Edgecliff in the '60s

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In September 1842, the Crown granted a glebe in two parts to the Anglican church of St James King Street. The larger portion of the St James glebe was a 29-acre parcel wedged between Ocean Street and Trumper Park in today’s Edgecliff.

The landscape which formed on the Edgecliff glebe reflected its tenure - long-term leaseholds, chiefly taken up by investors, and subject to multiple and successive re-subdivisions. Small residential sites predominated punctuated by a few larger houses, occasional corner shops and a modest commercial strip along New South Head Road. See: Plan of St James Glebe

By the mid-twentieth century, the housing stock of the glebe presented as something of a time-warp, with little modernisation undertaken in the decades before. However, this small world was on the brink of major change, a fact appreciated by the curator of the collection displayed here, photographed from the mid 1960s, intentionally to capture this moment.

In the following decade the elapsed leaseholds were called in, the Edgecliff Centre built, a train station installed and a viaduct constructed across Rushcutters Bay to carry the Eastern Suburbs railway service into the heart of the former glebe. The line was officially opened in June 1979.

Images from the 'Edgecliff Album', Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive.

Front cover of an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610.Quiraing 6 Trelawney Street Woollahra – built 1865 for John Donald McLean, squatter and politician, demolished 1966 and replaced by a block of flats. Image from an album of coloured photographs of the Edgecliff area. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610a. From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610b. From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610c.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610d.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610e.'Emma Chisett’ (previously a shop) 81 Cameron Street, Edgecliff (cnr of Thorne Street) - probably built 1860s and still standing. Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610f. Note: The house name 'Emma Chisett' may reference the earlier use of the building as a shop, being a 'strine’ approximation for ‘How much is it’ in a humorous series on Australian language usage ‘Let stalk strine’ run in the Sydney Morning Herald in the 1960s. 'Emma Chisett’ (previously a shop) 81 Cameron Street, Edgecliff (cnr of Thorne Street) - probably built 1860s and still standing. Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610g.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610h.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610i.Houses on the edge of Trumper Park. Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610j.Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610k.Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610l.Ringswold 505 Glenmore Road Edgecliff – built c1863 for Henry Prescott, an Alderman of Paddington Council from 1871 to 1875, demolished 1968. Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610m.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610n. From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610o.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610p.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610q.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610r.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610s.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610t.View looking south-east along Thorne Street, from the intersection of Great Thorne Street and High Street. Image from an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610u.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610v.From an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610w.Back cover of an album of coloured photographs of Edgecliff dating from the mid 1960s - much of this area was extensively redeveloped during the 1970s with the construction of the Edgecliff Centre and the Edgecliff Interchange. Woollahra Libraries Digital Archive PF004610x.