The Corso is Manly's main street from the ferry wharf to the beach. It is quite a nice area, and a pleasant place to either shop, or eat, or just stroll along.
The modern day Corso, which contrasts somewhat with the next photo and its history.
This photo is on a plaque, with the caption View along The Corso looking South 1915, Art Gallery and Museum collection
The plaque explains further: In a peaceful atmosphere, old men sit yarning while boys ride bicycles, at a time when many young men were away fighting in World War I. With only one car visible, the Corso resembles the paved mall of today but without the bustling throng or traffic lights. Manly's first street lights were kerosene lamps, then gaslights from 1884, which were replaced by electric street lighting in 1923.
The pines planted under Council's 'beautification scheme' have been replaced by palms. The refreshment rooms on the left have lost their original awnings and fancy posts. Further along The Corso, the elegant spire of the first St Matthews Church of England, designed by Edmund Blackett and opened in 1865, can be seen. It was demolished to widen The Corso and replaced by the present church in 1930.
The original Steyne Hotel was built by Henry Gilbert Smith in 1859 when The Corso was only a sand track, and the New Brighton Hotel pictured here was constructed in 1880. The hotels have been rebuilt over the years, providing a continuous supply of refreshment and places of rest for visitors to Manly.
This is actually the walk along the beach, rather than the Corso.
It's hard to eat a meal in peace when the seagulls are so daring and tame!
Manly By Ferry
Slow Ferry Back