The Rising Sun

There was an inn in Campbelltown, they called The Rising Sun. Not sure if it was the ruin of many a young boy, but the inn itself appears to have had a short life. Many of Campbelltown's early inns had a fleeting existence. Names such as the Sussex Arms, The Welcome Inn and the Hope Inn have disappeared into the mists of time with very few people now knowing their whereabouts. Often roughly built, many succumbed to fire or other natural disasters. Others endured a slow death, perhaps due to changing importance of previously main roads or thoroughfares or development of settlements away from the inn's location. Many, like The Rising Sun, have left little or no trace of their being.

What do we know about The Rising Sun? According to local historian of the early twentieth century J.P. McGuanne, the inn was located on the corner of George and Dumaresq Streets, on 36 and one quarter perches, and that Benjamin Davies/Davis held the licence in 1836. Dumaresq Street now ends at Hurley Park, well short of the intersection with George Street. It has been that way since the development of Hurley Park. Little else is known of the inn, apart from a valuable notice in Trove from the Sydney Gazette and NSW Advertiser of 3 June 1837. Under the heading of a "Valuable Freehold Property at Campbelltown" the notice continues" The Rising Sun public house, substantially brick-built with verandah front, containing nine rooms and spacious brick-built Stabling and Kitchen; a substantial brick-built House nearly finished, suitable for a wholesale and retail Store; and a substantial weather-boarded House, Verandah front, floored, glazed, and plastered, now occupied as a Butcher's Shop; the whole will be put up and sold in one lot by J. Blackman and Co., on Monday 5th day of June, 1837, at twelve o'clock precisely, on the Premises, at Campbelltown.

Licensee Benjamin Davies went through difficult times from 1836 to 1838. In 1836, he was forced to sell all his stock, mostly haberdashery, at an auction. A few months later he went into business with a man named James Lacy. However, all stock from this partnership was sold five months later again at auction. Then came the above notice of The Rising Sun and other blocks of surrounding land being sold. The next month saw a notice in the newspaper to Benjamin's creditors and then in 1838 a Supreme Court notice to sell all property known as Davies Premises.

However, according to McGuanne in 1920, the hotel was a successful venture. He wrote in his work "A Centenary of Campbelltown" that "Whoever was the last licensee has left so many thousands of empty bottles stowed away in bags on the verandah, that we have concordant evidence of a good business been done". Does this mean the hotel was still around in McGuanne's time or was this passed on from earlier days? The answer is unclear as no maps or photographs of it exist.

No other records can be found. I walked past the site of the inn a couple of days ago. The site is now located in Hurley Park and of course nothing remains. There is no indication that anything was ever there. I was puzzled about why it was here in the first place. To my knowledge, there was very little settlement at this part of the village in the 1830s and no major thoroughfare where traffic would pass through. Perhaps it was built with an idea to relieve the thirst of the weary builders of the newly proposed reservoir in Allman Street? The plot of ground for the reservoir was provided by Governor Bourke in 1833 and work started in 1838. One day more information might come to light.

Approximate site of The Rising Sun Hotel

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

McGuanne J.P. 1920

A Centenary of Campbelltown

The Australian 2 June 1837

The Sydney Gazette and NSW Advertiser, Thursday 1 June 1837

It's all in a name - The Forbes Hotel.

In 1816 Daniel Cooper was sent to NSW after being convicted of stealing. Soon after arriving he was granted a conditional pardon, and by 1821 an absolute pardon. He was engaged in a number of ventures and became a highly successful businessman. Daniel’s involvement in the Macarthur area was firstly as the builder and owner of the Forbes Hotel in Campbelltown (opposite Mawson Park), with his license dated 9th July 1830. He is recorded as being the first land developer in Campbelltown area.
So why did Daniel Cooper name his hotel “The Forbes Hotel”? According to several sources it was named for Chief Justice Francis Forbes.

Chief Justice Francis Forbes

Francis Forbes arrived in Sydney in 1824 having been appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in NSW. Daniel Cooper would have come into contact with Justice Forbes when he presided over the infamous 1827 Fisher murder trial, at which Daniel Cooper was called as a witness. Then in 1828 the First Court of Quarter Sessions was held in Campbelltown in 1828 – it’s reported that this was presided over by Justice Forbes.
Justice Forbes became instrumental in instituting trial by common jury of twelve inhabitants, who had come to the colony as free men or had been born in it, for the first time in Australia. Daniel Cooper took an active part in the campaign to have emancipists accepted for service on juries; when it was won in 1829 he was one of the first to serve. Justice Forbes supported this campaign.
Shortly after this Daniel Cooper built and named his hotel in Campbelltown the Forbes. I would imagine that Daniel, an emancipist and self-made man, would have appreciated the support of Justice Forbes.

