The Tingle Factor Box

Rover Takes Flight - Qantas Heritage Collection

Recently, Rover was heading off for a holiday, seeing some family who live a long way away, and this trip required an aeroplane. Rover was a bit nervous – he had never flown before, but he had also heard some wonderful stories about a museum hidden away in the airport. He thought the museum might be the perfect way to distract himself from his nerves. He was very impressed by the little museum when he visited and thought others who were travelling might also like to visit the Qantas Heritage Collection themselves.

If you would like to visit the Qantas Heritage Collection, it is located on the mezzanine level of the Sydney Domestic Terminal at the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. The museum is actually very near to gate 13, and is open to the public between 9:30am and 4:30pm on Monday to Friday. You can visit the collection for free and not only examine the wonderful, permanent collection, but also gaze out over the planes which are coming and going from the terminal. The view is superb!

Today, we may think of Qantas and Sydney Airport as simply part of Australian life, but it was not always so. The story of Qantas begins in 1919. Flying Corps officers W. Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness, both Gallipoli Veterans had heard that the Federal Government was to give a huge monetary prize to the first Australians to fly from England to Australia in 30 days or less. At first, they planned to enter, but their sponsor died and instead they took an assignment from the Defence Department to survey the race route and leave supplies for the competitors in places between Longreach (Queensland) and Katherine (Northern Territory). Their trip was arduous, and they soon decided that an air service was desperately needed in order to link the remote outback towns and settlements.

The pair found that many of the graziers were enthusiastic to support their endeavour and Fergus McMaster, a wealthy grazier himself was soon not only backing their venture, but convincing business acquaintances to invest too. By 1921 the Qantas fleet had two biplanes  and by the end of 1922 they were operating an airmail service, but the planes were still only able to carry a few passengers at a time and all services were domestic. The first overseas flight would not take place until 1935, with flying boats capable of making comfortable passenger flights overseas introduced in 1938. During the Second World War, Qantas supported the war effort, evacuating people and making vital flights to maintain links between the allied forces. It was also during the war that the Kangaroo symbol we are all so familiar with today was adopted.

Come back next week to find out what happened next!

Rover Finds A Kurnell Of History - Kurnell Visitor Information Centre

This week, Rover decided it was time to head back to a ruggedly beautiful area of Sydney, which he loves. Kamay Botany Bay National Park is a magnificent area, full of history, both Aboriginal and European and with breathtaking scenery and views. The area has something else spectacular to offer though – the Kurnell Visitor Information Centre.

If you would like to visit the Kurnell Visitor Centre, it is located within the Kamay Botany Bay National Park. To get there, follow Captain Cook Drive towards Kurnell and then turn right into Cape Solander Drive. Look for the Visitor Centre on your left. There is plenty of parking at the visitor centre, and also plenty to do with a small kiosk, standard visitor information and even an exhibition to visit. Of course, the National Park also has plenty to discover!

The Kurnell Visitor Centre, which was once known as The Discovery Centre, is more than just the run of the mill tourist information stop. With a small cafe, an art gallery, a theatrette, shop and exhibition, as well as standard tourist information, Rover thinks you could happily spend significant time exploring the building. There’s even information for whale watchers! The thing which truly captured Rovers attention though was the exhibition. The exhibition accentuates and explains the history of the national park, which is not only important to the Aboriginal peoples, but is also the site where Captain Cook first came ashore in Australia. There is information to be found about the plants which once covered the Kurnell Peninsula, and which were not only used and known to Aboriginals, but which so fascinated Banks and Solander, the botanists on board Cooks ship.

The main bulk of the exhibition when Rover visited though focussed on the ship itself – The Endeavour. The exhibition includes a spectacular model of The Endeavour but also pieces of wood and ballast stones which are believed to have come from the ship. There’s even a cannon which is believed to have come from the ship! Many of these items were recovered from the Great Barrier Reef, where it is believed that the cannon on display and five others were thrown overboard to lighten the ship. The Endeavour had struck the reef and needed to ‘lose weight’ so that it could be floated off and so many items would have been thrown overboard.

Rover Finds A Blooming Great Garden - Golden Wheel Buddhist Retreat

This week, Rover decided he wanted to enjoy some of the beautiful Spring weather we have been having, and also some of the beautiful Spring flowers. Rover thinks Spring is a wonderful time, and loves to head out and about to see the plants and trees burst back into life with fresh leaves and stunning colourful flowers. He had heard about a rather spectacular garden in Galston which is only open to the public occasionally, and decided this was the perfect time to visit and share his photos.

