Harley Daley: life as a POW

This week I got to know the man that our Campbelltown Library is named after a little better. Harley or HJ Daley served proudly on Campbelltown Council as General Manager for an incredible 41 years. Harley was captured by the Japanese and made a POW at Changi Prison in Singapore during World War II. After a visit from a family connection this week, the war diary of Harley was lent to me which allowed me the privilege of reading the harrowing and powerful moments of his time as a POW.

Harley left Campbelltown with an expectation that he would serve his country for a relatively short period. Little did he know that it would be five years before he would return to his friends and family as well as his beloved Campbelltown.

Harley enlisted on 13 June 1940 and served in the ill-fated 8th Division. He wrote that he was always keen to do anything of importance on the 13th. Three years to the day after he enlisted he wrote in his diary "Three years since I signed on the dotted line and wanted to be a soldier. When I look back, what a waste it has all been." His diary began on 10 March 1942. He wrote "As I sit here in my cell (?) - at least I am a prisoner of war - I will commence what I have promised myself for some time and relate some incidents from our stay in Malaya which no doubt will be of some interest in later years."

There are many entries where Harley describes the appalling conditions of the camp. On 19 November 1942 he describes how he "Inspected new camp site - lousy - and crawling with bugs. Anyway we are quite accustomed to them but it is a bit tough when you have to push them out of bed in order to crawl in." Harley would quite often describe the food- or lack of it. Eating rice was a daily struggle. Malnutrition was rife and he would often write about men he saw such as on 21 December 1942: "Three more parties have arrived during the past 3 days and I have never seen men in such a sad state. Many of them are just able to walk owing to malnutrition and are covered with sores." Harley too struggled with malnutrition and would occasionally write about his drop in weight. On 17 May 1945 as the war was near an end he wrote "Weight steadily dropping and I am now down to 9 st. 1lb." 

Significant milestones were always noted in Harley's diary but often written in an understandable  melancholy tone. "19 March 1942: What a birthday. I am on liquid diet and could not even keep that down- feeling lousy. Have a good position on top balcony but the bugs are terrible." He would always remember and write about family birthdays, describing the pain of not being with them to celebrate. He would receive letters from his wife Gleam but quite often it could be over a year before they arrived. On 3 May 1944 he received a letter from Gleam dated March 1943. He would often express his disappointment of the absence of photos of the family in the letters he received.

Eventually the war came to an end and somehow Harley Daley had survived Changi. On 11 August 1945, only days after the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed Harley wrote "Jack Lennon woke me at 0400 to say that Japan had agreed to Allied terms of unconditional surrender." A month or so later on September 18 how the big day had arrived and that they embarked about 11am on Duntroon and had lunch on board with plenty of meat!

The last entry in Harley's diary was on October 6 where he wrote: "And so we reach the final stage. Had a rehearsal this morning for disembarkation tomorrow at No. 11 Wharf, Woolloommoolloo. Then to Ingleburn - fancy finishing up there. Expect Harry and Jim will be there- hope they bring a bottle. Even now it is hard to believe that within 24 hours we will be back with our families, away from all this monotonous routine, bickering and whingeing. Oh to be free again. We have had a remarkable trip- 19 days on the ship and this is the first without sunshine. I will now start packing- "And so Tomorrow".

Harley James Daley, the man known as 'The Father of Modern Campbelltown' died in 1987. He pre-deceased his wife Gleam. He had two daugters: Del and Cheryl.

Harley's diary is unavailable to the public.

Written by Andrew Allen

Harley and Gleam in period costume at the official opening of Glenalvon during the sesquicentenary celebrations in 1970.

From Thoroughbreds to Clydesdales

While for many years the Blairmount estate was the home of Thoroughbreds, it later became the home of champion Clydesdales, bred by Mr Frank Young.

Frank was born in South Australia in 1885 and played a big part in the wool industry. As a young man he excelled at football and rowing. After school he was sent overseas to England and the continent to learn the wool business. On coming home he had enough knowledge and experience to join Commonwealth Wool and Produce. He would ultimately become its chairman and managing director in 1911.

Frank was described as “not being loquacious”. He did not really like talking about wool, or business, but he did like talking about football.  By 1937 he was the chairman of the Woolselling National Council, trading about 3 million bales of wool a year. But Frank’s side passion was the breeding of Clydesdale horses.

Widgiewa Blackwood, Champion Clydesdale Stallion at
Dandenong Show, prior to being purchased by Frank Young. 
(The Australasian, 19.12.1931)

He purchased Blairmount in 1929, and immediately set about modernising it. Sewerage, water supply, and electricity were some of his earliest concerns. One of his first equine purchases in the same year was the ten year old stallion Bangaroo Lettre, by the imported stallion Royal Warden. Bangaroo Lettre had made his name standing for the Glen Innes Experiment Farm. Frank purchased some mares, including two imported from Scotland. He then proceeded to build his herd of mares using Bangaroo Lettre. Around 1933 Frank purchased Widgiewa Blackwood, who had been imported in utero, and was a stallion who had already built a good reputation. Frank would use Widgiewa Blackwood over his mare herd and produced quality horses, who would take prizes at many agricultural shows, and be sold for good money. The Australasian paper in 1937 would say “Mr Frank Young’s Stock are Strong in Breed Type”, and “the sound average good quality of the brood mares on the property is beyond question”.  Frank was President of the NSW branch of the Commonwealth Clydesdale Society that same year.

