The A to Z of 2205: Avenal Lane, Arncliffe

A lane without a street sign.

Below: Something must happen on Tuesday mornings! My guess is it would be garbage collection.
Below: The view downhill from Avenal St
Below: Picnic table in the small park on the corner of Marinea St, Avenal St and Avenal Lane
Below: From Tantallon Ave to Avenal St


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The A to Z of 2205: Avenal St, Arncliffe

Named after a castle in Scotland. Most streets in this subdivision have Scottish names. (The Origins of Street Names in the Municipality of Rockdale, compiled by Alderman Ron Rathbone, 1990)

Our first street on the "other" (eastern) side of the Princes Highway.

Below: I don't know what the red border around the street sign means. This is at the West Botany St end.
Below: The street sign at the Princes Highway end is obscured by tree foliage.
Below: Looking from the Princes highway. Arncliffe Public School is on the left. It has frontages on Princes Highway (elevated), Avenal St and Segenhoe St. More views will be provided at those entries.
Below: Arncliffe Public School - the stairs lead to the path and footbridge across the Princes Highway.
Below: The original school house at Arncliffe Public School is still standing in the grounds of the present school. It is the oldest school in the St George district. In 1877 residents petitioned to have a school opened in the are. It opened on 12 July 1880, in the stone building, built to accommodate 135 children, with qn attached teachers' residence. Then known as West Botany Public School, its name was changed to Arncliffe in September 1885.
Below: Before school traffic jam in Avenal St. With more and more people shopping around for schools, and greater cotton-wooling of kids, the "school drop off" is a relatively recent phenomenon. In days past few kids were driven to school; most walked or cycled.
Below: Kiss and drop zone, with 15 min parking.
Below: View back towards the Princes Highway
Below: View from near the top of the ridge at Segenhoe St towards West Botany St and over Sydney airport. Despite its proximity to the airport, Arncliffe gets very little aircraft noise. The north-south parallel runways are further north at Sydneham. This part of Arncliffe is closer to the east-west flightpath, which is not used as much.
Below: This backyard displays the older style black and white wooden street signs
Below: A classic fibro house and wooden paling back (or side) yard fence, and corrugated iron gate
Below: Street view from West Botany St
Below: Also from West Botany St
Below: The Segenhoe St frontage of frontage of "Teluba" , occupying the corner of Avenal and Segenhoe Sts. It is owned by the DEpartment of Education and Training, used as a Regional Office. It was once Arncliffe Intermediate Girls High School, until the late 1960s/early 1970s when it closed.


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The A to Z of 2205: Atkinson St, Arncliffe

Atkinson is thought to be the maden name of Mrs Patience Amelia Knight who subdivided this area after the death of her husband. (The Origins of Street Names in the Municipality of Rockdale, compiled by Alderman Ron Rathbone, 1990)

Real estate blurbs often tout Atkinson St as "the best street in Arncliffe". I don't know about that, but I did meet a man on my walk who claimed this to be so! Personally, I think Atkinson Lane has a better outlook, and many other streets have more attractive architecture. However, it is true I haven't been into any of the houses on the low side of the street, which have panoramic views over Botany Bay, so maybe that's what contributes to "best".

Below: From Wolli Creek Road
Below: One of the more modern examples of architecture
Below: A pair of typical 1950s red brick houses. How long will they last? I do like the white wrought iron railing on the balcony.

Below: Atkinson St from the Knight St end
Below: The view over Botany Bay. The houses on the lower side of the street all look this way. There are views over Gardiner park as well.


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The A to Z of 2205: Atkinson Lane, Arncliffe

Atkinson Lane runs off Atkinson St. It leads down to a magnificent view of Gardiner Park (which is in Banksia (postcode 2216). Unexpectedly, there are some houses with their frontages onto the lane, probably having been subdvided from land on Atkinson St, or Knight St. There are also soem Knight St backyards.
Below: The view from Atkinson St, looking over Botany Bay towards Kurnell. Atkinson St is on the highest point of the ridge along which Forest Rd runs.
Below: The view looking back towards Atkinson St. Gardiner Park is on the left.
Below: Gardiner Park below

Below: A Knight St backyard, with lemon tree and rotary clothes line (Hills Hoist)
Below: Atkinson Lane frontage continue along the top of Gardiner Park


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Photos taken 04 August 2008

The A to Z of 2205: Athelstane Ave, Arncliffe

One of the fine houses along Wollongong Rd was "Athelstane", built by William George Judd. Judd left school at ageseven, later worked in the brick pits of St Peters and attended school at night. He became an egga nd butter salesmanbeofre opening a produce store. By the late 1870s he had obtained a financial interest in the district's brickworks. he was elected to Rockdale Council in 1882 and served several tems as Mayor. In 1906 he was appointed the first president of Sutherland Shire.

