A Trio of Penfolds

The surname Penfold has been synonymous with Campbelltown for many years. Father and son Max and Robert Penfold left a significant mark on the town as did another Penfold, not related, but associated with the famous Penfold wines.

 

Max Penfold

Max Penfold first became a court officer on May 22, 1928 beginning his career at Leeton and, for a period of 21 years, literally went everywhere in the state on court work. On September 26, 1949, he became Clerk of Petty Sessions at both Camden and Campbelltown. He remained at Campbelltown until 1965 when he accepted a promotion to the court relieving staff. He received further promotions on the court relieving staff in New South Wales until his death, although his home was always in Campbelltown.

Max was greatly loved and respected. He was affectionately described as someone who never had to give an order because those below him had so much respect for him and automatically headed his wishes. Top people in the legal profession also respected his opinion. Norm Campbell tells the story about him being at the Sydney Cricket Ground during a cricket test and one of the Supreme Court judges said "Oh there's Max over there, I must go and talk to him". They would go to him- Max didn't go and talk to them.

Max was good at solving people's problems. His inquisitive nature was probably the reason behind this. He wanted to know exactly what was going on so he could deal with it. At first people thought he was nosey until they realized he had helped with their problem. He was also a bit of a character. Norm described the day a fire siren went off in court and Norm, being a fireman got up. He said before you approach the bench I want to say something: "If any member of the jury wanted to attend I will excuse them, but there is a catch. What you have got to do is report to Mr Campbell that you have attended. Now if you don't and he comes in tomorrow and tells me that you didn't attend, then I will deal with you." With all that the jury got up and left and there were people coming up to Norm saying you'll tell the judge won't you?

Max died on November 1, 1972. He lived in Broughton Street, Campbelltown.

 

A young Robert Penfold working as a reporter for the Campbelltown Ingleburn News

 

Max's son Robert Penfold would be known to many as a reporter on Channel Nine. Robert left school and started working as an assistant pay master at Campbelltown Council, a role he says left him "bored out of his mind". He then got a job with the Campbelltown Ingleburn News newspaper as a cadet journalistat age 21. "It took a friend of mine to tell me that I was a journalist". On his first day he was called to a bloody accident on Appin Road. It was a real baptism of fire but Robert made such an impression with everyone that day. In 1976 he joined Channel Nine and has since gone on to lead a distinguished career. He has covered some of the great stories of the last 40 years and earned multiple distinctions.

 

Frank and Gladys Penfold Hyland

 

Another well-known Penfold associated with the Campbelltown area was Gladys Penfold Hyland. She was a businesswoman and collector of antiques. In 1921 she married Frank Astor Penfold Hyland, governing director of Penfolds Wines Ltd. He opened a branch of Penfolds in Pitt Street in 1901. Frank and Gladys made many trips abroad publicizing Australian wines. It was while they were travelling that they developed an interest in antiques and paintings.

Gladys was a domineering woman who kept tight hold of the family purse-strings. She dressed in beautifully tailored suits, often with initialed brass buttons.

Following Frank's death, she inherited his majority shareholding in Penfolds and was chairman of the board. Her later years were spent at Chateau Blanc, her farm near Ingleburn. The beautiful French provincial-style home was the setting for her magnificent private collection of art treasures and antiques. The home had a wonderful courtyard and was framed by black iron gates, flanked on either side by two antique lamps. The house had a view from one of the highest points of the area, with colourful gardens. Gladys would sometimes hold special lunches their with the very best champagne cocktails. She died there on July 11, 1974 and was buried in the church of England Cemetery, Denham Court.

Chateau Blanc today in Denham Court Road, Denham Court

Written by Andrew Allen

The Way We Were- Part 4

Some more then and now photographs

The corner of Copperfield Drive and Archibald Crescent, Rosemeadow in 1999 and 2017. The view is looking towards Copperfield Drive. The photograph above shows the land sales office at the new Rosemeadow Gardens Estate.

Above is "St Elmo" in Broughton Street taken around 1900. Below is the same scene today with those pesky trees in the way!

 

Taken in Railway Street looking towards Campbelltown Railway Station. The photo above was taken in 1986, just days before the Royal Hotel was demolished. This was difficult to line up a then and now comparison and not just because it was taken from the middle of the road! There was also some strange looks coming our way. If you look carefully you can just make out a chimney under the street light in the 1986 photograph. This is the same chimney under the aerial and near the replacement street light in the bottom photograph. This then and now comparison provides an indication of where the Royal Hotel was in relation to the realigned Railway Street.

Written by Andrew Allen

"SIX!"

The tale is told of Jack Nash, dairy farmer and sportsman, playing cricket in Mawson Park, and hitting a six all the way to the railway line! The story goes that the ball went all the way to Sydney on the train! Whilst we can't verify this, we can give the following information about Jack.
Jack Gordon Nash was born in 1900 to Florence and Henry Nash, and his early life was spent at the family home in Leumeah -  "Merriwee".

Jack as a boy in the garden at Merriwee, with his father Henry and cousin Olive Roach

Jack married Bess (nee Sedgewick) in 1933, and moved from the home in Leumeah to the dairy farm "Birriwa" which was situated on Camden Road, between the traffic lights at Waterworth Drive and Mount Annan Drive. "Birriwa" was part of the original Smeeton grant.
Jack was variously described as "really robust", "a real character", "a really big man", and "a really wild bloke!". It was clear he loved his sport - photos show him in both football and cricket teams, and sports reports from the day record him as being talented at both games - try scorer, skilled bowler, and evidently a strong batsman as well! Jack would run from Kenny Hill to Campbelltown for his football training.

The Campbelltown Cricket team - Jack is the centre player in the back row.

