Happy New Year!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy New Year for 2016, and we hope we can share some more wonderful stories with you over the coming year!

From your History Buffs!

Christmas Comforts

Norman Gamble was born into a household where tales of duty and Empire were common. His father, Tom Gamble, the mayor of Campbelltown for two years in the l890’s, had arranged recruitment rallies for the Boer War and gave rousing patriotic speeches. Thus it came as no surprise that with the outbreak of World War I, Tom’s sons would enlist. Roy was rejected on medical grounds, but his brothers Norman and Leo enlisted in 1915 and 1916 respectively.

Norman served in Gallipoli and France. At Christmas time, any reminder of home would have been a comfort to the soldiers. Helping to send Christmas cheer was the Campbelltown Comforts Fund Committee, part of the Australian Comforts Fund.  Mainly run by women, they provided and distributed free comforts to the Australian fighting men in all the battle zones. Norman wrote in a letter to his mother “I received a beautiful parcel from the Campbelltown Christmas Gift Committee, which contained everything a soldier could wish for.”

Among the items were tobacco, soap, plum pudding, sardines, camp pie, pencils, cocoa and socks. 

Campbelltown Comforts Fund Committee on the side verandah of Campbelltown's first post office packing parcels for Australian troops overseas during World War I (Reproduction rights W.Wilkinson)

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources:

Trove

National Archives of Australia website

NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages

First Citizen by Jeff McGill

Dodging a Bullet

There had been nothing unusual about this particular Saturday afternoon in the late summer of 1952. Gatekeeper James Ashford was on duty at the Camden Road level crossing at Campbelltown where he performed his regular duties. Golfers enjoyed a leisurely round of golf at the adjacent course and the rest of the town were making the most of the perfect weather. Then all hell broke loose...

Crouched on a hill about 300 yards away was a 15 year old boy who started firing shots at James Ashford. The bullets struck the gatekeeper's shelter box, where he was summoning police. One of the bullets narrowly missed his head. He later took shelter behind a gatepost, and two more bullets ploughed into the post.

Bullets also whined over golfers on the golf course. One player dived into the creek for safety and another into a pond. Several shots also flew over a passing car. Local police then blocked Camden Road.

Two men then found the boy under a nearby bridge. Drawing their pistols, the policeman rushed the bridge and captured the boy. They took possession of a pea-rifle. He was charged with assault, discharging a firearm near a public street, and being a person under the age of 16 found in possession of a firearm.

Local newspaper photographer Norm Campbell remembered the day. "This was great news for the papers, it was Saturday morning and Sunday was a big day for news. The place was riddled with reporters and staff."

It turned out that the boy was from the Sydney suburb of Enfield. He was ordered by the court to attend the Police Boy's Club at Burwood two nights a week. The court was told by the police that when captured the boy's breath smelt of intoxicating liquor and he was unsteady on his feet. He also received a bond which prohibited picture shows, intoxicating drink and the handling of firearms for two years. The boy told the court that he was "very sorry" for what he had done.

This is a photograph taken in the early 1950s. It shows what the scene would've looked like at the time of the shooting. The photograph overlooks the golf course with the Great Southern Railway line and the Camden Road level crossing at the bottom left. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Bridge over Bow Bowing Creek next to the level crossing. This was almost certainly the bridge where the 15 year old hid under and was caught. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society).

Written by Andrew Allen

The Clayton Sisters – Part 2

Further to the previous blog “The Clayton Sisters”, more information has come to light about this endearing pair.

Miss Margaret Jane Clayton was born in 1851 at Gunning, and her sister Miss Ultima Clayton in 1853, (also probably at Gunning), New South Wales. They were the youngest daughters of Dr Benjamin Clayton and Frances Broughton, and the grand-daughters of Commissary General William Broughton, First Fleeter and one time governor of Tasmania, who had a grant of a thousand acres at Appin.

Their father, Dr Benjamin Clayton, was for many years the only doctor between Yass and Goulburn. He had built a beautiful two storey home in Gunning, which he named “Baltinglass” after the town he came from in Ireland.  He established flocks and herds, experimented in grape growing and wine making, kept bees, and bred racehorses.  In 1853 he suddenly decided to leave Gunning, and it was sold for 5,500 pounds. He purchased a farm at Appin called “Rockwood” near William Broughton’s property. Sadly, Dr Clayton died in 1854. The girls and other members of the family went to live permanently at Appin. Frances was now a wealthy widow, and lived until the age of 79.