Mullamuddy Fancy, one of Frank's early mare purchases,
Champion Active Draught Camden Show 1935
(SMH 6.4.1935)

Unfortunately, in 1942 Frank was reducing his stock, selling 8 of his mares at auction, and in 1946 making a further reduction. It makes me wonder if he was not in good health, as he passed away in 1950 at the age of 65. Blairmount was eventually sold in 1954 to Mr Stan French whose Eschol Park property adjoined Blairmount.

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources - Trove

Louisa Fisher

An amazing photograph came to light last week. The library was sent a remarkable image of  Louisa Fisher- the sister of our famous ghost Fred Fisher. This is the first time the library has seen a photo of one of Fred Fisher's immediate family. I wonder did she look like her brother Fred? The only description we have of Fred Fisher is through convict records. They describe him as having average height with a fair complexion and brown hair. Not much detail there.

Louisa Ellen Fisher was Frederick's younger sister. The photograph is in the possession of a direct descendant of Fred and Louisa's brother Samuel. Samuel Fisher's son Samuel migrated to Australia to find out about Frederick's estate. There were concerns of fraudulent activities. Young Samuel remained in Sydney and married there in 1849.

Thank you to the descendant John Wise for sharing Louisa's photo with the library. John's link to her and Fred was proven with a DNA match.

Louisa Fisher is photographed above. Date is unknown. (photograph courtesy of John Wise)

Written by Andrew Allen

The Collins family stores and Ingleburn

The Collins family arrived in Ingleburn in 1884, having come from Gunning. William John Collins Snr had established a brickworks in Gunning which supplied bricks used in connection with the railway in that district. He, his wife Honora and their five children then moved to Ingleburn where William set up a general store in the small village of Ingleburn. This wattle and daub building was on the southern side of the Oxford and Ingleburn Road intersection.

William Snr also continued to use his brickmaking skills supplying handmade bricks for local building projects. He was active in having a school opened in Ingleburn, starting a church, and providing the mail service from his home. He was one of the founding Aldermen of Ingleburn’s Municipal Council in 1896.

The early W.J. Collins General Store c1880 (Photo courtesy CAHS)

William Snr and his wife Honora’s (known as Nora) sixth child, a son, was born in Ingleburn, and was named Thanet. This name was derived from the place in Kent where William John Snr was born – the Isle of Thanet.

The J.W. Collins Store was on the corner of Oxford Road and Ingleburn Road, right near Ingleburn Railway Station. It sold everything, including explosives for which William had obtained a permit in 1888.

After their father died suddenly in 1919, the store was taken over by William John Jnr and his brother Thanet and became W.& T. Collins Store. In 1922 they called for tenders to build a new brick store. This would be situated on the northern side of Oxford Road opposite the old location. Groceries, paint, produce, hardware, haberdashery were among items sold. Eventually a milk bar and petrol and oil service were added. Train commuters were catered to with the store being open as early as 6am and closing as late as 7.30pm. 

W.&T. Collins Store c1930 (Photo Courtesy CAHS)

When William Jnr died in 1936 the store was continued by Thanet, and became known as T. Collins Railway Store. Thanet remained a storekeeper into the 1960s, but had retired by the time of his death in 1972. The Collins family had served the Ingleburn community for close to 90 years. 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources: Trove, Grist Mills Vol.1, No.4, "More than bricks and mortar" - Andrew Allen

The Lamplighter

Every day at dusk you would see him. He would walk around the quiet streets of Campbelltown carrying his small ladder and kerosene can with its long narrow spout. It was a routine that he loved and that he had perfected through years of practice. As he approached each lamp post he would take the lamp out and clean the globe and then fill the lamp with kerosene and light it. A ritual from another time in a slower paced and less complicated world.

Edwin James Bamford, known as Ted,  was born in 1865 in Picton. He was the son of Edwin Bamford and and Elizabeth Reeves. The family came to Campbelltown when Ted was only 3 or 4 months old. Ted secured his first job aged only 13 when he began constructional work on Sydney's first water supply. His main duty was to supply horses to the surveyors, moving them between Campbelltown and Fairfield where they were stationed.

He began his lamplighting in 1902. Although there were not many lights in town, it still required some travelling by foot. There was a light outside the town hall, one on the corner of Allman Street, one on Dumaresq Street, one near the corner of Lithgow Street, one near the park and one on the corner of Broughton Street. They never showed much light according to local Frances Meredith.

