Christmas in the 1890s

 

W. Wilkinson Collection

This delightful Christmas postcard from our photograph collection is of Queen Street. It was taken by the Sydney firm of Kerry and Co. The shot is taken from near the intersection of Queen and Dumaresq Streets and is looking south. Pictured in the postcard are Charles Tripp's Wheelwright business on the left behind the lamp post, a hairdresser business opposite and the Old Post Office behind it. 

Charles Tripp and his brother Thomas rented this building in 1884. It was later used as a garage after much alteration and served the people of Campbelltown until its demolition in 1966. The hairdresser building continued as a hairdresser for some years after this photo was taken. It operated under the name of Fred Joseph after 1900. It was demolished in 1977. The Old Post Office was built in 1881 and still stands.

Kerry and Co. began operation in 1892, taking over from Kerry and Jones. Given that the name on the hairdresser is different to F. Joseph that took over in 1900, we can assume that the postcard was created between 1892 and 1899.

Written by Andrew Allen

Happy Birthday Campbelltown!

Three cheers from a crowd of 50-60 settlers echoed around the tiny settlement. The settlers were celebrating the naming of Campbell Town on this day 1 December 1820. Governor Lachlan Macquarie formally marked the boundaries of the township, the sites for the church, school and burial ground. He named it after his wife's maiden name. The ceremony was held at the current site of Mawson Park, probably close to St Peter's Church.

A portrait of Lachlan Macquarie

Written by Andrew Allen

Left Hungry

On 17 August 1895, a banquet was held for John Kidd in the Town Hall at Campbelltown. Kidd, the owner of the Blair Athol property and prominent citizen, was a member of Sir George Dibbs' state government that had recently lost an election. Certain actions by Dibbs leading up to the election were seen as being too conservative and the reason why the election was lost. The banquet was a grand affair, with many dignitaries attending including the Mayor of Campbelltown. 

Despite being a political and social success, it was not a success from a banquet point of view. And considering that food can make or break a night like this, the verdict was that it probably failed. The Camden News described it this way: "...the viands being wholly insufficient for the wants of the guests. One party of four, after vainly attempting to get something to eat, went to a neighbouring hotel and had supper on their own". One would assume the caterers got the sack!

John Kidd successfully became a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the NSW Parliament. He was elected to the seat of Nepean in 1880. When Dibbs' lost the election, Kidd retired from politics. On hearing of his death, Sir Edmund Barton, Australia's first prime minister, said "I always found him to be a loyal colleague and a strictly upright public man".

John Kidd pictured with his family at Blair Athol in the 1890s (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Camden News, 29 August 1896, p6

The Mighty Roos

The Campbelltown Kangaroos rugby league club has played a significant part in the lives of many locals. They have been around since 1908 and continue to play in the Group 6 competition. To write a comprehensive history of this club would too much of an undertaking for this blog and considering a history was written in 2008. I thought I would share some of the more interesting facts and stories in point form, using various sources including the excellent centenary publication written by Narelle Cullen and Lorraine Harris.

• The club was originally known as The Wallabies
• One of the teams the Kangaroos played against in the early 1920s was called Cordeaux Dam
• At one memorable game against Fairfield in the mid 1930s club supporter Geoff Gore fired a revolver into the air to stop brawling spectators.
• A game at Campbelltown saw the local sanitary truck pull into the oval with the truck fully loaded. The driver parked the truck and ran into the change rooms to get into his football gear, played the game and then ran back into the change room to get into his work clothes and continue to work which meant he had to go to empty the truck.
• The Kangaroos first played at Campbelltown Showground on Warby Street before moving to Alfred Duguid Oval at the northern end of Queen Street. They moved to Orana Park in 1971.
• A Group 6 representative team coached by Ray Corkery defeated the French touring team 2-0 at Orana Park in 1975 after a power outage caused the floodlights to fail.
• After being wooden spooners in 1979, Campbelltown City Kangaroos claimed the 1980 premiership with a dominant season in which they lost only two games. They remain the only Group 6 club to have gone from last to first in one season.
• Ex-Australian Kangaroos and ex-Wests Tigers coach Tim sheens captained the Campbelltown City Kangaroos to a first grade premiership in 1983. This was the Kangaroos last match in Group 6.
• In the 1930s the club would hold meetings at Alf Duguid's bootmaker and repair shop.
• In a match at Picton, Kangaroos player Ron New received a serious injury. He passed away a couple of days later from the injury. As a mark of respect to Ron his number 10 jersey has been retired and has not been worn by a senior team member since.
• The 1972 semi final between fierce rivals Campbelltown Kangaroos and Camden was regarded as one of the greatest matches in the group's history. After both sides hammered each other and with the score at 10 all with little time left, Camden won via a controversial scrum penalty.
• A supporter named Ray Muggleton using a booming voice would often use a famous catch cry of "COME ON YOU ROOS! GET SOME BLOOD ON YOUR BOOTS! This was yelled out just as the referee would blow his whistle to start the match.

An undated photograph of the Kangaroos football team (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Wikipedia

CULLEN, Narelle and HARRIS, Lorraine

Campbelltown City Kangaroos Rugby League Football Club 100 Years 1908-2008

Campbelltown: Snap Printing

Glenfield Veterinary Research Station

 In 1923 the New South Wales Department of Agriculture opened its very first veterinary research station on a small property at Macquarie Fields. The Glenfield Veterinary Research station would make a remarkable contribution to veterinary science and agriculture for almost 70 years.

The Research Station was established in recognition of the economic cost of disease in livestock and the need for a facility to conduct research centred on problems of importance to the cattle, sheep, poultry and pig industries. Perhaps most significantly, techniques for the artificial insemination of cattle were pioneered there.

