City of Sydney Historical Association

Formed in 2000 with the aim of increasing awareness and appreciation of the history of the City of Sydney, COSHA aims to make our history more accessible.
COSHA regularly organises guided walks, lectures and tours of historic sites and buildings.

NOVEMBER 2018

SATURDAY 10th November at 2:00pm for a 2:15pm start

"A Walk around Pioneer Memorial Park"

Speaker: Ken Hall

Ken Hall will take us to the First Fleeters’ Memorial that is part of the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park. It was previously known as Botany Cemetery. The Heritage section began as the ‘Pioneer Memorial Park’ that was established through the dedicated effort of Mr Fred W. Read and contains many surviving memorials that were transported in 1901 from earlier burial grounds in Sydney. Pioneer Memorial Park is a heritage listed landmark of NSW, where memorials of early pioneers and prominent citizens of the colony of New South Wales still stand today - there are 746 surviving memorials of the many that were transported from the early burial grounds of Sydney in 1901.

Time: Meet at the Corner of Bunnerong Road and Frost Avenue at 2pm for a 2:15pm start.
Street parking readily available, please offer a lift to friends if possible.
Catch bus 391 Eddy Ave stand C at 12.45 or 13.16. (La Perouse bus NOT Port Botany)
Free event. No bookings required

DECEMBER 2018

SATURDAY 8th December at 2:00pm

"Enterprise and Diversity: Greek-Australian Occupational Pursuits Beyond the Greek cafe

1810s to Present"

Speakers: Leonard Janiszewski & Effy Alexakis

From the late nineteen century until the closing decades of the twentieth century, Greeks played a large part in Australia’s food catering industry. They continued, nevertheless, to enter a wide variety of occupations. This presentation firmly challenges the entrenched, popular stereotype of Greek-Australians as being historically defined as essentially a collection of fish’n’chip shop owners and café and milk bar proprietors. Rather, their complex and broad involvement in Australia’s mainstream development over the last two hundred years is clearly revealed, acknowledged and celebrated.

Venue: Sydney Mechanics School of Arts
280 Pitt Street, Sydney
$3 Members $6 Visitors
No bookings required

JANUARY 2019

SATURDAY 12th at 2:00pm

"Australia’s Centenary 1888"

Speaker: Mary Small, author of 'Lennie's Ride'

Interested spectators at Coogee Beach. Picture supplied by Mary Small

We had a spectacular celebration of the Bi-Centenary in 1988, but Mary Small will tell us the story of what happened 100 years earlier. During 1888, the year of Australia’s Centenary, the city of Sydney offered wonderful and amazing entertainments by the seaside for the public at Manly, Coogee and Bondi. The innovation of bathing machines at Coogee Beach was also an item of great interest! Sydney was caught up in the celebration of the first hundred years of British settlement in Australia. A fortnight of festivities all over Sydney included band contests, a cricket match, the dedication of Centennial Park and a Government House dinner. But as usual for Sydney residents the focus was on the beaches!!

Venue: Sydney Mechanics School of Arts
280 Pitt Street, Sydney
$3 Members $6 Visitors
No bookings required