palmbeach

Betwee 1960-65?

The men are sitting on Burleigh Heads looking south. Immediately below them, out of shot is Tallebudgera creek. The next headland down the coast is Currumbin hill.

PALM BEACH, GOLD COAST If the Gold Coast had a middle child it would possibly be Palm Beach, nestled between Tallebudgera Creek on one side and Currumbin Creek on the other. But don’t for one minute think this destination is dull. Similar to its Florida namesake - which was named America’s best place to live in 2013 - Australia’s Palm Beach has thrice been crowned Queensland’s cleanest beach. In another US link, borrowing from New York in this instance, Palm Beach’s avenues are also numbered, in this case from first to twenty-eighth, making navigating this corner of the coast a cinch. But that’s possibly where the similarities with the Big Apple exist. For our Palm Beach is one of laid-back living and is one of the best examples of where rambling beach shacks still survive, perched petulantly on million-dollar blocks. Surfers and sunbakers flock to Palm Beach for its wide, sandy and spectacular beach. There’s also a variety of eating options here and you can’t go past the Palm Beach Surf Club for a feast. Accommodation options consist of everything up to the top end of town, but we reckon you can’t go past a beach shack for a bit of coastal character. Palm Beach is just 10 minutes from the Coolangatta airport and 15 minutes from Surfers Paradise. Source: www.destinationgoldcoast.com/places-to-see/palm-beach

Looking north west from Palm Beach across the end of Pittwater to Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury river. Barrenjoey headland on the right, West Head on the left. The cottage and jetty belonged to a Customs House set up to prevent smugglers bringing goods into Sydney via ‘the back door’, and it closed in 1900 (about the time of this photo, I think). More history and a couple of 1906 shots of the same buildings (the trees have grown, hence this photo is earlier) here – www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/library/local_history/Pittwaters... Also an 1869 watercolour showing almost exactly this view with an earlier cottage in front of the brick chimney, (remarkable for getting the rocks detail right on the headland) – www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-an6454687 And a view of the wharf from the right hand side – acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=413731 I am trying to find out if that ship is the steamer “Florrie” as mentioned in the Mona Vale Library link above. Help!

beachcomber australia Again, brilliant work! Thanks to you this previously unidentified photo has been identified as Broken Bay. We really thought this one was tricky, we'll have to work harder at that!

nah this is an easy one.

Reverse view from up on the hill by Henry King (in terrible state of repair!) -