Climb Sydney Road as far as the Tony Miller grandstand

On the opposite side of the road a high sandstone wall is surmounted by two gargoyles. This is all that remains of the residence Marinella, commonly known as Dalley's Castle. It was built in 1881 by William Bede Dalley, lawyer and statesman. His wife, Eleanor Jane, died of typhoid when it was being built and Dalley himself only lived there for about three years. For many years it was owned by the McGaw family, but for a decade it was unoccupied and became dilapidated. Then in 1932 the Rev. C.H. Palmer purchased it and with renovations and extensions it became the Camden Grammar School. In 1939 this towering landmark was demolished and the existing flats, also named Marinella, were built.

Manly's first wild flower shows were held in Ivanhoe Park. Native flora used to grow in abundance around Manly including Christmas bush which was used to decorate church pews and shop fronts at Christmas. Alderman C.H.Hayes initiated the first Manly Wild Rower Show in 1881 to raise funds for the extension of St Matthew's church. It was held in the Ivanhoe Park pavilion, an old weatherboard construction with an iron roof. A canvas annexe housed orchids and ferns. The first show was for one Saturday afternoon only, but it became very popular and for about a decade it was an annual event lasting for several days.

Stalls were decorated with beautiful bouquets and impressive floral epresentations of the British crown, hearts, harps, lakes and ships. On occasion
children entertained visitors with Maypole dancing. At night the grounds were illuminated with Chinese lanterns.

Walk east along Sydney Road crossing Belgrave Street to Whistler Street

For some months in 1902 famous writer and poet, Henry Lawson and his wife Bertha, rented the dwellings Marlow and then Ladywood, both in Whistler Street. They were married in 1896 and had two young children. Henry Lawson wrote several poems about Manly, including 'The Cliffs', 'The Stranded Ship'- about the Vincennes, a barque that went aground at North Steyne - and 'The Bards Who Lived at Manly' which illustrates this period of his life. (This poem is reproduced on plaque 4). Bertha recognised his genius, but his frequent drinking bouts with bohemian friends and his inability to support his family led her to seek a legal separation in 1903.

The oldest existing ecclesiastical building in Manly is the Gothic Revival style Congregational church. It was built in 1862 in sandstone with an attractive timber interior. The original stained glass is still in good condition but the slate roof has been replaced with concrete tiles. Two trustees of this church John Fairfax and David Jones were founders of important Sydney institutions. Fairfax was the first proprietor of the Sydney Morning Herald and David Jones started the chain of retail stores which bear his name. The foundation stone of the adjoining church hall was laid by Sir James R. Fairfax in 1907. Before this church was built services were originally held in the house of John Trenchard Smith at the comer of The Corso and East Esplanade. .

Continue along Sydney Road and glance to the left along Short Street

St Mary's Roman Catholic church is glimpsed at the end of Short Street. The nave of this church was built in the early 1890s and additions were made in 1909. On the right is Roycroft Arcade leading to Market Place, and Manly's new library designed by Feiko Bouman, renowned Sydney architect also responsible for the prizewinning Stockman's Hall of Fame in Queensland. In 1989 this end of Sydney Road was closed to traffic and made into a pedestrian mall, linking it with The Corso.
Here are the offices of the Manly Daily newspaper founded by Edward Lincoln. The first issue, a single folded page, came out on 28 July 1906. Apart from the first few months when it was printed in Sydney the Manly Daily was produced in Manly, but in 1989 production and printing moved to the headquarters of its proprietors the Cumberland Group in Parramatta. It was the first free newspaper to be published in New South Wales, and remains the only one to be published five days a week. Its growth has mirrored the development of Manly.

Pause by the sculpture Wind and Wave at the junction of Sydney Road and The Corso

Made of stainless steel, it is the work of distinguished Melbourne sculptor, Lenton Parr, noted for his works in welded steel. It was funded by the State government as part of a Bicentennial grant to Manly in 1988. The sculpture captures the essence of Manly's ocean beach. The Bicentennial project also included the construction of the Sydney Road Plaza.
Look above the awnings at the shop fronts which feature circular windows and elaborate decorations including garlands and ribbons, in the Art Nouveau style. This international style of art, popular from the 1890s to 1914, emphasised asymmetrical forms of nature.