This week, with the sun making a welcome appearance, Roy decided it was the perfect day to head to the coast and enjoy some traditional seaside fare. Roy loves fish and chips, and thinks that, on a nice sunny day, there is nothing better than sitting beside the sea, soaking up the sun, enjoying a delicious lunch. There are many fantastic places to enjoy fish and chips, but Roy thinks one of the best, as well as the most interesting, is Doyles in Watsons Bay.
There are several Doyles Restaurants which you can visit, including one at the Sydney Fish Markets, but Roy particularly enjoys the ones in Watsons Bay. There are two options for Doyles fish and chips at Watsons Bay. The first, and the one which Roy usually chooses, is Doyles On The Wharf, which is found on the Fishermans Wharf, Watsons Bay. Roy enjoys taking his fish and chips away and finding a nice place to sit on the beach. He also likes the historic Doyles On The Beach, which is only a short walk from the wharf, and is in a beautiful old building. If you would like to visit either of these restaurants, they are located in Watsons Bay, NSW. To visit, follow Old South Head Road until you reach the small town of Watsons Bay or catch the ferry from Circular Quay!
Watsons Bay is a very historic area of Sydney Harbour. It is located on the South Head of Sydney Harbour and has several claims to fame. Not only does Watsons Bay include Camp Cove, the place where the First Fleet first made shore in Australia (you can see Roy’s visit to Camp Cove by clicking here), but Watsons Bay is also Australia’s oldest fishing village. Before European Settlement, the Watsons Bay area was home to the Cadigal people who were the first to fish and collect shellfish in the waters around Watsons Bay. After European Settlement, Watsons Bay became first a tourist destination with one of the early visitors being Elizabeth Macarthur, and then a fishery.
The Doyle Family played and continue to play an important role in this fishing history. From the earliest days of settlement, people recognised that Watsons Bay was a good place for fishing, just as the Aborigines before them did. Then, in 1792 a fishery was formally established in the bay. Many of the early fishermen sold their catch from the beach. The first of the Doyle family known to be involved in the fishing history of Watsons Bay was selling his fish from the beach, very near where the Doyles Restaurant is today, in 1845. 40 years later, the first Doyles Restaurant opened, in the building still occupied by Doyles On The Beach. Not only was this Australia’s first seafood restaurant, today it is Australia’s oldest! The restaurants are still owned and operated by the Doyle family, 5 generations on!
