SYDNEY - EXPLORE DISCOVER
- Description
- BYOC FEB'25 at the Lilypad
Brunswick Kit | Lynn Greiveson
http://the-lilypad.com/store/Brunswick-Kit-by-Lynn-Grieveson.html
Photos: My own
Journaling reads:
June 2015: While I was in Sydney to visit my sister Marie and my daughter Michelle, we all decided to have a day out in the city. We caught the train to Circular Quay and wandered around the harbour, just enjoying the winter sun. After a coffee stop in The Rocks, we started walking back towards the water.
As we walked we noticed a small cottage set back away from the water line and surrounded by tall buildings. We decided to go and explore it and found out that the cottage had been originally built in 1816 for use by the governmental coxswains and their crews. Cadmans Cottage had been built on a huge flat rock with the front door (facing the harbour) standing immediately above the high water mark at the head of a small beach between two rocky outcrops. In 1845 the fourth Government Coxwain, John Cadman, retired and the cottage was then named after him. Looking at it now I can't imagine a little beach in front of it! By 1859, the circular sea wall being constructed around Sydney Cove (which was to become known as Circular Quay) had reached the Government Dockyard and the little beach in front of the cottage disappeared in the reclamation work associated with the project. The little low sandstone ledge that now borders the courtyard in front of the cottage actually represents the location of the original wharf (which still exists approx 2m below this mock wharf!).
It was so fascinating to learn that the cottage used to be so close to the water and that since the construction of Circular Quay the harbour had been virtually 'moved' 100 metres away. In later years a second story was added and to this day it remains one of the three oldest surviving residential buildings in Sydney.
All in all it was a lovely day spent with my sister and daughter as well as exploring and learning so much about this small part of Sydney, would love to do that again one day.
written Feb 2, 2025.