The Way We Were

Here are some then and now photographs to further demonstrate how much Campbelltown has changed over the years. Hope you enjoy them!

Looking north up Queen Street towards Reeves Emporium c.1900 and 2016

 

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Looking up Anderson Street, St Helens Park where it intersects with Kellerman Drive March 5, 1999 and 2016

 

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Cheviot Place, Airds November 1981 and 2016

 

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13 Lindesay St, Leumeah 1960 and 2016

 

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Looking towards Emily Cottage on corner of Camden Road and Old Menangle Road 1950s and 2016

 

 

More to come early in the new year!

Written by Andrew Allen

 

Stuck in the Mud

Every now and then I discover a photograph in our collection that fascinates me. Images like the one above are remarkable for highlighting how much Campbelltown has changed over time. This photograph was taken around the late 1920s to early 1930s and shows a truck bogged in mud in Queen Street.

There are many components of this image that are interesting. Firstly, it's difficult for us to imagine today that a truck could get bogged in Queen Street! Also, look at the simple design of the truck. Definitely no bells and whistles with this one. Look at the small child on the left posing rigidly for the camera. There's even a small dog in front of the truck that seems to know he has to look straight at the photographer. Someone has ridden to the scene on a push bike. Look at the number of people crammed into the trailer so they could be part of the photo, although those at the back could not stay still, and therefore appear as a blur.

The truck is bogged in front of Wilkinson's Plumbing business in Queen Street. William Wilkinson was a plumber who had businesses in Camden and Campbelltown. He began his Campbelltown business in 1912 and shared this building with saddler Cyril "Midnight" Brown. You can just make out the name Brown on the side of the awning on the right hand side. William Wilkinson's son Fred took over his father's business when he returned from the First World War. The building to the left of the plumbing business with the two tall chimneys would be the Old Post Office building.

The location of this photo today would be approximately in front of Campbelltown Newsagency and H & R Block Tax Accountants buildings.

Another photograph of Wilkinson's Plumbing. This image is an earlier one and is dated 1912.

Both images come from the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society Collection.

Written by Andrew Allen

Foti's Fireworks

When you think of New Year’s Eve celebrations, you think of fireworks, in particular the spectacular Sydney Harbour New Year fireworks display that is seen by over a billion people globally.
It might be surprising for many to discover that the company behind these fireworks since 1997, Foti International Fireworks, had its humble beginnings in Menangle Park.
The Foti Family has a family tradition of making fireworks in Italy dating from 1793, Celestino (Charles) Foti first came to Australia as a prisoner of war in World War II and was interned as a POW at Cowra. Returning to Australia as an immigrant in 1951, he began working in the Vulcan fireworks factory at Menangle Park, his sons Sam and Vince later joining him.
The Menangle factory had originally started its life in the Soldiers Settlement, with Bill Simpson purchasing the land in Macquarie Avenue for £3000 and using the existing poultry sheds to start a “cracker” factory. During the time the factory was in Macquarie Avenue, numerous fires and explosions happened, but were of little danger to the community and confined to the property. However in 1956 it was decided to move the factory to Menangle Park.
Whilst working for Vulcan Fireworks in Menangle Park during the ’50s and 60s, Celestino Foti made the fireworks enjoyed by generations of Australians at Queen’s Birthday celebrations whilst continuing his family’s tradition of display fireworks. The displays he performed were mostly for the local Sydney Italian community’s religious celebrations, as well as for local Agricultural Show Societies.

In 1969, Celestino, with his son Sam, bought Vulcan Fireworks, and thus International Fireworks was born (the name Foti was added later). The Foti's re-invented their business, developing pyrotechnic displays instead of volume firework sales. In 1983 Fortunato Foti began working full-time in the family business, with Grandfather Charles, father Sam and Uncle Vince, three generations of the family working together to continue the Foti family tradition of fireworks.

Fortunato, Sam, and Charles Foti. (Photo courtesy Macarthur Advertiser 4.3.1987)

Almost every firework spectacular that happened in the Macarthur region at one time was produced by the Foti family, with one time Executive Director of the Fisher’s Ghost Festivals John Leary, remembering mild mannered Celestino (Charles) quietly checking every device for effectiveness and safety. “Each year he would wander out onto the centre ring of the show or down into the bed of Fisher’s Ghost Creek for the festival to confirm all was well before the display was fired. Celestino, a man of few words, used to say “John, don’t worry it will be a good display”, and it always was”.
In 1987 the manufacturing facility is moved from Menangle Park to Leppington and the business continues to grow - they win International awards, are asked to co-present the 1997 Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and they are awarded the contract as the official Pyrotechnic Consultants, Designers and Suppliers for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
After co-presenting the New Year’s Eve fireworks since 1997, Foti International are awarded the entire contract for Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks after the contract is put out to open tender for the first time. Foti have produced every Sydney New Year’s Fireworks display since and will continue to do so until at least New Years Eve 2016/17.


Written by Samantha Stevenson.

Sources:

Grist Mills Vol 25 No 2 July 2012 - Fireworks in Campbelltown

http://fotifireworks.com.au

Macarthur Advertiser 4.3.1987

Austin Tripp: A Life Cut Short

I recently wrote an article for Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society's journal Grist Mills on the Tripp family of Campbelltown. The Tripps are probably best known for their garage that once stood on the corner of Queen and Dumaresq Street. Tragedy struck this family one Summer day in 1900 when young Austin drowned in the Nepean River at Menangle. The following is an extract taken from my article about Austin Tripp and what happened on that awful day at Menangle.

Charles and Phillis Tripp’s second child was James Austin, who used Austin as his name. He was born in 1883. Austin was a bright, talented and popular boy who suffered from a speech impediment.

