By: Daniel Tillman 15th Sep 2026 6:26PMI was raised in Menai in the mid 1960's till 1980. 365 Old Illawarra Road was where my parents Ronald and Gloria Tillman expanded their business, Aqua Flora Nursery. A business specialising in water lilies and aquatic plants for aquarium tanks. Supplying the majoritory of pet shops across the local and Greater Sydney regions they forged a good family life. My mother and I began to breed Angora goats with mum becoming a founding member of the Angora Association of Australia. Working closely with C.S.I.R.O. we conducted studies on animal husbandry and supplied them with a breed of water snails that carried the liver fluke worm.
Our house was some 50 square feet and was constructed of ash blocks, I believe in the 1930's. It was owned by an ex Police Commissioner with his brother living in an old Cobb and Co weigh station where horses were changed for the journey down to Woronora River and up to Engadine.
When renovating the house we came across several detonators and gelignite sticks inserted into several walls. Our lounge room floor was made from the decking of a sunken ship and had frescoes around the roof cornice telling the story of the ship sinking. We found out that the owner believed his brother (living in the weigh station), was out to kill him and steal his money. For years I was recovering very old pennies and silver coins from the gardens as he had buried them there.
On our property there was a grave at the back of the house and four more graves at the saloon/weigh station.
As a deputy captain of Menai Fire Brigade, along with Don Carter, Danny Delards and so many more good people, we attended so many major bushfires and terrible accidents. In front of my home was a derestricted speed limit was on a bend and crest of a hill as it went down to David Road. Many people died there in horrific accidents.