If you would like to visit this beautiful garden, it is located at Golden Wheel Buddhist Retreat in Galston. The street address is 405 Galston Road, Galston. The garden is only open occasionally, but it is well worth visiting when opened to the public, as the garden is absolutely amazing. This year the garden is open on the 12^th and 13^th of September (today!) from 9:30 to 4:30, thanks to the Galston Garden Club open garden scheme. Bring your walking shoes though as this is a huge garden and you will want to see it all! Entrance to the garden is $5 per person and all proceeds will go to charity.

The Golden Wheel Buddhist Retreat is renowned to be one of Sydney’s most stunning gardens, and having been to visit, Rover has to agree. With blossom trees absolutely covered in flowers, extraordinary bonsai’s, enormous koi, delicate orchids, stunning camellias, succulents and more, there is something to see everywhere and every way you look. Yet the garden has not been seen by the public in almost seven years, apparently closed while the new temple was constructed. The Buddhist Shrine is a stunning, modern building where members of the Australian Buddhist Association gather for prayers and contemplation. You can visit the shrine on the open day, and see the stunning interior and beautifully presented offerings.

Seeing the extraordinary, seemingly ancient trees and plants which make up the amazing gardens, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Golden Wheel Buddhist Retreat gardens were established fifty years ago. Yet this is not the case - the gardens were constructed in the late 1990s as a beautiful landscaped environment for the Buddhist Temple and retreat buildings. Despite their surprisingly recent construction, the gardens are extremely well established and many of the trees and shrubs seem much older. Rover was particularly taken by the bougainvilleas which twist their enormous trunks around poles before spreading into a canopy over the path.  

Rover Finds A Fair Walk - Fairfax Walk

This week, Rover decided he wanted to visit somewhere where he might be lucky enough to glimpse a whale. Of course, this limited his choices to somewhere on the coast! He wanted somewhere though where, even if a whale did not stop by, there were other things to discover. I suggested heading towards North Head and investigating the Fairfax Walk, which he thought was a great idea.

If you would like to visit the Fairfax Walk, it is located at North Head, in the National Park. To get there, follow Darley Road, continuing past the hospital. You will see a rather lovely stone arch over the road, and you need to continue under this arch onto North Head Scenic Drive. Follow the road to the Fairfax Lookout parking area (which has ticketed parking). The walk is only about 1 kilometre long and the main loop is paved for wheelchair access. There are a few platforms which have stairs to access them, but the views from the main path are great too!

Before Europeans colonised Australia, North Head was a place where the local Aboriginal people gathered together, and was used for traditional medicinal practices. You can see many of the traditional plants which grew in the area on the Fairfax Walk. After European arrival, the area continued to be associated with Aboriginal people, and in fact North Head is the site where three famous Aboriginal men, Arabanoo, Bennelong and Colbee were captured. By the 1830s though, North Head had become more closely associated with the European colonists, with the area being used to quarantine passengers arriving in the colony from overseas. By 1837, the whole of the headland was being used as a Quarantine reserve.

As the Fairfax Walk reveals though, in the 20^th century North Head became associated with defence of a different kind. In 1933 Parkhill Reserve opened, allowing public access to North Head, but the reserve was short lived, closing just a year later to allow fortifications to be built. The reserve reopened again, but it was on land not needed for defence purposes. In 1938 the brick barracks complex known as North Fort was completed, and the fort was an integral part of the harbour defence system during World War II. In 1945 the fort closed, but the School Of Artillery was established just a year later in North Fort. The School Of Artillery continued to function at the site until 1998. Today the National Artillery Museum occupies the buildings and many of the coastal defences remain standing. You can visit some of these defences on the Fairfax Walk.

Roaming Roy Finds A Cottage Kitchen - Jenkins Cottage

This week, Roy decided to look back on some of the hundreds of photos he has taken during his visits to many different places. Roy loves the opportunity to occasionally sit back and remember these many trips, and he often finds photos which he has not yet shared of fascinating places he has learned about. This week was no different, and Roy decided it was time to share one of these places with his online friends. He decided on Jenkin’s Cottage in Lane Cove National Park would be just the place.