The Freeman’s Journal of 2 July, 1898 wrote about a school concert at St. Patrick’s that Austin performed at. It described how “Master Austin Tripp fairly brought down the house with his comic song, The Broken-Down Masher, his ‘get-up’ was perfect, and the enthusiastic encore he received was fully deserved”.

Austin again made the news a month later, however this time the news was not as happy. On 1 August an accident occurred in Queen Street in the vicinity of Mrs W.W. Lees’ store. The horse and sulky owned by Mrs Fowler was standing by, when Austin rolled the wheel of a vehicle up the street. The horse took fright and bolted, striking another conveyance owned by Rev. J. Ashmead with considerable force. Miss Ashmead was thrown out of the vehicle but was not seriously injured. The sulky was badly damaged.

Austin’s bad luck continued in February 1900 but this time it proved fatal. He was 16 years and 9 months when, on Saturday the 3rd February 1900, he went with his father Charles and a man named Harold Brown at Menangle to fish on the river. They stayed there all night, intending to return home about 9 o’clock next morning. At about 8.15am the next morning Austin joined his father and Brown for a swim in the river. Austin could not swim, so he paddled out in shallow water for about 5 minutes. He went too far however, entering a spot where the river suddenly drops into deep water. Charles was about 20 yards from him and could see his son struggling. He swam across as fast as possible to assist him and by the time he got there he was sinking. He managed to grasp him but they both sank after Austin grabbed his father around the neck and arms. Charles then freed himself, came up to the surface, and again went down, but could not reach him. Brown helped in the search but they could not locate Austin.

After searching for about a half an hour and assisted by two other people nearby, Charles came into Campbelltown and informed the police. Constable Loomes and numerous others journeyed to the spot where the body was recovered at 3.30pm.

News of the disaster reached the town shortly before 11am on that fateful Sunday morning. It was a devastating blow to the people of Campbelltown. Austin was held in high regard and Father Dunne spoke to his congregation about his splendid character.

Austin’s body was brought back to Campbelltown on a wagon. He was buried the following day in St John’s Cemetery. The grief suffered by Charles and his young family would have been unbearable. It was theorised by Harold Brown that Austin didn’t call for assistance because of his speech impediment.

 

 

Austin's grave in Campbelltown's St John's Catholic Cemetery

 

My article and other articles from Grist Mills can be purchased from the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society at 8 Lithgow Street, Campbelltown. Alternatively, they can be viewed in the local studies room at Campbelltown Library.

Written by Andrew Allen

Reverend McKee

Reverend William McKee packed a lot into his short life. He was Campbelltown's second Presbyterian minister, succeeding Reverend Hugh Gilchrist at St David's in 1852. Like his Ulsterman predecessor, Rev. McKee worked tirelessly in undertaking his pastoral duties for the town and surrounding areas. It was unforeseen circumstances however that lead to his premature demise.

The Rev. William McKee was born in 1821 and educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institute. In 1848, with his wife Frances, he sailed for Australia, arriving at Port Phillip on 6 October 1848. He arrived in Sydney the following year after an offer of a vacancy at St Andrew's at Port Macquarie. Reverend McKee was then called to Campbelltown and inducted into St. David's on 18 May 1853.

Rev. McKee's pastoral duties were arduous. He travelled extensively throughout the district from Liverpool, Appin, Camden, Picton, Bargo and beyond. He appears to have carried out his duties to the satisfaction of his congregations which, after 1858, included railway workers and station staff. The railway to Campbelltown brought many benefits. One such benefit was the introduction of tea meetings, with St. David's holding its first in December 1864. Many noted Sydney ministers attended as Guest Speakers. Large amounts of attendees would enjoy tea before crowding the church to hear the speakers talk.

Rev. McKee proved to be a forward looking style of minister. He introduced church music and mixed choirs to services. The singing of hymns had been a contentious issue up until this time and St. David's was viewed as displaying an extremely progressive attitude. Adding further to the reverend's and St. David's reputation was the holding of a four hour session in which over 300 people attended speeches made by prominent members of the church, including an Indian minister and a pioneer missionary to the Aborigines.

William's family was growing and so were his financial problems. A number of mortgages were negotiated by the Reverend during the late 1850s. With these financial debts the strain began to affect McKee. In 1866 a special meeting was called by the Presbytery Moderator. The reason behind this was that William was seen on Liverpool Junction Railway Station under the influence of alcohol. He gave the church his solemn promise to abstain. However the following year the Presbytery called a further meeting and in June that year the church and ministerial charge of Campbelltown was declared vacant. Rev. McKee had a serious alcohol problem. He was suspended from all ministerial functions and he made no appeal against this. He spent the next twelve months under the Rev. Geike in Bathurst. He was then recommended to be reinstated to his duties at Campbelltown.

Two months later Rev. William McKee died on 18 December 1868, aged only 47. He is buried in Campbelltown's Presbyterian Cemetery with his infant sons, Emmerson, William Livingstone and Alexander Rae.

 

Reverend McKee's grave in the Presbyterian Cemetery

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

HOLMES, Marie
The Presbyterian Cemetery Campbelltown

Luckett, Robina 1992
Take up the Torch- The History of St. David's Presbyterian Church Campbelltown
Fast Books: Glebe

"Switching On" Campbelltown

It’s hard to believe that Campbelltown has had electricity for less than 100 years, imagining a life without electricity today seems almost unthinkable but it wasn’t until the citizens of Campbelltown complained that their town was dark and its streets neglected that Campbelltown Council starting looking into providing electricity. Council held a referendum among ratepayers in January 1921 to gauge support for electric lighting, with 80 votes in favour and 65 against, the decision to go ahead was not a unanimous one.

The Mayor of Campbelltown, Charles Hannaford, strongly promoted electricity as the key to Campbelltown’s future development and prosperity and investigated purchasing electricity from the railways or from Port Kembla, but it was decided that Council would build its own generating plant borrowing £10,000 from the State Superannuation Board in 1923.

