Sunday morning, June 19th, 1[8]98.

Yesterday I went into the city at 10:30, took the diary which Mr. Leask wrote of our tour in the Highlands, & left it with his cousin, William, to read. (I have brought it especially for Mr. Henry, who is in N. Zealand, to read.) I then had a view about the [4:49] Circular harbour, which is a very busy locality. The P&O “Oceana”[1] & the CA “Warimoo”[2] were both preparing to sail, “Blue Peter”[3] flying, former to London, latter for Vancouver. This one was built by Swan Hunter on Tyne & run to the Fiords, Norway, 1 or 2 trips before she came out here. I will remember the occasion, so much was she advertised in the “Chronicle”. The Orient SS “Oruba” is still at wharf & I think sails next Saturday, & I may arrange to go round to Adelaide in her & come back here via Melbourne. I then met Mr. Whitfield at 1:15. We dined, then took steamer to Manly Beach, called the Brighton of Australia, & a lovely spot it is, ¾ hours’ sail, crowded to the utmost limit, must have been some hundred on board. Saturday afternoons is a great outing time, as many shops close at 1 o’clock. Several steamers run to this place, & every ¼ hour. What a most beautiful harbour this “Port Jackson” is, (turn up Chambers) so many pretty bays, all natural & every bay has its suburban population on its shores. Thousands of city merchants & shop & other workers live at these resorts, both for economy & health, & the cost of communications is very trifling. We got back about 5, had tea & then viewed about the busy city till nearly 8, when we went to the town hall to hear the Saturday night organ recital, & this was a real treat.[4] I sent you a programme. The town hall is a very majestic building, rich in architecture, & the interior both spacious & magnificent: electric lighted, chair seats in the body & sides with galleries, ¾ round organ at the end, cost 20,000, seating accommodation for 5,000. We much enjoyed the 1 ½ hour & got home by tram about 11 o’clock. Sydney & its varied attractions grow upon you. It’s a very grand city indeed, many fine parks & open spaces. They are gradually improving their streets & architecture. A new market, nearly ready for opening, is the largest isolated building for a specific purpose, I think I’ve seen.

[5:1]

Sunday, June 19th, 1898, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Book No. 5.[5]

This is 1 of 2 manifold writers I bought here yesterday – 100 pages 10d. at Anthony Hordern‘s where Mr. Whitfield works.

Continued from Book No. 4, Page 49.

Sydney, Sunday June 19-98.

You will see something of the dimensions of the new market from the cutting taken out of yesterday’s newspaper, advertising for tenders. The building is stone & the architecture really magnificent. You shall see a print of it in a book, “New South Wales: the Mother Colony of the Australias”, which Mr. Whitfield desires me to take home, & after reading it is to be presented to the Berwick museum.

I shall leave describing Sydney till later on when I hope to have seen more of it. Mr. W. & I set off for the Phillip St. Presbyterian Church, “St. Stephen’s”, Revd. John Ferguson.[6] It took us an hour to get to it by tram, but we were well rewarded. The minister recognized me & at the close of the service nodded to me from the pulpit & waved me to come into the vestry. Mr. W. & I went in & had a nice chat with him. We travelled over 300 miles together on my way from Brisbane. He joined the carriage I was in near the frontier on Monday night, & a while only before we got to Sydney, I asked him if he belonged to the Presbyterians & he said “yes”, & told me where his church was, & his name. We were sorry not having personally made acquaintance, however, he sharply recognized me & expressed himself very delighted to meet & speak with me again, & I am to be sure & call upon him before I finally leave the city. I did enjoy the service, real home-like & a fine children’s sermon. The story of Joseph interpreting Pharo’s [sic] dream. “Church Praise” is used, a fine powerful organ & a good choir, large roomy extension, & noble galleries, well filled.

[5:2]

I will send a programme of the service. One is placed for every hearer, voluntary first, then prayer, invocation, then singing, Ps. 27 4-8 vs., then lesson, Habakkuk, cha. 2, prayer, chant Ps. 66, lesson Hebrews 1st, children sermon, story of Joseph interpreting Pharo’s [sic] dream, children’s hymn 456, prayer followed by Lord’s Prayer, Hy. 308, sermon “Wise men & seers”, from Jeremiah, (no notes, no paper), prayer, Hy. 358, 4 & 5 vs., reference to the death of an aged member of 40 years, age 82, after which the “Dead March in Saul” was played then the benediction. We got back to Dulwich Hill at 20 to 2 & spent the afternoon indoors.

[1] Built 1888 by Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Sank 1912.

[2] SS Warrimoo: built by Swan & Hunter, Newcastle, 1892; owned by Canadian Australian Line, 1897-1901; sunk 1918.

[3] Nautical term.  A blue flag with a white square in the center, flown to signal that a ship is ready to sail.  Name derives from the fact that it represents the letter P in the International Code of Symbols.

[4] Inserted on facing page: “Organ recital, Middlesbro’, first city organist”.

[5] Inserted on facing page: “Book No. 5. 19-6-98 at Sydney”.

[6] Inserted on facing page: “Revd. John Ferguson, Phillip St. Presbyterian Church. I have rewritten pages 1 &2, the impression being very faint.”