Approval for the establishment of the veterinary institute was given in 1913, but the outbreak of WWI and the shortage of funds meant that implementation was delayed until 1916 when 45 hectares was purchased from the Ross Brothers’ Macquarie Fields property. On June 1, 1919 Dr Sydney Dodd was appointed Consulting Veterinary Pathologist and took charge of plans for the buildings and equipment necessary for the Station.

At the time of the buildings being constructed in 1920, Glenfield was a small village on the east side of the railway line. There was a railway station, some houses and a primary school. Farming was the main activity in the district and the Veterinary Station was the only development to the west of the railway.

Staff of the Glenfield Veterinary Research Station, 1923 (Photograph donated by Col Clissold)

When the buildings were complete, Dr H. R. Seddon was appointed pathologist and the Glenfield Research Station was officially opened on November 2, 1923. The work of the station was not confined to animal health problems, research was carried out on animal husbandry and nutrition, drought feeding of sheep, artificial insemination of cattle and the control of noxious animals. Glenfield was also responsible for the development of a highly virulent strain of myxoma virus, (the “Glenfield Strain”), which proved invaluable to rabbit control throughout the continent. Glenfield will forever be synonymous with being the first to introduce the Myxomatosis virus to Australia for experimental purposes. 

Glenfield Veterinary Research Station
The Farmer and Settler (Sydney 1906-1955) 4 Sept 1925

In the early 1980s there were approaching problems at Glenfield from urbanisation and the need for improved laboratory facilities, it was decided to move the Station to land at Camden purchased by the NSW Government that had once been part of the Camden Park Estate, the site of early Agricultural development in Australia by John Macarthur and his family. Staff, equipment and livestock were transferred to the new Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute between 1989 and 1990.

Written by Samantha Stevenson

References 

Grist mills Vol 22 No 1

The first 50 years – Glenfield Veterinary research station

50 years in animal research: Veterinary research station Glenfield 1923-1973

Glenfield Veterinary Research Station by P.J. Mylrea & D.W. Dredge

Recognition for Norm

 

The Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society recently conferred upon Norm Campbell an Honorary life membership to recognize the many years of commitment to our community. Anyone who is interested in the history of Campbelltown would likely know of this kind hearted man with an infectious energy. For those who don’t, we would like to let you know a little about his life.

Norm was born in Lithgow Street Private Hospital in 1923. As a child he lived in Stanwell House, one of the colonial buildings in Queen Street, until the government purchased the strip of Georgian houses and took on the prohibitively expensive task of restoring them.

It was a childhood lived in the shadow of the Great Depression. His mother had been adopted by George and Margaret Chinnocks who could not have children of their own. George and Margaret also looked after children of the state who were very happy to live with them.

“Grandfather Chinnocks” was very fond of horses and where there might be family portraits there were photos of thoroughbreds. There were very few cars around then everyone owned a sulky and horse for their transport. There were a number of wild horses in Glenfield if you wanted a horse you would go there, grab one and break it in. 

Norm remembers leaving for High School at 7:30am every morning by steam train with his friend Greg Percival, among others.  It was a long day having to change trains, swapping between steam and electric having to be shunted from Granville to Parramatta and getting home after 5:00 pm.

Norm did not see war service, being rejected for medical reasons. He remembers those bleak times on the home front. The young men who came back wounded; the soldiers who did not come back at all. The town itself had rationing and coupons. Campbelltown had a lot of soldiers in those times coming through with troops camped in the showground and the train taking soldiers to and from leave.

After his mother passed away Norm worked as a shopkeeper in the general store which also happened to be the family home.

During his working life Norm had many varied jobs. He gained work as a movie projectionist in various areas around Sydney before Fred Eves, who had given him his start delivering flyers for him, invited him back as projectionist for the fabled Macquarie Cinema. The introduction of television in the 50’s curtailed the cinema’s activities but there was a silver lining.

Norm began doing stints as a news correspondent for ABC radio, reporting on local events. It was usually 6:30am but it had a large following. Later on he would buy a camera and delivered filmed news reports for Channel 2 and 7, even filming sequences for the Mavis Branson show.

During the sixties, Norm was hired by Jim Vernon to be a photographer for the Campbelltown Ingleburn news, Camden news, the Picton Post and Macarthur Advertiser

During that time there was only one scientific detective for a large area and so he and the police mutually agreed that he should take scientific photos for our area. Norm received criticism for doing this type of work but those photos were to prove the truth of many events. An illustration of that was the crash of a light airplane. One of Norm’s photos showed a twenty cent coin lodged in the rudder controls causing the accident.

But not every day in the newspaper business gained praise. When the newspapers started using computers, Norm was interested in the way they worked. He was banned when he “wiped out” an amount of the day’s work.

At the beginning of the 1950’s Norm had also joined the local fire brigade, becoming Captain in 1968 at one of the busiest and wide ranging of districts. He recalls fondly a fire engine, which could pump 250 gallons of water a minute remaining in use at the station from 1929 until 1964, being unsurpassed in quality for many a year after that.

Norm recalls that many strange things have happened in Campbelltown, luckily more good than bad.

“Retiring” in 1988, Norm Campbell has kept an interest in many pursuits and been so generous in providing Campbelltown Library with so many photos and recollections of Campbelltown’s past over the years. We will be forever indebted to him.

