This morning on 2SER Breakfast, I thought we'd take a look at Sydney's grey-headed flying foxes. You might not think they have much history but flying foxes are a great example of historical methodology. When the Dictionary first went live in 2009, we included a piece on Sydney's bats. What's really interesting is that this entry demonstrates how Sydney's history, urban ecology and landscape is constantly changing. History never stands still!! Back in 2009, there was a large colony of flying foxes roosting in the Royal Botanic Gardens. We even have an interview with Tim Pearson of the Ku-ring-gai Bat Conservation Society about the history and secret lives of Sydney's flying foxes - standing in the bontanic gardens amongst the colony. You can hear them squabbling and sqwaking in the background. But this piece of audio in itself is a time capsule. The bat colony in the gardens is no more. In June 2012, after lots of legal cases and permissions, the gardens commenced a noise disruption program to eradicate the flying foxes from the gardens. Twelve months later, in 2013, they declared the program a success. As a born-digital project, when the Dictionary articles become dated, documents can be changed and we can incorporate new information, or indeed write a new article! Of course, there are still many flying foxes in Sydney. There are still significant colonies in Gordon and Cabramatta, and also a growing colony in Centennial Parklands. The flying foxes are not only interesting for their urban ecology, but also for their cultural inspiration. They have entered into Sydney's iconography and inspired artwork. For example, the Art Gallery of NSW acquired a artwork by Lin Onus, called Fruit bats, 1991, that reflects upon their survival in suburbanised cities. The installtion features rows of flying foxes hanging off a hills hoist. Our historian friends at the City of Sydney have also been documenting Sydney's urban ecology. This is an important area for their oral history collection. They have a long interview with John Martin from the Royal Botanic Gardens about the grey-headed flying foxes. There's much to discover about Sydney's urban ecology and the changing landscape of our city. Lisa catches up with Mitch every Wednesday morning bringing you more fascinating Sydney history from the Dictionary of Sydney. Listen in on 107.3 at 8:20am.

We are looking to expand our team of writers and reviewers for the Sydney Journal. Sydney Journal is the Dictionary of Sydney's academic journal. It offers peer-reviewed publication of academic articles on Sydney’s history, as well as showcasing a range of content prepared for the Dictionary of Sydney. From 2014, each issue of the Sydney Journal will be guest edited with the support of the Journal Manager, Dr Catie Gilchrist. Catie has an MA in History from The University of Glasgow, an MA in Women's History, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, from The University of London, and a PhD in convict history from Sydney University, where she lectures casually in the history program. The next issue of the Sydney Journal will be published in December 2014, followed by World War I in 2015, Sydney's Parks and Gardens in 2016, and in 2017,  Animals in Sydney. If you would like to contribue to our upcoming issues, please contact the Journal Manager at sydneyjournal@gmail.com      

Following the headlines in the Sydney Morning Herald about a private operator wanting to sell alcohol to commuters on the Manly ferries ('Boozy Manly ferry? Whatever floats your boat"'), I thought we might look at ferries. We have a fabulous article on ferries by Garry Wotherspoon, with great images and audio. For a harbour city, ferries are an important part of Sydney's transport. Whether for work or for leisure, a trip on the harbour is a very Sydney experience. Formal ferry services around Sydney Harbour go back to 1861, with the formation of the North Shore Ferry Company which operated the first commuter-style ferry across the harbour. But the true history of ferries goes back to the earliest days of the colony's history. The Rose Packet Hill Packet was a convict built ship that plied the route between Sydney town and Rose Hill (aka Parramatta) from 1789. As well as taking passengers back and forth, it brought much-needed produce from the farms of the Parramatta area back to the settlement at Sydney Cove. There is lots of folklore associated with ferries on the harbour. Many Sydneysiders will have heard of Billy Blue, a convict who had arrived in Sydney in December 1801 aboard the Minorca. Not long after he was ferrying passengers in a rowboat between the north side of the harbour and the south side. Blues Point commemorates his presence. A famous saying connected with our ferries is 'Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care'. This was the slogan coined by the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company in the 1920s to promote its ferries on the Manly run. Today, the Manly ferry is probably Sydney's busiest and most famous ferry service. But if they are going to introduce the selling of alcohol onto the Manly ferries, then I think it should be mandatory that people sing the popular song: 'Take me up the harbour', which was first recorded in 1909. We have a recording of it on the Dictionary by the folklore specialist Warren Fahey. It's a rollicking song - perfect for swaying on the Manly ferry as you down a beer. The chorus goes:

