CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN - … · CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN FORMER ... the sandstone foundations of the earlier lifeboat shed, ... Ensure the ongoing use and financial viability

nla.pic-an23477953-v_1910-1960

CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT

PLAN

FORMER

WATSON’S BAY PILOT STATION

FOR NSW MARITIME October 2011

2011, CPH

1959, NSW Maritime

FORMER WATSON’S BAY PILOT STATION 1A MARINE PARADE

CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CITY PLAN HERITAGE FINAL OCTOBER 2011 / CH11-045

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 5

THE SITE ........................................................................................................................................ 5

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE .......................................................................................................... 5

CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 6

1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 9

1.1 AIMS OF THE CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN .................................................................. 9

1.2 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 9

1.3 LOCATION OF THE STUDY AREA .............................................................................................. 9

1.4 EXISTING HERITAGE STATUS ................................................................................................11

1.5 LIMITATIONS ........................................................................................................................12

1.6 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................12

1.7 AUTHOR IDENTIFICATION ......................................................................................................14

1.8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .........................................................................................................14

1.9 TERMINOLOGY & DEFINITIONS ..............................................................................................14

1.10 ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................15

2.0 THE SITE AND ITS CONTEXT ......................................................................................................17

2.1 SITE DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................17

2.2 CONTEXT.............................................................................................................................22

3.0 HISTORICAL EVIDENCE .............................................................................................................25

3.1 HISTORICAL SUMMARY .........................................................................................................25

3.1.1 INDIGENOUS OCCUPANTS – THE CADIGAL .................................................................... 25

3.1.2 EARLY SYDNEY AND WATSONS BAY (1780-1900) ........................................................ 27

3.1.3 THE PILOT SERVICE .................................................................................................... 30

3.1.4 LIFEBOAT AND RESCUE SERVICE ................................................................................. 38

3.1.5 THE PILOT STATION .................................................................................................... 43

3.1.6 ROBERT WATSON – FIRST OFFICIAL PILOT ................................................................... 47

3.1.7 THE ARCHITECTS - DAVEY, BRINDLEY AND VICKERY .................................................... 47

3.2 HISTORIC THEMES ...............................................................................................................49

3.3 HISTORY OF THE OCCUPATION OF THE SITE ..........................................................................49

4.0 ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORICAL AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE ............................................................51

4.1 PREAMBLE ...........................................................................................................................51

4.2 ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORICAL AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE .......................................................51

5.0 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ..........................................................................................................55

6.0 ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................69

6.1 BASIS OF ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................69

6.2 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ........................................................................................................69

6.3 STATEMENT OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE..............................................................................74

6.4 LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE .......................................................................................................75



TABLE OF CONTENTS


3

6.5 RANKING OF SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIVIDUAL AREAS AND ELEMENTS .........................................76

6.5.1 BASIS OF RANKING ...................................................................................................... 76

7.0 CONSTRAINTS, ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES .............................................................................79

7.1 PREAMBLE ...........................................................................................................................79

7.2 SIGNIFICANCE ......................................................................................................................79

7.3 PHYSICAL CONDITION ..........................................................................................................79

7.4 OBLIGATIONS ARISING FROM THE BURRA CHARTER ...............................................................81

7.5 STATUTORY AND NON-STATUTORY AUTHORITIES ..................................................................81

7.5.1 COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT LEVEL ........................................................................ 81

7.5.2 STATE GOVERNMENT LEVEL ........................................................................................ 82

7.5.3 LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL ........................................................................................ 83

7.5.4 NON-STATUTORY LISTING............................................................................................ 83

7.6 CLIENT’S REQUIREMENTS .....................................................................................................84

7.7 OTHER ISSUES .....................................................................................................................85

7.7.1 ACCESS ...................................................................................................................... 85

7.7.2 SERVICES ................................................................................................................... 85

7.7.3 SECURITY ................................................................................................................... 85

7.7.4 CURTILAGE ................................................................................................................. 86

7.7.5 ARCHAEOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 87

7.7.6 INTERPRETATION ......................................................................................................... 87

7.8 OTHER STAKEHOLDERS – COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS ..........................................................88

7.9 FURTHER RESEARCH ...........................................................................................................88

8.0 CONSERVATION POLICIES .........................................................................................................89

8.1 PREAMBLE ...........................................................................................................................89

8.2 GENERAL POLICIES ..............................................................................................................89

8.2.1 DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................... 89

8.2.2 PRINCIPAL CONSERVATION POLICY .............................................................................. 90

8.2.3 CONSERVATION PROCESS ........................................................................................... 91

8.2.4 CONSERVATION OF FABRIC .......................................................................................... 92

8.2.5 ADAPTATION AND LAYOUT ........................................................................................... 93

8.2.6 QUALITY AND INTEGRITY OF NEW WORK ...................................................................... 93

8.2.7 CURTILAGE AND SETTING ............................................................................................ 93

8.3 MANAGEMENT POLICIES .......................................................................................................94

8.3.1 DISABLED ................................................................................................................... 94

8.3.2 ACCESS AND PARKING ................................................................................................. 94

8.3.3 ARCHIVAL RECORDING ................................................................................................ 94

8.3.4 ARCHAEOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 94

8.3.5 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR ......................................................................................... 94

8.3.6 USE ............................................................................................................................ 95

8.3.7 INTERPRETATION ......................................................................................................... 95



TABLE OF CONTENTS


4

8.3.8 MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................. 96

8.3.9 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................... 96

8.3.10 LISTING ON APPROPRIATE REGISTERS ......................................................................... 97

8.3.11 ADOPTION AND REVIEW ............................................................................................... 97

8.3.12 ACCESSIBILITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF CONSERVATION PLAN ......................................... 97

9.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................99

APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................101

APPENDIX A – THE BURRA CHARTER ...........................................................................................101

APPENDIX B – LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE PLAN ...........................................................................107

APPENDIX C – INVENTORY SHEETS ..............................................................................................111

APPENDIX D – STATE RECORDS FILES .........................................................................................119

APPENDIX E – COASTAL PILOT STATIONS, NSW...........................................................................120

Job No/ Document

No

Description of Issue

Prepared By/ Date

Reviewed by Project

Manager/Director

Approved by Manager/Director

11-045

First Draft

CK & KD/8.9.11

KD/9.9.11

Name: Kerime Danis Date:31.10.11

11-045

Final Draft

KD/13.9.11

KD/13.9.11

11-045

Final

KD/10.10.11

KD/14.10.11

11-045

Final 2

KD/31.10.11

KD/31.10.11

Note: This document is preliminary unless it is approved by Manager or Director of City Plan Heritage



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE SITE

This CMP has been commissioned by NSW Maritime in order to guide the future use and

management of the former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station, which is vacant since November 2008

when pilot operations were ceased and relocated to Botany Bay. The Pilot Station is listed as

a heritage item on Schedule 4 of the Sydney Harbour Catchment (2005) Regional

Environmental Plan and is included in the NSW Maritime Heritage Database (Inventory

No.51). The site comprises a two-storey building and jetty along with access stairs. The

former Watsons Bay Pilot Station is a historically significant site with a long history of pilot

facilities and operations out of Watsons Bay since 1792. The pilot service was one of the

oldest government services in Australia with many pilots operating out of Watsons Bay.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Watson’s Bay Pilot Station site is of State significance due to its association with a more

than 200 years of Australian maritime history and Sydney Harbour, which was the largest and

most important port in Australia as, until the 1970s, all European arrivals and departures were

made only by ship. The existing station building, which was built in 1959 over the site of the

earlier lifeboat shed in Gibsons Beach, is of Local significance as a physical evidence of

continued service of marine pilotage conducted at this site since 1792.

The existing Pilot Station is evidence of changes in vessel technology from steamers to diesel

powered vessels as well as shipping movements through Sydney’s ports. It has provided

pilotage services and accommodation to the pilot crew for almost a half of a century.

