Tram turning from Livingstone Rd into Addison Rd Petersham NSW.
Petersham, NSW 53637206279_a2609a0c00_b
Petersham, NSW 53547146059_5a1d9717da_b
Petersham, NSW 53547254970_1959b0abfe_b
“Tempe House”, 1 Princes Highway, Arncliffe, New South Wales It is difficult to appreciate it today, but during the first half of the nineteenth century Tempe House, located in what is now the Sydney suburb of Arncliffe, was one of the city’s show places. It was built for the Scottish immigrant, A.B. Spark, who rose within the colony from a speculative trader to be a leading banker, merchant and landowner. He engaged the well-known architect, John Verge, to design him a country retreat, which he named Tempe, built between 1835 and 1836. This modest single-storey house has been described as a “villa in the cottage style” and was situated in idyllic surroundings with an impressive garden. Spark loved the location so much that Tempe House became his permanent home, which he lavishly decorated with a fine collection of pictures, a library and furnishings. A frequent visitor to Government House, Spark held a prominent position in the colony’s “aristocracy” but fell, in spectacular style, during the depression of the early 1840s. Unable to pay his debts, Tempe House was seized but Spark continued to live there and leased the property until his death in 1856. The house was later acquired in 1885 by the Roman Catholic Order of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan who developed the estate into a women’s refuge, rehabilitation, education and training centre called St Magdalene’s Retreat. New buildings were erected on the site for the purpose and the facility later renamed the Good Samaritan Centre. It closed in 1983 and Tempe House was later restored as part of a high-rise development.
Alexander Brodie Spark (1792-1856) was born at Elgin, in Morayshire, and there acquired a literary education. He left Scotland in 1811 to take up a job in a London counting house (accounts office) and there began a small literary society. In 1820 Alexander went on a Continental tour, during which time he spent some days with the English poet, William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Sure in the knowledge he could better himself, Alexander migrated to New South Wales and arrived in Sydney in April 1823 on board the “Princess Charlotte”. He became a storekeeper, shipping agent and landowner, and by the 1830s he was a leading citizen of the colony, a wealthy banker, arbitrator in court, mediator in church disputes and a patron of the arts and sporting associations.
In 1827 Alexander bought 110 acres of land known as Packer’s Farm, on the Cooks River south of Sydney for a home in the country away from the business pressures of the city. Although he had at least one other house in Sydney, namely the mansion “Tusculum” at Potts Point, now leased as the headquarters of the NSW Chapter of the Royal Institute of Architects, he preferred his farm house on the Cooks River. In 1831 Alexander began a garden, planted an orchard and vineyard and, as the cottage was inadequate for his needs, planned a small villa for which he engaged the prominent and popular architect of the day, John Verge (1782–1861), who had also designed “Tusculum”. The site chosen for the house was on the southern bank of the Cooks River from where it then wound through heavily timbered country for a kilometre before reaching Botany Bay. Alexander called his estate Tempe, after the Vale of Tempe, a beautiful valley in northwest Thessaly, Greece, lying between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa. Alexander jokingly referred to a slight wooden hill to the east of the house as Mount Olympus.
Verge designed Tempe House in 1834 featuring twin pediments at the front above two semi-circular porches supported by hand-turned, ironbark Tuscan columns. The walls and columns were painted white and said to resemble an ancient Greek temple. However, despite its name the style of the single-storey, stone-built house was Italianate rather than Grecian and was designed to complement its romantic and picturesque site. Inside, the house contained six large rooms with simple detailing. The front door lead directly into a central corridor flanked by the dining and drawing rooms. Every room had views out to the trees and garden and the house revolved around its central hallway. The rooms featured cedar joinery, parquet floors and high-quality marble chimney pieces. The one in the drawing room is of beautiful grey marble with coupled attached columns either side surmounted by panels decorated with palmettes. Alexander was an art collector and Tempe was said to have contained over 100 pictures by Flemish and Italian artists including Pieter Bruegel. He also had a private library containing about 500 volumes, a considerable collection for the time.