Take me up the harbour on a Sunday afternoon To Manly beach or Watsons Bay or round to Coogee for the day Call around to Clifton or Mosman, it will do Dear old harbour, Sydney harbour, they can't beat you!

If you missed it, you can listen to Lisa’s segment with Mitch here. Don’t forget to tune in next week for more Sydney history courtesy of the Dictionary on 2SER Breakfast at 8:20am.

It’s all Commonwealth Games at the moment and it looks like Australia’s doing pretty well in the medal tally. We always seem to punch above our weight in terms of medals, and it looks like historically that’s been the case too. The games used to be called the British Empire Games and in 1938 Sydney hosted the third ever Empire Games with Australia winning the medal tally! In 1938, the British Empire Games, though still a new tournament, generated quite a bit of excitement. Going back a bit, the Empire Games were established to rival the Olympic Games and talks about this new international sporting competition began in 1911. It wasn’t until 1930 that this finally became a reality and the first Empire Games took place. 1938 marked 150 years since European colonial settlement in Sydney, so the games were timed to commemorate this historic occasion and were the reason why Sydney was chosen at the host city. Many of the key events were hosted in the Sydney Cricket Ground (of all places!), including the opening ceremony and athletics events. Others were held in the North Sydney Pool and Sydney Sports Ground (which is now the car park for the Sydney Football Stadium in Moore Park). An estimated 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony with over 450 athletes competed from 15 nations. One particular Australian star dominated athletics medal tally - and that was the Western Australian the newspapers called the ‘wonder runner’. Decima Norman had tried to qualify for the 1934 Empire Games and the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, however, there was a requirement that she be part of the Women’s Amateur Athletic Association of Australia and a West Australian club too. Norman and her trainer established a club and she eventually qualified for the 1938 games. Among the Australians competing was also Margaret Dovey, who finished 6th in the breaststroke and later married Australia’s 21st Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. Australia topped the medal tally with 25 gold, 19 silver and 22 bronze medals. During the games, Norman became the first Australian to win a gold medal in Sydney, and it was for the 100 yard sprint. She went on to win four more in the relays and long jump, all the while breaking records too. The newspaper reports dubbed her ‘the white streak from out of the west’; they said she moved ‘perfectly’ and her ‘arms and legs cleaved the air’ toward victory. Her record for winning five gold medals in a single games was matched 52 years later, when swimmer Hayley Lewis won five gold medals in 1990! And then it was beaten in 1998 by swimmer Susie O’Neill. Unfortunately for Norman and her flourishing sporting career, World War II was brewing by the time the next games came along and in the end, the next two were cancelled. There wasn’t another Empire Games held until 1950. The wonder girl’s last performance was at the 1940 National Championships in Perth. By Nicole Cama If you missed Nicole's spot on 2SER Breakfast this morning, you can catch up here. References: Richard Cashman, Sport, Dictionary of Sydney, 2008, http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sport, viewed 29 July 2014 Decima Norman's Swan Song. (1938, December 31). The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950), p. 12 Edition: FIELDS GREEN. Retrieved July 29, 2014 EMPIRE GAMES. (1938, February 5). The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950), p. 4 Edition: G'FIELDS and Nor-West. Retrieved July 29, 2014

