THE HISTORY OF GRAYS POINT

The following is taken from the Sutherland Shire Historical Society Inc & Museum November 2002 Bulletin. Read the full bulletin via the following PDF.

The below detailed accounts of the people and lives of Grays Point residents was written by Beryl Tope, a local Historian, with additional information by Les Bursill (Sutherland Shire Historical Society, 2002) *Note: The most recent evidence points to Grays Point having been named after an early National Park ranger, John Edward Gray, who lived at Gundamaian with his wife and ten children for over 40 years and provided a regular river crossing between Grays Point and the National Park.

Mick Derrey stated that the only way out of the bush was to go through the gullies with bullocks, coming out at Coles timber yard in President Avenue, near Acacia Road. In 1922, North West Arm Road, (then called Coombes Road) was built with a bridge crossing Saville’s Creek. This really opened up the area and the residents were able to get in and out by sulky and carriage. The waterhole became a favourite picnic spot.

A Baptist holiday camp was built on the high side of North West Arm Road, overlooking the pool. Alternate groups of boys and girls were brought to spend long weekends of swimming and camping. With the building of the bridge, the river silted up and it was the end of the swimming hole and other swimming holes along Dents Creek, including one pool below the Bridge which the children called The Basin. It included a large flat rock which the children used as a jumping platform. In the early 1900’s, Grays Point (or North West Arm, as it was called) consisted of people who lived there in weekenders or temporary dwellings.

The first man to reside on the peninsula of Mansion Point was Con Gehrig. He came just after Bob Dashwood, a New Zealander who built his “home” in 1910 near the present day junction of North West Arm Road and Grays Point Road. Con Gehrig, was a bachelor who had been a cabinet maker at Beales Piano Works in Sydney. He was tired of his trade and moved to this isolated spot and opened a boatshed. It was at Beales that Con met William Thomas Coombes, who worked there as an office boy. William Coombes visited Cons retreat and decided that he would build a weekender at Grays Point in 1914.

William married and lived at Bexley. After 43 years he decided to build his weekender in 1956 with his wife and four daughters. William Coombes was secretary and later the Accountant at the OK Jam Factory. He finally retired and built the two roomed weekender. He had to bring all the timber and materials up by Port Hacking River by rowing boat. Everything had to be carried up the steep hillside to what is now Mansion Point Road. William Coombes built this house himself including the piers. The walls and ceilings of first two rooms were lined with tongue and groove boards. The house originally had tiered bunks on the walls. A Gloria lamp was used for lighting. There was not much time for fishing.

An early resident near the Coombes was a Mr. Conrad, who had a motor garage at Newtown. It wasn’t until WW 2 that people began to come to the area in any number. About 1953, Hughie Wilson who had a stiff leg as a result of being dragged by a horse and baker’s cart after colliding with a car, came to live near the Coombe’s. He had a small house near the road and had a special path made so that he could get to the waterfront where he hired boats from the boatshed. In the late 1920’s many of the residents started off in weekenders, living in temporary accommodation, in whatever they could find.

The Conyards arrived in 1915 although they didn’t come to live until 1917 when they got things organised. They first lived at Hurstville. They lived in railway workers huts. They had two of them and they are still standing now. They had to replace the old original iron roof. Don Conyard still lives on the property today. He built a house on the water about fifty years ago. Don worked on the farm, while his father went to work. Syd Anstee talks about the “mansion” he built out of bush poles and wheat sacks made of dripping and lime, right near where John Law’s bedroom is now. John now lives next door. Syd told about a cave that once belonged to the Aboriginal people of the area. Mr Anstee indicated that the cave is in pristine condition, well hidden, not invaded by anyone, because the people guard their property. It has a beautiful view, and they had wonderful Saturday nights together, with sing songs.

It was in the 1930’s in the Depression and they had wheat sacks, air conditioned but the walls were movable. They were sealed vertically with a mixture of lime and dripping and the wheat sacks became the forerunner of fibro cement, very light, easily transportable to the district and this happy valley. They had a concert every Saturday night. Syd remembered ones woman’s voice as she sang “Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life.” It came across the water and with such a beautiful melody they would all stop what they were doing and listen entranced.

The beer was only two bob a flagon, in a colourless glass bottle and it was elliptical. You talk about the Good Old Days, it was definitely the beer. It was on the site of an aboriginal midden about seventeen feet thick of shells which Syd excavated. The aboriginals had long since gone and they left there the remains of animal skins. They were wallaby skins, but not foxes, the foxes were all killed by dogs. Don Conyars had a mob of Beagle Hounds and they hunted them, never kangaroos, only wallabies. The residents found the remains of some of the animal skins that the aboriginals had used for clothing and also the remains of some animals that they had eaten.

Sid stated that the first permanent residence here was a tramcar donated by the NSW Dept. of Transport. It was called a Jumping Jack Tram because it had only four wheels. When the tram was in use in Kings Cross and Surry Hills, men jumped up one end of the tram and seesawed, so they called them Jumping Jacks. Because it was given to them for nothing, they thought it was a Godsend. It weighed about four tons and took nine months to get it down to Grays Point. They paid a lot of Craven A cigarettes and a lot of flagons of beer for the labour. They transported the tram down to Peninsula Road and with forty four gallon tar drums, unpainted and they drank the water out of those tar drums from the canvas roof, so at each end of the tram, there was a down pipe which gave them their water.

