Tom Gamble

Tom Gamble was one of the more interesting personalities from Campbelltown's past. Born in Ireland in 1844, Gamble was a devout Irish Protestant who migrated to Australia and arrived at Campbelltown about 1872. He established himself as a prominent shopkeeper and auctioneer and was elected to Council in 1894. A year later he became mayor.

Tom Gamble is standing in front of his shop (second from right) ca 1882.

According to Jeff McGill's research Tom Gamble hated critics. When correspondents in the local newspaper attacked him, Alderman Gamble responded by claiming they "warranted a kicking"- and publicly threatened to do just that! He was a radical conservative who believed cut backs were the way to go and that public works should be contracted out and not done by council labourers.

He was very patriotic and pro Empire which was evident in his rousing speeches. When the Boer War broke out he arranged recruitment rallies. He attracted criticism for his arrogance however and lost his seat on council in 1900. Still, he continued his war rallies, became a busy worker for St Peter's Anglican Church and was appointed a magistrate. He also occupied the position of librarian for the Campbelltown School of Arts.

We get some feel however for the softer side of Tom's personality in a letter he wrote to his father in Ireland while he was mayor. In it he writes to his "dada" about how he is anxious to find out about the health of his "mama" and how fond he is of his 20 month old baby. He describes the tough times he is experiencing with his business and the long hours he and his wife work just to make ends meet. He laments that he is getting old and grey and much stouter than he used to be. There is no hint of the hot headed man that he is reputedly known to be.

Thomas Gamble died in 1923. His obituary is glowing so perhaps the town forgave him for his bad tempered ways. His son Roy became mayor the year after he died.

This image was taken in 1895- the year Thomas Gamble became mayor of Campbelltown.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 August 1923 p10

McGill, Jeff 1996
First Citizen: Mayors of Campbelltown Since 1882
Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Letter in Local Studies Collection of Campbelltown Library 22.4.1896

Epping Forest

In 1810, Governor Macquarie granted two adjoining 100 acre parcels of land to Matthew and John Kearns. It was on this grant that the property of Epping Forest was established. By the early 1820s the land had passed into the hands of William Kearns who was recorded as having lived there in 1823. A house was built shortly after in 1825. The property had improved to include orchards, grain crops and general dairy farming. This house still stands today and is known as Epping Forest.

Epping Forest is highly valuable in terms of heritage significance due to its early date and architectural quality. It is a rare example of a Georgian bungalow from the early colonial period, dating from the 1820s and built by Colonel Parker who had served in the East India Company. Its design reflects the influence of the Indian bungalow on the houses of this era.

The house is made of sand stock brick. It has a symmetrical facade, semi-circular fanlight above the front door, windows with fifteen small panes and solid shutters. The unusual hipped roof verandah is stone flagged, with turned wooden columns and a patterned balance board. There is a detached kitchen at the back of the house.

The property developed into a successful dairy farm and in 1896 a pure bred Ayrshire cattle stud was established by the Clark family. This stud continued until 1960 when it became a mixed herd dairying business.

Today Epping Forest is surrounded by the development of the suburb of Kearns. Attempts were made in 1975 by the Clark family to have the suburb of Kearns named Epping Forest. It was originally suggested that it should be called "Bunbury". 'Epping' means 'people of the lookout place', which possibly refers to an ancient hill fort on a ridge in Epping Forest, England. It was decided by the Geographical Names Board however that this name was too similar to the Sydney suburb of Epping and so the name of Kearns was settled on.

The house is today located in Mississippi Crescent, Kearns.

A sad accident occurred on the property in 1857. A four year old girl named Mary Cullen was struck and killed by a fallen branch from a tree that was being cut down by two farm workers. She was playing with another four year old who was hit by the same branch but not killed. Dr Bell from Campbelltown was called but was unsuccessful in saving Mary's life.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

McGill, Jeff et al 1995
Campbelltown's Streets Suburbs: how and why they get their names
Campbelltown: Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

'Epping Forest' 1999
Heritage Impact Assessment Proposed Subdivision

This photograph of Epping Forest homestead was taken in 1993 (Courtesy Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Wild Waters

Anyone who lived in Campbelltown in the 1980s would remember 'Wild Waters' located behind Macarthur Square. 'Wild Waters' was an ambitious entertainment park costing $2 million that had an amusement arcade and kiosk, three huge water slides, a double water toboggan aquaskoot and water playgrounds.

