Home » Tours & Outings Events

Tours & Outings Events

Tour & Outing Events Coordinator – Contact Margaret Ayre


Linnwood

7 March 2024
$15.00 per person

Drive yourself/car share outing

Our 2nd outing for 2024 is to Linnwood a Historical Home at Guildford. I have printed out leaflets on the history of the venue. Preferred minimum number of people is 15, maximum up to 40.

There is wheelchair access into the house. However the bathroom facilities do not have specialist disabled toilets.

LINNWOOD HISTORICAL HOME 25 Byron Road, Guildford.

The Friends host tours of Linnwood and invite your Probus group to come along and wander around the house and grounds, view a Powerpoint presentation on the history of the house, and enjoy a lovely Devonshire tea. We have hosted a number of Probus groups over the last few years and everyone enjoys their visit and are surprised that such a lovely house still exists.

Linnwood is an historic house set on 5 hectares of ground at Guildford in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. The house was built in 1891 by George McCredie, a prominent businessman of the day, Mayor of Prospect & Sherwood, and Independent member for the State seat of Central Cumberland, an independent free trader and an advocate of female suffrage.

After his time in government, George McCredie was called upon to supervise the cleansing of the City of Sydney when there was an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague in 1900.

A few years after his death in 1903, his wife Susan McCredie (nee’ Blackwood) leased the property to the Education Department as the State’s first and only Boys Truant School. The Department then purchased the property in 1921.

In 1936 the property converted to a residential girls school for State Wards aged 14 years and upwards.
By 1966 Linnwood was seen as a Special Training School for Home Science for girls from deprived backgrounds. With changes in the welfare system, homes like Linnwood gradually became superfluous to the Department of Community Services’ needs.

After learning of the Department’s plans to sell the property on the open market, the Friends of Linnwood formed in 2002 to help ‘preserve and protect’ the property.

Linnwood was listed on the NSW State Heritage Register in February 2003.

(Statement of Significance: NSW State Heritage Register)

Linnwood, including its associated buildings and landscape, is of state significance as a welfare site that was in operation and use for over 80 years. Since 1917, the site was continually adapted and developed specifically for various welfare uses such as housing and educating state wards. Of particular significance is the use of Linnwood as the first and only Truant School that was in existence in NSW between 1917 and 1936 and was later used by the Department of Welfare as a Girls Home Science Domestic School for state wards.

Linnwood is also significant as an example of a prominent and wealthy city businessman’s country retreat that was constructed on a large estate beyond the then outskirts of Sydney. The size and fine detail of this late Victorian residence demonstrates the wealth, aspirations and lifestyles of this class in society.
Specifically, Linnwood is in part representative of its original designer and occupier George McCredie. George McCredie was prominent for a time in the local community through his involvement in the political arena and in community activities. On a broader level George McCredie is known historically for his role in conducting and cleansing of The Rocks following the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1900, and the building activities of his family firm A.L. & G. McCredie and Sons. The remnant of Linnwood estate can still demonstrate by its scale within its urban setting the former extent of the land holdings of Susan McCredie who was also a prominent local figure in her own right.”


The Riverboat Postman – 9 Dangar Rd, Brooklyn NSW 2083

4 April 2024
Ferry leaves at 10.00 am
$55.00 per person (Please book & make your payment ASAP)

Drive yourself/car share outing

This is an iconic cruise just one hour from the centre of Sydney – delivering the mail to the isolated water-access-only residents of the magnificent Hawkesbury River on behalf of Australia Post (as well as other daily essentials like milk, papers, the odd bottle of rum).

Enjoy morning tea and lunch on board, complete with an entertaining and informative commentary from the local skippers. Departing every weekday with the mail from The Postie Wharf, you’ll find them right next to the Hawkesbury River Train Station at Brooklyn.

The boats are large, stable and comfortable catamarans, each with a well-stocked bar on board so you can have a glass of wine or beer with your lunch.

Enjoy morning tea served with a homemade Anzac biscuit followed by a delicious  Ploughman’s style lunch.

Bookings are essential as they are often full, The Riverboat Postman looks forward to welcoming you on board.


Bright

13 to 19 May 2024

The On Course tour to Bright is fully booked and all deposits have been paid in full.

The final payment is due NO LATER than 31 March.


Sydney Cricket Ground with On Course Tours

Thursday, 1 August 2024
Cost $100.00 pp
– Payment due by end of June.

The SCG Tour is a fun and fascinating 90-minute guided walking tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground. Journey behind the scenes and take in the splendour of the architecture, heritage and ambiance of this worldfamous sporting precinct. Hear entertaining stories of players, spectators, events and indulge in the rich history of one of Sydney’s most iconic venues. Tour Highlights · Field of Play – get up close to the world-famous Sydney Cricket Ground’s hallowed turf · Players’ Dressing Rooms – sit where sporting heroes have prepared for their finest moments · Historic Members Reserve – journey through the heritage listed pavilions and take in the life size sculptures of cricket legends Combined Probus Club of Belrose Newsletter Page 9 · Richie Benaud Media Centre – get a birds-eye view whilst visiting the world class media centre and commentary boxes · Walk of Honour – discover sporting champions honoured for their prowess on the field · SCG Museum – exclusive entry to see sporting treasures: · Prized bats and balls and other cricket memorabilia · Rugby Union, Rugby League, Football and Australian Football League sporting gems. · The Arthur Morris exhibition. · Other specially curated museum exhibits.

Followed by 2 course lunch at Paddington RSL with tea and coffee


Tulip Tops Tour

2 -3 October 2024.

On-Course Coach Tours has reserved 20 rooms at the Briars Country Lodge Burradoo for Wednesday 2nd October 2024. I’m still awaiting final confirmation on the rest of the outing.