PROVISIONS AND AMENITIES - The early residents’ provisions at Grays Point relied upon themselves to a great extent. Randolph’s store at Grays Point sold goods from his verandah. Neighbours took along a sugar bag to collect potatoes etc. Syd Anstee says that people obtained their basic provisions at Randolph’s and Vollance’s Store, Sutherland. The Anstees moved to Grays Point in 1932.

The Stunz family stated that all basic provisions were brought in from Sutherland. Goods also came from Gymea by boat, horse and cart or by walking. Tarzan, bought goods along from Yowie Bay. At North West Arm, “Tarzan” Lawes also brought fruit, vegetables, soft drink and grog for sale from his launch from the river. Ted Lawes tells a story about one young man who collected steak for his father and used some of it to catch yabbies before returning home. Milk supplies from Marshall’s of Kirrawee, people walked from Grays Point to collect milk or milk was conveyed by horse and cart. Eggs were supplied from Lawes Farm, as well as other local produce. Farming in the early days was poultry, goats, vegetables (potatoes mainly, stated Syd Anstee and oyster farming which was done commercially in North West Arm.

There was no road access only water access in front of Conyards. Bread was baked by Sam Miles’ Bakery at Grays Point. Sam built an igloo-shaped bakery on the slope about Grays Point Road between the intersection and Budyan Road. He also sold old flour bags which were used in home construction. Unfortunately Sam’s business was never approved by the authorities and he was forced to close down. The Stunz family, Bob, Beryl, Jeanette and Helen arrived in 1942. Fear of the Japanese bombing and also the cheapness of accommodation were some of the reasons they came. They first lived opposite the point at National Park in a fishing hut for about six months, and then moved to a house at North West Arm on the river near the Stepping Stones. Originally there were just loose stones, but in 1949, Bob Stunz, helped by Tom Bonds, built the ‘permanent’ stones’. At National Park, they had a rowing boat to get across to the Point.

All other boats except theirs were confiscated for the duration (for fear the Japanese might get them). Beryl had to provide a ferry service for the owners of other fishing huts when they came down for weekends. Once across the river, the weekenders walked along Mansion Pt. Rd., to the bus stop, to catch the bus to Sutherland. Mr. Stunz was a shift working fireman and his wife Beryl had to row across to pick him up at all hours. She wouldn’t leave the children so she took them with her. It was a sparse settlement, no shops or schools. At National Park there was no electricity, water or septic. At North West Arm, there was electricity, but only tank water, but no phone, no septic, sewerage, garbage or postal service.

Permanent families were Boadjeff, Brack, Hayhow, Montgomery, Lawton, O’Brien, McGuiness, Knaggs, Higbid, Jaeger, Squires, Batterham, Lawes, Scarff, Bonds, Smith, Ralston, Waite, Baker, and Penfold. 16 When the Anstees’ moved into North West Arm in 1932, 95% of the residents were weekenders. Weekenders were Bruce, Ashton and Cooper. In the1940’s there were more permanent residents than weekenders. People lived in shacks made of bush poles covered with wheat bags. They used the local stone, which was free and also bricks from the Sutherland Brickworks to build their homes. They also lived in caves and the Kinnanes lived in log homes. George and Amelia Anstee, hauled a tram from National Park Station to 105 Peninsula Road, where it was used as a weekender until approx.1960’s.

For water and fuel Syd Anstee states that he obtained water from a well and from rainwater tanks. He obtained fuel – kerosene for lamps and Primus for cooking and used wood for warmth. In the early days they travelled by horse and cart or walked. In the 1940’s transport was by bus, bike and cars for the lucky ones. There were two morning bus services, one quite early for the workers, and a later one for school kids and shoppers. Similarly, a school/shopper bus home in the afternoon and a 6pm-ish “Drunks” bus for the workers. The roads were unmade, rocky and sandy. Taxis wouldn’t take you if you asked for Grays Point.

There was an old hut near the bus stop where they would change their clothes. Christmas bush and bells were abundant in the bush behind the Stunz’s place at North West arm. There were lots of birds and at National Park they had snakes, goannas and deer. Flathead, blackfish and oysters were abundant. At North West Arm, there would often be an influx of what they called ‘sick’ mullet coming up the river to spawn. They’d get trapped at low tide when they couldn’t get past the Stepping Stones shallows. Someone would see them and the cry, “Sick Mullet” would go up, and everyone would run down to the beach with nets, buckets, whatever and just scoop them out. Sick or not, everyone ate them. In the forties and fifties the river at North West Arm was deep enough for use of a diving board rigged up near the “Diving Rock” opposite the Stunz’s home.

At high tide boats often came up and down the river. Even at low tide it was possible to come by boat following the channel. Because of dredging and silting, this would be impossible now. Syd Anstee stated that they were always ready for natural disasters such as bush fires by keeping boats at the ready. After WW11, efforts by individuals and community groups such as various Councillors and people from the Progress Association such as Mr. G. Anstee, Mr. S. Anstee, Mr. Lawes, Mr. Moses, Mrs. Brack, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Leddy, Mr. Batterham, Mr. Turner Mr. Hyslops, McNeil’s, Kinnanes etc. all helped to 17 work for better ancillary services and communications in Grays Point. Before the Community Hall was built, meetings of the Progress Association were held at Mary Brack’s house.

