This photograph by Henry King shows the Bondi Aquarium, an aquarium fun pier built around 1890. The Bondi Aquarium offered a wide variety of entertainments including performing seals, donkey and pony rides, a skating rink and a switch-back railway. The Aquarium was destroyed by fire in July, 1891 but was quickly rebuilt and re-opened on Labour Day of the same year. Many improvements were made in the process. The new main building, shown in the photograph, was described as a larger and ‘more artistic’ edifice. Inside, arches and rock work adorned the aquarium tanks and they were illuminated from above by a skylight. An aviary was added and the refreshment and retiring areas were refurbished.
This photograph may have been taken shortly after the rebuilding had been completed. The men standing in a row against the fence are possibly tradesmen from the reconstruction team. The sign to their right reads:
Destroyed by fire, 11th of July, 1891.
Re-erected in 11 weeks by the Commercial Union Fire Assurance Company, J. St Vincent-Welch, Manager. Bignell & Clark, Builders, Camperdown.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, there were also furnishings by Messrs David Jones & Co. and scenic art by Mr Setright. Messrs. Adamson and Budd were the stage mechanists and the electric light plant was by Messrs Kingsbury & Co. The rebuilding was conducted under the supervision of the Aquarium manager, Mr Alfred Wyburd, and cost seven thousand pounds.
Henry King, (1855-1923) was a successful Sydney photographer best known for his view and portrait work. He won several international medals, including a bronze at the Chicago exhibition of 1893. Many of King’s best known views of Sydney date from the 1880s and by 1890 his work was held in high regard throughout the colonies. The Powerhouse Museum Tyrrell collection includes 1,334 photographs by Henry King.
Post by Kathy Hackett, Photo Librarian
Photograph by Henry King. Tyrrell Collection
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