The Cooks River Project

Do you remember the days when the Cooks River flowed right besides Mascot and Botany? Before the 1950s expansion of Sydney Airport, many locals enjoyed the river's presence. Pucks Wharf, was a well known swimming spot, especially with the residents of Lauriston Park.

Pucks Wharf just before the construction of Mascot Bridge, c.1925, Mascot,
City of Botany Bay Library & Museum Services

The opening of Mascot Bridge, 1927. Note Pucks Wharf to the picture's right
City of Botany Bay Library & Museum Services

The original mouth of the Cooks River (which was roughly located near today's BP petrol station on General Holmes Drive) was also popular with our local fishermen. They often hauled large catches in this area and possibly nicknamed this spot  'the basket' for this reason.

Location of Mascot Bridge, Gregory's Street Directory, 1938
The fishing village of Boralee was centred around the streets of Hale, Booralee and Luland, which you can see

Sydney Morning Herald, 13 Feb 1936, pg 11
Courtesy of Trove, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/17333639?

If you would like to discover more about this waterway make sure you check of the Dictionary of Sydney's recently lauched Cooks River project. Online you'll find many aspects of the river's history, such as the story of Booralee, plus many more stories including further upstream.

While you're on the Dictionary of Sydney's website also take a look at our entries on on Botany and Daceyville. As you'll soon discover, Sydney is full of stories and the dictionary is just the place to access them all!.