Como is a suburb in southern Sydney, located on the southern banks of the Georges River, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. The postcode is 2226, which it shares with neighbouring suburbs Jannali, Bonnet Bay and Como West. The postal locality (suburb) of Como West was originally created in 1939 from within the greater Como locality and is bounded to the west by the Woronora River. The shoreline across Como features Bonnet Bay, Scylla Bay and Carina Bay.
History The area now known as Como lies in the tradition lands of the Tharawal (Dharawal) people on the southern bank of the Georges River. The Sutherland Shire Council recognises Tharawal-speaking people as the traditional custodians of the area.
Well before it became Como, the locality had previously been known as Woronora.
Circa early 1883, a small weatherboard and iron-roofed building called the Woronora Hotel had been constructed by the proprietor, Mr. Thomas Hanley, in response to the rapidly growing railway worker's camp situated adjacent to where they were planning to extend the Illawarra railway line across a bridge being constructed over the Georges River.
The Woronora Post Office opened on 16 May 1883, adjacent to the Woronora Hotel; this facility is also being operated by Mr handyman.
In 1922, the postal locality of Woronora was changed to Como upon a suggestion offered by Mr. James Frederick Murphy, manager of the Holt-Sutherland Co. and the affairs of Thomas Holt (1811–1888), who at the time owned much of the land that stretched from Sutherland to Cronulla. Mr. Murphy likened the area to its namesake in Italy on account of its similarity to Lake Como at the foot of the Lepontine Alps and Lugano Prealps.
The Italian influence on the suburb is also reflected in many of the existing street names, which were named after various cities located throughout Italy, including Genoa Street, Verona Range, Tivoli Esplanade, Ortona Parade, Novara Crescent, Pavia Road, Cremona Road, and Loretta Avenue (originally named Loretto,http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.map-lfsp2714-sd&width=1200 a misspelling of the Italian city of Loreto).
On 5 May 1883, a Government notice in the Evening News (Sydney)Evening News (Sydney), 5 May 1883, page 5 announced a proposal for a "new Public School at Worinora, Georges River."
Shortly after, on 10 July 1883 first mention of the Como Post Office appears in an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald,Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 1883, page 7 thus confirming the locality had already officially been renamed to Como.
On 25 September 1883, the NSW Government awarded the tender for timber construction of the new Worinora Public School to R.G. Troughton for the sum of £199 4s.Evening News (Sydney), 25 September 1883, page 2
The Worinora School, built just to the south of Scylla Bay, opened on 16 April 1884.
Some newspapers and periodicals in the period 1884–1885 went so far as to wax lyrical over the broader section of Georges River water east of Murphy's Pleasure Grounds and bounded by the rising headlands and hillsides, frequently referring to it in their articles as "Lake Como."Australian Town & Country Journal, Sydney, Saturday 17 May 1884, page 42Evening News, Sydney, Friday 5 June 1885, page 3
On 14 June 1884, an article in the Australian Town & Country Journal notes that Mr. Hanley had enlarged a room at the Woronora Hotel to cater as an assembly hall and theatre; for now, hundreds of women and children encamped nearby. The article also mentions that the Como Public School grounds were soon to be improved, thus confirming the school name had also been officially changed to Como.Australian Town & Country Journal, 14 June 1884, page 41
Around this time, James Murphy and his brothers, John Francis and Michael Vincent, were also partners in managing Murphy's Pleasure GroundsThe Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 4 March 1919, page 5 where to the annoyance of many locals, they had fenced off the small promontory east of their boat house and constructed a rotunda lookout and adjacent flag mast upon the highest viewing point (known by locals today as Como Mountain) and began charging day-trippers and tourists a small fee for access.Evening News, Sydney, Tuesday 25 October 1887, page 3 Murphy's Pleasure Grounds would later be reclaimed for public use and is generally known as the Como Pleasure Grounds to this day. James Murphy also constructed Como House, which burnt down in 1969. After James F. Murphy died, his estate provided scholarships for young men studying agricultural science at St John's College Sydney and the Hawkesbury Agricultural College.
In January 1887, the first (presumed small) version of George Agnew's Como Hotel had been constructed — however, only in a non-liquor capacity. It was most likely built upon the same site as the later larger versions would stand on. This small first establishment would last around two years until the much larger second version build began in March 1888 (see the version one timeline below for full details).
In March 1888, tenders were called for the construction of a major 20-room hotel at Como by master building contractor Robert Fielding (on behalf of George Agnew). However, this decision had been made at the same time when the majority of the temporary railway workers with their families had already begun moving out of Como and heading further south with the ongoing extension of the Illawarra railway line. In effect, George was building a bigger, grander hotel that would be reliant on a rapidly dwindling population to survive — in hindsight, a very poor business decision.
By 9 July 1890, leasing agent W.H. Tulloh was advertising the new, grand "Como Hotel" for purchase or lease. It seems George Agnew may have over-extended spending to get the grand second version of the hotel completed. Unsurprisingly, with the 1890 Depression in full swing, there were no takers for an expensive-to-run hotel, especially in a tiny town with a declining populace and no public school. With no further takers after more advertisement in October 1890, George Agnew was forced to apply himself for a Publicans' License. He struggled on, operating the "Como Hotel" until he could sell it to Daniel Sullivan in September 1891. By 1894, George Agnew was still in financial difficulty, being forced to sell all his household furniture and effects from his Como residence.
The second establishment of the Como Hotel was frequented by the Australian poet Henry Lawson, who lived at Como in the early 1900s. Local legend has it that Lawson "used to row a boat from his house to the hotel and sell or recite his poems for beer."
Unfortunately, the tale of poor business woes for successive owners of the "Como Hotel" was to continue for many more years, as the tiny, slowly re-growing population, the terrible economic effect of WW1, the 1930s Depression & WW2 all took their toll on the business (see Timeline from 1890–1925 below for full details).
In 1939, the Como West Post Office was opened, along with the first classroom(s) at the new Como West Public School.
Como West was severely affected by bushfires in 1994, with upwards of 70 houses burnt down. Como West Public School was also destroyed by the fires, and a new school was built on the original land.1994 Eastern seaboard fires
The second version of the Como Hotel was destroyed on 3 November 1996, after an electrical fault in the restaurant kitchen started a massive blaze. A sympathetically styled third version reconstruction was completed five years later on the same site in 2001.
Boatbuilding/hire By early 1884, the Murphy brothers partnership had built and were managing the first commercial boathouse and boat hire facilities at Como, which is located just east of where the rail bridge over the Georges River was later to be constructed.
Como had also been developing a reputation (reported in the newspapers of the time) for skilled boat building, with suitable facilities located on the south bank of the Georges River, near where the future rail bridge was to be built. On Saturday, 17 January 1885, it was reported that the "Active" – a large steamer constructed of kauri, spotted gum, and ironbark, being 115 ft in length, weighing 150tons, with 40 hp paddle steam engines, was successfully launched at Como.Evening News, Sydney, Friday 5 June 1885 She was built by Mr. Harry Stephens for Messrs C. & E. Miller (one of the Illawarra Railway Line contractors) and was intended to carry railway materials from South Australian ports.
In June 1885, it was noted in the Evening News that "Near the bridge the Holt-Sutherland Company are erecting a fine jetty where the largest vessels can anchor at high tide" (it would be safe to presume this refers to the same one depicted in numerous old photos of the time which show a large new jetty east of James Murphy's boathouse).
On 25 January 1886, a Tender was placed in the Sydney Morning Herald by James Murphy (manager) for "Leasing Boathouse, Residence, and slip near the railway platform, Como"The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 25 January 1886, page 11
On 16 February 1894, it was reported in the Evening News (Sydney)Evening News, Sydney, Friday 16 February 1894, page 1 that the boat hire business of H.C. Press & Sons was forced to close down their operations following a successful Court appeal against their application for Lease by their main competition – James F. Murphy & F.S.E. Holt.
On 17 May 1894,Sydney Morning Herald, 17 May 1894, page 6 it was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald that another boat hire operator, Mr. John H. Wills, had been successful in obtaining a lease on the western side of the Como Station for a boat shed and wharf.
Unfortunately for Mr. Wills, not long after he opened his boat hire business, on 7 December 1895, the Evening News reported that "Wills's boatshed, at Como, had been destroyed to-day by fire".The Evening News (Sydney), 7 December 1895, page 5
On 18 November 1898 an advertisement appears in the Evening News "FIRST-CLASS BOATS FOR HIRE AT COMO, by H.C. Press. Trial solicited", indicating he had been successful in Appealing the previous decision, which now allowed them to re-open their floating multi-story Palace Hall and boat hire sheds for business once more.Evening News, Sydney, Friday 18 November 1898, page 1 Press's boat sheds held 64 wooden craft (mostly rowing skiffs). Their facilities were located immediately adjacent to the eastern side of the southern bridge abutment (just west of Murphy's Boat House facilities). They can be seen in numerous historical images of the time.
By 1899, with the population of Sydney expanding rapidly southwards (thanks to the extension of the Illawarra railway line through the opening of the railway bridge across the Georges River at Como), the demand for riverboat tours along the Georges River upstream from Como had grown to the point where a large 200 passenger paddle steamer called the S.S. "Telephone" began making return tours to the Parkesvale Pleasure Grounds (now Picnic Point) from J.H. Wills Boat House & jetty located on the western side of Como Station.
Circa 1905/1906, advertisements for H.C. Press & Sons Ball Room & Boat Hire facilities at Como cease, instead of advertising their other Woolloomooloo Bay boating facilities.