Location
Five Dock is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Five Dock is located 10 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. (wikipedia)
History
Indigenous heritage
Governor Phillip’s notes suggest that an outbreak of smallpox in early 1789 would have had a devastating impact on the indigenous population in Canada Bay.
Origin of the name
The earliest written reference to Five Dock is in The Sydney Gazette of 3 February 1805, which mentions Five Dock Bay. However, the name probably dates back to the days of the First Settlement. All of the sources referenced are in agreement that it was derived from the shape of the bay along the Parramatta River.
According to a publication from the Maritime Services Board, Port of Sydney, (Volume 9, No 3, September 1965), “At the NE point of the bay there were five water worn indentations that were likened to docks, hence the name Five Dock.” There is widely contradictory information, however, about how many of these natural formations still exist. The Maritime Services Board publication concludes that there “are two of the five remaining”. However, Eric Russell’s Drummoyne: a western suburbs’ history from 1794 states that one was lost with the construction of the 1881 Gladesville Bridge, but “the others remain in 1982”. Other sources give different numbers again.
Churches
St Alban’s Anglican Church, Great North Road
St Alban’s Anglican Church is a 1924 Gothic church, constructed of brick and stone. It is well-built church, using locally quarried stone, and remains very well preserved. It is a heritage item and is listed in the Department of the Environment and Heritage’s Australian Heritage database. Significant or attractive features of the church include its interior carpentry, the pipe organ (which dates from 1891 and was built by W. Davidson) and its stained glass. St Alban’s rectory is on the same large site as the church, and together they form an important group. The foundations of the rectory, like those of the church, are constructed of local stone. In 2008 the church was part of an amalgamation with the Parishes of Ashfield and Haberfield, forming Christ Church Inner West Anglican Community.
Schools
All Hallows’ Parish School, Domremy College, Five Dock Public School, Lucas Gardens School, Rosebank College.
The foundation stone of Five Dock Public School was laid in the grounds of St Albans church in 1858, and it opened in 1861.
Domremy College Five Dock
Named after Joan of Arc’s birthplace, Domremy, Domremy College is a Catholic Secondary School for girls. It is located on First Avenue, opposite Five Dock Park. The school was founded in 1911, initially having just 12 students. The school originally taught students from infants through to the end of senior school. This was later scaled back to just years 7 to 10. However, since 1985, the school has taught girls from year 7 through to year 12. The Domremy Convent group is listed on the NSW Heritage Office State Heritage Register.
Houses
Housing in Five Dock consists mainly of detached dwellings. Like many suburbs in the inner-west of Sydney, Five Dock has some well-preserved examples of Australian Federation architecture and California Bungalow style residences. Many of these homes have been renovated however, and have not retained all of their original features.
As of October 2005, there are a total of 51 items in the suburb that are heritage listed by the NSW Heritage Office. In addition, the skateboard track in Five Dock Park is being considered for listing as a heritage item under the State Heritage Items Project. (wikipedia)
Places of Interest
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