After WW11, Grays Point obtained water, electricity. In the 1960’s they received a bus service and in the nineties, telephones. The provision of medical services in Grays Point was an essential part of facilities. Dr. Sommers practiced there in the 1970’s and delivered many Grays Pointers, as Helen Foster relates. It was a blessing to have a kind and capable doctor locally when public transport was almost non-existent. He actually did house calls and at night as well. Joe di Marco was the chemist in Grays Point for many years. His calm manner reassured many a new Mum upset about a minor ailment in her precious baby. He had a charming and lovely assistant and they would home deliver prescription medicines if you could not leave a sick child or get out.

Mrs. Emery lived at Mansion Point and was known as the “Cat Lady”. Helen Foster contacted her when a stray cat had four kittens in her back yard. She found homes for the kittens and had the cat de-sexed. At the end of the week when Helen paid for the operation, she mentioned the cat was still weak. “Give her a shot of brandy in an egg nog” was a quote she remembered with great affection.

The Bingham’s lived in the house on the corner of Swallow Rock Drive and Grays Pt. Road. On the lawn outside their house were two large concrete frogs painted green and white. Little children loved them and always stopped to pat them. They were a landmark in Grays Point for many years and there was universal condemnation when they were eventually stolen. Part of the development of cultural and sporting groups in Grays Point did much for the growth of the area. One could mention Kath Anstee with the Octoberfest, as well as Mrs. Moses, Mr. Batterham and Mrs. Turner. Pat Thorpe and Harry Batterham for the sporting history and of course the Theatre Group. Helen Foster moved to Grays Point in 1969 and remembers when Peninsula Road was a dirt track. There was one general store and a small community hall. Flannel flowers were dotted everywhere and there were several grass trees near their block. They lived on top of the cliff and the only access from the end of Peninsula Road near the shops was to climb up a fallen gum tree from the block next door.

Her husband had worked on the Snowy Mountains River Catchment Scheme and was familiar with demolition work. He blew up three massive boulders and replaced them with sandstone steps. These slabs came from a demolished convent. He carried bags of soil up the 60 steps so they could have a lawn and a garden. The bricks for the house were brought up by a flying fox he made. Grays Point Bus Service made a tremendous difference to the residents. It was the only way out of Grays Point unless you wanted to walk the three kilometres to Gymea or had a car. It played a vital part in the life of the elderly, or people with small children and teenagers too young to drive. At first it ran very infrequently and it was not uncommon to see people trying to hitch a ride as they walked in and out of Grays Point.

There was an unusual lyre bird that used to visit the garden and throw mulch all over the place as he feasted on worms. The lyrebird would fossick along a rock shelf covered with bushes and leaf litter just below the cliff edge. Occasionally he would pop his head up to see any action on our back lawn. Woe betides any crested pigeons peacefully sunbathing there. With a screech he would dart out and wings flapping scare them off his territory. One beautiful spring morning Helen was waiting for the bus to leave the stop opposite the shops. As she looked at the houses in their leafy surrounds, across the bush to the sparkling river and National Park, the bus driver said, “You are blessed to live here.” I think he was right.

Syd Anstee states that in the thirties no mail was delivered to Grays Point. All his mail was addressed to “Via Sutherland” and had to be collected. In the 1950’s Joseph and Barbara Connolly stated that mail was left at the post office. and general store, run by Mr. And Mrs. Grice. However, if you worked, Grice would not give you the mail at the weekend as he didn’t open on Saturday. One of the most notable changes to Grays Point after WW11 was the replaced trams- buses in Peninsular Road. The increase of women in Grays Point population was a significant change. Before WW11 there were 80-85% men.

LONG TIME RESIDENT MARY BRACK - Mary Brack’s parents came out to Grays Point Her father bought the land as a wedding present for her mother. That would have been in 1915. They lived in Peninsular Road. They lived down by the water first and they moved up to the house in 1919. There were five children and Mary was the youngest. The house on the waterfront had a few rooms but it was really only a tin shed. It has since been demolished and there is a brick building there now. The builders built the other house in 1919. Mary was only a little girl at the time. She remembers the Conyards; they came a year after the McNeill's.

There were no facilities there. They used the waterfront house as a weekender and brought all their food with them. Their father used to work in Grace Bros. in Glebe and they had use of a Grace Bros. truck. In the beginning, there were no roads, they used to walk down the track and carry all their stuff with them. You couldn’t get a truck down the track. They lived at Sutherland at the time and before that at Dulwich Hill. Mary was born at Dulwich Hill. They used to go to the Methodist Church in Sutherland. Her brothers used to carry her, as she was the youngest. Mary was educated at Dulwich Hill Home Science School up to year nine. She did not go to work. When she left school, she worked on the farm. They had two and a half acres and they grew all their own vegetables. That is how they managed. They had cows, goats, chickens and horses.

Mary’s father owned a block of land up there, but they sold it. They said that that proximity to the water would ruin their piano. Steve Walker bought their piano and they bought an organ for use at home. They used to go up to Gymea and have concerts. Her 19 brother played the guitar and they used to sing songs on the river. They sang songs around the piano and during the depression; they used to go out walking. My brother was the only one who had a job in town and he used to go in with Mr. Conyard, Don’s father. He worked in the city, went to Sutherland and caught a steam train to the city. Mary said they’d always had trouble with bush fires, especially before they had the Bush Fire Brigade. The women used to get sacks and wet them. to fight the fires. In the 1980’s ten houses were burnt down. Mary remembers the shark tragedy. It was in 1927, right near the boat shed in Mansion Bay. A man named Gibbs jumped on the back of the shark. I can’t remember exactly but the victim died just at the top of our place. I went into town to see the young man Gibbs get his bravery award. He couldn’t save him but he fought him, but it was too late. It was the only tragedy we ever had. After the Bracks moved to their new house at the top, they conducted religious services.

