The Tingle Factor Box

Rover Gets All Hot And Bothered At The Museum Of Fire

This week, with the holidays slowly but surely drawing to a close, Rover decided it was a perfect time to share a fascinating place to visit not far from Sydney itself. The question was, where to go? Then, I reminded Rover of a place we had visited not long ago with his cousins. Rover loved visiting the Museum of Fire, learning about the fascinating history of the building itself and of course playing on the awesome playground outside! He thought it would be a perfect place to share with all his online friends. 

 

If you would like to visit the Museum Of Fire, it is located in the old Penrith Power Station. The street address is 1 Museum Drive, in Penrith (which is accessed from the corner of Castlereagh Road). Look out for the 1942 Dennis Fire Station mounted up on a pole - it marks the entrance to the museum grounds! Entry to the museum is $12 per adult and $6 per child, with family tickets (and additional children on these family tickets) available. 

 

The Museum Of Fire is located inside a fascinating, if somewhat unexciting looking building which was once a power plant. Yet the history of electricity usage in Penrith actually dates back far further than the building itself! In fact, in early October, 1890, Penrith became the first area on the Sydney region and just the third in the entirety of NSW to actually make use of electricity! Electric lighting was used in approximately 60 houses in Penrith, and of course also along streets and in local businesses and public buildings, including the railway station. The mayoress of Sydney flicked the switch to turn the electricity on on October 3, 1890, and such was the excitement that thousands came to watch. The day itself was even a public holiday!

The early uptake of electricity in Penrith initially nearly ruined Penrith, with an economic depression soon following and the expense of the new electric light adding to the burden. Then, as more people began to move to the Penrith area, increasing power was needed. By the mid 1940s it was clear that Penrith itself needed its own power station. The power plant was built in the early 1950s to service the growing suburbs in the west of Sydney and continued to supply the power needs of the people of Penrith for nearly 20 years. The power station closed in 1970, and the Museum of Fire opened in the premises within a decade. Today, the Museum of Fire has been operating at the site for more than 30 years. 

Rover Finds A Man Of History - Natural History That Is! Daniel Solander

This week, with Australia Day upon us, Rover decided he would like to learn more about an important person in Australian history, who he has several times encountered on his journeys out and about, particularly in the areas around Botany Bay. Most Australians would know the names ‘Captain Cook’ and ‘Joseph Banks’, but there was a third man who accompanied them, and who played a vital role in the collection of botanical specimens in the area, but who is less well known – Daniel Solander. Rover decided that this week, he would like to remedy that!

If you would like to visit some of the places which are connected to Daniel Solander, Rover recommends visiting Kamay Botany Bay National Park, where you can find Cape Solander, the monument to Daniel Solander, and the Banks Solander Track. To get to the National Park, follow Captain Cook Drive towards Kurnell and then turn right into Cape Solander Drive. If you follow the drive right to the end you will reach Cape Solander itself, but along the way there is plenty to see and do. Rover recommends a stop at the Visitor Centre precinct, where you can walk to the memorial, or enjoy the Banks Solander Track.

Daniel Solander, though perhaps less well known than his companions Captain Cook and Joseph Banks, is an extremely important man in Australian history. He was born in 1733 in Sweden, the son of a Reverend, from whom he probably received much of his early education. In 1750, he enrolled at the University of Uppsala, where he studied languages and humanities. However, it was also here that he met the celebrated Carl Linnaeus, who was then the professor of botany. Linnaeus was impressed by Solander and convinced his father that the boy should study natural history. Just six years later, in 1756, Solander actually edited Linnaeus’s book Elementa Botanica. Linnaeus encouraged Solander to go to England and in 1760, with letters of introduction to two of the leading naturalists of the time, John Ellis and Peter Collinson, he made the journey. Solander did not return to the university to present his thesis, but was soon being referred to as Dr Solander none the less.

