Voices From the Past

Some years ago Campbelltown Library received grant funding to digitise our collection of audio visual material. Included in this collection were audio cassettes of oral history interviews recorded in the mid to late 1970s. These interviews are particularly valuable as they record memories of Campbelltown people born around the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century. For example, we can listen to descriptions of what businesses occupied Queen Street in the early 1900s and of people who lived and died long ago.

Listen to Rita Brunero's recollection of the regatta on the convict-built reservoir in 1917; Aline Haydon's ostrich story or Ambrose Bourke's experiences of enlisting for the First World War. These are just a sample of many wonderful stories featured in Campbelltown Library's Voices From the Past Display. 

This will be the first time these interviews have been made accessible to the public. Learn more about these people and hear their memories at HJ Daley Library during History Week from 2-10 September.

No Milk Today

History Week begins this Saturday August 30 and runs through to September 8. I encourage you to stop by HJ Daley Library to look at our display called No Milk Today: Remembering Campbelltown's Forgotten Dairy Farms. We have featured seven dairy farms from the Campbelltown area. Only one of them, named Gowrie, still supplies milk. In fact Gowrie is the only dairy farm left in the Campbelltown area that is still active.

The display has descriptions of each farm, including its history, maps and photographs. There are also interesting quotes from various local people that were connected to these farms.

Did you know that the site of HJ Daley Library was once a dairy farm? Learn more about who owned and operated this farm.

The display is up until September 8.

Gowrie Homestead and Farm (Robert Reeve Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Campbelltown - Remembering our Pop Culture

Campbelltown City Library is celebrating History Week from the 2nd - 10th September. This year the theme is "Pop Culture", and we remember some of the trends that have helped to shape Campbelltown over the years. From the advent of live entertainment at the Catholic Club, the transition from balls and debuts to discos and nightclubs, leisure activities including roller skating and swimming, and the changes from humble milk bars to more sophisticated dining, we take you on a trip down memory lane. Please drop in to the H.J.Daley Library to take a look at our display celebrating Campbelltown's Pop Culture this week.

History Trivia

Calling all history buffs! Campbelltown City Council Library is celebrating this year’s History Week with a history trivia night at HJ Daley Library on Wednesday September 10 at 6pm. Great prizes to be won and light refreshments will be served. There will be a maximum of 6 people for each team. 

The cost is $10 per person. Bookings are essential on 4645 4436. 

The library is also hosting a display featuring Campbelltown during the war years from 1914 to 1918. Based on this year’s theme of “The Great War” it will feature photographs of Campbelltown during the First World War years as well as personal letters, diaries and other war related memorabilia. The display will capture what life was like for those at the home front. 

 

The library is looking for objects that could be included in our display. This could be clothes, homewares, farming equipment, photographs or every day items from the 1914-1918 period in Campbelltown. In addition to items from the home front, we are also requesting war related memorabillia such as diaries, letters or photographs that could be included in the display.

If you have any items that you would like to lend the library for the display, please contact the library on 4645 4431.

The exhibition will run from September 6 to 14 at H.J. Daley Library.

For more information contact the Local Information Librarian at Campbelltown Library on 4645 4431.

History Week 2013 “Picture This”

To mark History Week this year at Campbelltown Library, an exhibition is currently being held at H.J. Daley Library. The theme this year is “Picture This” and is a celebration of local photographers and their work. We pay tribute to them and their important role in capturing images from Campbelltown’s bygone days. We are lucky to also have some original works on display.  Still images from as early as the 1870s are shown, along with biographical information about the photographers. Also on display is a fabulous range of cameras, from the early 1900s through to today. It is a great timeline of the development of cameras and our ongoing fascination with the medium of photography.

Due to popular demand, this display will be on display up to the 22^nd September, 2013.