It's long been accepted that the composer Isaac Nathan was the first Australian to be killed by a tram, but thanks to information from a Dictionary of Sydney reader, we have recently been able to amend our entry Tram Deaths. The first fatality caused by a tram in Sydney was about 9 months before the death of Nathan in January 1864. Six year old Thomas McGowan's 'leg was severed' by a tram when he either fell from or was knocked down by a tram on the Sunday evening of 26 April 1863. Thomas died in the Infirmary the following Monday. Several different possible causes of the accident were mentioned at the inquest, with the jury eventually returning a verdict that 'the occurrence was accidental and there was no blame attached to anyone'. The death of the well-known musician Nathan in 1864, obviously garnering more public attention than that of the little boy, was the only one mentioned in the petitions to the Minister of Public Works in 1865 to remove the tramway as an example of its dangers, which perhaps explains how the original error came about. (Other, non-fatal, accidents to other prominent citizens were also mentioned.) Our information came from a member of the McGowan family, and we are very grateful for the lead. Additional sources were (of course!) available via Trove once we knew where to look, including the following articles - you can follow the links to read them on Trove: A frightful accident occurred on the tramway tramway, in Pitt-street, on Sunday evening last...WEEKLY REGISTER (1863, May 2). Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), p. 5.

The LATE ACCIDENT ON THE TRAMWAY (1863, May 5). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 4.

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE TRAMWAY (1863, May 7). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 5. THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE TRAMWAY LINE  (1863, May 7). Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), p. 5.  

One of the new entries on the Dictionary is a biography of Robert Brodribb Stewart Hammond by Dr Meredith Lake. The well-known rector of St Barnabas's Anglican Church from 1918 to 1943, RBS Hammond's 'practical Christianity' led him to found a number of organisations to help Sydney's destitute and homeless in the first half of the 20th century, including  the Hammond hotels and the Pioneer Homes Scheme (the nucleus of the suburb Hammondville in western Sydney). Meredith's new book Faith in Action: HammondCare provides further details about Canon Hammond and the history of Hammondcare, the independent Christian charity that today services a wide range of people with complex health and aged-care needs, through dementia and aged-care services, palliative care, rehabilitation, and mental health programs. An illuminating interview with Meredith about her work

is available on the Author Q&A blog of our friends at Inside History :  http://www.insidehistory.com.au/2013/03/author-qa-meredith-lake-faith-in-action-the-story-of-reverend-hammond/ The story, told in the book, of the relationship between Arthur Stace & Hammond, and the photograph from the HammondCare Archives of Stace in the Chippendale Hammond hotel which he managed, has been garnering great press coverage too. 'Two lives and a city intertwined for eternity', Sydney Morning Herald, March 15, 2013 The book is available now from the publisher  Hammond Press  and all good booksellers.    

  Missing the scavenger hunts of your youth? Pull a tribe together and get yourself down to the Great Tribal Chase. Have a great day out and raise money for those in need. Good Beginnings Australia, a national charity building better outcomes for children living in disadvantaged communities, is gearing up to re-enact the fast-paced adventure of The Amazing Race. It’s The Great Tribal Chase on Sunday 5^th May 2013. The Chase will see teams (tribes) made up of families, friends and work colleagues ‘funning’ their way around checkpoints installed at iconic Sydney locations. Starting and finishing at Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park on May 5^th, participating Tribes will have 4 hours in which to find and navigate through 30 checkpoints, armed with a map, a clue sheet and a mobile phone. The Great Tribal Chase will put tribes to the test with fun and brain-teasing ‘challenge’ activities at the checkpoints. The Dictionary of Sydney is proud to be a community partner of this great project.

With Sydney's St Patrick's Festival now behind us, it's time to look at what else is new to the Dictionary. There are 13 new articles to explore, covering key Sydney suburbs, buildings and individuals. Our resident volunteer writer and editor, Garry Wotherspoon, takes a historical ramble through the Sydney suburbs of Paddington and Bellevue Hill. Edward Duyker writes of George William Poole, a popular figure in Balmain who fought in South Africa in the 1890s and was stationed at the Balmain Watch House for over 20 years. Nicholas Brennan looks at the building, dismantling, and rebuilding of Manly Courthouse from 1924 onwards. Meredith Lake follows the humble path of 19^th century clergyman Robert Brodribb Stuart ('RBS') Hammond, known as a "the mender of broken men" for his work in Sydney during the Depression, while Nicole Cusack traces the history of the Aboriginal Health College, Little Bay. Christopher Malouf looks at the history of Burnside Homes in North Parramatta in his profile of Airlie House, one of eight orphanages within the complex. Andrew Chua, Deepika Ratnaraj and Sahar Shirazi take a look at Sydney's club life in Russian Club Strathfield and Club Marconi Fairfield. Laura Parengkuan considers Sydney's Dutch heritage in her article on the Dutch Australian Society Neerlandia Frenchs Forest. If wine and the arts are your interest, there is plenty to read. Julie Watt's has written an interesting article on vinedresser, Johann Justus. Kathleen Hackett offers a fascinating portrait of Kate Rickards, a "gymnast, trapeze artist, vaudeville performer and costume designer best known for her work on the Tivoli circuit owned by her husband, the Cockney comic and theatrical entrepreneur, Harry Rickards." Ailsa McPherson traces the artistic talent of 19^th century scenic artist Alfred Clint and the history of two Sydney theatres, Marian Street Theatre and the Old Tote Theatre. Happy reading! Jacqueline Spedding, Editorial Coordinator

