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