History Club Girls Win Again!

On Monday October 23, myself and my colleague Michael attended the presentation of the ANZAC Day Schools Award to the girls of the Year 11 History Club at St Patrick's College for Girls. This is another outstanding achievement for the History Club girls and their teacher Fran Musico Rullo. Fran's passion for Campbelltown's history is amazing and is reflected in the girl's dedication to whatever project they take on. The award was announced in August and resulted in a prize of $3000. This year's theme was Australians and the Vietnam War and the History Club researched the experiences of local people during the conflict. It included interviews of three veterans and the creation of a website. Each girl gave a short presentation and local Federal Member for Macarthur Mike Freelander was in attendance. 

Congratulations Fran and the girls of the History Club on this well deserved recognition!

This is the link to the website:

FINAL- Campbelltown NSW and the Vietnam War (1).pptx - Google Slides

One of the girl's presentations revealed something I was previously unaware of. On 8 June 1966 a 21-year old Campbelltown woman living in Rudd Road, Leumeah named Nadine Jensen was arrested and charged for offensive behaviour during a welcome home march for Vietnam veterans in the city. A video was presented of the incident. Miss Jensen had drenched herself with a mixture of kerosene, turpentine and red paint. She said it was symbolic of the blood being shed in the Vietnam War. Dripping wet, she threw her arms around the leader of the march who was the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion. Colonel Preece shrugged Miss Jensen off and kept marching. Nadine Jensen later said "I'm glad I did it. I wanted to make the politicians realise that some people in Australia are opposed to sending troops to Vietnam".

The protest was headline news in the press the next day. However, Nadine Jensen seems to have disappeared into history. Local researchers have attempted to trace what happened to her but without success. I have endeavoured to locate her, searching the usual resources for an answer. I have had no luck. Perhaps someone out there knows what became of Nadine Jensen?

 Nadine Jensen at the time of arrest (SMH)

The incident with the red paint at the march (SMH)

Written by Andrew Allen

A First Hand Account of our Worst Bushfire

There is little doubt that the bushfire of 1929 was the worst recorded since colonization of the Campbelltown area. Although there were no fatalities, the fire destroyed three houses and severely damaged a further five. Much property was also destroyed, leaving a number of families with severe hardship, made worse in the years that followed with the Great Depression. No lives were lost fortunately.

The library contains in it's collection an account of that bushfire. Edna Willis (nee Hayward) lived all her life in Campbelltown and was living with her family at Kentlyn at the time. She was aged around 15 or 16. The interview was recorded in 1977 when she was aged 64. 

Edna starts her description..."Well we were out at Kentlyn then and we could see this great pall of smoke...I might have been 15 or 16 and saw this great mass of smoke going across - just unbelievable - you know when it comes out of a big chimney stack - just like that- going and going. Oh, it was shocking hot. Yes the wind was behind it. The westerly wind brought it right from the railway line, I believe, and it just mowed everything down in front of it. Just took it down." Edna was asked where it came from and she replied that it started from the railway line at Leumeah and Minto and that it was thought that it was from a spark of a train in the grass. She described the roar of the fire that day: "I don't know whether you've heard the roar of a bushfire. They could hear it coming and they just ran with what they had on - this Col Longhurst- his mother and father were one of the families that were burnt out and Mervyn had a pair of shorts on, because as I say, it was a stinking hot day...nothing on his feet, no shirt or anything." She said that this Longhurst family ran to her place because Mrs Longhurst and her mum were very close.

Edna was then asked if the fire came close to her place and if it just got to the river and stopped. She replied that it didn't come up her end and that "it eventually went over the river. Well then it burnt away into nothingness over there. It was quite a wide strip out at Kentlyn. It went through and then it was out at Wedderburn. It was a pretty bad run out there, too. In fact of an evening, you'd sit like and see the flames right up the trees and you'd wonder how much further it was going to come by next morning."

Edna Willis passed away in 2010 aged 96. Below is a photo of her taken in her younger days.

Photo comes from the collection of daughter Jennifer Scott

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Interview with Edna Willis on 30 November 1977