Who were the first Irish people to see Botany Bay? What do Hyde Park Barracks have to do with the Irish Famine? How did Sydneysiders celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the 1800s? The answers are in our new Greening the Dictionary content launched this week. Written by volunteers and supported by the Consulate General of Ireland and the Aisling Society, Greening the Dictionary traces the paths of immigrants brought to Sydney’s shores through famine, poverty, political turmoil and opportunity. Their legacy is marked out across Sydney in monuments, buildings, societies and festivals that are brought to life in a series of fascinating historical essays. Among them is Perry McIntyre’s article on the Irish Famine Memorial at Hyde Park Barracks. The history of the 2,214 young women brought to Sydney from Ireland’s orphanages and workhouses during the period of the Famine is a poignant one. Not everyone came to Sydney destitute. Anne Cunningham describes the arrival of John Hughes and his parents in 1840 on passage assisted by the colonial government. Hughes become one of Sydney’s most prominent philanthropists raising £8,000 for the building of St Canice’s Church, Elizabeth Bay. In fact, the Irish community in Sydney has always covered a broad spectrum of society according to Dr Richard Reid's article, Irish in Sydney from First Fleet to Federation. Two of the first arrivals to the new colony were Irish convict Hannah Mullens and Surgeon-General John White. Immigrants who arrived as ‘felons or rebels’ didn’t always remain so; many did well for themselves creating a life of opportunity in their new country. A history of the Irish in Sydney wouldn’t be complete without mention of St Patrick. Jeff Kildea tracks the changing mood of the Irish community in Celebrating St Patrick’s Day in nineteenth century Sydney. The exuberant revelries of 1795 and ‘acts of excess and violence’ of 1814 find a surprising counterpart in the Temperance tea parties of 1843. There is so much interesting material in the Greening of the Dictionary it is impossible to do it justice in one reading. Few would know that the Statue of Queen Victoria in Druitt Street spent years languishing in County Offaly before being ‘transported to Sydney’ in 1986. Peter Moore explains why. Nor, as Michael O’Sullivan explores, would many be aware that the Wicklow Chief, Michael Dwyer, is buried under the 1798 Memorial at Waverley Cemetery. The Irish National Association, whose colourful history is recounted by Anne-Maree Whitaker, maintains the memorial. Both the INA and the Aisling Society have a long history of fostering Irish culture and heritage in Sydney. As Jeff Kildea relates, the Aisling Society began when three learned friends met for a drink at Pfahlert’s Hotel in Sydney in 1954. Their love of Irish literature, history and culture has kept generations of Irish-Australians connected to their heritage. Our thanks go to the Consulate General of Ireland and the Aisling Society for supporting the project and to the writers who contributed such interesting and diverse material. We hope you’ll enjoy delving into Sydney’s Irish heritage in the Dictionary of Sydney. by Jacqueline Spedding, Editorial Coordinator

On March 24, as part of the Message Sticks Festival at the Sydney Opera House, Dictionary of Sydney authors Keith Vincent Smith & John Maynard will be discussing the myths & preconceptions that surround Woollarawarre Bennelong. Dr Smith will be recounting Bennelong's lost years in London, what he saw and how he survived. It's a free event, and will be fascinating. To book go to the Sydney Opera House site: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/bennelongopera.aspx          

We're proud to announce that the Dictionary of Sydney is partnering with The Great Tribal Chase, Good Beginnings’ charitable fundraising event. National children's charity Good Beginnings provides free early intervention and practical parenting programs for disadvantaged children and their families. The Great Tribal Chase format will be familiar to those who know the television program The Amazing Race. On Sunday the 5^th of May 2013, tribes will investigate the secrets of Sydney’s CBD and foreshore as each tribe battles it out armed only with map, clue sheet, mobile phone and their wits. Tribes have 4 hours to solve riddles and complete the challenge of the quest. Tribes will race against the clock and each other to win fundraising prizes. If you are interested in forming a tribe then visit the Great Tribal Chase site to find out more:   http://thegreattribalchase.gofundraise.com.au  

Next Wednesday, 6 February 2013, is the 225th anniversary of the coming ashore of the first boatload of convict women to Sydney in 1788. The mythical Foundational Orgy that allegedly followed is, as author Grace Karskens puts it, one of Sydney's favourite urban myths. A story first told in 1963, it quickly found a place in the popular imagination, despite being completely unsubstantiated. The following is an excerpt from Professor Karsken's piece in the Dictionary about the myth:

"So what's wrong with this picture? As a nation, as a city, as a people, we need stories about our past, about who we are, don't we? Isn't a powerful and widely believed legend like this as valid as factual history? Does it matter that it probably didn't happen? I think it does matter, for at least two reasons.