By 1836 Alexander had increased his estate at Tempe to 250 acres. He employed thirteen convict labourers who worked at Tempe under a head gardener, Thomas Birkby (1805-1855), employed from 1835 until 1838. Thomas and his wife lived in a garden’s cottage on the estate and under him 10 acres were cultivated including a pleasure garden and orchard intersected with wide vine-trellised walks. The garden at the front of the house was ornamentally laid out and sloped down to the edge of the Cooks River. The plants were a mixture of natives and exotics and Alexander grouped them according to their botanical character. Giant lily and flax featured as well as the prominent Norfolk Island pines. The orchard was at the rear and by 1848 had over 154 fruit trees including oranges, lemons, plums, nectarines, apricots, peaches, pears, figs and mulberries. Alexander also imported over fifty different varieties of grape vines from France. Gardening was one of his hobbies and he won numerous honours and awards at the Floral Society’s exhibitions. At the rear of the house are two stone service wings forming a courtyard. Also at the back was a greenhouse, shrubbery and aviaries with pigeons, ducks and pheasant whilst on the river was a small wharf. Alexander was fond of swimming all year round and a rococo bathing house was erected for this purpose. Mangroves in the river also provided his private supply of oysters.
Tempe House became a rendezvous for bankers, merchants and large landholders. Alexander organised garden parties and soirees where he entertained the elite of colonial society. His estate was said to have been one of the best houses and most admired settings of its day and in fact, his diaries recorded that in 1839 alone the estate had 778 visitors.
As there was no crossing of the Cooks River, all visitors to Tempe from Sydney and of course Alexander himself while commuting to and from his Sydney office, were obliged to stable their horses and carriages on the northern bank of the river and be ferried across. This was undertaken by Alexander’s private boatman, William Kerr, known as “Willie the boatman”.
Between 1839 and 1842 the colonial government constructed the Cooks River dam located on the site of the present bridge on the Princes Highway at Tempe. It was built to provide Sydney with a new, and much-needed water supply. On completion it gave road access to Tempe House and subsequently a carriage drive, new stables and a coach house with groom’s quarters, were built close to the house. Despite visually improving the estate’s outlook, the dam often subjected Alexander’s garden to flooding, much to his irritation. The dam ultimately poisoned the Cooks River’s rich marine life by creating health hazards from the deposition of sewerage from cesspits. Ironically, the water held back by the sandstone dam wall made the water brackish and non-potable and it was demolished between 1896 and 1899.
Alexander married comparatively late in life. On 27 April 1840 he wed Frances Marie Radford, nee Biddulph (1803–1887), the widow of the military surgeon, Dr Henry Wyatt Radford (1790–1836), who had owned Ravensfield station on the Hunter River. Alexander and France’s marriage took place at St Peter’s Anglican Church in what is now the suburb of St Peters. The land on which the church stood was donated for the purpose by Alexander as he had earlier turned away from the Presbyterian Church because of divisions within its ranks. At first St Peter’s stood alone, but Alexander had a village laid out around it giving the present-day name of St Peters.
Not long after her marriage, Frances Spark was immortalised in a beautiful, full-length portrait now in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW. It was painted by the Naval surgeon, Maurice Felton (1803-42), who gained acclaim from his secondary vocation of painting landscapes and colonial society portraits. Three of Frances’ eight children survived from her previous marriage, and with Alexander she had another six babies. Three of their daughters, Florence, Mary and Edith, are remembered in street names in St Peters.