Solander declined roles in Europe, including the Chair of Botany at the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and the role of successor to Linnaeus at the University of Uppsala. Instead, he remained in England, cataloguing the natural history collections of the British Museum, promoting the Linnaean system of classification and being accepted as a fellow of the Royal Society by 1764. Through his work, Solander met Joseph Banks and in 1768 he was invited to join the scientific staff aboard The Endeavour. Solander accompanied Banks and Captain Cook, and was actually the first university trained scientist to ever set foot on Australian soil. He assisted Banks in making an enormous collection of specimens of Australian natural history, and after their return to England, became Banks secretary and librarian. He continued to explore the natural world with Banks, collecting materials from places including Scotland, Iceland, Wales and the Isle of Wight. He lived with Banks and died at his home in 1782, after suffering a stroke.

Rover Finds Some Rocky History - Australian Fossil And Mineral Museum

This week, Rover decided that with the weather these holidays not always being quite right for outdoor activities, he would like to share his recent trip to a fascinating museum in Bathurst - the Fossil and Mineral Museum. Rover loves rocks and fossils, and was absolutely amazed by the range of rocks and other specimens to see. 

If you would like to visit the Australian Fossil And Mineral Museum, it is located at 224 Howick Street in Bathurst. Entry to the museum is $14 for a full priced adult, with children being just $8, and there is also a family pass available. There is plenty to see at the museum, and of course plenty more to see out and around Bathurst itself!

Many may not expect to find one of the most significant and spectacular collections of fossils and minerals in the Central West, but that is just what the Bathurst Fossil and Mineral Museum displays. The museum, which is housed in the old 1876 Public School building, is home to the Somerville Collection, which contains some of the best and rarest examples of fossils and minerals in the whole world. The collection was created over a lifetime by Warren Somerville AM, and the specimens which are on display at the museum are only about a quarter of the complete collection! Some of the highlights of the collection include crystals from over 100 Australian mines, beautiful gemstones, Australia’s only T.Rex Skeleton, fossilised dinosaur eggs and a selection of Australia's unique opalised fossils. 

So who exactly is Warren Somerville? Somerville gilds five degrees, was a university lecturer, TAFE teacher and orchardist in Orange. However, his great passion was always fossils and minerals. He started to collect unusual rocks at age six and found his first fossil when he was nine. Yet it wasn’t until he was a teenager and a visiting scientist looked though his 1000 piece collection that this fossil, a 400 million year old piece of coral, was identified. From that point on, Somerville dedicated his life to the study and collection of geology and palaeontology. Yet when his wife Joy was diagnosed with cancer, he realised that he would have to sell the family orchard and close his unusual private ‘museum’. The question then was what to do with the collection? Despite offers to sell it overseas (with some offers apparently of up to $15 million), Somerville decided to donate the collection to the people of Australia.  

Rover Finds An Outdoor Gallery

This week, Rover had a hankering to take in some artworks. Rover loves art, but he also wanted to take advantage of the sun, and spend his time outdoors, instead of heading to a more conventional art gallery. I told him about a graffiti laneway which I had heard about, which could be found hidden away in Katoomba, and he thought this would the perfect place to visit. Indeed, when we arrived, Rover was simply blown away by the spectacular artworks on display!

If you would like to visit the ‘Street Art Gallery’ as Rover has heard it described, it is located in Beverly Place, just off Waratah Street in Katoomba. Of course, many are familiar with Katoomba, for it’s Three Sisters, scenic views, and Scenic World, as well as it’s historic hotels, fabulous shops and cafes. The street art site is easy to miss though, slightly hidden away in the lane, but Rover thinks it is absolutely worth a look!

Just a short few months ago, Beverly Place was simply a forgotten alley, a backstreet in Katoomba hidden away from sight. There was nothing particularly interesting or noteworthy about the site, but then, in June (2015), the street was transformed with legal graffiti artworks being painted throughout. The gallery, which was created by a partnership between Street Art Murals Australia and the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, is believed to be Australia’s largest, and Rover thinks probably the most impressive, outdoor gallery of legal graffiti.

The works themselves are stunning, and many required scaffolding or scissor lifts and cherry pickers to allow them to be created. After all, the canvases for many of the magnificent artworks are 3 storey high buildings! There are more than 30 murals in the gallery, which were created in just two days! Over 3000 square metres of wall has been painted, with some of the best known and most talent street artists coming from all over the world to be involved. Artists include Anthony Lister, Nico Nicoson, Cines, Phibs and Sid Tapia.