The site has associations with a number of notable pilots including Robert Watson, the first

official pilot appointed in 1803. The building is one of a subset of NSW pilot stations erected

at major ports and was designed by the architectural firm Davey, Brindley and Vickery. The

firm designed many regional amenities buildings for government agencies and councils in the

1950s and 60s. The jetty was designed and built by the NSW Maritime Services Board’s own

staff.

The Pilot Station is a very modest example of the late 1950s architecture featuring

characteristic elements of International Modernism including strip windows and sections

where the joinery extends from floor to ceiling with spandrel panels below the glazing (beside

the staircase) and a flat roof with wide overhang. The station incorporates typical design

intentions of pilot stations as functional buildings reflecting the pattern of fenestration of the

different functional areas within the building.



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


6

The Watson’s Bay Pilot Station and the site have strong associations with firstly the pilots and

crew who worked at Watson’s Bay Station and the maritime community through its long

history of pilotage services.

The site has a potential for archaeological resource as the existing Pilot Station was built over

the sandstone foundations of the earlier lifeboat shed, which are partially visible below the

building.

The Watson’s Bay Pilot Station is the only physical evidence of pilotage services operated

from Gibson’s Beach for 200 years. It is a unique facility in this regard.

CONCLUSION

The Principal Conservation Policy is intended to present the key principles which form the

basis of consideration for all the established conservation policies for the site. These

principles arise from the considerations presented in section 7.0 of this CMP.

The conservation policies aim to:

� Recognise the values defined in the Statement of Significance for the building and the site as well as recognition of the site’s importance to the people of New South Wales.

� Conserve the significant values of the site, including: the fabric and setting, physical, social, historical, aesthetic, and cultural values.

� Ideally, the building should remain the property of a single owner entity. Any change of ownership or use of the place should be accompanied by strategies for the protection and conservation of significant fabric.

� Ensure appropriate uses consistent with the significant values of the site.

� Ensure the ongoing use and financial viability of the building.

� Establish an appropriate management structure to implement the Conservation Management Plan.

� Ensure a mechanism for appropriate future adaptive reuse.

� Maintain the property’s heritage listing on the Sydney Harbour Catchment REP (2005) and ensure compliance with statutory controls.

� Recommend inclusion of the Pilot Station on the NSW Maritime’s s170 Heritage & Conservation Register.

� Encourage reinstatement of original white colour scheme and light blue colour to the spandrel panels as per original.

Policies relating to the adaptation and layout of the former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station recommend

the following:

Policy 14 - Adaptation of the former Pilot Station is acceptable provided that the new use does

not detract from the identified unique significance of the site.

Policy 15 - Appropriate adaptive reuses will need to relate to maritime activities or combination

of maritime activity with a subsidiary accommodation, and may include:



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


7

o Cafe or restaurant with an associated marine activity

o Commercial use associated with maritime activities such as marine supplier with

sailing activities or surf board hiring etc.

o Community use with permanent Berthing such as for research, seminars, etc of

marine organisations

o Recreational uses with permanent Berthing for small vessels and boats

o Shipping and maritime museum or interpretation centre

o Offices with permanent Berthing facilities



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


8

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INTRODUCTION


9

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 AIMS OF THE CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN

The aim of a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is to identify the cultural significance of a

place by investigating its history, fabric and context. The level of cultural significance

determines the type and degree of acceptable change, the levels of maintenance required

and the type of adaptive re-use that the place can undergo. This information is then used to

suggest opportunities for making the place useable in order to keep it viable and ensure its

future.

This CMP is intended to be a practical document that will guide future decisions about the

place, former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station, in order that the cultural significance is not

compromised through inappropriate change. It will provide structure for the management and

conservation of the significant values of the former Pilot Station with regard to the relevant

legislation and the requirements of the stakeholders. It has been structured to fit within the

framework of a Suggested Table of Contents (version 2002) developed by the Heritage

Council1 and has been varied to suit the subject site and the requirements of the NSW

Maritime. This CMP conforms to the current guidelines of the NSW Heritage Council and has

been prepared to a standard suitable for endorsement by the Heritage Council and adoption

by NSW Maritime.

1.2 BACKGROUND

This CMP has been commissioned by NSW Maritime in order to guide the future use and

management of the former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station, which is vacant since the cessation

and relocation of the pilot operations to Botany Bay in November 2008. The Pilot Station is

listed as a heritage item on Schedule 4 of the Sydney Harbour Catchment (2005) Regional

Environmental Plan and is included in the NSW Maritime Heritage Database (Inventory

No.51). The site comprises a two-storey building and jetty along with access stairs. The

former Watsons Bay Pilot Station is a historically significant site with a long history of pilot

facilities and operations out of Watsons Bay since 1792. The pilot service was one of the

oldest government services in Australia with many pilots operating out of Watsons Bay.

1.3 LOCATION OF THE STUDY AREA

The former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station is located at Marine Parade in Watson’s Bay towards

the southern end of the Bay. It is situated on the water’s edge of Watson’s Bay where Marine

Parade and Salisbury Street nearly intersect. Marine Parade ends to the north of the site and 1 http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/docs/cmp_contents2.pdf



INTRODUCTION


10

represents the closest vehicular access. It is also accessible via a pedestrian footpath from

Salisbury Street. Watsons Bay is north of Parsley and Vaucluse Bays and located on the

western side of the South Head peninsula which separates the Tasman Sea from Sydney

Harbour, within the Woollahra LGA. It is part of Gibsons Beach Waterfront and Marine Parade

South Precinct.

Figure 1: Location map and aerial view of the former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station

(Source: Google maps & Satellite)



INTRODUCTION


11

1.4 EXISTING HERITAGE STATUS

The former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station is listed as a heritage item on Schedule 4 of the

Sydney Harbour Catchment - Regional Environmental Plan – 2005 and is partially within the

Watson’s Bay Heritage Conservation Area, listed as a Contributory Item in the Gibsons Beach

Waterfront and Marine Parade South Precinct of the Watsons Bay Heritage Conservation

Area DCP. Its listing under the NSW Maritime s170 Heritage and Conservation Register in

unclear; however, it is included in the NSW Maritime’s Heritage database noting the above

listings only.

The Former Pilots Station in Watsons Bay was not identified on any Non-Statutory heritage

registers.

Heritage Listing Listing Title Listing No. Gazette

Date

Regional Environmental Plan

Sydney Harbour Catchment 2005 – Schedule 4

47 28.09.2005

NSW Maritime Heritage Database

Watsons Bay Pilot Station SHI No. 4920108 Inventory No. 51

--

Local Environmental Plan (Conservation Area) – Woollahra LGA

Watsons Bay Heritage Conservation Area – Contributory item (section O.5 of the DCP)

-- 10.03.1995

Regional Environmental Plan

Sydney and Middle Harbours REP No. 23

This legislation has been repealed & replaced by Sydney Harbour Catchment 2005

Figure 2: Excerpt from the Woollahra LEP 1995 Heritage Conservation Area map (Source: http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/61986/WLEP-1995-

Heritage_Map.pdf)



INTRODUCTION


12

1.5 LIMITATIONS

Original floor plans of the former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station could not be located. Therefore

the floor plans have been roughly sketched by Kerime Danis for the purpose of identification

of the rooms to aid the description of the building. The layout of the floor plans have been

based on the description of the Pilot Station detailed in an unnamed magazine provided by

NSW Maritime dated June 1959, published just after the opening of the Pilot Station on 25th

May 1959.

Subfloor of the Pilot Station Building was viewed from the outer edges of the jetty with no

physical archaeological investigation.

A community consultation was not part of the scope of this study; however, readily available

community interest on the Watson’s Bay Pilot Station has been considered for social

significance assessment.

1.6 METHODOLOGY

This CMP has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the Australia ICOMOS

Burra Charter, 1999; the NSW Heritage Manual ‘Conservation Management Documents’ and

the Conservation Plan (5th edition, 2000) by James Semple Kerr and published by the

National Trust of Australia (NSW).

