SYDNEY SUBURBS: CONDELL PARK, CONNELLS POINT

CONDELL PARK

Location:

Condell Park is a suburb of local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, located 22 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district. The postcode of Condell Park is 2200, which is shared with Bankstown and Bankstown Aerodrome.

Name origin:

Condell Park was named after Ousley Condell, an engineer who arrived on 8 May 1829 on the barque Swiftsure with 13 other settlers. He applied for a position in the public service and was granted four 50-acre (200,000 m2) adjoining lots in 1830 that he called Condell Park.

About:

Black Charlie's Hill, located in Simmat Avenue Condell Park, was named after a local identity whose nickname was 'Black Charlie'. His real name is said to have been Charles Luzon or Charlie Lopez, a man of Aboriginal ancestry. He lived near Edgar Street, South Yagoona and like others in the area, during the early 1900s, grew vegetables that he carried off to the market by horse and cart. His home was constructed of corrugated iron. Black Charlie was said to fire a single shot each evening promptly at 9pm but the reason was never disclosed. Some suggested he was hunting rabbits, others to warn of the approach of aircraft.

Bankstown Bunker, formerly known as Air Defence Headquarters Sydney (ADHQ Sydney), is a heritage-listed defunct Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operations facility, located on the corner of Marion and Edgar Street, in Condell Park.

After the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur in Australia during the Second World War, Bankstown Airport was established as a key strategic air force base to support the war effort. During this period the specially constructed bunker became an important RAAF headquarters from 1945 until its closure in 1947.

The Bankstown Bunker was an exact replica of the underground Ops rooms of wartime England, which directed Britain's air defence fighter plane attacks on the invading German Luftwaffe. It had all the attenuated fixtures necessary to run a top secret operational defence base. The bunker was equipped with its own code room, plotting rooms, two escape tunnels and a radio transmitter room. In the centre of the bunker was a large room of about two stories in height. This was the main Ops room and control centre for all RAAF Missions in the Pacific area. The room also had a large map of the South West Pacific theater of World War II.

The bunker still exists and access can be obtained through one of the old air vents. The entry point is located on private property in the backyard of a dwelling with an access tunnel running under a public park in which the bunker is buried. This is located at the end of Taylor Street, which can also be found on the corner of Marion and Edgar Streets, Condell Park. In 1976 the entire site was redeveloped into town houses which cover most of the land area. The area now comprises a number of separate complexes or "Closes" containing eight to eleven villas. Each Close is named appropriately after planes which flew from Bankstown during the Second World War.

Gallery:

Bankstown Bunker, 1945

Bankstown Bunker during WW2

The same room as it is today, after a fire destroyed it in 1972

Third Avenue, Condell Park, 1955

CONNELLS POINT

Location:

Connells Point is a suburb in southern Sydney, located 20 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of in the local government area of the Georges River Council, in the St George area.

Name origin:

Connells Point takes its name from the geographical formation beside Connells Bay, on the Georges River. Connells Point and Connells Bay were named after Charles Daniel O'Connell who held land in the area. Connells Bay was originally called O'Connells Bay.

About:

In the early days, the bay was used for shipbuilding.

It is a small suburb surrounded by the suburbs of Hurstville Grove and South Hurstville, Blakehurst and Kyle Bay.

According to the 2016 census, there were 2,829 people living in Connells Point. 68.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was China at 9.0%.

59.1% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Greek 9.8%, Mandarin 9.4% and Cantonese 6.1%.

Gallery:

Connells Point, Sailing Club wharf; view from Donnelly Park

Lookout Reserve, Connells Point

Aerial view, ignore the yellow circle, it is a real estate marketing photograph

Connells Point Road, Connells Point, 1959

Looking SW along Connells Point Road towards the intersection of King Georges Road and Hotel South Hurstville now the Kings Head Tavern.

Connells Point Public School, 1934

The building was brick and consisted of six classrooms with adequate space for 296 pupils and additional space for the principal and a staffroom. The total cost of the building was £4328.17.6 and funds came from the Unemployed Relief Funds.

When the school opened in 1934, there was no school bell and, being depression years, there were none available, so a bell was donated by the local school at Hill End. The bell was erected in the school grounds by 1936. Today, this bell is still used on special occasions.