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

Ingleburn Weir

What exciting news it must have been for the people of Ingleburn when they found out they were getting a pool built in the George's River for them. This was pre World War Two and ahead of its time compared to other councils in Western Sydney. The pool proved to be very popular with Ingleburn families, with almost every child from then on recalling fond memories of the Ingleburn Weir as it was known.

The first reference to building the Ingleburn Weir is in the Ingleburn Council meeting of 10 November 1936 when it was resolved that "the clerk [HJ Daley] be authorized to obtain information and estimates for the construction of a weir across the George's River for the purpose of providing a swimming pool". A recommendation to proceed was adopted the following month. Council records indicate that the weir was constructed between 6 March 1939 and 22 January 1940.

 

Above photograph: How Ingleburn Weir looks today

 

The weir was constructed by local Fred Goodsell. According to Arthur Hounslow "he was a builder of sorts and he lived locally and he was given the job." It is believed that stone for the weir was quarried in an area off Cumberland Road. Bert Wallace was the overseer.While Fred Goodsell was responsible for building it credit for organizing its construction is given to Harley Daley. Peter Benson explained that unemployed people were used to help with the building the weir. It became known by Ingleburn people as "Harley's Folly".

 

The weir became the recognized swimming hole in Ingleburn in the years after its construction. Scouts would regularly attend camps near the weir and it was used for swimming events. This remained the case for many years.

 

Campbelltown City Council have identified Ingleburn Weir as having local heritage significance. The weir has also been identified by the Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) as a high priority site for remediation work to facilitate the passage of fish, which may impact on the heritage significance of the weir. Despite its heritage significance, the weir was in a dilapidated state until conservation works were undertaken in recent years.

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

 

Ingleburn Weir Heritage Impact Statement, November 2007

 

Leishman, Alan J. July 1997

Ingleburn Weir: History and Status Discussion Paper

 

 





The Haunted Harrow

Almost everyone in Campbelltown would be familiar with the story of Fisher's Ghost. Not many however would be familiar with "The Harrow"- the pub where John Farley ran to 'in great fright' to break the news of his ghostly tale. The Harrow therefore played an important part in Campbelltown's history. This is why I was fascinated by a discovery I made on Trove last week of an article from the Australasian Chronicle in 1841, just 15 years after the Fisher's Ghost legend was born. It appears that The Harrow became well known for other ghostly experiences other than those related to Fisher.

The Chronicle describes a letter written to the editor about "great alarm and sensation" in the village arising from strange experiences in the old pub.The letter explains that "...some unusual noises were heard, at unreasonable hours, in an old house occupied by Messrs. Shields and Patrick, in which is conducted the butchering business. These parties have been obliged to leave the premises every night, in consequence of the rumbling noises heard all over the building, and take shelter in adjoining houses." It went on to describe how a man named Baker had once lived there but had to vacate the premises because of the hauntings. The letter further stated that "I have often heard him say he could not get one night's rest in a week from the rattling and tumbling heard aloft when the serial beings were conducting their midnight orgies." I love the language.

The old Harrow actually survived for approximately another 118 years. It was built probably in 1822. Prominent businessman and ex-convict John Patrick owned the license shortly after the Fisher's Ghost experience. David Patrick researched the pub's history extensively and managed to pinpoint its exact location. He wrote an article in Grist Mills in November 1998 outlining his results. After John Patrick's ownership, the building would be used for various shops including a general store owned by the Graham Brothers in 1896, a fruit shop for G. Packer in 1915, C.W. Parker's Store in the 1920s and Romalis' Fish and Chip shop and café. It disappeared without trace after this. It is now the site of the Campbelltown City Centre in Queen Street, directly opposite Lithgow Street.

 

The Harrow became C.W. Parker's Store. This photograph was taken by Tom Swann in 1920. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

 

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

 

Australasian Chronicle Saturday 27 November 1841, page 2

 

PATRICK, David

The Harrow: the Fisher's Ghost Pub

In Grist Mills 11 (3), November 1998

 

The "Gut Factory" - an update

After publishing our previous blog about the "Gut Factory" at Ingleburn, we were lucky enough to be contacted by a grandson of Wilhelm Klages, who was able to give us some more information about the family.
Wilhelm Klages was born in Elberfeld, Germany, on the 17th September 1885.  He studied Chemistry at the University of Kiel. He married his first wife Katarina Roeser at the age of 22 in Berlin in 1908. They had a son, Frederick, but after Katarina and Wilhelm divorced, Frederick lived with his Roeser grandparents for some of his early years.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm moved to Switzerland and married Dora Ziegler, gaining Swiss citizenship. He returned to Germany to reclaim his son Frederick and took him back to Switzerland.



Wilhelm Klages (Campbelltown City Library)

In 1921 the family moved to Japan. There, Wilhelm worked for the Tansan Kobe mineral water company. Whilst there, the family lived through the Great Japan Earthquake of 1923.
During 1927 and 1928 the family, Wilhelm, Dora, Frederick, and Frederick's three half-brothers Ulrich (later known as Eric), Arthur and Arnold moved to Australia.
It was from this time that the family settled in Ingleburn and Wilhelm started up the gut factory - (see previous blog).
The boys grew up during the years between the wars. Unfortunately, all but Frederick had Swiss citizenship, so when WWII broke out, Frederick was interned while his son James was still a baby, being sent to Alice Springs and Butlers Gorge in Tasmania.
Thanks so much to James, Frederick's son, who provided this great information to us!

