“The Red Menace” – Communism comes to Minto!

In 1958, Campbelltown made national headlines! Handmade signs appeared overnight on main roads at Campbelltown, pointing motorists to a “Communist Training School”! This was at the height of the Cold War, and the ‘Communist menace’ was cause for sensation!

The front page of the Campbelltown Ingleburn News of July 1^st 1958 reported “Bushlovers Club Mystified Over Signs”. Eric Aarons, who identified himself as manager of the “Bushlovers Club”, gave the newspaper a statement, saying that on June 20^th, Sun Herald reporters had come to premises in the bush at East Minto (otherwise known as Minto Heights) with one of the offending handmade signs in the back of their car. The reporters had followed the rough bush track, coming to a clearing with a few buildings, and a welcoming group of men and women reading.

 Four days later the police arrived at the premises to find out “what was going on there”. They were shown around, and left, having satisfied themselves that nothing sinister or untoward was occurring at the premises. Mr Aarons had explained that members of the Bushlovers Club, and their friends, came to the retreat on weekends, holidays, or in their spare time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, as well as to read, study and discuss many topics including politics. An extensive library at the Club included many works, including some of Marx, Lenin, Engels and other Marxist writers.

This was in fact, only part of the story. Mr Aarons was in fact Eric Aarons, Communist Party Australia member who played an important role in the party’s work from the mid-1940s to the winding up of the party in the early 1990s. He rose to be in charge of party education, to be a leading theorist and author, a powerful advocate for de-Stalinisation of the CPA (Communist Party of Australia). He also became joint CPA National Secretary in 1976.

1958 saw the founding of the CPA National Training School – as ASIO used to call it – aka The Bushlovers Club!  The Minto Bush camp functioned as both an educational facility, and a leafy retreat. Much to the disappointment of ASIO however, despite their spying, no paramilitary training took place there! Eric Aarons was essentially the first principal of the school – he had spent three years studying in China and upon his return he developed a fundamentally different approach to party education that was only partially implemented, due to resistance from older members of the CPA leadership.

 

Eric Aarons

 

The Communist Party of Australia eventually wound up in 1991, when it became clear that the party could no longer continue to function due to both the collapse of communism as an idea and the shrinking of its membership and influence. Eric Aarons stayed on in the area, publishing a number of books including “What’s Left? Memoirs of an Australian Communist” in 1993, and “What’s Right” in 2003. He also became an accomplished sculptor, holding an exhibition of his work at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre as recently as 2013, at the ripe old age of 94.

One of Eric Aarons well known sculptures at Campbelltown Arts Centre

 

The real mystery was the origin of the signs put up in 1958 – surely done to invite curiosity and concern. Eric Aarons later said “local reactionaries erected a number of signs… and the story was splashed over the front page of a Sunday paper”.  However, the camp caused no more controversies, simply becoming an accepted part of the local scene.

 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Campbelltown Ingleburn News 1958

Macarthur Advertiser June 6 2012, Reds in Minto by Jeff McGill

Macarthur Advertiser March 3 1993, The party’s over for a true believer – glory days with Red Eric

dictionaryofsydney.org “Minto school and Communist party camp” by Richard Strauss

The Twin Silos

Situated about two kilometres from the centre of Campbelltown are the iconic twin silos. They have been a landmark on Appin Road for many years, somehow surviving demolition when Appin Road was re-aligned and widened. The twin silos continue to stand proud and serve as a reminder of Campbelltown's rural past.

The land that the silos were built on was originally a 30 acre land grant given to James Haydon. He sold 28 acres of this to George Simpson in 1828. Simpson built a house on this land between 1828 and the early 1830s. The house was described in an early heritage study as being located at 302 Appin Road, having early colonial characteristics and stood very close to the old alignment of Appin Road. The walls were of stone and brick, stuccoed, windows were small paned, the front door had side lights, the verandah was stone flagged. The house passed through many hands until was eventually demolished in the 1970s.

A rear view of Simpson's Farm House, Appin Road. The house was demolished in the 1970s. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

It is likely that the silos at Ambarvale were built under the unemployment relief scheme, or at least drew on guidelines and plans provided by the Department for the construction of concrete overhead silos under that scheme. Long time Campbelltown farmer Arch Walker said the twin silos were built in 1933 or 1934 while the Johnston family leased the property from Jeremiah Quirk. The size of the silos were built according to the size of the herd on the farm. This was about 50 to 60 head of cattle. The silos are about 7.7 metres high with each having a diameter of 4.7 metres. When full they could hold between 85 and 107 tonnes.

Silos were usually built in conjunction with or close to feeding stalls and other structures associated therewith, so it is possible that other structures, such as feeding stalls, barn or loft may have existed close to the site of the silos.

The silos as they appeared on Appin Road in the 1960s (Steve Roach Collection)


After the nearby farmhouse built by George Simpson was demolished in the mid 1970s, the silos were the only remaining structures on the land. A caption under a photograph of the silos from a 1977 edition of the Campbelltown-Ingleburn News describes the silos as finding a new lease of life and served as an advertising structure for the new suburb of Ambarvale. The caption also explained that the towers would be demolished to make way for the widening of Appin Road. The road was rebuilt in 1981 but the towers miraculously survived.