A main objective of a CMP, as outlined in the J. S. Kerr’s Conservation Plan, is to set out the

significance of the item and develop appropriate policies to enable the significance of the item

to be retained in its future use and development. The NSW Heritage Manual indicates that a

CMP should be a concise document that makes reference to the other documentation where

necessary rather than repeating the information included in previous reports unless of

particular relevance.

The historical context in this CMP is based on primary sources where possible, reports and

previous research. The following resources were accessed during the course of investigations

for the CMP:

Current aerial photographs have been resourced from Google Maps and the NSW

Department of Lands Spatial Information eXchange (SIX) at http://maps.google.com.au and

http://lite.maps.nsw.gov.au/. The NSW Department of Lands SIX website provided historical

aerial photography from 1943.



INTRODUCTION


13

The current and historic plans of the subject site and the development history of Watsons Bay

and the wider South Head Peninsula have been sourced from the archives of:

- NSW Maritime

- Woollahra Local Studies Centre

- State Records Authority of NSW

- Mitchell Library of the State Library of New South Wales

- Sydney Ports Corporation

A number of historical photographs have been obtained from the NSW State Library online

catalogue at http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/search. Other photographs and resources generally

have been sourced from Woollahra Local History Centre, David Sheedy, and NSW Maritime.

The current internal and external photographs of the Watsons Bay pilot station were taken by

Kerime Danis of City Plan Heritage during the site visit on 3rd August, 2011. Broader

contextual views along the Gibsons Beach waterfront were also taken at this time.

Substantial effort was made to confirm exact locations and sequence of construction and

operation of pre-1907 rescue boat sheds or pilot stations as there have been demonstrated

pilot services in this locality since the 1790s. It has been reasonably well documented that the

first purpose-built pilot station was located a short way up the hill, behind and just south of the

subject 1959 pilot station and was demolished in the 1920s to make way for a new Vaucluse

Police Station. No images of a structure pre-dating the 1907 lifeboat shed have been found

for the specific subject site.

Primary material came from the following sources:

- NSW Maritime

- Woollahra Local History Centre

- State Records Authority of NSW

- Mitchell Library of the State Library of New South Wales

- David Sheedy

- Australian Institute of Architects

A Long Term Maintenance Plan, existing heritage listing- Inventory Forms, and the Burra

Charter have been included within Section 9.0 – Appendices.

All photographs have been taken by City Plan Heritage unless otherwise stated.



INTRODUCTION


14

1.7 AUTHOR IDENTIFICATION

The principal author of this CMP is Kerime Danis (Manager) MHerCons (Hons), BArch,

AICOMOS. Ceri Kirkendoll (Heritage Consultant) BAHons, at City Plan Heritage has provided

research assistance and compiled the history. Dr Noni K Boyd (Heritage Consultant) has

prepared the Comparative Analysis for the Pilot Station.

This CMP remains the intellectual property of City Plan Heritage and may not be reproduced

in whole without the prior permission of the authors.

1.8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

City Plan Heritage wishes to acknowledge the invaluable support of the people and

organisations that assisted in the preparation of this report:

� Alison Garnett, Commercial Property Officer, NSW Maritime

� Jeff Huntley, NSW Maritime Kent Street Offices

� David Sheedy

� Staff of Woollahra Local History Centre

� Anne Higham, Heritage Architect, Australian Institute of Architects

� Ian Hoskins, North Sydney Council Historian, Stanton Library

1.9 TERMINOLOGY & DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this report, references to piloting, pilotage, pilot boats, pilot sheds, and

pilot stations can be historically related to life boats and life boat sheds. The two are often

interchanged in historic documentation, periodicals, personal recollections, etc. Pilot boats,

as well as life boats were released to assist other seagoing vessels to navigate the waters

into Sydney Harbour and the site is of historical importance for its uninterrupted pilot and

rescue services to maritime travel. A 1948 Admiralty chart for Sydney Harbour notes the

shed and jetty as “Lifeboat and Pilot Station” and the Admiralty Sailing Directions for Sydney

up until 1955 note that a lifeboat was stationed at Watsons Bay.2

The following definitions are derived from the Burra Charter 1991 and will be used for the

development of the conservation policies in Part 2 of this Plan.

Cultural significance Aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present

or future generations. It is synonymous with heritage significance

and cultural heritage value.

2 Sheedy, D 2011, email, 26.8.11.



INTRODUCTION


15

Fabric All the physical material of the place including components, fixtures,

contents, and objects.

Conservation All process of looking after a place so it retains its cultural

significance.

Maintenance The continuous protective care of the fabric and setting of a place,

and is to be distinguished from repair. Repair involves restoration or

reconstruction.

Preservation Maintaining the fabric of a place in its existing state and retarding

deterioration.

Restoration Returning the existing fabric of a place to a known earlier state by

removing accretions or by reassembling existing components

without the introduction of new material.

Reconstruction Returning a place to a known earlier state and is distinguished from

restoration by the introduction of new material into the fabric.

Adaptation The Burra Charter defines adaptation as modifying a place to suit

the existing use or proposed use. For the purpose of this

conservation plan the definition of adaptation will be used as defined

in the draft Sydney Opera House Conservation Plan, 2002, prepared

by J. S. Kerr “modifying a place to suit proposed compatible uses”.

Interpretation All the ways of presenting the cultural significance of a place.

1.10 ABBREVIATIONS

CMP: Conservation Management Plan

LEP: Local Environmental Plan

REP: Regional Environmental Plan

DCP: Development Control Plan

LGA: Local Government Area

HIS: Heritage Impact Statement

SHI: State Heritage Inventory

SHR: State Heritage Register



INTRODUCTION


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THE SITE AND ITS CONTEXT


17

2.0 THE SITE AND ITS CONTEXT

2.1 SITE DESCRIPTION

The Former Pilot Station, Watsons Bay, located on

the waterfront of Watsons Bay between the [near]

junction of Marine Parade and Salisbury Street, was

constructed in 1959 on virtually the same site

dedicated to this purpose since 1860 when the

government pilot service was inaugurated in

Watsons Bay. The existing building was designed by

the consulting architects, Davey, Brindley and

Vickery, and built by the private contractors, B.

Pickworth and Sons, while the jetty was designed

and built by the Maritime Services Board’s own staff.

The Building The building is a two-storey simple International

Modernism style structure constructed on concrete

piles with large aluminium framed strip windows, flat

metal deck roof with wide eaves, combination of lime

green painted weatherboard and later corrugated

metal cladding to the exterior and a dominant entry

bay with two-storey modern style spandrel glazing.

NSW Maritime has overall responsibility for the

management of the building. Since the building’s

construction it has only been used as a pilot station

with overnight accommodation for staff with offices

and recreational facilities. At present the building is

vacant due to the relocation of pilots to Millers Point

and Botany Bay. The pilot station in Watsons Bay

was in operation until November 2008.

The description of the building, which was published

in June 1959 just after its opening, provides a good

understanding of the original building and conforms

that the existing building has almost remained the

same as that of the 1959 configuration. It is apparent

Figure 3: Exterior views of the former Pilot Station: Northern, Southern, western and eastern

elevations.





18

that only a few changes have been made to the

building interiors and exteriors over 52 years. The

changes include an additional room to the waterfront

on the first floor, changes to window mullions from

three tall panes to two or single pane glazing

together with the replacement of or considerably

modification of the brick wall at the entry ramp. The

commemoration plaque that was unveiled by the

then NSW Premier the Hon. J. J. Cahill is removed

and its whereabouts is unknown at this stage.

Similarly, the sign depicting “The Maritime Services

Board NSW PILOT STATION” name next to the

entry door has also been removed. The existing

concrete platform along the northern side of the

building is also a later addition.

The exterior of the building was described in 1959

as - The building is of two storeys erected on

concrete piles and almost entirely over the water.

