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

Downes Department Store

"Downes?, yeah, everyone went to Downes, 'cause it was the only shop. You got everything at Downes". These were the words of a local that I interviewed recently. This opinion seems to reflect most local's thoughts about where you did your shopping from the 1950s to 1980s.

Downes store opened in Queen Street on Thursday, November 1, 1951, when the company took over the Pat Solomons Progressive Store. In 1951 the store was one of four operated by the company and offered only hardware, clothing and software merchandise. The company's managing director was Rex Downes. His faith and foresight in the future of Campbelltown first brought the company to the city.

Rex Downes bought up all available land in the vicinity of the store. He set out also a policy of keeping Downes store "one step in front" of the growth pattern and at times the economic situation. This allowed Downes to present the best possible service "at city prices" to the residents of what was then the country town of Campbelltown.

Downes sold everything from clothes to lawnmowers to homewares. There was also a large menswear department. It had three levels with the top level being the office. Electrical was on the bottom level. The store was located where Spotlight is today.

In 1984 two stages of a $2.5 million redevelopment of Downes were completed. The store became Downes City Plaza. It included Franklin's Supermarket, butcher, ice-creamery and restaurant. The competition from Campbelltown Mall and Macarthur Square eventually led to Downes demise.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown District Star
18 November, 1976 p13

Macarthur Advertiser
23 October, 1984

The Man who saw The Ghost!

A great deal has been written about Frederick Fisher, of Fisher’s Ghost fame, but there would have been no story if John Farley had not seen the ghost! There is only a little information about John.

John Farley arrived in Australia in 1812, having been tried at Old Bailey Second Middlesex Jury in 1810 for stealing a quantity of clothing from a dwelling house. He was found guilty and sentenced to life. Transported to New South Wales, aboard the “Guildford” in 1812, he spent the next five years in the service of Governor Macquarie. He petitioned for mitigation of sentence in 1818. John may have received this mitigation of sentence, as he was on a list of persons to receive land grants in September 1818. 
John became a settler, and was described by Rev. Reddall and Major Antill as ‘capable and industrious’. He again appeared on a list of orders for land grants in 1825.
In 1826 John played a role in the mystery of Fred Fisher, being the one to whom the ghost “appeared” thus leading to the finding of the body. Theories abound as to the veracity of this sighting; regardless it has made its way into the history books. It was certainly not enough to scare John Farley away from the district!

By 1828 John and his wife Margaret were prospering on their 325 acre farm on the Appin Road south from Campbelltown. He had also been appointed a Constable.
John Farley was recommended for Absolute Pardon later in November 1837; the same year he built the early colonial home “Denfield”. There is no doubt that John was a respected citizen. He died in 1841, and is buried in St Peter’s Churchyard, Campbelltown. John went to his grave saying he had seen the ghost of Frederick Fisher.

 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources -

www.historyaustralia.org.au

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org

http://colsec.records.nsw.gov.au

http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au

Library Pamphlet files

A Stroll through St Peter’s Chuchyard Campbelltown N.S.W  by Verlie Fowler

The One-Legged Tennis Player

The library was  recently made aware of a remarkable photograph of a local man playing in a tennis tournament in 1935... using one leg! The man was Fred Morgan from Campbelltown. The tennis tournament was the Lawn Tennis Country Carnival at Rushcutter's Bay.

Fred would play using a crutch which he used under his left armpit. When serving he discarded the crutch altogether. The newspaper reports described his poise as "superb, and he possessed a service which many players would envy. He hops into the court after his delivery, and effects many fine half-volleys and volleys. Needless to say, his balance is materially affected when his crutch is discarded, and this interferes with his volleying". Apparently his strength was his forehand drive.

Fred Morgan was the son of George and Amy Morgan. It was this family that Morgan's Gate was named after (see an earlier blog post on Morgan's Gate). Not much is known about the rest of Fred's life other than he was born in 1910 in Campbelltown, lived in Chamberlain Street and later moved to Manly where he died in 1952 at the young age of 42. In 1936, he was listed as a hairdresser in Campbelltown.

Thank you to Michael Veness for alerting us to the photograph.

Photograph is from the State Library of New South Wales picture collection.

Written by Andrew Allen