Hi, it’s Adrian Bo. And this week I’m coming to you with my local history update and I’m on Maroubra Road near the corner of Anzac Parade to talk about another extraordinary local legend that left a mark on the local community. Herbert Joseph Dudley started his working life at the age of 14 as an apprentice for a local drapery business called Farmer and Co. His parents bought a holiday home in Brand, a suburb, which is now known as Malabar. And this triggered his interest in the sale of land as some blocks nearby were being offered for sale. As the years went by working at Farmer and Co., his interest grew in owning land. Initially, he set his sights on buying blocks of land in Long Bay and subdividing them for sale. He was financed by the Pope family who owned Farmer and Co, that he was working for, as they could see how passionate and detailed he was in his analysis of the subdivisions. His interest turned to Maroubra and despite the area being relatively desolate, he would build visions of what it could look like. He developed many catchphrases to promote Maroubra, including “Watch Maroubra Grow”. When promoting one particular subdivision, he said, and I quote, “Maroubra is acknowledged by leading physicians to be the sanatorium of the metropolitan area.” What a revolutionary sales person of his era. In 1912, he built a house here at Maroubra Junction for himself and his family, as well as a small office from where he started handling many subdivisions, including Surfside Estate at Maroubra and used it heavily in his marketing material.

Dudley had realised that to establish a local community residents needed good transport options. So he lobbied for the tram network to be brought to the area. He also built the original Maroubra Junction Public School on Storey Street, which is a massive achievement in itself. In 1913. he resigned from his job at Farmer and Co. after working for them for about 30 years and began to redevelop the Maroubra Junction site into a broader commercial enterprise that was named Dudley’s Emporium. This became a substantial local landmark. as it included a hardware store, a grocery store, a drapery, a chemist, a butcher, and a cinema. He also built a house there as well. In 1916, he’d conjuncted on the sale of a parcel of land called Shepherd’s Nursery, which extended from Storey Street to Gale Road, as well as a larger subdivision of what was known as the Dudley Park Estate and a subdivision known as Dudley Park No. 2, where interestingly a building covenant was placed on some of the blocks stating that no building was allowed to be erected for less than 300 pounds. In 1921, the tramline was extended to Maroubra Beach, causing a big rise in migration to the area. Dudley was in a prime position to sell blocks of land to those moving here. Land in Maroubra at that stage really was being given away.

Dudley was asking for deposits of one pound and blocks of land were changing hands from 25 to 55 pounds. Interestingly, in the Beach Estate Subdivision three blocks out of 176 were priced at 55 pounds. In other words, more than double the lowest price in the parcel. Those three were on the corner of Flower Street and Storey Street, and two on the corner of Flower Street and Sperry Street now known as Gale Road. At that stage Metcalfe Street was not named, but a lane was set aside for it. Cooper Street was known as Darling Street at that stage. Dudley died in 1927, his son, Arthur, who had been virtually running the business for three years prior, took it over. Now, I’ve been selling real estate in Maroubra, Coogee, Randwick and Clovelly for over 32 years. And I’ve sold many properties in this local vicinity, including 14 Little Street, a six bedroom entertainers paradise, which I sold last weekend for a record price of $4,950,000. Herbert Dudley was yet another local legend that a street was named after in Randwick and Coogee, but the impact he had on the birth of Maroubra itself was huge. And I personally feel it’s vital we remember these extraordinary local legends. I hope you’ve enjoyed the story of Herbert Dudley and his impact on the ‘Bra. Keep smiling and always remember your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.