Work started on the park in 1982 but was delayed as a change of investors led to a halt in construction. The next year work resumed  and the park was opened with much fanfare on October 22, 1983. Amongst many attractions on the opening day was a special appearance made by actors Grant Dodwell and Penny Cook from the television show A Country Practice.

The project initially provided employment for 70 local people. A further two stages were planned and due to be completed by the 1985-1986 swimming season. The project developers were a company called Jenwell Pty Ltd.

There were hopes that the park would become a major drawcard for the area and attract up to 200,000 visitors each summer. The park had the capacity to handle 1000 visitors a day. It was also to be a place where the youth of the area could spend their time as amusement venues at that time were limited.

However, the park however never really succeeded. In February 1985 an accident involving a young girl falling over the side was negative publicity. The six year old received seven stitches after falling six metres. There was also a story that people were placing razor blades on the slides using chewing gum. However, the main factor was probably the lack of use during the cooler months as the park mainly catered for water activities. Instead of the expected 1000 visitors a day, there was only ever an average of 300 per day and the busiest day in its existence was a crowd of 700.

'Wild Waters' closed on Sunday April 10, 1988. There were plans to relocate it to a block on the Menangle Road but this was axed. The caretaker manager demonstrated his frustration when he said "There is a lot of talk about the lack of facilities in the Campbelltown area but when there are good facilities the kids just don't want to use them. Nowadays kids want entertainment dumped in their laps."

The park was located on the hill above where the service station is now located at the southern entrance to the car park.

Written by Andrew Allen

Source:

Macarthur Advertiser: 31.8.1982, 18.10.1983, 19.2.1985, 30.3.1988

 

 

 

Photos showing 'Wild Waters' (Macarthur Development Board Collection)

Witches in Allman Street?

There once stood a fine brick cottage in Allman Street, Campbelltown that both fascinated and terrified locals. The cottage was home to a woman called Susan Merritt and her daughter Sarah.

Susannah Marie Merritt, formerly McGuanne, was born in Campbelltown in 1847. She completed her schooling away from Campbelltown at Ursuline Convent and returned home at 18 years of age. In about 1871 she moved with her husband Frederick Merrett to the Allman Street cottage. Her obituary described her life as that of a "cultured woman living a sheltered life with her books, her birds and her flowers".

Frederick died in 1887 and left Susan at home with their daughter Sarah. The pair kept very much to themselves and never seemed to shop. They wore long black robes and were rarely seen in daytime except when driving the house cow at dusk to nearby Austin Park to have it milked. Apparently children associated Susan and Sarah with witchcraft and were scared to walk past the house at night.

Susan died on January 27, 1935 aged 88. Many heirlooms treasured by her were sold in her later years. A letter of Lord Nelson belonging to her was sold to the Mitchell Library.

Sarah lived on in the house until her death in 1945. Both are buried in St John's Catholic cemetery in unmarked graves.

Those who remember the house recall a fish tank in the front garden, with a large garden on the eastern side of the house, flush with the footpath. The house was on the southern side of Allman Street between Oxley and Lindesay Streets, but closer to Lindesay Street.


Written by Andrew Allen


Sources:

McBarron, Eddie et al, 1985
Campbelltown 1930-1940: Dumaresq Street and Environs
Campbelltown: Campbelltown City Council

Campbelltown-Ingleburn News, February 8, 1935

New Milestones Book

We recently acquired a new book for our local studies collection called Discovering Australia's Historical Milemarkers and Boundary Stones by Robert and Sandra Crofts. This interesting book has a chapter on milestones between Liverpool and Campbelltown. Descriptions are given to the remaining 8 markers (originally 13) that were erected in 1854. In 1987 the Campbelltown series of milestones were listed by the National Trust.

The photograph of the milestone above was taken on Campbelltown Road in 1980

A Tale of Two Ladies.

The first lady of this tale is the Lady Penrhyn, one of the convict transports of the First Fleet. She was a wooden cargo vessel built in 1786, and named for the wife of Lord Penrhyn, Lady Ann Susannah. She was charted by the Navy as a First Fleet vessel, bound for Botany Bay.

She had no sea time prior to her departure, and was fitted out in Deptford for her run. She had on board the largest number of female convicts, as well as a large company of men in charge of the voyage.
The female convicts were delivered to the ship beginning in early January, from Newgate and Southwark jails, and country prisons. The ships of the fleet were assembled at Spithead, Portsmouth in March 1787, and at daybreak on the 13th March 1787 set sail. In Cape Town the Lady Penrhyn took aboard the first horses to come to Australia. One stallion, three mares and three colts were bound for New South Wales. Some difficulties on the voyage were encountered, amongst both convicts and seamen. Lady Penrhyn was also slower than the other ships, but all the ships of the fleet entered Botany Bay Harbour on 20^th January 1788.

(Picture - http://www.firstlanding.com.au/1st_fleet_ships_of.htm)

 

The second lady of this tale began her life aboard the Lady Penrhyn. Henrietta, born to the convict Jane Langley, arrived on 23^rd October 1787, whilst the ship was in Capetown Harbour. The ships surgeon was not present at the birth, although it is likely that one of the three midwives among the convicts was. Poor Henrietta was recorded as male in the surgeon’s log, but she was accurately recorded in the ship’s log. Her baptism took place on board ship on the 4^th November 1787, by Rev. Richard Johnson. There is some doubt about her paternity.

Little Henrietta arrived on the shores of Port Jackson 6^th February 1788. The first two years in the colony were very hard, with famine taking its toll. Five surviving children and their mothers were sent to Norfolk Island aboard the ship Sirius. At great peril they were landed at Cascade Bay, but the not so lucky Sirius was shipwrecked on the rocks that night. During the five years that Henrietta lived on Norfolk Island, her mother married Thomas Chipp – a marine. The family returned to Sydney Town. Life was tough in those early days and Henrietta referred in her letters as being in “the Orphan School’. The family was also on record as being “on stores” in 1904, the equivalent of social security.

At age 19, Henrietta was married on 23^rd March 1807, to the convict Edward Fletcher. On the grounds that she had been an inmate of the Orphan School, Henrietta applied for a land grant and a cow, and was granted 30 acres south of today’s Warwick Farm. Governor Macquarie revoked all land grants made by the Rum Corps after the overthrow of Governor Bligh, but Henrietta re-applied and was re-granted the same land. Thomas Moore wanted this grant, but probably helped Henrietta to receive a grant at Upper Minto (Elderslie), plus an extra 10 acres, which became known as Fletcher’s Farm. Edward worked the farm, as well as being appointed District Constable and Gaoler of Upper Minto, and later Chief Constable of the District of Camden. For this he was granted fifty acres of land, where the Mount Annan Gardens are today. Emma and Edward had six children all of whom were born in either Campbelltown or Cowpastures, or on the farm.

Henrietta’s health had declined over the years, and at the time of her death aged 41 (in 1828), she was blind and crippled. Edward would go on to live to 76 years of age. She was described as “an exceedingly reputable woman who bestowed great pains in bringing up her children”. Although she never lived to see them, she left a legacy of 36 grandchildren. She is buried, with Edward, in St Peter’s cemetery, Campbelltown, and has a First Fleeter’s plaque on her headstone. A remarkable if short life.

 

 

And our other lady, Lady Penrhyn? She was discharged from Government Service and sailed for China, stopping at Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Tahiti, and Canton for a cargo of tea, and finally back to England in mid-August 1789. She had logged 45,000 nautical miles since departing England! She was then purchased in by Wedderburn & Co London and used in regular London – Jamaica runs. She changed ownership several times, and disappeared from records in 1811, after being captured in the West Indies and scuttled. Another remarkable lady!!

 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Henrietta Fletcher’s Heritage – Marie Holmes

www.firstfleetfellowship.org.au

http://m.hardwickfiles.info/Henrietta_Shewing.html
"A new beginning : the story of three First Fleeters and their descendants" compiled by the Jane Langley Descendants Association.



History Week 2013 “Picture This”

To mark History Week this year at Campbelltown Library, an exhibition is currently being held at H.J. Daley Library. The theme this year is “Picture This” and is a celebration of local photographers and their work. We pay tribute to them and their important role in capturing images from Campbelltown’s bygone days. We are lucky to also have some original works on display.  Still images from as early as the 1870s are shown, along with biographical information about the photographers. Also on display is a fabulous range of cameras, from the early 1900s through to today. It is a great timeline of the development of cameras and our ongoing fascination with the medium of photography.

Due to popular demand, this display will be on display up to the 22^nd September, 2013.