Berry's Forbes Hotel, 1894 (Sedgwick Collection, CAHS)

Berry was the proprietor in the early 1890s. 

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources
“Sir Francis Forbes : the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of N.S.W.” by C.H.Currey

camdenhistory.org.au
Australian Dictionary of Biography

The Good Intent

Earlier this year I wrote a brief article for the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society's newsletter 'The Kernel' on the Hotel Good Intent. Below is the full article.

The Good Intent opened its doors to the public on March 24, 1939. It was built on the site of Alpha House which was demolished the previous year. The license was transferred in the names of Mr and Mrs Kerr from the nearby Commonwealth Hotel to the Good Intent.

Aubrey John Raymond, better known as “Titus” Oates, became the licensee of the Good Intent after winning the lottery. “Titus” seems to have been a divisive personality in the town. Many enjoyed his company and regarded him as a generous man. Others are less complementary. Whatever the views, no one could doubt his courage as a pilot. During the 1949 coal miner’s strike, he would go a on a “beer barn-storming mission” flying his Comper Swift, to ensure the beer supply at the Good Intent was kept flowing! He would fly as far as Adelaide locating supplies for the hotel. In 1954 “Titus” sold the Good Intent hotel, in order to enter television production and film making.

 

 

The Good Intent was one of the more popular pubs in Campbelltown during its existence, especially on Sundays. It was a two-story brick building at the front and had three levels at the rear. A large car park was situated on the southern side of the building. The pub was set on a large block of land and included a brick shed, living quarters and a large garden at the rear. In 1973 a drive-in bottle shop was added.

The hotel closed its doors for the last time on April 17^th, 1982. This was an unpopular decision and many regulars defied the demolition signs on the hotel doors and arrived for their usual drink on the Sunday morning- the day of the demolition. They were eventually coaxed out of the bar by a security guard. It was demolished to make way for Campbelltown Mall.

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

The Joiner's Arms

I love the photograph above. The rambling old building is the Joiner's Arms Inn and was owned by Campbelltown pioneer Michael Byrne. He held the license from the 1830s to at least the 1860s. He's named as the licensee in an 1867 advertisement for the inn. The ad claimed that the Joiner's Arms is the oldest hotel in Campbelltown.

The Joiner's Arms was weatherboard and was surrounded by ten acres. At one stage it had five bedrooms, three parlours, detached laundry and kitchen, a bar and a taproom.

Where was it? An 1840 map marked the inn on the western side of Queen Street at the southern end of town. However another map drawn in 1842 showed the Joiner's Arms on the corner of the Old Menangle Road and Narellan Road. Emily Cottage occupied this position and it may have been one of the outbuildings on the ten acres around the inn. Further research supports the inn located where the car park for the Campbelltown Catholic Club is next to the grounds surrounding Emily Cottage.

I am unable to determine when the inn was demolished. The date provided for the photograph indicates that it was still standing around 1916.

The inn, like many of the day, was the location for a number of coronial inquests. One such inquest was for a 17 year old girl who must have lived very near the inn as the newspaper reports of the day give her address as the junction of Menangle (Old Menangle today) Road and Camden Road. In the winter of 1860 Catherine Hackett was burnt to death by her clothes catching fire. She was standing with her back to the fire and after turning suddenly, her clothes came in contact with the fire and instantly ignited. She ran to a neighbouring house where the flames were extinguished, but not before she was dreadfully burned from head to feet. She died about 13 hours later the next morning.

Despite the parents unimaginable grief, I was amazed to read what the coroner had to say about them. The coroner, on request of the jury, was asked to reprimand the father. He not only censured him on this occasion for his conduct but for the "dissolute and improper way in which both he and his wife have for years conducted themselves." The Sydney Morning Herald didn't hold back either by writing that the unfortunate girl was rescued from a life of shame. Certainly appears harsh considering the parents mourning but perhaps it was justified.

Written by Andrew Allen

The Clayton Sisters

The library recently came into the possession of some fascinating photographs. They have been shared with us by the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society and were donated to them by Michael Clayton from Young.

The photographs are taken in 1926. They show two unmarried sisters named Clayton who were living at the Club Hotel at the time as well as members of their family who were on a family visit. Some of the shots are of locations nearby. I personally like the one of the two sisters in the garden at the back of the bank all dressed up and posing in their finest attire.

