In 1861 the first house in Maroubra was built by Humphrey McKeon. Prior to 1898 when the ‘Hereward’ ship was wrecked on the beach, very few people in Sydney knew very much of Maroubra. Major residential development didn’t commence until 1911 when Herbert Dudley, one of the local movers and shakers played a major role in Maroubra’s transformation from an isolated beach to a substantial village.
During the Great Depression of the 1930’s the sand hills behind the beach became littered with huts and make-shift homes as a result of the unemployment. One ray of sunshine during this time came in the form of Patrick Mahon who known for his charitable character turned Mahon Rock pool into a more practical swimming facility with the use of some hard yakka and lots of concrete.
Stay tuned for more some more chapters on Maroubra’s poor and rich history, along with some other local stories on South Sydney Billy Couldwell, NG Farah