The plant was manufactured by the Fairbanks-Morse Company, one of the then largest manufacturing firms in the USA. It was reported in the Campbelltown News in January 1924 as being “the first of its particular type in New South Wales to produce energy on the alternating current system and fed by crude oil.”

Power Station, Cordeaux Street, Campbelltown
(Photo courtesy Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society)  

Opened by the Mayoress, Mrs C.N. Hannaford on the evening of 23 January 1924, a crowd of 1000 people congregated outside the power house with the Campbelltown Boy Scouts forming a Guard of Honour as Mrs Hannaford “amidst deafening cheers took the contacting lever with a firm hand, and instantly Campbelltown was officially electrically lighted.”
Locals gathered to look at the illumination of hotels and shops in Queen Street and the Mayors home, whilst others like mentioned in the Rita Brunero blog post, ”left the switches turned on and when they returned home found their house lit up like a Christmas Tree”

Campbelltown News 18 January 1924

Electricity was initially supplied for lighting purposes between the hours of 6pm and midnight daily, extended to an all-night supply by 1 March then, to meet the growing demand for current in the day time the 24 hour service was commenced on 1 May 1924 and has been continued since.

The two diesel-powered generators had less than one hour’s blackout in four years but were soon obsolete and in 1929 Campbelltown was connected to the railway electricity system and a substation was erected in Cordeaux Street. The old powerhouse was demolished in 1931.

Embarking on a marketing campaign, Campbelltown Council encouraged residents to "make electricity you servant" with the electrical engineer, Norman Tuck, advising on the use of electric stoves, bath heaters, clothes washers and vacuum cleaners. By the early 1950s Campbelltown was still a rural town and although electricity had been available before the war, economic depression and a reticence to replace trusted old with modern had slowed the introduction of electrical appliances. After the war Council revived its campaign to sell electrical appliances. In 1958 Campbelltown Council relinquished control of the electricity supply to the Nepean River County Council which had formed in 1954.

Written by Samantha Stevenson
Sources:
Pamphlet File Campbelltown Library
Campbelltown : the bicentennial history / by Carol Liston.



Leppington House

Leppington House (Photo from National Trust NSW collection)

Perched at the summit of a high ridgeline looking west towards the Blue Mountains, Leppington House stood conspicuously here in its surroundings for close to 130 years. It was a grand two storey mansion that had a long and interesting history. To give you an idea of where the house once stood, its access was from today's Denham Court Road.

The house was built on a land grant to William Cordeaux, who assigned a party of convict labourers to clear the ground at his property, after which construction of the house began. The house is likely to have been constructed between 1823 and 1828. It was described in the 1930s in the Camden News: "The situation for such an old homestead is ideal, and commands a panoramic view on either side, such places as the Sanatorium at Wentworth Falls, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Blue Mountains round to The Gib at Bowral are easily picked out."

The original owner William Cordeaux arrived in Australia on the ship Friendship in January 1818. He came to the Colony to join the Commissariat Department as Deputy Commissariat-General. By 1828 William was the largest sheep and cattle owner in the district. He also employed a large number of convicts as well as shepherds. Though his Leppington property was the main base of the estate, most of the Shepherds worked at Cordeaux's other property at Sutton Forest.

James Payten rented the property in 1873 until he bought his own farm. William Cordeaux died and his wife Anne sold the property in 1875. By 1911 the property was owned by a man named Charles Perry. He and his wife Fanny established a country tea garden at the homestead as well as a riding school where visitors would hire horses to ride over the property. Perry also had aviaries with around 600 birds of all varieties. In addition there were kangaroos, wallabies, paddy-melons and monkeys in his collection of animals.

The building was still standing in 1956. The house site now forms part of the East Leppington Development Precinct and continues to be used for grazing cattle in undeveloped areas, but has been re-zoned for development. The site of Leppington house, now referred to as the Leppington House archaeological site, will hopefully be listed on the State Heritage Register. The present major landowner, Campbelltown Council, the Heritage Office and the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure all support conservation of the Leppington House archaeological site as a local park. The original carriageway of Leppington House Estate is today defined by a mature double-tree row of native species and identified as being of exceptional cultural heritage significance.

Participants in a hunt at Leppington House in July 1935. They were thought to be members of the Ingleburn Horse and Pony Club.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Karyn McLeod
Principal Heritage Consultant/Heritage Lead

Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd

East Leppington (Willowdale) Precinct 8
Historical Archaeological Monitoring and Investigation Report
November 2016

Camden News, Thursday 25 June 1936

HOLMES, Marie 2012
A Scrapbook of History: Stories of the Macarthur District
Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Rose Hannah Payten - Sportswoman Extraordinaire

I wonder how many people drive along Rose Payten Drive, unaware that it is named after one of the great sporting personalities of Campbelltown? Rose Hannah Payten was the youngest in a family of 6 children, with 5 older brothers. Consequently she was known as "Babe" to her friends and family. She was born in 1879 at "Woodbine" at Campbelltown Road, Leumeah, to parents James Payten and Sarah Elizabeth Rose. A natural sportswoman, Rose participated in cricket, golf, horse riding, shooting and tennis. At school Rose "led in every escapade, but from the Headmistress to the smallest tot of the kindergarten they loved her".  It was as a tennis player that Rose really shone. In 1898 she competed in the New South Wales Open Tennis Tournament, and was defeated in the semi-finals. Her  appearance there was described as "a merry freckled face, boyishly eager, whose owner could run like a deer".  In 1899 she was runner up, and in 1900 was at last the winner. The following year she won the singles final again, and amazingly, with partner Mr Rice won the mixed doubles, and with Miss Dransfield won the women's doubles! It was an unprecedented feat to win all three titles, a feat which Rose would repeat for the next 3 years running. At the Victorian Championships in 1903 she won all three titles, and again in Queensland in 1904. In 1905, the Open was not played in New South Wales, and in 1906 Rose was unwell and did not defend her title. She did however play the Strathfield Open, and the Western Australian Open winning the triple crown at both. In 1907 she again won the treble at the New South Wales Open, and then announced her retirement from tennis. For seven years she had been unbeaten at singles tennis. In many games she was given a handicap, on one occasions minus 40, with her opponent starting on 40, meaning she had to win 7 consecutive strokes to win the game.

