A native of Campbelltown.

 In a prison cell attached to the historic Hartley Courthouse is carved the words “Michael Lynch a native of Campbelltown” on the door, and on the wall “M. Lynch aged 15 years & 8 months. Aug 12th 1877. Who was this Michael Lynch of Campbelltown and why was he in a cell so far from home and at such a young age? I decided to investigate Michael’s life and was lucky to find a wealth of information about him. 
Michael’s parents were assisted immigrants Thomas and Margaret Lynch. Natives of Tipperary, they had arrived in New South Wales in 1858. Thomas was a farm labourer, and neither could read or write. Their eldest daughter born in 1855 in Ireland did not come with them, she may have died as an infant, but they were accompanied by their next child, Alicia, born in 1856. It would appear that the Lynches came to Campbelltown fairly quickly, as their next child, Ann, was born in Campbelltown in 1858. Ann was followed by James in 1860, Michael in 1862, Thomas in 1865 and Patrick in 1872, all born in Campbelltown. 
At age 12 Michael was placed on board the “Vernon”, a reformatory for boys. Previously a merchant vessel, the Vernon was anchored at Cockatoo Island from 1871 onwards. It housed about 100 boys who were given academic lessons and taught nautical and industrial skills. 

The "Vernon"

Why was Michael sent here? His intake record of 21st April 1875 states “loitering about the streets and public places in Campbelltown in the colony of NSW in no ostensible lawful occupation, and sleeping in the open air”. His mother stated that he had been to school but not made much progress, he was mischievous and dishonest but had good health. His parents were unable to give him much support, they had little themselves and a large family. He was then described as “a cruel dishonest bad boy indeed”. I can’t help but feel sorry for this 12 year old lad.

 On leaving the Vernon, boys were either apprenticed, found employment or sent to situations in the country. It would appear Michael was apprenticed to a man named Morris Lynch of Little Hartley. In July 1877 we next hear of Michael having absconded from his apprenticeship with Morris. Here we gain a physical description of him. About 16 year of age, stout build, 4’9’’ tall (I think this was an error, he was later described as being 5’7” tall), round face, sandy hair cut short, dressed in black coat, black felt hat, moleskin trousers and Blucher boots. A warrant was issued for his arrest by the Hartley bench. Michael had fled to Campbelltown where he was arrested and remanded to Hartley Court House. It was during this time Michael made his mark on the cell wall and door.  I’m unsure of Michael’s eventual fate for this incident, but unfortunately it set him on a path of petty crimes. 

In 1879 he was suspected of damaging a mowing machine belonging to Joseph Terry of Campbelltown and stealing the tools belonging to said machine.  Although being named in the newspaper no warrant was issued. He was then charged with stealing a saddle the same year and sentenced to 9 months hard labour for Horse Stealing. At Bathurst in 1880 he was tried for horse stealing and sentenced  to 12 months hard labour and a concurrent 18 months for another incident of Horse Stealing. No lesson was learnt as Michael was then charged with Forgery and Uttering in Cooma in 1881. This means creating and circulating false documents. For this he was sentenced to 3 years hard labour for each of the three incidents to be served concurrently.

Michael's photo from his prison records.

I’m happy to say that things then began to improve. Michael returned to Campbelltown and married a woman named Mary Cahill in 1891. Mary was working at the time for Miss Hurley of Queen Street. She had had a son already whose father was not named on his birth certificate. She and Michael married in St John’s and went to live at Quirindi for three years where they became parents of Katherine in 1892, and Johanna in 1894. On returning to the Campbelltown area the family moved to a cottage in Menangle. In 1895 son Thomas was born, and the same year Michael again found himself involved with the law, this time on the right side! He was working as a railway fettler and sadly discovered the body of a young woman at the bottom of an embankment about 10 feet from the rails. An open finding was found at the inquest, but no suspicious circumstances were found. The incident was reported widely in the newspapers. Michael and Mary’s last child was born in 1897, Patrick Michael, who would sadly die the same year aged 9 months.

Michael in later years.

Michael built a home at North Menangle and the couple lived there for many years. The home was relocated to Menangle Park. Michael continued to work as a railway fettler until around the late 30s/early 40s. Mary passed away in 1944, and Michael in 1948, still living in the Cummins Road Menangle Park house. Both he and Mary are buried in St John’s Cemetery Campbelltown with their infant son, as are Michael’s parents and a number of other members of the family. 

Written by Claire Lynch (no relation!)

