Bayside Drive, Lugarno

On the eastern side of Lugarno, three families – Heinrich, Chislett and Matthei – settled in the late 1890s and early 1900s.  The Heinrich home, built in the 1890s, is located at the corner of Woodcliffe Parade.  Surrounding it, they had fifty acres on which they had an orchard, gardens, rockeries, tennis court and summer house.  When they needed contact with the outside world they would travel by launch across the river to the railway station at Como.  The Chislett family grew flowers which were taken to Como for transport to city florists.  The Matthei family home was built in 1910.  They became fishermen and oyster farmers and took fishing parties up the river.  These families had their own private beaches, now in the reserve off Bayside Drive, where there are the remains of the wells, stone steps and paths to the water.  Aboriginal middens on the shores were a source of shells which in the early days of the colony were burnt in lime kilns to produce lime for the buildings of Sydney.  A walkway in the reserve connects with Gannon’s Park.

Hurstville Council and Hurstville Historical Society placed ‘Historical Marker no 11’ at the top of Bayside Drive.