If you would like to visit Jenkins Cottage it is located in Lane Cove National Park. To get there, Roy entered the park via Lady Game Drive and drove along the road until he reached the weir precint. Park here and then follow the signs to Jenkins Cottage. There is plenty to do in the National Park, and you could easily spend some hours at the weir precinct, or continue along to other areas of the park. It’s a great place for a picnic, and there are plenty of bushwalks in addition to large grass areas which would be perfect for running around or kicking a ball.

Jenkins Cottage is a very special place in not only Lane Cove National Park, but in the whole of the Kuringai Shire. It is believed to be the oldest standing European built structure in the area, and is an important link to the history of Lane Cove. Yet cottage is perhaps a little misleading – what we see today is not the home of the Jenkins, but their kitchen! Although it is the oldest remaining structure, it was certainly not the first to have been built along Lane Cove River. The cottage is named after the Jenkins family who built it in approximately 1856. Thomas and Maria Jenkins had, at one time, the largest land holdings in the shire, and also the largest family, which was made up of 13 children!

The purchase of the Jenkins land however predates the building of the cottage we see today. Thomas and Maria Jenkins bought their land on the banks of the Lane Cove River in 1852, and their land holdings included lands originally owned by William Henry, Maria’s grandfather. William Henry originally owned a large area on Blue Gum Creek which he worked as vineyards, but in 1851 he was evicted (though Roy was unable to find out exactly why – we assume it was due to lack of funds). William Henry was not the only member of Maria’s family to come from the area though and it is actually quite likely that she had been born somewhere on land bordering the Lane Cove River, if not at her grandfathers home, possibly on the 12 acres of land owned by her father, William Haher.

Rover Remembers At The Holocaust Memorial

 

This week, with the death of the extraordinary ‘English Schindler’, Nicholas Winton earlier this week, it seemed the perfect time to share a beautiful and moving memorial to the Holocaust. Nicholas Winton saved hundreds of Jewish children during the Second World War, and died at age 106.

 

If you would like to visit the Holocaust Memorial, it is located in Rookwood Cemetery, near Strathfield. To get there, Rover entered from Barker Road (off Homebush Road), and then took Necropolis Drive. There are many fascinating memorials and monuments within the cemetery which are well worth exploring, but the Jewish Monument is adjacent to the Jewish Section. To get there follow Necropolis Drive through the cemetery until you see Paton Street. The Memorial will be at the next intersection (which is essentially a huge roundabout). However, there were roadworks when Rover visited, so follow the signs if the roads are closed.

 

 

During the Second World War, thousands of Jews lost their lives, due to the strident Anti-Semitism of the Nazi Party. This period, and the massive loss of life it brought, is known as The Holocaust. After the Second War War, thousands of Jewish Survivors needed to be resettled, but many English speaking nations were not keen to take them. In 1948 Israel was created and many Jews went to the newly created country, but many others needed a different, new home. After Israel, Australia took the largest number of displaced Jews in the world on a pro-rata population basis (what this means is that, although some countries took more in sheer numbers, Australia absorbed the largest number in comparison to our population). 

 

 

In 1933 there were under 24000 Jews in Australia, but in 1954 this had risen to over 48000, and by 1961 there were nearly 60000 Jews in Australia. The huge number of Holocaust survivors who migrated to Australia means that there are few Jewish families who were not personally touched by the Holocaust, and even those who were in Australia before the war have often intermarried with those who have members who remember the horrors of the war. It is perhaps no surprise therefore that the Australian Jews wished to have a permanent memorial. In 1969 the memorial at Rookwood was completed. It was designed by the famous architect Harry Seidler, who was himself an Austrian born Jew. He fled to England soon after Nazi Germany occupied Austria in 1938. He and his family eventually migrated to Australia, where Harry was a successful and famous architect.

Roaming Roy Goes To Hospital - Gladesville Hospital

 

This week, Roy decided he wanted to revisit somewhere which he has visited in the past, but felt there was more to find out about, Gladesville Hospital. The former asylum is an enormous complex, and Roy spent quite some time wandering the area, admiring the amazing buildings and contemplating the people who once lived here. Roy decided it was time to share a little more of the story with his online friends. 

