For Sale: Huge Parcels Of Land In The City

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday June 25, 1992

Advertisement from The Sydney Herald, June 24, 1842:

Nine Allotments

Mr Stubbs is instructed to sell by public auction, on Monday the 27th day of June, 1842, at the Mart, King-street, sale at 12.

The above splendid suburban property, subdivided into Lots ... having forty-to-80 foot frontages more or less ...

Lots one and two take a grand sweeping view over the whole Botany waters and that extensive country. They are also opposite the line of the New Government Barracks ... Lots three to nine slope from the ridge towards Mrs Hely's and in consequence take the most magnificent marine view of Darlinghurst, the shipping in the Harbour towards the Heads and the Town of Sydney on the west. Water is to be obtained from a well on the Government road leading to Mrs Hely's and no doubt can be obtained elsewhere plentifully by digging.

It is beautifully adapted for suburban residences or for tradesmen who may be connected with the Government Works Department of the New Barracks, or any speculator ...

Besides the effect of population alone must cause a double value in landed property on a main Sydney road like the South Head.

Who would have dreamt twenty years ago of the value of Sydney ground now?

... Better therefore buy these South Head allotments. Terms at sale.

From The Sydney Herald, May 30, 1842:

Mr Nathan's concert

The Hall of the Sydney College was a scene of much gaiety on Friday evening: His Excellency the Governor and Lady Gipps and most of the leading families in Sydney were present; by eight o'clock every place seemed occupied. A temporary ... had been erected on the south end of the room and the numerous corps harmonique presented an appearance of order, and raised expectations of efficiency, which their subsequent performance fully realised ... We were much delighted with some of Mr Nathan's new Australian melodies, which we had on this occasion and opportunity of hearing performed under his own direction ... The most striking of these is Koorinda Braia, a solo, quartette, and chorus. This melody and words are Aboriginal; in the accompaniment the idea of the stick-beating by the gins is most cleverly maintained; the Cooee is introduced with really a most pleasing effect and the variety of the harmonics which are ingrafted upon the paucity of the melody says very much for Mr Nathan's knowledge of the science. The introduction of these harmonics is certainly a liberty; but we cannot help forgiving it in our admiration of the beauty and cleverness of the composition ... Mr Nathan's performance on the pianoforte was what none but a profound theorist could have attempted. We would particularly impress upon the observation of our younger friends the ease with which he plays - his hand appears to glide from one end of the instrument to the other, and is never, by any chance, carried up into the air above it; he executes the most difficult passages without a contortion. This should be the aim of all pianoforte players - we do dislike to see a pianist's hands flying about like a jugglers in a fantoccini show.