White Bay, New South Wales

White Bay is a bay on Sydney Harbour with a surrounding locality near the suburbs of Balmain and Rozelle in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

History

The area has operated since the nineteenth century for water-based transport and industrial uses. It has been a multipurpose port, owned and controlled by the Government of New South Wales since 1901.Sydney Ports; "Glebe Island and White Bay Master Plan, Part A"; 2000; [http://www.sydneyports.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/1438/PartA.pdf] ] Sydney Ports; "Glebe Island and White Bay Master Plan, Part B"; 2000; [http://www.sydneyports.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/1439/PartB.pdf] ] It caters for container handling, break bulk cargo (timber, paper, motor vehicles and steel) and dry bulk cargoes (cement, sugar, gypsum, aggregates, etc). The White Bay Hotel [White Bay Hotel Heritage Report [http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/Appendix%20E%20Heritage.pdf] ] was a historic hotel on Victoria Road. It was first built in 1861, rebuilt in 1916, and refurbished in 1925 and 1933. It finally closed in 1992, "landlocked" by roads and with no local workers. Until 2004 it served only as a platform for billboards advertising to traffic on the Western Distributor, and on 5 September 2008 was destroyed by a suspicious [ABC News, 7pm, 6 September 2008] fire and immediately demolished.

Landmarks

The derelict White Bay Power Station dominates the landscape. On the eastern side stands the magnificent ANZAC Bridge which was completed in 1996 and is the main arterial link between the inner west and Sydney city.Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW; "ANZAC Bridge", [http://163.189.7.150/constructionmaintenance/completedprojects/anzacbridge/index.html] ; Retrieved on 5 November 2006.] Below the bridge lies its predecessor, the Glebe Island Bridge, which opened in 1901.

Notable Residents

For 25 years from 1971 to just before her death in 1996, one of Sydney's true characters, Beatrice ("Beattie") Bush, sold papers to passing motorists at the junction of The Crescent (City West Link) and Victoria Road.Powerhouse Museum; "Statement of significance: Newspaper trolley owner by Beatrice Bush"; [http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=349572&search=beatrice+bush&
] ; Retrieved on 5 November 2006.] Every morning in all weather, wearing Balmain Tigers socks and running shoes, Beatrice was part of the drive to work for thousands of motorists.

The 1984 song "The White Bay Paper Seller" by Judy Small was written about Beatrice and the 2004 documentary, "The Paper Queen" by Julie Nebauer documented her life.Australian Film Commission; "The Paper Queen"; Film Database Entry; [http://www.afc.gov.au/filmsandawards/filmdbsearch.aspx?view=title&title=THEPAP&keyword=the+paper+queen&area=title&year=all] ; Retrieved on 5 November 2006.] In 2005 a new cycle bridge crossing Victoria Road at the intersection of The Crescent was named the Beatrice Bush Bridge in her honour. Her newspaper trolley, hat, gloves and other clothing items are held in the Powerhouse Museum collection in Sydney.

References

External links

* [http://www.sydneyports.com.au/corporation/media__and__publications/publications Sydney Ports - Master Plans]
* [http://photosau.com/Leichhardt/scripts/home.asp Local Images at InnerWest ImageBank]
* [http://www.lmc.nsw.gov.au/libraries/07 Local History Collection, Leichhardt Council]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/disney-considered-plans-for-white-bay/2008/02/26/1203788346568.html Disney held unsolicited discussions with the NSW Department of State and Regional Development about the redevelopment of White Bay]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/beer-may-flow-once-again/2008/06/01/1212258647602.html Beer may flow once again at White Bay Hotel]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/last-drinks-at-rozelles-historic-white-bay-hotel/2008/09/06/1220121592940.html Last Drinks at Rozelle's Historic White Bay Hotel]