 

 

If you would like to visit the old Gladesville Hospital, it is located on Victoria Road, Gladesville. You can enter the ground from this road, and find somewhere to park. Alternately, you can enter from Campbell Drive, and walk up from near the river front and through the hospital grounds. There is plenty to see in the area, with beautiful historic buildings, fascinating history, open grassed areas and there is even an oval near the Campbell Drive entrance for running around or flying a kite! 

 

 

When the colony of New South Wales was established, part of the duties of the Governor was to care for ‘idiots and lunatics’. At first, people who had been found to be lunatics were kept in the Town Hall at Parramatta, but in 1811 Governor Macquarie founded the first purpose built mental asylum, which was at Castle Hill. One asylum couldn’t possibly care for all those who were seen to be insane in the colony though and soon the asylum was overcrowded. It was clear that another, larger asylum would be needed and in the 1830s a surveyor, H. F. White, was sent to survey the area where Gladesville Hospital now stands. At the time, the area was known as Bedlam Point, and it was the point where a creek, Tarban Creek, enters the Parramatta River. This is where the hospital, whose buildings were designed by Mortimer Lewis, was constructed, between 1836 and 1838. At the time, the hospital was known as Tarban Creek Asylum.

 

 

The first supervisor of the hospital was a John Thomas Digby, whose wife worked as matron. He was replaced by Frederick Norton Manning in the 1860s. Both Digby and Manning were very interested in improving the treatment and condition of those who were mentally ill. It was Manning though who is best known for his tireless work to improve the plight of his patients. In fact, before Manning agreed to take on the role of superintendent he travelled overseas and studied other asylums and systems of care! When Manning took over, he improved the diet of the patients, created new facilities to allow the patients to be ‘gainfully employed’ (including gardens) and minimised the use of restraint. Under his care the Asylum even changed names, becoming the Hospital for the Insane at Gladesville (usually known as Gladesville Hospital). The hospital continued to care for those with mental illnesses well into the 20th century, with inpatient services finally moving the Macquarie, North Ride site in 1997. 

Rover Goes Gardening - Australian Botanic Garden

This week Rover decided he would like to visit a place which he had heard a huge amount about, but not yet had a chance to visit. Rover loves nature and gardens, and Botanic Gardens in particular fascinate him – full of so much variety and so many things to discover. Rover is quite familiar with the Sydney and Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens, but he had heard wonderful things about Mount Annan, and decided it was time to visit.

If you would like to visit the Australian Botanic Garden, it is at Mount Annan, not far from Camden. To get there, take the M5, and exit onto Narellan Road and then follow the signs to the ‘Australian Botanic Garden’. The gardens are enormous and it would be very difficult to walk the whole area, but there are plenty of places to stop the car and go for a walk. There is also a wonderful restaurant which serves up great lunches, or absolutely tons of room for a picnic. Entry to the gardens is free, and there is even a seed bank to explore (open Monday to Friday, and for tours on some weekends).

Before Europeans colonised Australia, the land where the Australian Botanic Gardens now stands was part of the traditional lands of the Dharawal Aboriginal people. In 1818 though Magistrate William Howe was granted 3000 acres of land to the east of the Nepean River and Glenlee estate was established with the historic house being completed in 1824. The Mount Annan area was purchased and added to the estate in the 1820s. In the 1850s the entire Glenlee estate was passed to James Fitzpatrick and his family ran a dairy farm in the area right up until 1978. After the dairy farm ceased operating a riding school moved into the area, but in 1984 the NSW government allocated 400 hectares of the land as a native botanic garden. This was the very start of Mount Annan as a Botanic Garden.

From the very beginning of the project to transform Mount Annan into the Australian Botanic Garden, a plan which was part of the Bicentennial celebrations, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust was in charge of administering the site. In 1985 planning got underway and a major expedition went to Western Australia to collect plants for the gardens. In 1986 and 87 massive amounts of construction and planting was done and in 1988, despite a major storm causing damage to several areas, the garden was officially opened to the public. This wasn’t the end of construction though and since then the garden has continued to grow and thrive, showcasing not only beautiful garden design, but also the amazing plants which make the Australian bush such a special place. Today the Australian PlantBank is also a fascinating part of the gardens, safeguarding our previous plant species for the future. Rover will return next week to share more about this amazing research facility.  

Roaming Roy Finds A Creek In History - Flat Rock Creek

This week, Roy decided it was time to enjoy a quiet meander in beautiful, natural surroundings. Roy was heading into the North Sydney area though, so he knew he would have to look carefully to find the perfect place where he could walk and almost forget he was close to the city. Eventually we decided that Tunks Park and Flat Rock Creek in the Willoughby area would be perfect.

