Avalon Beach Historical Society

Avalon Beach Historical Society The Avalon Beach Historical Society was formed in September 1983 with the main aim of collecting the history of our immediate area.

This fascinating pic shows the view west along what would have been called Clareville Road. The name Avalon Parade first...
08/03/2026

This fascinating pic shows the view west along what would have been called Clareville Road. The name Avalon Parade first appeared on A.J.Small's 'Palmgrove Estate' subdivision on Boxing Day 1921. He had envisaged it as a grand, tree-lined parade linking Avalon Beach to Clareville. The distant white fence to the left of centre marked the frontage of the property 'Gunjulla'. The culvert behind the cows (probably from Jones's dairy at North Avalon looking for a feed) indicates where the creek (draining what later became Ruskin Rowe) crossed under Avalon Parade.

ReminderJoin us tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) at 8.00pm at the Annexe building, Dunbar Park. The meeting will ...
01/03/2026

Reminder
Join us tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) at 8.00pm at the Annexe building, Dunbar Park. The meeting will focus on the Ovens Caves at Whale Beach, featuring drone footage, old photos, and stories about the ocean caves. Refreshments are available following the meeting. Everyone is welcome.

Avalon Beach Historical Society

This amazing pic is one my dad Ron Searl took of his new wife Gwen while on their honeymoon in 1944. She is standing by ...
17/02/2026

This amazing pic is one my dad Ron Searl took of his new wife Gwen while on their honeymoon in 1944. She is standing by the remains of the Hole in the Wall aka St Michael’s Arch on the North Av rock shelf.
They both lived and loved most of their lives together at 66 Avalon Parade and of course without any regrets.
I joined them in 1947 when I turned one!
The 10 years old single storeyed/open air surf club is barely visible in the right background along with the adolescent Norfolk Island pines.

MEETING NOTICEThe next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society will be held on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.If you wish ...
12/02/2026

MEETING NOTICE
The next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society will be held on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.

If you wish to become a member of the Society, membership costs only $20 from September to September, including 4 excellent meetings a year. Forms and details are available on the website at www.abhs.org.au or at the meeting.

Upon his discharge from war service in New Guinea, Bert Cowell headed straight back to Avalon Beach. At his wife’s sugge...
30/01/2026

Upon his discharge from war service in New Guinea, Bert Cowell headed straight back to Avalon Beach. At his wife’s suggestion, he thought he would “have a go at green-grocering”. The truck he bought had no brakes, but undaunted, Bert crawled around in first gear, “and then I jumped out and shoved a brick under the back wheel”.

The only difficulty he encountered was dodging the stray cows from Jones’s dairy at North Avalon. Bert bought some produce from Sam Meek in Therry Street, and the rest was picked up from the Sydney Markets by a friend. Thanks to his daughter Nina (who still lives locally) for the photo and information.

Historian: Geoff Searl (OAM)

This small commercial building stood on the site of the present Avalon Beach ambulance station - 697-699 Barrenjoey Road...
23/01/2026

This small commercial building stood on the site of the present Avalon Beach ambulance station - 697-699 Barrenjoey Road.
It was originally built as a bakery and later became a seafood business. It eventually wound up after ending its life as a dog grooming salon.

St. Mark's Church is visible to the left of the tree, and the HR Holden s/wagon could indicate the date was at least 1966.
The ambulance station was opened in May 1991.

Historian: Geoff Searl (OAM)

North Avalon looking west at Barrenjoey Road and Burrawong Road with the Careel Bay mangroves beyond. You can see Whale ...
21/01/2026

North Avalon looking west at Barrenjoey Road and Burrawong Road with the Careel Bay mangroves beyond. You can see Whale Beach Road on the far left. We estimate that this photo was taken in the early 1960s.

The NRMA depot was opened on Saturday, 5 May 1934, by the President of the NRMA at the time, Mr J.C.Watson. A.J.Small f...
21/01/2026

The NRMA depot was opened on Saturday, 5 May 1934, by the President of the NRMA at the time, Mr J.C.Watson. A.J.Small footed the bill to provide ‘Association Guides to service members’.

It was opened by NRMA patrols on weekends and holidays and occupied a small area that, these days, would equate to the southwest corner of the present service station. The opening was celebrated on page 14 of 'The Open Road’, published by the NRMA.

Years before the birth of the ‘mal’ or the ’triple thruster’!How’s this for an amazing collection of surf craft in the 1...
21/01/2026

Years before the birth of the ‘mal’ or the ’triple thruster’!
How’s this for an amazing collection of surf craft in the 1950s, several of them measuring around 5 metres (16 feet) and weighing heaps! The incredible length compared to the width earned several of them the nickname ’toothpicks’.

21/12/2025

Save the dates for next year's meetings. Please become a member to support your local historical society and gain access to four meetings a year for only $20.00. Visit our website to download the membership form. Great talks, photos and films of the Pittawater area.

We look forward to seeing you next year, and we wish you a Merry Christmas from the Avalon Beach Historical Society.

2026 MEETING DATES:

1. Tuesday 3rd March 2026
2. Tuesday 9th June 2026
3. Tuesday 8th September 2026 (AGM)
4. Tuesday 8th December 2026

Meetings are held at the Annexe, Dunbar Park, access is via Bowling Green Lane, Avalon Beach. Meetings start at 8.00 pm and finish at 10.00 pm.

Architectural historian Maisy Stapleton described Alexander Stewart Jolly’s 'Loggan Rock' cabin as “a retreat from the b...
23/10/2025

Architectural historian Maisy Stapleton described Alexander Stewart Jolly’s 'Loggan Rock' cabin as “a retreat from the banalities of suburban life. It is the ultimate escapists fantasy, an exuberant whimsy, the hideaway of a Boys Own adventure story . . . . . with an inherent youthfulness and playful quality”.
It is an extraordinary structure, very organic, appearing as though some giants hand has simply pushed it up from the earth.
With support from the Society, the cabin has been listed as a state significant property in the State Heritage Inventory.

Address

15 Bowling Green Lane
Avalon, NSW
2107

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