Sources -  Trove, Ancestry, NSW BDM, https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/entity/nautical-school-ship-vernon/

The lost name of Riversford

I recently came across a reference to Riversford Railway Station, in relation to Menangle, which I had never heard of. I started to investigate the name Riversford, and have come up with the following information. The earliest reference I could find was the death notice in 1852 of Joseph Edwards, late of Riversford, Menangle. Edwards leased a farm of about 180 acres. In 1856 a Post Office was established at Riversford, described as being between Campbelltown and Picton. Another death notice was for John Ryan in 1859, late of Riversford, Menangle, who was also a lessee farmer at Menangle. Mrs Sarah Rose also appears in the newspaper – she was a washerwoman and midwife from Riversford. Her husband George Rose was a shingle splitter. In 1859 a place was appointed for the sale of spirits etc, wholesale, at Riversford. All the above persons are mentioned in the book “They worked at Camden Park”. In 1860, an article about railways in the Sydney Morning Herald states that “Beyond the Nepean a high embankment carries the railway to a cluster of houses known as Riversford, the residents in which are chiefly cultivators of the rich agricultural land though which the line runs for some distance, and which is the property of the Messrs. Macarthur”. The roads must have been pretty bad, as William Dawson, office and farm worker at Camden Park, was advertising for labourers for five weeks work of road repair in 1860. In 1861, another railway article in the SMH stated “Beyond the Menangle River, a long embankment is finished as far as it can be, pending the erection of the viaduct. The adjoining cutting, and some light embankments, extending though a small hamlet known as Riversford, are almost finished…” In the same year Riversford was appointed as a place where a Public Pound would be erected, established and maintained. William Dawson was appointed poundkeeper. Another lessee farmer, John Ryan of Riversford, Menangle, was also reported as deceased as well as John McCain, storekeeper and blacksmith of Riversford.

The Railway Hotel, shown above, built in the 1850s, was on the then Eastern side of Menangle Rd but the re-alignment of the road would now place it either under or on the Western side of the road. 

The Riversford area was also where the railway camp was located. Due to the activity in the area between 1862 and 1864, many workers were camped in that vicinity. In September 1st 1862, the Riversford railway platform was opened as a temporary terminus. It was built by the contractors for the line, at a cost of 115 pounds, and closed in July 1863, when the Menangle Bridge was opened. In 1863, the Riversford post masters wife, Mary Anne Kelly was reported deceased, her husband Dennis Kelly was also the Catholic school teacher. The name Riversford was beginning to fall from general use, being replaced by Menangle. In 1865 the Post Office was to be known officially as Menangle rather than Riversford. Bailliere’s NSW Gazetteer and Road Guide of 1866 referred to Menangle with Riversford in brackets after it. The last mention of the name Riversford I could find was 1879, when the public pound was abolished, and Riversford was no more. Riversford is remembered today only in the name Riversford Road in Menangle Village.

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources - 

Trove 

"They worked at Camden Park" Burnett, Johnson, Nixon & Wrigley

"Early Menangle" J.J. Moloney

Characters of Menangle

Every town has its characters. Those people that are remembered fondly and talked about long after they are gone. Menangle was no different. Black Nellie, Granny Farrell and Billy Baldaxe were three personalities much loved from Menangle's early days and I thought I would tell their story. Their stories mostly come from J.J. Moloney and his book "Early Menangle".

Na Daang, also called Black Nellie, was born in the Penrith area and spent most of her life there. She was remembered as being generous, kind to animals and fond of young children. She made periodical visits to Menangle, accompanied by several dogs of various breeds. Her connection to Menangle originated from a visit she made to Camden Park in the 1830s. She met Johnny Budbury, an aboriginal constable and tracker, who had been born and raised in Camden. It was a case of love at first sight. They later moved to Windsor and Johnny at some stage passed away. When Nellie in later years returned to Menangle she stated that Johnny was dead, but that he was a good man and prayed to God before he died. She was very popular in the area and treated well by the locals.

In the years after Johnny's death, Nellie befriended a white woman by the name of Sarah Shand. She lived on her family's farm on Bringelly Road from 1891. Shand wrote about Nellie's life and painted a portrait of her. She was photographed a number of times, including by Sarah Shand. In one photograph her eccentricity is revealed by showing how she wore her usual two dresses. She would often wear as many as seven petticoats at once.

Black Nellie lived until the 1890s. There is some conjecture about where, when and how she died. There is a possibility that she sadly died at Newington Asylum on 10 December 1898. NSW Birth, Death and Marriage records indicate an aboriginal woman by the name of Nellie died there. I hope it is not her and that she moved away somewhere and experienced a peaceful end to her life.