It is here the trail runs cold, but we pick the sisters’ story up again at the end of the World War I.

It is reported that they traveled the world for two years, and on their return, engaged a suite of private rooms at the Campbelltown Club Hotel. The Electoral Roll describes them as being of “independent means”.  The sisters were known for their kindness and generosity, giving charitable assistance to anyone that might need it. They quietly went about making contributions and giving monetary assistance to friends and relatives, assisting those in need. They actively sought out people needing help. They were true philanthropists. 

They lived at the hotel until Margaret died in 1932 in Milby Hospital. Ultima then moved to Minto to her brother Bland’s residence - “Weerona”. After Bland passed away in February of 1936, Ultima collapsed with grief, and passed away shortly after. Both sisters were laid to rest in St Peter’s Church. 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Trove

Chronicles of Appin, NSW - Syd Percival 1992

William Broughton and the Kennedy Connection – Margaret Carty 1987

The Clayton Sisters

The library recently came into the possession of some fascinating photographs. They have been shared with us by the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society and were donated to them by Michael Clayton from Young.

The photographs are taken in 1926. They show two unmarried sisters named Clayton who were living at the Club Hotel at the time as well as members of their family who were on a family visit. Some of the shots are of locations nearby. I personally like the one of the two sisters in the garden at the back of the bank all dressed up and posing in their finest attire.

I find it fascinating that two spinster sisters would choose to live together at a country hotel- something that belongs to a bygone era I guess. I wonder what became of the Clayton sisters?

The Club Hotel was on the corner of Queen and Cordeaux Streets. It was demolished in 1986.

Club Hotel 1926

 

Club Hotel 1926

 

 

Margaret, one of the resident sisters, with Jess and Ellen on the veranda, Club Hotel

 

 

Margaret and Ultima on the veranda

 

 

Bland Clayton visiting his sisters

 

 

Sisters in the garden at the back of the Bank of NSW. Photo taken by Mr Brown the Bank Manager.

 

 

Clayton sisters at the top end of Mawson Park with St Peter's Church in the background.

 

 

Colleen on swing, aged 4, niece of Ben Clayton. Photo taken by Ultima in Mawson Park with St Peter's Church in the background

 

 

Clayton family

The Eye Stopper

Earlier this year I wrote about Tom Cooper from Menangle Park under the title 'A Man of Colours'. Tom was a colourful character in more ways than one. I recommend that you read this short post again to remind yourself of this remarkable man. This background on Tom will help when reading the following blog post. Here is the post from earlier this year:

http://campbelltown-library.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Cooper%20Tom

Thanks to local history enthusiast Garry Seddon, I am able to reveal much more about Tom Cooper. In the 1963-64 winter edition of The Literary Review, Menangle local Melva Thomas published an article on Tom Cooper titled The Eye Stopper. Garry was able to provide me with a copy of this article which also includes a photograph of Tom. Melva was Tom's neighbour at Menangle Park and one of the few neighbours, if not the only neighbour, who accepted Tom's eccentric way of life.

Instead of attempting to summarise the article I thought I would include it here in full. The article is quite long but I assure you it's well worth taking the time to read. It gives a wonderful insight into the life of such a beautiful character from our area's past. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did and I would love to know your thoughts.

Click on the Tom Cooper link below:

Tom Cooper


Written by Andrew Allen

Outfoxed by Alf

I came across this photograph from our collection whilst doing research for a client. Thinking it would be useful for the what I needed, I enthusiastically included it in my package of information for my enquirer. As you can see the photograph shows a fox peering down a rabbit hole waiting patiently for his next meal. Or does it?

Alf Longhurst took the photograph around 1940, presumably on his land at Eagleview Road in Leumeah. He lived on Eagleview Road on a ten acre block with his wife Maud.

It seems Alf possessed a great sense of humour. The fox in the photograph is actually dead and the "rabbit hole" was dug with a shovel! So much for my accurate search.

Alf was also a well known breeder of dogs, especially fox terriers. He used his dogs to hunt along the Georges River. The photograph below shows some of these dogs.

Written by Andrew Allen