Rose in her early tennis playing years. (Macarthur Advertiser)

Her tennis game was described as "most versatile. She played the game as a man would, coming in to rally on her service. She drove, she chopped, she lobbed, she volleyed, equally adept in any part of the court. Her opponents never got used to her game, never knew what she would do next. She loved to worry and puzzle them, keep them guessing. Rose loved every minute of a match, reveled in it, the cheeriest personality one could imagine, yet despite her carefree style she could be desperately serious too, and concentrate with the best". 
Following her retirement Rose took up breeding and training harness ponies, showing at Camden, Campbelltown and Sydney Royal Agricultural Shows, winning major prizes at all three for many years. She was considered as "one of the best known identities in New South Wales show-rings." Her last year of showing at Sydney Royal was 1927. At the same time she developed a keen interest in golf,  and in 1930, 31, 34, 36, 38 and 39 won the Ladies Golf Championship of the Campbelltown Club. At golf she was described thus; "her old style hat perched on her head, and a cigarette eternally between her lips, Miss Rose Payten has beome as much a personality on the golf courses as she was in the early days of this century on the tennis courts."
Rose died at the age of 71 on the 9th May 1951, at "Woodbine". She was buried in St Peter's Anglican Cemetery. Her remarkable sports career is unparalleled, and she is remembered for both her prowess and good sportsmanship.



Written by Claire Lynch
Sources:
Pamphlet File Campbelltown Library
Miss Rose Hannah Payten by J.F.Morris

Fisher's Ghost Manuscript Comes to Light.

Recently the library was fortunate in acquiring an unpublished manuscript entitled "Call Not Tomorrow Thine: the story of Fred Fisher." The hefty typewritten tome must surely be one of the most in depth studies of our most celebrated resident at over 300 pages in length.

Written by James.W. Downing in the fifties and early sixties the manuscript is obviously a labour of love, perseverance, diligence, and a doggedness for detail. James researched many sources held at the Mitchell library, NSW State Archives, the Attorney General's Office and London Public Records going as far as to contact connected individuals such as Fisher’s Great Grand Niece.

His intention was to bring to light the most accurate and truthful story of Frederick George James Fisher, for those who had been "misinformed down the years by a stream of imaginative screeds." In many ways his search for snippets of truth are as entertaining as the ghost story itself with James hunting down a lost map showing the whereabouts of Fred's body in the uncatalogued papers of a former cabinet minister.


Impression of Fisher.

The interconnected stories of Fisher, John Farley and George Worrall are covered but also a host of other characters connected with them, including the tale of Fred's bother, William and his lengthy efforts to secure his intestate brother's farm and other items. On March 24th, 1827 an auction of Fred's personal effects took place. In a letter to his mother William wrote "His personal property was sold for little or nothing and I was obliged to stand an idle spectator." Bidders included John Patrick, the Rev. Thomas Reddall and Chief Constable Burke.

Sadly, J.W. Downing died before he could see his work published. His wish was that everyone could have access to his manuscript and so on our website we have published Call Not Tomorrow Thine in PDF format.

The library would especially like to thank D. Tyssen and P. Stewart whose efforts have saved this manuscript so that it can be shared with others.

James Downing's manuscript.

James Fitzpatrick

James Fitzpatrick had a long and eventful life. He was born in Limerick about 1800, and in 1822 was one of 43 Irish protesters transported to New South Wales aboard the Mangles. His charge was "attacking a dwelling with firearms" and he was sentenced to seven years. After his arrival in the colony, he was ordered to work on the roads. Large and powerfully built, James would've been a valuable asset to a potential employer. He escaped the road gangs and on recapture was returned to the road, until he was offered to the explorer Hamilton Hume.

James first came into prominence as a member of the Hume-Hovell expedition which went overland from Appin to the Geelong district in 1824. James was one of six convict servants who accompanied Hume and Hovell. Not a lot is known of James' experiences on the expedition. There is however, one amusing story. The crossing of the first river the party encountered provided one of the lighter moments of the journey, and a story that followed James Fitzpatrick for years afterwards. He hadn't learnt to swim, and when crossing Hume told him to hang on to the tail of one of the bullocks. He followed Hume's orders but was just enjoying the triumph of his arrival on the opposite bank when the beast covered him in excrement. This resulted in raucous laughter from the party.

Another interesting incident encountered by James was almost fatal. He wrote, "I went shooting ducks about half a mile or a mile from the camp, when five blackfellows ran me for my life. I sang out as I ran towards the camp; the blacks got close up and had thrown some spears at me, when Mr Hume and Boyd came to my rescue."

James was a great admirer of Hamilton Hume. After the Hume and Hovell expedition, he wrote, "I positively assert that the journey would never have been accomplished but for the indomitable perseverance of Mr Hume and that he was, in fact, the sole leader of the party."

James Fitzpatrick was given his ticket-of-leave on July 5, 1825 and acquired land in the Appin district. His sentence expired in 1829 and the following year he married Mary Ann Atkins. From his base in Appin, Fitzpatrick returned to the southern districts that he helped discover. By 1833 he had a squatting run in the Cootamundra-Yass district named Cucumla.

