McLean's Store

McLean's was the sort of shop that you could find almost anything. Their slogan of 'You Can Get It At McLean's' was generally accurate. Charming little shops such as this are mostly a thing of the past, unable to compete with today's supermarket giants. Let me share with you some of Rod McLean's memories of McLean's Handy Store and Tea Rooms that was located at 11 Railway Street in Campbelltown. 
 
The exact date of construction of the building that later became McLean's shop is not clear. We do know that it was considerably old and constructed of sand stock bricks. There were rumours that the building had operated in the 1800’s in various industries. One was that sly grog was sold from it.
 
The shop had been operated for some years by the Winton Brothers prior to and during the Second World War. The Winton's were famous for their ice creams and banana splits. They would use large metal scoops to get the ice cream out and so a generous helping always excited the awaiting children!
 

An advertisement from the local newspaper in 1948. Check out the phone number at the bottom of the ad.

In 1946 Alf and Elsie (known as Bobby) McLean purchased the shop. The business prospered by selling seven days a week. It offered morning and afternoon teas, sandwiches, drinks, ice creams and sweets, cigarettes and tobacco as well as catering services for weddings and group gatherings.
 
The business was a source of employment for a number of local girls. In the early 1950s Alf commenced a fruit and vegetable service to outlying farms around Campbelltown including Appin, Wilton, Menangle and Douglas Park. The service started with a 1928 Chevrolet Table Top and later to a Ford Blitz. This service continued for some years and was later taken over by Alf Billington.
 
The main building consisted of the main shop, a storeroom on the eastern side and a living room behind the shop with two bedrooms. The rear of the building was later converted into two flats. After the death of one of the residents, due to a motor accident in 1958, son Roderick and his wife Miriam moved in till 1962.
 

 

 Photo taken in the 1960s after the verandah was removed (Rod McLean Collection)

According to Rod McLean one of the characters around town would often come into the shop in an old Army coat asking for some metholated spirits to rub on his arms as the doctor had instructed (with vigorous demonstrations of arm rubbing).

Being opposite the Police Station came in handy at times, especially when known trouble makers were about!  At the start of school terms, boarding students getting off the train and returning to St Gregory’s College made the most of the short time they had to stock up on sweets and biscuits, before boarding the bus to school.

In the 50’s most of the new residents coming to look at land and houses in expanding Campbelltown would stop at the tea rooms for their first “cuppa” in Campbelltown  before venturing into town, or out to Sherwood Hills or Bradbury Avenue.

In 1966 or 67 the property was sold and before too long Council released a plan of the location which encompassed a number of house sites for parking in Railway Street. McLean's was demolished, joining a number of others in Railway Street to succumb to the bulldozer. The shop's address of 11 Railway Street has little relevance today as there are no buildings on that side of the street between Short and Hurley Streets.

My thanks to Rod McLean for providing information and photos of the shop.

Written by Andrew Allen

 

 

 

 

The Payten Ponies.

The Payten brothers Alf, Percy and Jim, and their sister Rose, of “Woodbine”, Campbelltown, had been breeding ponies for a number of years prior to the establishment of the Australian Pony Stud Book Society. They actively selected sires and used foundation mares of different strains and breeds, the result being fine quality ponies. One of their most influential stallions was the cream stallion Arcus. The story of his background is quite fascinating. He was apparently left with the proprietor of the Royal Hotel in Cooma in the 1880s, as payment for an unpaid bill. Going through a number of owners, he was eventually purchased by the Payten brothers who used him as the cornerstone of their breeding program. His lineage was an interesting mix of Thoroughbred, (through his grandsire Smuggler, a first generation Australian Thoroughbred), pony, through his granddam Minette, who was a champion pony mare, and surprisingly, brumby, through his dam, who was apparently a creamy brumby mare. Arcus sired a number of daughters and sons whose lines still exist in the Australian Pony Stud Book today. Of all his sons, a colt called Marcus, out of a Welsh pony mare named Olive would go on to become highly influential. He was a beautiful type of pony that produced many fine progeny. 

"Marcus" by Arcus, bred by the Paytens.

The Paytens did not just breed beautiful ponies, they exhibited them at shows, in hand, in harness and under saddle. Rose Payten, (more famous for her tennis), was a proficient harness driver, taking out many awards, not only at local shows but also at the Sydney Royal Show, mainly throughout the 1920s.

Rose Payten driving her pony "Picture". 