First, the modern orgy story is about rape, and it's told as a kind of rough comedy about loose whores and randy drunken men. As Aveling pointed out, Robert Hughes was saying that these were the foundations of sexual and gender relationships in early Australia. Brutal, drunken rapes, sex lacking in any kind of commitment or feeling; this is how it would be. [10] But convict men and sailors did not simply root and leave, or at least not if they could help it. Most acknowledged their partners and children and supported them if they could. The lucky ones formed families and households which became the basis of the new colony. Given the severely unbalanced gender ratio, many men never got that chance. [11]

And second, the orgy story hides a real urban legend: the story of an environmental miracle which amazed everyone. For once in New South Wales, women who had never had a child, who were considered barren, suddenly became pregnant. Every letter home told and retold this tale about women's mysterious and marvellous fecundity. It was this legend which reassured settlers that they could live and thrive in this environment, that it was healthful and life-giving. [12] But we have forgotten that women's story, that true story about sex and seeding and birth."

Read the whole entry The myth of Sydney's foundational orgy on the Dictionary of Sydney.

Do you have a strong editorial eye? Are you web savvy? Do you have a passion for the history of Sydney? Then this part-time role could be for you! The Dictionary of Sydney is seeking a suitably qualified Editorial Coordinator to oversee our commissioning strategy and associated editorial processes. The position is two days per week, and applications close on 7 February 2013. Please spread the word if you know of any appropriate candidates. Position Details Position Title: Editorial Coordinator, Dictionary of Sydney Primary Function: Coordinate the editorial work of the Dictionary of Sydney Terms of Employment: 2 days per week Salary: Pro rata of $92,760 p.a. ($37,128) + 9% superannuation Offer of contract: 12 months, with three-month probation at commencement Commencement date: From February 2013. Position Scope Reports to: Executive Officer and Editorial Committee Supervises: Multidisciplinary team of 2 + 3 volunteers Organisational Budget: $200K Primary Internal Stakeholders: Trustees, volunteer authors, operational volunteers. Primary External Stakeholders: City of Sydney (Major Sponsor), project partners, content provider institutions, organisations and individuals and the history and heritage network. Selection Criteria Essential (required for the job)

• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Excellent computer skills, use of spread sheets and information searching
• Demonstrated experience in historical research
• Demonstrated understanding of editorial processes
• Awareness of current practice in digital information delivery

Desirable (useful to do the job)

• Capacity to work in a research team environment
• Knowledge of Sydney’s history
• Experience with the use of a CMS (Content Management System) and web publishing
• Experience with a variety of editorial processes including stylistic and technical mark-up.
• Exposure to current information standards such as XML and TEI

Training/qualifications (or equivalent experience):

• A relevant undergraduate degree.

Tasks and Accountabilities

• Develop and maintain a work plan for the position that accommodates the time available in a two-day week position.
• Contribute to the on-going development, refinement and quality assurance of editorial processes and systems.
• Co-ordinate and implement the commissioning strategy and associated editorial processes.
• Contribute to the development of the commissioning strategy with the Editorial Committee.
• Contribute to the on-going development and refinement of the Dictionary’s taxonomic and meta-data model.
• Assist the editorial committee in identifying and recommending contributors.
• Undertake the initial (accept/reject) and final reviews of all contributions.
• Liaise with authors during editing process.
• Oversee technical-editing, fact-checking, copyright-checking and resource-finding process.
• Research, write and edit entity descriptions, captions, factoids and annotations for the project.
• Undertake all technical editing, entry uploads, corrections and maintenance of text content, and coordinate testing of newly released material.
• Liaise with public and answer public enquiries about the Dictionary content as time permits.
• Oversee to the delivery of weekly blog entries.
• Presenting talks on the Dictionary of Sydney for organisations and conferences as necessary and when time permits.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 7th February 2013 Mark applications Confidential and address to: Mr Kim Hanna Executive Officer Dictionary of Sydney kim.hanna@dictionaryofsydney.org Applications should; 1. Address essential and desirable criteria, 2. Enclose a curriculum vitae, and 3. Submit the names and contact details of two referees.

Centennial Park was officially dedicated on 26 January 1888, when Sir Henry Parkes declared: "The most distinguishing feature of modern civilisation is the beneficial provision made for the enjoyment and the health of the people, and this great park, which has been created as by the touch of a fairy's wand, in the course of the next two or three years will be converted into a place of beauty and a joy for ever."   Australian Town & Country Journal, 8 February 1902 This year marks the 125th anniversary of the park, and they're celebrating in style, complete with a touch of a fairy's wand.

  As well as collecting stories and recollections about the park (Submit Your Story), they're hosting a series of community picnics at dusk over 10 nights from the 18 January, when you can wander through some spectacular illuminations and attend different talks, performances and festivities each night,  including a Park after Dark tour, a night photography workshop by Peter Solness, a drop-in opportunity with the Sydney Observatory for some star gazing, and a world-first screening of 'As Small Birds Play'. Check out the anniversary website www.cp125.com.au for more details, and then read more about the history of the park here in Paul Ashton's entry Centennial Park on the Dictionary!