Chinamans and Mosman Council

Similar to shacks that emerged in Pearl Bay, Chinamans Beach was home to a number of shack communities. Mosman’s shacks were gradually abandoned, and by the end of the 1930s, all had been demolished except an older camp at Chinamans Beach, which could be dated back to around 1912.[1] This was said by some aldermen to be ‘rapidly developing to a permanent slum area’ and in 1939 the shacks were described as ‘minor cottages’ without sanitation[2].

Mosman Council assumed ownership of the Beach in 1948 with their purchase of the beach and the grassy flats in front of it, now known as Rosherville Reserve. A Sydney Morning Herald article from 14th April 1948 wrote ‘Mosman Council will buy Chinaman’s Beach, one of the few remaining natural beaches with unbuilt background on the Harbour… the council will maintain the beach in its natural state…cost for the whole area is estimated at £16, 000, of which £12 999 will be spent on land acquisition and £4,000 on completion of roads to serve 15 housing sites on the slopes of the hill.’[3]

[1] Souter, Mosman, p. 193.

[2] Souter, Mosman, p. 193.

[3] “Council to Buy Beach,” The Sydney Morning Herald, April 14, 1948, p. 1, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18067613>, accessed 17 November 2021.