The contribution of the Payten family to the establishment of the Australian Pony is invaluable, as they were hugely instrumental in breeding foundation stock. 

Written by Claire Lynch

 Sources:

The Pony by Lorna Howlett

Pony Magazine Australia V.1 Iss.3.

Pony Magazine Australia Facebook page

A 'Serious' Posty

Occasionally I read about someone from our town's past that I find fascinating. They mightn't have been a mayor or an alderman, or a prominent business or sportsman, but nevertheless they left their mark on the world. One such person was Jack Campion.

Jack was born next door to where Alpha House once stood, about where Campbelltown Mall's food court is. He was a letter carrier for 48 years and began working in his home town Campbelltown in 1919 where he retired in 1942. He had previously been attached to Haymarket in the city.

The late Eddie McBarron writes briefly about Jack in his book "Campbelltown 1930-1940: Dumaresq Street and Environs" that he co-wrote with Tess Holm, Fred Peers and Archie Walker. It's a book I refer to regularly. I love the way Eddie described him: "tall and very thin, he was a keen dancer. He had a mannerism of walking away when conversing with company only to return again, only to repeat the act again. Rarely bought a newspaper, always borrowed the neighbours'; rarely if ever smiled- a very serious man."

The Campbelltown News gave Jack an impressive write up after he announced his retirement. He was married twice to different women from New Zealand that may have been either sisters or cousins. Jack Campion died in 1948 at Liverpool Hospital.

Looking as serious as ever, Jack is photographed standing in the back row on the far left with the suit and bow tie. This was a cricket final and was taken at Camden in 1933. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society).


Written by Andrew Allen

Flowers for a Lady

The cute little girl in this photograph is Marjorie Skerritt. It was taken when she was about three or four years old on a memorable day for Marjorie and Campbelltown. The date was 19 September 1907 which saw the visit of the Governor of New South Wales Sir Harry Rawson accompanied by his daughter Lady Rawson. The reason for the visit of the pair was to open the Garden Fete and Continental, in the Agricultural Society's Ground, in celebration of the jubilee of the Congregational Church. On arrival at the showground, Lady Rawson was welcomed on behalf of the ladies of the church and was also presented with a bouquet of flowers by little Marjorie.

Marjorie's father Samuel Skerritt owned a drapery store on the corner of Lithgow and Queen Street where the ANZ Bank is today. It later became Marlow's and Solomon's stores. They lived at Richmond Villa which still stands in Lithgow Street. Marjorie later married Arthur Chapple and moved to the Lane Cove area where she died in 1982 aged 79.

Written by Andrew Allen

Woolwash Memories

Almost without fail, everyone remembers the Woolwash as being the best, and favourite swimming spot in Campbelltown. Kids would walk, ride their bikes, or be dropped off, to spend a glorious summer day at this lovely spot on the Georges River.

Swimming, however, was not the only entertainment on offer at the Woolwash.  With great ingenuity, kids created their own forms of fun. Homemade canoes were constructed of tin and wood. These were mainly made of a sheet of corrugated iron bent down the middle and nailed to a piece of timber on each end. Apparently these home made canoes spent a fair bit of time on the river bed! Luckily, they could be retrieved by means of a rope tied to one end of the canoe, and the other end attached to a floating four gallon kerosene tin.

A homemade corrugated iron canoe sinking at the Woolwash in 1940 - photo courtesy CAHS and Col Braithwaite

Jimmy and Frank Lappin were brothers who were born and grew up in Campbelltown. Jim had a canoe he had made from flat iron, which he towed to the Woolwash behind his pushbike.  Frank created a home-made diving helmet, enabling him to walk along the river bed! Using a five gallon oil drum, arm holes were cut out of the drum and a glass viewing panel fitted. By attaching his Dad’s garden hose to the top of the drum, and the other end to a motor car tyre pump, he was able to create an air supply. The pump was operated by a person sitting in the canoe.  All this would work fine until the canoe sank!! Then the helmet had to be abandoned and the diver swim to the surface!

On one occasion, Frank complained that the operators of the pump were “a bit bloody scarce with the air”!!!

Luckily, no one was ever injured during these escapades!

Written by Claire Lynch

 Sources:

Grist Mills

Vol. 13, No. 2 “More Reminiscences of Old Campbelltown by Alf Cooper” by Verlie Fowler

Vol 16, No. 1 “Around the Woolwash in the 1930s and 1940s” by Col Braithwaite