Alexander’s wife, Frances, and their family became central to his happiness but the halcyon days at Tempe were about to draw to a close. In September 1840 drought and the running down of the pastoral boom had created nervousness in the money market. Alexander held guaranteed loans for friends who descended into bankruptcy. In order to find cash for them he had to mortgage his town property, Tusculum, as well as selling some of his extensive land holdings, shares and ships in order to meet his own debts. Unable to collect from his creditors, Alexander was forced to continue selling his assets and in 1844 was certified as insolvent. He also fell into bankruptcy which affected both his personal and public life. Sadly, his beloved Tempe Estate was seized to satisfy his debts, though he continued to rent it from the mortgagee, the Australian Trust Company. Alexander continued to live quietly there with his wife and family, and worked in his orchards selling his produce.
Slowly, Alexander recovered some of his business interests and in 1846 was shipping copper ore to England, horses to India, and after the discovery of gold in New South Wales in 1851, made some successful speculations. On 27 December 1853 Tempe House was put up for auction with the following information about the house and property in “The Sydney Morning Herald”:
‘THE ESTATE OF TEMPE, Cooks River. This property is situated on the banks of the Cook's River close to the dam; it comprises 110 acres of land, twenty-seven acres of which have been improved. The garden of seven acres is tastefully laid out, and well stocked with choice fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and flowers, which it is only necessary to say was affected by the good taste of the late proprietor, A. B. Spark, Esq.; but the scarcity of labour during the last two years has caused a little neglect of the premises and grounds, which a trifling outlay would speedily repair. The House is stone-built and neatly finished, in every respect; it contains six rooms, and with a few repairs would accommodate a respectable family, with every regard to comfort and convenience; it is very prettily situated, facing the river, with a lawn in front, and surrounded with ornamental trees. The out offices are all stone-built, and comprise a kitchen, store, dairy, and servants’ rooms. The coach-house and stables were sometime ago destroyed by fire, and have not been rebuilt. The distance from Sydney is about six miles, and the omnibus starts daily from Gannon's Inn, only a short distance from the Dam on the Sydney side thereof. The particular attention of the numerous parties inquiring for residences in the suburbs of Sydney is directed to this sale. Tempe was at one time one of the most charming spots in the vicinity of Sydney, and a little outlay now would speedily restore its pristine beauty. The River affords ample means for recreation, for, independent of fishing and oystering, there is abundance of game; and the distance from Sydney is a pleasant ride or drive.’
Unfortunately, none of the auction bids were high enough to cover the debt on the house, so Alexander and his family continued living at Tempe. Alexander never recovered his status or fortune and died at Tempe House only two years after the auction, in 1856 from a heart complaint. He was buried in St Peter’s churchyard with an ordinary headstone. His only real memorials are Tempe House itself, and a stone in the precincts of Elgin Cathedral, in Scotland. However, one other legacy Alexander left us are his diaries, many of which survive to give a fascinating insight into his homelife at Tempe, working and social life in Sydney and major issues and events of the day, as well as the emerging colonial society.
At the instigation of the Australian Trust Company, Tempe House and 11 acres of land were offered for sale on 8 April 1859. The remaining estate of 239 acres had been subdivided into numerous small farms and villa sites. Tempe Estate was subdivided, and the house was purchased at auction by brothers, Patrick and Thomas Maguire, on 24 August 1859 for 2000 pounds. The Maguire brothers owned the house for twenty years but never lived there, instead leasing the property to various people, notably philanthropist, Caroline Chisholm (1808–1877), who ran a girls’ school in the house between 1863 to 1865.