This morning on 2SER our guest historian, Nicole Cama, joined Mitch Byatt to look at the history of the prestigious and often controversial award, the Archibald Prize. The prize was founded by the eccentric journalist and publisher, Jules Francois Archibald. When he died in 1919 he left behind an estate then valued at £89,061, which was then an incredible amount of money. In his will he stated that part of his money go toward an annual prize “…to be styled The Archibald Prize for the best portrait preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in arts letters science or politics painted by any artist resident in Australia during the 12 months preceding the date fixed…” The Dictionary has an interesting article on the prize written by the former Director of the Art Gallery of NSW, Edmund Capon. Capon notes that there are two elements to the clause in Archibald’s will that have ensured the success and longevity of the prize: the first, that the prize not be judged by curators, art historians, critics or other such professionals but by the members of the Board of Trustees, that is, ordinary men and women; and  that the portraits had to be painted in the 12 months leading up to the award. As a result, artists have always created works of their time, depicting contemporary subjects. In this sense, the Archibald has become a social and cultural snapshot of the time within each prize is awarded, reflecting contemporary values. One particular year that stood out for its controversy was1943 when William Dobell won the prize for his portrait of fellow artist Joshua Smith. The reason why it caused so much controversy was because it was widely described as a ‘caricature’ and the way that Dobell painted Smith’s body was a complete break with traditional notions of how human form is represented in art. In response to all the chatter, over 150,000 people ventured to see the work, that’s a lot of people flocking to the Art Gallery of NSW back in 1943! Litigation followed, initiated by fellow artists, however, over a year later the judge determined that no court of law was empowered to set aside the decision of those legally appointed to judge the prize. In the end, in many respects, it’s as if the controversy this prize consistently elicits is the very reason why it is so successful. As Capon notes

"...it is the source of great debate, some wonderful controversies and above all an art exhibition that the public adores…for all the fun and widespread interest it generates, artists take it very seriously and the resources of passion, craft, imagination and talent that are invested in the hundreds of portraits submitted every year are testament to the current lively state of the art of portraiture in this country.”

What’s interesting is that Penelope Seidler, the subject of Fiona Lowry’s winning portrait this year, reportedly stood in front of her portrait and said “There’s no controversy.” It appears we’ve avoided the controversy this year, but the prize is certainly still alive. According to The Sydney Morning Herald’s article on this year’s prize, there were 884 entries and last year, 136,000 tickets were sold to the exhibition of the finalists, making it the gallery's most-visited paid show. Reference THE ARCHIBALD PRIZE,  The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), January 31, 1925, p 11,  from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31277548, accessed  July 22, 2014 --- If you missed it, you can listen to Nicole's segment with Mitch here. Don't forget to tune in next week for more Sydney history courtesy of the Dictionary on 2SER Breakfast at 8:20am.

[et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="1_3"][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/slnsw.dxd.dc.prod.dos.prod.assets/home-dos-files/2014/07/HighlandSociety1901.jpg" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" animation="fade_in" sticky="off" align="left" force_fullwidth="on" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Invitation to Washington H Soul from The Highland Society of NSW to their Annual Highland Gathering on 2 January 1901. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, a920004/MLMSS 6197, Mitchell Library [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="2_3"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Peter McCormick is little known in Sydney, although every Sydneysider knows his work. McCormick's principal claim to fame is as author-composer of the national song 'Advance Australia Fair'. The Dictionary has an article by Graeme Skinner on McCormick, who was a Scottish immigrant who arrived in Sydney in February 1855, aged about 20. McCormick briefly trained as a teacher at Fort Street Model School in 1863 and was then appointed to a school in suburban St Marys. From 1867 he taught for ten years at the Presbyterian school, Woolloomooloo, and then followed that with a stint at the local public school, Dowling (Plunkett) Street Public School from 1878 until 1885. McCormick's real love was music. He became involved in amateur musical societies and served as precentor (music director) of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales. He wrote a couple of patriotic songs: 'Awake! Awake! Australia' and 'Advance Australia Fair'. 'Advance Australia Fair' was first sung at the St Andrew's Day concert of the Sydney Highland Society on 30 November 1878. The Sydney Morning Herald described the music as 'bold and stirring' and the words as 'decidedly patriotic' – it was 'likely to become a popular favourite'. The first clear recognition of the song's future place in Australia's national consciousness came in Sydney on 1 January 1901, when it was sung (with a slightly modified text) by a choir of 10,000 voices at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia in Centennial Park. By 1907 the New South Wales Premier was already describing the song, according to its publisher, as 'our national anthem'. Three years before he died in 1916, McCormick described the inspiration of the song. He had attended a concert where several national anthems were sung. He wrote that he:

