Chapter 2 - Reclamation

RECLAMATION
 
Reclamation of the swamp was executed firstly by the construction of the causeway between Ramsgate Road and Park Road across the head of Kogarah Bay. It served as an access route and vehicle carriageway. Dredging of silt from the southern side of the causeway and pumping the spoil through pipes into the swamp, now isolated by the causeway, provided most of the necessary filling for the development.
The work was performed mainly by unemployment relief, which permitted men to be employed on a week about basis. Approximately 600 men were engaged on the project on the basis of 300 each week. The Government paid the cost of the labour, and the Council provided equipment and materials. This was known as the Spooner Scheme, which was introduced to deal with the effects of unemployment due to the Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The work was financed by two special loans of £61,140 and £38,570.
In addition to the reclamation of the Bay, it was necessary to acquire 180 acres of land, owned by 34 persons. Each party was approached and asked to dispose of the land by private treaty, but when agreement could not be reached, the property was resumed. This proved to be a lengthy process, in some cases it was necessary to enter the property for the construction of drains, so that the work could proceed without waiting for the resumption to be completed. The cost of the acquisition of land was £39,337 at 1933 valuations, plus 10% for resumption, compensation for leases and for disturbance of business.
The drainage scheme provided for two catch drains. On the eastern side the open stormwater channel, which was 21 feet by 5 feet at its widest point from Lacey Street to the Bay. This channel was excavated by horse and scoop wheelbarrows. The introduction of the pneumatic tyred wheelbarrow was of great assistance to the men working on the job. The concrete was mixed on the job using a mechanical mixer.
The reclamation was carried out by contract, the contractor being Mr A.T. Kierle, who supplied the dredge, equipment and staff. The contract provided for the dredging of 360,000 cubic yards from the Bay. This was reduced to 330,000 cubic yards by an alteration to the drainage plans which provided for a lower level for the area of the golf course. The contract was signed by Alderman Battye, who was the then Mayor, and by the Town Clerk Mr G. Leighton. At the time the project was commenced the Mayor was Alderman S.R. Bell. The cost of the scheme was about £123,000. This was recouped by the subdivision and sale of the land as building blocks, most of which were sold by auction, but some were sold by private treaty to ex-servicemen. .
To ensure acceptable development, Council placed a covenant on the land which provided, among other things, that the buildings erected on the land must be of brick or stone and must be at a cost of not less than £750 for each main building and that the roof of such building shall be of tile or slate or other material approved by Council, also any sanitary convenience to be of brick or stone and should not stand alone. Also that no residential flats shall be erected on the land.
There were, however, conditionals on the plan being adopted. Council had engaged a panel of architects to design cottages to suit. the area and included the plans drawn by them with in the land sale.
The first land auction took place on 17th February, 1940, when 159 lots were sold in Marx Avenue, Battye Avenue, Bertram Crescent, Trollope Avenue (now Lilli Pilli Ave), Ferry Avenue, Lobb Crescent and Station Street (now Jubilee Ave). The average size of these blocks was 50 feet by 140 feet, and the prices ranged from £198 to £270. The cost of building a two bedroom house in May 1940 was about £1000. Later sales were held on 20th May, 1940 when 64 lots were sold, and in 1946 when 13 7 lots were sold. This totalled 360 lots, but some land was still being sold up to 1948, when the same type of house cost £2200 to build.
 
NAMING THE ESTATE AND DECISION TO BUILD A GOLF COURSE

By 1938 the reclamation work was well under way, but such a stimulating new suburb needed a stimulating new name, so Council advertised a competition, with a cash prize of £10 for the winner who came up with the most suitable name for the new estate. This revolutionary concept was met with many suggestions. From the extensive folios put together they short-listed the entrants to Bareena, Bona Vista, Glenroy, Rossvale, Battersea, Glenfarne, Dellmere, Elouera, Marina and the improbable tongue in cheek title of Reclamia. The aldermen played safe in selecting Glenroy from the competitors entries, but undertook the naming of the roads themselves. The name Glenroy did not appeal to many members of Council, consequently there was a rescission motion passed at the next meeting giving each alderman the chance to offer his suggestion and put it in a hat for the draw. When Bareena was read from the slip of paper controversy again broke out because the competition had been a legal one and the person who submitted Glenroy deserved the prize money. Then it was argued that both the entrants of Bareena and Glenroy each deserved a prize. To settle matters and to avoid another rescission motion they altered the short list and declared that Estelle Tucker of Kogarah had won the competition with her nomination of the title of Beverley Park!
Intriguing though it may be, no one can establish the reason for the suggestion of Beverley Park, neither can they explain the decision to build a golf course when for a quarter of a century it had been ear marked for a 66 acre sporting complex. Carss Park and Kogarah Park did now provide many of the facilities originally proposed for Kogarah Bay. Maybe it was because the revenue drawing possibilities of a golf club was attractive to Council? Whatever the reason, work was completed in 1940 and the first nine holes of the golf course being officially opened on Saturday 14th June, 1941 by the Member for Kogarah, Mr W. Curry VC MLA.