Hurley's "Smash" Hit

As we are in the middle of the cricket season, I thought I would dig up a local news article that I came across a while ago. In 1926 A Mr Bland Clayton of Minto spoke to a reporter from the Campbelltown News about a cricket match that he remembered in Mawson Park around 1865. He explained that he was the person responsible for introducing round arm bowling to Campbelltown that year. This new method of bowling was met with much resistance from the locals however. He went on to say "the batsmen contributed no small share in disapproving of the new bowling, claiming that the ball was literally thrown at the batsmen and wicket." In this particular match between the locals and a Sydney team, one Sydney player refused to bowl round arm to the batsman John Hurley, a local business identity and ex-convict. He said he would demonstrate the way it should be bowled. This brought a smile to Hurley. His reply was to lift the ball with an almighty swing over Howe Street (this was a street that used to run between the park and St Peters Church) and it crashed through the window of the church. One wonders if the bowler considered giving round arm a try after this!

       Cricketer Alfred Mynn in 1853 bowling with the controversial round arm action

I noticed in an article from the same paper two weeks later there was a petition to have cricket played in Mawson Park again. Alderman Gamble was behind the push. Apparently the wicket had been destroyed in favour of a garden. However Gamble argued that "The reserve in its present state was nothing but a bird's nest, full of swallows and sparrows, it is an eyesore to the town and a disgrace to the Municipality, and the pitch was ruined for nothing but petty spite." Gamble's motion was lost in council and a cricket pitch was never made in the park again.

                     An undated photograph of Mawson Park (Clissold Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown Ingleburn News, 22 January and 5 February 1926

McBarron, E.J.
Mawson Park, Campbelltown NSW: Notes on History and Trees

John Madden

The life of convict John Madden is a fascinating story. Let me briefly describe it to you.

John Madden was born in 1792 in County Galway, Ireland. Records disclose that at the Galway Assizes on 31 March, 1820 he, together with three other prisoners, were indicted for appearing in arms as Ribbonmen, and for administering unlawful oaths. Ribbonmen were a 19th-century popular movement of Catholics in Ireland. They were active against landlords and their agents, and were ideologically and sometimes violently opposed to the Orange Order. The name is derived from a green ribbon worn as a badge in a button-hole by the members.

In Madden's defence, one of the jury is reported to have said, "... that Madden was in his company as a soldier, in the Galway Militia, and that he was a well-conducted man." Yet another, who gave evidence, swore on oath that he knew "... all the prisoners, and never heard anything against them until this business." Nonetheless, Madden and two other prisoners were found guilty and the fourth was acquitted. Madden and another was sentenced to be transported for life.

He arrived as a convict in the colony on the Dorothy on September 19, 1820. John's description in the convict register describe him as 5 feet 4 inches tall, of sallow complexion, having dark to greying hair, hazel coloured eyes and a scar over his left eyebrow. He was a shoemaker and labourer.

John was assigned to Thomas Reddall in 1823 on his Smeaton property and later on his Glen Alpine property. His good behaviour earned him the privilege of a Ticket-of-Leave which, on the recommendation of the Airds Bench, was granted on 22 June 1831.

In 1834 John purchased three-quarters of an acre of land on Menangle Road, part of Paul Huon’s grant. A year later, on 16 November, 1835, John petitioned His Excellency, Major General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB, Governor and Commander in Chief, to be "re-united to the Family from which he was separated at the Time of Transportation". Subsequently, sons Patrick and John embarked on the Elphinstone, a convict ship which left Kingstown Harbour, Dublin on 8 September 1838 bound for New South Wales. Bridget, his wife, sailed from Dublin one week earlier aboard the Margaret but, according to shipping records, daughter, Mary, by this time, had already died. They were all lated re-united with John in Campbelltown. Imagine how exciting this wouldv'e been for them all after so long apart!

John and his wife Bridget lived at Madden's Hill on Menangle Road on land which, today, is in the vicinity of the Sydney Water Supply Channel, north of the Sugarloaf Tunnel, Campbelltown.

