Boomerang Park was not home to one quarry but two and it’s the lesser-known site that won an international competition in 1893.
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At the World Exposition in Chicago, no less. In the same year the electric light globe was unveiled.
Raymond Terrace and District Historical Society recently retraced the story after the award came into its possession in March.
“This framed award sat on council’s legal department floor for years and no one knew what it was,” Yvonne Fletcher, one of the researchers said.
“It was almost thrown out.”
The historical society were immediately impressed with the intricacy of the award even if they didn’t know what it was.
“Our president Ken [Barlow] asked what it was and only then did we slowly uncover the whole history.”
The expo marked the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America.
The award for “strength, durability and good colour of a block of light brown colour” was presented to L. Bishop, New South Wales in the category of Freestone, for the Muree quarry. The award was presented with a medallion that bore the inscription, L. Bishop.
Lot Bishop owned the quarry that was close to where the council depot now stands off Kangaroo Street.
Bishop was three times mayor of Raymond Terrace, as it was then, and established Raymond Terrace Public School.
The Historical society noted that Boomerang Park produced much of the stone for construction in Raymond Terrace from the 1830s, including the mill building and grindstones, the wharves, parsonage and Anglican school house.
The historical society also has in its possession a medal from 1887 presented to Bishop at the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, held in Adelaide.
“We believe Lot Bishop was invited to exhibit at the World Exposition as a result of this,” Mr Gillam said.
Word of Bishop’s Chicago win reached Australia win via Lady Windeyer, published in the Maitland Daily News.
The article dated May 18, 1894, revealed Tomago had been recognised with its own award at the expo, for the cabbage tree hats so popular at the time, woven from cabbage tree palm fronds.
The article noted these hats were “fine specimens” and that the “excellent qualities” of the Muree stone were “too well known to need remark”. The journalist did however note that it was the same stone used to build the Windeyer residence, now know as Tomago House.
In an era long-before air travel, the historical society said it would have been a big deal to simply attend such an expo let alone win.
“They built this venue on a drained swamp in Chicago especially for the event and it looked like Venice [Italy],” Mr Gillam said.
“It had the world’s first aquarium. This was the time of Jules Verne and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [1870]. To walk into the exhibit hall and see an aquarium with turtles and sharks would have been out of this world.”
The expo also featured the world’s first Ferris wheel said to hold 40 people to each carriage.
Instead of using gas, the streets were lit with electric lights for the first time.
“The exposition required 600 new buildings for the 65,000 exhibits from around the world,” Mr Gillam said.
“Entry was 50 cents and the workers who built it were only paid 10 cents a day. For Lot Bishop to even be involved was a big deal.”
Ms Fletcher said if the council could unknowingly hold such a vital clue to Boomerang Park’s history, so could people in their homes.
The historical society and Port Stephens Council have urged people to check under their beds for any old pieces that relate to Boomerang Park. These pieces will form part of the Illuminate Boomerang Park event on November 18.
“We’re not simply looking for photos so much as social history,” Ms Fletcher said.
“It’s photos and stories like those people who got married at the church and went across the road to the park for their photos.”