Outfoxed by Alf

I came across this photograph from our collection whilst doing research for a client. Thinking it would be useful for the what I needed, I enthusiastically included it in my package of information for my enquirer. As you can see the photograph shows a fox peering down a rabbit hole waiting patiently for his next meal. Or does it?

Alf Longhurst took the photograph around 1940, presumably on his land at Eagleview Road in Leumeah. He lived on Eagleview Road on a ten acre block with his wife Maud.

It seems Alf possessed a great sense of humour. The fox in the photograph is actually dead and the "rabbit hole" was dug with a shovel! So much for my accurate search.

Alf was also a well known breeder of dogs, especially fox terriers. He used his dogs to hunt along the Georges River. The photograph below shows some of these dogs.

Written by Andrew Allen

The Big Gun

If you’ve ever been to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra you’ve probably noticed this gun on display (see below).

 

 

This is the same gun that caused great excitement in Campbelltown when it stopped at the train station on its way to Canberra in May 1923. No doubt the heading on the front page of the Campbelltown News which read ‘The Big Gun’ caught the town’s attention. We know this because the following edition described how “the platform was besieged with children, and a goodly number of adults.” It was at 7.50am on a Wednesday, so the children were on their way to school.

 

The 'Amiens Gun' (William Bayley Collection)

 

This German railway gun, often referred to as the ‘Amiens Gun’, was captured at Guillecourt on August 9, 1918 as a war trophy by Australian Engineers, the day following the battle of Villiers Brettoneaux. It was transported to Australia and was exhibited at Central Railway Station until it was moved to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The Amiens gun barrel weighs 45 tons. It was originally a German naval gun, until it was modified to be used as a railway gun during the war. The gun’s carriage was eventually destroyed however the barrel remains intact.

The gun stopped at Campbelltown station for inspection for only 10 minutes.

 

 

The Amiens Gun after its capture in France in 1918

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Campbelltown News, May 11 &18 1923

Budbury

Described by William Macarthur as a fine warrior , 'a brave man and a quiet one too', Budbury was also highly respected for his efforts to maintain peaceful relations between the early settlers and the aborigines in the early part of the 1800s. He is remembered with pride among the descendants of the local Dharawal people.

Budbury and his wife Mary were part of a group whom Macquarie met in the Cowpastures in 1810. He was one of the guides who accompanied John Warby in search of outlawed aborigines in 1814. Budbury was to develop a strong friendship with Warby.

It was in 1814 as a guide for John Warby that he succeeded in capturing one of the colony's most feared bushrangers, Patrick Collins. This stunned officials who were determined to bring Collins to justice. Budbury was warmly praised for his efforts and immediately won respect from the white population.

Budbury acted as both a peacemaker and interpreter between the white settlers and blacks. Although he was friendly towards the settlers, he was in danger as not all of them could identify him. An example of this hostility from a terrified settler prompted Charles Throsby to write a letter to the Sydney Gazette expressing his concerns for Budbury.

Budbury acted as one of the guides for Captain John Wallis on his punitive expedition to the district of Airds and Appin in 1816. This was on the orders of Governor Macquarie. Budbury was an unwilling guide as was John Warby, who also acted as a guide. Warby secretly let Budbury and his other guide Bundle escape, to the fury of Captain Wallis.

By 1821, Budbury was regarded as the leader of the Cowpasture people. He was always linked with the Macarthurs and Camden estate and also lived there. A paddock on the estate was known as Budbury's.

Records mention his name throughout the 1830s and 1840s and even as late as 1859, where he is listed in the electoral rolls as a labourer on Camden estate. A 'John Budberry' is recorded as being baptised at Camden in 1842. It's believed he lived until about 1860.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Liston, Carol 1988
The Dharawal and Gandangara in Colonial Campbelltown, New South Wales, 1788-1830
In Aboriginal History Vol 12, No.1

McGill, Jeff 1993
Campbelltown Clippings

More Rare Photographs

The library has purchased the remaining rare historical photographs of Campbelltown places from the State Library of Victoria (see http://campbelltown-library.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/historic-photographs-unearthed.html). It's exciting to be able to show these wonderful old images to you at a high resolution. So here they are! Remember to click on the image for a larger one.

This photograph has the title of "One of the 1st Mills in the Colony Erected about 1817". The mill was actually erected in 1845 by Laurence Kendall and William Orr. It operated as a steam-driven flour mill. In 1861 Sims, Barker and Bocking leased the mill. James Bocking later purchased the property and it became Commerce House. Bocking and his sons used it as a grocer, baker, draper and general store.

Dr William Mawson demolished the mill in the 1920s and converted the adjoining mill house into Milby Private Hospital.

This scene has changed dramatically. The only structure remaining is the now dilapidated old Fisher's Ghost Restaurant, the former mill house. The waterway now runs underground close to where McDonald's drive through is now located. It once ran under a bridge that spanned Queen Street in front of today's entrance to Campbelltown Mall's underground car park. The photo is dated 1924.

This image has the title of "Old Mill at Mt Gilead, Campbelltown". Note the man sitting in the window at the bottom. The wooden sails have almost gone. This shot was taken in 1924, almost a hundred years after it was constructed. The windmill still stands today on the property and can be seen from Appin Road.

This one is of St Peter's Church of England taken on April 4, 1940. On the western side of the church is Howe Street which used to run from Browne Street to Cordeaux Street. It was removed in late 1969 and grass laid on it for an extension of Mawson Park.

The title of this photo really intrigued me when I first read it. It's titled "Convict Gaol at Mt Gilead Near Campbelltown" and taken in 1925. I had never heard of a gaol at Mt Gilead and wondered why it was there. After doing some research I believe the photograph could be the old servant's barracks. In the July 1994 issue of Grist Mills, Verlie Fowler refers to a photograph taken by Frank Walker entitled "the old barracks, used for accommodation of the assigned servants in the early days". It showed the building without a roof like this one. Is this Walker's actual photograph? She did, however, state that evidence had yet to be found to support this being a barracks.

Written by Andrew Allen

Lost but not forgotten...

During the era of silent films, Raymond Longford, a prolific director, writer, actor and producer, and Lottie Lyell, regarded as Australia’s first film star, formed a production company. (Longford had directed  “The Sentimental Bloke”,  generally considered to be the finest silent Australian film.)  In May 1922, Longford-Lyell Australian Productions was launched, with initial capital of 50,000 pounds. Sadly, the backers of the company did not wish to remain in production, and liquidated the company, but Longford and Lyell persisted as independents with Longford-Lyell Productions. The first film made by the new company was “Fisher’s Ghost”!! Made in 1924 on a budget of 1000 pounds, the film was rejected by the Australasian Films-Union Theatres combine, on the basis it was “too gruesome”, and so Longford sold it outright to Hoyts for 30 pounds for a one week season.  It was belatedly released in October 1924, with the magazine “Everyone’s – Incorporating Australian Variety and Show World” saying of the film – “we desire to point out that, having in view the limited capital at the disposal of the producer, we have every cause to congratulate him on having made a most entertaining story out of one of the most astounding tragedies in the history of Australia”. The film was also shown in England and Scotland, to great acclaim.

Sadly, despite much searching and investigation, from Australia, to Britain, to America, no copy of the film “Fisher’s Ghost” has ever been found. How wonderful it would be if a copy were to finally come to light!

Written by Claire Lynch

 Sources:

Local Studies Pamphlet Files

“Australian Cinema : the first eighty years”  by Graham Shirley and Brian Adams 1983