Mary’s father was a lay preacher. They asked around all the churches to see who would come out and hold services in Grays Point, but the only ones who would come out were the Baptists. They came out and held services at Rushdene. They used to have a camp opposite the Stepping Stones. Mr Brack had two trades. He was a baker and a lay preacher. They had the bakery; they still have the stones on the steps. They used to bake bread there; otherwise there would not have been any bread. SWALLOW ROCK Swallow Rock was previously a small island in the middle of the Port Hacking River, surrounded by white sand banks. Over time, changes brought about by reclamation and dredging, the island turned into a reserve, part of the mainland of Grays Point.

Today Swallow Rock Reserve is a tranquil park utilised by the people of Grays Point. Swallow Rock was transformed from a separate island surrounded by mangroves and marsh to an elevated car park and reserve of today. The channel-deepening for the earlier ferry service was affected by deposition by dredging from a pipe line about half mile long from upstream. A lot of local input has gone into the future of Swallow Reserve, and in 2002, $250,000 is planned to upgrade the Reserve.

SAVILLE CREEK BRIDGE - The bridge was built in 1922 and this opened up the area. North West Arm Road was built (previously called Coombes Road) and Grays Point had access to the Sutherland Shire. It was now accessible by carriage, sulky and motor car. At the bridge a swimming hole was popular with children and became a favourite picnic spot. A Baptist holiday camp was built on the high side of North West Arm Road, overlooking the pool and alternate groups of boys and girls were billeted on long weekends, swimming and singing camp songs. In the 1930’s, Mr. Reg Harris, who owned most of the land thereabouts, put on a swimming contest for those who lived in the district. It was he, who, as a member of Council had been instrumental in the construction of North West Arm Road.

Ted Lawes’ sister Mrs. Pedersen, remembers their father building a large comfortable four roomed wattle and daub cottage, thatched with grass tree leaves. When asked whether they feared bush fires in such a highly inflammable home, she replied that she “never saw a bush fire, there was nobody there to set a fire alight.” WILLIAM ATKINSON (1920’s) William Atkinson lived at Grays Point from 1921-1927. William’s father made weekend visits to Grays Point when William was about seven years old. He came from Surry Hills. His father was a barber and charged 1/- for a haircut and 6d. for a shave. Beer was then 1/6d bottle. The holiday homes were made of saplings and had hessian walls. They were equipped with camp beds and a meat safe. They were owned by boatshed proprietor, Con Gehrig. Regular bookings cost 10/- per week – which included fishing, the most popular pastime. 20 The family caught the trains Saturday afternoon (Dad worked in the morning) to National Park Station. They then walked along Florence Parade (current park track to National Park Station. They later walked back to National Park Station; the last train went at 6.30p.m. If they missed it they had to walk to Sutherland Station.

There were approximately four homes on the Point and none along North West Arm Road. Permanent residents were families. Gehrig, Coombes, Anning, Alum, Gatley (Bill) Regular weekenders were the Campbell’s. William Atkinson said that there were plenty of fish, caught with hand lines mainly. Sandflats, Ballast Heap and Angel’s Nest were the best spots. On the Sandflats he caught whiting (40 in 3 hours) Ballast Heap – he caught large bream and jewfish Angel’s nest – named after the movie, also bream and Jewfish House had a dam (old parish maps named this area “The Fountain.”)

THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION AT GRAYS POINT - As early as 1895, a letter concerning the establishment of a primary school at Audley was written by the Inspector of Schools, Mr. H. Skillman, at Arncliffe. The children of mainly rangers in the National Park had to travel from Audley each morning in the Park Trustees’ Coaches which ran to Sutherland each morning for mail and passengers, arriving at Sutherland at 9.a.m. However, the children had to walk three miles home each afternoon from school. In the winter the younger children left school for home at 3.30 p.m. It was suggested that a school at Audley would barely maintain an average of twelve pupils, and it would be within four miles of a Public School. However, early records show that a primary school was in opened at Audley in the early 1900’s and was in operation until around 1916. It was presumed that attendance dwindled off about that time. Secondary school students went to Sutherland.

By the early 1920’s, parents of children living in North West Arm (now Grays Point), petitioned for a school at Audley, which was closer than Sutherland Mr. William P.Lawes, of Lawes’ Assembly Hotel, Sydney, wrote a letter to Mr.Vol. Molesworth Esq., Parliament House, Sydney 24th January, 1922, petitioning for a school at Audley. The children of that district had to walk six or seven miles each day to and from school. In the winter months when it rained it was impossible to send them. A letter was written to E.A. Riley Esq., Inspector of Schools, Kogarah, by Louisa Triglone, Teacher, that she had travelled to Audley and saw the Overseer of the Park who drove her to North West Arm where she interviewed the parents and teachers. She found that there were seven children of school age, who were not attending any school and only one child was being taught any school work...

Grays Point children attended this school by walking along Florence Parade which was the only road into Grays Point at that time. It was proposed in 1922 that the original Audley school should be relocated to near the railway station in Royal National Park. The children were mainly Lawes, Turners and Conyards. In 1927, the school was closed and the children once more went to Sutherland school, due to lack of pupils. As early as 1946, The Progress started petitioning the Education Department for a school in Grays Point. The problem of a suitable block of land for a school had to be overcome because of the uneven blocks of land in Grays Point. One block was deemed suitable, but one of owners did not want to sell. It was not until 1950 that the block of land was purchased. It was becoming urgent that a school be built in Grays Point. District Inspector White wrote on 29th September, 1947 “About forty children now travel to Sutherland, both Public and Roman Catholic Schools by bus over a rough and rather dangerous road; of these, twenty are infants. The early establishment of a Public School seemed necessary, and the acquisition of a site is urgent.”