On 23 November 1884, Tempe Estate was again sold at auction to the solicitor, Frederick Gannon (1836-1923) for 4000 pounds. He then sold it five months later, at a consider profit, for 6,750 pounds to the Trustees of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, Mary Anne Adamson (1834-1896), otherwise known as the Rev. Mother Mary Magdalene and Margaret Mary Byrne. This congregation had been founded in Australia in 1848 by the Catholic Bishop, John Bede Polding (1794-1877), to supplement the efforts of the Irish orders. They renamed the estate St Magdalene’s Retreat and it was officially opened on 8 October 1887. It functioned as a training centre for women ‘to help them reform their lives; and after a period of probation to restore them to their friends or to provide them with clothes; and to find suitable situations for them'. Additions were made to the estate by the well-known Catholic architects, Sherrin and Hennessey, who designed a “state of the art” steam laundry, dormitory accommodation, recreation and sewing rooms, a kitchen and infirmary. The laundry, built at the rear of Tempe House, was a typical inclusion for institutions like this one. Laundry work was regarded as suitable for women as it did not require much training nor substantial capital expense and was seen as part of the inmates’ redemption. By 1900 about 100 women, aged between 17 and 72 years of age, lived at the retreat and worked in the laundry. The nuns shared the conditions of the inmates, such as bland food, hard work, the confinement and the long periods of silence. As well as this, Sherrin and Hennessey also designed a chapel dedicated to St Magdelene, the foundation stone for which was laid by Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran (1830-1911) on 25 March 1888.
By the 1940s government social welfare policy no longer favoured institutional rehabilitation and from 1947 until 1970, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan cared mainly for delinquent girls committed by the courts. During this time, it was known as the Good Samaritan Training Centre. The Centre finally closed in 1983 and the property purchased in about 1989 by Qantek, a division of Qantas, with the idea of restoring the house and incorporating it into a computer back-up centre. However, this proposal did not eventuate and the development application lapsed. Meanwhile, there was some talk that the house would be threatened with demolition by the construction of the M5 Motorway. Finally, in 2000 the property passed from Qantek to Interciti Arncliffe Developments Pty Ltd who undertook a staged high-density development over the southern part of the Tempe Estate around a new railway station. Tempe House now sits amongst high-density high-rise development. All the former Training Centre buildings were demolished except the chapel, which is now the venue for a community playgroup, and Tempe House was restored with land towards the Cooks River retained and turned into Discovery Point Park. Tempe House is periodically opened to the public staffed by volunteers from the St George Historical Society and is used for community activities including exhibitions by the St George Art Society.
References:
Abbott, Graham Abbott & Geoffrey Little. “The respectable Sydney merchant A. B. Spark of Tempe”. Sydney, Sydney University Press, Sydney, 1976.
"Advertising" The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) 24 December 1853: 13. Web. 24 Jan 2024 nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12954565
Cashman, Richard & Chrys Meader. “Marrickville: Rural outpost to inner city”. Hale & Iremonger Pty Ltd, Petersham, NSW, 1990.
Geeves, Philip & James Jervis. “Rockdale: Its Beginning and Development”. Municipal Council of Rockdale, 1954.
Simpson, Margaret. “Old Sydney Buildings: A Social History, Vol.II”. Unpublished manuscript.
Petersham Railway Station (Not Summer Hill) Petersham NSW.
Tram is on Crystal St near Petersham Town Hall Petersham NSW.
Tram passing Livingstone Hotel Petersham NSW.
Photographer: Vic Solomons & is from the Vic Solomons Collection.
'Corroboree' (1963 - ?) Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 1968 This is the only image located of the auxiliary yacht Corroboree racing - source: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/the-yachts/1968/corroboree/?rac...
This report prepared by Chris Borough, Graham Nicholson and Philip Pope
The fast sloop Corroboree was built by Alf Jahnsen at his Lake Street Forster (NSW) shipyard in 1963. She was designed by Sparkman & Stephens (Newport, Rhode Island) and registered in Sydney in 1965. She has been consistently raced with considerable success but her present status is unknown – she is not registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
DETAILS
Name: Corroboree
Type: Auxiliary yacht
Rig: Sloop
Stern: Counter
Sail No. RSYS 350
Design: Sparkman and Stephens, Newport, Rhode Is.
Builder: Alf Jahnsen – Shipyard at Lake Street Forster, NSW
Launched: Tuncurry, NSW 1963; Completed 1964
Official Number: 317475
Registration: April 1965 (13/1965)
Length: 35.6 ft
Breadth: 10.0 ft
Depth in hold: 6.3 ft
Tonnage: Gross 16.78 (47.49 cubic metres) Net (Register) 16.16 (45.73 cubic metres)
n.b 1 shipping ton = 2.83 cubic metres
Engine: 36 bhp 4 cyl diesel – Perkins Engines Ltd, Peterborough, England.
