The Engadine

Every morning and afternoon as I drove to and from work I'd pass The Engadine on the corner of Broughton and Lindesay Streets. I loved its charm. Although not very old, its beauty stood out amongst an ever increasing environment of sterility. Unfortunately development was again the priority and The Engadine fell to the bulldozer- another of Campbelltown's treasures disappeared forever.

The Engadine was built in 1924 by Minto grazier Kelvin Cuthell and designed by local architect A.W.M. Mowle. Mr Cuthell came to Campbelltown in 1914 with his mother and lived in Mossberry House. His mother died in 1915. He enlisted in the 6th Light Horse in 1915 and was detached to signals corps in 1918. On arriving home, he lived at Smeaton with the Sedgwick family before marrying Daphne Woodhouse in 1924. They then built and moved into The Engadine. Kelverton Cuthel died in 1930 and after Daphne died in 1945, her sister Iris moved into the house, remaining there until her death in the 1970s.

The Engadine was a dark brick symmetrical house with a terracotta tiled hipped roof, having a projecting bay at each end at the front. The front verandah had ornate balustrading and painted Truscan style columns; the verandah had been partly enclosed. The house had diamond patterned leadlight casement windows and small paned timber and glass door leading from the front verandah. When news of the pending demolition reached the Campbelltown community someone wrote to the local newspaper: "It's got the most magnificent stained-glass windows. I wanted to try to buy it to save it but I didn't have enough money."

The Engadine was included in Campbelltown City Council's Heritage Study 1999 for possible inclusion as a heritage item on the Local Environment Plan, but was rejected. It was demolished in March 2012.

Below is a photograph taken of Mrs Daphne Cuthell with her dogs, "Pat" and "Mike" on the verandah of The Engadine. Below that is a photograph I took of the demolition in March 2012.

                        Cooper Collection (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Macarthur Advertiser 27/3/2012

FOWLER, Verlie 2010
The Engadine- and its Architect
In Grist Mills Vol. 23, No. 1 pp8-9

The Other ANZACs

Campbelltown Library is excited about its forthcoming Heritage Festival author talk. Reflecting this year's National Trust Heritage Festival theme of Conflict and Compassion, the Library will host well known Australian author, Peter Rees, for an author talk. Peter will share an insight into his book The Other ANZACs: The Extraordinary Story of Our World War 1 Nurses. If you've been watching the ABCs brilliant ANZAC Girls recently then I'm sure you'll be interested in this talk. Peter will be available to sign copies of his book.

Where: H.J. Daley Library

When: Thursday, May 14 at 1pm

While you're in the libary, stop for a look at our display The Guardian Angels. It features the history of nurses and medical organisations from Campbelltown that aided the war effort.

A Man of Colours

Tom Cooper was born near Rockhampton in 1897 and came to Menangle Park in the late 1920s. He acquired 3 lots of land totalling 7 and a half acres on what is now Racecourse Avenue.

Tom is remembered as a colourful character: both figuratively and literally. When he first announced himself to the people of Menangle Park he wore bright parrot feathers in his hat band. He spoke with a slow drawl, thick set with prominent side levers and had a fascination for bright colours. He would sometimes wear a red shirt with an emerald green tie for example.

His house was painted with many bright colours. This gaudily painted house would always attract the attention of passing railway passengers. He explained that someone had been unable to find his home, so he painted it so no one could possibly miss it. The house was to inspire the short story, "The Eye Stopper" by local author Melva Vincent. It appeared in the 1963-64 "Coast to Coast"- an annual anthology of Australian short stories.

Tom was a keen breeder of homing pigeons. His knowledge and ability in this resulted in him becoming a Sergeant of the Pigeon Corps in North Queensland during World War 2. He had a keen interest in bird life and nature generally and a good knowledge of the birds of the Campbelltown area.

Even Tom's bicycle had the bizaare name of "Eggbeater"!

Tom Cooper died in 1968 aged 71 leaving a wife behind. They had no children. He is buried in Rookwood Cemetery.

I would love to see a photograph of Tom Cooper or hear more stories about him. Please let us know if you do have anything and I can share them on this blog.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

FELTON, Kevin P
Menangle Park NSW: 1948 To Early 1950s
In Grist Mills, Vol.4 No.3, pp35-42

Campbelltown-Ingleburn News, December 3 1968

The Racing Doctor

Doctors were few and far between in the area south of Liverpool known as the Cowpastures in the 19th Century. This area included Campbelltown. There was no guarantee of their skills or qualifications so for the sick and injured, life was risky.