THE SHARK ATTACK 1927 - Harvey Nation has lived in Grays Point for seventy years... He remembers that fatal shark attack 3rd January, 1927 in Mansion Bay, (previously called Bream Bay). It happened very near where Harvey and his wife live today. It was reported in the Propeller, 7th January, 1927. “Mervyn Allum, aged fifteen years, of Ashfield, and several friends arrived at Grays Point on a camping expedition. It is one of the most popular seaside resorts owing to its bathing facilities. With its gently shelving beach and still water, it was considered fairly free from sharks. Allum, with several friends, was on the outer fringe in the water that reached no higher than his chest. Suddenly a large shark, with its fin showing above the surface, made its appearance a few yards from the crowd. The fin disappeared from sight and a few seconds later the bathers were startled by a piercing scream from Allum.

The shark had seized one of his legs, and struggling frantically, he disappeared beneath the surface. His head and chest appeared again shortly afterwards, but several yards further away from the spot where he had been seized. Several swimmers made towards Allum but foremost was Stanley Gibbs. Swimming powerfully he quickly reached the boy and grabbing his arm, attempted to beat off the monster. The shark was holding tenaciously to Allum’s leg and for several seconds, Gibbs punched it with all his strength. Suddenly both he and Allum disappeared, but when they reappeared it was apparent that the shark had released its hold. Gibbs came around swimming towards the shore, and in front of him, he pushed Allum. The water was stained crimson for many yards around with blood from Allum’s wound. The shark, apparently eager for more blood, made another dash at the boy and his rescuer. Before it could obtain another hold on Allum, Gibbs again beat it off. At that moment, a rowing boat manned by Donald Campbell of Devonshire Street, city, who had been fishing some distance away, arrived where the struggle was taking place. With difficulty Allum and Gibbs were dragged on board and taken to the beach.

Here it was seen what frightful injuries Allum had suffered. The flesh of one leg had been completely torn off, except for one small strip from the thigh to the ankle bones exposed. There were teeth marks on the boy’s body, evidence of the shark’s attempt to close its jaws on him during its second attack. This had been partially successful, for a small piece of flesh had been taken from his side. It seems that William Coombes, with his wife, wrapped the victim in sheets and then transported him to an ambulance which was waiting on the other side of the Georges River. This version of the attack was confirmed by William Coombes. It was usually believed that sharks only attack lone swimmers and will not attack swimmers in a crowd. This was not the case, in this instance. In an unconscious condition, Allum was raced in a wagon of the St. George Ambulance and taken to St. George District Hospital. However, it was found that he had been dead for some time. A special meeting to inaugurate a fund to recognise the bravery of Stanley Gibbs was proposed. Later he was presented with a bravery award.”

TED LAWES - Ted Lawes and his family came to Grays Point in 1920. His father was a wool classer and Ted was the youngest. He had two elder brothers. His mother died when he was four years old, in 1924. He has been a resident of Grays Point for eighty two years His elder brother was called “Tarzan”, who used to be a wrestler. He had a fruit and vegetable run, right around the river. He was well known for his “Tarzan” calls, to let residents know of his arrival. In 1922 they had their photographs taken with a lot of other people on the concrete bridge when it was built on Saddler’s Creek. They had a large farm, about sixteen acres. They had half a mile of passionfruit fences, some pigs and a couple of thousand fowls. They had two hundred pigeons and some ducks.

The Depression set in badly and Ted’s father being a wool classer was away most of the time. Everything went bad and a lot of people went bankrupt. He left home in 1934 and wandered backward and forward from other areas until just before the war. Charles Chauvel filmed the film “Forty Thousand Horseman” and Ted and his two brothers were in the film. This was in 1939. Within twelve months, Ted had joined the A.I.F. He served in New Guinea fighting the Japanese. He spent nearly all his time in New Guinea. There were plenty of Japs there, about 30,000 of them and the Japanese chopped a lot of heads off. When the war finished, Ted had woken up to the fact that there was so much poverty at Grays Point.

The Government had found so much money for the war, now it was time they should try and channel the money into the development of Grays Point. Ted worked on the trams in the city and as an ex-service man, he was in a position to help his friends own their own homes, if they would help him to organise and they were good organisers.

Two of Ted’s friends were Harry Batterham and Charley Baker. Charley was an artist while Harry was interested in theatre work and elocution. Harry was also interested in physical fitness and ran in marathons. He ran in Australia and overseas. He was still running when he was over eighty. He died at eighty eight. His wife died and he got married again. Ted’s wife also died while he was in the process of organising. Ted wanted to see Grays Point develop. He realised that if he bought in some good organisers to help him, he was in a position to help them get War Service Homes. That’s how he was able to help other people. They wanted money to develop Grays Point. They didn’t even have tarred roads. They had no water laid on or sewerage. They had no halls. All their meetings were held in the grandmother’s house, because there was a great big room in the middle. They had concerts every second week.

