An Anecdotal History of Annandale: Douglas Grant

Anecdotal History

Henry Lawson Abbotsford Walk

Red Brick (1960s) house with high brick fence along footpath with Norfolk Island Pine tree

Site of former cottage and Bus Stop, opposite Abbotsford Public School.
("As we board the 504 or the 438"... Long Ago a Giant).
Wombat Crossing with painted white kerbblisters (to narrow road) and pedestrian refuge( to allow pedestians to check for cars which failed to stop)

Wombat Crossing with painted white kerbblisters (to narrow road) and pedestrian refuge( to allow pedestians to check for cars which failed to stop)

"Wombat" Crossing of Great North Road to School and Bus stop.
Henry Lawson Av and Give Way signs on street corner with house set back

Henry Lawson Avenue, off Great North Road
Sloping St to Water on bright sunny day. White painted wood fence with hedge and White House walls along footpath

Sloping St to Water on bright sunny day. White painted wood fence with hedge and White House walls along footpath

To Foreshore
Mudflats text and drawing

Foreshore walk - Mudflats interpretive signage
This Mangrove has been Vandalised:

Henry Lawson Walk-Foreshore walk-Mangrove vandalised sign-To report tree vandalism please call 9911 6555. City of Canada Bay)
Boats, along footpath, at one end of mudflats beach pulled out of water above tide line.

Boats, along footpath, at one end of mudflats beach pulled out of water above tide line.

Henry Lawson Walk-Foreshore walk with boats and muflats-
concrete footpath and grass in foreground with trees in background

Henry Lawson Park with quotes from his poems( including The Song of the Republic, The Wander Light and The Writers Dream) in the path. While the Billy Boils - 150 years of Henry Lawson)
Shady Mesh platform and benches to sit and look back over bay

Shady Mesh platform and benches to sit and look back over bay

Henry Lawson Park shady mesh platform with Benches

unreadable sign on tree. Terrace, with tables and chairs on water front

Sydney Rowing Club, Abbotsford Ferry & Bus Stops and unreadable sign on tree. Terrace on water front
Indoors glass windows looking out on water

Henry Lawson Walk-Sydney Rowing Club, Abbotsford Ferry & Bus Stops and wine and beer glass
Banjo Paterson..Edmund Barton..

Sydney Rowing Club, Abbotsford interpretive signage to Banjo Paterson and Edmond Barton.

This walk and discovery about Henry Lawson dying in Abbotsford rather than North Sydney as I had impression. See ABBOTSFORD WALK-CITY OF CANADA BAY LIBRARY SERVICE.

"Lawson died in a cottage in Abbotsford where he had been living with Mrs Byers, his housekeeper of twenty years... As the cottage had been demolished, it was decided the memorial should be erected in the school grounds" ..Henry Lawson, Monument Australia (viewed 2 Feb 2026).

To see in Abbotsford: site of Cottage (now redbrick 1960s House/wall), Memorial, Hall in School, Henry Lawson Ave, Henry Lawson Park and ironically Banjo Paterson was Remembered at Sydney Rowing Club at Abbotsford(great place for lunch) Ferry Wharf. 438 Bus travels down Great North Road to Ferry Wharf.

Lawson wrote Reedy River which inspired a musical and Faces in the Street, which inspired many artworks (most famously one by Brack which feature on an album cover).

"Today he is remembered by Henry Lawson Park at Abbotsford and a memorial and hall named in his honour at Abbotsford Public School."The Memorial to Lawson is in the 1924 School Grounds (visible from footpath)...Henry Lawson remembered and more at Henry Lawson, “Our Poet Laureate”

Annandale NSW was historically bounded by Rozelle Bay (Port Jackson/Sydney Harbour), Parramatta Road, Johnston's Creek and White's Creek. However, in 1995, the Annandale boundary was extended across Johnston's Creek to include the part of Camperdown, bounded by Booth Street, Mallet Street and Parramatta Road.

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This page www.ramin.com.au/annandale/story1-douglas-grant.shtml last updated 1 March 2026.