"Concord Farm" (NSW)

[Neil Todd]

This is from Cass reply 27 I think?
In the early days Burwood Rd was called Wharf road, ( I seem to remember reading that there was a wharf at what is now Bayview Park, when they used to use the river to transport goods ect). a search of Trove has a few adds in the 1800's for farms in Wharf road  where they talk about fruit trees ect.

This is from me reply 9 I think?
Burwood Road Concord, A small Peninsular of Land between Exile Bay and Canada Bay running down to Bayview Park.

Neil

[Lady Di]

Thanks Rhonda, the link works perfectly.

I've been over that map many times now looking for the location of every wharf because a SMH article in 1864 says the following:

"EXCURSION TO PARRAMATTA RIVER-The Sabbath school scholars belonging to the Scots Church, Church hill, celebrated their first annual picnic yesterday at the grounds of Mr. J. Medcalf, Concord. The company, numbering about 300, left the Phoenix Wharf at half-past nine o'clock, arriving at Concord shortly after ten. Cricket, football, swinging, and other suitable games, were at once entered into with the utmost zeal and heartiness by many, others preferring a ramble in quest of nature's beauties, or engaging in their favourite angling. At one o'clock luncheon was dispensed to appease the vigorous appetites of the oldsters as well as the youngsters. The eatables and drinkables - provided in profusion and of A1 quality - having disappeared, by the force of circumstances, the various amusements were resumed and sustained - with the exception of a short pause for a distribution of confectionery and oranges - until the time for departure drew nigh. The proceedings were agreeably diversified by the gratuitous services of a drum and fife band, its enlivening strains being highly appreciated. The steamer arrived in Sydney after six o'clock.

SCOTS CHURCH SABBATH SCHOOL EXCURSION.-The children belonging to the Sabbath school connected with the Scots Church, Church-hill, wore entertained yesterday with on excursion to Concord on the Parramatta River. The steamer Pelican was engaged for the occasion, and conveyed about 100 children with their teachers to the spot selected, where they amused themselves with various sports, and returned to Sydney at an early hour, having much enjoyed the day's recreation, the weather proving very auspicious. The Volunteer Drum and Fife Band accompanied the party."

I believe that most ferries were paddle steamers at that time (please correct me if I'm wrong) and therefore there had to be a large wharf near Concord Farm - or 300 people had a long walk (which I doubt)

So if anyone knows how fast a paddle steamer travels in 30+ minutes from Phoenix wharf, then you can pin-point the wharf where they landed - and that just maybe at the end of Wharf Road 

Sounds just too easy, doesn't it 

Cheers

Di

BTW - As far as I can see Medcalf leased the property from 1854 - 1865 approx

[Rhonda May]

The current google maps have a wharf at Mortlake on the narrow Peninsula (where Batchelors / Green Point was located) for the ferry connection to Putney.

Rhonda

[Lady Di]

Thanks Rhonda - On the nla map you gave the link for previously there appears to have been a wharf on nearly every peninsular in that area. I don't know which ones could take a large ferry/steamer in 1864. Some may have just been big enough for small boats.

Di

[CassT]

Hi

The Correys Pleasure Gardens where at Cabarita in the  late 1890 , in the SMH 21.11.1890 page 3 there is an article which states that  thousands visited the pleasure Gardens near Mortlake. Cabarita Park,which is still there today, is across the bay from Mortlake where the Gas Works used to be, now days the site of a large expensive housing estate called Breakfast Point. On 5 February 1788  Captain John Hunter's stopped there for breakfast when exploring the Parramtta River.

Maybe the picnics where at Cabarita Park, its still a popular Picnic spot.

Cass

[Lady Di]

It would be great to tie The Correys Pleasure Gardens with Concord Farm Cass but I haven't found anything about the farm where they had many picnics/outings after about 1865.

It's almost like the farm was cut up for housing or something - strange how it's just vanished 

Di

[Flattybasher9]

A few names and dates.
9th October 1813, Richard Wescott farmed a property locally called Concord Farm.
11th September 1854, Thomas Medcalf advertised rooms to let at Concord Farm. States that the farm is on the river, close to where the steam ferry runs from. Reply to T. M. Ryde Post Office
He was still farming there in 1859.
19th March 1855, William Hilliard advertised a warning to the owners of straying cattle that the cattle would be sent to the pound. He also warned them who were "stealling" wood from Concord Farm that they would be prosecuted as thieves.
1875, John Mills was buying cattle etc for Concord Farm.
1876, John Mills was selling cattle at the Mushwellbrook Show.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=%22Concord+Farm%22&s=0

Regards

Malky

[Lady Di]

Thanks for the list Malky.

Interesting to note the mention of the farm being close to where the steam ferry runs from. Confirms that we should be looking at the areas where there's a wharf.

Unfortunately the John Mills mentioned in 1875 and thereafter lives at Concord Farm, Denman. Denman is in the Hunter Valley/ Maitland/ Muswellbrook region (north of Sydney) so unfortunately not the Concord Farm in Sydney.

Many thanks for your help

Di

[Flattybasher9]

Yes, I noticed that (Denman) but was curious to the Ryde Post Office bit. I see New Ryde is North of the river, but was unsure of where Ryde would have been at that time, North or South. I also found another Concord Farm to the West of Sydney mentioned in a letter from a soldier in WWI in 1917. It was to a Miss Winnie Shire, Concord Farm, Curra.
I also noted the bit about the stray horse and the brand JV. There is a list of horse brands from 1800 in the archives but they are not online. Perhaps, a lead there.


Regards

Malky