“Without care.” That’s what “Sans Souci” means in French. Today, we stand in Sans Souci Park. The suburb of Sans Souci sits on the western shore of Botany Bay.
Sans Souci Park offers a slice of tranquility. But there is more to this place than meets the eye. Let’s step back in time. We will uncover some interesting layers of Sans Souci’s past.
Originally, this area was known as Seven Mile Beach. This long stretch of sand between Cooks River and Georges River had a different name. In 1874, it was renamed Lady Robinson’s Beach. This was to honour the wife of Governor Sir Hercules Robinson.
Interestingly, Cook Park, which runs along the eastern border of Sans Souci, wasn’t named after the famous Captain Cook. Instead, it was named after Samuel Cook. He championed this area as a public space for everyone to enjoy.
In 1830, Catherine Cooper received a 100-acre grant here. She and her husband, Robert Cooper Junior, built their home. Later, the Coopers established a distillery. At that time the area was called Charlotte Point and later Rocky Point.
The name “Sans Souci” came from a grand house. It was built on Rocky Point Road. Thomas Holt, a wool merchant and politician, bought the land in 1853. He named the house after Sanssouci in Potsdam, Germany. That was the summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia.
Holt felt the area was too isolated. He built another house in Marrickville. He called it The Warren. He bred rabbits for hunting and kept exotic animals there. In the 1860s, Holt sold his Sans Souci property. William Rust turned it into a popular hotel. It attracted visitors despite its distance from the city center.
A steam tram once connected Sans Souci to Kogarah in the 1890s. People came here for bathing, boating, and fishing. Later, in 1937, a silent electric trolley bus replaced the tram. It ran from Rockdale to Kogarah, Sans Souci, and Dolls Point until 1959.
The Kogarah to Sans Souci tram line opened in 1887. It connected with trains at Kogarah Station. The line ran down Rocky Point Road to Sans Souci, Sandringham, and Dolls Point.
Sans Souci is largely residential today. But a shopping strip on Rocky Point Road offers modern conveniences. You will find fast food outlets and the post office there.
Sans Souci has a special charm. It evolved from a neglected backwater into a sought-after residential area.
As we stand here in Sans Souci Park, remember its layers of history. From its indigenous past to its days as Seven Mile Beach. From the grand house that gave it its name to the steam trams. Sans Souci is a place with a rich and diverse story. It surely means “no worries”.