The "Hope Inn" - on this day 165 years ago

We have mentioned the “Hope Inn” a couple of times in other posts, but have managed to unearth some more information about it.
Henry Thatcher was the earliest  publican of the Hope Inn (1838)  that we know of, followed by Michael McQuade (1839). The Inn which was situated on a block fronted by three streets – the Sydney Road (now Queen Street), Browne and Howe. This large block originally belonged to William Howe. It's frontage on the main street was 118 feet, (36 metres).

Bordered by Browne, Howe and the Main Road, opposite the court house.

The two storied brick building was built on stone foundation, and had 10 rooms, a bar, and a flagged verandah the whole length of the building. Outhouses included a brick kitchen with a store attached, two stables – one weatherboard and one brick, capable of housing 14 horses, and a granary. A large yard and garden were at the back of the building.
Isaac Rudd had the licence from 1840 to 1846. He was followed by William Rixon who took on the Hope Inn licence in 1847, however Rixon died the same year, and the following year his wife Ann Rixon took on the licence. Records do not show who held the licence from 1849 to 1853 however William Henry Phibbs had it in 1853, after marrying Ann Rixon in 1852.
The Hope Inn was advertised in February 1854, for sale by auction. It is reasonable to assume Edward Fitzgerald purchased the Inn at the auction held on March 1st of that year as his licence was dated 21st April 1854. Unfortunately this would not be a happy purchase for Edward.
On Tuesday 14th November 1854 a fire destroyed the Hope Inn completely. All of Edward Fitzgerald’s furniture, stock of spirits, ale and porter, and 200 pounds cash were destroyed. Locals took up a collection for Edward, and he moved to the other end of town, taking up the licence of the Farrier’s Arms. Along with the Inn a store also burned down, which had only recently been opened by a Mr McGrath. It was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald that “in consequence of the want of an engine people could only stand and look on, instead of lending efficient aid”. A fire brigade was still 37 years away.
We do not have a picture of the Hope Inn, however it does appear on an 1840 map of Campbelltown, faintly written. The large block on which it stood eventually was absorbed by Mawson Park and the Bowling Club.

Very faintly, the Hope Inn is marked on this 1840 map of Campbelltown.

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources
Trove
With many thanks to Brendan Leenders of Museum Macarthur

Disappearing Street

Howe Street in the Campbelltown CBD once ran from Broughton Street to Cordeaux Street. The part of Howe Street that once ran from Browne Street to Cordeaux Street is now part of Mawson Park.

The closure certainly didn't happen overnight. St Peter's Anglican Church first sent a request to Campbelltown Council in June 1962 to consider closing the street from the bowling club to Cordeaux Street. Council investigated the costs and sought feedback from the public. The only negative response came from a J. Moore who complained that it was too close to the main shopping centre and would reduce valuable parking. So council approved the proposal subject to the church providing an area for parking adjacent the bowling club.

For reasons unclear, the project stalled for most of the 1960s. It did reappear in council minutes in 1965, after the proposal was listed in the Government Gazette. The Minister for Lands was of the opinion that "it was expedient to close that section of Howe Street, Campbelltown, separating "Mawson Park" reserve for public recreation." Objections were again sought and a notice placed in the local media. It appears nobody objected this time. Still, it was 1968 before things started to move. Towards the end of 1968 a draft agreement for a six foot strip of St Peter's Church land for car parking opposite the bowling club was drawn up. In July 1969 the resubmission of the proposal was received. It aimed at having the work completed before the bicentenary celebrations in April 1970. Council approved the proposal.

The park was extended and more car parking space was made available in Cordeaux Street. The street was blocked off and grass planted for a public reserve. It was hoped that the warmer summer conditions would aid in the growing of the grass. The work was completed in early 1970. A number of houses in Cordeaux Street, including Lysaght's "Rosangeles" on the corner of Cordeaux and Oxley Streets, were demolished for extra parking.

An undated photograph of Billy Rixon in Howe Street. This is long before the street was closed off from Browne Street. In the background are numbers 7 and 9 Cordeaux Street. Number 9 belonged to Dr Mawson.

The road closed in late 1969. (Campbelltown and Ingleburn News)

 

Written by Andrew Allen

 

 

 

 

Hack Races

What better way to spend an Easter weekend in Campbelltown than to attend a hack racehorse meeting. Run on the course opposite the King's Arms in 1848, a number of races were set down for the Easter Sunday for the amusement of the townsfolk. Each race involved untrained hacks that had never won a prize. When "Jackey" won the first race on the card however there was much speculation over his credentials considering his great superiority over his rivals. Having survived the enquiry, 'Jackey" was declared the winner. The best riding of the day went to Hugh Byrne.