If you would like to visit Tunks Park and Flat Rock Creek, it is located in Cammeray, not far from North Sydney. To get there, continue along Strathallen Avenue, across the suspension bridge, and then turn into The Boulevarde. Continue along Rowlison Parade until you reach Vernon Street and from there turn into Brothers Avenue. You should now be able to find somewhere to park. Alternately, you can turn from Strathallen Avenue into Cliff Avenue and then follow Lower Cliff Avenue to Brothers Avenue. There is plenty of room to have a picnic, run off energy, kick a ball or just enjoy a walk along the creek! There is also a fabulous children’s playground to explore and enjoy.

Tunks Park, named after William Tunks (the first Mayor of St Leonards), is a foreshore park which has long been the centre of sports in the area. With fields catering for cricket, football, soccer and even school carnivals, it is a popular place for not only organised sports, but for more informal games. The sports fields themselves were created in the 1950s, when the creek and mudflats at the top of Long Bay were reclaimed. The fields were named the Falcon Memorial Playing Fields, in memory of the soldiers of the First and Second World Wars. However, the history of the area surrounding Tunks Park goes back much further. There are shell middens and rock art sites in the area which show that the local Aboriginal people, the Cammeraygal people after whom Cammeray is named, used the creek and tidal flats for food and water.

After European settlement though, the area around Flat Rock Creek became heavily used. Rock was quarried from the area for use around Sydney, and in building the piers for the suspension bridge which spans the park. The soils around the creek were also found to be rich and fertile and quickly orchards and market gardens began to appear, many of which were operated by the Chinese. There was even a piggery, the ruins of which can still be seen if you walk the entire length of the creek. Of course, the creek was also picturesque, with cascades and a magnificent waterfall, and many came to the area to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Then, in the 1930s the beautiful waterfall which had been so popular with picnickers, was designated as a rubbish dump. The Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator could not cope with the amount of waste, and tonnes of rubbish was tipped into Flat Rock Creek Gully, right up until 1985.

Rover Is Artistically Inclined - Pugh's Lagoon

There has been so much rain about recently, and Rover thought while the sun was out, it was the perfect time to enjoy time out and about. He also thought, with Mothers Day upon us, it was the perfect time to share a beautiful spot to take Mum’s and Grandma’s to enjoy a picnic. There are plenty of beautiful places which Rover knows of, but one which he recently visited stood out – Pugh’s Lagoon.

If you would like to visit Pugh’s Lagoon it is located in the beautiful and historic Richmond area. To get there, follow Windsor Street until you reach the beautiful lagoon area. Alternately, you can follow Old Kurrajong Road, if you are coming from the Mountains, and this will also take you to the lagoon. You can find a place to park in Smith Park, and there is plenty of room to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy the beautiful surrounds. There are also plenty of waterbirds to watch!

Pugh’s Lagoon is named after Edward Pugh who was transported to Australia as a convict on the First Fleet. He arrived with his wife, Elizabeth Parker (who was also a convict) and their daughter Ann but sadly both Elizabeth and Ann died not long after arriving in Australia. Edward remarried another convict, Hannah Smith, not long after Elizabeth’s death and together they had a family. Edward served out his sentence and in 1791 he was granted 70 acres of land near Parramatta. The grant was cancelled in 1802 and a new grant given to Pugh in an area near Richmond, just west of a lagoon, the lagoon later known as Pugh’s Lagoon. By the mid 1830s though, Edward was a pauper and he died at Windsor District Hospital in 1837.

Pugh’s Lagoon is not just historically linked with a First Fleeter though. The Richmond and Windsor district is a beautiful area which has long captured the interest of artists who have come to the vicinity to capture the stunning scenery. Pugh’s Lagoon is just one area which artists have frequented. The most well known was the impressionist Charles Conder. In 1888 Conder was in the area and painted a view from the southern end of Pugh’s Lagoon and looking towards St Peter’s Church which stands on the rise beyond. There is a sign in Smith Park commemorating this visit and the painting, though it is quite a distance from where Conder actually painted the scene from. Charles Conder was a well known member of the famous Heidelberg School and is represented in many international collections. The painting of Pugh’s Lagoon is in the collection of the National Gallery Of Victoria.