Welcome to Manly...Baby

I get a kick out of the name of this place. Manly is a northern suburb of Sydney, Australia…a nice beachy town. How it got its name is what cracks me up. Picture it…Australia, 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip of the Royal Navy left England with a fleet of ships to establish a colony in New South Wales as its first Governor.

As they explored north Port Jackson (named my Captain James Cool in 1770), Captain Phillips and his crew encountered a group of aborigines in the northern reaches of the harbor. Phillips was so impressed by the "confidence and manly behavior" of the tribe, he called the place "Manly Cove". I guess the name stuck.

These men were of the Kay-ye-my clan (of the Guringai people). While scouting for fresh water in the area, Phillip first encountered members of the clan and had a misunderstanding, resulting in him being speared in the shoulder by one of the clan. Apparently he was fairly progressive, as he ordered his men not to retaliate.

Their confidence and manly behavior made me give the name of Manly Cove to this
place…

Today there is lots to here as Manly has Sydney Harbour on its western side with calm water, ferry wharf, swimming area, Oceanworld Manly aquarium, sailing and yacht clubs. To the east is the Pacific Ocean and Manly Beach.