In defence of Dr Fullerton

This is the Fullerton Memorial Church, corner of Crown Street and Albion Street, Surry Hills, in inner-Sydney. It was erected in 1905, using some of the proceeds from the resumption money paid by the state government to the Presbyterian Church when the Pitt Street South church was demolished at the turn of the 20th century, to make way for Central Railway Station. Dr James Fullerton was the first minister of Pitt Street South from 1839 until his death in 1886, very close to 50 years. I have written two posts recently, which discuss Fullerton's manse, and his church. Presbyterian Manse, corner Pitt Street and Hay Street, Haymarket Presbyterian Church, corner Pitt Street and Hay Street, Haymarket This parish is known as the Chinese Presbyterian Church. The building is the Fullerton Memorial Church. The Chinese Presbyterians made this building their home in 1957.

And just why is Dr James Fullerton (1809-1886) so in need of being defended? Why should I bother with an apologia? I indicated with my previous posts, that I was of the opinion that Fullerton had been "verballed". Once I collected all my evidence - over the last two and a half weeks - it is way too long to present here. So, when it is fully arguable, I will post it on my "Plumbing the Deeps" blog.

Dr Fullerton officiated at the marriage of my great-grandmother, Louisa Chapman, to her first husband, in late September 1874, and a few short weeks later, Louisa gave birth to Ellen, who lived for 10 months. By then this husband had scarpered, and Louisa was married but alone. She could not prove he was dead, nor could she divorce him. My great-grandfather came on the scene, and Louisa lived until 1919, a life of unmarried bliss, but with a gut-wrenching secret at its core. A secret known only to history, and Louisa Chapman and John Bennett Tonkin. Both their Death Certificates said they were married in Melbourne in 1875. This could not be proved by reference to Birth, Deaths & Marriages. I stumbled upon the James Fullerton story when trying to prove a second marriage.

The photo on the right comes from the "Sydney Organ" site.

There is an entry for Dr Fullerton in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, hosted by the Australian National University. It contains some allegations for which I needed to see evidence. Written in 1972, by an Elder of the Presbyterian Church, the entry alleges that Fullerton conducted 400 marriages a year, and that he was criticised by the Registrar-general (of B, D, and M) for running a "marriage shop". That is a lot of marriages a year; and, for how many years did this happen? Both these allegations have been taken, by family history researchers, to be factual, naturally enough. I tried for months to verify these allegations, by accessing newspapers of the period via Trove, without success. Then I stumbled upon a link between Fullerton and a Dr William Bailey, who boasted in a Supreme Court hearing in November 1872, of conducting 400 marriages a year, provoking the Chief Justice, Alfred Stephens, to label this a "marriage shop". It is more complicated than this, and Fullerton is not lily-white. Neither, is he what has been portrayed, and I think the record should be set straight. I will set out my case over on "Plumbing the Deeps", and when I am confident, I will apply to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, to have the entry for Dr James Fullerton, examined.

This is the Fullerton Memorial Presbyterian Church when it first opened in July 1905 (NLA).

Balcony lace

One last look at the wrought-iron lacework on the balconies along Crown Street, Surry Hills, in inner-Sydney. Of course, I have no way of knowing if this lacework is the original, whether it is updated modern wrought-iron, or just plastic. Time will tell.

Memorable, if not exactly tasteful

This Victorian terrace is two doors along from yesterday's apartment block. This little ripper is zoned Mixed-Use-10. It has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two kitchens, over its three floors. It screams "boarding house". It sold in March 2003 for $790,000, and again in December 2014 for $1,590,000. Doubled its price in just under 12 years. Once again, garaging is not mentioned, and only a courageous soul would count on street-parking in Surry Hills. I bet the hallways are littered with bicycles! Diane made a comment about weekend excursions, to the beach perhaps, or up to the mountains. Both those locales are well serviced by train and bus. To get around the city, late at night, most inner-city residents walk or catch a taxi. Then, for excursions further afield, there is always a hire car. The cost of buying, running, and garaging a private car is an expensive alternative.

Surry Hills - Nasturtiums

This is 336 Crown Street, Surry Hills. Lovely small apartment block in the inner-city, with retail on the ground floor. No parking, but everytthing is within walking distance, and public transport plentiful. There are 10 apartments in the block, each of about 280m2. The 2015 going price (avec balcon) is lapping the million.

Frog Hollow - slum clearance

Slums are cleared the world over: it is but one weapon the powerful ruling classes wield against the poor and the ill-educated. It happened in Paris with the Haussman redesign in the 1880s; it happened in Sydney as a consequence of the Royal Commission of 1909-1911. Oxford Street was cleared and widened. William Street was cleared and widened. Broadway was cleared and widened. And each time, the working-class grafters were dispossessed. Frog Hollow was inhabited by colourful identities like Samuel 'Jewey' Freeman and Kate Leigh, by rampaging groups like 'The Riley Street Gang', 'Forty Thieves', and 'Big Seven'. But the "stinking labyrinth of narrow, dark and airless alleys and higgeldy-piggeldy, jammed together hovels" that constituted Frog Hollow, was razed by the City Council in the second half of the 1920s. However, the area was also home to citizens like James O'Hears. James ran a baker's shop on the corner of Riley Street and Albion Street, diagonally across from the escarpment that was Frog Hollow. He lived above the shop with his mother, Margaret, who died from a long and painful illness in 1871. He himself departed this world in 1891. Yet his name lives on. It is very Australian to give directions thusly: 'Find the stairs near O'Hears baker shop, and that is where I'll be. The stroke of midnight, mind, not a second later ... ' Try as I may, I have not found a construction date for O'Hear's Stairs - not even from its Heritage Listing. However, within that listing this was pertinent: "The economic boom of the 1830s acted as the necessary catalyst for residential development in Surry Hills with the original allotments being initially subdivided into villa estates. It wasn’t until the gold rush boom of the 1850s (that) the Riley Estate finally become available, and along with the Fosterville Estate, provided a glut of land for housing the working class populations." So, unilaterally, I settle upon the year 1853, which I had read during my research but can no longer find. The Sands Directory has O'Hear with a bakery in Riley Street as early as 1861.

