Perfect Pictures

In 1995, Campbelltown City Library applied for, and received a grant for the digitisation of its large collection of historical photographs. The project would be undertaken in collaboration with the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society. This project would make the images much more accessible and students, local history and genealogy enthusiasts, the general public, and library staff would all benefit from it. After tenders in 1996, the project was awarded to Search Tech, who installed and set up its Perfect Pictures photographic database, and trained staff in its usage. Assistance was given by local historians and photographers including Marie Holmes, Stella Vernon, Verlie Fowler and Norm Campbell in identifying subjects in images. Search Tech also did the initial scanning and entered around 5000 images into the database which were then catalogued by library staff. The database finally became available to the public in April 1997. Initially held on CD Rom, the update of the collection was made to a web version of Perfect Pictures in 1999, and a further 1500 pictures scanned and entered. In History Week, September 1999, the web version of the “Campbelltown: Our Past in Pictures” database was launched with guest speaker Dr Carol Liston. Since this time the numbers of images have grown to around 10,000, and the database continues to grow in size. From humble beginnings, our photographic collection has become a valuable resource that anyone can access from the internet. The very first photo on the database – number 000000 - shown below, is an aerial photo of the Council Precinct.

Written by Claire Lynch, Sources - Library records

"Train whistle blowing"

William G. Tallentire was born 1856 at Patricks Plains, an area in the Hunter district.

He married his first wife, Alice Thomas in 1879 and they had one child, then moved to Campbelltown and had 3 more children. William was employed as a train driver at Campbelltown and by 1894 his salary was 13 shillings a day.

Group of men in front of Camden train with "The Teapot" ( Engine No. 293). 

William Tallentire is on the far right in front of the engine. Photo - CAHS, Norm Campbell

Alice died in 1890 and William then married Hannah Clark in Campbelltown. They had three children together. The family remained in Campbelltown and lived in Patrick Street.  William was a church warden of St Peter’s. He was well known and well liked in the community.
William’s obituary mentions that in his early years he came to Camden to install machinery at Camden Park for Macarthur-Onslow. After becoming a train driver he drove the first train from Campbelltown to Camden and was a regular driver on this route.

William moved to Fairfield in about 1924. He died in 1939, and was buried at Rookwood Cemetery. 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Trove

NSW BDM

Library Photo Database

Cora Lynn

Cora Lynn once stood at the end of Douglas Boulevard in Ingleburn. The site is now part of Symonds Reserve. It was one of many lovely old houses sadly demolished in Ingleburn.

The building was originally a Cobb & Co Coach stop. It was built in 1890 by Thomas Townsend, after he purchased the block of land from the Redfern Estates. The house was made of brick and the roof was of galvanised iron painted in stripes. The house looked like it could have been transported straight from the suburb of Redfern, as it was similar to terrace houses of the inner city. It was like there was two semi-detached houses put together.

Thomas Townsend opened a general store and later also sold wine. In the middle of the shop was a trapdoor that lead to a type of cellar for the wine. He later bought the adjoining land and on this he established an orchard and vineyard.

At the end of the house was a big room that Townsend later added on. In an interview that Florence Allen gave in 1979, she described how the room was used as a dance hall. Because of this it was sometimes called The Club. As well as dances, the room was used for surprise parties and large gatherings of people. This was in the days that Robert Allen and his large family lived there.  When the property was sold in 1909, it was bought by Thomas Marks who sold it to Charles Symonds. It remained in the Symonds family until it was subdivided by Jack Symonds in the late 1970s. The house was still standing in 1979, although it had almost fallen down and was derelict.  

Cora Lynn taken in 1977

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

KERR, David

Old Ingleburn in Grist Mills: Journal of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Vol. 21, No. 1, March 2008, pp1-20

Florence Allen oral history interview, November 1979, held at Campbelltown Library.

We Can Help the Lockdown Blues!

All of us at Campbelltown Library are missing our wonderful customers. We know lockdown is difficult for most people. For all those who love their history- and we know there are many of you- we have tried to ease the lockdown blues with some exciting online initiatives. 

History Week this year is the first week of September and we are planning an online walking tour. In line with On Q and the revitalisation of Queen Street, we will feature ten buildings that once stood along the main street. These buildings range from iconic hotels to general stores that were an institution in Campbelltown for many years. When restrictions eventually lift, participants in the tour will be able to access these buildings from the past using QR codes attached to the existing building on the site of the old.

