Isaac's Bible

On 25 April 1809 Isaac Nichols, an emancipated convict, was appointed as Postmaster, a position that authorised him to board ships and receive letters and parcels addressed to people within the colony. This was a very important position that Isaac held. Letters were the only way for the convicts, settlers and officials of the new colony to maintain a connection with Britain. Ships were mobbed by people searching for letters and parcels. Compare this with today, where communication is instant and accessing news is only a quick mobile phone search away.

Isaac Nichols was born on 29 July 1770 at Calne, Wiltshire, England. At the age of 21 he was found guilty of stealing and sentenced to seven years transportation. Isaac arrived in Port Jackson on the notorious Second Fleet on 16 October 1791. It was his demonstration of sobriety and honesty that convinced Governor Hunter to employ him as Chief Overseer of convicts in Sydney. At the completion of his sentence, Isaac was granted land in the Concorde district and in the following years he was to acquire more land, leading to him becoming a wealthy businessman.

As postmaster, Isaac collected the incoming mail and published a list of people who had received mail in the Sydney Gazette. He hand-delivered mail to the wealthiest people in the colony. He did this until his death in November 1819.

It was through Isaac's son that the link to Campbelltown was established. His son Charles attended the school in the building known as Meehan's Castle. It was run by Rev. Thomas Reddall and was an exclusive boarding school for boys. Charles attended St Peter's Church and was their first musician, by playing the flute to lead the singing.

It was through a chance discovery in Trove that I learnt about how Isaac Nichols' bible came to be in the possession of St Peter's Church. In 1933, Isaac's great granddaughter and parishioner Violet Ida Nichols presented the bible to the church. Unmarried and wanting a safe home for the bible, Violet chose the church as the most appropriate place. It was presented on the church's 110th anniversary.

The bible dates to 1812 and is leather-bound with steel engravings. It is in remarkably good condition for its age, following restoration by the State Library in 1998 for the church's 175th anniversary. The bible was central to a re-enactment by Australia Post in 2009 of the first mail delivery to NSW. It was put on display in a glass case at Campbelltown Post Office. Isaac's bible and another bible used in St Peter's Church from its opening year, form an impressive collection in the church's archives.

Isaac Nichols' 1812 bible

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/first-post-office#:~:text=On 23 June 1810 Governor,that read 'Sydney NSW'.

Letter written by Violet Nichols to St Peter's Anglican Church 1933

Macarthur Chronicle, 1 September 2009, p4

School's Early Troubles

It was believed that the construction of a new bridge over the Georges River would increase the demand for land and therefore result in an increase of the population around Wedderburn. In the decade before, many settlers had cleared the bushland for planting of orchards and farms, although at the time that land was being set aside for a school in the early 1890s, there were still not enough students. Wedderburn School opened in 1896 on a two-acre block of land granted by the Government.

Following its opening, the school encountered problems. The Campbelltown Herald reported "Travellers along the Wedderburn Road have often been surprised, and sometimes amused, to have that once uninviting structure - the Wedderburn School- pointed out as the building set aside for educational purposes. Its wooden walls, unpainted and stained by all sorts of weather, and its galvanised iron roof presented anything but a charming appearance to the passers-by".

Dwindling student numbers were another problem faced by the school in the early years. In 1916, enrolment had dropped to just 14, with eight under school age. The parents were fighting to keep the school opened and to make the necessary repairs. The neighbouring Campbelltown South School took the furniture from Wedderburn School thinking that it was closed! They were immediately asked to return it. In 1919 the school was described as "in a disgusting state".

Termites were a real menace. They were so bad that one teacher had to stand or sit on one of the children's desks, because her chair had been eaten by termites, and there were no other chairs available. Problems with termites persisted in the following years, with continual repairs carried out. They were still around in 1928, after the school was reopened after being closed from 1921 to 1924. An inspection found the old building to be "riddled every inch by white ants and beyond repair". Solutions were sought but within four years the school again needed repairs as the white ant capping was found to be defective.

The present weatherboard building was moved there in 1936 from Nepean Dam. It also needed repairs due to termite infestation. In 1956, the school closed as a provisional school and opened as a public school. The school finally closed in 1976. Today the site is used by WestWords, a Western Sydney centre for writing, as a writer's retreat.

Above is the weatherboard building moved to the school in 1936 (photo courtesy of Marie Holmes)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

"Wedderburn" by Marie Holmes

In Grist Mills: Journal of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Vol. 10, No. 2, April 1997 pp 26-48

Campbelltown Herald, 7 December 1898, p2

Campbelltown News, 22 October 1937, p2

HOLMES, Marie 2012

A Scrapbook of History: stories of the Macarthur District 

Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Springfield House (Amaroo)

Campbelltown Library's recent Great Australian Dream Project resulted in many interesting photographs as entries for the competition. This post will cover a building named Springfield House and a subsequent post will describe another exciting entry of a house that has a "colourful" history.