From the late 1840s, James purchased many farms south and west of Campbelltown. In 1859 he purchased Glenlee near Campbelltown. Glenlee, during his occupation, remained a dairy farm and a cattle-breeding stud of some note. It had 14 rooms, kitchen, pantry and cellar. The farm contained 1000 acres of grazing land and had a mile frontage to the Nepean River. It still stands today.

Glenlee taken in 1979 prior to renovation

James Fitzpatrick married a second time after Mary died in 1866. This was to eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Cummins and they had three children. She died in 1882 aged only 32. Three months later James Fitzpatrick died at Glenlee, leaving three young children without a parent and vast estates. He is buried in Campbelltown's St John's Catholic Cemetery.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Liston, Carol 1988
Campbelltown: the bicentennial history
Campbelltown City Council

Mackilin, Robert 2016
Hamilton Hume: our greatest explorer
Sydney: Hachette Australia

The Unknown German

Our local graveyards contain many interesting headstones. Sometimes they might reveal a little about the life of the person buried there. The grave of Karl Mettenheimer is unusual as its headstone is written entirely in German. Despite knowing about his German background, there is little else in the records that we can find on Karl.

This is what we do know: Karl Mettenheimer was born on September 7 1862 in Frankfurt, Germany. He was a farmer in the Appin area. The church register described him as a "Gentleman". He was 31 at the time of his death in 1894 and he was buried in St Peters Anglican Cemetery in Campbelltown. He died intestate and with no family.

Karl was obviously thought of highly by someone because he was provided with a decent headstone. Perhaps it was a lover, close friend or an employer? Maybe it was someone with connections to Germany, who was as proud of his homeland as Karl. We will probably never know.

Unfortunately Karl Mettenheimer's gravestone has been vandalized and now lies broken in St Peters Cemetery.

Written by Andrew Allen

The Notebook.

We receive many requests for information in Local Studies, and answers to many of these queries are often found in our pamphlet files. I always love to open a file and find a facsimile of notes from Jim Munro's notebooks, written in his neat cursive script. His contribution to our knowledge of the history of Campbelltown is immeasurable.

A sample of Jim's notebook entries

James Bertram Munro was born on the 28th April 1925, in Trangie, New South Wales, to parents Henry Walter and Irene Claire. He enlisted in Victoria on the 2nd June 1943, having just turned 18, whilst serving in the Citizens Military Forces. He had previously been working as a postal assistant for the PMG. Initially he served as a Signalman in the 13th Australian Linesman section at Bonegilla Army Camp and Balcombe Army Camp, both in Victoria. He then served in the Pacific in Morotai and Balikpapan. He suffered from pneumonia whilst overseas and was returned to Australia in February 1946, and was eventually discharged from the army in June 1946 suffering from rheumatic carditis.

James Bertram Munro, enlistment photo.

In 1951 Jim married Joan Annabel Chambers. They moved to Campbelltown in 1957 to raise their family of three children, Dennis, Ann and Judy. Jim had a passion for history, and joined the Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society a couple of years later. He was particularly interested in bushrangers, the Boer War, war memorials, and St John's Parish. He was the author of the book "Where Pioneers Lie : St John's Cemetery Campbelltown" and co-authored the book "Campbelltown and the Boer War, 1899-1902". He recorded headstone inscriptions, not only in local cemeteries but also those he visited whilst travelling, he donated photographs to the collections of both the CAHS and the Campbelltown Library, and he wrote copious notes about many subjects pertaining to the Campbelltown area. Jim was awarded a Life Membership of the CAHS in 1984, the Campbelltown Heritage Medallion in 1999 and a Certificate of Achievement by the Royal Australian Historical Society in 2001.
Personally Jim was described as much admired, a thorough gentleman, and having a cheeky sense of humour. He passed away on October 19th, 2001, at the age of 76, and was buried in his beloved St John's Cemetery.

Jim with an old Boer War Medal, 1997

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources:
Grist Mills Vol 14 No.3, Vol.15 No.3, Vol.12 No.3&4
Macarthur Advertiser 24.10.2001
National Archives of Australia Service Records

The Circus Comes to Town!

An ad for Wirth's Circus c1932. Wirth's made numerous visits to Campbelltown during their 83 years of touring the country

Step right up! Read about the escaping circus lions that sent Campbelltown into chaos. Learn about the day a freak wind blew down the big top. Did you know that a monkey once escaped a visiting circus here by jumping on an electric train! Read further to learn more about these stories from the history of the big top in Campbelltown.

Campbelltown has a long history of circus visits. In 1889 Fitzgerald's Circus performed to a packed house. One of the best features of their show, according to the Illawarra Mercury, was by the pony "Commodore" who enthralled the audience with his array of tricks. A contortionist also gave a display of his 'astonishing powers'. Other circus companies made visits to the town, such as Eroni's Circus in 1896. Two years later Bristol's Great American Circus visited the town. It featured for one night only 'European Eccentriques' such as August Roland, king of the high wire; the Bellmonts, trapeze and serial artists; Tom-Tom the famous clown and jester; Malic Zidoni, queen of the air, from the Cirque-de-Nouvre, Paris, who would accomplish her daring, awe-inspiring, death-defying terrific slide for life from the tip of the main pole to the ground amidst a blaze of colored fire illuminations.

One of the most regular companies to visit was the famous Wirth's Circus. In August 1907 a huge crowd of 400, almost a third of the entire population, watched their show of "side-splitting clowns, wild animals, wire-balancing acts, and Maori war dancers". They visited again in 1914 where the highlight was "Daredevil Desperado" who dived, from the roof, a distance of 50 feet, on to a crescent shaped wooden platform. It appeared that he must have been crushed to pieces, but he would slide along the platform, and in an instant was bowing and smiling to the astonished spectators.

