The Good Intent

Earlier this year I wrote a brief article for the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society's newsletter 'The Kernel' on the Hotel Good Intent. Below is the full article.

The Good Intent opened its doors to the public on March 24, 1939. It was built on the site of Alpha House which was demolished the previous year. The license was transferred in the names of Mr and Mrs Kerr from the nearby Commonwealth Hotel to the Good Intent.

Aubrey John Raymond, better known as “Titus” Oates, became the licensee of the Good Intent after winning the lottery. “Titus” seems to have been a divisive personality in the town. Many enjoyed his company and regarded him as a generous man. Others are less complementary. Whatever the views, no one could doubt his courage as a pilot. During the 1949 coal miner’s strike, he would go a on a “beer barn-storming mission” flying his Comper Swift, to ensure the beer supply at the Good Intent was kept flowing! He would fly as far as Adelaide locating supplies for the hotel. In 1954 “Titus” sold the Good Intent hotel, in order to enter television production and film making.

 

 

The Good Intent was one of the more popular pubs in Campbelltown during its existence, especially on Sundays. It was a two-story brick building at the front and had three levels at the rear. A large car park was situated on the southern side of the building. The pub was set on a large block of land and included a brick shed, living quarters and a large garden at the rear. In 1973 a drive-in bottle shop was added.

The hotel closed its doors for the last time on April 17^th, 1982. This was an unpopular decision and many regulars defied the demolition signs on the hotel doors and arrived for their usual drink on the Sunday morning- the day of the demolition. They were eventually coaxed out of the bar by a security guard. It was demolished to make way for Campbelltown Mall.

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

The Drunk's Express

In the 1940s an old liquor law was re-introduced that meant anyone was forbidden to drink at a hotel on a Sunday unless they travelled more than 25 miles. They were regarded as "weary travelers". Occasional raids were made by police to check identity cards which would prove where they lived. As Campbelltown was 32 miles from Sydney it was seen as a prime target for drinkers. This was good news for hoteliers looking for business and thirsty out-of-towners after a weekend drink, however it also proved to be a nightmare for hotel owners at the same time. It was also understandably unpopular with thirsty locals.

The train that the town came to dread was the arrival of the 1.30pm at Campbelltown Station. It became infamous as the "Drunk's Express" or the "Ghost Train" as it was packed with hundreds of loud-mouthed city louts that invaded Campbelltown every weekend. One hotel that attracted these louts was the Royal, located inconveniently or conveniently depending on your situation, next to the railway station. The licensee of the time, a Mr Knap, commented "They're the roughest crowd I have ever seen in my life. They come in hundreds. I slam and lock my doors at 3pm on Saturdays, and they stay locked until 5.15. By then they are nearly all gone again, but in the meantime, they nearly kick my doors in."

In January 1944 a sailor and two female companions travelled on the 'ghost train' for a drink at the Good Intent Hotel. They ended up spending a night in the lock up after they were charged with various offences after a boozy brawl. Newspaper reports describe there being about seventy people inside the pub and several waiting to get in. The magistrate for the hearing said "that shortly there will be a beautiful argument about the question of bona-fide travelers. It is apparent that most of these people come to Campbelltown only to get drink, and I have very grave doubts about most of them being bona-fide travelers."

The Good Intent Hotel was one hotel that attracted huge numbers of 'travellers' in the 1940s (Steve Roach Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Truth, 16 January 1944, p22

Campbelltown Clippings by Jeff McGill 1993

An Adventurous Life!

Aubrey John Raymond Oates was born in 1922 in Newcastle, to parents Henry and Annie. His sister Dorothy was 10 years his senior. He gained his nickname “Titus” during his childhood, and preferred to be called Titus rather than Aubrey. Leaving his job as an insurance officer to enlist in the RAAF in 1940 at the age of 18, he started as an air cadet, and became chief test pilot for de Havilland, makers of the Mosquito fighter bomber. His father died in 1941, sadly not seeing his son appointed as a Squadron Leader in 1944, the same year that he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He had accumulated over 6000 hours flying in more than 50 types of aircraft. He married Jacqueline Sonia Lewis in 1945, with whom I believe he had three children.

When the Mosquito building program ended in 1948, “Titus” found himself a job flying immigrants from Europe to Australia for a private charter company. He returned to live in Australia, and, with an unbelievable stroke of good luck, won the Lottery! This enabled him to enter business, and he became the licensee of the Good Intent Hotel at Campbelltown.  During the 1949 coal miners' strike, he would go on a “beer barn-storming mission” flying his Comper Swift,  to ensure the beer supply at the Good Intent was kept flowing! He would fly as far as Adelaide locating supplies for the hotel.

In 1952, “Titus”, after a great deal of persuasion and lobbying, was given an ex RAAF Mosquito by the government in order to compete in the England to New Zealand Air Race (London to Christchurch).  The plane was equipped with special long range fuel tanks built into the bomb bay and new radio equipment, and with co-pilot Flight-Lieutenant Douglas Swain, “Titus” set about training and preparing for the race. In order to compete, they needed to fly to London, by October 8^th, 1953. Flying from Perth to Carnarvon, then to the Cocos Islands, a course was set for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) but the intrepid pair ran into a terrible electrical storm above the Indian Ocean, and had to crash land the plane off the coast of Burma (now Myanmar).  Landing in swampy mud, they were rescued by natives paddling out to them in canoes. They were taken to Mergui, and from there picked up by an RAF Valetta and taken to Penang. After medical examination at Butterworth RAF station in Malaya, Oates and Swain recuperated before returning to Australia. Thus ended any hope of competing in the race. The Mosquito was un-retrievable.  Oates declared after returning home, “I went straight to my own pub, the “Good Intent” at Campbelltown and gave myself an Australian beer”!

This rare shot by Max Mead (courtesy of Ron Cuskelly collection) shows the Mosquito at the Cocos Islands whilst en route to London.

In 1954 “Titus” sold the Good Intent hotel, in order to enter television production and film making. Only sketchy information is available after this, but the following nuggets of information were found on the net:

• “I worked as a recruiter and then, later-on, as a line pilot with Titus Oates for a time in the early 1970s, first in Australia, then in the UK and in the Sudan, where he was Chief Pilot for a cotton-spraying operation. “

• “He died of a cerebral haemorrhage in Zambia in about May 1979 and was behind the wheel of his car at the time.”

• “Worldly wise, world-traveled, intelligent, impeccably well-mannered, enjoyed a drink or two -- absolutely a delightful man and a wonderful companion! Would walk a mile on broken glass to help a friend!”

If anyone out there has more information about Titus Oates’ later years, we would love to hear from you!

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Local Studies Pamphlet Files

http://www.pprune.org

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-KLG.html