Owners:
Initial – 1964–1968 Kevin Allan Gray, Killara, NSW
1968–1974 John Walter While, Petersham, NSW
1974-1976 Gray Stanley Hutchinson, Double Bay NSW
1976 - ? Rowan Sydney Murphy, George Argent, John Clement Knobel (joint owners), Townsville Q.
Known to be owned in Mooloolaba in 1993
OCEAN RACING
Corroboree first entered in the ROLEX SYDNEY – HOBART Yacht Race in 1965 skippered by owner Kevin Gray. It was during the race that she was involved in the rescued of Lieutenant Franco Barbalonga, of the Italian Navy vessel Corsaro II [see description on of the recue in following section.] Despite the time involved in the rescue she was able to complete the race
Kevin again sailed her in the 1967 SYDNEY – HOBART and finished a credible 9th place.
Corroboree ’s new owner, John While, entered her in the 1968 race but she was forced to retire.
It was not until 1974 when Corroboree was again entered in the SYDNEY – HOBART by new owner Gray Hutchinson and she finished the race.
The only other reference to ocean racing comes from the BRISBANE - GLADSTONE Race in 1993 where Pocket maxi yacht Bobsled was leading on corrected time from the smaller Mooloolaba sloop, Corroboree , and the Brisbane yacht, Outsider . Both were expected to finish late last night. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Sun 11 Apr 1993
DRAMATIC RESCUE AT SEA DURING 1965 SYDNEY HOBART Yacht Race
Sailor will not forget his anniversary
HOBART, Friday [31st December 1965]. - Lieutenant Franco Barbalonga, of the Italian Navy, will always remember his second wedding anniversary as the day he faced death in the icy waters of the Tasman Sea. "I thought the end of the world had come as I was swept into the icy sea." the 28-year-old navigator, of the Italian yacht Corsaro II said in Hobart this morning. Lt Barbalonga was picked up by the Sydney sloop Corroboree , eight minutes after he had been thrown into the Tasman. "All was going well until six am yesterday, and the ship was going well when it suddenly blew up rough," Lt Barbalonga said.
"The spinnaker halyard broke and the sail fell into the sea.
Guest of yacht crew
"Eight of us were trying to get it back on board when a rope tangled around my leg and I was flung into the sea. “It was difficult to say what my thoughts were just then. "It all happened so suddenly and my whole life came up before me. “The water was icy cold, and I thought of my wife and little son. He is only a year old and yesterday was the second anniversary of my marriage. I wondered if I would ever see them again. "Then I came to the surface, threw off my clothes, and swam for a lifebelt the crew of Corsaro II had thrown." Corroboree picked him up a few minutes later, and he completed the race as the guest of the Australian crew.
When Corroboree tied up in Hobart today Lt Barbalonga was treated for rope burns to his left leg and bruises, but said he was reasonably fit.
"It was sheer luck that we were on exactly the same course as Corsaro II " the skipper of Corroboree , Kevin Gray, said today.
Hard to manage
"We saw the Italian vessel was having spinnaker trouble, and then two flares went up and we realised something was seriously wrong. “It came over the radio almost immediately that there was a man overboard, and it was apparent that the big yacht would be hard to manage in an emergency. "We were about 400 yards from Corsaro II , and saw that she had thrown a buoy, which was hard to see in the choppy sea despite its fluttering flag. “We headed for the buoy, but there was no man near. We saw the crew of Corsaro II pointing to another spot and could just make out a bobbing head. "We rounded up and passed next to him, dropping a rope which he clung to while we hauled him aboard." The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Sat 1 Jan 1966
INFORMATION LACKING
This post is part of an attempt by glmrsnsw to document the incredible output of wooden vessels from master boat-builder Alf Jahnsen and his son Harvey Jahnsen of Tuncurry and Forster. Any assistance in adding to this record would be much appreciated – contact Chris Borough at chrisborough@gmail.com.