Black Nellie photographed at Penrith in the mid 1890s (Local Studies Collection, Penrith City Library)

Another character from the early days of Menangle was Mary Ann Farrell. "Granny" Farrell was held in very high esteem by the Menangle locals. In the mid-1870s aged in her mid nineties, Granny would frequently walk four of five miles (6.6 to 8.04 kilometres) every afternoon around Menangle. She always stood out in her snow-white hood of the period. She had been married twice, her second husband Christopher dying in 1853 aged 80. Granny Farrell lived by herself after Christopher's death in a house located approximately on the left hand side of Menangle Road, just past the turn off to Glenlee Road, heading towards Menangle. Incredibly, she was aged 105 years when she passed away on 28 February 1885! She is buried with her husband in St John's Cemetery in Campbelltown.

The Farrell grave in St John's Cemetery

The third Menangle character was known as Billy Baldaxe. His real name was probably Baldock. He possessed a fiery temper and a thin physique. Billy was a convict and according to J.J. Moloney, took pride in exhibiting the marks of his 1500 lashes. Moloney went on to describe him as "possibly the best relic of the system" that he could remember. After his emancipation, he was employed by the pioneering Woodhouse family. A search of convict and other records for this man proved inconclusive. 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

MOLONEY, J.J. 1929

Early Menangle

Newcastle: The Australian Society of Patriots

Karskens, Grace

'Nahdoong's Song'

Camden Museum Facebook site, 10 September 2020.

New Rotolactor Photographs

The library recently received a donation of photographs of the Menangle Rotolactor during its heyday. We are grateful to Lyn Smith for sharing her wonderful images with us. Below is a sample of some of the collection we received. The photographs were taken in 1956. The complete donation is being processed and added to Our Past in Pictures photographic database found on the local studies page on the library's website.

Cattle yards at the Menangle Rotolactor

The rotolactor in 1956

Cows being milked at the rotolactor

Written by Andrew Allen

Mysterious Rock Throwing

I recently came across an unusual story that I was unaware of. In the winter of 1901 a local family suffered a traumatic experience at their home on the Glenlee Estate near Menangle. The family was terrorized by rock throwing that lasted for at least three months. The disturbance appears to have stopped as suddenly as it started.

James Carroll, a respectable and well-to-do dairy farmer, was overnight the focus of media attention. His family first noticed rocks being hurled at their farmhouse in May 1901. These missiles were hurled from the foot of the steep knobby hill next to their home. All attempts to identify the culprits failed, despite large groups of police and civilians camping out each day and night to catch them in the act. What puzzled everybody was that James and his family had no enemies or any cause to attract them. He was popular with all who knew him.

The house was attacked mostly at night, often in the small hours and almost always from the adjacent hill. The rocks landed on the iron roof but occasionally on other areas of the house and sometimes striking members of the family. The matter was reported to the police after a week. The missiles still continued, even after the police kept guard. Large search parties were formed to scour the surrounding land for miles around but nobody was ever found. The Evening News reported that "For weeks men formed a cordon along the hill, six at a time, and watched in relief of four hours each, crouching in the frost behind bushes and stumps, but without result." The newspaper went on to describe how "One evening one of the employees, going outside, sang out, as a challenge, "Give us a stone now!" Swift and sharp came the reply, as a stone struck the wall of the house beside him with a loud knock".

Damage to the place included broken windows, a hole knocked in a corrugated iron tank and roof damage. A state schoolgirl named May Ryan, living at the house, had her temple cut open as she was carrying wood. As soon as stones were heard crashing into the house, police and family members would rush out to find and hear nothing but "the moaning of the wind in the trees".

On one or two occasions unidentified people were seen on the hill. Each time they disappeared as soon as they were persued.

James Carroll later believed that someone was determined to remove him from his property. He told media outlets that he suspected why but this was never published. James was quoted as saying "They can make it as hot as they like, and I'll stand my ground all right with them, until they get tired".

The reports in the media suddenly stopped after 16 August when they reported that it had been a week since the last incident. I could find nothing else in the library's records about this episode. James Carroll's property was called Hillside Farm and he later bought Sugarloaf at Menangle. He died in 1936.

I'm not sure if the house still exists but I'd like to find out more about this story. Perhaps one of our readers knows more or know descendants of the Carroll family.

A sketch of the house in the Evening News

Written by Andrew Allen

Austin Tripp: A Life Cut Short

I recently wrote an article for Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society's journal Grist Mills on the Tripp family of Campbelltown. The Tripps are probably best known for their garage that once stood on the corner of Queen and Dumaresq Street. Tragedy struck this family one Summer day in 1900 when young Austin drowned in the Nepean River at Menangle. The following is an extract taken from my article about Austin Tripp and what happened on that awful day at Menangle.

Charles and Phillis Tripp’s second child was James Austin, who used Austin as his name. He was born in 1883. Austin was a bright, talented and popular boy who suffered from a speech impediment.