Over the years there have been a number of locations where the Big Top has set up. In the early days this included a paddock across from Milgate Lane. Some years later the site of King's Paddock was used. This was on the corner of Queen and Broughton Streets where Campbelltown Council is now located. This was the site for many years. Other locations include between Lithgow and Dumaresq Streets between Moore-Oxley Bypass and Queen Streets. In later years a site around the vicinity of Marsden Park was used and also on the old showground site where Harlequins Rugby Club is based.

Ashton's Circus on a visit to Campbelltown in the 1980s. This location is believed to be near today's Marsden Park (Robertson Collection)

As mentioned above, there have been some unusual incidents over the years. On September 1, 1917 two lions escaped from a cage from Wirth's Circus at about 6am. This caused great excitement and panic and most people made themselves scarce! At first they prowled around a paddock and then wandered further afield. One ended up in Mr Kershler's garden under a pine tree and the other was captured in the Presbyterian Cemetery.

In 1934 an elusive monkey escaped from a circus camped at Campbelltown and boarded a train. After the train stopped at Liverpool railway station, frantic attempts were made to capture it. At one stage it was reported as 'bearing its teeth viciously at all who approached it.' It continued to fight off engine staff and at Cabramatta the stationmaster and guard endeavoured once more to remove it, but after mauling the guard's hand severely, the monkey hung on to a luggage rack. It avoided capture until it got to North Sydney! The monkey was returned to Campbelltown. It is not known if the circus company was charged for its fare.

In February 1979 a large scale disaster was averted when a freak wind caused a tent to collapse. The Great Hungarian Circus occupied a vacant allotment in Queen Street. The collapse occurred only 24 hours before it was to give its premiere performance. It was a financial disaster for the Urban family who had sunk $200,000 from their life savings into the circus. The only casualty was Karl Urban who was hit in the left eye by a support pole. The tent was damaged to the tune of several thousand dollars.

Do you have memories of the circus in Campbelltown? Please let us know what they are.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Illawarra Mercury, 31 August 1889, p2

Campbelltown Herald, 24 August 1898, p2

Campbelltown Herald, 9 May 1914, p3

Camden News, 6 September 1917, p2

Campbelltown Herald, 28 August 1907, p2

Campbelltown Ingleburn News, 20 February 1979, p1

McBarron, Eddie et al 1985
Campbelltown 1930-1940: Dumaresq Street and Environs
Campbelltown City Council

The "Pride of Campbelltown"

In 1881, 22 acres of land on Badgally Road were established as a State Nursery. It was bounded by what is now Blaxland and Johnson Roads, with Bow Bowing Creek flowing prettily through it. The first Superintendent of the Nursery was young Scotsman Alexander Moore. Born in 1855 in Dundee, he came to Australia with his family. His father Charles had trained in the Botanic Gardens of Trinity College, Dublin, and became the Director of the Botanical Gardens in Sydney. Alexander followed in his father's footsteps and was appointed to the State Nursery. Sadly, he would only serve there for 3 years, dying of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1884. His successor John McEwan would work at the Nursery until his death in January 1913. They were followed by a succession of dedicated men, many of whom after their tenure at the nursery, would go on to work in various positions at Centennial Park and the Botanical Gardens.
The role of the State Nursery was to supply, free of charge, trees, shrubs and seedlings to various institutions around the state. These included schools, councils, railway stations and many others. Plants were originally dispatched by rail to the Sydney Botanical Gardens for distribution.

An example of the huge numbers of plants distributed by the State Nursery in one year.

A Superintendent's cottage was erected in 1882. By the turn of the century, an arboretum had been established and the Nursery was connected to Sydney Water. After 1903, plants were packed and dispatched directly from Campbelltown by "rail, coach, and steamer".
The Nursery also played a role in research. The trees in the arboretum were tested for suitability for timber and other uses, and also for adaptability to soil and climate. Early experiments in cotton growing were conducted, and some 50,000 Phylloxera-resistant grape fines were planted. Phylloxera was a huge problem to the grape industry in the area at that time.
The grounds of the Nursery were beautiful, being described as "The Pride of Campbelltown". The entrance was marked by two magnificent Bunya pines and a formal driveway. High clipped hedges acted as windbreaks, and the creek was crossed by several rustic  bridges. The drive was flanked by lawn strips and throughout the garden trees and shrubs of many varieties grew, including some rare species. Over the years more improvements were made including bush houses, a glass house, a carpenter's shop, a propagating house, a seed room, a potting and packaging shed and a mess room. Subsoiling with explosives was undertaken and sprinklers installed for watering.

Ladies in the State Nursery Gardens. Photo courtesy CAHS, Tom Swann Collection

 Many of the men who worked there did so for up to 25 years or more. Twenty men, including Barkley Haydon, George Huckstepp, and Cosmos Meredith. Barkley Haydon worked as gardener there for about 30 years, and Cos Meredith drove a horse drawn cart taking potted seedlings to the railway station. George Huckstepp was head gardener, giving 26 years of service.
Sadly, and abruptly, in 1930 the Nursery was closed. Many of the workers transferred to the Sydney Botanical Gardens. Some employees stayed on to help with the heartbreaking task of removing trees and plants. Fortunately many plants were relocated and trees dug up and taken to Sydney by motor lorry. Although the State Nursery was never intended to be a paying proposition, in 1929 it ceased supplying plants free of charge, and the demand fell rapidly. This combined with the Great Depression was probably the major factors in it's closure.
Campbelltown was dismayed, and the Mayor tried to have the closure reversed. Apart from the loss of jobs, the State Nursery had played a significant role in supplying trees, shrubs and plants for many towns and institutions, parks and gardens. Sadly, the decision had been made, and the land was sold to a Miss Chapman, who then sold it to Mr Alf Highfield. Mr Highfield was a major shareholder in Searls and Jeans, and the State Nursery began the next chapter of it's life as a flower nursery for Searls Florist Shop in Sydney. After initially being managed by Jack Hay, Alf Highfield arranged for his cousin Eric Malvern to take over the management in 1938. Eric and Elma Malvern and their baby Max arrived from Mudgee, and moved into the old Superintendent's residence. The Malvern family made the nursery their home, and had four more children whilst living there. Many trees remained from the early days, and the Malverns planted more. The huge lawn in front of the house was big enough for Alf Highfield to install a mini golf course. Tennis courts from the early days remained, and these were made great use of by Campbelltown residents.
Eric Malvern would cut roses early every morning, and other flowers late in the afternoon. They would be carefully packed in special boxes and taken to Campbelltown Station to make the 7a.m. train to the city. The flowers would be picked up by van from the train and delivered to various florist shops.