According to "Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer" the following day witnessed a few sports, such as running for watches, hunting a grunter with a shaved tail, and other amusements, which, coupled with the exhilarating draughts of Tooth's entire, effectually dissipated any appearances of ennui. If anyone can shed any light on what running for watches involves, please let me know!

The day was spent in good humour and it was hoped to run a similar one for the "Whitsuntide" and the next holiday season. For the record, the course opposite the King's Arms would have to have been the site of today's Mawson Park. The King's Arms was on the site of today's City Hotel on the corner of Queen and Cordeaux Streets.

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, 29 April 1848, p2

Mawson Park

(Grahame Sandry Collection)

The site of Mawson Park is as old as Campbelltown itself. It was here that Governor Macquarie named Campbelltown after his wife Elizabeth’s maiden name Campbell. A plan drawn up by surveyor Robert Hoddle in 1831 showed the area bounded by Cordeaux, Howe Browne and High Streets as a market reserve. High Street later became Queen Street.

In its early days the area was the scene of many brutal punishments handed down to convicts. Five criminals, including bushranger Richard McCann, were hanged on gallows erected on the reserve in February 1830. Near the gallows were the stocks. It was here that an old woman spent four hours in the stocks in the rain for using obscene language. The stocks and gallows were opposite the court house in Queen Street.

The reserve was surrounded by three inns: Forbes Hotel, the King’s Arms (later the Sportsman’s Arms) and the Hope Inn. The latter also faced the court house and was next to the stocks. The first licensee recorded was Isaac Rudd in 1841. The Hope Inn was no doubt named because of its proximity to the court house where life and death decisions were handed out. The large inn burnt down in 1854. We can only guess at what it would’ve looked like as no photos exist.

The Reserve for Public Recreation was approved 23^rd March, 1874, and dedicated 4^th February, 1876. It would appear that a possible roadway parallel to Browne Street opposite the court house was in existence at some time and divided the Recreation Reserve from the buildings facing Queen and Browne Streets. This was absorbed into the Recreation Reserve by 1874. Howe Street once extended to Cordeaux Street but by 1970 it was merged into the park.

A view of the park from the tower of St Peter's Anglican Church

Cricket and tennis were played on “The Green” and a sporting pavilion was erected. There are some interesting and amusing stories regarding cricket matches over the years. Appin Public School played a cricket match against Campbelltown Public School on "The Green". A white-painted two-rail fence surrounded "The Green" in those days and the grass was long and unkempt. One kid hit the ball and scored half a dozen runs while the other kids searched for the ball in the long grass. It’s hard to believe today. Another story concerned John Hurley, the son of Campbelltown Pioneer of the same name John Hurley, who hit a massive shot into the window of St Peter’s Church! Similarly, local Jack Nash was recorded as smashing a ball from the park so far it reached the train line and landed on a train bound for Sydney!

Besides the Hope Inn, a number of buildings once stood in the reserve. A house called “Myee” was located at the corner of Browne and Queen Street and they were adjacent to three terrace houses which had there frontage to Queen Street. One of these was lived in by the town’s first lamp lighter named Bamford.

"The Green" was named Jubilee Park in 1935, to mark the occasion of the king’s Silver Jubilee. Toilets and watering facilities were installed. In January 1938 the park was officially named Mawson Park in honour of Dr William Mawson, a highly regarded doctor for 28 years in the town and brother to explorer Douglas Mawson. A pergola, shelter shed and entrance were erected at this time with two plaques on the pergola commemorating the event. Another doctor was honoured in 1944 with the establishment of the Dr Jones Memorial Baby Health Centre within the park.

The park was even the scene of a shooting in 1941. A young woman aged 19 named Pearl Medcalf received two bullet wounds after an altercation with a man in one of the shelter kiosks. The first shot blew the top off her finger and the other penetrated her left leg and lodged in her right thigh. She struggled across the park to the police station to report the incident. She was formerly a Rixon from Campbelltown. The man was later arrested.

Numerous pageants have been held in Mawson Park over the years. A carnival in aid of the Coronation Gift Fund was organized in 1954. Another fund-raising event in the 1950s was the ladies’ woodchop! In 1956, the annual Fisher’s Ghost Festival and Miss Spirit contest raised funds to build an ambulance station and a music shelter in Mawson Park. The music shelter was dedicated to the memory of those who served in World War 11. It was replaced in 1991 by a War Memorial.

Fisher's Ghost Festival celebrations in the park (Sloper Collection)

A number of commemorative plaques have been erected in the park. A bird bath and watering place for animals was erected in memory of Patrick (Paddy) Hunt for a lifetime spent caring for the town’s strayed animals. He died in 1978.

In 1977 locals objected vehemently to a proposed change of shape to Mawson Park. This would've been brought about by the extension of Railway Street through to Cordeaux Street. The proposal meant that 940 square metres would've been lost with a sweeping curve connecting both streets. People power won the day and the park remained unaltered. 

As far as the botanical beauty of the place is concerned, the park has come a long way since 1926. In that year a report described "The Green" as "a bird's nest full of swallows, an eyesore to the town and a disgrace to the Municipality". This resulted in a program of tree planting, including many evergreens. Most trees planted in the park were associated with commemorative events. Today the park is a haven from the hustle and bustle of the city with its trees, manicured lawns and beautiful flower beds.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Camden News, 27 February 1941

FOWLER, Verlie

Mawson Park, Campbelltown,  A Heritage Park

McBarron, E.J. (Ed)

Mawson Park, Campbelltown NSW: Notes on History and Trees

Burning the Kaiser

The artwork above was painted by Arthur Streeton on 12 November 1918, the day after the signing of the Armistice to end World War One. It's titled Australian burning effigy of Kaiser in Square, Armistice Day. It depicts a crowd of soldiers gathered around a bonfire with an effigy of the Kaiser hanging from the gallows. The scene summed up the country's feelings towards the enemy after such a long and bloody conflict.

The people of Campbelltown carried out the same 'ceremony' at the end of the war. A large crowd gathered at Mawson Park, still then known as "The Green". They constructed an effigy of the Kaiser made out of straw and other materials and placed it on a large bonfire. The burning accompanied marching and dancing. Crowds massed in Queen street, church bells rang out and many locals took the train into Sydney where they jammed into Martin Place to celebrate.

Unfortunately there are no known surviving copies of the local newspaper to provide a more detailed description of the day's celebration.

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Digitised Oral History of Eileen Duguid 1977, Held at Campbelltown City Library

Saving Souls

A small pamphlet recently unearthed (see below) announces the “United Tent Mission” - opening in Campbelltown on the 15^th August 1915 and continuing until the 24^th August 1915. The evangelist Mr J.T. Furnass would feature in the Mission Tent which was to be erected in “The Reserve” Queen Street – what we now know as Mawson Park.

John Thomas Furnass, a native of Yorkshire, had arrived recently from England, where he also conducted missions as an evangelist. He was connected with the London Evangelization Society whose aim was to send suitable preachers to conduct special evangelistic services in churches or halls wherever the Society was asked. The Australian organisation was built upon the very successful precedent of its London counterpart.

From 1915 until his passing in 1940, J.T. Furnass held missions in tents, halls and churches all over New South Wales, up and down the South Coast, in the Southern Highlands, in the suburbs of Sydney, North to Cessnock and beyond, and out west. And so he found himself in a tent in Campbelltown for 10 days in August 1915. Newspaper reports of his missions indicate his success at bringing souls to the Lord.

His obituary referred to him as “the big man with the big voice”.  He died as he lived, called to God whilst preaching the Gospel.

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources - Trove

Queen Street in the Late 1960s

Time for a walk down memory lane. This photograph would've been taken from the roof of the old Macquarie Cinema on the corner of Queen and Browne Streets looking south west. Those of you living in Campbelltown in the late 1960s would remember this part of Queen Street back then. (Click on the image for a larger version)

In the foreground on the left is Mawson Park with the Club Hotel also on the left on the corner of Queen and Cordeaux Streets. On the other side of Queen Street starting from the right is Ted McPherson's butcher shop which was at 151 Queen Street. Moving left and next to the butcher is Richie Hand's barber shop. Next to that is a milk bar owned by Con and Peter Papapandos and formerly operated by Grallelis'. Then we have a group of 2 storey buildings. The first on the left belonged to Ryall, Smith & Co, accountants, typing, duplicating and photocopying. It was upstairs and above Carolyn's Frock Salon. G E Eves, photographer was next at 157 Queen Street and this was also upstairs. Geoff Eves took this photograph and took many street scenes around this period. He still lives in Campbelltown. Moving left we had William B. Leckie, Chemist, at 159 Queen Street.