The magnificent Springfield House was built in 1962 by Harry Springfield, who sold it a year later to Lend Lease Corporation. The house, which won an architectural award, was situated on 75 acres of land, somewhere near the end of Fitzgibbon Lane in today's Rosemeadow. Originally named "Amaroo" (purportedly indigenous for a 'beautiful place'), at the time of construction it was in an isolated paddock. The closest surrounding developed lands at the time were Bradbury and the original Campbelltown Golf Course. The Springfields ran beef cattle and grew various crops.

 After "Amaroo" was sold by Harry in 1963, Lend Lease was able to strike up a deal which allowed Harry and his family to live there for about 18 years until it was sold. The Springfields loved living there. Harry expressed to a local newspaper that "I have had the pleasure of bringing up most of my family in it".

The two-story house had 3 bedrooms and a study that could be converted into a fourth bedroom. It had a large 'rumpus' room downstairs, billiard room and an indoor lanai garden with a small in-ground fishpond room. There were spectacular views on the horizon of the Sydney CBD buildings and even of Mt Victoria in the Blue Mountains.

After the Springfields moved to Menangle Park, the building was used as a community arts centre. It opened in 1983 with a spectacular bonfire. (not to burn the place down!) With the threat of resumption by the State Planning and Environment Department, the house was sold and owned by various entities including Lend Lease and the Department of Housing. It fell into dis-repair after severe vandalism and a fire caused by suspected arson in early 1990 led to its demolition.

The photographs of the house below were all entries in the Great Australian Dream Project and were supplied by Barry Springfield. The project aimed at recording various types of architecture from the period 1920-1979 in the Campbelltown area. Other houses entered for the project can be found on Campbelltown Library's website or by visiting Great Australian Dream Project - Campbelltown City Council

West wing of "Amaroo" AKA Springfield House while under construction. The view is looking at the upstairs kitchen and loungeroom and verandah. The lower ground double garage is alongside the indoor lanai room. The house is nearly completed with trees and lawns yest to be established. (Barry Springfield Collection)

 

Ring, ring why don't you give me a call?

We don't often get reminders of how stark progress is but an article from 1961 brought home how far telecommunications have come. 

J.D. Morgan of the Ingle Store, Stanley Road, Ingleburn organized a petition to request another public telephone in Ingleburn. The only phone box in town was on the eastern side of the railway line and often had a long queue. 50 signatories signed the document noting that with the railway gates closed at frequent intervals valuable time would be lost in emergencies by anyone on that side of the track. 

It was perhaps an opportune time for the request, as the Postmaster General's Department were active that year placing telephone repeater stations from Glenfield to Menangle. These were concrete bunkers, the size of a garden shed, amplifying signals through coaxial cables from Sydney to Melbourne and providing hundreds of telephone channels simultaneously! Described as bullet proof, the stations actually needed to be as "buildings like these in country districts are often targets for disappointed hunters and youths with rifles."  

The trial of a public telephone in a private house occurred in Campbelltown but was deemed to have ended unsatisfactorily. No further information was given but it might be guessed at.

Those with private phone lines didn't always have ease of access either. In 1923, during the very early days of telecommunication, Ald Graham wanted Ingleburn to have its own telephone exchange siting the fact Glenfield had one! The Post Master General wrote to say a continuous telephone service could not be granted for Ingleburn unless the public was prepared to pay a salary for an official. Alternatively, a "slot machine" connected with the Liverpool exchange could be arranged. The proposal was accepted by Graham and Luff and whatever a slot machine entailed was installed.

The situation was somewhat better in 1927, an exchange had been created at Ingleburn and customers even asked for the exchange to stay open later than six. The local postmaster proposed to remain open until 8 o'clock with the exception of weekends and holidays. He would do this for an annual sum of 52 pounds instead of the current 39. There was some kerfuffle in communications between all parties involved but subscribers offered to pay a pound extra each and the extra hours were added.

...until 1932 when the PMG stated the sum of 2/1 was due from council on the debit incurred for the extended hours and the service had been suspended. It was resumed when subscribers were debited half-yearly instead of the local postmaster himself collecting the fee individually.

The circumstances with the existing eastern telephone box was bright though in 1935 when Alderman Naylor successfully lobbied to get the telephone booth illuminated with electric light. 