1956 - Badgally Rd running diagonally across the photo, with the oasis of the State Nursery centre.

This idyllic setting remained home to the Malverns for about 30 years. The site was eventually rezoned industrial, and although factories now occupy the former State Nursery site, many of the old trees remain. The legacy of the State Nursery lives on through the many thousands of trees and plants that were sent around the state, to parks, cemeteries, convents, churches, court houses, The Domain, Centennial Park, Prospect Reservoir, Jenolan Caves, and the Soldiers Settlement at Campbelltown, to name but a few.

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources:
"Badgally Road : the other side of the line" by Marie Holmes
Grist Mills Vol.1 No.3, Vol. 10 No. 1, and Vol. 18 No.2
Trove

Lane to an Arcade

In early 1979 bulldozers began to remove the road surface of what was then known as Milgate Lane. The lane that ran between Downes Department Store and Flemings Stores was to be transformed from a road to an arcade to house shops and offices. The arcade would link the car park to the main shopping thoroughfare of Queen Street.

The transformation of Milgate Lane had begun some years earlier when many of the houses that lined the southern side were demolished. At one stage in the 1930s there were ten houses that stood in the lane. They ran from Queen Street all the way down to the railway line. In the early part of the 1900s, on the opposite side of the street, there was a paddock where circuses would often set up. A past resident named Eileen Duguid remembered Wirth's Circus using the vacant paddock. The houses were small two roomed timber dwellings, situated very close to each other. The names of the people who lived there in the 1930s included: Charles Selems; Thomas Curry; Charles Augustus Jones; Frederick Scott; Jack Hutchenson; Alfred Duguid; John (Chinnie) Hund and Robert Coogan who lived in the last house before the railway line. Other names living there before this included: Mrs Evans, Mrs Brookes, Larkins and Masons. A concrete car park now occupies this site.

The Coogan family lived here for many years. It was the last house in Milgate Lane before the railway line (Clissold Collection).


Milgate Lane was named after Spencer Samuel Milgate who in the 1870s and 80s operated a produce store on the site now occupied by Milgate Arcade. He was born in Sussex in the UK in 1834. He moved to Australia with his parents in 1840 and took over his father's store in Campbelltown after his death. Spencer bought Eschol Park off William Fowler in 1878. Then tragedy struck when his mother and three daughters all died within two years of each other. He sold Eschol Park and moved to Sydney. Spencer Samuel Milgate died at Wentworthville in 1911. Milgate Arcade and the remaining stretch of Milgate Lane remind us of this early pioneer.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Holm, Tess et al 1985
Campbelltown 1930-1940: Dumaresq Street and Environs

Oral History Interview with Eileen Duguid 1977 Held at Campbelltown Library

Macarthur Advertiser, 13 February 1979

Burning the Kaiser

The artwork above was painted by Arthur Streeton on 12 November 1918, the day after the signing of the Armistice to end World War One. It's titled Australian burning effigy of Kaiser in Square, Armistice Day. It depicts a crowd of soldiers gathered around a bonfire with an effigy of the Kaiser hanging from the gallows. The scene summed up the country's feelings towards the enemy after such a long and bloody conflict.

The people of Campbelltown carried out the same 'ceremony' at the end of the war. A large crowd gathered at Mawson Park, still then known as "The Green". They constructed an effigy of the Kaiser made out of straw and other materials and placed it on a large bonfire. The burning accompanied marching and dancing. Crowds massed in Queen street, church bells rang out and many locals took the train into Sydney where they jammed into Martin Place to celebrate.

Unfortunately there are no known surviving copies of the local newspaper to provide a more detailed description of the day's celebration.

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Digitised Oral History of Eileen Duguid 1977, Held at Campbelltown City Library

Tear Down This Wall!

Campbelltown's second court house was built on the same site as the first court house and was officially opened in 1889. In 1963 major additions and alterations to the building were planned. This work was carried out during 1965 and 1966. The extensions were opened on 2 December 1966 at a cost of $180,000.

When the Minister of Justice, Mr J.C. Maddison made his speech on the opening day, he spoke of 'the very fine and necessary extensions to this court house'. The improvements to the inside may have been fine, but to the folk of Campbelltown the outside was a disaster. Part of the work included an exposed dark brick addition across the main level of the façade. Over the years this brick extension attracted many complaints due to its out-of-character look which was so unlike the original architecture. The high front iron palisade fence and gates with stone plinth were removed.

The Court House extension taken a few weeks after the official opening in 1966 (State Library of NSW)


To make matters worse, an ugly wall was constructed in the late 1980s. The wall hid the brick extensions but also hid the view of the lovely old court house from the street. The public, including local politicians, detested the wall. One Councillor summed up people's feelings when he said it was "a real crime to have a monstrous wall hiding such a lovely old building in the heart of the CBD". Another said "It's a blot on the landscape and should not be in the main street of any nice town".

