Eschol Park House

Eschol Park House c 1870 (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Eschol Park House has a long and colourful history. From vineyards to ghosts to lost Nazi gold bullion, the place has long been a source of fascination. It was built on a grant acquired by Mark Millington in 1816. A small cottage was originally built on the site and can still be seen from the Queen Victoria Ballroom in the main house. The main house was built about 1820 by Thomas Clarkson and then changed ownership regularly throughout its history. The house is a mixture of styles and was added to, in stages. It was built using the ashlar method which is apparent on other houses built by Thomas Clarkson.

A flourishing vineyard was established on the property in the 1850s when William Fowler took over the large landholding.  He called it Eschol Park from the biblical reference to the 'promised lands of Eschol', a place of vineyards. Fowler built the two storey cellar into the hillside south of the house which still stands. He won numerous prizes for his wine.

Tragedy struck the Fowlers one night in the mid 1800s. Young Amelia Fowler, the granddaughter of William, was waiting for her boyfriend to come and get her in a horse drawn carriage to take them to a ball. In her haste she ran down the stairs, catching her foot in the hoops of her dress and fell down the steps, breaking her neck. It is Amelia's ghost that is said to haunt the building. A direct descendant of the Fowler family was attending a family gathering one night. Members of the family were waiting for her to come down the stairs at the end of the evening. However at the top of the stairs she froze to the spot and went into a dazed state. She said later she had gone through an instantaneous regression to the day of her forebearer's death, and could see the footman waiting at the bottom of the stairs to carry her to the carriage.

In 1876 William Fowler sold all of his land to Spencer Milgate. Milgate sold the property two years later to a Dutch photographer who lived there until the end of the century. The property's vineyards were wiped out in the 1890s with the coming of the phylloxera disease. The surrounding land remained as rural hills for many years until the mid 1970s when the suburb of Eschol Park was developed.

During the Second World War, the estate was used as a detention camp to house German Embassy staff. A fortune in Nazi gold bullion was believed to have been buried in the grounds of the property by the embassy staff.  Despite every square metre of the property being turned over, including the immediate grounds and the internal walls, no trace of the bullion has ever surfaced. Perhaps someone will dig it up from a backyard in the neighboring suburbs one day.

In 1991 a Croatian family named Masina purchased Eschol Park House and turned it into a fine wedding reception venue. Historically friendly additions were made to the property. The building, surrounds and driveway have been classified by the National Trust.

The house taken in 1999

Update

Evidence reveals Amelia Fowler was not killed by falling down stairs at Eschol Park House. She died at at a Queensland property known as 'Inkerman Downs' Station.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sir Henry's Visit

Campbelltown was buzzing with excitement on the day Sir Henry and Lady Parkes paid the town a visit. It was 1891 and Parkes was the Premier of New South Wales at the time. A huge crowd turned out to greet them at the railway station and listen to his speech made nearby. He was a huge figure in the colony and heavily involved in his attempts to federate the colonies. Despite his poor physical health after a recent accident involving a cab, he was still a formidable opponent in Parliament.


The reason for Sir Henry's visit was the Encampment of the Volunteer Forces for which Campbelltown was selected to host in 1891. This was a training camp for military volunteers and was a major coup for the town. A report in the Freeman's Journal described the arrangement of the camp "The Cavalry occupied the Rev. Mr. Alkins' paddock, on the eastern side of the Anglican Church, the Mounted Infantry were placed in a paddock adjoining St. Patrick's Inn, and the First and Third Regiments on the eastern side of Mr. Joseph Rudd's residence, and the remainder of the Infantry were located on the old racecourse."


The week following Parkes' visit was virtually a holiday for the townspeople. The streets from the railway station to the camp were spanned by triumphal arches, covered with fernery and bunting. The event even lead to improvements being made to the railway line. Men had to work day and night, in order to complete the duplication of the line as far as Campbelltown. Hundreds of navies were employed at ballasting, plate laying and bridge-making. Platform accommodation was also increased.


Henry's speech near the railway station, particularly his comments regarding federation, attracted loud cheers. He also entertained the strongest belief in the volunteer movement. At the conclusion of the address cheers were given for Sir Henry and Lady Parkes, the Governor and the Queen. School children then sang "God Save the Queen". After a luncheon at the headquarters mess, the visitors were shown over the camp, and returned to town by the half-past 4 train.

This is a photograph of Sir Henry Parkes' visit taken during his speech. Although very blurry, you can make out Henry's recognizable figure just to the left of the small shed on the right. (patience is required!)

Written by Andrew Allen




Source:


Freeman's Journal 11 April, 1891


Australian Star 30 March 1891

Confusion Reigns

Spare a thought for the residents who lived in the above East Campbelltown streets in 1970. At one end of the street the name is spelt Paterson Street and at the other end Patterson Street? Same with the other street. Is it Mereil Street or Meriel Street? It seems we had one confused signwriter back then and a lot of confused locals!

For the record, Paterson Street was named after the famous poet Banjo Paterson and the correct spelling is with one t. Mereil Street is the correct spelling for the other. The unusually named street was invented by joining the first names of Neil McLean and his wife, Merle. Neil McLean was the name of the developer of Campbelltown's first estate named St Elmo. Work on the estate began in 1949 and was located around Broughton and Lindesay Streets. It was nicknamed "Snob's Hill" by local residents as the homes were large and brick with sweeping views. Mereil and Paterson Streets were part of St Elmo Estate.

The next issue of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society journal "Grist Mills" will be launched this Saturday March 18 at 'Glenalvon'. Written by Julie Crowley and titled "Living on the St Elmo Estates: The Story of One Man's Trust", it looks at what life was like on the estate through the experiences of those who lived there. Copies will be available from 'Glenalvon' after the launch.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

McGill, Jeff et al 1995
Campbelltown's Streets and Suburbs: How and why they got their names
Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Campbelltown Ingleburn News, July 7, 1970

The Way We Were- Part 3

Here are some more then and now photographs, back due to popular demand!

Photograph Above: Queen Street in the 1880s showing three of the colonial terraces at the southern end of the street

Photograph Below: From the same spot in 2016. Trees now dominate the scene and the dirt street is no longer. The colonial terraces thankfully remain.

 

Photograph Above: The level crossing on Camden Road in 1996. This was taken just before the overhead bridge on Narellan Road became operational.

Photograph Below: Taken in 2016, the road now stops at the railway tracks and traffic no longer moves on this road.

 Photograph Above: This photo shows the Fisher's Ghost Bridge in 1970

Photograph Below: The old bridge has long gone, Emily Cottage is now obscured by trees and Rydge's Hotel can be seen in the background.

Photograph Above: HJ Daley and Mayor Clive Tregear at the receiving of the lamp standard from the Council of the Municipality in Campbeltown, Scotland to Campbelltown City Council in 1966.

Photograph Below: A scene in 2016 that has changed so much and difficult to reconstruct. Note the posts on the side of the building that help line it up as close as we can get.

Written by Andrew Allen