A moment in time……
We do know a few things about this image….the Sydney Harbour Trust/Maritime Services Board garage is on the right and the Palisade Hotel is visable above the Munn Street Bridge. Hopefully these little clues will help with dating the image. Does anyone else find it strange that there isn’t any traffic…..
We have many other undated photographs in Photo Investigator and on our Flickr account. If you know the dates or any other interesting facts about these images please let us know.
Category: -- Can you date...?
Tag: Moments in Time, The Rocks
Robert Mills says:
To start the conversation … well the 1912 incarnation of the Palisade Hotel is present in this image… and the public weighbridge is also in place on the RHS.
Melissa says:
To continue Robert’s start of the conversation, it’s worth noting that the person on the left hand side is wearing an Army slouch hat which suggests anytime from World War 1 onwards.
James says:
Judging from the summer uniform of the soldier in the background and the cut of the suit of the man in foreground I’d say between 1942 and 1945. That would also explain the absence of traffic.
Jenny says:
The slouch hat, shorts and, I think I can make out, ankle gaiters, on the man walking under the bridge suggest WW2 period to me.
Was this area of Hickson Street perhaps of restricted access to vehicles because of the handling of War materials on the wharves – just a thought.
Melissa says:
For those thinking during the Second World War, it looks like the State Library has a copy of the picture which indicates the date as July 1944. Here is the link: http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=170534
Rhonda says:
It appears this one wasn’t tricky at all:) Before the SLNSW image was discovered all your comments were leaning towards the 1940’s. It would be interesting to know if traffic restrictions were in place around the wharves during WW2.
David says:
Was there fuel rationing during the war. This could explain the lack of vehicles. I’m not sure which war prompted it but I believe that the producer gas modification to power cars was motivated by the fuel restrictions.