Into the future

I always thought this old building was associated with the tramway that used to run between Arncliffe and Bexley early in the 20th century but have been unable to corroborate this. I had also hoped it would one day be restored. Unfortunately not (although admittedly it is difficult to tell what the final result of the renovations will be).

Australia Day

Australia's convict past at Port Arthur in Tasmania.

Visit the City Daily Photo National Day - Australia Day theme page.

Joaja (14)

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White. 

Joaja (13)

Joaja (12)

Joadja (11)

Joadja (10)

Joadja (9)

Joadja (8)

Joadja (7)

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White. 

Joadja (6)

Joadja (5)

Joadja (4)

Joadja (3)

Joadja

Joadja is a ghost town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire.

It was a thriving mining town between 1870–1911. It was home for approximately 1,100 people, many of whom were skilled immigrants from Scotland, and was connected to the nearby town of Mittagong by a narrow gauge railway that terminated adjacent to the main Southern Railway line in Mittagong. The town existed to mine oil shale from which kerosene was extracted by the Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Co. The process was superseded by conventional kerosene production from oil and the oil shale mining became uneconomical. By 1911, the town had become deserted as inhabitants relocated in search of work. The property was auctioned off that year to a private buyer. The fruit orchard, which included 6,700 trees continued to operate until 1924, exporting fruit for local and interstate consumption.

Situated in a deep valley, the town had limited access by road, instead exporting shale via a steep railway out of the valley. The passage into Joadja has improved greatly since then, with the gravel access road maintained annually. The township is still recognisable, despite the state of its ruins. The sandstone school, the mine, houses, refinery and even the cemetery remain as a testament to the community that lived in the valley more than a century ago.

Local lore is that the old town is haunted by at least two ghosts.

The property has recently been resold, with the new owners setting up a boutique whisky distillery as well as continuing conservation work of the township. Large parts of the valley have now been sub-divided and sold for hobby farms. The ruins of the retorts, refinery and houses are being stabilised to ensure future generations the opportunity to view the site and appreciate its part in Australia's national heritage.

Soon to be no more

NSW Department of Primary Industries' Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence is the oldest fisheries research facility in the Southern Hemisphere. In September 2011 the NSW Government announced staff and functions of the centre will be relocated to regional coastal centres at Coffs Harbour, Port Stephens and Nowra. Staff engaged in fisheries research, commercial, recreational and indigenous fisheries licensing and management, and the corporate services area for the Department will be relocated. Science facilities and functions will move to the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute and Research Centre of Excellence. Commercial fisheries management will be located at the National Marine Science Centre at Coffs Harbour. Recreational and indigenous fisheries management will be located at Nowra.

The Legislative Council Inquiry into the closure " ...  has concluded that there is an overwhelming case to retain the scientific staff, facilities and support personnel at the Centre and we have recommended that the Government reverse its decision.” The Committee's recommendations will make no difference and the facility is rapidly becoming a ghost town as staff relocate or take redundancy.

The H.C Dannevig Fisheries Laboratory is was a state-of-the-art facility which continually assists assisted in ground breaking fisheries research.

It houses housed the Department of Primary Industries' scientists doing research projects with the Wild Fisheries unit, including: ageing fish and invertebrates growth, survival and reproduction of commercially and recreationally important aquatic species assessments of fish attracting devices and artificial reefs and assessments of minimisation of by-catch of fishing gears.

The heritage-listed aquarium at Cronulla was the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

It is now was used to learn about our commercially and recreationally important fish species, such as studies on age validation and tag retention.

The Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence’s library is was the only fisheries-specific library in NSW and services serviced many universities and schools. It houses housed an extensive and historic range of international and domestic journals and books. It also holds held all publications from the Centres’ scientists.