From the forties on, the placing of public telephones seems to be a see-sawing of requests and approvals between the public, PMG and the council for small parcels of land on which to put the boxes. A variety of reasons were forwarded. A t-intersection sign was erected on Redfern Road after a number of car accidents were claimed to be unreported due to the lack of a telephone in the vicinity. 

But was J.D. Morgan of the Ingle Store and his supporters successful in a public phone west of the tracks?  

In the council minutes of 11/4/1962 a request by the PMG for a telephone at the corner of Stanley Road and Memorial Avenue was approved. And there's still one there today.

By Michael Sullivan

References

 

“Another public Phone wanted” 14 1961 IBN News p 12

“Ingleburn Council” Trove 12 Feb 1932 p8 

“Local Districts Play Part in Big intercity telephone Expansion” Macarthur Advertiser February 5 1960. p.1

“PMG said there are no funds to extend hours” C.I.N May 20 1932

Lighted phonebox -31 May 1935 

“Own telephone exchange in Ingleburn 2 Mar 1923

“Continuous service” 1 June 1923

Trove CIN -14 Jan 1927.

Menangle Park Silos

Chances are you have noticed that the silos at Menangle Park have sadly been demolished to make way for the new development. These silos stood undisturbed in the vacant paddocks on the Thomas Vardy Estate for many years. They were a testament to Campbelltown's farming days and the importance that agriculture once played in the area. It was hoped that they would be retained and perhaps integrated into parklands as part of the new suburb. Alas, this wasn't to be. A report published shortly before development started wrote of the significance: "The proposed removal of the silos in the southern portion will have a greater than minor heritage impact." "Although the silos are not listed on any statutory registers, they are important to the local area as evidence of dairying in the Campbelltown district, and dairying practices in the 1930s." "They are examples of a standard concrete silo design promoted by the NSW Government Department of Agriculture during the 1930s Depression as structures associated with the NSW Government unemployment relief scheme of that period." "Consideration should be given to partial retention of the silos for interpretational purposes."

One person who was sympathetic towards saving the silos was Cr Warren Morrison. In 2018 he said, "It would be perfect timing as we head towards the Campbelltown bicentennial in 2020 to try to preserve our history wherever possible". "The silos can be seen from the Hume Highway, and they are a visible reminder of our past as an agricultural region". Another proposed project that never eventuated was the establishment of a Military Memorial Precinct in the vicinity of the silos. It was envisaged that the silos could be restored and painted with WW1 graphics.

Unlike the iconic silos on Appin Road, I have been unable to find much information on the Menangle Park silos. There are references on Trove to silos in the Menangle area, but it is unclear if they are the silos on the Vardy Estate. The estate property was originally granted to Thomas Byrne in 1812. Thomas Vardy later became owner of the land about 1840. The property appears to have operated as a dairy farm in the twentieth century and, along with the information about the unemployment relief scheme of the 1930s, helps date the silos to that period.

I came across a photograph taken around the 1960s of the silos and an adjacent house. Also included below is one of a similar view taken in 2020 and three years before demolition.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Menangle Park Land Release Area Volume 1

South West Voice, 9 October 2018

Christmas in Campbelltown- 100 Years Ago

The festive season in Australia in 1924 was threatened by the waterfront disputes that had developed through the year. Luckily for Campbelltown, the disputes had minimum impact on Christmas. The Campbelltown News reported a week before the big day what various businesses offered for the community. Most of them had decorated their shop windows with their usual enthusiasm and Christmas spirit. Besides decorations, each business also displayed their Christmas goodies, which was typical for the time. Some notable standouts included:

Solomon Brothers- This firm stood on the southeast corner of Queen and Dumaresq Streets. The Solomons had taken over the business from Percy Marlow five years earlier. They had 5 windows to show off their products.

Solomon's Store c.1928

Winton and Ireland- this shop was located in Railway Street. They were grocers, ironmongers and produce merchants, where their three windows displayed an exceptional range of crockery and Christmas fruits. They were anticipating a 'heavy rush during the coming week'.

C and E Nicod- had recently specialised in electrical ware and pictures. The paper described these pictures as making splendid presents. I can only speculate on what they mean by 'pictures'. Perhaps it was associated with the new phenomenon of electricity and displaying some type of pictures with a glow! Or maybe it was related to moving pictures? I would love to read theories from anyone.

Reeve's Emporium- This iconic business was known for its Christmas decorations. H.S. Reeve had an emporium on the corner of Patrick and Queen Streets, which was built around the turn of the century. Reeve described his toy department as the headquarters of Father Christmas. The shops range that year was described as most surprising (I think they mean it was good). What an exciting shop it would have been for children!