Rover Finds Hidden History In East Maitland - Glebe Cemetery

 

This week Rover decided he wanted to visit somewhere quiet and contemplative. He wanted to spend some time in the country enjoying time quietly taking in some history, and marvelling at the spectacular scenery. The perfect place to do this seemed to be a cemetery, and Rover was fascinated by the history of the hidden away Glebe Cemetery in Maitland. 

 

 

If you would like to visit The Glebe cemetery it is located in Maitland, not far from Newcastle in NSW. To visit the Cemetery, find the intersection of Flinders and George Streets in East Maitland. Rover recommends parking in George Street. From there, walk to the end of George Street, and then continue across the grass until you reach the cemetery. The walk is only short (about 5 minutes).

 

 

The Glebe Cemetery may be best known by this name, but the Cemetery’s ‘official’ title when it was in use was actually St Peter’s Church of England Burial Ground. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the entire Hunter Valley area. The cemetery was marked out, with the area being cleared and a fence erected in 1829, though it is believed that there are even older graves at the site. Certainly, it appears that the Cemetery was in use not long after the Maitland area was settled. 

 

 

The first burial to have been marked by a grave stone or monument was Andrew Sparke, who died in 1830, but it is probable that there are even earlier graves, which were unmarked. Indeed, one of these unmarked graves is actually believed to belong to Colonial Architect Francis Greenway! Yet early burials, including those which took place in the 1830s, were made in unconsecrated ground. It was not until 1843, on St Peter’s Day, that the cemetery was officially consecrated by Bishop Broughton. A tent was built on the site specifically for this occasion. The cemetery continued to be used until 1900, when use discontinued, and the site began to become overgrown. The site is now recognised as having state significance, and is maintained as such.

Rover Finds A Fascinating Forest - Mount Annan Coastal River Flat Forest

Rover is very lucky to be able to visit so many wonderful places, and sometimes he enjoys just sitting and looking through the photos of places he has been and reminiscing about the amazing things he has discovered. He was looking through the photographs when he discovered this set of pictures, which show a rather extraordinary place – a Sydney Coastal River Flat Forest. This is an amazing type of environment, which is today highly endangered.

If you would like to visit the Sydney Coastal River Flat Forest, there are pockets of remaining forest to be found around Sydney, but the one Rover visited was at Mount Annan Botanic Gardens. The forest was a lucky discovery when Rover was exploring the Stolen Generation Memorial Walk, along the road into the Botanic Gardens. 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’.

As you might suppose, given the name, this particular type of rainforest is found specifically on the river flats found in the floodplains of Sydney. It is a special type of forest, with a very tall layer of Eucalyptus trees, which in original, remaining stands of the forest can be 40 metres high. Much of the forest which is remaining today is regrowth though, and so significantly smaller than the forest once would have been. In addition, this type of forest is endangered, and there are not a lot of areas which are remaining, and those which are, are often in very poor condition. The example at Mount Annan Botanic Garden is actually very healthy, with the river washing nutrients down from the surrounding hills, and these nutrients feeding the thriving forest.

Sydney Coastal River Flat Forest is often made up of specific species like the forest red gum, blue box, river peppermint and swamp gum. At Mount Annan, Forest Red Gums dominate, and the specimens in the area are up to 30 metres high. Like other forests which are familiar to Australians, there is a mid story which may be made of smaller trees and shrubs, but the understorey is a little unusual, being made up predominantly of grasses, scramblers and forbs. Rover hadn’t heard of forbs, but learned that they are flowering herbaceous plants, which don’t fall into the grasses category. Such an understorey, which is made up mostly of soft-leaves plants is unusual in Australia, and makes the Sydney Coastal River Flat Forest very special indeed. The forest is also particularly important because it helps to maintain the health of many rivers around Sydney, playing a role not only in supporting the ecology of the riverbank and river system itself, but also stabilizing the banks of these rivers.

Rover Visits A City Of The Dead - Rookwood Cemetery

This week, with Halloween having occurred so recently, Rover decided it was the perfect time to visit a cemetery. Rover loves cemeteries, with their beautiful statues, their lovely gardens and of course with their extensive history. Cemeteries are places which are simply brimming with history! Of course, there are many to choose from too, but Rover decided that Rookwood would be perfect. Being the largest necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere, it should certainly satisfy his interest!

