Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Hickey (1887–1965) was bound to become a well-known figure in Iluka, a small coastal village in northern New South Wales. Her parents, John and Eliza Hickey, arrived in the early 1880s and established a post office, weaving themselves into the fabric of the seaside community. For their efforts, the Hickey’s post office would […]
A musical instrument? Some sort of animal horn? Not quite! You might be surprised to learn that this is actually a historical hearing aid. Known as an ‘ear trumpet,’ these devices were used to help people hear better. By holding the narrow end close to the ear, the wider end would collect and funnel sound […]
With the smell of buttery popcorn in the air and cold Passiona fizzing in eager hands, everyone got settled into their seats. Rows of sturdy, wooden folding chairs filled the Iluka Memorial Hall as Iluka’s own picture show man, Frank Clancy, prepared to project the latest film on the big screen. Born in 1905, Frank […]
By the 1890s, Iluka had already earned a strong reputation for its oysters, fished from the Clarence River and shipped to Sydney. Soon, prawns and fish like flathead, snapper, and bream followed, expanding Iluka’s fishing industry, and drawing in more fishermen to the region. As Iluka grew, so did the challenge of keeping catches fresh […]
When Hebe Prindable took this large oval-shaped basket down from the wall of his shed, to hand to the Iluka Museum, he knew it was worth more than the weight of the fish it once carried. Hebe himslelf used this very basket, along with other members of his family – the Prindables. The basket was […]
Owned and operated by ‘Bill’ Hickey (William 1886–1973) from the 1910s to 1955, the timber launch known as Beryl was used to transfer people, goods, and the mail, across the Clarence River from Yamba to Iluka. She ran this route in tandem with her sister motor-launch the Phfrane (pronounced Fray-nee), also owned by Bill. Europeam […]
The Iluka Memorial Hall was fit to burst. One hundred and fifty guests in their best formal attire had gathered to celebrate the 21st ‘birthday boys,’ John Collis and William (Bill) Coombes. Attendees sat along formal dining tables decorated with fragrant flowers and Bangalow palms, filling themselves up with generous servings of crab sandwiches and […]
Since Australia’s colonial beginnings, Irish migrants have played a major role in the development of townships across the country. The Hickey family in Iluka, a small fishing town at the mouth of the Clarence River, was no exception. John Hetherington Hickey Sr. (d. 1926) and Eliza Gore Hickey (née Phillips) (1861-1894) were originally from Clonmel, […]
Prior to Federation, the six colonies were truly separate entities, each with borders maintained by their own small militia. But small permanent forces supported by volunteers and British naval patrols were not going to cut it long-term. The fallibility of these forces was broadly understood and so the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia in […]
Sydney Wentworth (Syd) Nicholls (1896-1977) was the creator of one of Australia’s favourite comic strips, Fatty Finn (1924-1977). It followed the weekly high jinks of a rambunctious schoolboy and was drawn in a 1920s style which kept the series frozen in time. Though Nicholls predominantly lived in Sydney throughout his life, the success of his […]