Sydney Harbour Bridge completed during the Great Depression

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge construction started in 1924 and took 1400 men eight years to build at a cost of £42 million. Six million hand-operated rivets and 53,000 tonnes of steel were used in its construction.  It was officially opened on 19 March 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression.

Before Paul Hogan (from the movie Crocodile Dundee) became famous,
he worked on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a painter.

Construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge

Capta
Captain Francis De Groot, a member of the proto-fascist New Guard organisation,
preempted the bridge’s official opening, riding up on horseback and slashing
the ribbon with his sword. De Groot was dragged from his horse by police
and later convicted of offensive behaviour. 

Jack Lang cutting the ribbon

PROMENADE – “Concrete mad”, they all said.

BALMORAL PROMENADE WALKWAYS, PAVING AND SEATING WORKS – SOUTH OF BALMORAL RESERVE

Monday 6 August – Friday 30 November 2018 

Council Contractor, Design Landscapes Pty Ltd will be undertaking the seating works at the southern end of the Balmoral Reserve between the Public Dinning Restaurant/Swimmers Club/Kiosk Building and Children Play area.This work will be undertaken during the period of August to November 2018.

With the work on the promenade progressing well it's interesting to look back to the 1930's when the promenade was first built as a Depression employment project.

Extract from 'THROUGH THE HEADS to Balmoral, Sydney'  

The Tramp Tramp Tramp of Workless Men 1929 'The Great Depression seized the world An economic 'ogre' crippled industry,Threw workers to the streets - and having vent its worst fury,lingered in the shadows until WW11. Hardship endured, depression employment yielded the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Balmoral beautification scheme; Rotunda, Bathers Pavilion, Promenade. "Concrete mad!" they all said. “…  Later, a promenade was built, which made a big difference to the area. .. they used to have to shovel the sand off the tramlines after heavy winds and rough seas…” Ted  Pethebridge The public campaign of opposition to the development meant that many councillors did not survive at their next election, being accused by the electors as being ‘concrete mad’.  Not everyone welcomed the exchange of the great sand dunes and the cutting of many more trees, for an English –style promenade. “Well, it was our beautiful sand dunes.  To spoil it with that cement structure was shocking. The same as we hated when they built that monstrosity there.  We thought the bathing pavilion, was the ugliest thing we’d ever seen.” Margaret Ewart   ‘Mosman Voices’

However, many did grow fond of the promenade from the baths to the pavilion, with the beach on one side and the Morton Bay and Port Jackson Figs on the other.

Loving Mosman in Summer

A recent weather forecast   "The temperature tomorrow is likely to push past 40C in the city tomorrow and 44C out west., Saturday and Sunday seeing something similar before a much cooler Monday." 

Sydney’s summer of stinkingly-uncomfortable heat and humidity has continued with temperatures topping 40C as other parts of NSW also swelter.

Birdsville, in Queensland’s far west is tipped to reach 48C next Tuesday, the same time Bourke is forecast to hit 46C ...

We are fortunate to have Balmoral to escape to - especially in the early evening.

Sunbaker’ Max Duplain  1937   State Library of NSW – Wiki Commons

Max Duplain's famous photo was taken nearby at  Manly Beach.

I shield my face; My eyes are closed; I spin with nearing sleep; I am dissolved within myself and softened like a ripening fruit;I swing in a red-hazy void; I sway with tides of blind heat.

From ‘The  Sunbather’ – John Thompson

Seagulls at Balmoral

Posted on November 24, 2016by Foreshore Flavour

Seagull The gull turns on the wind and its brief shadow falls cleanly through the wave on rippled sand. In stone, its flight is stayed… A moment weathering into eternity. David Campbell 1915 – 1979

Sydney sandstone rock carvings
Rock engravings, cave stencils remain to chronicle the past

The rock is soft enough to have enabled the Aboriginals to engrave images. 
Images around Balmoral are mainly aquatic with cave stencils of whales, sharks, stingrays, echidnas and human hands.  Images date from 5000 BC to as recently as 200 years ago.       Time and Tide    Gavin Souter

For the love of Balmoral          Photos taken proudly on my trusty Canon          Claire

For information as to how you can play a part  re  Keeping Mosman independent and therefore maintaining  our favourite beach as it is, visit the MAFA website,  Mosman Against Forced Amalgamation.       mafa2016.wordpress.com

Guardianship of Mosman’s Harbour Foreshores

1890's Streeton and Roberts, "pulled through the lazy green water
and lunched in the shade and in the open air"
to join their fellow artists under canvas
in camps set up by Hopkins and Ashton.
" 'Til  matrimony claimed their souls."

 

“I shout and laugh at my immense wealth, 

all free and without responsibility.  

Who could steal this from me?  

No one!” Arthur Streeton 

by Foreshore Flavour

The Heads, Sydney’s gateway to the world, have witnessed the parade of vessels as they voyaged to and from the distant world.  ‘THROUGH THE HEADS to Balmoral, Sydney’ takes a nostalgic viewing point and is dedicated to all caretakers, past and present, of our magnificent harbour foreshores.  Mosman Council is acknowledged for its demonstrated energy re the development and management of Balmoral, along with the vigilance of residents in their continued role of protecting and valuing many Mosman’s historical and cultural sites.
Arthur Streeton ‘From My Camp’  1896 Art Gallery of NSW	The same site today  – Camp Curlew Photo – Christopher Maait
	“Our foreshores have it all: natural bushland, history, cultural heritage.”

Heralding a new E-book "Balmoral Picnic - past & present

Loving our foreshores

This book supports & follows on from Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours. 

This book published in 2013, features walks around the foreshores of Mosman; its rich history and cultural heritage, with cafe destinations and recipes. It features high quality photos of this beautiful area.    Claire Mitchell & Christopher Maait

First things first  - so here's the painting which will form the cover of the book -
'North Head - Balmoral Beach' by David Boddam-Whetham. 

‘BALMORAL  - somewhere on the Australian coast Many of us, in our hearts, claim Balmoral as ‘my beach’ and have connected with it in different layers. So what makes it so special? Is it a sense of place?  Its evolving history over an immense period of time can be seen as a microcosm of our colonial history and development.   The gateway between The Heads to the world  holds the significance of all the vessels which passed through.   The First Fleet carried  the  immigrants,  many of them reluctant, who would forge  Australia’s  development into a colony. Or perhaps  a sense of wonder at the relentless natural beauty -  along with the  appreciation of our cultural heritage; not only of works created,  but the fact  that so many artists, writers and photographers  over the centuries  have found pleasure in its creative expression. It could be relaxing,  swimming;  strolling along the Promenade;  sipping a good cappuccino while reading the weekend papers; enjoying a café meal  or:-  simply sharing a picnic with friends     (& of course recipes - styled re 'fit in your jeans cuisine')  Looking forward to sharing ideas with others who love the spirit & history  of Balmoral and other amazing  beaches on the Australian Coast. Claire http://balmoralpicnic.blogspot.com