I find it fascinating that two spinster sisters would choose to live together at a country hotel- something that belongs to a bygone era I guess. I wonder what became of the Clayton sisters?

The Club Hotel was on the corner of Queen and Cordeaux Streets. It was demolished in 1986.

Club Hotel 1926

 

Club Hotel 1926

 

 

Margaret, one of the resident sisters, with Jess and Ellen on the veranda, Club Hotel

 

 

Margaret and Ultima on the veranda

 

 

Bland Clayton visiting his sisters

 

 

Sisters in the garden at the back of the Bank of NSW. Photo taken by Mr Brown the Bank Manager.

 

 

Clayton sisters at the top end of Mawson Park with St Peter's Church in the background.

 

 

Colleen on swing, aged 4, niece of Ben Clayton. Photo taken by Ultima in Mawson Park with St Peter's Church in the background

 

 

Clayton family

Alpha House

Alpha House was originally known as Patrick's Hotel and not long after the Coach and Horses Inn. It was built in 1842 by Anne Byrne and was then owned in the 1840s by Charles Morris who had a mill coaching service.

The building had many uses during its existence. There is evidence that it was once used as a court house and even a gaol. The building was also used for Presbyterian church services by Reverend Gilchrist. It was once known as Hammond's Grammar School and about 1860 it acted as a School of Arts. It then became well known as the home of local politician John Hurley MLA. Hurley died here in 1882. The Hurley's continued to live there at least up until the death of John's wife in 1892. Some time prior to 1930 it was used as a private school run by Miss Whittingham. She boarded upstairs and used a room as a classroom.

The building was wonderfully palatial.  It had two storeys at the front and three at the back and eight bedrooms, four sitting rooms, a large ballroom and hall, cellars, detached kitchen and laundry. There was also a coach house and stabling for 16 horses. It was made of brick with its front verandah flagged in sandstone and the slate roof supported by Georgian pillars of wood.

After Miss Whittingham left, the building was used by Daniel Longhurst up until 1938. Demolition of the building commenced on 5th July that year to make way for the new Commonwealth Hotel which was to later become the Good Intent Hotel. Bricks from Alpha House were used in its construction. The Good Intent was demolished in 1982 to build the new Campbelltown Mall which opened in 1984.

Luckily there are a few photographs of Alpha House. They show us what a grand building it was.

                                               Alpha House taken in 1871

Looking North on Queen Street with Alpha House on the left. Taken in 1875.

This is a later photograph (1920) of Alpha House (Courtesy Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

1937 photograph of Richard Watkins in front of a horse-drawn baker's cart in Queen Street with Alpha House in the background (Cooper Collection. Courtesy Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Written by Andrew Allen

The Jolly Miller

 

 

The Jolly Miller Hotel was built in the late 1840s at the southern end of Queen Street opposite Kendall’s Mill. The hotel was opened by George Fieldhouse who had followed his convict father to New South Wales in 1828. George’s two sons William and Edwin Hallett opened a general store next to the hotel in 1853. This building, which later became the offices for the Campbelltown and Ingleburn News, is still standing opposite McDonald’s restaurant in Queen Street.

George Fieldhouse was the licensee of the Jolly Miller until his death in 1880. An interesting side story regarding George Fieldhouse concerns a visitor to the town in the same year as George’s death. The traveller, a Frederick E Sawyer, noticed George sitting in front of the inn and began to quiz him about his knowledge of Fisher’s Ghost and to show him the spot “immortalized in story, where the ghost of Fisher made its appearance”. To his astonishment Fieldhouse stated most emphatically that there never was a Fisher’s  Ghost  or any other ghost in Campbelltown, at any time or in any place, or under any circumstances! He knew all the parties connected to the story.

 

The Southern end of Queen Street showing Fieldhouse's Store and the Commonwealth Hotel (formerly Jolly Miller Inn) on the right. (Photo courtesy Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society).

After the death of George Fieldhouse the license to the inn passed through a number of hands for the next twenty years. In 1891 it was run by Elizabeth Cooper, Meyer in 1894 and Charles Stanley from 1896 to 1899 and William Day was the proprietor in 1900. That year the application to renew the license was opposed as the inspector ruled that it was not up to the requirements of the Act. The standard of accommodation was not such as the Act provided for. It was deemed “old and unsuitable for present requirements, the sanitary arrangements, ventilation and drainage not being up to date.” The improvements were made and in February 1901 the new proprietor Fred Mulholland applied successfully for a name change and the hotel became the Commonwealth Hotel. A new name and improvements heralded a new beginning for the old hotel.