A Conscientious Objector

 

Demonstrations outside the Ingleburn Army Camp in support of Simon Townsend (State Library of NSW)

Most of the older readers of this blog would remember Simon Townsend, mostly famous for compering the children's television show from the 1980s called Simon Townsend's Wonder World. However, some of you would be unaware that Simon was also famous in the 1960s for disobeying the call-up notice to join the Vietnam War. It was at Ingleburn Army Camp that he was incarcerated as punishment, causing friction in the community and resulting in a demonstration march at the camp that attracted a huge crowd.

In the mid 1960s whilst living at Woy Woy and working as a columnist for a community paper he became a conscientious objector against the Vietnam War. He gained national prominence on his anti-conscription stance, saying "I suddenly decided to be a ...objector to the Vietnam War. I then went to Sydney, I met people, I joined the groups and I read. And suddenly I had an intellectual basis for my objection to the Vietnam War. And that was when I got very busy, objecting, going to court, and I ended up in Long Bay Gaol for a month. And in 1968 I ended up in the army prison for a month. I was court-martialed while I was there. "

Simon was one of the first to go to gaol for acting contrary to the National Service Act 1964. According to local military historian Brian Battle, it was reported that Townsend commenced his confinement in the cells at Bardia Barracks. He was placed in solitary confinement for 48 hours, to be woken up every half hour. He was released on 14th June 1968.
As mentioned, Simon Townsend's confinement at Ingleburn caused quite a stir and a demonstration march was organized to show the community's disapproval. Photographs from the Tribune show large crowds demonstrating and plenty of passionate speeches in support of Simon. Interestingly, local media didn't bother to cover the occasion.

 

Part of the large crowd at Ingleburn Army Camp in support of Simon Townsend (State Library of NSW)

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources: Wikipedia
Nashos in Australia 1965-1973

Dr Abe and Dr Nelly

In 1947, Abraham and Nelly Wajnryb arrived in Australia as Jewish refugees from Europe. Both were born in Poland, Abraham in Kielce and Nelly in Warsaw. They were married before the war, and both were medical practitioners. They had survived WWII and the horrors of the Holocaust.
The Wajnrybs had become separated in Europe, and were incarcerated throughout the war. They would re-unite in Paris, before coming to Australia. After their arrival they studied for, and received Australian medical degrees and subsequently moved to Campbelltown.
They gained a loyal following of patients, despite the small town attitudes of the post-war 50s and 60s. As their surname was hard to pronounce, the Wajnrybs became affectionately known as Dr Abe and Dr Nelly. Children Eric and Ruth attended the local schools. The family lived in a house on a battle-axe block in Queen Street, the driveway of which ran between the Commonwealth Bank and Mort Clissold's building next to the School of Arts.
Ruth went on to university, gaining an Honours Arts Degree, and a Diploma in education. Anything I write here could not possibly do Ruth justice - in short, she became a globally renowned linguist, a regular columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, obtained her Masters Degree and PhD, and authored numerous books and textbooks.
In 1988 Abraham wrote a book about his experience at the end of the war called "They marched us three nights : a journey into freedom". In it he describes how during the closing days of the the inmates of concentration camps were often forced to leave and marched towards an unknown destination. Dr Wajnryb described the death march of which he was a part.
In the latter part of the 1960s, the Wajnryb family moved from Campbelltown to Sydney. Nelly died in 1987 and Abraham in 1993. Ruth would sadly pass away at the age of 63 in 2012.
In her book "The silence : how tragedy shapes talk", Ruth talked about her early years growing up in Campbelltown. There are some episodes that made me cringe. But there were many memories of life in a small town that gave me hope. Hope that the Wajnryb family found a good life in Campbellown, that they were accepted and made to feel welcome here. Let's hope so.

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources
"The Silence : how tragedy shapes talk" by Ruth Wajnryb
AustLit - Abraham Wajnryb
Sydney Morning Herald obituary for Ruth Wajnryb
Ryerson Index
http://www.aviel.com.au/_blog/Adventures_of_an_Urban_Nomad/post/Urban_Nomad_Stories/

Campbelltown Fire Station

The original Fire Station next door to the Town Hall is well known to Campbelltown residents. Designed by architect Alfred J. Payten, and erected in 1891, it was manned by volunteer firemen with a manual hose reel.

The Fire Brigade to the left of the Town Hall 1892 (Local Studies Collection)

....and in 2000 (Stan Brabender Collection)

It was not long after this that the Council decided to take over the Fire Station for further office space, and it became necessary to find a new location for the Fire Brigade. A site in Queen Street, on the northern side of Reeve's Emporium, was found. The weatherboard building already on the site was moved to the front alignment of the street. The brigade moved to this building in 1907, and the property purchased in 1908 by the Fire Board. More equipment was provided, including a horse drawn manual pump fire engine.

The Fire Station in Queen Street next door to Reeve's Emporium
(Photo - Alex Goodsell)

The Fire Station would remain at this location for 54 years. A site in Railway Street had been dedicated for a new Fire Station but this was exchanged for a site at the new Civic Centre precinct in Broughton Street. This new station was officially opened in 1962.

The Fire Station in Broughton Street 1962. The Administration
Building not yet constructed. (CI News)

....and again - the trees  have grown and the Administration Building
now complete. (Photo - Norman Campbell)

Fourteen years later, in 1976, the Fire Station would move once again. This time, it was to a location further up Broughton Street. Campbelltown Fire Station remains at this location to this day.

The Fire Station at it's second Broughton Street location 2001
(Stan Brabender Collection)
 

Written by Claire Lynch
Sources
"How it all began : the start of the Campbelltown Fire Brigade - the first 100 years" by Norman G. Campbell
Journal of the NSW Fire Service - Fire News Winter 1976
Campbelltown Ingleburn News 13.2.1962