Image Source : Nicholson Family Collection
Enhancement : Philip Pope
Acknowledgements . The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister ) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated.
All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.
GREAT LAKES MANNING RIVER SHIPPING, NSW - Flickr Group --> Alphabetical Boat Index --> Boat builders Index --> Tags List
'Corroboree' (1963 - ?) at launch with 'Waratah' The launch of the auxiliary yacht Corroboree at Tuncurry in May 1963 - launch assisting is the Waratah . Both vessels built by master boatbuilder Alf Jahnsen at his Lake Street Forster shipyard.
This report prepared by Chris Borough, Graham Nicholson and Philip Pope
The fast sloop Corroboree was built by Alf Jahnsen at his Lake Street Forster (NSW) shipyard in 1963. She was designed by Sparkman & Stephens (Newport, Rhode Island) and registered in Sydney in 1965. She has been consistently raced with considerable success but her present status is unknown – she is not registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
DETAILS
Name: Corroboree
Type: Auxiliary yacht
Rig: Sloop
Stern: Counter
Sail No. RSYS 350
Design: Sparkman and Stephens, Newport, Rhode Is.
Builder: Alf Jahnsen – Shipyard at Lake Street Forster, NSW
Launched: Tuncurry, NSW 1963; Completed 1964
Official Number: 317475
Registration: April 1965 (13/1965)
Length: 35.6 ft
Breadth: 10.0 ft
Depth in hold: 6.3 ft
Tonnage: Gross 16.78 (47.49 cubic metres) Net (Register) 16.16 (45.73 cubic metres)
n.b 1 shipping ton = 2.83 cubic metres
Engine: 36 bhp 4 cyl diesel – Perkins Engines Ltd, Peterborough, England.
Owners:
Initial – 1964–1968 Kevin Allan Gray, Killara, NSW
1968–1974 John Walter While, Petersham, NSW
1974-1976 Gray Stanley Hutchinson, Double Bay NSW
1976 - ? Rowan Sydney Murphy, George Argent, John Clement Knobel (joint owners), Townsville Q.
Known to be owned in Mooloolaba in 1993
OCEAN RACING
Corroboree first entered in the ROLEX SYDNEY – HOBART Yacht Race in 1965 skippered by owner Kevin Gray. It was during the race that she was involved in the rescued of Lieutenant Franco Barbalonga, of the Italian Navy vessel Corsaro II [see description on of the recue in following section.] Despite the time involved in the rescue she was able to complete the race
Kevin again sailed her in the 1967 SYDNEY – HOBART and finished a credible 9th place.
Corroboree ’s new owner, John While, entered her in the 1968 race but she was forced to retire.
It was not until 1974 when Corroboree was again entered in the SYDNEY – HOBART by new owner Gray Hutchinson and she finished the race.
The only other reference to ocean racing comes from the BRISBANE - GLADSTONE Race in 1993 where Pocket maxi yacht Bobsled was leading on corrected time from the smaller Mooloolaba sloop, Corroboree , and the Brisbane yacht, Outsider . Both were expected to finish late last night. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Sun 11 Apr 1993
DRAMATIC RESCUE AT SEA DURING 1965 SYDNEY HOBART Yacht Race
Sailor will not forget his anniversary
HOBART, Friday [31st December 1965]. - Lieutenant Franco Barbalonga, of the Italian Navy, will always remember his second wedding anniversary as the day he faced death in the icy waters of the Tasman Sea. "I thought the end of the world had come as I was swept into the icy sea." the 28-year-old navigator, of the Italian yacht Corsaro II said in Hobart this morning. Lt Barbalonga was picked up by the Sydney sloop Corroboree , eight minutes after he had been thrown into the Tasman. "All was going well until six am yesterday, and the ship was going well when it suddenly blew up rough," Lt Barbalonga said.