Weatherboard, glass and aluminium have been

used to advantage on the external walls, which have

been painted white with green trim, to blend

harmoniously with the surroundings and provide an

attractive balance between the contemporary and

conservative styles of architecture. The existing

colour scheme does not reflect of that original colour

scheme on all joinery, wall cladding and coloured

entry bay glazing.

The current internal layout of the building is

generally similar to that described in the 1959 article.

As one would expect during 50 years of occupation

and changes in the technology, the floor finishes,

some room layouts and fittings have been replaced.

The 1959 internal description reads as - The ground

floor of the building contains store rooms and

accommodation for the crew. Separate day rooms,

with desk and cupboards have been provided for the

Master and Engineer, with an adjoining wash room,

whilst the remainder of the ground floor is made up

Figure 4: Underside of the building showing the earlier stone foundations

and concrete piles

Figure 5: Ground Floor interiors





19

of a crew's mess, kitchenette, change room and

crew's wash room.

The second floor is devoted entirely to the pilots. A

spacious ward room, kitchenette and locker room,

for wet oilskins, is provided on one complete side of

the building and the balance of the space is

occupied by a wash room and six change rooms for

pilots. The existing configuration generally conforms

to the above original layout of both ground and first

floors. The main conflict with the existing layout is in

the numbers of the first floor rooms, which consists

of four rooms rather than six rooms as detailed in

the 1959 description. The remainder of the first floor

appears to be the same although the original

corridor has been incorporated in to the main ward /

lounge room.

The washrooms and toilets feature original

hexagonal multi coloured floor tiles and terrazzo

partitions. The main staircase is also original and

features a 1950s style metal handrail and

balustrade. See floor plans on the next page.

Figure 6: Ground Floor toilets and the main staircase

Figure 7: First Floor interiors showing the washrooms on the left, and the ward / lounge room for crew and kitchenette on the right





20

KITCHENETTE /

LOCKER ROOM WARD / LOUNGE

ROOM

VOID

PILOT MANAGER PILOT

ROOM 1

PILOT

ROOM 2 PILOT

ROOM 3

WASH ROOM /

TOILETS

CREW’S MESS

ROOM

KITCHENETTE

ENTRY

CREW’S

WASHROOM /

TOILETS

WASHROOM

CHANGE ROOM

MASTER’S

ROOM

ENGINEER’S

ROOM

STORE ROOM

SPARE

ROOM

Figure 8: Ground and First Floor plans of the former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station. Note: the original room names have been used as per the 1959 description of the building rather than the current office uses.

Such as the Ground floor Master’s room is currently a first aid room and could not be accessed. (Source: Floor plans have been sketched by Kerime Danis as close as possible to the existing layout, September

2011, not to be scaled)

N





21

The Jetty Constructed of timber piles, the jetty extends on the

western side of the building and appears to remain

in its original dimensions. The original jetty was

described as being of 225 feet (68.58m) long

including the catwalk, and provides 80 feet (24.39m)

of berthing accommodation on each side. The

Valuation Report, prepared by Rory Gray, the

Property Assets Manager of NSW Maritime in 2009,

indicates that the jetty has undergone recent repairs

primarily due to termite damage and was brought up

to a good / operational standard. The Valuation

Report notes that the jetty currently allows berthing

for about 5 large vessels to its outer perimeters of

the jetty where the water depth reportedly exceeds 2

metres, whilst an additional number smaller

recreational vessels are capable of being berthed

subject to depth levels. It is also noted that the jetty

structure is about 350m3 in area.

A direct timber stair access to the first floor of the

Pilot Station building is located on the southern side

of the jetty while another timber stair located at the

angled corner of the jetty provides access to the

water. Combination of timber post and rail, and

metal tubular rail and post balustrades provide

safety for the first floor stair and the northern side of

the jetty catwalk. The angled wharf section of the

jetty is protected by round timber fender piles, which

are supported by later timber piles on the outside.

The majority of the timber and concrete piles have

accumulated a variety of marine organisms that are

generally expected for piles submerged in seawater.

These include generally oysters, mussels and other

shell forming organisms, as well as algal species,

seaweed, and sludge. An Asbestos Materials Survey

Report was prepared by Noel Arnold & Associates

for the Sydney Ports Corporation in April 2006 and

identified a number of areas containing asbestos

Figure 9: Current views of the jetty showing the relationship between the

Station and the jetty catwalk and wharf. Note that all storage tanks and electrical

pumps seen in Figure 10 below are removed and timber boards replaced





22

materials. These have been discussed in Section

7.3 of this CMP.

2.2 CONTEXT

The former Pilot Station is located within a very

popular recreational precinct of Watson’s Bay

identified in the Watsons Bay Heritage Conservation

Area DCP as Gibsons Beach Waterfront and Marine

Parade Precinct. The Pilot Station forms the

southern edge of the Precinct’s waterfront

promanade. To the east of the Pilot Station is a flight

of steps provides access up to Salisbury Road while

the southern side of the building and the steps is

occupied by Gibsons Beach Reserve where Marine

Parade continues as a walkway along Gibsons

Beach. A sandstone headland, rock benches and

sandstone walls to the properties above protect the

beach and the park.

The immediate neighbourhood of the Pilot Station is

characterised by a variety of built and landscape

elements ranging from single-storey detached and

semi-detached c1920s—1930s houses and larger

two to three-storey flats of the same period, with

pitched roofs. The yacht club with jetty on the

western side and the inter-war period ‘Tea Gardens’,

formerly the facilities for the Watsons Bay Pool

(public baths) at the north end, are distinctive

Figure 10: March and June 2009 views of the jetty showing the storage tanks and electrical pumps prior to their removal and the new timber boards at the wharf end of the jetty respectively

(Source: Planning Report – Pilot Station Watsons Bay by Conics, March 2009; and http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/mpd/comm_lease_sites.html)

Figure 11: Context of the Pilot Station – Marine Parade from the Station,

Gibsons Beach and Gibsons Beach Reserve to the south of the Pilot

Station





23

features of the Precinct. The houses with low walled

gardens are elevated above the promenade of

Marine Parade on the southern end. A public car

park for 20 car spaces is located to the north of the

Pilot Station where Marine Parade terminates.

Figure 12: Views of the site contexts showing the steps up to Salisbury Road, views from the jetty to the south, Marine parade properties with the car park at the foreground, southwest views, and the view towards Watson’s Bay

Baths on the north





24




HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


25

3.0 HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

3.1 HISTORICAL SUMMARY

In order to better understand the 200 years of continuous lifeboat and piloting services

connected with the subject site and nearby locations, the history has been approached

thematically; as such the framework offers multiple storylines for the place to assist in

understanding all of its cultural values. It is necessary to look at the stages [or themes] of

development of the Watsons Bay area as they relate to the developing colony; maritime

technology and trade; defence measures; and the population growth of Sydney in general.

This method of approach can provide contextual patterns and associations, especially in

relation to human activities in the environment which would not be immediately obvious if a

strictly chronological approach were taken.

A thematic view of the history of a site or place can help to tease out and value the historical

values of a place, rather than just make an assessment of existing fabric. They are not

intended to be in chronological order, but rather generic and applied and interlinked.

The NSW Heritage Office has developed a thematic framework for use in heritage

assessment and management. The Thematic Framework identifies thirty-eight principal

themes.3 The organising principle for the thematic framework is the dynamism of human

activity.

The historical development of an area or item can be understood as occurring in a thematic

way. A physical illustration of this can be seen when we think about a landscape or building

or arrangement of artefacts as a series of layers, each one representing a progressively

earlier or later theme, or historical influence. Thinking about a place in terms of themes can

help us understand its significance.4

The State historical themes of Exploration, Transport, Communication, and Government and

Administration are used in this history to guide research questions, interpret history, and

structure the narrative of the development of the government pilot service.

3.1.1 INDIGENOUS OCCUPANTS – THE CADIGAL The first inhabitants of this area were the Cadigal clan who are also known as Eora.