"... felt very aggravated that there was not one note for Australia. On the way home in a bus, I concocted the first verse of my song, & when I got home I set it to music. I first wrote it in the Tonic Sol-fa Notation, then transcribed it into the Old Notation, & tried it over on an instrument next morning, & found it correct … It seemed to me to be like an inspiration, & I wrote the words & music with the greatest ease."

McCormick was very proud of his song. WH Paling & Co Ltd published the music and four verses of text under McCormick's pen-name 'Amicus' in 1879.  The National Library of Australia has an extraordinary sheet music collection and they have a great free app called Forte. You can download the app and see the original sheet music which has four verses with single voice and four part voice arrangements. When McCormick died in 1916, his obituary observed that 'Advance Australia Fair' was 'recognised as something in the nature of an Australian National Anthem'. A famous recording of the song was made in 1935 by Tenor Peter Dawson did much to enhance the song's popularity. Until 1952, a shortened version was used as the news theme on ABC radio. The federal Whitlam Labor government first proclaimed it the national anthem, replacing 'God Save the Queen', in 1974, and its status was finally confirmed by the Governor-General in 1984. --- You can listen to the podcast of this morning's segment with Lisa and Mitch on 2SER Breakfast here.   [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row]

Petition from Maria Lock re: land grant 1831. By Maria Lock. Contributed by State Records New South Wales, NRS 907 2/7908, page 1 of 3

As part of NAIDOC week, this morning on 2SER Breakfast Lisa spoke to Mitch about an extraordinary Aboriginal woman, Maria Lock, who lived in Western Sydney in the first half of the nineteenth century. The daughter of an Aboriginal chief, Maria had an aptitude for learning European cultural mores. She achieved educational merit in European schooling and married a British convict, which was unusual to say the least (her convict husband was assigned to her - this was unique, unheard of!). Even more extraordinary is the fact that she became a landholder -  remarkable even for a European woman of the nineteenth century, let alone an Aboriginal woman in Sydney. So who was Maria Lock? Jack Brook's article in the Dictionary gives us a fascinating picture of this unusual woman. We know that Maria grew up at Richmond Bottoms on the eastern floodplains of the Deerubbin, later known as the Hawkesbury River, close to today's town of Richmond. Her grasp of English and educational achievements suggest that she grew up around, and lived virtually all of her life with, white settlers. Maria was probably born in 1808. Her father was known as Yellomundee (Yarramundi) and her grandfather was Gombeeree. She had an elder brother called Colebee. Unfortunately, Maria's mother's name is unknown. In 1814 Maria attended the first gathering of Aboriginal tribes at Parramatta, along with her father. She met Governor Macquarie and was selected to be amongst the first students of what was called the Native Institute in Parramatta. She was tutored by William Shelley and his wife. Maria was a star pupil; competing against local white children, she took out the major education award in 1819. When Maria was 16 she married the convict Robert Lock. She most likely met him when he was building the new Native Institute at Black Town. The ceremony took place in 1824 at St John's church at Parramatta; it was the first officially sanctioned marriage between a young Aboriginal woman and a British convict. Robert Lock was assigned to his wife. This was not unusual for a convict but it was a first for an Aboriginal woman, and unusual for the penal administration. Robert and Maria moved to Black Town and lived beside the new Native Institute, before moving to the Reverend Robert Cartwright's farm at Liverpool, beside Cabramatta Creek. At the time of her marriage, Maria was promised 'a small Grant of Land and a Cow as a Marriage Portion'. She received the cow, but not the grant of land, so following the deaths of Colebee and Nurraginny she claimed the 30 acres (12 hectares) of land previously granted to them in the Blacktown area. Maria and Robert, along with their ten children, took up residence on the land grant. Robert died on 23 August 1854 aged 53. He was buried at St Bartholomew's Church in Prospect. Maria survived him by 24 years and, on her death, all her land passed to her nine surviving children. We have to admire Maria Lock for her intelligence and resilience. Through her cultural adaptation she found a space for her family to thrive in Western Sydney. Today the numerous descendents of Maria and Robert Lock are unreservedly proud of their ancestry and Aboriginality. Many of them still reside in the City of Blacktown.

