[gary]

Hi Glen,

Thank you for the fascinating history and the fabulous write-up.

I was born a block away down Marsden Street at the public hospital
on the banks of the Parramatta River, 250 metres away from where Dunlop
observed, grew up in the area and attended the excellent public high school
on the hill there across the road from Parramatta Park.

The Woolpack, of course, holds one of Australia's oldest hotel licenses dating back to 1796.

It started life as the Freemason's Arms in those early days of the colony.
It was sold and its named changed to The Woolpack in 1821.

The site it was on was purchased by the Government for the construction of
the Parramatta Courthouse and in 1889, the Woolpack reopened on its
current site which was across the road from the original location on the
corner of George and Marsden.

This site was the home of James Elders as you kindly point out.

Martin mentions Dunlop Street which is up the northern end near the old gaol.

My grandparents lived around the corner on Church Street.

I still frequent Dunlop Street for engineering supplies.

George Street in Parramatta, leading down from Government House,
may well have become the main street of the capital of the country.

Parramatta is rich in history and what was a travesty was the demolition
in 2020 by the state government of the Royal Oak Hotel in Church Street
for the construction of a light rail line to nowhere. The pub was amongst
Sydney's oldest, dating back to 1813 and had Cobb & Co stables out the
back. which was the only thing that was saved from the bulldozers.
The hotel had long been a haunt of Parramatta Eels players and fans.