Currently there are over 70 important Aboriginal sites in the Woollahra LGA, including

shelters, rock engravings, middens, and evidence of stone tool shaping. The Cadigal

3 Both the Australian Heritage Commission (national) and the NSW Heritage Office (state) have identified themes for research relating to places of heritage significance. www.heritage.nsw.gov.au 4 NSW Heritage Office, Heritage Information Series, Historical Research for Heritage, Baskerville, Bruce, (2000) p. 2.



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


26

occupied much of what is now inner Sydney, and lived along coastal areas, abundant with

fishing and hunting prospects. Images of whales, fish, marsupials, men, shields and other

weapons are to be found in locations at Rose Bay, Cooper Park, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse Bay,

Watsons Bay, Diamond Bay and South Head National Park.5 Hunting techniques in this area

were improved by the ubiquitous sandstone that was found to be very effective for grinding

and finishing stone tools such as axe heads, chisels, and knives.6 The Cadigal are also

known to be one of the very few Aboriginal groups who manufactured fish hooks by grinding

down the shells of mud oysters. Their fishing methods and expertise is considered to have

been superior.7

In addition to the abundant seafood of this area (today’s Watson’s Bay), there was also a

wide variety of plants and animals that could sustain a family. Many of these animals such as

kangaroos, goannas, and brush turkeys have had their habitats destroyed since the Cadigal

were here but, several types of edible flowering plants are still available. Native fig trees,

Wattle trees, Water Ribbons, Lilli Pilli, and Lemon Myrtle were common plants at the time of

European settlement.8

The proximity to the Harbour and significant aspect towards the heads is the reason for the

popularity of this area and the lure for both the original occupants and the first Europeans.

The Cadigal referred to this area as ‘Kutti’.9 Significant Aboriginal occupation in the wider area

includes Lyne Park, Hermit Bay, Nielsen Park, and Watsons Bay and there is evidence that

Aboriginals lived in the caves and rocky outcrops of Gibsons Beach and Watson’s Bay until

the 1880s, when they had already vacated other nearby localities.

The aforementioned rock engravings have been found all around the wider area in Rose Bay,

Cooper Park, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse Bay, Watsons Bay, Diamond Bay, and South Head

National Park. At Nielsen Park, southwest of the subject site, there is a rock engraving that

depicts an early encounter with European settlers in the form of a ship with the figures of men

standing next to it.10 In Watsons Bay there are the weathered images of kangaroos on a

small patch of rock on the low ridge on the south side of Vaucluse Bay. On the northern side

of the bay at the end of Keele Street is a large rock with the remains of a fish engraved on it.

180 metres to the south and 40 metres from the beach on a narrow rough rock outcrop, close

to the ground, is the figure of a man. Another 40 metres south of this, on the beach and

within a rock shelter is an image with two figures: one is a turtle and the other is a deity.11

5 http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/community/history_and_heritage/aboriginal_heritage/pictures_in_stone 6http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/community/history_and_heritage/aboriginal_heritage/weapons_and_tools_for_many_purposes 7 Ibid. http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/places_sydney_absites.htm 8http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/community/history_and_heritage/aboriginal_heritage/rich_in_native_flora_and_fauna 9 http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/places/watsons_bay 10 http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/community/history_and_heritage/aboriginal_heritage/pictures_in_stone 11 http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/places_sydney_absites.htm



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


27

Although there is clear evidence of a proliferate Aboriginal occupation of the area, there is no

known significant Aboriginal site or archaeological remains within the boundaries of the

subject site and as the foundations of the subject building are located on the beach, it is

probable that any such remains would have been removed with the tide.

3.1.2 EARLY SYDNEY AND WATSONS BAY (1780-1900) The first European occupation of the Woollahra area happened two years after the arrival of

the First Fleet (1790). The South Head district was particularly important for its position at the

gateway to the Harbour. At this time a flagstaff was planted on South Head as a landmark

signal to ships passing through to the Harbour. For the first 40 years of European settlement,

Woollahra was subdivided into large pieces of land acquired by grant or purchase. The

largest of these was Point Piper Estate, owned solely by Daniel Cooper and measuring 1,130

acres.12

It is widely believed that (but not authentically documented) that Camp Cove, just north of the

subject site and also forming part of South Head, was the location for the first landing in Port

Jackson by the First Fleet on the 21st of January 1788. Camp Cove was one of the first

12 Woollahra Council website www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au

Figure 13: ‘View of the Heads at the Entrance to Port Jackson’, 1824-25 by Joseph

Lycett. Note Aboriginals in foreground looking out over the bay (Source: National Library of Australia pic - an7690873)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


28

charted locations as surveyed by Captain Hunter five days after the presumed landing and it

is considered that because it was one of the few chartered locations, that it was relatively

significant to those early settlers as a marker to instruct incoming vessels.13

The first land grant that comprised the subject site in the town of Watsons Bay was given to

Edward Laing in 1793 and it was called Roddam Farm. This 20 acres (8.09 hectares) of land

included Camp Cove, Laing’s Point, the waterfront area of Watsons Bay, and part of what is

today known as Robertson Park. Laing was the assistant surgeon to the New South Wales

Corp and Laing’s Point at the western end of Camp Cove is named after him. Laing’s

ownership was short lived, however, leaving the colony by December of the following year

and putting the land in the hands of the New South Wales Corp quartermaster, Thomas

Laycock. After this, it passed through several more hands until it was purchased by members

of the Donnithorne family. Judge Donnithorne was an experienced investor in land and he

and his family never intended to live on Roddam Farm, instead they lived to his death in 1852

and beyond in Cambridge Hall in Newtown.

The Donnithorne family first tried to sell the property in 1843 when it was subdivided into

portions that were described as ‘suitable for marine villa residences’. The location was

extolled as a ‘rich, swampy spot’ [watercourses from the eastern side of the peninsula fed

beachfront lagoons at this time] and for some time there was a water source known as Wild

Duck Pool that was known to many sportsmen, presumably as a source for bird hunting.

Donnithorne’s 1843 subdivision was withdrawn a short two weeks later without explanation. It

is believed that this was because the area was subject to flooding and considered too large a

liability. It was another decade before there was an attempt to sell Roddam Farm. In 1854 the

Sydney merchants, Ralph Meyer Robey and Elias Carpenter Weekes purchased the property

for £600 and prepared the land for sale as 141 allotments. This was the first significant sale

of land in the Watsons Bay area.14

It is also believed that this purchase by Robey and Weekes was part of an agenda to turn the

Watsons Bay area into a tourist destination. The two men were directors of the Sydney and

Melbourne Steam Packet Company and the first to bring ferry services to the bay. They also

purchased the marine villa, Zandvliet (now known as Dunbar House), to convert to and

operate as the Marine Hotel.

Some of the first purchasers of land, particularly in the area of Marine Parade, were a group

of Portuguese mariners. They formed a distinctive Portuguese speaking community and

regularly made up crew members on the life and rescue boats as well as being fishermen.

13 Ibid. 14 Martin, Megan, Thematic History of Watsons Bay, Watsons Bay Heritage Conservation Study, Sydney, WMC 1997.



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


29

Early Watsons Bay was a mix of 19th century workmen and fishermen’s cottages, marine

villas and grand homes. In 1860 Woollahra district became a Local Government Area.

Watsons Bay separated and became part of the Vaucluse Municipality between 1895 and

1948.

