By Phil Evans * A LITTLE known aspect of the Pacific War was the role that Bulli Woonona residents played in the welcoming of sailors from the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) in 1945. The British Pacific Fleet arrived in Australia on 4 February 1945; it comprised two battleships, four fleet carriers, three cruisers and accompanying…
WORD OF ADVICE is given to new National Service trainees for the Navy by A/B R. Hopkirk, after their arrival at the Balmoral Naval Station. They are (from left) Arthur Ratley, 19, of Woonona; Allan Turton, 18, of Stockton; and Aldo Spagnola, 19, of Clifton. – The Newcastle Sun August 5 1952 Would you like…
Lieut. Nolan Pallier, of Woonona NSW, who led the Australian force which bayoneted the Japs off the 1,000ft Dunpu ridge, New Guinea. Screaming with terror when the Australians charged, a number of Japs leaped over a 150ft cliff. -Warwick Daily News (Qld.) Saturday 23 October 1943 Would you like to make a small donation towards the…
THE following story was complied by S.W. Ellis, and was sent to me when I was editor of the Bulli Times newspaper in 1993. I discovered this three page typed history, entitled “History of the Bulli Rifle Club”, along with the captioned images, while going through a box of old letters and photos recently.…
Down Memory Lane With JACK DEVITT * I CAN remember as a very small boy hearing Sid Marsh’s centurion voice barking commands as he drilled men and youths in Bulli Park in the early 1920s. We lived at the corner of Farrell Road and Artis Street at the time and Sid’s voice could be heard…
By MICK ROBERTS © The bodgies certainly brought a little colour and flare into places like Corrimal during the early 1950s. The Corrimal milk bars were the place for young people to be seen in the 1950s. To be one of the ‘cool’ crowd it was a must for the women to be a ‘widgie’ and…
Miners from the Excelsior [Thirroul] and Old Bulli colleries photographed at Bulli yesterday. They were reading the latest developments following the Federal Government’s move in serving army call-up notices on many young South Coast miners who have been on strike since February 14. -The Age (Melbourne, Vic.) Wednesday 1 March 1944. * The bloke third…
By MICK ROBERTS © BULLI’S first war memorial sat between four majestic Canary Island palm trees, high on a hill-top overlooking the ocean, largely due to the determined efforts of the local council’s “tough, but fair” health inspector, John Joseph “Gutty” Hiles. While often referred to as Bulli Shire Council’s health or sanitary inspector, he…
By MICK ROBERTS © THE barmaids must have looked on in sheer horror as thousands of thirsty beer drinkers began filling the public bar of their Bulli hotel on Christmas Eve 1940. With just 40 minutes before closing time, hardly a slop tray had been emptied at the Bulli Family Hotel that day, in fact for…
Looking Back 