The family continued to farm at "Birriwa" for many years. Jack 's son Don worked as a milk vendor, but also worked with Jack until the dairy closed in 1969.  They bred Ayrshire cattle with the stud name Birriwa.

Jack Nash with a beautiful Ayrshire cow c1930s

Jack passed away in 1973 - he is remembered in the area through the Jack Nash Reserve at Curran's Hill , and the farm is remembered through Birriwa Reserve, Birriwa Circuit and Birriwa Community Hall at Mount Annan.


Written by Claire Lynch
Sources -
Grist Mills - Vol.28 No.1
"Why Campbelltown? : interviews"
Don Nash  - all images courtesy Don Nash

A botched execution

March 1863, a train from Sydney pulls into Campbelltown carrying the body of convicted bushranger Henry Manns.
The son of William Manns, a ticket-of-leave man and his wife Mary, Henry was baptised at St Peters, Campbelltown in 1839. The family went to the Adelong goldfields where Henry worked as a carrier before becoming involved with bushranger Frank Gardiner.
At just 24, Manns, with nine other members of Frank Gardiner's armed gang took part in the holdup of the gold escort at Eugowra on 15 June 1862.
Captured in Wombat (near Young) he stood trial with three other members of the gang on 3 February 1863 but was the only one sentenced to death at Darlinghurst Gaol on 26 March 1863.

The residents of Campbelltown tried in vain to save Henry's life, seventy one had signed a petition for mercy and ultimately fifteen thousand signatures were obtained, but to no avail. Henry Manns had confessed to his crime and was to be hung, but he suffered a terrible death in a botched execution that was reported in graphic and awful detail by the Sydney Morning Herald the following day:

         "When at length...the bolt was drawn, there ensued one of the most appalling spectacles ever witnessed at an execution. The noose of the rope, instead of passing tightly round the neck, the knot coming round in front of the face, while the whole weight of the criminal's body was sustained by the thick muscles of the poll (head). The rope in short, went round the middle of the head and the work of the hangman proved a most terrible bungle. The sufferings and the struggles of the wretched being were heartrending to behold. His body swayed about, and writhed evidently in the most intense agony. The arms repeatedly rose and fell, and finally, with one of his hands the unfortunate man gripped the rope, as if to tear the pressure from his head, a loud guttural noise proceeding from his throat and lungs, while blood gushed from his nostrils, and stained the cap with which his face was covered. The awful scene lasted for more than ten minutes when stillness ensued, and it was hoped that death had terminated the culprit's suffering..."

Darlinghurst Gaol (courtesy https://www.nas.edu.au/place/old-darlinghurst-gaol/

Unfortunately Henry's suffering wasn't over, thought to be dead, his body then started convulsing and at the risk of another sickening scene, the doctor present, with the aid of four confines, held the dying man up in their arms while the executioner readjusted the rope and the drop was completed. Further indignities followed with the gaoler caught trying to steal the new boots from the corpse.

At his mother's request, the body was handed over so he could be buried in his birthplace of Campbelltown. Manns' body was taken by train, where he was buried at St John's Cemetery by Father Roche on 27 March 1863 in an unmarked grave.
In one final act of indignity, while his grave was being prepared, it is believed that his body was put on show in one of the hotels (reportedly the Sportsman's Arms - later know as Lack's Hotel) in Queen Street as a terrifying deterrent to the local young men of Campbelltown of the fate of bushrangers.

Written by Samantha Stevenson
Sources:
Henry Manns Local Studies Pamphlet File
Campbelltown : the bicentennial history by Carol Liston
Gold : the fever that forever changed Australia by David Hill
Sydney Morning Herald 27 March 1863

The Varroville Judge

Alfred Cheeke was a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales who once lived at Varroville house. Deeply respected, kind and courteous, Judge Cheeke left an indelible mark on the legal history of New South Wales. Yet it was his love of horse racing that most people recognize or remember him by.

Alfred Cheeke was born 10th March 1810 in England and migrated to Sydney in 1837, having been 'lured by rosy prospects of quick advancement in the burgeoning colony'. Later that year he was admitted to the Bar of New South Wales and made a magistrate in 1838. He went on to hold numerous legal positions until appointed Supreme Court judge in 1865. In these positions his justice, patience and mildness won him public acclaim and his conduct was said to have brought him more friends and fewer enemies than any other public officer in the colony. Despite this reputation, the Empire newspaper wrote in an article under the heading of "The Turfman of New South Wales" about Cheeke that "not one more thoroughly the type of blunt, straightforward Englishman, who, whether he loses or gains by it, will blurt out whatever comes into his head, and often makes a great mistake by so doing". Perhaps someone held a grudge! His most famous case was probably the trial of Henry O'Farrell for attempting to assassinate HRH The Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf in 1868.

Judge Cheeke purchased the Varroville Estate in 1859. While he was there he finished the construction of the third house on the Estate started by the previous owner George Taylor Rowe. It was at Varroville that he established a horse stud, training and breeding horses, and went into partnership with the famous trainer of the day John Tait. A private racecourse was established on the flats below Varroville (see my previous post on this at http://campbelltown-library.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/where-was-our-first-racecourse.html ). Cheeke often used the nom-de-course Mr A. Chaffe. His most famous horse racing accomplishment was when his horse Clove won the first AJC Derby in 1865. He was trained at Varroville. His most successful horses however were Zoe and Zingara.

Judge Alfred Cheeke died at his residence in Darling Point Road on 14th March 1876. He is buried in St Jude's Cemetery at Randwick.

Sources:

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 3 1969

Empire, 3 July 1866, p6

FOWLER, Verlie
Varroville: the estate of Dr Robert Townson
Grist Mills, Vol. 16, No. 3, November 2003, p87

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources