Perfect Pictures

In 1995, Campbelltown City Library applied for, and received a grant for the digitisation of its large collection of historical photographs. The project would be undertaken in collaboration with the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society. This project would make the images much more accessible and students, local history and genealogy enthusiasts, the general public, and library staff would all benefit from it. After tenders in 1996, the project was awarded to Search Tech, who installed and set up its Perfect Pictures photographic database, and trained staff in its usage. Assistance was given by local historians and photographers including Marie Holmes, Stella Vernon, Verlie Fowler and Norm Campbell in identifying subjects in images. Search Tech also did the initial scanning and entered around 5000 images into the database which were then catalogued by library staff. The database finally became available to the public in April 1997. Initially held on CD Rom, the update of the collection was made to a web version of Perfect Pictures in 1999, and a further 1500 pictures scanned and entered. In History Week, September 1999, the web version of the “Campbelltown: Our Past in Pictures” database was launched with guest speaker Dr Carol Liston. Since this time the numbers of images have grown to around 10,000, and the database continues to grow in size. From humble beginnings, our photographic collection has become a valuable resource that anyone can access from the internet. The very first photo on the database – number 000000 - shown below, is an aerial photo of the Council Precinct.

Written by Claire Lynch, Sources - Library records

"Train whistle blowing"

William G. Tallentire was born 1856 at Patricks Plains, an area in the Hunter district.

He married his first wife, Alice Thomas in 1879 and they had one child, then moved to Campbelltown and had 3 more children. William was employed as a train driver at Campbelltown and by 1894 his salary was 13 shillings a day.

Group of men in front of Camden train with "The Teapot" ( Engine No. 293). 

William Tallentire is on the far right in front of the engine. Photo - CAHS, Norm Campbell

Alice died in 1890 and William then married Hannah Clark in Campbelltown. They had three children together. The family remained in Campbelltown and lived in Patrick Street.  William was a church warden of St Peter’s. He was well known and well liked in the community.
William’s obituary mentions that in his early years he came to Camden to install machinery at Camden Park for Macarthur-Onslow. After becoming a train driver he drove the first train from Campbelltown to Camden and was a regular driver on this route.

William moved to Fairfield in about 1924. He died in 1939, and was buried at Rookwood Cemetery. 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Trove

NSW BDM

Library Photo Database