In 1995 plans were made to have the facade restored to its former glory. The State Government stalled for some years, but finally in March of 1997 the town celebrated the ugly brick facade's removal.

How the monstrosity looked in 1995 with the 'ugly wall' (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

There is an interesting side note to this story. Sandstone pillars and a section of the original cast iron fence that were removed in the 1966 extension, were installed at the house of Max Dunbier, the former MP for Campbelltown. Mr Dunbier's father, who was the member for Nepean, bought the fence in the 1960s when it was taken down to make way for the brick extensions. While the fence was in storage in Liverpool, thieves attacked it with an oxy torch and stole the gates and several cast iron sections.

Back to it's original best: how it looked in 1999 (Stan Brabender Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown Court House
In Grist Mills: Journal of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society
Vol. 8 No. 1, Jan 1995

Campbelltown-Ingleburn News, December 6, 1966

Macarthur Advertiser, March 19, 1997

Macarthur Advertiser, April 27, 1994

Carolyn's - a fashion icon.

Mrs Alice Minut, (born Alice Penrose Hepher in 1926) owned and ran Carolyn's Frock Salon in Campbelltown for many years. In 1951, the frock shop trading under the name "Miami Fashions" was bought out, and became "Carolyn Fashions". Alice Minut was employed there for five pounds a week. She eventually bought the business, and the name "Carolyn's" stayed.
On one side of the shop was Alice's brother Jack Hepher's bicycle shop, and on the other, Mrs Fairburn's fruit shop where Alice's sister Nell worked. With a tiny seven foot frontage, and a tiny turnover to match, Alice would be buyer, sales lady, cleaner, and also do alterations when required.

In about 1956 the shop moved to a new location, in the old Bagley's Newsagency building. The business grew, and so did the team. Carolyn's held fashion parades, entered floats in local parades, did fancy window displays for special occasions, and ensured that their clientele were offered up to the minute fashion choices.

Through the sixties and seventies the iconic Carolyn's Frock Salon continued - does anyone know when it finally closed it's doors? Or have memories of shopping there? We would love to hear from you!

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources
www.heavenaddress.com/Alice-Penrose-Minut/423741/obituary
Campbelltown Ingleburn News 11.4.1967 & 15.6.1976
Our Past in Pictures Database, Campbelltown Library

A snapshot of the lost suburb of Eckersley

In the early 1800s, a small township developed within the boundaries of what is now the Holsworthy Field Firing Range on the eastern side of the Georges River. The Parish of Eckersley had been named in 1835 by the Surveyor General after Nathaniel Eckersley, who was a Quartermaster-general during the Peninsular War which was part of the Napoleonic Wars. There was, however, no European settlement there until it was opened for selection under the Crown Lands Act of 1884.
The first blocks applied for were between Punchbowl Creek and the Georges River. An interesting mix of people settled in the area. The first to take up their selection were the Etchells brothers, Harry and Frank in 1889. They distilled bootleg rum made in illegal stills in the bush. Other settlers included Leonce, Gustave and George Frere, and Charles and Edmond Kelso. The Freres selected large acreages at Eckersley where George Frere established a vineyard. Charlie Kelso decided his land was unsuitable and forfeited it in 1892. James Heffernan extracted shellac resin from the trunks of tree ferns and sold it to a gunpowder merchant. The Everetts ran the little post office from their selection at Eckersley, and also grew grape vines and apples. They were very well respected and were given a big send off when they left the district in 1902. The Trotts also lived at Eckersley - Whyndam Albert Trott and his wife Lavinia. Mr Trott was away working for weeks at a time, possibly due to his occupation as a builder. Jules Pierre Rochaix also had a house at Eckersley, but he exchanged his land for two blocks at Mount Colah. He was a detective with the New South Wales police force, just one of 14 detectives in a force of just under 2000 officers and constables.

The early Eckersley settlement

 
Further along the river other families built homes and established vineyards and orchards, including Nathaniel Bull, a former mayor of Liverpool, and Isaac Himmelhoch, who cleared and terraced his land with stone, and built a large winery and cellars.
In 1891 there were more than 30 small farms in the area, but by 1912 the Post Office closed. The remoteness of the area, and the fact that the soil proved to be not as suitable as first thought, were contributing factors to the demise of Eckersley. Its fate had been sealed when Lord Kitchener, visiting Australia on military matters, declared Holsworthy as the site for a permanent army camp. The Army took possession in 1913, and the rural settlement was abandoned. The settlers were paid no compensation.
Today only a few ruins, stone walls, wells, and foundations remain of Eckersley.

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources
Grist Mills Vol.8 No.4 "The Road to Frere's Crossing".
Grist Mills Vol.16 No.1 "Snippets of history of the Georges River".
www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/lost-suburb-eckersley.html
www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au "History of our suburbs"
Trove

Calling all History Buffs!

Thursday 8 September is History Trivia Night at the H.J. Daley Library, Campbelltown. Come along and test your knowledge of history, both local and around the world.
Can you identify which identity said what? Are you good at putting a name to a face? Or maybe you just want to learn a few interesting facts over some light refreshments with the chance of winning a great prize.
The trivia night begins at 6:00 pm. Make your own team of six or join a team on the night. Cost is $10.00 per person with bookings essential on 4645 4436.

Here are some questions to whet your appetite.

a) Which historic Campbelltown home became a fly spray testing laboratory in the 1940's?

b) Which Japanese city is known as Campbelltown’s sister city?

c) The first service held in St Peters Anglican church was not Anglican. Which denomination was it?

d) Which famous bushranger was born in Campbelltown?

Answers.

a) St Helens Park

St Helens Park House which once had the nickname of "Blowfly farm"
Campbelltown City Library. Local Studies Collection

b) Koshigaya

c) Catholic

d) Daniel “Mad Dan” Morgan                           

Hope to see you there.