John Madden died in 1851 aged 58 years and is buried in St John's Catholic Cemetery. Unfortunately his headstone has recently fallen over.

 

John Madden's headstone in St John's Cemetery in Campbelltown before it tumbled over (Verlie Fowler Collection).

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

https://sites.google.com/site/ourfamilysitegroup/Home/madden/madden-john

Campbelltown Pioneer Register 1800-1900

 

 

Rain, Wind and Fire

The month of January has a history of inflicting natural disasters on Campbelltown.  Arguably the three worst natural disasters to strike the town have all occured in January. The first disaster was in 1901 when a fierce storm struck bringing "phenomenal rainfall". The second occured in 1929 when a devastating fire destroyed property in the area and the third in 1944 when a violent tornado hit Campbelltown. I thought I would give a summary of all three, mostly sourced from newspapers of the day.

The Storm

The district had never seen anything like it before. It was Monday January 21, 1901. Campbelltown residents felt a storm brewing for most of that afternoon but none of them could imagine the ferocity it would bring. At 6pm the rain began to fall and it lasted for around 4 hours. The Campbelltown Herald reported that it "raged with exceptional severity and did incalculable damage". The worst part of it was between 7 and 8pm with the streets in the low lying portions of the town converted into river-like watercourses. Many businesses suffered severe damage but it seems that a Mr E.J. Whyte, chemist, was the most affected. He lost furniture and clothing to the value of 30 pounds and his house became a "mass of mud and filth". George Chinnocks, a butcher, also lost large amounts of stock from his slaughteryard. Roads were badly affected and cost an immense amount of money to repair.

The storm finally abated around 11pm and 6 and a half inches were recorded in the gauge. The Herald described it as "something to remember".

The Fire

"Fire- Damnable Enemy" screamed the headlines on the front of the Campbelltown News for January 11, 1929. It went on to describe it with further dramatic sub-headings of: Devastating Sights, Homeless Families, Ruination to Several Settlers and Miraculous Escape of Human Lives.

Early on Wednesday afternoon January 9, 1929 a spark from a passing train at Leumeah commenced the most devastating fire in Campbelltown's history. The flames soon reached the bush country of East Minto and swept through thousands of acres, devouring everything before it. The rural bushland now known as the suburbs of Wedderburn, St Helens Park, Airds, Ruse, Kentlyn and Leumeah was devastated. The area of East Minto, now known as Minto Heights, was the worst affected.

An account of the fire was provided by East Minto resident George Mardell.  He told the Campbelltown News "All at once I saw the flames lash out through a narrow strip right at my home and my wife only had time to pick up the baby and run". "I tried to beat off the flames, but could not...(and) we stayed in the cultivation paddock for some time, and saw we were likely to be hemmed in, so we made a dash for Bendorp's".

The houses of three settlers were destroyed and five others were severely damaged. The buildings were not insured. One of the homes destroyed belonged to a Mrs Gracey in Junction Road. When the blaze was approaching, Mrs Gracey locked herself inside. The door had to be chopped down with an axe to rescue her.

The fire caused many people to suffer very serious loss and hardship, which few could afford as the Great Depression approached. The fire was never extinguished and eventually burnt itself out with a loss of many thousands of pounds worth of property.

The Tornado

Probably the most spectacular of the three natural disasters was the tornado of January 1944. The Camden News reported: "The most violent storm in the history of Campbelltown, accompanied by rain and hail lashed through the whole width of the township. Dark clouds thickened over the town and a strong wind rose, followed by rain. A heavy gale sprung up which brought heavy rain and hail. This momentarily developed into a cyclonic tornado with power reaching a velocity at its peak of 150 miles per hour.''

No lives were lost although some of the inhabitants suffered injuries and were very shocked. However, more than 30 buildings were severely damaged and there was a blackout. Smaller buildings such as stables and sheds were demolished and there were many residents who suffered great inconvenience when their outhouses were blown away. Many trees were uprooted. The town was strewn with sheets of iron and rafters from the buildings that were damaged. The town received about 13mm in 10 minutes.

Let's hope this January passes quietly with no dramatic weather event!

