Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 7168x8704 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

OLD SYDNEY IDENTITIES.
To the Editor.
Sir,—I read with interest your accounts
of Old Sydney, and I wish to
know if someone could tell us some-
thing about several old identities who
were very prominent about the sixties.
I refer to one O'Brien, Charlie Obee,
Joe West, Bill Nash. Bill Peisley, —
Baker, — Sandow, — Gorrick. Bill Roberts,
and Tom Newall (all cronies), as
it would make very interesting reading.
O'Brien kept what is now Tattersall's
Hotel, in Pitt-street, which was the general
meeting place of these gentlemen.
Obee once kept the Toll Bar, on tbe
Newtown-road, and ended his days, I
think, in a lunatic asylum. He has told
me some very interesting stories of his
early days—-how he amassed great
wealth out of the Toll Bar, gambling,
and, in connection with Bill Nash, buying
gold, for which Nash got into some
trouble. He also mentioned something
about great cattle-stealing cases, and,
when the police were looking for him
and others in a slaughter-house, he was
on top of the baulks, and finally got
away to sea in a whaler. What became
of his money no one seems to
know, for he died a pauper. For some
time he was kept by Bill Peisley (who,
I think, was related to him) at Orielton
Park, Narellan, near Camden, which
I believe he owned, but was eventually
sold by Peisley. Joe West ended his
ways at Macquarie Plains, Bathurst,
and I have heard that he rode a horse
in one day from Bathurst to Sydney.
He married a sister of Peisley, and a
sister of his married the Rev. Fulton,
of O'Connell Plains. Bill Nash, I believe,
amassed a great fortune in buying
gold, and no doubt with some of
the others I mention. The Peisleys
were very old Parramatta natives. Bill
was connected with one York in the carcass
butchering line, and spent his latter
years in Woolloomooloo. They say
he was instrumental in saving the life
of the notorious bushranger Frank
Gardiner, by getting Constable Hosie
not to swear positively that it was
Gardiner's bullet that struck him on the
temple. Gardiner's horse, Darkie, was
bought or secured somehow by Peisley,
and he brought him home to the house
in which be then resided, which was,
and perhaps is, still known as Richmond
House. It stands at the top of
William-street, facing north, and divides
Victoria-street from Darlinghurst-road.
At this time Victoria-street ran
along the bottom of some cliffs, on the
top ot which stood an immense old
stone windmill. Peisley married a
daughter of Charles Roberts, who held
some appointment in the early days
under the Government, and is the grandfather
of our present C.J.R., C.M.G.
— Baker, I think, kept the Shakespeare
Tavern in Pitt-street, opposite the old
Victoria Theatre, somewhere about
where J. L. Hordern's premises now
stand. — Sandow published a paper
called the "Aera," in York-street. —
Gorrick was a pugilist and professional
cock fighter. Bill Roberts kept an ho-
tel somewhere in George-street, and
his house was a great resort for teamsters.
He died only a few years ago,
at 241 Crown-street. The house has
since been pulled down, with others, to
make room for a large drapery establishment.
Tom Newall was an artist
and great caricaturist, as well as a
great sportsman.
The famous stone kangaroo at Manly
can be seen to this day, with one ear
gone. I can remember that he bet a
case of champagne that he could take
the ear off with his sporting rifle, which
he did in one shot. There was a great
go in this same night at Manly at the
Pier Hotel, kept by one Grocott, Manly
at this time being a dense bush, old
Ben Skinner and the Slys being far-famed
boatmen. Newall, Sandow, and Mr.
Parkes (afterwards Sir Henry) started
the "Empire," Newall finding the money.
Parkes at this time was keeping
a toy-shop in Hunter-street. Newall
went to England to get some more
money, and did not return for some
time. He married a sister of Bill Peisley's
wife. There are other names I
could mention—Alec Cooper, John Tate.
Obed West. Mills, Forbes, and Jerrv
Lear. whose careers would prove very
interesting.—Yours, etc.,
MOSMAN.
$