"The spinnaker halyard broke and the sail fell into the sea.
Guest of yacht crew
"Eight of us were trying to get it back on board when a rope tangled around my leg and I was flung into the sea. “It was difficult to say what my thoughts were just then. "It all happened so suddenly and my whole life came up before me. “The water was icy cold, and I thought of my wife and little son. He is only a year old and yesterday was the second anniversary of my marriage. I wondered if I would ever see them again. "Then I came to the surface, threw off my clothes, and swam for a lifebelt the crew of Corsaro II had thrown." Corroboree picked him up a few minutes later, and he completed the race as the guest of the Australian crew.
When Corroboree tied up in Hobart today Lt Barbalonga was treated for rope burns to his left leg and bruises, but said he was reasonably fit.
"It was sheer luck that we were on exactly the same course as Corsaro II " the skipper of Corroboree , Kevin Gray, said today.
Hard to manage
"We saw the Italian vessel was having spinnaker trouble, and then two flares went up and we realised something was seriously wrong. “It came over the radio almost immediately that there was a man overboard, and it was apparent that the big yacht would be hard to manage in an emergency. "We were about 400 yards from Corsaro II , and saw that she had thrown a buoy, which was hard to see in the choppy sea despite its fluttering flag. “We headed for the buoy, but there was no man near. We saw the crew of Corsaro II pointing to another spot and could just make out a bobbing head. "We rounded up and passed next to him, dropping a rope which he clung to while we hauled him aboard." The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Sat 1 Jan 1966
INFORMATION LACKING
This post is part of an attempt by glmrsnsw to document the incredible output of wooden vessels from master boat-builder Alf Jahnsen and his son Harvey Jahnsen of Tuncurry and Forster. Any assistance in adding to this record would be much appreciated – contact Chris Borough at chrisborough@gmail.com.
Image Source : Nicholson Family Collection
Enhancement : Philip Pope
Acknowledgements . The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister ) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated.
All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.
GREAT LAKES MANNING RIVER SHIPPING, NSW - Flickr Group --> Alphabetical Boat Index --> Boat builders Index --> Tags List
'Corroboree' (1964 - ?) under tow across Forster Tuncurry Bridge This image shows the Corroboree being by tractor towed across the Forster Tuncurry Bridge prior to launch - believed to be May 1963. A key distinguishing feature of the vessel is the counter stern.
This report prepared by Chris Borough, Graham Nicholson and Philip Pope
The fast sloop Corroboree was built by Alf Jahnsen at his Lake Street Forster (NSW) shipyard in 1963. She was designed by Sparkman & Stephens (Newport, Rhode Island) and registered in Sydney in 1965. She has been consistently raced with considerable success but her present status is unknown – she is not registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
DETAILS
Name: Corroboree
Type: Auxiliary yacht
Rig: Sloop
Stern: Counter
Sail No. RSYS 350
Design: Sparkman and Stephens, Newport, Rhode Is.
Builder: Alf Jahnsen – Shipyard at Lake Street Forster, NSW
Launched: Tuncurry, NSW 1963; Completed 1964
Official Number: 317475
Registration: April 1965 (13/1965)
Length: 35.6 ft
Breadth: 10.0 ft
Depth in hold: 6.3 ft
Tonnage: Gross 16.78 (47.49 cubic metres) Net (Register) 16.16 (45.73 cubic metres)
n.b 1 shipping ton = 2.83 cubic metres
Engine: 36 bhp 4 cyl diesel – Perkins Engines Ltd, Peterborough, England.
Owners:
Initial – 1964–1968 Kevin Allan Gray, Killara, NSW
1968–1974 John Walter While, Petersham, NSW
1974-1976 Gray Stanley Hutchinson, Double Bay NSW
1976 - ? Rowan Sydney Murphy, George Argent, John Clement Knobel (joint owners), Townsville Q.