Moving further to the left, a vacant block of land sits beside two large buildings. On the right is the Bank of NSW, previously the Balalaika Cafe. On the other side of the vacant block is the Commercial Bank of Australia, later Bank of NSW and then Westpac. On the first floor was M R Newton, solicitor and J M Daly, surveyor. This site used to be occupied by Reeve's Emporium. Patrick Street is on the other side of this building.

Just out of the picture to the left is Lack's Hotel which was on the corner of Queen and Railway Streets.

Do you remember these businesses? We'd love you to share your memories with us!

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Campbelltown Ingleburn News, September 30, 1969

Hurley's "Smash" Hit

As we are in the middle of the cricket season, I thought I would dig up a local news article that I came across a while ago. In 1926 A Mr Bland Clayton of Minto spoke to a reporter from the Campbelltown News about a cricket match that he remembered in Mawson Park around 1865. He explained that he was the person responsible for introducing round arm bowling to Campbelltown that year. This new method of bowling was met with much resistance from the locals however. He went on to say "the batsmen contributed no small share in disapproving of the new bowling, claiming that the ball was literally thrown at the batsmen and wicket." In this particular match between the locals and a Sydney team, one Sydney player refused to bowl round arm to the batsman John Hurley, a local business identity and ex-convict. He said he would demonstrate the way it should be bowled. This brought a smile to Hurley. His reply was to lift the ball with an almighty swing over Howe Street (this was a street that used to run between the park and St Peters Church) and it crashed through the window of the church. One wonders if the bowler considered giving round arm a try after this!

       Cricketer Alfred Mynn in 1853 bowling with the controversial round arm action

I noticed in an article from the same paper two weeks later there was a petition to have cricket played in Mawson Park again. Alderman Gamble was behind the push. Apparently the wicket had been destroyed in favour of a garden. However Gamble argued that "The reserve in its present state was nothing but a bird's nest, full of swallows and sparrows, it is an eyesore to the town and a disgrace to the Municipality, and the pitch was ruined for nothing but petty spite." Gamble's motion was lost in council and a cricket pitch was never made in the park again.

                     An undated photograph of Mawson Park (Clissold Collection)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown Ingleburn News, 22 January and 5 February 1926

McBarron, E.J.
Mawson Park, Campbelltown NSW: Notes on History and Trees

Dr Mawson

William Mawson was not quite four years old when he came from England, with his parents Robert and Margaret Mawson and his younger brother Douglas, in 1884. The house where the Mawson family settled was in Plumpton. William and Douglas were educated at Woodstock (later Plumpton) Public School, Forest Lodge Superior Public School and Fort Street Model Public School. In their youth, both William and Douglas sang in the choir of St Andrew’s Cathedral.

William entered the Faculty of Medicine at Sydney University graduating with honours in 1904. He then became Resident Medical Officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. After his residency he practiced in Gundagai from 1906. Dr Mawson brought the first X-ray to be used in country NSW.

Dr William Mawson married Miss Jessie Louise Oliver Davis in 1905. They had three children Robert Windram (Bobbie), Dorothy and Jeanne.

It is recorded that Dr Mawson came to Campbellown in 1908/1909. At this time Dr Mawson was offering honorary medical attendance and assistance to the community. The Campbelltown Bed Endowment and local Relief Fund Committee was formed in 1909 because Dr Mawson wanted to be able to provide free medicines to the needy. Fundraising was ongoing and enabled the Committee to endow a bed at Camden Cottage Hospital and the Campbelltown Cot at Renwick Hospital, Ashfield.  He continued to provide free medical services for those in financial difficulties. Dr Mawson was a member of the British Medical Association and Captain of the A.A.M.C. Reserve.

Dr Mawson bought the medical practice of Dr Dight who was a tenant of Glenalvon in Lithgow Street, Campbelltown in January 1910.  He built ‘Mulwaree’, a house and surgery in Cordeaux Street opposite St Peter’s Anglican Church in 1913.

Dr Mawson and his wife were very active community members. He was a member of the St Peter’s Anglican Church Committee and choirmaster at the church. He was both President and a Trustee of the Campbelltown School of Arts, President of Campbelltown Orchestral and Musical Society and Campbelltown Rifle Club.  Other activities included Vice President of both Campbelltown Agricultural Society and Campbelltown Wallaby Football Club and he was the conductor of Campbelltown Choral Society. Singing was his greatest love.  Dr Mawson was also a lover of animals.  He was particularly fond of a retired trotting horse, named ‘Man Friday’, who was given to Dr Mawson to pull his buggy. The vets had said that ‘Man Friday’ would never race again until the Doctor said that the horse had travelled from Campbelltown to Wollongong in 35 minutes! ‘Man Friday’ was returned to racing and won many more races.

Dr Mawson owned the Millhouse in southern Queen Street and had it converted to the Milby Private Hospital in 1925. Macquarie Theatre was owned by Dr Mawson, some of the sandstock bricks from the mill were reused in the construction of the theatre in 1926. It is said that the doctor wanted to provide a place for the youth of Campbelltown to have fun. The theatre was also used for jazz and old time dancing classes, ballet classes, balls, school speech nights, dance and euchre parties, variety concerts and even auction sales. Dr Mawson lent the Macquarie Theatre free of charge for charitable fund-raising purposes. The Ambulance Benefit night in December 1929, for example, was in support of the Liverpool and District Ambulance which served a vast area of Western Sydney including Campbelltown.

Dr Mawson was held in high esteem amongst the community. His services and contributions to the town must have been unselfish and kind. Full of compassion and drive to achieve the corner stones that communities are made of.

Mawson Park was named in honour of Dr William Mawson in 1937. Included were a pergola, shelter shed and entrance to the park. Two plaques were erected on the pergola: one engraved with ‘Commemorative pergola to William Mawson Esq., M.B. Ch.M’ the other with ‘Erected by the citizens of Campbelltown in appreciation’.

Sadly, in February 1931, Dr Mawson suffered a stroke and was unable to continue his practice. Therefore he retired and a social event at the Town Hall on the 24^th July 1931 was held in honour of Dr Mawson and his wife.

Late in November of 1936 news came that Dr Mawson was a patient in Gloucester House, R.P.A. Hospital.

Dr William Mawson passed away at his then home in Turramurra on 4^th June 1939. He is buried in St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, Campbelltown.

By Cathy Mitford

Crowds gathered to witness the unveiling of the memorial to Dr William Mawson in Mawson Park, Campbelltown 1929-30.

 

Grist Mills Vol.15 No.2  July 2002.      History of  Mawson Park.  By E.J.McBarron

Friend of the Strays

There is a strong argument for Patrick "Paddy" Hunt as the most colourful character in Campbelltown's history. Over the years Paddy earned the title 'friend of the strays' and became a familiar figure as he searched for food to give the stray cats and dogs of Campbelltown. Locals always knew when he was around by the number of dogs gathered.

Dressed in a navy blue suit and hat Paddy walked Queen Street almost every evening regardless of the weather, searching the garbage cans for scraps to feed the strays. In 1970, the then Member for Campbelltown said "Paddy Hunt was Campbelltown's conscience with regard to the treatment of animals" and "Paddy would go without things himself so that he could have food for his animals."
On one occasion, Paddy was featured in a TV program for his kindness to stray animals.

Paddy Hunt was born in Leichhardt in 1897 and came to Campbelltown with his parents in 1930. He was described as a "natural hard-doer" and worked at odd jobs around the town, particularly gardening.

According to Paul O'Loughlan, Paddy was also a very keen racehorse follower. He would regularly describe an entire race from start to finish and this once included the 1940 Melbourne Cup won by a 100-1 outsider named Old Rowley. He backed it and won a fortune!

Paul also described how Paddy would retrieve half smoked cigarettes from rubbish bins and keep the unused tobacco. He would then add a liquid to it and add it to his tobacco supplies.

Paddy was knocked down by a car while attempting to cross Queen Street one night in 1978. He was searching for scraps to feed the animals at the time. He never fully recovered from this accident and died in hospital on January 7, 1979. During his time in hospital he requested that a bird bath be installed in Mawson Park. This wish was fulfilled and a memorial to Paddy next to the bird bath was erected early that year.

This is the Patrick "Paddy" Hunt Memorial Bird Bath in Mawson Park, Campbelltown

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown-Ingleburn News 30.1.1979, 5.12.1978, 9.5.1978
"Campbelltown Recollections: stories from our past" interview with Paul O'Loughlan