Parramatta Road, Homebush, 1929

Looking east along Parramatta Road, Homebush, 31 July 1929. Courtesy NSW State Archives & Records

Can you recognise this stretch of Parramatta Road Homebush from 93 years ago? This photo was taken on Wednesday 31 July 1929 to show the recently completed roadwork. The photographer’s shadow can be seen in the bottom right-hand corner. On the right, at 144 Parramatta Road, is the butcher’s shop of then Homebush mayor, James Smallwood. He had been elected to Homebush Council in 1925 and would go on to serve as alderman and mayor of both Homebush and Strathfield Councils during his 28 years of public service. Smallwood had established his butchery business in Homebush in about 1919. A tricycle has been left at the doorway of the butcher’s shop and several children are about to cross not-so-busy Parramatta Road. Smallwood also owned the adjoining shop which was occupied in 1930 by Walter Harris, fruiterer. Another shop and residence is just visible beyond the butchery. According to Sands’ Street Index of 1930, this was occupied by the plumbing business of Smith & Dodson.

The large white building in the distance is the former Horse and Jockey Hotel, which was replaced by the current pub in 1941. Between Smallwood’s butchery and the hotel were a number of shops and cottages. Between today’s Loftus and Subway Lanes stood cottages, where Nissan and Honda currently operate. The cottage Glenroy on the corner of Loftus Lane was owned by the aptly-named butcher, Richard Bacon. A garage was located on the corner of Subway Lane. During the 1920s and 1930s a growing number of garages were built on main roads as car ownership increased. There is a man standing on the roof of the shop just beyond the garage.

Between Subway Lane and today’s Knight Street (formerly part of Rochester Street) were mostly shops, built in the early 1920s. At about the time this photo was taken these businesses included a draper, fruiterer, chemist, confectioner, butcher and grocer. A miniature golf links was built c.1930.[1] Today, a number of these century-old shops still stand.

On the left of the photo are four cottages named from left Suva, Cardross and Angave. The cottage next door to the Hotel Homebush did not then have a name although earlier valuation records note that it had once been called Benzia. The Hotel Homebush had opened shortly before Christmas 1928 so it had been operating for only about seven months at this time. A car with a Bushells sign is parked outside. The hotel was demolished in 2003.[2] Across Underwood Road is a shoe repair business and a number of other shops. Around the bend out of sight is the Homebush Ice Works.

There are a number of cars in the distance and even a horse and cart outside the Horse and Jockey Hotel. A snapshot of Homebush life taken just three months before the start of the Great Depression.

 

By J.J. MacRitchie
Local Studies Advisor

 

References

[1] Construction and Real Estate Journal 12 November 1930 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130908339

 

[2] MacRitchie, J.J. ‘The Hotel Homebush’ https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/blog-post/the-hotel-homebush/