Cuttlefish in the aquarium

Between 1949 and 1967 some of the buildings currently used as offices were part of the Cronulla Migrant Hostel and housed thousands of people for up to two years. The accommodation was basic, consisting of small rooms with two single beds and bedside tables with communal showers and dining facilities. The hostel was closed in 1967 and the land was transferred to the CSIRO and then to the fisheries department.

Shark hanger

Looking back from the wharf, several of the buildings are heritage listed. There are also items of aboriginal heritage on the site.

Taphophile Tragics

Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, London (taken a very long time ago).

This is an entry in Julie's Taphophile Tragics meme.

St Andrews (2)

One of the interesting features within St Andrews.

Taphophile Tragics

Ambush at Slingersfontein

George Allman Griffen, who was the first man to volunteer for the Light Horse was the first of the NSW Contingent to die in South Africa on 16 January 1900 during a Boer ambush at Slingersfontein. His death had such an impact in Australia at a time when the country was celebrating its new found Federation, a committee of his friends and supporters commissioned Achille Simonetti to create a marble tablet in his memory. Simonetti was the most fashionable sculptor in Sydney at the time, having modelled busts and statues of many Sydney luminaries. Simonetti, who died before the tablet was completed, arranged for sculptor James White, the first sculptor to win Sydney's prestigious Wynne Prize, to complete the work. The tablet, inscribed incorrectly to George Griffin, was erected in the Vestibule in Sydney Town Hall, where it can be seen today.

This is an entry in Julie's Taphophile Tragics meme.

Taphophile Tragics

A lot of local families are buried in St Peters Churchyard at St Peters. This grave belongs to a member of the Gannon family. I was at school in the 1960s/70s with a Gannon or two. There is a Gannon Street in the area and I think that one of the major local arteries, Forest Road, was originally Gannons Forest Road. I have not done very much research this week, however Frederick Gannon was the son of Michael Gannon and the Australian Dictionary of Biography tells me:

Michael Gannon (1800-1881), builder and innkeeper, was born at Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland, son of John Gannon, joiner, and his wife Alicia, née Gelshin. In 1820 he and his younger brother James, both carpenters, were sentenced in Meath, Michael for life and James for fourteen years. In December 1820 they arrived at Sydney in the Almorah.

In August 1824 Michael, then an assigned servant, married in Sydney Mary Parsonage, who later petitioned Governor (Sir) Ralph Darling for her husband to be assigned to her. They lived in the Rocks area where Gannon worked as a carpenter and joiner. By 1829 he had a ticket-of-leave and in June 1836 his conditional pardon was confirmed. Gannon prospered as a builder and accumulated real estate. By 1843 he was undertaker for Catholic burials and had started as an auctioneer and commission agent in Lower George Street but this business was damaged by his brother's insolvency. Michael then obtained a publican's licence for an inn on Cook's River Road, Newtown, and was settled at Tempe by the end of 1845. Bankrupt within two years he was criticized for fraudulent transactions, contradictory evidence on oath and criminal neglect in failing to keep proper accounts.

From 1848 Gannon 'played an active and largely hidden role in Sydney politics'. In November 1850 he bought for £732 in St George parish a heavily timbered estate of 1905 acres (771 ha), known as Gannon's Forest and later renamed Hurstville. Buying and selling property he lived at Tempe until he died aged 81 on 9 August 1881, survived by four sons and two daughters. He was buried in the family vault at Cook's River beside his wife who had died on 25 March 1875. His estate, valued at £9581, was bequeathed to members of his family but challenged by some of his relations.

James was granted his ticket-of-leave in 1828 and married Mary Phelps at Sydney in 1829. From carpentry he drifted into inn-keeping and sporting activities, notably pigeon shooting. Insolvent in 1843, his personal assets were valued at £62 and included his treasured fowling piece and two dogs. On the fringe of politics in 1865 he was fined £50 for personation and double voting but was pardoned by the governor. As a labourer he died aged 68 at Paddington on 19 February 1871, leaving three children.

This is an entry in Julie's Taphophile Tragics meme.