They had young people who bought their children and babies with them, because they couldn’t go anywhere with children. They were on the beds, under the beds and on the chairs. Everybody had to do something, miming, singing etc. Everybody doing everything, the kids racing up and down on the verandah or out the back, having a whale of a time. They developed unity between the people. It didn’t matter what their religion was, they concentrated on being friends and doing these other activities. So, with the money raised, they built the first hall. The land was given to them by the man who ran the Post Office. He gave them the land and they raised the money for the hall. They made a deal with the council. If the council built the big hall, they would get the other hall for the Girl Guides. Previous to the big hall being built, they built a little school, because nearly all the children coming home from school were cut off by the bush fires. All the children ran down the track right in the face of the big fire, so they decided they would get a school for their children. That was the motivating force for building the first school at Grays Point.

They then decided that the school was not good enough because it was on a slope as the land was not level enough. They decided to build a big hall where the school was, abolish the small school and then they fought for the big school because they had to get a fire break. Every six years or so, a bush fire came out of National Park. Grays Point then had a preschool at the back of the hall. They organised the littlies. They also had the Girl Guides operating as well as the Seniors Learning and the Theatre Group. The Theatre Group was very popular. In one play, there were seventeen women shipwrecked on an island in the Indian Ocean and two of them were pregnant. Eighteen years later, a lonely man was also ship wrecked with the (now) twenty women. They gave him hell. They were dressed as you would have expected them to be in grass skirts. When Ted was nominated to be the leading man, his wife read the script and said, “That’s not for you, that’s not for you!” So he had to decline and missed out on being the leading man. The play went on for five weeks, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. What a lot of fun they had! They had some marvellous people. They never had any differences.

They all worked together, loved each other and fought for the development of Grays Point. They wanted tarred roads, kerb and guttering, sewerage and the Bush Fire Brigade. Ted stated that they lost fifteen houses in one hit, in one of the big bush fires. They decided that they would have to have a Bush Fire Brigade. In 1973, Ted became the Assistant Leader of the Bush Fire Brigade. Ted’s son John became the Captain, and went on to become the Group Captain of the Brigade. The Bush Fire Brigade Headquarters built up from there. They went on and got the big school, built up on the edge of the National Park, because the land was level and the two Ovals were built. They were mainly for firebreaks. They had to have a firebreak to stop people being burnt out. They knew that if they got the school built, they’d have to build a fire break on the National Park side of the school.

The big ovals that they built became wonderful fire breaks. Later in the eighties, two men and one woman were burnt to death very close to the big oval. So the Bush Fire Brigade was the driving force of Grays Point. They did get a lot of wonderful things to happen at Grays Point and the community is all the better for it. JOHN LAWES John Laws was born 8th August, 1943 and he was one of the first pupils to attend Grays Point School and he considers this his one claim to fame. He is also a fourth generation Grays Pointer. John is the son of Ted Laws. His father lived at Grays Point and when the Second Word War broke out, he joined up and was sent to Cowra. Subsequently, he met John’s mother.

John was born in Cowra and after the war he came home. Ted wanted to move back to Grays Point. The grandmother, who was John’s great grandmother, was reasonably well off. She had a hotel in Sydney and a big house on Yowie Bay. She also owned fifteen acres at Grays Point. In the mid-twenties she built a farm house there. That was where she was based. She had a garage separate to the house where the car was housed and where the chauffeur lived. She had a brand new car. It was an Essex. The chauffeur would stand to attention. The old grandmother, who was Ted Lawes grandmother, sold this property to Ted’s father. He was by himself. He had six children to look after when his wife died. In the late twenties, the Depression started.

John’s grandfather was a wool classer and had to go away for long periods of time. Things were a bit tough and whatever the deal was with his grandmother, he couldn’t fulfil the deal, so she took a lot of it back. Whatever he paid, she let him have part of it, which also included the house which is on the corner of Grays Point Road and North West Arm Road. Tim Bailey lives there now in a nice little brick house on the corner, near the hotel, which is now known as Lawes’ corner. 24 So John’s grandfather went to live in this house which cost a lot of money, I think it was about 4,000 pounds. To recoup some of the money, Ted Lawes had the bright idea that he would subsidise some of the land. He was working in the trams in Sydney. He would sell the blocks of land to his friends on the trams and then he would be surrounded by his friends.

The most notable of these friends was Harry Batterham who only died a few years back. Harry brought his wife there in 1948, so you can realise that this happened just a few years after the war. They had this great big typical farmhouse, with a great big verandah, an open fire, big french doors opening up n to the verandah. In the early days they didn’t have a community hall at Grays Point. What evolved was that the community would hold get togethers in their house, which went to raise money for the Grays Point Community Hall, which is now the Girl Guides Hall, opposite the shops. The big old house is where John Laws grew up. When John’s mother died later, they sold the house and moved down the road, at 152 Grays Point Road. The original house was 141. John’s sister built a house at the back of the original house, between Dad’s old house and Harry Batterham’s house. That was known as 141 Grays Point Road, because that was known as the original roadway and Dad’s original old house.

I was living a few doors down. My sister moved to the country and someone else bought the house. A few years later, he had a few more children, was looking for a bigger house and when the house came back on the market, he moved back to 141, where he lived for another two years. Then he moved to the house next to Sid. It came up for auction. That is where he has lived for thirty five years. John concurs with what Sid said about the middens. The whole hillside, where they are is full of aboriginal middens shell. He is glad he lives on the warm side of the hill and not on the cold side. It is his little bit of paradise. This side of the bay is the preferred side of the bay so the part that the Park has now is really the reject part, the least evidence of aboriginal occupation. There are only three paths that face north.