Written by Michael Sullivan

The suburb with the misspelt name

Englorie Park House sits at the centre of the tiny suburb of Englorie Park. The land on which it sits has been home to many interesting people. It straddles two original land grants – one made to First Fleeter William Eggleton, and the other to Second Fleeter David Nowland.
Eventually the grants became one farm owned by merchant farmer Samuel Terry, who became known as the “Botany Bay Rothschild.” The property stayed in the Terry family after Samuel Terry’s death in 1838, via his grandson Samuel Terry Hughes, then to his stepdaughter Esther Hughes and then to William Nunn Pattrick, grandson of Esther Hughes. Pattrick (who had 12 children, of whom 6 sons served in WWI, three killed in action, 2 wounded), sold the property to Alfred Leath Park. Alfred built “Parkholme” – described as one of the “prettiest villas in the vicinity of Campbelltown, or indeed the colony”. Park was well known in coursing circles in the colony and his greyhounds were his pride and joy.  In about 1892, the property was sold to Henry Edward Vaughan, who was elected as an Alderman the same year, and as Mayor of Campbelltown the following year. He only served as mayor for one year. He leased Parkholme out when he subsequently moved away and after his death in 1901 it was purchased by Frederick Merewether. Frederick’s brother Herbert built the historic home Raith around the same time. The Merewethers were descendants of a pioneering family from the Hunter Valley.

In 1913 the property changed hands again. It was sold to Charles Burcher.  Born to blacksmith father Steven and mother Jane in Liverpool, on April 4th, 1837, Charles married Margaret Wilhelmina Smith in 1873, but she would tragically die in 1874, and their first and only child, daughter Jane, died in 1875. 

(Photo: Pastoral Review 16.12.1916) 

Burcher was highly respected in pastoral circles, and had been the owner of Euglo Station near Condobolin, and the adjoining Eugalong Station. Consequently, having retired to Campbelltown he changed the name “Parkholme” to “Euglorie Park”. Newspapers of the day frequently misspelt the name as “Englorie”, and this name would eventually stick. Burcher only lived at Euglorie Park for 3 years, before he died in 1916. He is buried in St Peter’s Cemetery, and clearly on his headstone is written “Charles Burcher who died at Euglorie, Campbelltown”. And so, Englorie Park really should be named "Euglorie Park". 

Burcher's headstone at St Peter's Campbelltown

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Trove

Ancestry

Grist Mills, Vol.4, No.1

http://www.cahs.com.au/parkholme.html

Highway Hold ups

Travelling along Appin Road has long been a hazardous trip. If you were doing it in 1866 there were even more reasons to be filled with trepidation. My research has revealed at least three terrifying hold-ups between Campbelltown and Wollongong during this year, leaving the community shaken.

In early April 1866 one late evening, two armed men stopped the mail coach at Loddon River just outside of Appin on the Wollongong side. They robbed the coach coming from Campbelltown to Wollongong of its mail bags and £5 from the only passenger. They later stopped the mail coach from Wollongong to Campbelltown, known as the up mail, and robbed the passengers of various sums of money, but did not take the mail bags.

It is believed the same bushrangers robbed again about a week later. At about 3am and four miles (7kms) from Appin, the bushrangers stopped the horses, and ordered the the coachman to bail up. The coachman and contractor was James Waterworth, and he was accompanied by the driver, a man from Wollongong and two youths returning either to home or school. The bandits tied everyone up, searched and robbed them. They also undid and rifled the mail bags, opening the letters, and helping themselves to whatever they liked. After leaving the letters scattered about the road, one of them cracked the whip and they drove off, leaving the poor passengers tied up. They eventually untied themselves and raised the alarm.

A few days later a girl on a farm on the Macquarie Fields Estate, was returning from school, when she picked up a parcel which turned out to contain 36 cheques, amounting to £360, and was a portion of the proceeds of the robbery. The cheques were handed over to the police and later a man from Appin was apprehended by the police.

James Waterworth was the coachman on Appin Road for many years. He died in his nineties in Campbelltown in 1920 after a lifetime of amazing stories of bushrangers and robberies. He was held up by bushrangers on three separate occasions. Before the robbery described above, James was held up once with a sickly man as his passenger. He was coming back from Wollongong with £300 and when the bushrangers stuck up the coach, James picked the little man up and carried him to a nearby shed. "You surely wouldn't harm this poor sick fellow" he said, and the bushrangers let him go.

Joshua Bray lived at Denfield on the Appin Road. In 1866 he wrote "They are very much excited about here, the mail was robbed ten days ago...The night before last they stopped it about a quarter of a mile from this house- the coachman and the passengers came about 4 o'clock in the morning to tell us. These robberies take place in the night...they were hiding all their jewellery. Papa has loaded his pistol". Bray describes this robbery as a quarter of a mile from Denfield or about 400 meters in today's measurements. This would rule out the robbery where they tied the victims up as it was seven kilometeres from Appin and therefore too far from Denfield, however it could have been the one where Waterworth carried his sickly man to safety.

The bushrangers are long gone but the same narrow and winding Appin Road continues to move thousands of people between Campbelltown and Wollongong every day.

 James Waterworth pictured in 1902 driving the same coach that travelled from Campbelltown to Wollongong via Appin

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Empire, 16 April 1866, p4

Sydney Morning Herald, 14 April 1866

NSW Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime, 4 April 1866, p118

The Old Police Station

 

The Campbelltown Police Station was once situated in Railway Street. Dates for its construction vary from 1880, the late 1880s and 1890. It replaced an earlier station around the corner in Queen Street near the Courthouse.

The police station was built in typical late nineteenth century style for police stations. It had cast iron brackets decorating its ten verandah columns. To the north of the station were the cell blocks and stables. These cell blocks were linked to the courthouse in Queen Street by a tunnel. A police sergeant's residence was situated next to the station until it was demolished in 1970.

The station operated until August 1985, when it became far too inadequate for Campbelltown's growing population. A fibro extension to ease the congestion did little to fix the problem. 

