History of Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales facts for kids

Brighton-Le-Sands is a suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. It sits on Lady Robinson Beach, which is part of Botany Bay, and is managed by Bayside Council. Before 1970, the suburb was officially known as Brighton-le-Sands. This article explores its history from when Europeans first settled there up until the 1970s.

What's in a Name?

The suburb's name was originally spelled Brighton-le-Sands, with a small "l" in "le". In 1970, the official spelling changed, but people still use both versions, and sometimes even Brighton Le Sands without the hyphens. Locals often just call it Brighton or Brighton Beach.

Early European Settlement

In the 1800s, small communities started to grow along Lady Robinson Beach. By 1870, some settlements were near Muddy Creek. One of these, a small village along the coast east of Rockdale, was briefly called Lady Robinson's Beach in the 1880s. This village eventually grew into the suburb we know today as Brighton-le-Sands.

Where is Brighton-Le-Sands?

Lady Robinson Beach and Cook Park form the eastern edge of Brighton-Le-Sands, right on Botany Bay. This part of the beach is also known as Brighton Beach. Bestic Street marks the northern border, and President Avenue is the southern border. The western boundary is a bit more winding, following Muddy Creek and then moving through different streets.

How Brighton-Le-Sands Grew in the 1800s

First Land Sales

People started buying land in the area in the 1840s. However, not much happened until a railway line opened to Hurstville (via Rockdale) in 1884. This made it much easier to get to the area.

In 1877, plans were made to extend Bay Street, Rockdale, all the way to the coast. This needed a bridge over Muddy Creek. Then, in 1880, Bestic Street was also extended, requiring another bridge over Muddy Creek. In 1883, a man named Thomas Saywell suggested extending the road right to the beach.

Building the Tramway

After the railway was finished, Thomas Saywell decided to build a tramway in 1885. It ran along Bay Street from Rockdale to Lady Robinson Beach. It was mostly a single track, with extra sections at the ends and one spot in the middle for trams to pass each other. A tram depot was built where Tony Baker Reserve is now.

Saywell had a 30-year lease on the tramway. In 1914, the government took over. Eventually, the tram line was electrified. The tram was replaced by buses in 1949. It took another ten years for the old tram tracks to be removed and Bay Street to be re-surfaced for the growing number of cars.

The 1890s: A Seaside Resort

Even though the land wasn't great for farming, its location was perfect for a fun holiday spot. It was easy to reach by public transport, which was important when travel was still difficult. Before the 1880s, getting to Rockdale was hard, often involving a horse coach across a dam. But when new road and rail bridges were built, it became much simpler.

Thomas Saywell suggested the name New Brighton Estate for the growing settlement. He thought the beach looked like Brighton beach in England, and he wanted to create a similar seaside resort.

Saywell first built public swimming baths in the late 1880s. There were two bathing areas, one for men and one for women, with a wharf in between. People would fish from the shore or small boats. Nearby, he set up a picnic area, later called the Shady Nook Recreation Grounds.

Saywell also built the Brighton Hotel. However, the hotel lost its licence in 1892 because of problems with its customers. Arthur Aspinall, a Presbyterian church leader, was looking for a building for a boarding school for children from the outback. Thomas Saywell offered the hotel building, and it became The Scots College. Arthur Aspinall was its first principal. The school stayed in Brighton for about four years. Later, the hotel got its licence back and remained there until it was replaced by the Novotel Brighton Beach Motor Inn.

In 1895, Thomas Saywell decided to build a race course in Brighton. The Scots College found the race course and the beach too distracting for its students, so they left the area. The racecourse operated for many years.

During this time, the small settlement, the New Brighton Estate, was still officially part of Rockdale, even though locals called it "Brighton." The economic problems of the 1890s caused the area to decline. It started to recover in the 1920s but remained mostly a working-class area until the 1970s.

Brighton-Le-Sands in the 1900s

Early 1900s to 1930s

The "Brighton-le-Sands Post and Telegraph Office" opened around 1903. This gave the suburb its own distinct name, different from Brighton in England. Around this time, a ferry service started in Botany Bay, allowing more people to visit Brighton for picnics. The ferry ran for about 20 years.

After World War I, the area began to grow a lot. The number of homes almost tripled. New streets were built, and existing ones were extended. For example, Francis Lane (later Francis Avenue) was built, and The Avenue was extended north to Bestic Street.

From the mid-1920s until the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the area expanded even more. Land near Muddy Creek that was once a swamp was drained around 1924. This new land was used for homes. There was also a dairy farm and a market garden in the area.

Some land owned by the Francis family on Bay Street was sold. Part of this land was bought by the Catholic Church to build St Thomas More's Church and a primary school.

Small shops were built in Rowley Street to serve the new residents. These included a butcher shop and a general store, both of which were still open in the early 2000s.

1940s to 1970s

Just as Australia was recovering from the Great Depression, World War II began, and development in Brighton stopped. After the war, Sydney faced a big housing shortage. All available land was used for new homes, and Brighton began its third major growth period.

A large empty area called Archbald's Paddock was developed for housing in the late 1940s. With the rise of refrigeration and bottled milk, the local dairy farm was no longer needed, and its land was also sold for homes. New streets like Archbald Avenue and MacIntyre Avenue were built, and people started moving into these new houses around 1952.

Another market garden, Hop Long's, was located on the western side of Francis Avenue. In the late 1940s, the front part of this market garden was sold for houses. In the mid-1950s, the rest of the market garden became an extension of the White Oak Reserve. Later, Tasker's market garden was also sold, becoming the site of Bilmark Place and Phillip Crescent.

Recent Changes

Over time, the types of people living in Brighton-Le-Sands changed. Many older houses were replaced by multi-storey units, which are now common. The shopping area also changed to meet the needs of the new population.

Storms and the Coast

Brighton-Le-Sands has faced challenges from storms. The bridges over Muddy Creek at Bestic Street and Bay Street would sometimes flood or even wash away, especially when heavy rain combined with high tides.

Wind storms would blow sand onto Grand Parade and The Esplanade, making them hard to use and eroding the sand dunes. Waves would also damage the beach. The worst beach damage happened on June 13, 1966.

Brighton-Le-Sands Primary School

The first school building was on Crawford Road. As more families moved to the suburb, more land was bought further south on Crawford Road. In 1916, two new buildings were constructed: one for younger students (infants' school) and another for the main primary school.

Famous People from Brighton-Le-Sands

• June Salter (1932–2001), a well-known actress.