Bay. This temporary world of artificial lakes and mountains, novelty rides and themed attractions drew Sydney revellers by the thousands.

Ruth and Richard Parker

A fairy and a native American warrior pose for the family camera, c1919. Otherwise known as Ruth and Richard Parker, the children were the 4 year old daughter and 6 year old son of Dr Leslie Parker. The setting is the garden of Amadown, the family home in Rose Bay.

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Vi Lavery

Vi Lavery of Double Bay in fancy dress costume based on 'Turf' cigarette boxes for a fundraising costume party, c1920s.

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Fancy dress party group

Members of the Lavery family and others in fancy dress costume, c1920. Fund raising fancy dress parties were held to raise money for various causes such as supporting injured soldiers from the First World War.

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Paddington Baseball Team

Members of the Paddington Baseball Team and umpire, 1909. The team were the leaders in the local competition and were dressed in their uniform for a match held in July at the Sydney Cricket Ground against visiting Columbia Park, a baseball team from California.

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Rose Bay football team

Proudly wearing the Captain's jersey is young Jack Garret (back row fourth from left), the linchpin of Rose Bay Public School's 1910

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School play

Dressed for drama, young performers from the Vaucluse Grammar School are captured in character before a performance at the Rose Bay Hall in 1916. The play, a theatrical adaption of Charles Dickens' "Pickwick Papers", was overseen by the school's Headmaster, Mr Dimlow (pictured left, back row).

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Lawrence H Cecil

Young actor, Lawrence H Cecil, in costume, early 20th century (Photographer: May Moore). May Moore and her sister Minnie specialised in photographs of actors, musicians, writers and artists. Lawrence Cecil was an Australian actor and producer whose career took him abroad for a number of years before he returned to Australia and settled in Double Bay.

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Lawrence H Cecil and actor in costume

Lawrence H Cecil (standing) and another actor in costume for a stage production, undated (Photographer: Rew Hoffman). Australian actor and producer, Lawrence Cecil, starred in a number of Broadway productions between 1928 and 1930 including "Twelfth Night" in which he played Sir Toby Belch (possibly featured in this photograph).

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Sarah and Kitty Lavery with friends

Sarah and Kitty Lavery with friends in fancy dress costume at a gala night, at the White City Amusement Park, Rushcutters Bay, c1914. Sarah Lavery, who lived in Court Road, Double Bay, ran a dressmaking business in the city while sister Kitty was a manicurist.

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Una Syms and Hope Major

Una Syms and Hope Major in fancy dress costume at a Gala night, at the White City Amusement Park, Rushcutters Bay, c1914. White City management advertised gala nights and fancy dress carnivals where prizes were awarded for the best costumes.

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Japanese Village

The Japanese Village at Sydney's White City amusement park, c1914. The village offered a glimpse into an imagined world of Japanese culture, complete with this tableau vivant wearing traditional dress.

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Roller skating instructors

Roller skating instructors at White City amusement park, Rushcutters Bay, c1914. The 'Vice-regal rink' was advertised as offering a 'perfect floor, clean, fast, no dust and noiseless' open air skating rink. The smart jackets worn by the roller skating instructors included braiding and decorative fastenings (frogs) reminiscent of military uniform.

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Floral float

Woollahra Council's floral float, 1938. Part of Australia's sesquicentenary celebrations of 1938, Council's elaborate float featured young women and small girls in costumes representing native Australian flora.

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