A note on the two historic photographs. They were both sourced from the City of Sydney Image Library. The first one is dated 1928, the second is dated 1950. They both show O'Hears Stairs, although in the first one you require keen eyes: top left-hand quadrant. Even in the second photo, many of the slum houses are still standing.

Frog Hollow - the present

"Frog Hollow" is a wee slip of land, with a massive reputation for sleeze and degradation. Although it has been updated and pasteurised by the council, it is slowly slipping back into a place one is hesitant to frequent even in broad daylight. It is on the corner of Albion and Riley Streets in Surry Hills. And yes, in the middle of the 19th century, when shacks were first appearing in this muddy hollow, the echo of frogs resounded up the slopes.

This area is linked with the 'razor' gangs of Sydney in the period from 1890 till close to 1940. The link is emphasised by television producers because it suits their purpose. However, looking at the old photographs and reading the local histories, it was an area of immense poverty and squalor, which leads to petty vice from many denizens. But the biggest vice is poverty, both of mind and of pocket. Here are two views of the new stairs - built in 2007 - leading up to the corner of Albion and Riley. The image between is from the City of Sydney archives, and shows a view from the same corner back down Albion Street. It is dated 1938. So much for all the housing being cleared in 1925. Some was, as I will show tomorrow, when we take a look at O'Hears Stairs.

Frog Hollow swirls in the past

It's a steep lift out of Frog Hollow, up the dog-legged crannies of Little Riley Street, over Reservoir Street, where the incline gets murd'rous. Neither couple was talking much; muttering was more like it. Corner of the mouth stuff. Accusational. The 'shes' struggled a bit more than the 'hes'; with the incline, but also with keeping emotions in check. I wondered if they had any idea what this patchwork of lanes was like eighty years earlier. What the working class rif-raf got up to down in that there hollow, from whence they had all come. But each couple went their separate ways, and as the sounds of their footsteps reverberated more softly, I took a gulp of air and brought the faded old photographs of life in the area to the front of my mind.

On top of your game

You would need to be. On top of your game, that is. To work within eye-shot of this, you would need to be on top of your game. I have shown it before, from a different angle. No angle, that I have managed, has ameliroated the assault to one's eyes and to one's brain. It does my head in, no matter the angle.

Taylor Square, Darlinghurst, at the top of Bourke Street, Surry Hills

The Winery

The Winery is on Crown Street in Surry Hills, through the historic sandstone gates at 285 Crown and adjacent to the water pumping station. It is a gorgeous place to while away time with friends.

Passing the time

The Clock Hotel, Crown Street, Surrey Hills. Winter. Friday, 7pm.

Lambros tow away area

With a perspective from Short Place, we can almost overhear the conversation as another deal is done. Lambros sell and install, stainless steel Hi-Tech Mufflers, in their workshop on Short Street, Surry Hills.

This is my contribution to the Weekend in Black and White community.

Rampant fertility

This bay window is atop the rise of Bourke Street, just down from Taylor Square and adjacent to the newly refurbished Beresford Hotel. The motif, here, strikes me as bordering on the pagan. Maybe this was a witches coven during the latter decades of the nineteenth century. See that metal ring on the right-hand-side? That was for holding the electrical cabling for the tramway cars. Could it be that the window is made from lead? If so, how come it is still there after all these years and not crow-barred off in the dead of night by some Surry Hills Steptoe figure?

Blink and you'll miss him!

Swinging from Violet Street into Esther Street in Surry Hills. I am tucked in behind the Bourke Street Bakery. I was attracted by the street art along some of these narrow, short streets.

Theme Day - Bakeries

Each weekend, it is difficult to negotiate the corner of Bourke and Devonshire Streets in Surry Hills. Their breads and their pastries are sought after, with people coming for miles to join the queue.

Paul Allam and David McGuinness began Bourke Street Bakery in the winter of 2004. Their hazelnut and raisin sourdough, and their rhubarb and almond tart are well worth the queue.

Today is Theme Day for City Daily Photo Bloggers around the world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Latte sipping inner-city lefties

The corner of Bourke Street and Albion Street in the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills.

A fine stamp of a street

Brisbane Street kinks from Oxford Street down to Goulbourn Street, just before Whitlam Square.

This is my contribution to the Weekend in Black and White community.

Talk to the hand

Red pillar box

I am finding more and more of these old red post boxes. This one is still in use.

Urban compassion

This is a study in meaning. The denotation of this alley is Tattersall's Lane. However, its connotation could quite easily be Hope Street.

To have and to have not

Hemingway published his novel in 1937. Harry is an essentially good man, out of his depth. He lacks the moral courage to cut through, instead going with the flow. His life spirals beyond his own control.

It is a chicken and egg situation. A nature versus nurture connundrum. A set of circumstances rarely resolved by a 'you made your own bed, lie in it' response.