Keep an eye on the library's social media platforms. Besides our ever popular Flashback Fridays, we are featuring a new regular post every Wednesday. History Happened Here will provide you with a story about a site in Campbelltown with an accompanying photograph. Check out the first post on the library's Facebook about the Harrow pub and how it became etched in Campbelltown's folklore.

Do you think you are a local history genius? Another social media activity we are about to reveal is a local history trivia quiz. Watch out for this on our social media platforms very soon.

We always welcome your feedback about any of our history features. Your responses often bring our attention to something we had not previously realised or were aware of.

Stay tuned also for some interesting History Buff posts!

Cora Lynn once stood in Douglas Avenue, Ingleburn. Read more about it in our next History Buff post.

Written by Andrew Allen

Brave Jack

John Rankine Hadden was born on 14 March 1921, the son of David and Janet Hadden. The family lived in a cottage at 69 Dumaresque Street, Campbelltown where David worked as a carpenter. John, known throughout his life as Jack, attended Campbelltown Public School in nearby Lithgow Street.

Jack Hadden is pictured 3rd from left in the front row in this 1932 Campbelltown Public School 5th class photograph

 After school Jack was a member of the town’s 1^st Campbelltown Troop Boy Scouts.

Jack Hadden in 1934 1st Campbelltown Troop (Courtesy Morgan Family)

The Hadden’s lived close to the convict-built Cattle Tank and Reservoir between Dumaresque and Allman Streets. These water conservation structures provided water for the town’s population (including cattle), from their construction in 1840 to 1889 when water was sourced from a different supply. This proximity to the Cattle Tank led to one of the most profound experiences of Jack Hadden’s life.

The Cattle Tank photographed in 1957. Jack would have raced down this track that lead to the tank. Note the water still visible. (Campbelltown City Library)

At 8am on 31 January 1935, tragedy struck the sleepy village of Campbelltown. The Sun newspaper printed the following article later that day:            

GIRL DROWNED

Fell Into Dam

CAMPBELLTOWN Thursday

Betty Humphries, 16, youngest daughter of Mrs Eva Humphries, fell into an old cattle tank dam at the rear of her home about 8am today, and was drowned. Jack Hadden, 13, who had just learned to swim, made a gallant, but unsuccessful, effort to save the drowning child. The body was eventually found in deep water by John Parker, son of Constable Parker. Attempts at resuscitation failed.

Further reports described how young Betty had been having mental issues at the time. The outpouring of grief in the town was immense and her funeral at St John's Catholic Church enormous. The girls of St Patrick's Convent formed a guard of Honour. 

Betty Humphries grave in St John's Catholic Cemetery

So what became of Jack after the tragedy? Not long after, Campbelltown Council made a request to the Royal Humane Society of NSW for Jack Hadden to receive a bravery award in recognition of his attempt to save Betty. The request was successful and Jack received a Certificate of Merit for his actions. Jack was further recognised in October that year when the Scout Association honoured him with a presentation and an award of a medal and a certificate for his conspicuous bravery.  The Town Hall was crammed with about 300 people who danced the night away and played in a euchre tournament. When Jack was lead through the hall, the crowd cheered and a Guard of Honour formed. Everyone that night was very proud of him.

In 1938, aged only 17, Jack signed up for the 1st NSW Royal Lancers. His gave his occupation as an "attendant". Then in 1940, now aged 19, he was transferred to the 2/2 Machine Gun Battalion and served as a Private. The battalion took part in the fighting in the Mediterranean theatre. Jack was discharged from the army in 1945.

Jack Hadden's Army Photograph

The "attendant" that Jack recorded as his occupation when he signed up for the war was probably the same job he recorded after the war- a veterinary attendant. 

On 10 September 1949, John Rankine Hadden married Madge Lyneham at Campbelltown. Madge came from Minto and their wedding was a small affair, with only their parents in attendance. The couple made their home at "Weona" in Kent Street, Minto.

Jack and Madge later moved to 31 Bradman Street, Merrylands and Jack now worked as a laboratory assistant. He was to hold the same job until his retirement many years later.

After Jack’s retirement, the Hadden's moved to Kiama on the South Coast. Jack passed away on 28 January 1998 aged 76 years. Madge was still alive and living in Kiama in 2017. She was photographed attending an ANZAC Day ceremony in the town. It is unknown if she is still alive at the time of writing. 