Reeve's Emporium is the building in the background of this photo

Miss M Keller- This shop was on the southern corner of Queen and Patrick Streets on the opposite corner to Reeve's Emporium. This was also an exciting shop- for all ages, especially those that loved chocolates and ice cream. It was the place to buy a box of chocolates for ant sweet tooth that Christmas.

The Model Bakery- Mr W.J. Boweher had recently opened up his new bakery on the southeast corner of Queen and Broughton Streets. He installed a three-bag oven capable of turning out three bags of flour in bread every 3 and a half hours. He was ready for the Christmas rush by baking buns, cakes and pastry.

C.J. Storey's Furniture Shop- was located near the town hall. His idea of a perfect gift included a perambulator, go-cart, or an easy comfortable chair. What a simpler world it was back then!

And finally, Charles Tripp's garage business on the southeast corner of Dumaresq and Queen Streets. Charles was a fanatical fan of the early wireless. That year he encouraged people to listen to a wireless set if the weather was unfavourable. He was only too keen to demonstrate this new technology and help you "listen-in".

Charles Tripp (photo courtesy of Marie Goodsell)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our History Buff readers!

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown News. Friday 19 December 1924, page 1

Joseph and Mary

I have been reading an interesting account of a convict ship that arrived in the colony in 1829. A Cargo of Women: Susannah Watson and the Convicts of the Princess Royal by Babette Smith is a gripping account of the lives of the women convicts aboard the 'Princess Royal'. The book outlines the dire poverty these women endured in England and how it contributed to each woman's fate. Many of the women dreaded the journey and destination they were about to encounter, but others welcomed the opportunity and regarded it as a means to escape their desperate situations. Although much of the focus is on a female convict named Susannah Watson, it touches on most or all of the convicts. One such woman is Mary Ann Taylor.

Mary Ann, found guilty of highway robbery, was a dairymaid from Wiltshire and had been assigned straight from the ship's arrival in 1829 to Campbelltown and Reverend Thomas Reddall. It did not take her long to find a man in the male dominated tiny settlement. Joseph Giles was assigned to landowner William Howe of Glenlee Estate. Glenlee homestead, built before Joseph was assigned there, still stands proudly on land between Campbelltown and Menangle. Joseph Giles was also born in Wiltshire, in the village of Salisbury around 1800. A Protestant, he arrived in the Colony on board the Marquis of Hastings in 1826 as a convict. The work Joseph did for Howe included gardening and dairy farming. An indication of the good character of Joseph and Mary is revealed in the recommendations supplied by Reddall and Howe. Rev. Redall said that Mary Ann 'has conducted herself tolerably well since she has been in my family', while William Howe, supporting Giles, said he 'has been in my employ since his arrival in the Colony and has conducted himself in a proper manner. I consent to his marriage and undertake to receive them both into my service.' Joseph and Mary stayed with him until Joseph obtained a ticket-of-leave at the end of 1834.

Glenlee homestead taken in 1980

Babette Smith provided an insight into the long journey Mary Ann experienced on the 'Princess Royal'. Despite most of her fellow passengers coping well with a particularly warm day on the voyage, according to the surgeon's log, Mary Ann found the heat on the ship oppressive and collapsed after helping to clean the lower deck. Surgeon Wilson found her lying on her berth and red in the face. Two weeks later, she sat for too long on the upper deck and dramatically fainted into a delirious fever.

Following Joseph's ticket-of-leave, the couple moved to the Stonequarry district (today's Picton) and Joseph worked there as a stockkeeper. They later moved back to Campbelltown where Joseph became a police constable. This was not uncommon for convicts to be employed as policemen. However, Joseph was caught stealing a hat in February 1838, despite his recent successes. He was sentenced to an iron gang for 12 months and lost his ticket-of-leave. Mary Ann was left to support herself and her young daughter Sarah without their cattle which were forfeited to the Crown.

Again, Joseph displayed good behaviour and the major in charge of the stockade at Campbelltown recommended a remission of his sentence. He was later described as a quiet and laborious man, well- spoken by his superiors. He later obtained another ticket-of-leave and Mary Ann joined him in the Liverpool area. Joseph died in 1847 at Denham Court. Mary Ann later married a William Banford the following year at Denham Court. They had no children. Despite a considerable search, I am unable to be sure what became of Mary Ann. It is also unclear what happened to William Banford.

I ran a cemetery tour last September at Denham Court Cemetery. I explained that the oldest grave with a headstone in the cemetery belonged to a Joseph Giles. The very weathered stone stood on the edge of the church yard, as it has done for 177 years. It was only after reading about and researching his wife Mary Ann in the last week that I realised the connection.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

SMITH, Babette

A Cargo of Women: Susannah Watson and the Convicts of the Princess Royal

Campbelltown Pioneer Register