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 17 January 1944, page 4
Campbelltown News, Friday 11 January 1929, page 1
The Campbelltown Herald, Wednesday 23 January 1901, page 2

McGill, Jeff 1995
Campbelltown's Streets and Suburbs

Fire Fighters of Kentlyn: History of the Kentlyn Bush Fire Brigade 1946-1996

Merry Christmas

A big thank you to all the followers of this blog and I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas. My next post will be in early January 2015.

Andrew and the Local Information Team

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
― George Orwell

Table set for Christmas dinner in the dining room of Lottie Follan's mother's house in Minto just after the depression c 1935 (Follan Collection).

The Hume and Hovell Monument

I am sure many of you have driven past it but some of you might not know its significance. Located between Campbelltown and Appin on the left hand side of the road heading towards Appin is an obelisk dedicated to the explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell. This stone monument was erected by the Royal Australian Historical Society in 1924 to commemorate 100 years since the explorers Hume and Hovell set out on their exploratory journey to Port Phillip in Victoria.

The monument was unveiled in 1924 by the Minister for Justice, the Hon. T.J. Ley. A speech was made by the President of the Royal Australian Historical Society Aubrey Halloran which began with "Standing today upon this historic site where, a century ago, two of Australia's greatest explorers commenced their journey into the great unknown, our hearts are stirred at the memory of their magnificent pioneering work in blazing a trail to Port Phillip".

Stone recovered from the ruins of Hamilton Hume's house at Brookdale Farm (adjoining the monument) is said to have been used in the building of the monument. The inscription reads "To commemorate the Hume Hovell expedition. The site of the home of Hamilton Hume. Starting point of the expedition to Port Phillip October 2 1824. R.A.H.S."

As you look from the monument out to the west, you can only imagine what both explorers were thinking as they took those first few steps with their bullocks, horses, dogs and four other convicts into the unknown. The expedition was a success as they accessed previously unexplored land south of the Murrumbidgee. They reached Corio Bay on December 16 and reported suitable grazing land at Westernport to the Governor.

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Unveiling of the Obelisk at Appin
Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society
Vol. 11 Part 2, 1925 pp57-62

Memories of the Show

The Campbelltown A.H. and I. Society held its first show on March 16 and 17, 1899. It was held on the society's grounds adjacent to the old town hall and where the Campbelltown Mall is now located. Among prizes listed in the schedule for this first show were 5s 6d from the Fresh Food and Ice Co., of Sydney for the best British game cock in the poultry section while 1 pound and a certificate was offered to the best draught horse stallion three years and over. Dr S. Simons offered a prize of 1 pound 1 shilling for the best six varieties of apples.

The Campbelltown Show was once seen by many locals as the entertainment highlight of the year. As long time resident Kevin Rixon put it "that was the only event in Campbelltown that ever really happened". From 1902 the show was held on the new showground on the corner of Moore and Warby Streets. It remained here until 1974 when it moved to Menangle Park. These days the show doesn't quite capture the interest like it used to.

Ruth Pemberthy, Margaret Noel and Maureen Patrick and the Campbelltown Show in 1950


I thought I would write about some of the more interesting and amusing stories associated with the show gathered over the years. Here are some of them:

According to long-serving member, Syd Percival, a wayward monkey once caused mayhem. The story goes that the produce stewards had gone to considerable trouble to set up a district exhibit with prize-winning produce from the district. As they locked the building the night before the show, they looked forward to returning the next morning to show visitors the wealth of local produce on display. However, as they slept, a monkey escaped from the sideshow and found its way through a hole in the wall. The stewards were horrified to find a monkey asleep on a bale of hay and the best fruit and vegetables eaten, with the ones he didn't eat thrown all around the pavillion!

In 1935, CJ Clarke's bull was awarded grand champion bull and repaid the judge by attacking him and goring him in the leg!

In 1929, one sideshow attracted considerable interest. It was called "bubbly ping pong", a new game recently invented by Sid Madden and played for the first time in public at this show. It obviously never caught on!