If you would like to visit Rookwood Cemetery, it is a huge area not far from Strathfield and the gates are open from Sunrise to Sunset each day. There are several different ways to enter, but when Rover visited we entered from Barker Road (off Homebush Road), and then followed Necropolis Drive. There are many fascinating memorials and monuments within the cemetery which are well worth exploring, but the site is so huge that Rover recommends driving between the different sections and then wandering. Rover thinks it would be impossible to see everything in a single day.

Rookwood Cemetery, also known as Rookwood Necropolis, is a simply enormous place. At nearly 300 hectares, it is the largest cemetery not only in Australia, but in the Southern Hemisphere. What’s more, it is actually the largest Victorian Cemetery still in active use in the whole world! Rookwood’s history begins in the 1840s, when cemetery space in Sydney was rapidly filling up. Governor Macquarie had established a burial ground known as the Devonshire Street Cemetery in 1818, but by the 1840s the cemetery was rapidly filling up. A new, larger, cemetery was desperately needed and at first Randwick was proposed as the site, but this plan was abandoned due to complaints from residents. A railway line had been established between Sydney and Parramatta in 1856, so the Government began to look along the line for somewhere which would be suitable. The trend was increasingly to put cemeteries away from settlements or at the very least on the outskirts of cities and towns, so this plan also fit with the new fashion.

The Government eventually found the perfect site in 1862 at Haslem’s Creek and purchased the land from Edward Cohen. Formerly, the land had been part of a large estate granted to magistrate and parliamentarian Henry Grattan Douglas and the whole property was known as ‘Hyde Park’. The site was ideal though, relatively isolated, and with plenty of land. The Government divided the cemetery into denominations according to the census information, granting 21 hectares to the Church of England, 14 hectares to the Catholics and leaving 23 hectares as non-denominational burial space. The Cemetery, then known simply as ‘The Necropolis’ was officially opened in 1868, after the passing of The Necropolis Act, but it wasn’t all that long before it became clear that more land still would be needed. In 1879 the remaining 233 hectares of the old ‘Hyde Park’ were purchased to extend the cemetery. Of course, there is still history to be discovered in this huge and fascinating cemetery, and Rover is sure to revisit in the future to share more!

Rover Takes Flight - Qantas Heritage Collection Part 2

 

This week, Rover is returning to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport to continue to discover more about the fascinating history of Qantas. Rover was fascinated by the little museum he discovered at the airport, and even more so by the rich history of Qantas which he discovered. 

 

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!

 

The introduction of the luxurious flying boats to the fleet soon brought major changes for Qantas itself. Where Qantas had, essentially, been based in Brisbane since the company was formed, the flying boats began and finished their journeys at Rose Bay in Sydney. This was the catalyst for Qantas’s move from Brisbane to Sydney in 1938, and the move was completed, according to Norm Roberts, one of the station engineers for Qantas, using just two flying boats and in a single afternoon! The flying boats, many of them the famous Catalina’s, remained in service until 1958, when the last of them were sold. After the Second World War, Qantas began to look to not only rebuilding their passenger service, but also extending and modernising their fleet of aircraft. In 1946 they put in an order for four new, long range, pressurised aircraft with Lockheed. These aircraft were the famous Constellations. 

 

The first of the Constellations arrived in October of 1947, and on December 1 Qantas commenced the famous Kangaroo route from Sydney to London. The flight, then, took 4 days. Also in 1947, the Australian Government made the decision to purchase all remaining Qantas shares, putting the formerly privately owned company in the control of the Government. In 1954 Qantas was given the honour of carrying Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on their Australian tour, and in 1956 the fleet, now with 34 propeller driver aircraft, carried a record number of passengers, all heading to Melbourne for the Olympic games. 1956 was an important year for Qantas, the year when they made their longest continuous trip, from Athens to Darwin, carrying the Olympic flame and also the year when the Boeing 707-138 Jetliners were ordered. A year later Qantas House in Sydney was opened as the new headquarters of the company and in 1958 Qantas began their round the world service, circumnavigating the world in 6 days and becoming a familiar sight in the airports of 23 countries. The future of Qantas was assured, and today their fleet of planes continue to be a familiar sight world wide. 

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.