Rotunda at Balmoral Beach, Sydney facts for kids
The Rotunda is a beautiful round building at Balmoral Beach in Sydney. It was built in 1930 by the Mosman Council. This was part of a plan to make the beach even better. The Rotunda sits right by the bay, near Rocky Point Island. It's a very pretty spot! In the 1930s and 1940s, many people came here to listen to brass band concerts. Today, it's used for fun festivals, special events, and even weddings. It's an important historical landmark at Balmoral Beach.
History of the Balmoral Area
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The land where Hunter Park is now was once part of Captain John Edwards' property. He built a stone house there in 1839. Captain Edwards was a sailor who worked in the whaling industry. He lived in his house with his wife, Elizabeth, until he passed away in 1861.
In the early 1860s, Captain Edwards' son, John Edwards, created a fun place called Balmoral Gardens. This is how the area got its name! Many groups and clubs would visit Balmoral Gardens for their outings. Newspapers like the Sydney Morning Herald often described the fun activities people enjoyed there. For example, in 1862, a social group planned to take a steamboat to the gardens. They would enjoy foot races, cricket, jumping, and other games. John Edwards even provided snacks and drinks at good prices.
Balmoral Gardens was also open to everyone. It had a dance hall with live music. An advertisement from 1864 (see picture) invited people to an Easter Monday picnic there. Sadly, John Edwards died in 1871 when he was only 39. After that, Balmoral Gardens was not mentioned much in the newspapers.
In the 1880s, artist Livingston Hopkins started an "Artist's Camp" at the northern end of Balmoral Beach. Other famous artists like Julian Ashton and Henry Fullwood also stayed there. This camp lasted for about 40 years. Later, in 1924, a large white building called the Star Amphitheatre was built nearby. It was for a group called the Order of the Star in the East. This building was taken down in 1951. Today, the Stancliff flats, a heritage-listed building, stands in its place.
Making Balmoral Beach Better
The 1920s brought big changes to Balmoral Beach. In 1922, the tram line was extended to the area. This meant many more people could easily visit the beach! The Mosman Council decided to make the beach even more beautiful. This plan was called the Balmoral Beautification Scheme.
As part of this plan, the Esplanade (a long walkway) was built in 1924. Then, in 1929, the Balmoral Bathers Pavilion was finished. In 1930, the Council decided to make even more improvements. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper wrote about these plans. They wanted to add a shark-proof net for safe swimming. The Esplanade would be made longer and lit up at night. A bridge was also planned for Rocky Point. This bridge would let people reach the point easily, no matter the tide.
The newspaper also mentioned the Rotunda: A special part of the improvements was keeping the big Moreton Bay fig trees behind the walkway. These trees make a perfect setting for the band rotunda they planned to build.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, many notices were placed in newspapers. They announced band concerts at the Balmoral Beach Rotunda on Sunday afternoons and sometimes evenings. The picture on the right shows people enjoying one of these concerts.
Images for kids
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Bridge to Rocky Point Island around 1930
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The Bathers Pavilion built in 1929
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The Star Amphitheatre around 1925, demolished in 1951
