Dolls Point to Woolooware - 2nd August 2018
Venue
Dolls Point And around Woolooware Bay
Participants
Ron, Chris, Richard, Helen, Natalie, Colin, and Peter with Yvonne joining us for lunch
The start
We met at 9.15am at Hurstville station and caught the 947 bus to Dolls Point. We had morning tea at the café in Peter Depena park
Points of Interest
- Primrose House - Originally built in 1891 as the Scarborough Hotel, Primrose House is historically significant as part of the development of the Botany Bay Pleasure grounds in Sans Souci. It also is significant for the role it played in its use as a hospital for the war wounded from 1913 until 1936. This villa is aesthetically significant as a major landmark located in its original garden setting of mature Phoenix Palm trees and Norfolk Island Pines in the Sans Souci area. Primrose House is a rare example of a surviving Victorian holiday hotel.
A Large Victorian two storey brick and stucco building with many additions on a prominent corner block facing Botany Bay and Cooks Park. The original timber verandas have been enclosed but the house has retained much of its original site and the grounds include some early plantings, now mature and a major feature in the locality.
Gable fronted facade facing Malua Street with battened gable end has a Juliette balcony and retains its decorative detailing. Timber posts and brackets to the veranda appear to be original. Originally the building would have been viewed from the promenade of Botany Bay and Cook Park. Two mature Canary Island Palms flank the entry path.
Primrose House was been used as an annex of St George Hospital from 1936 up until at least 199. The ground floor accommodated 24 convalescent in-patients from St-George Hospital requiring extended care and/or rehabilitation. On the first floor 22 patients were accommodated up until the 1980's when the upper storey was no longer deemed to comply with fire regulations. The facility was staffed during that period by St George Hospital staff. Also within Primrose House were in-patient ancillary facilities such as recreation, kitchen & therapy facilities. The use of Primrose House as an in-patient facility ceased around 1992. Since then the building has been used as a day hospital for 30 frail, elderly. To facilitate this change in use a DA was approved for an outdoor secure garden, new entry lobby in rear yard off the car park for patient arriving by bus. A paved area for the Day Hospital Bus and car parking for staff with 20 car spaces. Internally the building was to be painted and have new floor coverings as well as an upgrade of lighting, heating and security.
The building was retained after much lobbying from local residents and now houses an annex of ‘Scots College’.
- We followed the path beside the bay through Peter Depena park, past the Georges River Sailing Club and the St George Sailing Club and crossed over the Georges River via the Captain Cook Bridge. The bridge was opened in 1965. Previously the river was crossed at this point by use of a punt. To exit the Sutherland Shire to the north, it had been necessary to use Tom Ugly’s Bridge.
- The new bridge saw new development rising around Taren Point which previous to the bridge was mostly a scattering of old fisherman cottages.
- We continued the walk around the bay by joining the path off Smith St. Signs informed us about the various birds that frequent the shoreline and the Towra Point Nature Reserve which juts out into the bay from the Kurnell area. An old bird hive is nearby.
- We passed by the large, luxury, Anglican retirement complex known as ‘Woolooware Shores’. Further on, the St George and Sutherland Shire Anglers Club has a small clubhouse, a boat ramp and an area for cleaning the day’s catch.
- The recently opened section of the walk provides information on the old jetty (used for transporting oysters from the bay’s leases), the oyster industry, early transport and Towra Wetlands. The Shire council is forming an island off the shoreline which they hope will be used by migrating birds when breeding.
- Out on the road we walked past the leisure boat building yards before continuing beside the mangroves on the final section of the path towards the ‘Sharkies’ Leagues Club. This area contains many light industrial businesses and the yards of Toyota.
- The many playing fields are built on what was once the local tip! Around the ‘Sharks’ home ground and into the club for lunch.
The finish
- The day ended with a walk to Woolooware station and a train ride home.
Distance walked
- Approximately 9 Km
Venue
Dolls Point And around Woolooware Bay
Participants
Ron, Chris, Richard, Helen, Natalie, Colin, and Peter with Yvonne joining us for lunch
The start
We met at 9.15am at Hurstville station and caught the 947 bus to Dolls Point. We had morning tea at the café in Peter Depena park
Points of Interest
- Primrose House - Originally built in 1891 as the Scarborough Hotel, Primrose House is historically significant as part of the development of the Botany Bay Pleasure grounds in Sans Souci. It also is significant for the role it played in its use as a hospital for the war wounded from 1913 until 1936. This villa is aesthetically significant as a major landmark located in its original garden setting of mature Phoenix Palm trees and Norfolk Island Pines in the Sans Souci area. Primrose House is a rare example of a surviving Victorian holiday hotel.
A Large Victorian two storey brick and stucco building with many additions on a prominent corner block facing Botany Bay and Cooks Park. The original timber verandas have been enclosed but the house has retained much of its original site and the grounds include some early plantings, now mature and a major feature in the locality.
Gable fronted facade facing Malua Street with battened gable end has a Juliette balcony and retains its decorative detailing. Timber posts and brackets to the veranda appear to be original. Originally the building would have been viewed from the promenade of Botany Bay and Cook Park. Two mature Canary Island Palms flank the entry path.
Primrose House was been used as an annex of St George Hospital from 1936 up until at least 199. The ground floor accommodated 24 convalescent in-patients from St-George Hospital requiring extended care and/or rehabilitation. On the first floor 22 patients were accommodated up until the 1980's when the upper storey was no longer deemed to comply with fire regulations. The facility was staffed during that period by St George Hospital staff. Also within Primrose House were in-patient ancillary facilities such as recreation, kitchen & therapy facilities. The use of Primrose House as an in-patient facility ceased around 1992. Since then the building has been used as a day hospital for 30 frail, elderly. To facilitate this change in use a DA was approved for an outdoor secure garden, new entry lobby in rear yard off the car park for patient arriving by bus. A paved area for the Day Hospital Bus and car parking for staff with 20 car spaces. Internally the building was to be painted and have new floor coverings as well as an upgrade of lighting, heating and security.
The building was retained after much lobbying from local residents and now houses an annex of ‘Scots College’.
- We followed the path beside the bay through Peter Depena park, past the Georges River Sailing Club and the St George Sailing Club and crossed over the Georges River via the Captain Cook Bridge. The bridge was opened in 1965. Previously the river was crossed at this point by use of a punt. To exit the Sutherland Shire to the north, it had been necessary to use Tom Ugly’s Bridge.
- The new bridge saw new development rising around Taren Point which previous to the bridge was mostly a scattering of old fisherman cottages.
- We continued the walk around the bay by joining the path off Smith St. Signs informed us about the various birds that frequent the shoreline and the Towra Point Nature Reserve which juts out into the bay from the Kurnell area. An old bird hive is nearby.
- We passed by the large, luxury, Anglican retirement complex known as ‘Woolooware Shores’. Further on, the St George and Sutherland Shire Anglers Club has a small clubhouse, a boat ramp and an area for cleaning the day’s catch.
- The recently opened section of the walk provides information on the old jetty (used for transporting oysters from the bay’s leases), the oyster industry, early transport and Towra Wetlands. The Shire council is forming an island off the shoreline which they hope will be used by migrating birds when breeding.
- Out on the road we walked past the leisure boat building yards before continuing beside the mangroves on the final section of the path towards the ‘Sharkies’ Leagues Club. This area contains many light industrial businesses and the yards of Toyota.
- The many playing fields are built on what was once the local tip! Around the ‘Sharks’ home ground and into the club for lunch.
The finish
- The day ended with a walk to Woolooware station and a train ride home.
Distance walked
- Approximately 9 Km