A small section in Gymea Bay, Burraneer Bay and the rest of Port Hacking is facing north and it is ideal to live on South West Arm and the Basin –very rocky. All the area where North West Arm Road comes down to the Grays Point Road where Kyogle Place is is a flat area where we got our water. Grays Point School have asked several times to do a short segment on John Laws because it almost seemed as if the punishment was a miraculous deal because he was the first (actually the second) in the Punishment Book but then went off to Sydney Boys Tech. High. Syd said that he opened that school in 1926. John stated that he believed the Inspector of the Punishment Book had an area to go round and oversee some of the unfortunate young miscreants. To top it all the inspector’s name was Lawes (no relation).

John was also interested in a letter from an uncle of his written in 1922 on “Laws Hotel “stationery asking to bring up the school from Audley to National Park. He also noted that his grandmother, who died when his father Ted was only four, had an identical signature to Johns. John spent most of his primary school education at Sutherland Primary and then at the beginning of fourth class went to Grays Point. As he was put up into 5th and then 6th class ahead of his peers, it seems that John Laws was a bright boy who was bored in class.

THE BUSH FIRE BRIGADE - John Lawes remembers the Bush Fires in 1955, when he was at Sydney Tech. At that time Grays Point was under the control of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. The law as it stood then was that you couldn’t have a Bush Fire Brigade in the Metropolitan Shire Area. So the Bush Fire Brigade was disbanded in 1954-5. This went on for ten years and there was no Bush Fire Brigade in Grays Point, until about 1965-6. John Laws remembers the 1955 fire when he was going to school at Hurstville, where 25 Sydney Technical High School had moved. The children from the Grays Point School were evacuated, together with John’s younger sister and they were all taken down to Swallow Rock. When John came home from school by bus they all had to get off the bus, at the Stepping Stones. They then had to walk up the river. Ten to twelve houses had been burnt at Grays Point, one right next door to where they lived.

After the fire in 1964-5, a new Bush Fire Brigade was formed. They had a hand me down vehicle, (a Ford that was donated by one of the other brigades) which John kept in his backyard. He ended up with quite a few vehicles in his backyard. They looked for somewhere they could build a Fire Station. The reason for their existence was that the Bush Fire Brigade could help look after the Royal National Park. They had a few Rangers, but nothing as such. If there was a fire in the Park, they were called to the Park. It was reasonable then that the NP&WS should give them a small piece of land adjacent to the school at Grays Point. NP&WS thought that was very unreasonable. John said that looking back; he can now see their point of view. Every piece of land they alienate from the Park, they feel they have a good excuse for having the land that belongs to the Park and looking back they’d end up with no Park because everyone wants a piece of it, a little bit here and a little bit there.

So now, they have the preschool behind it and then up the back, the Fire Station. In 1974, the current Fire Station was built. Fires most often started in the Park so they cleared a fire break. Virtually the fires went right through the Park and there are all these settlements around there, such as Maianbar and Bundeena. For seven or eight years, John Laws was Captain of the Brigade. He was then elected as a Deputy Group Captain. The Sutherland Shire was divided up into three main areas in charge of what they called the Northern Zone, - Loftus, Grays Point and Kurnell.

John was always going from Grays Point to Kurnell which has its own gigantic Oil Refinery Fire Brigade. For another seven, eight or nine years, John Laws was promoted Deputy Group Captain. They fostered a lot of young people into the brigade, round about the age of eighteen. The young people used to clean the equipment and odd jobs. He likes to think that they helped them to do well in life and they helped a little bit into doing this. In 1974, A Bush Fire Brigade Station was officially opened at Grays Point by the Sutherland Shire President (Cr. Kevin .M. Skinner), watched by the station officer, Mr. R. Esam and the Sutherland Shire Clerk, Mr. Athol Hill. (Sutherland Shire Leader 18-9-1974) The double brick garage building held a fire truck and equipment. For the past five years the brigade operated from the backyards of two of their members.

The volunteer group was known as Grays Point-Kirrawee Bush Fire Brigade. It covered an extensive area between Grays Point and the Princes Highway at Loftus, and will be available to help in other districts in an emergency. The authorities described the Sutherland Shire as a particularly dangerous bush fire zone. The fire-fighting organization at Grays Point was established in the early 1950s when an auxiliary brigade was formed. Although it had no authority outside its own area, the brigade formed a close liaison with neighbouring groups, who were assisted when major outbreaks occurred. In 1968 extensive fires raged through bushland in Sutherland Shire and endangered many homes.

Fires approached Grays Point on two fronts from Royal National Park and it was only through the combined efforts of bush fire brigades that homes were saved. After this experience local residents petitioned Sutherland Council to establish a registered bush fire brigade in the area. 26 A public meeting was called and the brigade came into existence late in December, 1968.The brigade’s first vehicle, and a reconditioned ex-army “blitz” truck, was commissioned in September, 1969. Before then brigade members used their own vehicles. The vehicle and its equipment deteriorated over the next five years because the truck was exposed to the weather and it was returned to headquarters.

A Studebaker truck was bought in 1973 after a fund-raising campaign. The chief ranger of the National Park (Mr. K.R. Ayers) warned that bushfires in 1974 could be the worst in five years. The absence of serious fires in the past five years had aggravated the situation. In 1985, the area had been victim to two fatal bush fires, one in 1981 at Waterfall which claimed five lives and another at Grays Point in 1982 which killed three people and seriously injured six. Grays Point disaster was the subject of the longest coronial inquiry in Australian history. The inquiry, headed by magistrate Mr. Bert Wilson, lasted a record 267 court days and cost millions of dollars.

