St George Historical Society

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St George Historical Society

We are dedicated to the history of the St George District and Lydham Hall Historic House and Museum. We have since become an incorporated body.

OUR HISTORY

The aim of the St George Historical Society is to conserve and encourage the recording of local history, and to conserve and raise awareness of the historical heritage of the St George District of New South Wales, Australia. The society was formed in 1961 at the instigation of the late Ron Rathbone who became the inaugural Secretary. When first formed it was known as the Rockdale Hist

orical Society. The name was changed to the St George Historical Society at the first Annual General Meeting on 17 August 1962. OUR MUSEUM

The society also manages a local historic house, Lydham Hall. Built in the early 1860s for businessman Joseph Davis and his family, Lydham Hall later became the childhood home of Australian author Christina Stead. Rockdale City Council purchased Lydham Hall in 1970 to celebrate our Centenary. Council opened the building to the public on 20 February 1971 and St George Historical Society members have been volunteer guides at the site ever since. Lydham Hall is set in lovely gardens and has one of Sydney’s finest collections of antique furniture, as well as a unique collection of Willow Pattern China. A Museum containing a collection of items of local interest is located upstairs. A number of books covering the history of our area are also available from Lydham Hall. The house and museum address is 18 Lydham Avenue and it is open every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm. The house is available for special events, including baby naming ceremonies, weddings and wedding photography. Group tours can also be arranged outside of the opeing hours noted above. For more details, phone 9567 4259

MEMBERSHIP

The society's activities are funded through memberships which are due on the 1st of July every year. To become a member, please follow the link at http://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/membership/ or visit Lydham Hall where payment can be made directly to volunteers at the house. Meetings are held on the 3rd Saturday of each month at Rockdale Library and are usually held in conjunction with an informative talk of local historical interest.

14/08/2025

In 1945 a Consolidated Liberator transport aircraft had crashed at Mascot, killing all 12 people aboard, while in 1961 an Ansett-ANA Vickers Viscount airliner disintegrated over Botany Bay soon after taking off into a massive thunderstorm, with 15 fatalities.

Local residents also had a lucky escape in 1957 when a Douglas DC-3 airliner lost power after take-off. Narrowly avoiding the suburbs of Botany and Pagewood, it ditched into the water at Eastlakes Golf Course, with all 27 aboard surviving.

Although the southward extension of Runway 16 was intended to reduce both noise levels and accident risk, locals remained understandably alarmed about the possibility of large aircraft coming down into the surrounding suburbs, especially Arncliffe, Bexley, Kyeemagh, Mascot, Rockdale and Sydenham.

***

Learn about a near-fatal collision in 1971 at Sydney Airport:

HISTORY TALK THIS SATURDAY
Saturday, 16 August | 2pm - 3pm
Level 3, Rockdale Library, 444-446 Princes Highway, Rockdale

This presentation by Dr Peter Hobbins explores the technology, politics, and personal stories of that potential disaster.

Peter is Head of Knowledge at the Australian National Maritime Museum and an Honorary Affiliate in the Department of History at the University of Sydney.

Afterward, enjoy afternoon tea with a delightful selection of cakes, biscuits, and slices, including gluten-free choices.

When? Saturday, 16 August | 2pm - 3pm
Where? Level 3, Rockdale Library, 444-446 Princes Highway, Rockdale
Cost? Free! $5 donation appreciated.

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/whats-on/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our events.

(Image: Sydney Airport Air Traffic Control Tower in the late 1960s)

12/08/2025

The world was shocked in March 1977 when two Boeing 747 airliners collided on a runway at Los Rodeos airport in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people.

In poor visibility, a KLM 747 commenced its take-off run, unaware that a similar Pan Am aircraft was backtracking down the runway directly toward them.

Air safety investigators suggested that if the first aeroplane had risen just another 8 metres, the worst airline accident in history might have been avoided.

"Aviation experts say the Canary Islands crash would never have happened if both pilots had studied official reports of a similar near-tragedy in Sydney."