The Dictionary of Sydney is looking for an Editorial Assistant, one day per week for a one year contract starting August 2014. Applications are due 25 July 2014. We are looking for a highly organised, experienced editor with excellent research and computer skills. Knowledge of Australian history and experience working in a digital publishing environment is desirable. For more information, please download the position description  (381 KB PDF). Applications, and any questions regarding the position, should be addressed to: Mr Kim Hanna Executive Officer Dictionary of Sydney kim.hanna@dictionaryofsydney.org

It's the first week of July which means its NAIDOC Week - an annual celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and the week runs from 6-13 July, kicking off this Sunday. NAIDOC, with its twin ambitions of political and cultural awareness, claims a link back to the political activism of Sydney's Aboriginal community in the early 20th century. So it is a good time to look at some of the content in the Dictionary about Aboriginal Sydney, particularly related to Aboriginal activism. The formation of the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (1924) paved the way for the Aborigines Progressive Association (1937) and the Day of Mourning Conference held on Australia Day 1938. We have articles about each of these organisations and events in the Dictionary so you can read more. It was the depredations and abuses applied by the government's Aborigines Protection Board in the late 19th century that spurred on this political revolt. Organised political protest was a powerful tool for Aboriginal people in Sydney in the first half of the twentieth century. Communities organised and protested to protect their land and their children. We have an article about Aboriginal Politics to 1945 - this is a great article written by the Aboriginal historian John Maynard that provides important political context to the various Aboriginal political groups that burst forth in the 1920s and 1930s. WWII stalled much of the political activism but in its own way led to a second wave of political activism. There was growing migration of Aboriginal people from regional and rural NSW in to the inner-city and many people, particularly those from the state's west or north coast settled around Redfern and Waterloo. Similarly, there are strong links between the Aboriginal community at La Perouse and communities on the south coast. Members of the 'Stolen Generation' also found solace and a sense of community around Redfern. We have a comprehensive article written by George Morgan on Aboriginal Migration to Sydney since WWII. The industrial and working class suburbs provided cheap housing and unskilled job opportunities. The growing Aboriginal community in Redfern became increasingly vocal about assimilation policies, discrimination, police harassment, and the need for better housing and health. New political groups and organisations emerged leading to a second wave of activism in the 1960s and 1970s. Out of this emerged the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Aboriginal Medical Service, Murrawina, the National Black Theatre and the Aboriginal Housing Company. NAIDOC week is a great time to learn more about Sydney's history and our Aboriginal communities. There are plenty of activities and events happening all over Sydney - from flag raising ceremonies to family fun days. My picks for NAIDOC week: I'll be down at Hyde Park next Monday as part of the big NAIDOC in the City event. I'm also going along to a series of talks at the State Library on Thursday about Black Diggers and the Great War which includes talks by historians John Maynard, Mick Dodson, Heather Goodall and Jessica Horton. And I'm not going to miss the exhibition "Hereby Make Protest" about the 1938 Day of Mourning. It's on at Carriageworks until the 18 July. For a full list of events, go to the NAIDOC week events calendar You can hear Lisa every Wednesday morning on 2SER with Mitch Byatt. If you missed this morning, you can catch up on the podcast here.

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