Lost Railways:
Murriverie Quarry Line, Bondi
Bondi, Murriverie RoadThe line of Murriverie Road was originally laid out in 1890 as a tramline by Francis O'Brien, of the Homestead, Bondi, to service his basalt quarry at Murriverie Rocks. The tramline was later used for the same purpose by former convict James Underwood (1771 - 1844) of Paddington who established Sydney's first private shipyard on the Tank Stream, and an early distillery on his 100 acres at Paddington. It is possible that some remains of the tramline might be still under the road. The quarry was abandoned when the basalt was entirely quarried out. The Bondi Golf Course is built on the site of the quarry. It is now a protected geological site but steps (and a steel ladder) lead up to the tee area and also to the rock platform where a white survey obelisk stands.
The northern side of Clyde Street (east of Hardy Street), not far from the Murriverie Road quarry site, backs onto the cliffs of North Bondi and was once a quarry. The Waverley Municipal Library Local History Collection lists two quarry operators in Clyde Street. Beat Bros. were at lots 30-32 in 1937 and Loveridge and Hudson were at the east end in the 1950's. This section of cliff has clearly been quarried out in stages and since been concreted over, also in stages, marked by incised graffiti dates: 20.11.52, 1955, 1959, 1960, 15.6.62, 22.6.73 and 9.5.78. The homes from 130 to 136 Clyde Street, North Bondi, are built on the quarry site.
