McIlquham

DESCRIPTION

NameMcIlquhamDescriptionTh McIlquham family of Sydney rented a holiday cottage at 31 Fisher Street, Oak Flats in the 1930's.

The holiday home was called 'Nimrod' and was built by Walter Booth of Annandale Sydney in 1931.

Dave McIlquham recalled the boat sheds that sprang up around the lake as the area increased in popularity with holidaymakers.

Dave McIlquham provided his recollections of Oak Flats to the Tongarra Heritage Society for their October 2000 newsletter in an article 'Random Recollections of Oak Flats'.

'In the late 1920s and early 1930s during the Great Depression, quite a few blocks of land in the newly opened up Oak Flats were “squattered” on by out-of-work men and sometimes with their families. Tents and rough dwellings were used, a favoured form of construction being fruit boxes nailed together then covered with hessian and a thin coating of sand and cement.

'The first shop in Oak Flats was situated on the southern side of Fisher Street adjacent to a house with the house name of “Nimrod” and located where 31 and 33 stand to-day. These can be seen in an old photo dated 1934. The cottage “Nimrod” could be rented by holiday visitors from Sydney. There were also a couple of cottages on the Lake frontage that could be rented.

'In the early 1930s, advertisements in the Sydney papers invited holiday makers to take the therapeutic waters of Lake Illawarra for such ailments as rheumatism. It was seen as an alternative to the spas at Medlow Baths Hydro-Majestic. People who responded initially stayed at a purpose-built two-storey guest house situated roughly opposite where house number 43, The Esplanade, stands to-day. Originally a launch was to take guests from Albion Park Rail to Berkeley to meet with a bus to the Steelworks, but again the idea fell through.

'People also had come down to Oak Flats seeking the beneficial effects of the lake’s warm exceedingly warm salty waters, bought blocks and erected small weekenders, giving the new estate its first growth impetus. Real development however, did not occur until after the end of WWII.

'The Real Estate office of Staples & Co, the selling agents, was in the front of a cottage just up from the railway station on the southern side of what is now called Pioneer Drive. Due to the Depression, land sales were slow and Staples & Co went into liquidation.

In the early 1930s, a boat shed stood on the end of the small point at Central Park and rowing boats could be hired there. It can be seen clearly in a photo dated 1934.

'Prior to Keith Grey starting up a milk run for the few residents of Oak Flats, most walked to Clout’s farm on the southern side of the hill going up Stoney Range, now Pioneer Drive to buy a billycan of milk.

'During WW11, Lake Illawarra was trialled as a seaplane base but the unpredictable and strong southerly and westerly winds rendered it unsuitable. Also during the war an air force plane crash landed in Hickey’s paddock after an unsuccessful take off from the wartime air strip at Albion Park Rail.

'Holiday makers arriving at their weekenders in the 1930s, and finding no water in the 44 gallon drums, would obtain drinking water in kerosene tins from the well at Stanford’s shop.'

Dave McIlquham recollections - 'Random Recollections of Oak Flats', The Tongarra Heritage Society Newsletter October 2000.

External LinkMrs Hilda McIlquhamEngagements Lewis-McIlquham

The McIlquham Family boating on Lake Illawarra, 1934.

Note on photo: Mother, Don, Dave & Babs in boat on Lake Illawarra.

CONNECTIONS

CollectionFamiliesLocalityOak FlatsRelated ItemBabs & David McIlquham in the backyard at Canterbury c.1920The McIlquhams on holidays at 'Nimrod', Oak FlatsThe McIlquham Family in a rowboat on Lake Illawarra 1934The McIlquham Family in a boat on Lake Illawarra 1934The McIlquham Family boating on Lake IllawarraThe McIlquham Family at Oak FlatsFred McIlquham on the shores of Lake Illawarra at Oak Flats

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McIlquham