***

Learn about this near-miss in 1971 at Sydney Airport:

HISTORY TALK
Saturday, 16 August | 2pm - 3pm
Level 3, Rockdale Library, 444-446 Princes Highway, Rockdale

This presentation explores the technology, politics, and personal stories of that potential disaster.

Afterward, enjoy afternoon tea with a delightful selection of cakes, biscuits, and slices, including gluten-free choices.

When? Saturday, 16 August | 2pm - 3pm
Where? Level 3, Rockdale Library, 444-446 Princes Highway, Rockdale
Cost? Free! $5 donation appreciated.

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/whats-on/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our events.

09/08/2025

Miracle at Mascot: Surviving Sydney's 1971 Airliner Collision

HISTORY TALK
Saturday, 16 August | 2pm - 3pm
Level 3, Rockdale Library, 444-446 Princes Highway, Rockdale

Imagine two jetliners hurtling towards each other at over 200 km/hour.
Imagine 240 people aboard and the possible effects of a collision between them.
This is exactly what happened on the night of 29 January 1971 at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport.
Luckily - by the narrowest of margins - the two aircraft survived the incident, although not unscathed.

How could this happen at Australia's main international airport?

This presentation explores the technology, politics, and personal stories of that very near miss.

Afterward, enjoy afternoon tea with a delightful selection of cakes, biscuits, and slices, including gluten-free choices.

***

When? Saturday, 16 August | 2pm - 3pm
Where? Level 3, Rockdale Library, 444-446 Princes Highway, Rockdale
Cost? Free! $5 donation appreciated.

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/whats-on/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our events.

07/08/2025

Girls with Grit

During World War II thousands of Australian women joined the Women’s Land Army. Their task was to tend the farms while the men went to war. Their contribution to the war effort has been largely overlooked.

In 1991, Jean Scott recounted their achievements, experiences and tribulations in a presentation to the SGHS.

Read an excerpt at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/girls-with-grit/

Like and Follow Us for more posts about St George's history.

05/08/2025

Congratulations to the St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band for another special performance last Sunday.

The Band welcomes new members.
You can learn to play the bag pipes or the tenor drum with free tutoring during weekly practise every Wednesday at 7.30pm in Cronulla High School, Corner Elouera Road and Captain Cook Drive.

The Band has a rich history. Established in 1946, the pipers and drummers have performed at:
- Lydham Hall Historic House Museum
- the Sydney International Military Tattoo
- the Sydney Opera House
- Anzac Day marches in the CBD and Ramsgate RSL
- the Tradies Sutherland 2 Surf
- Sutherland Relay for Life
- Brigadoon in Bundanoon
- and many more

To see photos and video from their other events, visit them on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/stgeorgepipeband/

03/08/2025

Scotland in Rockdale

Though it was a dreich (Scot for wet, grey weather) day in Lydham Avenue, all our visitors, young or older, from around the corner or interstate, enjoyed our Scottish Open Day at Lydham Hall Historic House Museum.

There was tartan from many clans, but ancient rivalries were forgotten as the St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band played and Scottish cuisine was served.

It was one of our busiest days at the museum and we thank all our guests for their support, especially visitors returning for a second or third time and those visiting us based on word-of-mouth recommendations.

Thanks also to our wonderful volunteers. They prepare the house and gardens, guide guests through the museum, and serve delicious refreshments in the cafe. We couldn't open this special place to the community without them.

Special thanks to the St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band. Their pipers and drummers were resplendent in MacGregor tartan uniforms, playing tunes we all loved.

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events or visit:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/whats-on/

If you visited us today, please reply with your comments, photos, and videos, or post with the hashtag

02/08/2025

Join us tomorrow, rain or shine:

LYDHAM HALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN DAY
Sunday, 3 August | 10am - 4pm
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale

Only 1 more sleep until Scotland visits St George!

Everyone is welcome for a celebration of Scottish culture.

The St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band will perform at 12pm for two 45-minute sessions of traditional Scottish marches, modern tunes, and Australian favourites.