The Freeman’s Journal of 2 July, 1898 wrote about a school concert at St. Patrick’s that Austin performed at. It described how “Master Austin Tripp fairly brought down the house with his comic song, The Broken-Down Masher, his ‘get-up’ was perfect, and the enthusiastic encore he received was fully deserved”.

Austin again made the news a month later, however this time the news was not as happy. On 1 August an accident occurred in Queen Street in the vicinity of Mrs W.W. Lees’ store. The horse and sulky owned by Mrs Fowler was standing by, when Austin rolled the wheel of a vehicle up the street. The horse took fright and bolted, striking another conveyance owned by Rev. J. Ashmead with considerable force. Miss Ashmead was thrown out of the vehicle but was not seriously injured. The sulky was badly damaged.

Austin’s bad luck continued in February 1900 but this time it proved fatal. He was 16 years and 9 months when, on Saturday the 3rd February 1900, he went with his father Charles and a man named Harold Brown at Menangle to fish on the river. They stayed there all night, intending to return home about 9 o’clock next morning. At about 8.15am the next morning Austin joined his father and Brown for a swim in the river. Austin could not swim, so he paddled out in shallow water for about 5 minutes. He went too far however, entering a spot where the river suddenly drops into deep water. Charles was about 20 yards from him and could see his son struggling. He swam across as fast as possible to assist him and by the time he got there he was sinking. He managed to grasp him but they both sank after Austin grabbed his father around the neck and arms. Charles then freed himself, came up to the surface, and again went down, but could not reach him. Brown helped in the search but they could not locate Austin.

After searching for about a half an hour and assisted by two other people nearby, Charles came into Campbelltown and informed the police. Constable Loomes and numerous others journeyed to the spot where the body was recovered at 3.30pm.

News of the disaster reached the town shortly before 11am on that fateful Sunday morning. It was a devastating blow to the people of Campbelltown. Austin was held in high regard and Father Dunne spoke to his congregation about his splendid character.

Austin’s body was brought back to Campbelltown on a wagon. He was buried the following day in St John’s Cemetery. The grief suffered by Charles and his young family would have been unbearable. It was theorised by Harold Brown that Austin didn’t call for assistance because of his speech impediment.

 

 

Austin's grave in Campbelltown's St John's Catholic Cemetery

 

My article and other articles from Grist Mills can be purchased from the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society at 8 Lithgow Street, Campbelltown. Alternatively, they can be viewed in the local studies room at Campbelltown Library.

Written by Andrew Allen

The Menangle Rotolactor

We have recently had a generous donation of a book to Local Studies from the Belgenny Farm Trust, called "Milk and the Macarthurs - the dairy history of Camden Park" by Brian Walsh. This book details the history of the dairy industry at Camden Park, from the initial land grants to John Macarthur through to the present day. I decided to write a little about the Rotolactor at Camden Park, because, as a kid, like many others, I can remember visiting it on a school excursion! The main memories are of milkshakes and the very strong smell of cow!
The Rotolactor was first developed and built in New Jersey, U.S.A., in the 1920s, and in the 1940s Lieutenant Edward Macarthur-Onslow, a descendant of John and Elizabeth Macarthur, inspected it on a business trip to the United States. Keen to keep abreast of modern trends, Edward returned to Australia and commissioned the building of a rotolactor at Camden Park. Plans were drawn up locally and the foundation stone laid in 1950. The building was completed in 1952, the first of it's kind in Australia.
Effectively, the rotolactor was a circular automated milking machine, with a circular rotating platform, with 50 cow bails. It was built of brick and stainless steel, with walls of glass to let in natural light, and lights for night milking. As the cows circulated on the milking machine they were fed on feed from the neighbouring irrigated Cowpasture Flats. It took 7 minutes to milk each cow, and every hour between 300 and 375 cows could be milked. Cows would complete a full circuit, and left the rotolactor at the same point as they entered via a different race. The cows were split into groups according to their milk production levels. There were three different speeds to accommodate high, average and low milk producers. A small staff of 9 or 10 could operate the process.
During the 50s and 60s up to 2,000 visitors a week travelled to Menangle to see the rotolactor in action!

The Menangle Rotolactor - cows entering and leaving the circular platform.

Operated by the Macarthur family until 1973, the rotolactor was sold and went through a few owners until it finally closed in about 1983.
These days, modern rotary dairies use a simpler platform and fewer staff. The Menangle Rotolactor was the forerunner that pioneered the use of rotary dairies in Australia.

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources:
Milk and the Macarthurs - the dairy history of Camden Park by Brian Walsh, Belgenny Farm Trust 2016
www.camdenparkhouse.com.au/rotolactor.htm
menangle.com.au
A Scrapbook of history: stories of the Macarthur District by Marie Holmes, CAHS 2012