The old station was eventually demolished in 1988 and it was controversial. The Attorney General's Department owned the building but regarded the station as having no real historical significance. The National Trust however recommended that it be retained. Members of the public were vocal about its pending demolition including Deputy Mayor John Hennessey, who claimed "this is nothing short of public vandalism". A new court complex now stands on the site. A more modern and much larger station was built in Queen Street.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

ALLEN, Andrew 2018

More Than Bricks and Mortar: Remembering Campbelltown's Lost Buildings

Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Macarthur Chronicle, 17 November 1987, p17

New Rotolactor Photographs

The library recently received a donation of photographs of the Menangle Rotolactor during its heyday. We are grateful to Lyn Smith for sharing her wonderful images with us. Below is a sample of some of the collection we received. The photographs were taken in 1956. The complete donation is being processed and added to Our Past in Pictures photographic database found on the local studies page on the library's website.

Cattle yards at the Menangle Rotolactor

The rotolactor in 1956

Cows being milked at the rotolactor

Written by Andrew Allen

Fined

50 years ago today, this story from the Campbelltown-Ingleburn News:

An Ingleburn man was convicted at Campbelltown Courthouse and fined for negligent driving. Proceeding along Atchison Road, Macquarie Fields the driver decided to overtake the car ahead.
Unfortunately, in doing so he forced a police car, approaching from the opposite direction, to brake suddenly and swerve completely off the road to avoid collision.
According to the accused, he took the course of action because the car in front had braked suddenly.

The driver was fined $100.

The incident was dramatic to imagine but I wondered too about the fine payment without the convenience of eftpos. Back then there were no $100 dollar notes. And in 1970 there were no fifties either! After decimalisation, $50's were only deemed warranted after enough inflation had come to pass and weren't introduced until 1973. The only suitable choices after $20's, if he were flush enough, were these Campbelltown related notes.

Caroline Chisholm

John Macarthur

Or perhaps he wrote them a cheque...whatever they might be.

Sourced from the Campbelltown Macarthur Advertiser, 11 August 1970

by Michael Sullivan

Minto in the War Years

I came across an interesting interview in our collection last week. A Mr Dewar of Minto was interviewed in 1985 and he spoke about moving to Minto in 1942 and what the village was like during the war years. When the Dewar family first arrived in 1942, they lived on the corner of Pembroke and Stafford Streets for the first 18 months, before moving to Eagleview Road.

I would like to share some of the interview and display some of the photographs from the Dewar family that were donated to Campbelltown Library Service.

The following points are highlights from the interview:

• There were no street lights, very few houses, one shop and the houses were far apart.
• No houses were allowed to be built in the war years as material was needed for war purposes.
• There was only one school with one teacher in one classroom who taught from Kindergarten to Year 6.
• The roads were terrible. Redfern Road was the only street sealed. Most people walked.
• The Dewar's had a horse and sulky but mainly walked to the Railway Station. 
• Minto people had to go to Campbelltown to watch picture shows. Picnics were popular because that was one way that people got together for enjoyment.
• The swimming hole at Casula station was a popular place to swim.
• The Dewar's lived on Eagleview Road. It was named this because it lead up to a very high point at Leumeah Road, where you could see down to Bowral and across to Camden and then right around to the lights of Katoomba and Blackheath at night and then to Sydney. At some points you could see the Harbour Bridge.
• There was a dance every Friday night at the School of Arts.
• Telephone calls were handled by the switchboard operator Mr Williams at the Post Office. People only had a telephone between 9am and 6pm and none after midday on Sunday.
• There was only one shop where Minto Mall is now.
• Soldiers from the Ingleburn Army Camp would come to Minto to train and you would be walking along the street and would see a soldier behind the fence with a gun. They were training to go overseas.
• A local dairy would supply the Dewar's with milk. They would take their jars up to the dairy and get them filled up with cream and it only cost one shilling.

The Dewar home on the corner of Pembroke and Stafford Street in 1942

The Dewar family home in Eagleview Road, Minto

Mrs Helen Douglas Dewar with her sister Miss Jessie Abbott and granddaughter Anne outside the family home on Eagleview Road

Dave Dewar with daughter Anne outside his car

Presbyterian Sunday School picnic on the Dewar's property at Minto

All of the photographs above are from the Dewar Collection, Campbelltown City Library, Local Studies Collection.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

"Why Campbelltown?" Interviews

Westview

In August 1888 the Sisters of the Order of the Good Samaritan purchased land for a college. The college, to be known as St John's Preparatory College, "Westview", was situated on a hill to the east of Campbelltown. The sisters came to Campbelltown in 1887 where they took over the parish school and established St Patrick's school for girls and is the current Campbelltown Tourist Information Centre.

The building that was used for the college was thought to have been an existing building on land that was owned by John Kidd and included part of George Carr's grant. It was partly bordered by Aston and Bayle's farms. A newspaper article describing extensions made to Westview in 1954 identified the building as "Hillview", however there is no evidence to support this. George Carr is likely to be the convict listed in the Campbelltown Pioneer's Register who was a labourer at Airds and died in 1940.

"Westview", St John's Boarding School for Boys around 1900. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

In an article written by Robert Parkinson in volume 11, issue number 4 of Grist Mills: the journal of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society, the author writes "It is not clear if the sisters actually erected the cottage and called it Westview although Sr Claudia has spoken of "the old homestead where we (the sisters) had our dining room".

The buildings were added to in the following years, although they were inadequate for the college's requirements. The sisters had to make do for too long and it was decided to build substantial additions which were officially opened in 1922. The college became known officially as St John's Preparatory College, Westview. It cost £5000 and much of it was funded by parishoners. In 1954 a ceremony marked the laying of the foundation stone for further extensions and they were opened by Bishop McCabe on 2 December 1956.