The hotel was often the scene of various inquests in the early days. Examples of this include the inquest into Elizabeth Walsh’s death written about in my previous blog post. The hotel was in the news in 1904 when a man named Thomas Griffiths committed suicide in a paddock at the rear of the hotel. Thomas was living on the premises at the time.

In 1909 architect Alfred R. Payten designed alterations and additions to the Commonwealth Hotel.

The hotel licenses continued to change hands after the turn of the century with Henry Bridgeland, Helen Hutchison, Mr Reidy and John Williamson owning the hotel between 1912 and 1919. In 1917 Helen Hutchison was taken by surprise when an inspector fined her for remaining open past the allotted hours. A patron was also fined for assaulting and insulting the inspector when he forced the pub to close.

By the 1930s the Commonwealth Hotel was being promoted as the ‘First and Last’ and ‘19^th Hole’- the house where sports meet. The license was transferred to the newly erected Good Intent Hotel in 1939 and the premises were converted to residential use known as the Commonwealth Flats. The building was demolished in the early 1960s. The site today is a vacant block next to the now Macarthur Legal Centre.

Photograph showing the much altered Commonwealth Flats next to Fieldhouse's Store in the early 1960s just before the flats were demolished. (Alex Goodsell Collection).

Written by Andrew Allen

Melbourne Cup Link

As Campbelltown watched Damien Oliver ride home the winner of the Melbourne Cup earlier this month, I am sure few would have known that Campbelltown had its own cup winning jockey. The winner of the 1868 Melbourne Cup was a horse called Glencoe ridden by Charles Stanley from Campbelltown.

Thomas Charles Stanley was born in 1844. He dropped the name Thomas and used Charles throughout his life. In 1871 he married a local girl named Emma Fieldhouse, who was the daughter of a well known identity George Fieldhouse. George owned the Jolly Miller Inn in Queen Street.

Charles Stanley had a very successful career as a jockey. His achievements included riding the winners of the AJC Derby in 1866 and 1867, the Victorian St Leger in 1868 and the win in the Melbourne Cup in 1868 on Glencoe.

Charles rode for the stable of the famous trainer of the day 'Honest John' Tait. Glencoe was John Tait's second win in the Melbourne Cup. However, he was not an easy horse to train or ride. Glencoe was often referred to as 'a dog' by Charles Stanley who detested riding him. He eventually urged Tait to stop training the horse, which Tait eventually did. Charles rode locally for Judge Cheeke of Varroville.

Charles, or Charley as he became affectionately known, took over the licence of the Sportsman's Arms Hotel. This was on the site of the present City Hotel on the corner of Queen and Cordeaux Streets. He died on February 12, 1914 at his home in Bondi and was buried in St Peter's Cemetery in Campbelltown. He and Emma had eight children.

A capstan Cigarette card of Charles Stanley on Glencoe

A sketch of the day showing Glencoe winning the 1868 cup

Written by Andrew Allen

Lack's Hotel

When the Centre Court Tavern on the corner of Queen and Railway Streets was opened in November 1985 it replaced a much loved hotel by the people of Campbelltown. The site was first occupied by the Forbes Hotel, erected in 1827 by Daniel Cooper and opened by George Tait. It contained 18 rooms and the long room set aside for banquets, dancing and public entertainment. It was advertised as the 'best hotel in the country' and provided entertainment which was described as including a 'mesmerist, phrenologist, laughing-gas man, lantern lecturer and a panoramist!'

The Forbes Hotel was replaced by the Federal Hotel around the time of federation and was eventually purchased by Herb Lack in 1922. Herb was the grandfather of local solicitors John and Jim Marsden.

The hotel became well-known for its special house whisky with a guarantee of 20 years maturing in wood in Scotland. Lack claimed 'its quality creates a demand  and maintains its sale'.

The business was operated for many years by the daughter of Herb Lack, Phyllis or 'Tib' as she was better known, and her husband Guy Marsden. Mr Marsden took over the licence in 1951 and kept it until 1972 when it was sold to the Taylor Freeholds Pty Ltd. John and Jim Marsden were born and raised in the hotel as was their father.

Within the bar was an implied social division. The public bar was cheaper than the saloon bar which attracted more the professional merchant or grazier class. The public bar drinker reportedly showed no animosity towards these "silvertail' drinkers on the other side however.

According to one of our oral history interviewees, an SP Bookie set up a business in the hotel at one stage!

Almost every old local that I ask what was the best hotel to drink at in Campbelltown in days past, the answer is inevitably Lack's Hotel. The hotel was sadly demolished in June 1984.

The photograph above is of Lack's Hotel just before it was demolished in 1984.

Written by Andrew Allen