The silos in 1988 with the advertising hoarding still on them (C. Sullivan Collection)

There are moves under way to have further restoration work done on the towers. They are now under the responsibility of the Roads and Maritime Services.

The silos were chosen as the emblem for Ambarvale Public School.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Williams, Wayne
History of Ambarvale
In Grist Mills Vol.22, No.3, Oct 2009 pp3-24

Campbelltown-Ingleburn News, June 7, 1977

Kerr, Rosemary
Heritage Assessment, Lot 1, D.P. 590591, Ambarvale "The Silos"

Events and Displays

An author talk and two historical displays highlight what's coming up in the Local Studies section at Campbelltown Library.

On Thursday July 30 at 1pm HJ Daley Library will host author Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls for a free talk about her new book Joe Quinn Among the Rowdies: The Life of Baseball's Honest Australian. I have written about Rochelle's book in a previous post on this blog.

Before its 20th-century Olympic trailblazers, and Depression-era icons such as Phar Lap and Don Bradman, came an Australian sporting pioneer who was celebrated on the most glamorous stage in the world-American major league baseball. Formerly from Campbelltown, Joe Quinn's story has, until now, been lost in the land of his birth. Meet Australia's first professional baseball player and manager, whose willingness to "have a go" in the grand Australian tradition will live long in the minds of sports fans on both sides of the Pacific.

Booking for Rochelle's talk are essential and can be made by contacting the library on 4645 4436.

We currently have on display at HJ Daley Library an exhibition on HistoryPin. Campbelltown Library uses HistoryPin to show then and now images of local scenes. The images are taken from our photographic database Our Past in Pictures and, with the use of Google Street View, the 'then' images are overlayed on to the same position supplied by Google Street View. You can also check out HistoryPin on our website at http://www.historypin.com/channels/view/16333020/#|photos/list/

From July 13 to 31 we will host a display for Bradbury's 50th anniversary called From Sherwood Hills to Bradbury. It will reveal how much change the suburb has undergone since Lend Lease's first stage was completed in 1965. Accompanying this will be a feature on Campbelltown pioneer William Bradbury whom the suburb is named after. The display coincides with the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society's launch of it's Grist Mills journal on William Bradbury. It will be launched at 'Glenalvon' on July 11 at 10.30am.

New Railway Street Photographs

Paul O'Loughlan has kindly provided the library with photographs of two buildings that once stood in Railway Street, Campbelltown. In a previous post on Railway Street, I wrote about how it has almost completely changed compared to what it once looked like and not that long ago. The sites for both these buildings that once stood in Railway Street now form part of the car park bordered by Railway, Short, Patrick and Hurley Streets.

The photograph above was once 29 Railway Street and was taken in 1962. Paul O'Loughlan lived here with his family. This house was built in 1872 and had numerous owners over the years starting with Elizabeth Graham. The O'Loughlan family were the last to live there until it was demolished in 1967. According to Paul the house was built of sandstone and was freezing in winter. There is a red post box on the exact site today.

This photograph was taken in September, 1959 and is of 23 Railway Street. The front section was re-developed about 1959-60. It was eventually resumed by Campbelltown Council in 1975 to extend the car park. The building included a hairdresser, doctor's surgery and a first floor flat.

Pictured in the photo are from left Jack O'Loughlan, Laura O'Loughlan and Paul O'Loughlan. It's not known if the O'Loughlans owned the VW Beetle!

Written by Andrew Allen

Joy Flights

When World War One pilots returned from the war they were faced with the challenge of what they would do now. What does a skilled pilot do, when peace once more rules the skies? They had been used to evading German shells and snipers, giving them valuable flying skills and experience. The challenge was how they could use what they had gained in the war now that they were back home.

For some pilots, the answer was to travel the countryside, offering joy flights to townsfolk. This happened in Campbelltown in the 1920s.

Below are two photographs that show planes landing at Campbelltown locations. The first one is of a light plane that has landed on the flats near "Hollylea" at Leumeah. The one below is another one landed between the railway line and Queen Street shops in 1923. Apparently the pilot offered joy flights at 30 shillings (3 dollars) a time.

Crowds of onlookers would crowd around these aircraft. Imagine the excitement and curiosity of the locals. They mightn't have been able to afford the flight but the thrill of watching one in action was probably enough!

In the 1970s, Marjorie Triglone was interviewed about her childhood memories. She spoke about a plane landing over the other side of the railway. "Everybody was frightened to go. They offered two of the pupils, one girl and one boy, a free flight if they would go up. They wouldn't tell them if they had to loop or what they were going to do. My brother was always the adventurous type and he was chosen. Everyone was out looking at this plane. My mother was out looking, little knowing that her dear little Harry was in it!"

Joy flight aircraft in a paddock adjoining "Hollylea House" (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Another aircraft between the railway line and Queen Street in 1923 (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

History Corner by Verlie Fowler, April 13, 1983

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