At one stage it had a rooftop garden, tennis court, private golf course and an orchard all surrounded by superb gardens. A large verandah once surrounded the house but was pulled down after it was purchased in 1937 by Allan Newmarch.
The property was purchased by the McGarvie Smith Institute in 1952. One interesting use for the property was as a poultry farm and model stud that covered 44 acres. The farm had accommodation for 2000 birds, 1500 of which were white leghorns, some prize-winners at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College.
The property continued to be used as a research laboratory by the McGarvie Institute until 1972 when it was sold to Cantua Pty Ltd., who then sold it to Campbelltown City Council. A large sporting complex that now adjoins the old house site is called Milton Park.
Photograph of Milton Park taken in 1981. (Verlie Fowler Collection)
Sources:
Liston, Carol
Campbelltown: The Bicentennial History
Campbelltown: Campbelltown City Council, 1988
"Milton Park" Pamphlet File, Campbelltown Library
Written by Andrew Allen
I lived in this building for a couple of years 1973-74. The site was made available by Council to a number of enthusiast societies to store vehicles being acquired for a proposed transport museum complex in the Campbelltown area. The museum idea lapsed, but the groups involved went on to form the Museum of Fire at Penrith, the Sydney Bus Museum at Leichhardt, and the Steam and Machinery Museum at Menangle. So it played an important part in saving a lot of transport heritage that might otherwise have been lost. The building itself was just 8 large rooms over two stories, with some ablution facilities out the back. Hardly luxury residential, but it served its purpose at the time.
ReplyDeleteI remember having steamroller rides ther as a young boy
DeleteWho were the cretins thar knocked it down?
DeleteThanks for your feedback Brian. I wasn't aware of this. Just a pity that the building itself was lost to Campbelltown.
ReplyDeleteThe people that did it were half wits!
DeleteWould love to have a picture posted of an old photo of this historical property
ReplyDeleteWould love to have a picture posted of an old photo of this historical property
ReplyDeletehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/kipnewing/4915440733/in/album-72157621732107243/
ReplyDeleteI use to play in this house when I was 8 years old in the year 1988 before they did the worst and knocked it down. My brother use to say that holy water use to boil in it, his way of scaring me. A lot of fond memories exporing it. I wish there was more photos.
ReplyDeleteI used to play there as well,the dmolishers must have been inbreds!
DeleteCheck out our photographic database from the library website. There are a couple more pics there.
ReplyDeleteMy father Peter Berriman worked here in about 1954 as a microbiologist. He met my mother here - Clarice Foster who was working as a receptionist/typist.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Macquarie fields just be hind it used to play in it as a child i believe it was once used as a veterinary research bildding and remained farm bilddings out the back and a big asbestos shed full of mattress's we use tho use them as a trampoline and i also remember the old time steam rollers that where stored there
ReplyDeleteMe too,i used to play there,the people who destroyed the house weretree dwellers who married their kin!
DeleteGreat memories. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete