Material relating to the local history of Randwick

Randwick City Library holds a wealth of historical material relating to the local history of Randwick, for the amateur and professional historian. The Local Studies collection includes:

• Maps, architectural drawings and Plans of Management
• Newspapers
• Council Rates Books
• Council Minute Books
• Electoral rolls
• Cohen Collection
• Building application and inspection books
• Randwick Council Heritage Inventory
• Local history walks

The library also provides access to a broad range of local history images through the Randwick Library Catalogue .

If you would like to view any of the items in the Local Studies collection you will need to contact us make an appointment to see the Local Studies Librarian.

Maps, architectural drawings and Plans of Management

The Local Studies Collection at the Lionel Bowen Library holds an extensive collection of maps, architectural drawings and Plans of Management in both physical copy and on microfilm.

The maps include:

• Real Estate Agent subdivision plans dating from the 1900s
• Copies of Parish maps dating back to the first settlement of the area
• Tramway maps
• Council planning maps dating back to the 1940s
• The Mitchell Subdivision Maps (available on microfilm)

The architectural drawings include plans for:

• Little Coogee Public School
• Coogee Palace an office block for WD and HO Wills drawn up in 1926

Plans of Management displays include:

• Maroubra
• Coogee
• Clovelly

Many of the items held in the Lionel Bowen Library are originals, and as such are fragile and unable to be photocopied. However we do permit photographs to be taken with a digital camera.

Newspapers

The Local Studies collection also contains a vast history of local and Sydney/NSW centric newspapers. Current local papers are held in the Local Studies room and other local papers are either in the compactus or on microfilm

Council Rate Books

The Randwick Municipal Council Rate Books 1859-1926 are held on microfilm at the Lionel Bowen Library. They are for use in the Local Studies room of the Library during normal opening hours. They form a valuable resource for local and family historians.

The Rate Books were produced to provide information on land ownership and, if buildings were erected on that land, who was the occupier.

Details of improvements such as buildings are in the Valuation Books which survive for the 20th Century and are held at the Lionel Bowen Library.

Council Minute Books

Randwick Municipal Council was incorporated on 22 February 1859. Randwick City Library has all Council Minute Books in the Local Studies Collection. The books between 1859 and 1984 are available for viewing on microfilm in the Local Studies and Family History room.

The minutes stand as a political document. They record the decisions made by, and actions of, a Council, including the first meeting of Randwick Council on 1 April 1859.

The Council Minutes include copies of all reports that are given to the four committees, Health Building and Planning, Finance, Works and Community Services.

Electoral rolls

The Local Studies collection also holds physical copies of electoral roles dating back to 1842.

The details of the electoral roles held at the Lionel Bowen Library are as follows:

Cohen Collection

In 1989, Randwick City Library received 36 boxes of research notes belonging to the late Victor Harley Cohen. The material concentrates on four areas of research:

• Histories of Coogee
• Rugby Union and the Randwick Club
• Surf Life Saving, with emphasis on the Clovelly and Coogee Surf Life Saving Clubs
• The Auditor-General's Department.
• General notes, correspondences, bibliographies, photos and maps on other historical matters.

Victor Harley Cohen (1903-1988) was a public servant who rose to the position of Auditor-General of New South Wales in the 1960's, an avid sportsperson (playing first grade Rugby for Randwick and a prominent swimmer for Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club), Cohen rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander Royal Australian Navy Voluntary Reserves during the Second World War, serving on amongst other ships, HMAS Perth.

It is apparent that Cohen had finished two of his histories, those of Coogee and of Rugby Union. Unfortunately, only drafts exist of parts of both books. The remainder of the collection comprises notes and the sources for those notes.

• The Coogee drafts concentrate on the early European contact with the area
• The Rugby drafts concentrate on the history of the rules and some aspects of the Randwick club.

To gain access to the collection:

• Permission must be sought in advance from the library manager or designated staff member
• A form is filled out and the documents are to be used under the supervision of the above.

In using the collection:

• The source should be acknowledged as from the Cohen Collection
• Box - Folder Archival access principles will generally be followed
• No pens or unnecessary handling of the material will be allowed.

Building application and inspection books

The Building Inspection and Building Application Books have varied information about the construction of buildings in the Randwick Local Government area.

Information in the Building Inspection Books is limited to:

• Street name
• Lot number
• A description of the building to be built
• Date the plan was deposited at Council
• Name of the owner
• Name of the builder and architect
• The value of the buildings to be erected
• The building surveyors report to the Committee.

The Building Application books contain information on:

• Name of the owner
• The ward in which the plan is located
• The address
• Type of construction
• Cost of the building to be erected
• The fee paid and a receipt number
• The officer's report on the building with dates.

The detail in the officer's report is varied depending on approval of the building:

• If alterations to the plans were necessary to gain approval a more detailed officer's report and a completion date was recorded
• If buildings were approved immediately the Officer's report is usually very brief with the recording of one inspection and no completion date.

To gain access to the collection:

• Please contact us requesting permission from Local Studies staff at Lionel Bowen Library.

Randwick Council Heritage Inventory

Randwick Council published a Heritage Inventory in 1989, consisting of five volumes, one of which contains black-and-white photos and a brief description of 333 properties in the Randwick Municipality, considered to have historical value.

The 1998 Randwick Local Environment Plan list 431 properties of heritage value; however the plan only provides an address.

The Local Studies room at the Lionel Bowen Library contains:

• The Heritage Inventory. Call No: LH711.4/RAN
• The Randwick Local Environment Plan. Call No: LH333.7/RAN

Local history walks

Discover the heritage and history of our city with a local history walk.

Randwick City Art Deco History Walks

Art Deco was a reaction to the organic and flowing forms of the Art Nouveau period and was characterised by a clean and minimalist style which encompassed everything from fashion and decorative arts to interior design and architecture.

Popular in the 1920s to 40s, Art Deco architecture contrasted starkly with the more ornate Victorian and Federation periods. Art Deco had a pure, no nonsense simplicity, and an uncluttered design style and has a timelessness which makes it still one of the most popular periods of design and architecture in our history. Art Deco pieces remain highly collectable.

As in greater Sydney, the 1920s-1940s saw an explosion of residential building activity in Randwick and Coogee, catering for the boom in population between the wars. Many of the blocks of flats (Gower-Galtees in Coogee Bay Road), shops (Belmore Road in Randwick) and public buildings of this era (Randwick Ritz Cinema), are examples of the Art Deco style. Art Deco architecture and objects reflected a time of unprecedented change in the world and its clean, geometric design was appealing to many in a world that would continue to rapidly change.

As part of our 2013 Picture Perfect Art Deco exhibition by our Local History librarians, we've produced two self-guided walking tours of Coogee and Randwick showcasing some of the beautiful architecture which dots the area. Click on the links below to download them to your phone or print them out for your own tour.

• Coogee Art Deco Self-Guided Walking Tour PDF, 5316.79 KB
• Randwick Art Deco Self-Guided Walking Tour PDF, 5110.88 KB