Looking Back with Mick Roberts

THE legendary story of how 22-year-old Samuel Clout drove 'Her Majesty's Royal Mail Coach' across a flooded Bulli roadway has become part of local folklore.
Click on the pointing finger above to find out more.

EDWARD Killalea was elected to the Shellharbour Municipal Council just two years before his death in 1872 from the "effects of excessive drinking" and taking a does of strychnine "enough to poison the entire population of Wollongong". Click on the pointing finger above to read more...

Edward Larkin had something to crow about when he drove his spanking new passenger coach into Wollongong Town in 1861. Read about Larkins' life and how he worked on some of the state's largest railway engineering projects by clicking the pointing finger above.

THE Looking Back website is a collection of short history articles about the Wollongong region of NSW Australia.

Mick Roberts is a journalist specialising in local history and has been writing on the subject for nearly 20 years. He has been researching and writing the history of the Illawarra region of NSW Australia in various newspapers since 1987, working currently as a journalist based in Sydney (see biography).

Mick also specialises in hotel history and culture and has been working part time for a number of years on a comprehensive history of the liquor industry in the Illawarra region in view of publishing a book on the subject. The book will highlight the role the hotel and liquor industry has played in the development of the region, featuring tales, yarns and a detailed listing of all licensed publicans, brewers and liquor merchants in the Illawarra region from when the first hotel was licensed in 1830 to 1930.

There are over 30 articles on northern Illawarra history in this site ranging from profiles on local characters and identities to events and tragedies that have contributed towards shaping the region's unique identity.

Mick encourages visitors to the site to make comments or suggestions for future articles in his guest book section where you can view his previous published works.

For a full list of stories and a brief review on Looking Back feature stories in this site click on the "stories" link to the top left. To the right is also a glimpse into what was making news in the region 100 years ago. Snippets from the Bulli Times and other newspapers from a century ago are another regular column Mick compiles for another website ( www.nio.net.au) and give an insight into the news of the day. To the left is "Mick's Pick" - click on the picture.

The days of coaching were full of adventure. The region's first notable mail coach operator was Ben Rixon - a colourful character known for his bush skills and ability to track. In the first of a series of stories on the Illawarra's early coach operators, we look back at Ben Rixon. Click on the above picture to read Looking Back's latest feature.

The Australian Pub is a Yahoo Group to promote pub history, culture and news




		JUST what Bulli pioneer real estate agent Henry Cotterell would think today of land prices in the controversial Sandon Point housing estate is hard to determine. Cotterell, known as “Cottie” to friends, was one time editor of the Bulli Times newspaper, but more interestingly he was the agent who sold the original Sandon Point Estate on Boxing Day 1913. A model farm, owned by George Adams, proprietor of the Bulli Colliery and later of Tattersall’s Lottery fame, was subdivided and auctioned by Cotterell on behalf of the trustees of the deceased estate. Click on the image below for the full story. Henry Fowler Cotterell Thirroul Progress Committee decided to write to the Minister for Lands "for the resumption of land at Bulli Pass in order that the natural beauty of the foliage might be preserved and the spot made available to the people of the state as a public reserve". A meeting of cricketers was held at Corrimal for the purpose of forming a club. "Provision is made for a spacious hall for public entertainments, etc., a lending library, and drill hall." The building eventually became the Thirroul RSL Club and today after much renovation and additions is home to a Christian church and several shops. "A resident was made a present of a walking stick quite recently which has a tube in it for holding water, etc. Probably because of the scarcity of aqua pura, or a dislike for rust, the owner filled it with something which would come under the heading 'etc.' and left it at a local pleasure ground one day this week. After many enquiries the stick was found but no trace has yet been obtained of the 'etc.'." - The Bulli Times Sept 1907