After World War Two, the Department of Education resumed the land that "Athelstane" was on, desite the objections of Judd's son and daughter-in-law who lived there still and did not want to sell. Temporary buildings were erected. Students were transferred from nearby Wilsons Road Public School, which was too small. Athelstane Public School opened on 20 June 1952, and the old house demolished in September 1954. The school operated from a conglomeration of temporary weatherboard (some of which are still there) and aluminium structures until 1973 when a campaign by arents and teachers resulted in a new school being built.

Judd had subdivided his land, which was seven acres, one rood and twenty-four perches and put in Athelsatnd and Horsell Avenues.

Today I go to Athelstane whenever there is an election on in order to vote.

Below: State election March 2007. Athelstane Avenue entrance.
Below: Looking along Athelstane Avenue from Wollongong Rd. The school is on the right. In 1968 Mum and dad considered buying the house on the left, 1 Athelstane Avenue. They bought in Bexley instead.

Below: Interesting gate
Below: I'm always a sucker for jasmine, even though it rambles everywhere and can take over your garden! Here's a nice sunny spot on this fence. The house is California Bungalow style.

Below: Athelstane Avenue is now a dead-end where it meets Hirst St, Fripp St, Lorraine Avenue and John St at the roundabout.
Below: From the dead-end looking towards Wollongong Rd

Below: This beautiful shrub was in the front garden of a house in Athelstane Avenue. I posted it on Sydney Daily Photo and it emerged that it is a Leucospermum from South Africa. To keep an eye on this plant, visit Sydney Daily Photo Extra.

Below: Here is a sub-divided block, where one house is built behind, and there is access along a side easement.


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Photos taken 04 Aug 2008 (and Mar 2007)

The A to Z of 2205: Arncliffe St Arncliffe to Wolli Creek

Arncliffe St is a street mainly of light industry and car workshops etc. Many of the car yards on the Princes Highway back on to Arncliffe St. It is narrow. Recently the Wolli Creek end has been re-developed with multi-storey apartments. At first I thought that surely the road must be widened to cope with the increase in traffic. No! Then there was a breakdown in undergound services uner the road (water and electricity, I think) and it was dug up for months on end. I think it is a case study in how NOT to undertake a development. I am not necessarily troubled by re-use of land for alternative purposes, but such developments cause unnecessary inconvenience and seem designed to benefit the developers more than anyone else.

Starting at the Wolli Creek end

Below: Looking from Brodie Spark Drive up Arncliffe St from the Wolli Creek end
Below: "Proximity" is the high rise development fronting Arncliffe St. The amazing thing is that this narrow road, which carries a large amount of the traffic into and out of Arncliffe is also a designated "cycle route" ! They have to be joking.
Below: Proximity, by developer Multiplex. Two bedroom apartments routinely cost over $400 000
Below: What is this? A Substation?
Below: Warehouse building currently used for indoor Go-Kart racing


Below: Looking towards Brodie Spark Drive at Wolli Creek, 'Proximity' on the left.


Below: Morris McMahon was the site of a prolonged industrial dispute in 2003
Below: There used to be houses, however, there are only two left, and they have been converted to other purposes. One is a sandwich and lunch shop servicing the factories in the area, and this one.
Below: Looking towards the Arncliffe end. On the right, the other house, now afood outlet, and across the railway line the Al-Zahra mosque
Below: Looking from the corner of Allen St
Below: On the station side of Arncliffe St, near Burrows St, looking along Arncliffe St. Allen St corner is in the middle. This is the station's commuter car park
Below: Looking in the oppositie direction from the previous shot.
Below: From the corner of Allen St. Empress resewrve is on the left. The green box near the letter box is a mail collection box for the postie to pick up from.

Below: The station from the commuter car park
Below: The park at the end of the carpark, behind Arncliffe Scots. The walkway extends from the end of Arnclife St where it meets Burrows St to the station overpass.


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Photos taken 03 and 04 August 2008