Bare with me here, last weekend was a busy weekend with visitors, and I couldn't get out, and this weekend was to be a heatwave, +35c each day, so I had to get creative...
First up 'J' and the creativity had to kick in, and a mate suggested something when discussing what I wanted to achieve. THat was some shots of St Marys Catederal, in which case it could be 'J is for Jesus' and so it was!!
The St Marys Cathederal as we know it today, is a English-style Gothic revival building constructed of honey-coloured Sydney sandstone, is regarded as the Mother Church for Australian Catholics. The original St MArys Church was destroyed by fire in 1865.
It took close to 100 years to finally complete St Marys with the first stage constructed between 1866 and 1900 and stage two between 1912 and 1928. However, the original Wardell design was only finally completed in June 2000 when the metal frames of the imposing Southern Spires were lowered into place by helicopter and then sheathed in Gosford sandstone. I remember these spires being installed whilst working at the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
Next up, for 'K'... Kurrajong.
Kurrajong was first settled around 1790, not long after Governor Phillip had travelled down the Hawkesbury River in search of suitable farming land for the struggling colony.
As early as 1795 an attempt to find a route through the mountains had been made but it was not until 1823, that Archibald Bell, following Aboriginal women escaping from the Springwood tribe which had kidnapped them, discovered a suitable route. The road was little more than a track used as a stock route.
By 1841 the convict built road through Kurrajong, named Bell's Line of Road, was opened. The present road, with easier grades, was opened in 1901, with improved deviations during WWII.
Fun Fact - Kurrajong also had a railway line, an extension up from Richmond, and in 1926 the extension of line from Richmond was opened, however, by the time the line was opened, the orchardists had begun to use trucks and the line was never economically viable. Landslides gave an excuse for the line to close in 1952.
Hoo roo for now...
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Bernie