Inside the Historic House Museum, our knowledgeable volunteers will guide you through rooms filled with intriguing objects from the past.

In the cafe, enjoy a Scottish feast unlike anything you could find elsewhere in St George. Choose from:
Lorne Sausage
Tattie Scones with Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream and Chives
Scottish Pies
Haggis
Shortbread
Whisky Orange Marmalade Cake with Thick Cream

Our traditional Devonshire Tea (freshly baked scones, clotted cream, jam, tea or coffee) is always on the menu.

Your selections are prepared by our expert volunteers and served in vintage china on embroidered tablecloths. The cafe is set in manicured gardens with glimpses of Botany Bay.

All proceeds from this unique celebration of Scottish Culture support the history and heritage of St George and Lydham Hall.

See you there!
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale.
Free on-street parking.

Plan your visit, book tickets, see the menu, and reserve a cafe table at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/lydham-hall/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events.

01/08/2025

The History of Scotch Whisky

The earliest known written reference to whisky was in Scottish tax records in 1494, noting the transfer to Friar John Cor of enough malt to make over 1,000 bottles of "Aqua Vitae" (Latin for distilled spirits).

Whisky's popularity grew, leading to a tax in 1644 and a flood of whisky from illicit distillers avoiding the "gaugers" (revenue officers).

Robert Burns, Scotland's favourite poet, was a tax collector in the 1700s before becoming a writer.
In 1785, he wrote "Scotch Drink". The first stanza:
Let other poets raise a fracas
"Bout vines, an' wines, an' drucken Bacchus,
An' crabbit names an'stories wrack us,
An' grate our lug:
I sing the juice Scotch bear can mak us,
In glass or jug.

By the 1820s, the excise on whisky was replaced with a licence fee, virtually ending the need for smuggling.

A decade later, a new distilling method allowed for milder Grain Whisky and Blended Whisky to be sold as well as the original and potent Malt Whisky.

Throughout the 1800s, Scotch Whisky spread, with Tommy Dewar, Johnnie Walker & James Chivas and other entrepreneurs exporting it globally.

In 1931, Winston Churchill was struck by a car in New York and received a doctor's note allowing him to drink whisky while recovering during Prohibition in the United States.

The term "Whisky" is based on a Gaelic word meaning "water of life".

Scotch Whisky (or simply, Scotch, or Whisky) must, by law, be distilled and matured in Scotland in oak casks for at least three years.

If you're over 18, watch the video of Richard Paterson, Scotland’s famous master blender, sharing one method to appreciate a fine glass of Scotch Whisky.

Please drink responsibly.

***

You don't need special instructions to enjoy Whisky Orange Marmalade Cake with Thick Cream. We're serving this winter dessert in our cafe at Lydham Hall on Sunday.
The St George-Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band are performing from midday.

LYDHAM HALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN DAY
Sunday, 3 August | 10am - 4pm
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/lydham-hall/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events.

31/07/2025

The History of Kilts

The kilt first appeared in the 1500s in Scotland as a full-length garment with the upper half loose over the shoulder as a cape or over the head as a hood.

The walking kilt we recognise is a tartan worsted wool knee-length skirt with pleats at the sides and back, and became popular by the 1740s in Scotland. It was then banned as part of a campaign to quell the power and influence of Highland clans. When the ban was lifted, Walter Scott (author of "Ivanhoe", among many Scottish classics) led calls for the return of Highland dress.

Some Scottish soldiers wore kilts during WWI but it was banned as combat dress in WWII, though there were exceptions. A Scottish captain in the British airborne forces wore a kilt when he landed in the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden in 1944.

The noun derives from the Scots verb "kilt" meaning "to tuck clothes around the body'.

Donning a kilt isn't a simple process. It requires a series of steps to display Scottish heritage and pride with style. After correctly positioning and adjusting the kilt, the wearer will attach the sporran (a leather or fur pouch) and kilt pin, then put on flashes (tartan strips below the knee) and hose (long piper socks). Finally, the wearer ties the long laces of their ghillie brogues (shoes with no tongue).

