kerryphoto

In 1899, in order to commemorate the landing of Cook, an area of 100.86 hectares was set apart and dedicated as a Public Recreation Reserve. I wonder if that is what they are celebrating.

It is the dedication of Captain Cook Reserve at the landing place in Kurnell.

The ceremony happened on Saturday 6 May 1899. The officials and guests arrived by steamers and were brought to the jetty "by the steam punt from Tom Ugly's Point, above which was carried a framework from which floated a variety of colours." (See link below)

A very full description including the speeches is in the Sydney Morning Herald the following Monday 8 May 1899 (page 4). It is an interesting read and really brings this photo to life - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14213166

If this is a photo of the people attending the dedication party then somewhere amongst them is Joseph H. Carruthers, a great Australian who probably did more for Captain Cook than any other. It was thanks to his work that Kurnell was set aside for the public to enjoy. He likened it to Australia's "Plymouth Rock". Amongst his other work, he prompted the erection of the statue to Cook in London, near Admiralty Arch, and the 1928 Cook celebrations in Hawai'i.

Captain Cook Society There is another photo of the Monument, misnamed by the photographer Charles Kerry as La Perouse, at the same time -

Captain Cook Society J.H. Carruthers (as Minister for Lands) is listed as attending, and his full speech is quoted in the Trove link above.

" As the Plymouth Rock is the most sacred ground
to the Americans, so may this historic place, rich in
its traditions, be the one place in our island continent
more consecrated than another to the great man who
here first set foot upon our shores, and in his foresight
secured for the empire and its people a territory
unsurpassed in the whole universe. "

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71386904/5334571 - a cropped version of this pic appeared in the Australian Town & Country Journal on 21st July, 1900 (see pic on 4th page of link, bottom rhs)...the T&CJ have photoshopped out some of the advertising signs... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13595372 - SMH, 15th August, 1885...description of the plan of Norwich Chambers (NW cnr Bligh/Hunter Sts)...which was then under construction. The description of the dome (towards bottom of article) matches what we see here... trove.nla.gov.au/work/12290907 - just for interest...the building with the witch's hat spire which we catch a glimpse of on the NE cnr of Bligh/Hunter Sts was the City Mutual Life Assurance Building...per various digitised newspaper hits, it appears to have been built in 1892-94 (completed 1894) and was demolished in late 1934-early 1935... trove.nla.gov.au/work/189920912 - just for interest...Norwich Chambers was demolished in the early 1920s...and replaced with the Metropolitan Building (Australian Metropolitan Life Assurance Co Building) which we see under construction in this NLA Fairfax pic taken in ca. early 1923...this NLA Fairfax pic also shows the construction Queensland National Bank Building, which was evidently a rebuild of the Empire Hotel...the tower and cupola were casualties... Also see www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2697490952/in/pho...

Charles Bayliss - www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-vn4191664