In March 1791 Elizabeth Macarthur described her visit as an early tourist to what would later

be called Watsons Bay: ‘We passed the day in walking among the Rocks, and upon the

sands very agreeable.’ There were no longer the Aboriginal people found there three years

earlier, but she recorded the presence of ‘a few huts’ for the crew despatched by the

authorities to man a lookout post and flagpole at the adjacent South Head, to signal arriving

ships. Fifty-six years later, in 1847, she was back in Watsons Bay, staying in one of the area’s

grand ‘marine villas’, Clovelly (where she eventually died), owned by her nephew Hannibal

(and later by two state premiers). Around these fine houses were spread the homes of

fishermen, tradesmen, pilots and their crews.15

15 Derricourt, Robin, Watsons Bay, Sydney Journal, June 2008.

Figure 14: An 1892 advertisement for sale of ‘choice villa sites’ in Watsons Bay (Source: Woollahra Local Studies Centre)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


30

3.1.3 THE PILOT SERVICE Since Arthur Phillip, Captain Hunter, and members of the First Fleet crew arrived in Port

Jackson in 1788, the area has had a long historical connection with piloting and rescue boats

services beginning circa 1790. Pilots operated under the authority of the Harbour Master and

were responsible for provision of assistance to ocean going sea vessels to ensure their safe

passage through the heads into Port Jackson.16 Both Watsons Bay and Gibson Beach are

named after two of Sydney’s earliest pilots. The official ‘first’ pilot is given as Robert Watson

but pilotage existed before 1805 [approximate date of his appointment as Senior Pilot]. Henry

Gibson was a pilot who lived in the area of Watsons Bay with his family since the late 1830s.

16 Schwager Brooks and Partners, Vaucluse Police Station 178 Hopetoun Avenue Vaucluse Heritage Assessment, 1993.

Figure 15: Sydney Morning Herald article, 1932 discussing the naming of Watsons Bay. (Source: Trove, http://www.trove.nla.gov.au)

Figure 16: Detail of previous figure showing nearby area and a ‘Government Boat Shed’ at the end of Keele Street. This may have been constructed to house the pilot boat(s) for the 1860 pilot station which later became the Police Station. The star marks the approximate location of the subject 1959 Pilot Station. (Source: Woollahra Local Studies Centre)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


31

Pilotage and an official pilot service for Sydney Harbour is known to have existed since 1792

when William Barton is documented as acting pilot when required.17 A fishery was

established on South Head that was to be used exclusively for the sick during a time of

severe food shortages. Barton was one of the pilots who escorted these people to and from

the fishery but was also instructed to board all ships coming into the harbor and pilot them to

the settlement.18

The early pilots at Watsons Bay led a lonely life. In 1801, to prevent escapes by convicts, an

order was issued forbidding the rowing of boats about the harbor after eight o’clock at night,

and a warning was issued that, if any boats were found near South Head after that hour, they

would be confiscated and the people in them dealt with as vagabonds.19

In 1857 the sinking of the clipper ship Dunbar along with 121 crew and passengers after

smashing into South Head, caused enough controversy in the colony to promote and

implement improved, coordinated, and regulated piloting and lifeboat services in Port

Jackson. Availability and timeliness as well as the establishment of a circuit between Botany

Bay Pilot Station (Signal Station) and the crew at the subject site were now all on the agenda.

The Dunbar hit the rocks of South Head during a terrible storm where visibility was low and

gigantic swells were crashing into the ship, pushing it off course. The experienced Captain

had sailed through the Heads in previous times and mistook his position on that night,

causing him to call for a hard left straight into the rocks.

In 1859 the Pilot Board was re-established to administer harbor regulations, harbor masters,

sea and river pilots throughout New South Wales, plus all lighthouses and aids to navigation.

The Pilot Board also heard complaints concerning the breaching of regulations, the pilots’

conduct, and marine incidents. The Pilot Board was abolished in 1872 when its duties were

taken over by the Marine Board.20

In 1860 the government pilot service was inaugurated in Watsons Bay with the purchase of

land for a pilot station and a small shed to store equipment and rig pilot boats. Pilotage was

common prior to this, yet did not have the fundamental structure and organisation required to

curtail life threatening events at the harbour’s entrance. The majority of the early pilots

operated out of Watsons Bay for its convenience and proximity to The Heads and until the

more recent shift to increased piloting needs at Port Botany, Watsons Bay seems to have

always been the preferred location for lifeboat and piloting services.

17 NSW Maritime, SHI No. 4920108, Inventory No. 51 18 Collins, David, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, in association with the Royal Historical Society, Sydney, 1975, vol 1, chapter 9. 19 James, Jervis, The History of Woollahra: a record of events from 1788 to 1960 and a centenary of local government, 1960, p 4. 20 NSW State Records, website: http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=\Agency\1214.



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


32

Early pilots were commercial operators whose fees paid for themselves and the operations of

their boat’s crews. There was considerable and often cut-throat competition for pilotage

business until 1833 when pilotage became compulsory with Pilots needing to prove their

competency before being issued with an operating license.21 Piloting was controlled by the

private sector until around the time of the shipwrecks of the Dunbar and the Catherine

Adamson where there was a heavy loss of life, each within approximately two months of each

other. A government enquiry into the piloting service resulted and it was recommended the

existing system should be replaced by two schooners to cruise outside the heads with pilots

on board.

In February 1860, the Crown purchased land for £250 from Ann Dawson in order to build

the first Pilot’s Station – very near the subject 1959 former Pilot Station. This was a

timber framed and clad building on a stone foundation. It had two bedrooms each with a

corner fireplace and a subdivided sitting room.22 During this time there must have also

been a boat shed down on Gibsons Beach. In 1902 an article published in the

Australian Star reported that the old wooden Pilot’s Shed owned by the Department of

Navigation was dilapidated and overrun by white ants. It also reported that it was the first

building of its kind erected in Sydney some 60-70 years earlier.23

21 Andrews, G, The End of the Watsons Bay Connection-Sydney’s Pilotage Service Leaves the ‘Bay’, Afloat magazine, 2009. 22 Schwager Brooks and Partners, Vaucluse Police Station 178 Hopetoun Avenue Vaucluse Heritage Assessment, 1993. 23 Schwager Brooks and Partners, Architects and Heritage Consultants, December, Vaucluse Police Station 178 Hopetoun Avenue Vaucluse, 1993.

Figure 17: Sydney Morning Herald article, 1859 death notice of pilot, George Kelly. (Source: Trove, http://www.trove.nla.gov.au)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


33

Figure 18: Above – Undated

map of South Head circa

1880. Top – close up of pilot

station with surrounding

structure; Left – contextual

view showing 1860 pilot

station circled in red. (Source: Woollahra Local Studies

Centre)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


34

Figure 19: Article from The Empire,

22.11.1873, discussing the

efficiency and effectiveness of the

existing Pilot Service, Section 1. (Source: Trove,

http://www.trove.nla.gov.au)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


35

By 1867, the government schooners were discontinued and the competitive private system

was reintroduced with each pilot working for himself with a crew of four men. The crews were

experienced seamen and largely taken from whaling vessel crews. The pilot station above

Gibsons Beach was used as the Watsons Bay National School and then later as the Watsons

Bay Police. It was demolished in 1927 to construct a new Inter-War designed police station.

In July of 1867 another maritime tragedy occurred when a pilot boat, with Pilot Robinson,

capsized while approaching the inward-bound ship Strathdon. Another small boat with two

men went to rescue the crew of the pilot boat and successfully pulled in some of the crew.

However, the boat was then too heavily laden with men and it too capsized. Shortly after, two

more pilot boats with two pilots, Reader and Shanks, set out to rescue the men. Reader’s

boat capsized and Shanks managed to save Reader’s crew of four. Unfortunately, Reader

drowned as well as Pilot Robinson, his crew of four, and the two boatmen who set out to

rescue Robinson. A community outcry resulted in the Government supplementing the

whaleboats by sending a steamer to the Heads during bad weather. The first steam pilot

vessel was the Public Works Department’s Thetis. 24

In 1875 the control of the pilot service reversed again and came under full government

control. At this time a steamer named Captain Cook was built and sent to the station. It was

also at this time that the Marine Board of NSW issued regulations declaring that the system of

performing the Port Jackson sea pilot service in whaleboats would be discontinued and that a

steam pilot service would be introduced instead. The pilots were now salaried officers and

men were retained at Watsons Bay for up harbor work, the lookout at South Head, and the

relief of pilots shipped from the steamer. The steamers now provided accommodation and

24 James, Jervis, The History of Woollahra: a record of events from 1788 to 1960 and a centenary of local government, 1960, p 5.

