West Ryde Library has reopened to the community. Click on the link below for further information on services and programs.
Willandra, Ryde around 1872. On land originally granted to John Small in 1794, this fine Georgian-style home was built by James Devlin and his wife Susannah in the 1840s. Throughout its history it has been used as a family home, a private girls’ school, even a garage and motor trimming business. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4738381. Willandra / 1.
Nurse McPhail’s cottage, 33 Church St, Ryde 1970. This is Nurse McPhail’s house which had been built by Francis Wilson around 1856. His daughter Sarah, more usually known as Nurse McPhail, served as a midwife in the Ryde district for 50 years. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4776461. Church Street, Ryde / 4.
Opening of Palmer’s Department store, Victoria Road, West Ryde. Palmer’s were the first of the large retail chains to open a branch in West Ryde and were followed within a couple of years by branches of two larger city department stores: Ashleys Buckingham and Anthony Horderns. The sign on the corner of the building reveals that the store was opened by popular radio entertainer Jack Davey. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4954262. West Ryde / 9.
Ryedale House, West Ryde, 1974. Originally built by Edward Darvall and his second wife Jane, this house eventually became the Rectory for St Columb’s Anglican Church, West Ryde. No longer in situ, Ryedale was demolished and re-erected as a private home at Paterson in the Hunter Valley. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4954998. Ryedale House / 1.
Hatton’s Flat, 1912. Named after Joseph Hatton, the First Fleeter who was the original land grantee in this area, this image is looking south. The large building on the left hand side is the Hampton Court Tourist Residential at what would now be the corner of Devlin Street and Pope Street. The central large stand of trees on the horizon indicates the location of St Anne’s Church with the Ryde School of Arts just visible in front. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4892283. Ryde / 1.
Eastern verandah of Helenie, Meadowbank, 1931. Stone-flagged verandah of Isaac Shepherd’s house Helenie. The house was demolished in 1939 and the estate became TEI Electrical, later Seimens Plessey and the site is now apartment buildings to the east of Meadowbank Railway Station. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4969316. Helenie, Meadowbank / 11.
Eastwood Lake, 1912. Looking more like a country town than a suburb of Sydney, this is an idyllic view of the area in the vicinity of what is now Eastwood Park and Eastwood Library. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4969464. Eastwood / 3.
Flock of sheep being driven along Clanwilliam Street, 1915. This photograph emphasizes the rural nature of most of the municipality for much of its existence. Generally covered by large estates hundreds of acres in size, the break-up or sub-division of these estates generally began in the early 20th century and accelerated after the First World War. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4969480. Eastwood / 5.
NSW Home for Incurables, Ryde around 1914. Weemala was built as a private home in 1885 by Sir Henry Moses. In 1906 he sold it for a ‘Home for Incurables’ which had originally been set up by Susan Schardt in Redfern. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 496960A. Weemala, Ryde / 1.
View of Eastwood Shopping Centre, Rowe Street, 1939. Many of the buildings visible in this photograph can still be seen in Eastwood today, though you’re not likely to see a horse in Rowe Street. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 4969820. Eastwood / 9.
Interior decoration of Eastwood House. Built in 1842 by William Rutledge on 90 acres originally granted to John Love, Eastwood House became the home of Ryde’s first mayor Edward Terry, his wife Isabel and their children. This photograph shows a typical Victorian- era room, filled with photos, ornaments and furniture. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 496988A. Eastwood House / 4.
Tram terminus, Ryde: looking south-east from intersection of Lane Cove Road and Devlin Street, June 1935. The large building on the left is the Rialto Theatre, located at what would now be Devlin Street and Pope Street, yet Devlin Street did not yet exist in this area of Ryde at the time this photo was taken. The tower of St Anne’s Church is visible as is the Ryde School of Arts and Masonic Temple. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5004128. Ryde /6.
Chinese market gardens, running between Winbourne and Brush Road, West Ryde. From the 1880s there had been Chinese market gardens and gardeners in the Ryde Municipality. At their greatest extent in the 1930s, there were such gardens in all of the suburbs of the then municipalities of Ryde and Eastwood. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5004446. Winbourne Street, West Ryde / 1.
St Charles church & churchyard around 1912. Officially opened November 1857, the entrance to the original church was in Charles Street built in Gothic style based on designs by English Gothic Revivalist architect Augustus Welby Pugin. Most of what is visible today is the reconstruction in the 1930s. The Cemetery was the last resting place for Catholics from Ryde and surrounding districts. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5004721. St Charles Church, Ryde / 3.