***

See the St George-Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band perform in their MacGregor tartan kilts this Sunday at Lydham Hall:

LYDHAM HALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN DAY
Sunday, 3 August | 10am - 4pm
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/lydham-hall/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events.

30/07/2025

Scottish Pies

A Scotch pie is double-crusted and filled with minced meat (traditionally mutton, though lamb or beef are good substitutes), nutmeg, and gravy, then baked in "hot water pastry". The pie has a firm crust and a distinctive round shape. It differs from the Aussie pie's flaky pastry and larger size but can be just as delicious and warming on a winter's day.

There are plenty of stories about the pie's origins but it has been a popular street food for centuries in Scotland and sold at the football to be eaten one-handed.

Our pies are prepared with a traditional Scotch Pie Press to mould the dough into a neat, round base, ready for baking.

***

You don't need to go to Glasgow's Hampden Park to try a Scotch pie. We're selling traditional Scottish pies this weekend at Lydham Hall:
LYDHAM HALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN DAY
Sunday, 3 August | 10am - 4pm
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/lydham-hall/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events.

(image courtesy of Andy Bullock)

29/07/2025

The History of Tartan

Tartan is a patterned cloth of colourful horizontal and vertical bands formed in symmetrical patterns known as setts.
The Scots word tartan is possibly derived from the French "tiretaine" meaning 'linsey-woolsey cloth'.
Tartan has been a symbol of Scottish identity, especially from the 16th century onward, despite a ban following the Jacobite rising of 1745.
The oldest surviving piece of tartan in Scotland dates from the 1500s and was found in a peat bog near a glen in the Highlands.
The oldest written mention of tartan was found in the 1530s accounts of the country's treasurer: "Ane uthir tartane galcoit gevin to the king be the Maister Forbes" ('Another tartan coat given to the king by the Master Forbes'), followed by a record for King James V, which includes "heland tertane to be hoiss" ('Highland tartan to be hose').
There are now thousands of different designs in the Scottish Register of Tartans.
The British monarch's personal tartan is Royal Stewart, often seen on tins of Scottish shortbread.

The St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band wears MacGregor tartan. From the Scottish Highlands, Clan MacGregor was among the first families to play the bagpipes, starting in the early 1600s. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor, the Scottish and Jacobite folk hero.

***

Check your wardrobe for tartan. During our previous Scottish celebration at Lydham Hall, many guests wore tartan, with some in full Highland dress. We encourage all our visitors to wear their favourite clan's tartan at Lydham Hall.

See the St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band in their spectacular MacGregor tartan kilts, performing at midday this Sunday:

LYDHAM HALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN DAY
Sunday, 3 August | 10am - 4pm
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/lydham-hall/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events.

28/07/2025

The History of Haggis

Haggis is a traditional Scottish savoury pudding made from a sheep’s stomach stuffed with offal, oatmeal, onion, suet, and seasoning.
Its description has been considered "not immediately appealing, but haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour."
In the Middle Ages, farmers and hunters would mix offal (diced sheep’s liver, lungs, and heart), which couldn't be preserved, with cereal - creating haggis.

Haggis is always served during Burns Night on 25 January, when Scotland pays tribute to its favourite bard, Robert Burns. He loved the national dish, and in 1787 dedicated an entire poem, "Address to a Haggis" to its distinct flavour. An English translation of the first stanza:
Good luck to you and your honest, plump face,
Great chieftain of the pudding race!
Above them all you take your place,
Stomach, tripe, or bowels:
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.

Haggis is shown with neeps and tatties (Scottish for turnips and potatoes) in the image.

***

Taste haggis in perhaps the only place serving this Scottish delicacy in St George. Also see the St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band performing at midday:
LYDHAM HALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN DAY
Sunday, 3 August | 10am - 4pm
18 Lydham Avenue, Rockdale

Learn more at:
https://stgeorgehistsoc.org.au/lydham-hall/

Like and Follow Us for the latest updates on all our special events.

(image courtesy of Bernt Rostad)

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