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Matilda Bay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matilda bay towards the city of Perth
Matilda Bay or Crawley Bay (known originally as Currie’s Bay),[1] then Sutherland’s Bay[2]) is a natural bay in the Swan River in Western Australia, adjacent to the Perth suburb of Crawley. It extends from Pelican Point to Mounts Bay Road below Kings Park.
The University of Western Australia is immediately opposite. Other landmarks on Matilda Bay include Matilda Bay Restaurant,[3] Pelican Point Sea Scouts, Royal Perth Yacht Club, UWA Rowing Club and Mounts Bay Sailing Club.
A well-known bronze sculpture that is located at the site of the former Crawley Baths – Eliza is displayed just offshore from Mounts Bay Road and depicts a woman preparing to dive.
Matilda Bay Reserve is a recreational parkland between Hackett Drive and the river. It includes Pelican Point, which is an important breeding sanctuary for migratory birds.
Matilda Bay is believed to have been named after the wife of John Septimus Roe, Matilda (née Bennett).[4]
History
Crawley Bay in the 1890s
Captain Currie was the first colonial owner of the 32-acre (130,000 m2) estate surrounding the bay, at that time known as Currie’s Bay. Pelican Point was then known as Point Currie. The estate was sold in 1832 to the Assistant Surveyor and Colonial Treasurer, Henry Charles Sutherland for £100. Sutherland named the property Crawley Park after his mother’s maiden name[5][6] and the bay became known as Sutherland’s Bay. In 1876 Crawley Park was sold to Sir George Shenton, and the bay was known generally as Crawley Bay. After Shenton’s death in 1909, the estate was acquired by the Government in 1910[7] and vested in the University of Western Australia in 1912.[8]
Some of the present foreshore, west of Crawley Baths, was created by land reclamation to allow Mounts Bay Road to be widened.[9]
The US Navy had a fleet of Catalina flying boats based at Matilda Bay during World War II.[10]
In 1943, Qantas operated five Catalina flying boats between Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Matilda Bay in what was known as the Double Sunrise service.[11]
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Photos by Ken:
A friend of ours by the name of Tissa, lived with her husband Robert on a property of seventeen acres in the Jimboomba region (about 40 kms. south of Brisbane). About seven years ago an unnamed voice came on the phone and said that Tissa’s son was dead (from a previous marriage). She was so upset that she went and banked her head up and down on the tiled kitchen floor. Over the years she has had some brain injury and she has been progressively going blind. This means that she only partially sees and so she doesn’t drive or cook. Fortunately, Robert was an extremely good cook.
In late August, Robert & Tissa had a minor altercation over some dog poo in the house from their beautiful little dog. Tissa didn’t see it and Robert did see it. It nearly dark so Tissa went bed early and Robert went down to feed the geese at the dam. While he was down there, he had a major heart attack and he died. He was found dead down by the dam in the morning. The family organized a funeral a few days later.
That week. Tissa’s sister Lorna and husband Lionel came over from Perth to be with for a week and help to organise the house and property as Tissa cannot stay there with no car access. They flew back to Perth for a week and then came back again for another week. Harriet and I went and picked them and brought them to Tissa’s place ….. a journey of at least an hour. Harriet and I really got to know them. We said we would be in Perth in mid September. We exchanged mobile phone numbers with them and said we must catch up further.
When we in Perth and on a suitable day we phoned them and they came and picked us from the Rendezvous Hotel and took us down to Matilda Bay
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We had an interesting experience in late October this year. We live on five acres of land at Chambers Flat which is 35 kms. south of Brisbane. Read about our handmade house at this post on this website. Read about our ten garden rooms as well at this post.
We are close friends with a couple who live on a larger property near us, Robert & Tissa Hennig. We bought five acres of land in 1977 and they bought seventeen acres of land in the early 1970’s when land was cheap. About seven years ago an unnamed voice came on the phone for Tissa and said that her son had died. She was so upset, she went an banged her head up and down on the tiled kitchen floor. The result of this action is that she has some mild brain injury and she is going blind.
In late October, she and Robert had a mild altercation. Their beautiful little dog which they largely keep inside, had pooed inside the house. Tissa hadn’t seen it but Robert had found it. Hence, the mild altercation.
It was going on dark and Tissa went to bed early and Robert went down to feed the geese at the dam. In the process, Robert had a heart attack and died. Tissa in the morning, found that Robert was not around and found him dead down by the dam. She was going to find it very difficult living on the property as she doesn’t drive or cook. Robert was a very good cook and drove her everywhere.
To help her out, Tissa’s sister and brother-in-law, Lorna and Lionel flew over from Perth in Western Australia for a week to help Tissa organise the property as she cannot live there by herself. They flew back in a week to continue the organization. Harriet went and picked them from the airport 1.50 hrs. away from Tissa and dropped them at Tissa’s place. We really got to know them and said that we would be in Perth in mid September. We exchanged mobile telephone numbers and said we would contact them in Perth when we got there.
When we were at the Rendezvous Hotel Perth Central, on a suitable day, wee phoned them. They came and picked us in their car and took us down to the beautiful Maltida Bay on the Swan River to the Bayside Kitchen for coffee. We had a great afternoon with them.
Paving around the Bayside Kitchen, leading down the Swan River which is open to the sea.
A portion of the garden around the side the Bayside Kitchen. This is a pleasant change from the open grass lawn of the waterside park.
Black swans gliding along on the still water of the Swan River.
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