A new series of essays highlighting some of the great families of Sans Souci was launched last week.
Historian Garry Darby spent a year putting together Three Essays on Sans Souci History which details the lives of Walter Watson and Charles Lincke, the Sans Souci steamboat and the Toyers family.
He travelled across the state visiting family descendants and collecting photos and memorabilia from the era.
The first essay focuses on Walter Watson and C.W. Lincke who established a live pigeon shooting ground at Sandringham which catered to the sporting elite of Sydney.
The second looks at the SS Erina, a steamboat, which found a home at Sans Souci for almost 25 years.
The final essay looks at the Toyer family. James Toyer came to the peninsula in 1909 and established a plant nursery on nine acres of ground between Evans and Griffith Streets, Sans Souci.
He and his two sons George and Ned were pioneers of motor transport in the area and used early trucks for deliveries from their nursery.
Dr Darby has previously written books on the area but said that essays were a welcome change.
‘’It was a real pleasure to write something that was concentrated on one thing,’’ he said.
‘’With a essay you can pick an interesting time or family and focus on that.’’
Anyone interested in buying a copy can email garry@garrydarby.com or phone 9583 9916.