Madge Hadden is pictured on the right of this 2017 photograph on ANZAC Day at Kiama (Kiamaindependent.com.au)

Update: Madge Hadden passed away at Kilbride Nursing Home in November 2022 aged 97.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

WILLIAMS, Wayne

Scouting in the Campbelltown Area 1921-1970

In Grist Mills: Journal of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Vol. 32, No. 1, March 2019

The Sun

31 January 1935"

Mayhem at the Crossings

 A hazard that faced motorists from the early years of local travel was the dreaded railway crossing. The area had numerous level crossings that needed careful negotiating. I thought I would detail some accidents at two of these: the crossing on Camden Road at Campbelltown and to the north at Morgan's Gate at Leumeah.

Train accidents and incidents along both the Great Southern Railway line and the line joining Campbelltown to Camden have been common over the years. One such drama occurred to an unfortunate group of horses on 7 November 1861- a date remembered in Australian history coincidentally as the first meeting of the Melbourne Cup, won by Archer. Five fine horses were hit by the 3.30am train and killed instantly. The local newspapers did not refrain from using descriptive language to describe the state of the horses. I will spare you the gorey details!

However, it was at the level crossings that most local train accidents did the damage. In 1895 tragedy struck Campbelltown when two year old Cecil Mortimer was killed by a south-bound train at the Camden Road level crossing. Cecil was the son of the gatekeeper, George Mortimer. A number of people witnessed the accident, but were powerless to do anything. Cecil had crossed the line and was making his way back when he was struck.

In 1923, there was a lucky escape for a family named Korniovsky. When getting over the level crossing at Morgan's Gate, the off back wheel of the car caught against the gate post. The front of the car projected over sleepers. At the same moment the Melbourne Express came round the corner. The occupants jumped out as the train struck, but miraculously avoided serious injury or death.

It took a shocking accident in 1925 for authorities to start planning action on Morgan's Gate crossing. Eighteen year old Irene Scattergood was waiting at the crossing for a train when suddenly one dashed past without warning. Irene suffered a fractured skull and died soon after reaching hospital. Her sister Mabel was also struck, but survived the accident. The following year the Railway Commission announced that a plan and estimates had been prepared for an overhead bridge in the vicinity of Morgan's Gates. Work on the bridge commenced in 1928 and was completed the following year.

Irene Scattergood's grave in St Peter's Anglican Cemetery

Highlighting the urgency for a solution to the Morgan's Gate problem was another accident in 1927. Despite the frantic signals of gatekeeper Charles Hinton, a car travelling along the southern road swerved at Morgan's Gates just before midnight, crashed through a fence and completely overturned the gatekeeper's hut. The car was driven by a W.H.Tayor with seven passengers inside. The car came to a stop on the railway line, causing all rail traffic to be blocked. Luckily, only one person suffered injuries.

Meanwhile, accidents continued to occur at the Camden Road level crossing. In June 1932 Camden man Herb Scott was killed when a car he was travelling in stalled at the level crossing. Mr Scott and the other occupant attempted to push the car off the line when they were struck by the Picton to Sydney train. He was taken to Camden Hospital but died of his injuries. Another accident at this crossing happened in 1938 when a car crashed into a goods train. A driver mistook the light and realised his mistake before it was too late. There were only slight injuries to the occupants.

The road over the railway on Camden Road was finally closed in 1996 after a replacement overhead bridge was constructed adjacent to the crossing.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Cootamundra Herald, 4 March 1938

Camden News, 7 July 1932

Sydney Morning Herald, 30 November 1895

Evening News, 8 August 1927

Campbelltown News, 15 June 1923

Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 1 December 1925

Sydney Mail, 9 November 1861

 

Discovering Miss Clarke.

In our last blog, Andrew wrote about Miss Clark’s school, and the difficulty we had identifying Miss Clark. After much detective work and hunting around on Ancestry, Births, Deaths and Marriages and Trove we have a result!
Miss Clark was not in fact the sister of Hannah Tallentire (nee Clark), but was actually her niece. Hannah Clark had a brother named Edward Hedley Clark. Edward’s daughter, Ethel Mildred, was born in 1887, and her name appears on the 1913 census as living in Campbelltown, and her occupation as teacher. It would appear that she was living, not with her sister in Campbelltown but with her Aunt Hannah.

Ancestry also yielded a photo of Miss Clark, who married William Reginald Plumb in 1916. She would go on to have children and grandchildren of her own, and died in 1969. 

Mrs Plumb, nee Clark (Ancestry)

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources

Ancestry

Trove

NSW BDM