Garnet Jennings and Frank Monaghan at the college in 1926 (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

In 1969 St John's closed to be re-opened in 1970 as St Patrick's School for girls. This school had moved from the old St John's church in George Street.

I visited the school a few weeks ago and met one of the teachers and the school archivist. They showed me the excellent archives collection, including many objects and documents related to the school's history. I was also directed to the site of the original building that housed the college when the sisters moved there in 1888. The building was still standing in the 1940's but it is unclear when it was demolished. I hope to have an answer for this in the near future.

The area in front of the yellow signs marks the site of the original Westview building 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

PARKINSON, Robert

St John's College Westview Campbelltown, NSW

In Grist Mills Vol. 11, No. 4, December 1998

Campbelltown Pioneer Register

Campbelltown-Ingleburn News, 4 December 1956

When Smallpox Came to Town

With the increase in coronavirus cases in the areas surrounding Campbelltown, I thought it was timely to recall another threat of serious disease to our town almost 140 years ago. In this case it was smallpox that caused a sensation and panic in the small settlement in 1881. The victim was part of a family whose name lives on in the naming of a suburb in the local area.

On 29 April 1881, the ship Brisbane proceeded to the North Head quarantine station at North Head with a case of smallpox on board. The infant daughter of On Chong had come down with a fever and rash. This was the start of an epidemic that caused much fear within the Sydney community. More cases developed and isolation at the quarantine station and vaccination of those exposed to the victims were the methods of control used. Despite the fear and panic, the smallpox outbreak of 1881 was not a major epidemic. From May 1881 to February 1882, 154 cases were notified to the authorities. Of these there were 40 deaths.

The fear of contagion spread to Sydney's surrounding areas, including Campbelltown, where the fear became reality in September that year. John Joseph Curran, a 20-year old newly employed postal worker at Campbelltown Post Office, better known as JJ, became ill at work so made his way home to his parents place on the Camden road near Narellan. Newspapers of the day describe how "Dr Goode was sent for, and that gentleman believing the case one of smallpox, telegraphed to Dr Cecil Morgan, of Sydney, who came by the first train. Dr Morgan, on viewing the patient, pronounced the case one of mild smallpox." The house was strictly quarantined and JJ was strictly isolated.

The effect on the local population was at first profound. There were rumours that Waterworks were infected and belief that a quarantine station should be established at Kenny Hill between Campbelltown and Narellan. Not long passed however, before JJ's conditioned improved, becoming obvious that he would survive and that the town would escape the epidemic.

JJ was the eldest son of Michael and Ellen Curran. Michael was a farmer, who was described as a genial soul and possessed a rare fund of wit and humour. He lived into his nineties and is buried at St John's Catholic Cemetery in Campbelltown. JJ left Campbelltown post office after he was transferred to Albury Post Office in 1887. He worked there for 27 years before resigning and starting business in Sydney, Newcastle and back at Camden. He served in the State Citizen Forces for over 20 years and rose to rank of Major. He died in Albury in 1925.

The suburb of Curran's Hill is named after Michael and his family. Unfortunately, despite much searching, including contacting descendants, I am unable to locate a photograph of John Joseph Curran.

Image courtesy of National Library of Australia

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Catholic Press, 12 February 1925, p36

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 9 September 1881, p2

Smallpox Epidemic 1881 by Raelene Allen in The Dictionary of Sydney

Martin, JB et al 2012
Reminiscences of Early Camden
Camden: Camden Historical Society

Thank you to Stephanie Woodward for her assistance with the Curran family

Campbelltown's First Newspaper

With the unfortunate demise of local newspapers, I thought it was timely to write about Campbelltown's first newspaper: the Campbelltown Herald. Further, the pending conservation treatment of the only print version of this newspaper's first issue was more motivation to write this post.

Local newspapers have kept residents of Campbelltown informed about local news since the first issue of the Campbelltown Herald published on 14 February 1880. Until then, very limited news was available on the area, apart from the occasional mention in the major Sydney press. When it was launched, the population of Campbelltown was estimated to be less than 700 people!

Consisting of four pages, it included news items such as horse stealing charges and news of the proposed Upper Nepean Water Supply. The newspaper has many classified advertisements at the front- typical of newspapers from that era. Some of the products advertised include Dr Burdett's Female Pills and Oriental Tonic. The founder and proprietor of the Campbelltown Herald was William Webb. He wrote his aims and intentions in that very first issue, under the heading "Prospectus". He said "It will be a weekly journal, representative in character, impartial in its views, temperate in tone and generous to all its foes. Sectarianism, personalities, slang and blackguardism, so prevalent in some quarters, will be eschewed by the Campbelltown Herald."

William Webb was born in 1848 at Penrith, and educated at Mudgee, where he served his apprenticeship in the local newspaper office. In total, he started about ten newspapers in many districts including Camden, Picton and Penrith. When he moved to Campbelltown from Kiama in 1879, he set his printing press up in a building owned by James Bocking. In 1884 Sir Henry Parkes unsuccessfully sued him for libel. The case was regularly featured in the press for many weeks in 1884. When he retired from the newspaper game, he embarked upon a saw milling business, then tried his hand at farming. He then went to Yerranderie where he had an interest in a silver mine. He was also at one time licensee of the Club Hotel. William Webb died of appendicitis at Camden in 1910 aged 64.

The Campbelltown Herald was published from 1880 to 1919, after which it changed its title and format and became the Campbelltown News and later Campbelltown-Ingleburn News in 1953.