Denistone House around 1914. This ‘handsome mansion’ was built in 1872 by Richard Rouse Terry, brother of Ryde’s first mayor, Edward Terry. In 1913 it and 17 acres of land were acquired by the New South Wales Government for use as a convalescent hospital for men. In 1934 it became the centrepiece of the newly opened Ryde District Soldiers Memorial Hospital. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5075424. Denistone House / 1.
Buckham Falls in Shrimptons Creek, North Ryde 1912. George Redding in his 1986 history of North Ryde described these falls: ‘… in Alma Road the water in the creek drops from a high ledge of rock to a quiet pool below. In dry weather the flow of water is sometimes reduced to a trickle but after heavy rains the falls become spectacular. Described on the Lands Department’s Parish Map as Blaxland’s Falls, they were known by all locally as Buckham Falls’. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5075513. Shrimptons Creek / 7.
Baptist Cemetery, Lane Cove Road, Ryde around 1945, in the vicinity of Myra Avenue and Dobson Crescent. Along with the Catholics and the Anglicans, the Baptists had their own burial ground in Ryde. St Charles and St Anne’s cemeteries were officially closed at the end of the 19th century, but this Baptist Cemetery continued for many more decades as no provision had been made for Baptist burials at the Field of Mars Cemetery. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5075556. Baptist Church / 2.
Glendower, Lackersteen house, Constitution Road, Meadowbank, November 1963. This house Glendower was most notably associated with the Lackersteen family, who were jam and condiment makers, as well as philanthropists. Located at the corner of Belmore Street and Constitution Road, it was demolished in the 1960s and replaced with a factory. That factory site is now Ryde Council’s Depot. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5075696. Constitution Road, Meadowbank / 1.
Christie family, Dunbar, Sobraon Road, Marsfield, 1890s. The Christie family emigrated from Scotland. Initially they lived in Balmain/Rozelle and in 1892 bought 22 acres of land in Marsfield. At first they built a simple shed; later a more substantial house as shown here, complete with dog kennel! Originally an orchard was planted on the land but some years later Robert and his eldest son formed a partnership to establish Dunbar Poultry Stud. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5096251. Christie family / 3.
North Ryde School of Arts, Coxs Road, North Ryde. Opened in 1901, this was the first purpose-built school of arts in the Ryde district, a cultural coup for the community minded citizens of North Ryde who established a literary institute and school of arts committee in 1891. Now the site of the North Ryde Community Hall and North Ryde Library. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5096480. North Ryde / 6.
Rockend Cottage, Punt Road, Gladesville around 1980. Rockend Cottage was once the home of Emily Mary Barton and later part of Harold Meggitt’s Linseed Oil Factory. When the factory closed in 1970 the house became derelict and there was a development proposal for the peninsula which would have seen 174 townhouses built. It is now the Banjo Paterson Restaurant in Banjo Paterson Park. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 515829A. Rockend Cottage, Gladesville / 1.
Blaxland Road, Eastwood, now Rowe St east around 1922. This building is located on the eastern side of the railway line, on the southern side of Rowe Street. Though its verandah has gone, the building still stands today. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 515832A. Rowe Street, Eastwood / 3.
Blaxland Road, Eastwood, now Rowe Street around 1912. Looking east along Blaxland Road (now Rowe Street) towards the level crossing and the railway line. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5158478. Rowe Street, Eastwood / 5.
Eastwood School of Arts Rowe Street Eastwood around 1919. Schools of arts were important centres of learning, socialising and recreation in the 20th century. Opened in October 1907, the Eastwood School of Arts was demolished in the 1950s. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5482291. Rowe Street, Eastwood / 10.
Lauriston, Victoria Road c.1890. This mansion was located on the south side of Victoria Road, on the corner with Bowden Street, West Ryde. It was the home of the Shuttleworth family and later Irex Gorrie ran dancing classes from its ballroom. It is now the site of the Metro Motor Inn. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5482658. Shuttleworth family / 2.
View of the front verandah of The Hermitage, Denistone East, 1941 with ficus covered wooden pillars. The Hermitage, located in Pennant Avenue, Denistone, was built by John and Ellen Blaxland in the 1840s. The Nicholson family lived there in the early 20th century. Catherine Nicholson, on marriage, became Catherine Hamlin, who co-founded the Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. Once used as a research facility of the CSIRO, it has now reverted to its original use as a family home. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5483263. The Hermitage (Denistone East) / 11.
Ryde Post Office and the Ryde tramway memorial at the intersection of Church and Parkes Street around 1909. The original business centre in the village of Ryde was along Glebe Street (now Victoria Road). By the time this photo was taken, Parkes Street (now Blaxland Road) was becoming the centre of business and commerce. We see the Edwardian era post office and the tramway memorial commemorating the first ‘turning of the sod’ in preparation for the building of the tramline. The trees on the left hand side surrounded the original Church of England rectory. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5485029. Ryde Post Office / 2.
Ryde Swimming Centre, 1974. The Ryde Swimming Centre was officially opened on 11 November 1961. Consisting of five pools – main Olympic, diving, Olympic training t-shaped, learners’ & toddlers’ – it proved popular with locals. The riverside pools along the Parramatta River had ceased operating by the time of the opening. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5485762. Ryde Swimming Centre / 2.
School of Arts and Masonic Temple, Parkes Street, Ryde, 1912. The Ryde School of Arts, located at the corner of Parkes Street and Devlin Street, was opened in June 1905. It was demolished in the 1960s to allow for the widening of Devlin Street though a remnant wall can still be seen running parallel to the eastern side of the Masonic Temple. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5485991. Parkes Street, Ryde / 13.
Children playing in Church Street, Ryde around 1912. Looking north towards the intersection of Parkes Street (now Blaxland Road). On the extreme left is the new Methodist Church, then the Oddfellows Hall. The tall trees on the left-hand side are the long established plantings surrounding the original St Anne’s Rectory. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 557823A. Church Street, Ryde / 15.
Panoramic view of Ryde from Blaxland Road near Kulgoa Avenue around 1925. From Kulgoa Avenue, looking south-east towards the village of Ryde. The open land, now occupied by housing in Colston, Dunbar and Samuel Streets was, at this time, operating as a Chinese market garden. The tower of St Anne’s is a prominent landmark on the horizon. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5578892. Ryde / 4.
Khartoum open-air picture theatre, Khartoum Road, North Ryde, built 1938. This picture theatre was developed by a partnership of three men: Charlie Hewitt, Jim Wilson and Les Meurer. The photograph shows the projection box mounted above the main entrance and the ticket box located outside the entrance. It closed in 1966. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5579287. Khartoum Theatre, North Ryde / 1.
Bayview Hotel, Great North Road, Gladesville around 1900. There has been a hotel on this site, called the Bayview Hotel, for more than a century, though it has been re-modelled several times. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5579627. Bayview Hotel, Gladesville / 4.
Aerial view of Cleves on the Parramatta River at Putney, 1886. This house was at the centre of the Cleves Estate on the Parramatta River. Built by Charles and Elizabeth Blaxland, the house was demolished in the 1920s and the estate subdivided for housing. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5579724. Cleves / 3.
Marsfield Post Office, Corunna Road, Eastwood, 1971. One room of a weatherboard house operated as a post office, delicatessen and bulk food store. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5688779. Marsfield Post Office (Eastwood NSW) / 3.
Panorama looking north-west along Blaxland Road from the roof of Hampton Court, Ryde. The Hampton Court Tourist Residential was a multi-storey building located at the corner of what is now Devlin Street and Pope Street. In this photo you can see the houses along Blaxland Road but all of the area south of that road (west of the current Ryde Civic Centre) was still open agricultural land. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5756146. Ryde / 26.
Panorama looking north-east along Lane Cove Road from the roof of Hampton Court, Ryde. The Hampton Court Tourist Residential was a multi-storey building located at the corner of what is now Devlin Street and Pope Street. Looking north, this photograph shows Lane Cove Road as a narrow unsealed road heading towards North Ryde which was dominated by orchards, market gardens and poultry farms. How different it looks today. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 5756154. Ryde / 25.
Chinese market gardeners’ house between Parkes Street and Dunbar Street, Ryde 1950s. From the 1880s there had been Chinese market gardens and gardeners in the Ryde Municipality. At their greatest extent in the 1930s there were such gardens in all of the suburbs of the then municipalities of Ryde and Eastwood. In this rare photo we see the market gardeners’ house. It was obviously washing day!. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 6324657. Parkes Street, Ryde / 23.
House and farm, Ermington Park. Ermington House was built by Edmund Lockyer in 1828 and was located at what is now the junction of Crowley Crescent and Lancaster Avenue, Melrose Park and was the centrepiece of a large estate. In 1876 it was sold to John Richard Linsley who was mayor of Ryde from 1877 to 1880. The house was demolished in the early 1930s; the estate became housing in Melrose Park and the Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 7103247. Ermington Park / 3.
Junction of Blaxland Road, Lane Cove Road and Pope Street, Ryde. The Hampton Court Tourist Residential located at the corner of Lane Cove Road, Devlin Street and Pope Street was built by Harry Curzon Smith, the owner of Curzon Hall. It would have dominated the streetscape both because of its location on a high point in the municipality but also because of the number of floors it contained. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 7279973. Ryde / 51.
A J Allen Grocer, corner Bank Street and Constitution Road, Meadowbank, around 1918. The building carries the date 1915 and the letters DMA, a reference to David More Anderson, prominent local politician, real estate agent and auctioneer. A succession of Ryde’s mayors and aldermen around this time were heavily involved in property development. In 1913 Ryde township itself was dubbed ‘Kelly’s village’ in reference to Alderman Kelly; Eastwood was called ‘Summerhayes’ City’ after Alderman Summerhayes. One local paper thought that, applying the same principle of nomenclature, Meadowbank should be called ‘Andersonberg’. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 8502021. Meadowbank / 3.
Swimmers and spectators at Meadowbank Baths c.1925. These baths and the adjoining recreation reserve were originally created through the efforts of a local progress association. Although bathers were protected from sharks by an enclosure, the baths were tidal and frequently muddy. They continued until c.1943 when effluent pollution from factories in Homebush Bay forced them to close. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 8502293. Meadowbank Baths / 2.
Northern Suburbs Crematorium, North Ryde, 1945. Opened in 1933 and designed by Frank Bloomfield, this ‘Florentine’ style building with its airy porticos, statuary and beautiful gardens, has been a tranquil final resting place for many of the area’s residents. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 8502471. Northern Suburbs Crematorium / 1.
Howards Ryde Brake & Clutch Service Willandra, Ryde, 1973. On land originally granted to John Small in 1794, the Georgian style home Willandra was built by James Devlin and his wife Susannah in the 1840s. Throughout its history it has been used as a family home, a private girls’ school, and, as shown here, a garage and motor trimming business! It is hard to see the beauty of the house with Howards Brake & Clutch Service attached to its northern façade. Ryde Library Service. Acc. 8504296. Willandra / 6.
A M Little’s Store, Rowe Street, Eastwood, date unknown. Except that the sign clearly identified this as Eastwood, you could be forgiven for thinking you were on the outskirts of a country town. Ryde itself was once described as a ‘country suburb’ and Eastwood could have been described in a similar way. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 1397; negative 67/24A.
Market gardens at ‘House of David’ (Eden Park) North Ryde, 1945. Frank Mercer (left); John Brown (right). About 1910 a group of families belonging to a religious order, the House of David, arrived in Australia. In 1917 they moved to North Ryde. Their headquarters were located on 20 acres of land on the north-east corner of Lane Cove and Waterloo Roads. Over time the area was developed into a market garden, poultry farm and Eden Park Picnic Grounds which included a small zoo. A music bowl and stage and tennis courts were also developed. Generations of locals would identify this as a significant place in their lives. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 3566; negative 146/28.
Migrant hostel corner Blenheim Road and Coxs Road, North Ryde c.1960. A rare image of a migrant hostel that operated in the north area of our municipality. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 3745; negative 152/25.
Ryde Swimming Centre being used as an ice rink. Not what you would expect to see but here the Ryde Swimming Centre is being used as an ice rink! In this photo you can see one of the daughters from the Holden family at Ryde Pool ice skating, 7 September 1965. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 5654; negative 216/19a.
Truck crash into pole at corner of Lane Cove Road & Epping Road, December 1943. It’s not the truck crash that is interesting in this photo; rather the rural nature of the intersection of Lane Cove Road and Epping Road. Think of what it is like now. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 6231; negative 239/1.
Junction of Lucknow Road (now Epping Road) and Lane Cove Road 1938. Looking west. Until well after the Second World War, the northern section of the current Local Government Area was rural in nature and character; famed for its orchards, market gardens and poultry farms. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 6330; negative 242/1a.
House of David milk bar, supermarket and newsagent, 295-297 Lane Cove Road, 1956. About 1910 a group of families belonging to a religious order, the House of David, arrived in Australia. In 1917 they moved to North Ryde. Their headquarters were located on 20 acres of land on the north-east corner of Lane Cove and Waterloo Roads. Over time the area was developed into a market garden, poultry farm and Eden Park Picnic Grounds which included a small zoo. A music bowl and stage and tennis courts were also developed. Ryde District Historical Society. Image 24408.