In the beginning:

George Johnston (1764 - 1823), by unknown artist,

courtesy of State Library of New South Wales. GPO 1 - 06755.

The land that would become the inner city suburb of Annandale was originally part of an estate owned by prominent NSW Corps colonel George Johnson. Johnson came to Australia as a marine aboard the First Fleet responsible for overseeing the transportation of the convicts on the Lady Penrhyn. Jewish woman Esther Abrahams traveled on the ship, becoming his de-facto wife before they were married in 1814. Well-liked and trusted, Johnson was promoted to NSW Corps Colonel in 1790 and in 1793 was granted a large piece of land alongside the inner harbour. He named his estate Annandale after his home of Annan in Scotland and built his grand house on the grounds of what is now Annandale Public School in 1799.

The first municipal elections for newly formed Annandale Council followed the secession from Leichhardt Council, Photo, Annandale, 1894.

Trafalgar Street – mid-1950’s -, Annandale, Sydney, NSW Australia

During the post WWI years, before the hard years of the 1930’s-1940’s, many old houses added little ‘shop fronts’ on to them in an attempt to “Buy cheap and sell at a profit” general goods. In the depression most of these closed and become accommodations.

Former tram service, corner of Booth and Johnston Streets 1955

My family lived in View Street Annandale during the late 1930’s to the late 1940’s. View Street is just above White (sic: White’s) Bay and is fed by White’s Creek wetlands into Sydney Harbour.

Between 1898 and 1938 Whites Creek was converted into one of the earliest Concrete Storm Water Channels in Australia. In 2002, Wetlands were constructed adjacent to the creek. The wetlands are now looking great with vigorous growth and a steady development of the aquatic ecosystem. Insects, tadpoles and many more little creatures are now breeding in the wetlands.

There are three known species of frogs making a loud cacophony of noise at night. Larger water birds are gradually finding the wetlands are a good place to have dinner.

Visitors enjoy the experience of a rare urban wild-space in a crowded highly developed inner Sydney suburb.

Local residents appreciate the fact the pump is quiet, tadpoles eat mosquito larvae, no smells except in the polluted canal water and the flowering water plants give a stunning colour display. During construction some people complained and now opinions have changed and few people object to the wetlands. (Source: Ted Floyd, Friends of the Earth, Eco-Sydney Campaign.)