Royal Australian Historical Society

Oops! Who left the bung out?

WooHoo! It is a different photo of the SS AUSTRAL which sank when loading coal in Neutral Bay in 1882. See comments and links here -

The caption by the RAHS on this photo is incorrect. It sank while coaling due to her ports being left open. (see trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13523253).

The building seen here on the NW corner of Macquarie and King Sts was built in ca. 1889-90 on the site previously occupied by the St James parsonage. Just going on various items I've tracked down in the digitised newspapers, the building was originally known as St James Chambers and the St James Buildings...in the earlier 20th century it appears to have been known as The Towers...from ca. 1916 it was known as the Queen's Club Building...I gather it was a mix of residential apartments and professional suits/offices.

There's very little information on the construction of the building in the digitised newspapers...the site was evidently owned by St James Church...in 1889 the site was leased to the Sydney Permanent, Freehold, Land, and Investment Company, who then demolished the old St James parsonage and erected this building in its place...the building work appears to have been in progress from ca. July 1889 thru to mid/later 1890...the architect was Varney Parkes. The building was acquired by the NSW Government in the mid/later 1930s...I gather it survived until the mid 1970s, when it was demolished to make way for the NSW Supreme Court complex, which occupies the site today...

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16467645 - the building that occupied the site in the 19th century...for most of its life it was the St James parsonage...

Another view of the St James' Buildings
www.flickr.com/photos/193158484@N02/52410408860/

The tram was built by the NSW Govt's State Metal Quarries in 1913-14, in Terralong and Manning Sts, connecting the blue metal quarry on Pike's Hill with the harbour and the railway station. It transported some goods back to the quarry, but its main purpose was the 'blue metal' [basalt stone, crushed to road metal size), to the harbour (Robertson Basin). Never carried passengers - illegal. In 1935 the SMQ was sold to Quarries Limited. The tram closed in either 1940 or 41. The locomotive is a Davenport 0-4-0ST, it is heading to the quarry - towards the camera - with a rake of empty trucks. The South Coast railway bridge can be seen in the background - it is still there.