Last year the Macarthur Advertiser generously donated the original and only print issue of the Campbelltown Herald to Campbelltown City Library. The newspaper requires much conservation work to preserve it for future generations. A conservator will begin work on it in the coming weeks with the aim to have it displayed at HJ Daley Library on completion.

.

Written by Andrew Allen

"Satan" Lived in Campbelltown

Frank "Satan" Brewer was one of the twentieth century's greatest midget drivers. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1906, Frank began his racing career in an old Chevrolet sedan and later progressed to a Chev engined midget #72. The fans soon took to him and he was nicknamed "Satan" because he drove like the devil. That nickname stayed with him for the next 62 years.

Midget cars are a class of racing cars. The cars are very small with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four cylinder engines. They originated in the USA in the 1930s.

After being enticed by a group of travelling American midget aces in New Zealand to try his luck in America, Frank packed his bags at the end of the 1939 season. He became famous and admired by the Americans as one of the toughest and most competitive drivers to have ever raced in the USA. He became a specialist in long distance races. Frank won the 150 lap US Midget GP in 1940 and 1941. Also in 1941 Frank was the 250 lap US National Midget Championship. He won over 30 races in the United States and became the Western States Champion in 1946.

He came to Australia in 1948. He drove a car called the Flame Car. Another car was blue and white and Frank won many championships in Australia in it. He won the NSW midget title in 1950-53 and 1954, the Australian midget title for the same years and the "World" title in 1949-50 and 1954. During his time in Australia he maintained a close involvement with the sport through his photography that saw his work often published in Australian speedway publications.

Whilst living in Australia, Frank resided at Campbelltown. He lived with his wife and three daughters at a house that was sometimes referred to as Brewer Cottage. This house stood at 31 Oxley Street. It was demolished in 1985 to make way for further widening of Moore-Oxley Bypass. The site is now a car park bordered by the bypass, Allman Street and Dumaresq Street. Frank ran a small welding business at the western end of Dumaresq Street during his time in Campbelltown.

The Brewer home at 31 Oxley Street, Campbelltown (Verlie Fowler Collection)

Hugely charismatic, Frank had a happy-go-lucky approach to life. He would claim that his life was governed by "The master (Frank), the Mercury (his street/tow car) and the midget (the fabulous V8/60). He was married to Margaret and had three daughters: Madaline, Maureen and Marilyn! In a video made late in their life, Margaret was told she must be proud of Frank to which she replied "He should be proud of me"!

Frank's achievements in his homeland of New Zealand should not be ignored either. He won three National Championships and was recognised as New Zealand's first professional driver. One New Zealand racing enthusiast wrote "The chance to watch "Satan" Brewer charge around the quarter-mile cinder track in a midget car was something else".

Frank visited Australia regularly, having developed a fondness for the country during his time here. He passed away in Phoenix, Arizona on June 8, 2001 aged 94. His love of Australia and the Macarthur area was evident when his funeral was held at St John's Anglican Church, Camden and his burial at Camden General Cemetery.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

ALLEN, Andrew 2018
More Than Bricks and Mortar: Remembering Campbelltown's Lost Buildings
Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

NEWLYN, Dennis
Frank "Satan" Brewer
Taranaki Historic Speedway
www.historicspeedway.co.nz

Frank "Satan" Brewer Featurette
Loudpedal.tv

Classic Auto News Facebook Site

400 Not Out!

This is our 400th post on this blog! The History Buff's first post was way back in 2011 and it's still going strong. A big thank you to all of our members and loyal readers. Please let others know about the History Buff if you enjoy reading the blog. Don't forget to comment if you would like to share something with us and everyone.

"There are two great cities in the world- Rome and Campbelltown"! (John Marsden)

Happy reading!

The Local Studies Team

The Awakening of Art in Australia - Dora Ohlfsen

Dora Ohlfsen was a multi-talented sculptor, musician, and writer who lived and worked in Australia, Italy, Russia and England.  She was born Adela Dora Ohlfsen-Bagge in 1869 in Ballarat to parents Christian Hermann and Kate. The Ohlfsen-Bagges had 11 children, of whom four died before Dora’s birth. Her father was an engineer, and the family moved to NSW in about 1883 after he obtained a government position as a Civil Engineer.
In Sydney, Dora attended Sydney Girls High, and showed an aptitude for music and languages. She studied piano for five years under M. Henri Kowalski, and newspaper articles of the day gave glowing reports of her concerts and recitals. Dora then travelled to Europe in 1892 to continue her piano studies at the Berlin Conservatorium, but she was considered too good, and instead taken under the wing of the composer and pianist Moritz Moszkowski and given free lessons! Sadly, in about 1896 Dora developed neuritis in her wrist, and was forced to take leave from her music studies.
During this period Dora travelled extensively, visiting Norway, Finland, France, Germany and Russia. Whilst in Rome she took up painting and sculpture, and was exhibited at the Rome Exhibition in 1903. In St Petersburg she worked for the US Consul General, (possibly as a spy!), taught music, wrote articles, painted, and met her lifelong partner Elena von Kugelken. A return to Rome saw her studying sculpting and bronze medal portraiture at the Villa Medici. She began to gain fame for her work in medal art, and received many commissions, exhibiting regularly. Her medal “The awakening of art in Australia” gained her international recognition. It received an award at the Franco-British exhibition in London, and was purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1909.

An image of Dora Ohlfsen from the Sydney Mail.