Known to be owned in Mooloolaba in 1993
OCEAN RACING
Corroboree first entered in the ROLEX SYDNEY – HOBART Yacht Race in 1965 skippered by owner Kevin Gray. It was during the race that she was involved in the rescued of Lieutenant Franco Barbalonga, of the Italian Navy vessel Corsaro II [see description on of the recue in following section.] Despite the time involved in the rescue she was able to complete the race
Kevin again sailed her in the 1967 SYDNEY – HOBART and finished a credible 9th place.
Corroboree ’s new owner, John While, entered her in the 1968 race but she was forced to retire.
It was not until 1974 when Corroboree was again entered in the SYDNEY – HOBART by new owner Gray Hutchinson and she finished the race.
The only other reference to ocean racing comes from the BRISBANE - GLADSTONE Race in 1993 where Pocket maxi yacht Bobsled was leading on corrected time from the smaller Mooloolaba sloop, Corroboree , and the Brisbane yacht, Outsider . Both were expected to finish late last night. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Sun 11 Apr 1993
DRAMATIC RESCUE AT SEA DURING 1965 SYDNEY HOBART Yacht Race
Sailor will not forget his anniversary
HOBART, Friday [31st December 1965]. - Lieutenant Franco Barbalonga, of the Italian Navy, will always remember his second wedding anniversary as the day he faced death in the icy waters of the Tasman Sea. "I thought the end of the world had come as I was swept into the icy sea." the 28-year-old navigator, of the Italian yacht Corsaro II said in Hobart this morning. Lt Barbalonga was picked up by the Sydney sloop Corroboree , eight minutes after he had been thrown into the Tasman. "All was going well until six am yesterday, and the ship was going well when it suddenly blew up rough," Lt Barbalonga said.
"The spinnaker halyard broke and the sail fell into the sea.
Guest of yacht crew
"Eight of us were trying to get it back on board when a rope tangled around my leg and I was flung into the sea. “It was difficult to say what my thoughts were just then. "It all happened so suddenly and my whole life came up before me. “The water was icy cold, and I thought of my wife and little son. He is only a year old and yesterday was the second anniversary of my marriage. I wondered if I would ever see them again. "Then I came to the surface, threw off my clothes, and swam for a lifebelt the crew of Corsaro II had thrown." Corroboree picked him up a few minutes later, and he completed the race as the guest of the Australian crew.
When Corroboree tied up in Hobart today Lt Barbalonga was treated for rope burns to his left leg and bruises, but said he was reasonably fit.
"It was sheer luck that we were on exactly the same course as Corsaro II " the skipper of Corroboree , Kevin Gray, said today.
Hard to manage
"We saw the Italian vessel was having spinnaker trouble, and then two flares went up and we realised something was seriously wrong. “It came over the radio almost immediately that there was a man overboard, and it was apparent that the big yacht would be hard to manage in an emergency. "We were about 400 yards from Corsaro II , and saw that she had thrown a buoy, which was hard to see in the choppy sea despite its fluttering flag. “We headed for the buoy, but there was no man near. We saw the crew of Corsaro II pointing to another spot and could just make out a bobbing head. "We rounded up and passed next to him, dropping a rope which he clung to while we hauled him aboard." The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) Sat 1 Jan 1966
INFORMATION LACKING
This post is part of an attempt by glmrsnsw to document the incredible output of wooden vessels from master boat-builder Alf Jahnsen and his son Harvey Jahnsen of Tuncurry and Forster. Any assistance in adding to this record would be much appreciated – contact Chris Borough at chrisborough@gmail.com.
Image Source : Nicholson Family Collection
Enhancement : Philip Pope
Acknowledgements . The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister ) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated.
All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.
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Parramatta Road Petersham, NSW, Australia
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Parramatta Rd Petersham, NSW, Australia
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Remains of track, Petersham, Sydney, NSW. ER1. Crystal St, Petersham, NSW.