One Man and his Boat (and Hotel and Pier …): Henry Gilbert Smith and the Establishment of Manly, Australia

Abstract

Tourist resorts share many common elements of their morphology despite being established in different centuries and on different continents. In addition, many owe their initial development to the entrepreneurial activities of individuals who are rarely recognized in the tourism literature. This paper examines the founding and initial development of the Australian resort of Manly, now a suburb of Sydney, and the role in that establishment of a key individual, Henry Gilbert Smith. The paper reveals how Smith brought to Manly not only his entrepreneurial talents, but also a familiarity with tourist resort development in southern England. This knowledge was used in the development and promotion of Manly and the morphology of the town today has changed little from that laid out by Smith some century and a half earlier. The ferry access which he initiated is still a major factor in the daily life of Manly and the reputation of and visitation to the resort have remained high. Manly represents an excellent example of both the key role of an individual in the development of destinations and in the survival and continued relevance of the classic seaside resort morphology recorded in earlier works.

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