In the 1950s a dog was once seen running from a display of the "Wonders of the Barrier Reef" with a shark's head firmly between its teeth!

When Mr W Jones, a horse competitor, in 1909 allegedly told the judge, "you are a robber and would put your hands in a man's pocket" he was disqualified for life from appearing at Campbelltown show.

                                      Prizewinning cow at Campbelltown Show, 1969

In 1916, in the middle of the First World War, the show society agreed to the use of the grounds and pavillion by the military. The show society was told that the use by the military of the grounds meant there would be no show until after the war. A show member quipped to loud applause, "if we don't help the soldiers, the only exhibits at future shows will be German sausage".

Frank Laurie's merry-go-round was a regular attraction at the Campbelltown Show. It featured 10 oil paintings depicting paddle steamers, ploughing, logging, gold mining, hunting and early travel scenes. Above a column of mirrors were panels of scantly clad women. Some suggested they should be replaced by Disney characters but Frank argued that they were there for the benefit of the fathers while their children enjoyed the ride.

Over the years there have been numerous stunt riders and daring acts. Dale Buggins appeared in 1980 performing his "stunt spectacular" followed by David Pinkerton the following year. In 1983, a blazing stuntman became a human torch before diving from a 30 metre tower into a water tank. In 1977, human time bomb Frank Lennon stepped into a coffin of death with 30 sticks of dynamite. He walked away unscathed but caused havoc among the horses and livestock around the grounds!

The show was somewhere where you always got dressed up. Chris Thomson, formerly Vardy, remembers how you bought a new dress and all the girls wore gloves and little handbags. "Cause it was a town thing. Everyone was there. All the men used to hang out at the bar. It was just a social event".

The side shows would often have curiosities that made a lasting impression on those wandering by. Celeste from Quebec packed in ice was a wonder to be marvelled at, while "The Tumblers", the girls with the wicked curves, raised the eyebrows of the more sedate locals.

The show was an institution in Campbelltown for many years and its history is closely bound with the history of the town.

 

Indoor Exhibits at the Campbelltown Show, 1907

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

 

LEARY, John K. 1998

.....And the show goes on: The 100-year history of the Campbelltown Show Society

Campbelltown City Show Society Inc.

 

Campbelltow-Ingleburn News, March 13, 1979

 

Campbelltown Centenary Show: celebrating 100 years of shows in Campbelltown 1898-1998

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cransley

Tucked away amongst the trees at 104 Waminda Avenue, Campbelltown is a neat little State Heritage listed cottage named "Cransley". The house seems to be built around 1882, although some sources date it to 1890. John Knight, one of the first Campbelltown alderman, bought the land in 1881 and built the house, so 1882 would seem the likely year.

The cottage is constructed of sandstone with a slate roof and has an unobtrusive and well designed verandah to the one side. It has been described as a typical "Hunter's Hill" type of house.

The original occupier of the land was Michael Wholohan who received a 50 acre grant which he held from 1821 to 1844.  After his death, the land was willed to his brother Daniel followed by other family members before being sold to Benjamin Warby in 1859. It then passed through a number of hands including John Knight in 1881. In 1918, the Government purchased the Cransley Estate as a soldiers resettlement scheme and the 391 acres was divided into 44 small farms with Cransley being the manager's residence while the project got underway.

In 1921, Bill Price settled on Cransley and ran a poultry farm until World War 2. On his return from war he established a nursery and became well known in the area as a very able nurseryman. A 1949 newspaper advertisement talks about the variety of trees, shrubs and roses for sale. In 1965, Price surrendered 11 of the original 12 acres and kept one for the nursery. On his retirement he subdivided the acre and gave part of it to Campbelltown Council to be used as a park which is now known as Cransley Reserve.

On Bill Price's death in 1976, the property passed to his widow and son who then sold the property at auction to Alice Minut. Alice developed the house as a craft centre and built a pottery at the rear. In 1982, it was sold at auction and again in 1994.

The photograph above is of Cransley in 1982. Today the house is partly hidden behind well established trees. (Verlie Fowler Collection).

Written by Andrew Allen