In 1874 Blondin visited Australia and performed in several capital cities, spawning numerous imitators who called themselves the Australian Blondin, or variously the Young Blondin, the Blondin Brothers, the original Australian Blondin, the Great Australian Blondin, the Female Australian Blondin and even the Geelong Blondin.

One of the best known, and the one who performed closest to the northern beaches, was Henri L’Estrange, although it’s uncertain if that was his real name.

While most accounts state L’Estrange was born in Melbourne about 1842, his marriage certificate in 1882 stated he was 31 years old, which, if true, means that he was born about 1851.

The certificate also indicates that he was born in London and that his father’s name was also Henri L’Estrange.

But it’s possible that L’Estrange was simply a stage name used by a Geelong man named George Loyal.

L’Estrange’s funambulistic career appears to have started in Melbourne before he came to Sydney in early 1877 and performed in The Domain for several months.

But his Domain performances were merely a prelude to a greater feat — crossing Willoughby Bay on a tightrope 433m long and more than 100m above the water.

L’Estrange performed his stunt on March 29, April 14, April 18 and April 21, and his performances were watched by thousands of enthralled onlookers.

Curiously, northern beaches historians in the 1930s became convinced that L’Estrange’s displays were performed closer to Manly.

Manly Council’s Jubilee Book included an illustration of L’Estrange’s crossing, implying it was part of Manly’s history.

Over the following decades, local historians wrote in various books that the event had taken place at The Spit, Clontarf or near Grotto Point.

Although these historians all cited the exact length of the rope and its height above the water, they all overlooked the obvious — at none of the sites they mentioned is Middle Harbour narrow enough to be spanned by a rope of that length at that height.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that local historians looked more closely at L’Estrange’s escapades and realised they had taken place across Willoughby Bay, near Cammeray, and nowhere near Manly.

As well as tightrope walking, L’Estrange was also an aeronaut, the term for balloonists, although success was often elusive.

His first ballooning attempts in Sydney in 1878 were judged failures and a subsequent attempt in Melbourne in 1879 the balloon rose rapidly to 2000m before exploding and falling to earth. L’Estrange managed to parachute to safety and his fall was broken by a tree.

In August 1880 L’Estrange was back in Sydney, determined to prove his skill as an aeronaut.

On September 25, 1880, L’Estrange took off from Cook Park and headed over the harbour and landed at what the newspapers called “West Manly” — probably Manly Vale, Balgowlah or Fairlight.

Although L’Estrange landed safely, his balloon was carried away by the wind and torn to shreds by the trees and bushes.

But L’Estrange’s most spectacular failure occurred on March 15, 1881.

After taking off from The Domain about 10pm, the balloon rose about 250m but then drifted over Woolloomooloo Bay, where it descended and dragged along the ground until the gas in the balloon was ignited by a gaslight inside a house and exploded, sending a fireball into the air and injuring two people.

A public appeal was launched to help the victims.

This appears to have been L’Estrange’s last aeronautic escapade and he returned to tightrope walking.

In January 1882, L’Estrange married Minnie Bryson in Sydney, when he stated that he had been born in London 31 years earlier.

In December 1882, L’Estrange announced that he would ride a two-wheeled cycle along a tightrope strung across another bay in Port Jackson — Bunbury Bay — despite there being no bay of that name in the port.

The advertisements should have read “Bantry Bay” rather than Bunbury Bay.

But perhaps the error was for the best, because both attempts by L’Estrange to cycle along a tightrope over Bantry Bay failed.

The first attempt was on December 23, 1882, and between 600 and 700 people were on hand to watch.

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The tightrope was about 220m long and about 10m above the water at its lowest point.

The tightrope was drawn tight by a winch but to keep it from swaying from side to side, a number of guy ropes were carried out to boats on each side.

But instead of steadying the tightrope, the boats pulling the guy ropes pulled unequally and the tightrope swayed so much that L’Estrange managed to traverse little more than about 30m before he fell from the tightrope and landed in the water.

Embarrassed but not dissuaded, L’Estrange announced he would complete the crossing a week later — on December 30, 1882.

But when the great day arrived, L’Estrange found that the tightrope had been cut, so the performance was cancelled.

But after these two unsuccessful attempts, L’Estrange appears to have given that pursuit away.

L’Estrange’s last known walk along a tightrope appears to have been at Parramatta in December 1883.

He may have continued his career elsewhere but never again near the northern beaches.

In 1886 L’Estrange applied to Sydney City Council for permission to establish a small carnival act in Belmore Park but it is not known if he proceeded with the proposal.