Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries

 It seems only fitting after the Federal Election results to showcase a woman who made a difference! After attending the Sydney Writers Festival in the past few days I was inspired to write a blog which relates to a woman who, together with many other things, championed women writers and inspired them to go forth and dream big. ZARA ARONSON Zara was born in Sydney in September 1864 to Moritz Baar, a merchant of Hanover and London, and his wife Zillah. Zara was taken to  Europe at three years of age and educated at Bradford Girls Grammar School, Yorkshire, England, and at Weisbaden, Germany. She returned to Sydney in 1879 and attended Mrs Morell's school. At the Great Synagogue on 25 October 1882 she married Frederick Aronson, a merchant and set up house in  Woollahra near her father, who at the time imported Indian and Chinese wares. Mrs Aronson became active in local charities and was a member of the committees of the Sydney Industrial Blind Institution amongst several o...

  In the age of the changing face of "retail" it's nice to know that some things remain the same albeit slightly different in execution.   Many retail stores over the past 150+ years have been taken over by others or even disappeared. Names such as Hordern's, Farmers, Marcus Clark, Nock & Kirby, Ways, Gowings, Grace Bros., Buckinghams, Mark Foys, Beard Watson etc spring to mind.   The retail empire that I'm showcasing today, had a name now lost to history but the area where it once stood is still a retail hub and shortly to undergo a bit of a "spruce up".   Photo from City of Sydney collection  Let me introduce Bebarfalds and it's founder.... BARNET BEBARFALD Barnet was born in Prussia in 1831, one of seven children to Myer and Sophia. The family left the country and moved to England residing in Middlesex during the time of the 1851 census. Myer was listed as a cap maker and Barnet, now twenty years of age, a cigar maker.   It...