Meanwhile in Australia, Christian retired to a property “Wyangah” in Minto, with his wife, and daughters Kate and Emily and Margarita. Kate and Margarita both taught music at Campbelltown Girls School. In 1908 Christian died at the family home in Minto. Ohlfsen Road Minto is named for the Ohlfsen family. Dora returned to her family in 1912 after 20 years abroad. Tragically her sister Margarita, also a talented pianist and well known in musical circles, died a few days after Dora’s return. Dora remained in Sydney for several years, setting up a studio salon, receiving many commissions and appearing frequently in the social columns.  In 1913 she obtained a commission for a bronze panel to be placed above the Art Gallery of NSW entrance door. Returning to Rome in October of 1913, she worked on the panel over the next several years but the trustees cancelled the work after the war, to Dora’s great disappointment.
During the war years Dora became a nurse with the Red Cross, inspiring her to work, at her own expense, on the creation of an ANZAC medal, to be sold for the benefit of permanently disabled Australian and New Zealand veterans. After the war Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy and Dora received a commission to make a portrait medallion of him, visiting him five times to make studies of him as he worked. She was also entrusted with the design of a war memorial at the naval base of Formia – the first woman, and the first non-Italian to be given such a commission. She began the work in 1923, and it was dedicated in 1926. As fascism tightened its grip on Italy Dora moved away from the patronage of the state and began making work for the church, and took up fresco painting, and making icons and sculptures. Her movements in Italy were restricted during the years of the Second World War, and after the war she found it difficult to obtain work.
On the 9th February 1949, Dora Ohlfsen and her long-time partner the Countess Elena von Kugelken were found dead in their gas-filled Rome studio. A police inquest found the deaths to be accidental and they were buried together in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. Although her tombstone reads “Australian by birth, Italian at heart”, Dora herself said  “The scent and sight of a piece of wattle,  the scent of  gum leaves, even the trying hot winds of Rome affect me indescribably and bring with them a nostalgia which shows me that my heart is entirely Australian”.

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources
Trove
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/artists/ohlfsen-dora/
Tout-Smith, D. (2003) Dora Ohlfsen, Artist & Medallist in Museums Victoria Collections

Vale Arthur Jones

Arthur Raymond Jones was born in Cessnock, NSW. He married Muriel Sidell at Cessnock in 1945 and they had five children. Arthur became Headmaster at Minto Public School, which was opposite the historic precinct of William Redfern's farm and home. He presented and published on Redfern's expertise, interests and endeavours, including Redfern's studies at Edinburgh University and his valuable contributions to the early colony of New South Wales. In 2019 he published two volumes of "Better than Cure: the life and times of the ebullient and resilient William Redfern: surgeon and doctor", the culmination of more than 55 years' work.

Throughout his career, Arthur enjoyed a long-term and passionate interest in libraries, and participated in the establishment of local and school libraries as well as building opportunities for community development through his contributions to local government and urban planning. He was also a Life Member of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society. In keeping with his love of libraries and early memories of books, which to him were uncommon but highly valued, he and the Jones family donated his personal library of research material that underpinned Better Than Cure, to the Campbelltown City Library.

Arthur had an insatiable appetite for knowledge. His curiosity knew no bounds. He had a particular love of science and would often comment on 'going with the science'.

Arthur continued to live in Campbelltown after his retirement. In his last few days following a stroke, he realised the end was near. The science was in. He passed away on Friday 22 May, at home and surrounded by family.

Written by Andrew Allen

Merryvale

Merryvale (formerly known as Oakleigh) taken in September 1979

Built in the 1870s, Merryvale was a lovely old Victorian house at Minto. It stood adjacent to the old Saggart Fields School that was built in 1870. The house was originally known as Oakleigh.

Merryvale had stuccoed brick walls, open work cast-iron columns on the front verandah and symmetrically placed French windows. The verandah was on three sides of the house, and a timber portion right across the back of the house which included kitchen, bathroom, laundry, pantry, and a bedroom at each end of the verandah running around the brick part. For years it was surrounded by a magnificent garden with many mature trees.

Charles Rudder owned the farm and lived in the house from 1914 to 1920. Jack Westbury purchased it in 1920 and lived there with his wife and two daughters until 1939. He was mayor of Campbelltown from 1936 to 1938. Westbury ran dairy cattle and poultry on the farm before he was forced to sell his farm due to mounting debts.

Mayor Westbury

By the early 1980s the house was still in good condition as it had been occupied until then. Unfortunately, after it became unoccupied during the rest of the decade, vandals destroyed much of the house. At the beginning of 1990 a few Campbelltown councillors pushed for the planning department to ask the NSW Heritage Council to place an Interim Conservation Order on the site. The order never eventuated, despite an inspection later that year. In April 1992 Council approved demolition of the house.

Merryvale stood 200 yards (182 meters) from the intersection of Campbelltown and Redfern Roads, Minto. The site today is 4 Meryyvale Road.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Grist Mills, Vol. 4, No. 4

Macarthur Advertiser, 21 February 1990 p12

Letter written by Joan Murphy (nee Westbury) to Campbelltown Council, 2 June 1980

Our Oldest Photograph

The oldest photograph is our local studies collection is this one above. It shows the Cadet Corps that was formed at St Mark's Collegiate School at Macquarie Fields House. The house was leased to George Fairfowl Macarthur for use as a boarding school for boys. He moved the St Mark's Collegiate School from Darling Point to Macquarie Fields House in 1858. The school became the most fashionable in the colony. The first school cadet corps in NSW was formed at the school in 1866. The school merged with the King's School in 1868 and moved to Parramatta. The photograph is taken around 1866 and is in sepia. It was purchased by the library in 2007.

Macquarie Field's House deteriorated badly during and after the Second World War. As early as 1951, the National Trust of Australia began moved to have the building restored. Most restoration work took place from 1958 to 1963. It stands proudly restored today close to the suburb of Macquarie Links.

(Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Work Safety in the 1960s

This photograph demonstrates how far we have come with Work, Health and Safety! This worker is perched high up on the steel frame of the new council administration building. He has no safety equipment whatsoever! The photograph would be taken in either late 1963 or early 1964. The administration building was the first high rise building built in the Campbelltown CBD and became a notable landmark in many photographs taken in the years to follow. Every other building in this scene has been demolished. The Macquarie Cinema is the large building in the centre of the photo. It was turned into a roller skating a few years after this was taken and continued until 1968. The building went into decay after this. The Queen Street frontage was turned into shops, whilst the auditorium became warehouse space for Downes Department Store. The building was demolished in December 1979.

Written by Andrew Allen

Fiona's Story

This post comes from Dr Ian Willis' excellent blog Camden History Notes. Ian has kindly agreed to share it and the author Fiona Woods has also agreed for it to be republished.

The article demonstrates the power of positive thinking and how a potential negative situation can be turned into a positive. I hope you find Fiona's Story: Memories of Hope enjoyable and inspiring.                                  

         

These memories are a moving personal account of a childhood growing in Airds in the 1970s and 1980s.

This story from former Airds’ resident Fiona Woods acts a counterpoint to stories of despair and loss from these suburbs. In many ways, Airds was a suburb on the fringe of the world. Many residents were living on the edge and faced many challenges.

Woods School Sisters (F Woods)

At the moment many Australian’s have felt a heightened sense of anxiety and need a little hope. Since the bushfires on Australia’s East Coast from September 2019 there are many grim stories.

The uncertainty and lack of control have continued into the Covid crisis, and many feel despair and at a loss.  Fiona’s story provides a ray of sunshine in today’s shadows.

Fiona uses memory as a way of explaining the meaning of past events and peoples involvement in them. She has not created a meaningless collection of unrelated facts.

There are linkages between memory and storytelling.  Each is full of meaning.

Fiona says, ‘Everyone has a story. It’s easy to think of our ancestors as names on a page or a black and white photograph of well-dressed, ‘serious people’.

‘But behind those images is a life that has been lived through both adversity and celebration. With love and pain and all that goes with being human. So many stories that have been untold’.

Fiona’s memories are about a suburb where some residents succeeded and others did not.

This is Fiona’s story and how hope can win through in the end.

Growing up in Airds

Fiona Woods

Growing up in a housing commission estate is not something that traditionally elicits feelings of pride and success. But for me, it does just that. I moved into Airds in 1977, when I was three years old.

My dad had suffered a traumatising work accident, one that would leave him with debilitating, lifelong injuries. My parents already had three small children and were expecting a fourth.

Fiona Woods and brother

I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for them – Dad was in and out of the hospital, and Mum didn’t drive. Here was where their neighbours stepped in, and my earliest memories of the community began.

Back then, neighbours weren’t just people you waved to from the driveway. They were people you could count on, whether it be for food or childcare or even a simple chat over a cup of tea.

I grew up as part of a village, where a lady in my street took my sisters and me to our first gymnastics lessons.  I developed friendships that have stood the test of time. I have even taught alongside my closest childhood friend, an experience that is something I treasure.

Woods Kids at Airds

I laugh with my siblings that we can never shop with Mum in Campbelltown – she remembers everyone who lived remotely near us. But for her, it was the friendship she struck up with her new neighbour the day they both moved in that is the most special.

A friendship that has lasted for over 43 years. It still involves daily coffee catch-ups and phone calls.

I started Kindergarten at John Warby Public School, where I learned more than just academics. It was during this time that I experienced how the love of a teacher extends beyond the classroom.

I truly believe it was these experiences that led me to join the profession. I had so much to give back. I remember some of these teachers visiting our home to check in on our parents and even drive them to appointments.

They really took the home-school connection to a new level! I will be forever grateful for the investment they made in us and their belief that we would all succeed.

Living in Airds during the late 70s and early 80s was a time where friendships were built, and people stuck together. It was the freedom of riding bikes with friends until the street lights came on, building makeshift cubbies and performing concerts for the neighbours.

I can still remember the excitement of walking to the local shops with my sisters to buy a few groceries for Mum. The constant search for ‘bargains’ in the hope there would be twenty cents leftover to buy some mixed lollies.

To this day, I still can’t resist a markdown and resent paying full price for anything. Lollies aside, the mere act walking to the shops was an adventure. Teetering along with the giant concrete snake and pretending we were on a secret journey.

Our simple life ensured we had opportunities to use our imagination and explore the world around us, creating memories with our neighbours and friends.

Airds Shopping Centre 2020 (I Willis)

But life wasn’t always easy. I remember eating dinner and seeing my parents eat toast because there wasn’t enough to go around. 

By this stage, they were raising five children, including my youngest brother, who rarely slept for more than an hour each night. He became a case study for professors looking into hyperactivity disorders.

That was little comfort to my mum, who was also Dad’s primary carer, living on minimal sleep and a frugal budget. Yet she showed up every day, always reminding us about the power of education and instilling a true love of learning in us all.

What we lacked for in material possessions was made up by so much more. We learned to be resilient and grateful, and we learned to be kind. We continue to work hard in our chosen fields, always considering how we can help others.

One of the proudest moments for our parents was seeing all five children graduate from university. That and the ongoing pride they feel for their thirteen grandchildren, who love their Nan and Pop like no one else.

Woods Family Picnic (F Woods)

The roots that were planted back in those early days have been tended with such love and care.

Those trees continue to flourish, branching out into wonderful opportunities. I am forever grateful for the foundations my childhood was built upon.

And I proudly tell everyone about where it is I came from.