Figure 20: Continuation of The

Empire, article, 22.11.1873. (Source: Trove,

http://www.trove.nla.gov.au)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


36

mess facilities for the crew and pilots. The first Captain Cook was berthed in Camp Cove but

the third steamer to bear the same name was located in Watsons Bay when new moorings

were laid. It took station in 1939 and served for twenty years. In 1959 the steamer and

boarding boats were replaced by smaller diesel powered vessels. A new jetty and pilot

station were constructed to serve as the base for these boats. The new pilot station was built

at Gibson’s Beach very close to the original pilot station and serves as a powerful

representation of the longevity and continuity of the association between Watsons Bay and

the Port Jackson pilot service. 25

25 Architectural Projects Pty Ltd, Mayne-Wilson & Assoc, Martin, M, Kirk, I, Watsons Bay Heritage Conservation Study, 1997, p 19.

Figure 21: Gibsons Beach (catalogued as 1900?) with 1860 pilot station at right and boathouse on the shore. The later rescue boat shed and 1959 pilot station building will be located in the

middle of the shoreline approximately where the figure (circled) is walking on the beach. (Source: Woollahra Library Catalogue, www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au)

Figure 22: Early 20th century photo of Watsons Bay in front of the Marine Hotel with the Watsons Bay Wharf.

(Source: State Library NSW, Hood Collection, no. 50061r)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


37

Figure 24: Watsons Bay looking south, circa 1900-1910. 1907 boat shed is not visible (right

middle ground). (Source: State Library of New South Wales, no. a116126r)

Figure 23: Watsons Bay with Palace Hotel and Watsons Bay Wharf in middle ground, circa 1900-1910.

(Source: State Library of New South Wales, no. a116125r)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


38

3.1.4 LIFEBOAT AND RESCUE SERVICE The official lifeboat service in Sydney began in 1858, however, colonial government archives

reveal that there were a few unsuccessful initiatives to bring in lifeboats before this. In 1838

an attempt was made to build this type of craft in the government dockyards and in 1855 an

order was placed to England to have a lifeboat sent over. It is believed that this boat was to

be installed in a shed built in the same year in Camp Cove, a short distance north.26

Regulations were put into effect as early as 1859 whereby a chain of command was

established with conforming rules of operation. The boat was put in charge of the person

designated, the ‘coxswain’, but the preparation for and undertaking of the rescue operation

was carried out under the direction of the pilot on duty. Any member of the pilot boat crew

could be called to serve in the boat and it was also required to exercise the boat once a

fortnight at minimum.27

26 The ‘Alice Rawson’ and the Port Jackson lifeboat service, Woollahra Council Local History Collection. 27 Ibid.

Figure 25: Sydney Morning Herald article, 9.12.1927 about demolition of the first, c1860 pilot station. Aspect is likely from the Hopetoun Avenue street front.

(Source: Trove, http://www.trove.nla.gov.au)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


39

Prior to 1901, only the coxswain received remuneration for the work. After this, the whole

crew was paid a retainer to keep them available for rescue missions.

In 1854 the arrival of the Crimean War resulted in the installation of a 6 pounder field gun

near the Signal Station at Watsons Bay. For the remaining years [until the Lifeboat Service

was suspended] firing the guns was a means of summoning the lifeboat crew to emergency

duty. In 1907, a weatherboard boatshed was built on the subject site in order to house the

lifeboat Alice Rawson. The shed was constructed under the supervision of the Naval Architect

to the Department of Navigation, Mr Orr. The Alice Rawson was manned by a crew of 12

oarsmen and a coxswain and assistant coxswain.

Figure 27: Same structure as previous figure. (Source: State Library of New South Wales, Government Printing Office 1 – 25096)

Figure 28: The Alice Rawson

lifeboat with crew. (Source: State Library of New

South Wales, Government

Printing Office 1 – 19294)

Figure 26: Lifeboat shed in 1921, constructed c1907 in the same location of the subject former Watson’s Bay Pilot Station. (Source: State Library of New South Wales, Government Printing Office 1 – 71652)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


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Figure 30: Copy of 1908 plan showing lifeboat shed, constructed in 1907, indicated in red. (Source: Courtesy of David Sheedy)

Figure 29: The heads with Watsons Bay in the foreground, circa 1935 from the EW Searle collection. (Source: National Library of Australia, vn-4655445)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


41

Figure 32: Survey of amended boundaries of area at Watsons Bay applied for to lease by the Department of Navigation, 19.02.1908.

(Source: NSW Maritime)

Figure 31: Survey of site for life boat shed etc at Watsons Bay applied for to lease by Department of Navigation, 22.08.1907.




HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


42

Figure 33: Plan of structures at the end of Salisbury Street, August 1907, amended March 1908.




HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


43

3.1.5 THE PILOT STATION28 On 25th May 1959, a new era commenced in the history of pilotage service in Sydney. The

new pilot station building was opened by the Hon. J. J. Cahill, the then Premier and Colonial

Treasurer of NSW marking the end of notable career of the steam pilot vessel Captain Cook,

the third of that name in the service of Port Jackson. The vessel was replaced by the smaller

diesel powered vessel Goondooloo, and Captain Cook left the buoy at Watson's Bay, a

station which it had occupied for twenty years when not engaged in pilotage or rescue work.

The article states that it is expected that the figurehead of p.v. Captain Cook will have a place

of honour at the new pilot station at Watson's Bay.

The brief ceremony inaugurated the use of diesel powered vessel with a crew of four from

which the pilot could step direct from the deck to the ship’s ladder, but it also marked the

termination of an era of the larger type vessels of the Captain Cook class and of boarding

boat used to convey the pilot to and from the pilot steamer.

The inscription on the unveiled commemorative plaque read as - This plaque commemorates

the official opening of this Pilot station by The Hon. J. J. Cah’ill, M.L.A., Premier and Colonial

Treasurer of New South Wales, and the inauguration of a new era in the pilotage service by 28 The history of the Pilot Station has been largely summarised from a June 1959 article provided by NSW Maritime; and from the article published in Journal Journal of the Company of Master Mariners of Australia", Volume 23, October 1959, titled "THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA", pp. 19-23.

Figure 34: The lifeboat shed in the 1940s (Source: Courtesy of David Sheedy)



HISTORICAL EVIDENCE


44

the introduction of the diesel vessels “Goondooloo”, “Girralong” and “Goolara”, 25th May,

1959.

Unlike Captain Cook, which provided accommodation including sleeping quarters and

messing facilities on board for the crew and pilots, the new limited space of the diesel vessels

were capable of providing only limited amenities of that nature. Therefore, the new pilot

station was constructed in order to provide amenities for pilots and crews. The cost of the new

building, including demolition of the old concrete lifeboat shed, which formerly occupied the

site, was £17,100.

The article describes the new jetty and pilot station as

“The jetty, which is of timber pile construction, is 225 feet in length and provides 80

feet of berthing accommodation on each side. It was designed and built by the

Board's own staff, but because of pressure of work connected with the construction of

the new overseas terminal at Circular Quay, the services of consulting architects,

Davey, Brindley and Vickery, were engaged for the preparation of the plans for

construction of a new pilot station, and the erection of the building was carried out by

private contractors, B. Pickworth and Sons.

The building is of two storeys erected on concrete piles and almost entirely over the

water of the harbour. Weatherboard, aluminium and glass have combined to give the

exterior of the building a satisfying and modern appearance. External walls have a

colour scheme of white with green trim, to blend harmoniously with the surroundings

and provide an attractive balance between the contemporary and conservative styles

of architecture.”