Harold Henry Batterham was born 23 May, 1911, at Glennifer, near Bellingen in Northern New South Wales. In the Publication – “Introduction to Harry Batterham”, a book of poems and prose, written in Harry’s declining years, when he was no longer physically fit, we are introduced to the man Harry Batterham, by his friend of long standing, John Turner. Harry spent most of his working life working on the Trams. Through this occupation, he learned a great deal about the people he met, he listened to them; he was interested in their welfare. As John Turner states, “Harry had the widest interpretation of the term neighbour, partly due to his Methodist upbringing.” He was always active, in the Trade Union movement, in community affairs, promoting the advancement of Grays Point where he lived for fifty years. Not forgetting his sporting activities. He ran marathons, both here in Australia and overseas.

He was deservedly honoured by the award of the Medal of the Order of Australia. John Turner tells us of Harry’s interest in writing, especially his poetry, which shows of his love of his fellow man, especially the “bushies”. It must have been very hard for Harry when his health failed and he lost his wife after fifty five years of marriage. He developed rheumatism and his eyesight failed, John Turner became his “amanuensis” and typist. They sat together on Harry’s back verandah while he sorted through his scraps of paper, on which he had written his poems and parts of his autobiography.

Through his writing we learn more about Harry, from the man himself. Harry instigated the “Parrot Club”, a group of runners who ran in the National Park. In 1972 he formed this group to introduce them to the fundamentals of running and keeping fit. These Parrots were housewives. Harry believed that they chattered like parrots and the only time they kept quiet was when a male jogger passed them! The Parrots still exist today. They meet at 5 a.m. and run in the National Park. Through this activity, the women state that they went on to run in the City to Surf, they made many friendships and enjoy the tranquillity of the bush. Harry was still running at eighty eight years of age.

He won the Cronulla run. Harry put messages on the Notice Board at the start of Florence Parade or as he called it “Friendship Way”. Ted Laws met Harry when he worked on the trams and was the instigator of bringing him to Grays Point in 1948, not long after the war. Ted was organising War Service Loans for his friends to buy their own homes. They had many fund raising activities in Ted Law’s grandmother’s house. Harry Batterham, amongst his other talents, was interested in theatre work and formed the Theatre Group with a lot of help from enthusiastic local talent, including Charley Baker, the artist. As Ted Laws said, they developed a unity between people.

From the man himself Harry introduces us to his early life and his arrival into Sydney. Through his eyes we learn that Harry was a 27 year old country boy from Bellingen on the North Coast, who came to Sydney and attended Rozelle Public School in the 1920’s. Even then, he loved all things physical, always ran, home to lunch, back to school, walked miles to pay the rent and seemed to enjoy this activity. He sold papers before and after school. In the holidays he went by train to Nowra Hill and Bolong with his mother’s relatives, riding horses and chasing rabbits. As Harry states, he was always on the move, “never one for a sedentary life or passive living. He talks about his first job as a junior traveller selling Columbia and Regal gramophone records. With the introduction of radio, demand for records fell and he was retrenched.

Times were hard, apprenticeships were unobtainable but he eventually obtained work in 1928 with the Government Railway and Tramways. He was active in swimming, surfing and lifesaving, playing Rugby League and Soccer. After one failed marriage, Harry married Bette with whom he was happily married for fifty five years. He states that he was active in distance running on a regular basis at forty eight years, training in the Centennial Park. He mentions that he was a successful competitor in numerous road races conducted by various Bus Depots. In 1971 (at sixty years of age) he joined the NSW Veterans’ Athletic Association, and competed successfully over all distances, specialising in marathons. He ran marathons in every State of the Commonwealth and in Canada and Honolulu- the only time he didn’t win his age division was in Canada, where influenza interfered with his preparation and performance.

On retiring at sixty, he joined the Retired Tram and Bus Workers Association and held the position of secretary for eighteen years, organising outings and interstate tours for members. After retiring he also obtained the contract for the delivery of mail at Grays Point and carried out this activity with his wife for seven years. Harry mentions that when his wife died in 1992, he kept on the move visiting his son in Northern Territory and his grandsons and a lot of other relatives. He belonged to Wanda Surf Club Callisthenics Class on Wednesday nights and a member of Billy’s Bushies Running on Saturday mornings. Then he developed rheumatism and eye trouble and could not run through the bush any more.

After these outlets seem to be closing up, Harry took up his old love, ballroom dancing, attending Alan Glynn’s Studio at Hurlstone Park. “I enjoyed the movement. I am most happy when I am on the move. It seems this is the pattern of my life.” A most remarkable man. Harry was remarried to Ellen and they went to live in Mascot. He died at the age of 88. He is sorely missed. The End of the Beginning.

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The Grays Point Community (today) is composed of a rich variety of well-known Shire identities and deeply committed community members. Earlier this year I was approached by Bill Barton of Grays Point Progress Association with a request for assistance in getting together a history of the community. From that meeting with Bill Barton and later meetings with Harvey Nation, Ted Lawes and others of the Grays Point Progress Association, a local History project has taken off.

In 2002 Les Bursill added: The history above is a draft version of the initial research by Beryl Tope. The book to be compiled now awaits deeper and wider efforts in research and input from our (Sutherland Shire Historical Society) members.

Sutherland Shire Historical Society Inc. Bulletin VOL. 5 No. 4 November 2002

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