As a boy, Fred Seers assisted him with the lamplighting for threepence a week. Fred grew up to be one of the town's much loved characters himself.

Lamplighting was not the only job that Ted was skilled at. Perhaps his greatest joy in life was as Verger for St Peter's Church. He followed in his father's footsteps with this. He would clean the church, ring the bell, chase pigeons and undertake rounds of the graveyard. He reputedly knew the inscription of every tombstone in St Peters. Later he worked in the tiny library in a small building at the back of the town hall. He was the librarian there and he also looked after two billiard tables in the small building. There was a fireplace and he kept the logs on the fire in winter. He later moved to the new Soldiers Memorial School of Arts on the corner of Queen and Lithgow Streets and worked as the librarian.

Ted had a keen interest in botany. He was able to give the botanical name of every tree, pine and shrub that you could find in Campbelltown!

He carried out his work as lamplighter up until the time that electricity was installed in Campbelltown in early 1924. No more would this gentle old character wander the streets lighting up the town. 

Ted married Frances Holland at St Peters, Campbelltown and they had three children. The untimely death of his daughter Fanny had a profound effect on him and was believed to have contributed to his death not long after. He had suffered from asthma throughout his life. Edwin Bamford died in 1936 and was buried in the cemetery at St Peters that he dutifully cared for. 

Can you help with finding a photograph of Edwin Bamford for us?

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown News 24 July 1936

A Stroll Through St Peter's Churchyard, Campbelltown NSW by Marie Holmes

Frances Meredith oral history interview 1977 (Held at Campbelltown Library)

Earthquake!

Campbelltown has had its share of natural disasters over the years, including floods, fire and even a tornado. However, reading about an earthquake was something I wasn't prepared for. Many of you probably remember it.

It was early Saturday morning on 10 March 1973. The peace of that Saturday morning sleep-in for most was suddenly shattered when the ground began to shake. Many were quite alarmed and looked for an explanation of what just happened. Reports of people's experiences were shared around the town, some of which were no doubt a little exaggerated! According to the Campbelltown-Ingleburn News, the army copped much of the blame. As soon as the rumblings began they straight away thought that the army was out on early morning manoeuvres, doing "town laps" in Queen Street. Another explanation favoured by many was that the army was blasting away as usual out at Holsworthy but, just a bit earlier than usual. Another explanation is quite hilarious: one lady attributed the violent shaking to her collie dog scratching for fleas on the front verandah!

Accounts of some of the residents are also very amusing. One young boy shared his story with all seriousness that his sister had been thrown from her bed and landed (without injury) on the other side of the room. There were stories of suitcases falling from the tops of cupboards, smashing glasses and dogs going beserk.

At Campbelltown Police Station a typewriter fell off a desk with a sudden jolt. Many attempted unsuccessfully to contact the station by phone so they arrived at the station seeking reassurance from the police that it wouldn't happen again!

I thought I would check if there was a record of the quake. There is an entry on Wikipedia under the heading 'List of Earthquakes in Australia' with an entry for that day. It registered a 5.6 with most of the damage centering around Picton, Bowral and Wollongong. The damage bill was $2.8 million.

Do you remember the earthquake?

Campbelltown Police Station in December 1979. It was here that many searched for reassurance.

Written by Andrew Allen

Come for a Stroll

I have always held a love of cemeteries. There is something calming about them. I disagree that they are places to avoid and that they are scary, forbidden or melancholy. Instead, I have the opinion that they are havens in a crazy and frantic world. Even in Campbelltown, St Peter's Anglican Cemetery, bound by busy roads, generates a feeling of peace amongst the hustle and bustle of the CBD. Occasionally I will wander up to St Peter's during a lunch break to reflect, clear my mind and soak up that peace it provides.

Working as local studies librarian means I get to perform quite a lot of research and often it leads me to learn about our town's pioneers and to the amazing lives some of them lead. It often feels like you get to know them personally! Irene Scattergood is an example. Many times I have read about the tragic circumstances that lead to her premature death in 1925 and the shock felt by her family and the Campbelltown community. Irene and others whose stories I have stored in my brain are people that I wish I could meet. I wish I could interview them like I do with the living's oral histories and record how they made their journey through life...and death.

This year marks 200 years since the first burial in St Peter's Cemetery, making it almost as old as Campbelltown itself. I hope you can join me next month for a Stroll through St Peter's Cemetery and discover some of the people buried there. You will learn about Australia's first millionaire, a Melbourne Cup winning jockey and the man who saw Fisher's Ghost- a man who is often overlooked when it comes to the Fisher's Ghost legend. And of course I will introduce you to Irene Scattergood and explain her heart breaking story as well as others that left such an indelible mark on our beloved Campbelltown. 

Details of the cemetery tour are as follows:

St Peter's Anglican Cemetery, Howe Street, Campbelltown.

Saturday, 15 April from 10am-1130am. Meet at the main gate. Bookings are essential and are through Eventbrite. Cost is free.

Irene Scattergood's headstone in St Peter's Cemetery