Figure 35: The new pilot station and the jetty on 25th May 1959, the day of its opening by Hon. J. J. Cahill. The

Photo on the right shows Premier Cahill with the Acting Harbour Master, Captain H. J. Harvey prior to unveiling

the plaque behind the flag. (Source: Black & White photos – Journal of the Company of Masters mariners of Australia; colour photo – NSW Maritime)



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Figure 36: The interiors of the new pilot station in June 1959, showing the crew members’ mess room and kitchenette on the ground floor, and the ward room on the first floor.

(Source: Unnamed journal article – courtesy NSW Maritime)

Figure 37: Plan of the Pilot Station from the surveyors’ field book with improved drawn on the 1939 survey plan in October 1959 and November 1960 (Source: NSW Maritime)



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Figure 38: Aerial photos of subject site. Top - 1943 aerial photo of lifeboat shed and subject site where extant building stands; Centre – current view with 2010 image; Bottom – overlay showing

siting of 1959 pilot station on same 1907 boat shed (in red circle) site. (Source: 1943 aerial - Land Property Information - SIX Lite website; 2010 image - Google Maps)



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3.1.6 ROBERT WATSON – FIRST OFFICIAL PILOT Robert Watson (1756-1819), harbourmaster, arrived with the First Fleet as quartermaster of

H.M.S. Sirius, and was still serving in that capacity when the ship was wrecked at Norfolk

Island in 1790. In 1801 Governor Philip Gidley King granted him land at South Head, Sydney,

and there he settled, later becoming boatswain of the dockyard. In April 1811 soon after the

South Head Road was completed Governor Lachlan Macquarie visited Watson's Bay, as the

site of the grant had come to be called. He followed up the visit by appointing Watson senior

pilot and, two years later, harbourmaster. Watson's new stone house with outbuildings and a

strong wall was finished about the time of Macquarie's visit and the governor later granted him

a free licence to sell spirits there. For his services in piloting the Kangaroo in January-March

1814 during the evacuation of Norfolk Island, he was given a gratuity of £20 by order of the

governor. Soon afterwards he resigned the post of pilot, but retained the appointments of

harbourmaster and boatswain of the dockyard until he was dismissed in November 1816 on a

charge of stealing canvas. The offence was not viewed severely for long, for when the South

Head lighthouse was finished Watson was installed as its first superintendent in November

1818, on the same salary that he had received as harbourmaster (£50). At the end of October

1819 he requested temporary leave on account of illness, and died at his house on The

Rocks, Sydney, on 1 November.29

3.1.7 THE ARCHITECTS - DAVEY, BRINDLEY AND VICKERY The Pilot Station was designed by the firm of Davey Brindley and Vickery, a practice that is

specialised in civic work and were commissioned by Canterbury, Bankstown and Goulburn

Councils. They had an extensive practice involving industrial projects, shops, flats, schools,

hospitals and residential work. John Brindley was responsible for several Council Chambers,

swimming centres, libraries, fire and police stations and schools.

The following information on the men and their work was obtained from the NSW

Bibliographical Information of the Australian Institute of Architects for each one of the

architects.

John Brindley completed his Diploma Course in Architecture in 1935 and went into private

practice with Percy Gordon Craig, where he obtained much valuable experience. From 1937

until the commencement of World War II he was also associated with Reginald J. Magoffin.

After enlisting he was stationed in Darwin and Malaya with the 8th Division and was a prisoner

of war for three and a half years. After the fall of Singapore he was imprisoned in the Changi

Barracks, in February 1942. He was directed by the Japanese to rebuild bombed buildings in

Singapore before the division of prisoners between Borneo and Thailand in April 1943. He

then spent eight months working on the Burma Thailand Railway, after which he returned to

29 Lea-Scarlett, E J, Australian Dictionary of Biography



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Australia in October 1945. His paintings and sketches of this time are now part of the

Australian War Memorial collection. John Brindley served as Chairman of the RAIA Practice

Committee for many years and as the original architectural appointee to the Builder’s

Licensing Board on which he also served for 12 years.

After discharge from military service he entered into partnership with a childhood friend and

STC co-student Wilfred Allan Davey. Davey and Brindley were already an extensive practice

by then. Work came in from ex Prisoners of War. Davey and Brindley were later joined by

Bruce Vickery in 1956 to form the firm Davey Brindley and Vickery. John Brindley retired to

Port Macquarie at the age of 73 after 50 years as a registered practicing architect. He died

there on 20th December 1999 at the age of 86 after suffering from a number of strokes. The

practice of Davey, Brindley and Vickery survives today with offices in Neutral Bay and

Seaforth, NSW.

Wilfred Allan Davey completed the Diploma Course in Architecture at Sydney Technical

College in 1936, graduating on 17 June 1937. In 1937 he commenced his own private

practice. In December 1939 gave up the practice to enlist in the A.I.F. with the 6th Division

Engineers. He served six years with the Army in the Middle East, Ceylon, New Guinea & New

Britain, rising to the rank of Major. After his discharge Davey entered into partnership with a

childhood friend and STC co-student John Millard Brindley.

Bruce Arthur Vickery commenced practice in 1952 and little known about his works prior to

joining Davey and Brindley in 1956.

Examples of their work include: Lakemba Baby Health Centre (1958), Canterbury Library

(1959) in Earlwood, St James Church (1954-59) in Castlecrag, flat building at 29-33 Lawson

Street, Paddington (included in the AIA Register of the 20th Century Buildings of Significance).

Figure 39: Lakemba Baby Health Centre by Davey, Brindley and Vickery

(Source: Coloured image - City Plan Heritage, 2009; Black & White image - Canterbury Council Library, File 010\010444, dated 1950s)



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3.2 HISTORIC THEMES

Australian Theme NSW Theme Relationship to Pilot Station

3 Developing local, regional and national economies

Exploration

Discovery of Port Jackson by Phillip and Hunter and subsequent importance of Watsons Bay area at mouth of the heads, resulting in need for piloting (and rescue) services.

Transport Busy 20th century commerce and transportation through harbor necessitates creation of Pilot and Lifeboat Services.

Communication Pilot Station as part of communication circuit to create safe passage for ships and other vessels journeying in to Sydney Harbour.

4 Building settlements, towns and cities

Towns, suburbs and villages

Pilot station and its predecessor lifeboat shed operated from this location for more than a century, and the Station is currently vacant.

Accommodation Pilot Station provided accommodation and associated amenities to the pilots

Labour Vessel crew and pilots prepared for their pilotage services in the Station and had their changing rooms, kitchenette facilities to meet their needs

7 Governing Government & Administration

Government regulations regarding passage through Port Jackson since circa 1792, including intermittent control and regulation of piloting services.

9 Marking the phases of life

Persons The site is associated with Robert Watson, the first official pilot appointed in 1813; and the building was designed by the architectural firm Davey, Brindley and Vickery.

3.3 HISTORY OF THE OCCUPATION OF THE SITE Research has concluded that there was no structure [of European origin] on the subject site

prior to the construction of the 1907 lifeboat shed by the Department of Navigation. The

lifeboat shed only housed a lifeboat, rigging materials, and other paraphernalia relating to

boating and rescue operations.

An investigation of the Sands Directory lists a boatman named William Williams living at

Watsons Bay, Woollahra in the years 1870, 1873, 1876-1877 with no published listing for the



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years 1871, 1872, 1874 and 1875.30 Further research is required to determine if he had any

connection with the subject site.

With the 1959 erection of a new pilot station [atop the remnant sandstone foundations of the

lifeboat shed], accommodation and offices were provided for 11 pilots, a master, an engineer

and several sailors.31 Pilots and crew of the diesel vessels have been the continuous

occupants of the site since 1959 until the official closing of the Pilot Station which took place

on the 25th of November 2008. The ownership of the Pilot Station reverted back from Sydney

Ports Corporation to NSW Maritime. The building is vacant since then.

30 Woollahra Local Studies Centre 31 Architectural Projects Pty Ltd, Mayne-Wilson & Assoc, Martin, M, Kirk, I, Watsons Bay Heritage Conservation Study, 1997, p 20.