Secret Suburb: History is sitting on the dock of the bay in the Sydney hamlet of Woolwich
FOLLOW the narrow and winding road far enough and you’ll emerge to a view just needing a bright-white brick lighthouse to complete the painting. Welcome to Woolwich.
FOLLOW the narrow and winding road far enough along the sandstone peninsula, you’ll emerge from a canopy of leafy branches to a picturesque view that just needs a bright-white brick lighthouse to complete the painting.
The absolute beauty of this location belies the fact that it has been of enormous importance to the development of Sydney.
Its Aboriginal name is “Moocooboola” meaning “Meeting of two waters” — that being the Parramatta and Lane Cover Rivers. The name Woolwich comes from its namesake in London along the Thames. In 1835 John Clarke and his family settled in the area which soon grew to become a maritime hub, mainly because of its proximity to Cockatoo Island.
Peace of mind: Clarkes Point Reserve
Clarkes Point Reserve cannot technically be called a secret — it’s listed by the Harbour Trust and most every other trail guide, but just because it’s listed, doesn’t mean it’s overused. Quite the opposite. Maybe because there are no nearby coffee shops or ice cream trucks to placate the masses, during the week, the sloped grassy areas are rather calm and quiet. Have a seat on the seawall and take in the magnificent view of the city book ended by the Harbour Bridge and Cockatoo Island. You know there’s congestion and frenzy across the water, but you can’t see it and better yet, you can’t hear it. The tranquillity of the place is what makes it a secret.
A creative point of view — HabourScultpure
The peaceful locations and impressive surroundings of Clarkes Point Reserve and Woolwich Dock have entertained and inspired many an artist. Before you conjure up images of white smocks and wooden easels, think big picture. Really big picture because in July, the area plays host to the HarbourSculpture exhibit. This annual event (consider it Bondi’s Sculptures by the Sea’s little cousin) features over 50 Australian artists’ work with pieces ranging from petite and surreal to bold and amusing — and of course there are those that are just downright confusing. They’re even lit up at night for added ambience and did we mention, the Harbour Bridge view?
Coffee time: Deckhouse
Nothing beats a leisurely coffee in the morning, but with no java joints along the Clarkes Point Reserve harbour walk, you can either top up the Thermos or head to Deckhouse for a fresh hot cuppa. The place is pretty flash; it’s the perfect location for weddings and those all-important corporate team-building sessions. But don’t let the pomp discourage you as they also serve (really good) coffee, which you can enjoy inside or out along the wraparound veranda. And don’t worry about Fido, he’s resting contently in the shade of the Doghouse — a converted rowboat complete with water bowls.
Not just any big boat — Wild Oats XI dry dock
It’s clear that the hub of Woolwich’s activity is down along the docks. TO navigate the area — which is open to the public but restricted to the area within the marked yellow lines — you’ll need to keep your eyes open for low hanging boats, and set Google Translate to dock-speak — it’s a whole other language.
Follow those simple guidelines and you’ll come across some nifty stuff.
Behind tarpaulins and surrounded by a busy work-crew rests the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race winner, Wild Oats XI. At just over 30 metres long, (that’s about 10 times the size of the Doghouse rowboat) it’s a really big boat. Correction, in dock-speak it’s a yacht. A really big yacht or more precisely a supermaxi.
Dockside guarantees of a tight-knit community
Though she’d surely deny it, Woolwich Dock office manager Jane Snelling is akin to a village matriarch — proud of her community and community members. Jane patiently describes the scope of the yard’s work and pauses to explain dock-speak terms like anti-foul (a special paint that keep barnacles at bay).
Buffman and Rubbin’ — Boat detailer: The leasees of this dockside hamlet have developed a familiarity that comes about only with time, toil and shared space. Sure, they all operate under formal business names, but they’re more like clever nicknames you’d give a friend. In fact, that’s exactly how Morgan Price’s boat detailing business got its name: at 14, years old, he and his best friend worked in a boat yard and dreamt of owning their own business and came up the brilliant name, Buffman and Rubbin’. Their tagline is equally brilliant: “Fighting grime since ‘99”. Morgan laughs and explains, “It’s really about keeping the shiny parts shiny”.
Irritating work — Itchy and Scratchy Shipwright services: In a work shed towards that back is a pair of shipwrights (translation: ship builders), affectionately known as Itchy and Scratchy, names they got stuck with while working on a ‘very irritating ” three-week job of grinding fibreglass.
Itchy otherwise known as Emely Badran just takes job likes that in stride — being one of very few female shipwrights, she’s developed tough skin (pun intended). Besides, having started as a general hand in boatyard, she’s earned her success and now runs a successful business that repairs, maintains and modifies boats — or as Emely slyly says, “Clients talk about modifications, but what they really mean is. ‘Pimp my boat’.” Brilliant.
Retirement can wait — Mary Bergstrom: Forget card games and art classes, sprightly Mary Bergstrom has thrown any thoughts of settling down to the wind, instead spending time sailing and maintaining her 30-foot pale-pink boat — aptly named “Flamingo”. Clothes speckled with mauve paint, Mary casually mentions how she just finished applying a coat to the hull so it’s ready to hit the waters in a few weeks. When asked why she’s chosen pink, Mary smiles and states simply, “so it doesn’t look like a bloke’s boat.”
Woolwich Dock
Shipbuilding and other maritime activates began in the 1880s but it was in 1901 that the dock was officially opened, making it the largest in Australia. With dry dock facilities, it was a servicing point for ships but saw most of its activity during World War II when Australian passenger ships were converted to armed transport carriers. It’s easy to rattle off the history but quick look at the excavation site’s jagged walls underscore the fact that this area was developed quickly and solely for utilitarian purposes. There are rusted remnants of infrastructure dating back to World War II — quite a poignant contrast to the luxury yachts a mere 50 metres away.
Hunters Hill Theatre
Nearly hidden behind a large hedge sits a humble old chapel barely larger than the adjacent houses. Take a second look and you’ll probably see right away that those aren’t parish notes or mass times on the wall, rather they’re show posters. And it’s not a chapel, but a local theatre. In fact, it’s the oldest continually running playhouse in Australia, performing even throughout World War II.
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