A highly interesting and useful addition to the library's collection is The Racing Doctor: Tales of Medical Care in the Cowpastures by Elizabeth Villy. Published in 2014, it takes a look at the experiences of various doctors practising in the Cowpastures in the 19th Century. It starts with a chapter on the area's first and well known doctor William Redfern.

The Racing Doctor was the name given to Dr William Kenny and a chapter is devoted to this doctor who provided much medical help to the the folk of Campbelltown. The author writes that he had a dubious background in medicine but was renowned for his prowess on the race track! He was charged with supervising floggings at Campbelltown Gaol of which he seemed unperturbed.

Another doctor that is featured is Dr William Bell who I have written about in a previous blog article. There is a fascinating look at the skills used by Granny Long, a midwife of the Burragorang Valley and a chapter that specifically deals with home remedies for the early settler.

Make sure you check this book out next time you visit our library. It's a real gem.

Written by Andrew Allen

Mumbong

'Mumbong' was a cottage that stood on the northern end of Queen Street approximately opposite Chamberlain Street. It was located about where the Shell service station is today. It was sadly demolished like many other wonderful old buildings in the town and therefore robbing us of appreciating its charm.

I don't know when 'Mumbong' was built but it had stood a number of years before the Haydon family lived there from around 1900. Aline Haydon was born at the cottage in 1910. She remembered it was a stone house with 3 bedrooms, a front room, a huge big dining room and a kitchen and bathroom.

Arthur Payten and his family moved in after the Haydons around 1918.

It is not known why the house was called 'Mumbong'.

Mumbong taken before 1920 (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Written by Andrew Allen

The Minto Monster

Minto has a long history of strange sightings and weird noises that have defied explanation. Many locals believe they all relate to the Minto Monster- a creature that has been terrorising residents since 1932.

In that year farmers were looking for a cow in the moonlight and were shocked to see a 'bellowing' unknown creature which seemed to glide above the ground. Other reports described it as a "dark object gliding through space, 18 inches off the ground." Locals believe this apparition relates to a drowning of a convict that occurred on a dam built by Thomas Rose. This dam was on the corner of Pembroke and Ben Lomond Road. A plaque outlining the origins of the dam and the story of the drowned convict can be found on this corner.

A handwritten letter was unearthed in 1984 from the files of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society by historian and former resident Verlie Fowler. It describes the story of what happened that night in 1932. I won't give the full version here as it's too long, but this is part of it:

"It was full moon and my brother Jack, who was staying with us, was standing on the verandah scanning the paddock by the aid of the moon, watching for the return of our family cow which had strayed away early that morning.

Suddenly from the far distance, came the sound of a bellowing cow, and presently down the valley came the vision of an object which Jack at once thought to be the cow returning home.

He stepped off the verandah and walked toward our side fence which was only approx. 100ft. away from the line in which the "cow" was travelling.

As he approached the object, he realised it was neither walking nor running but just gliding through space, approx. 18 inches off the ground.

Unable to distinguish this dark object approaching, he called our small dog and sent him towards the object which, by then, was almost opposite him.

The dog made a rush, and instantly stopped, arched his back and retreated to my brother with his bristles standing straight up and stiff as though terrified."

The letter went on to say how "nothing more was seen of our 'Ghost' for about three years. Then my wife and I witnessed a similar experience to the one Jack had had. It is now over twenty years since this happening and we often wonder if this spirit has found rest."

The convict dam site in 1975 at corner of Pembroke Road and Ben Lomond Road, Minto with Minto Public School in left background
The Minto Monster was back in the news again in 1973 when claims that a mysterious creature had been 'terrorising' East Minto residents with its blood curdling screams. The monster's screams, according to one local resident, were like "a woeful cough that goes on and on, like a human being on their death bed". One bounty hunter suggested it was a lost species of extinct Tasmanian Tiger. The Campbelltown-Ingleburn News of the day quoted the hunter about his warnings about approaching the tiger "otherwise someone is going to finish up inside the animal's stomach." A group of residents conducted an armed search of Myrtle Creek but found nothing. (surprise surprise)

As recently as 1987, a Derby Street resident reported seeing a strange creature moving through the trees, making a terrible screeching noise. He described it as having "pointed ears and was a rust colour with three dark brown stripes." The resident told the local paper "If I saw him again, I'd start a discussion with him and entice him to wait for a photographer to come."

No reported sightings have been made since this last one in 1987. The mystery lives on.

Written by Andrew Allen

Harry and Vic Chivers

The Chivers family of Ingleburn were much loved and respected. Harry is best remembered as the former Ingleburn Council's longest serving mayor from 1921 to 1931. His son Vic had a distinguished war record and played a prominent role in early Ingleburn's commercial life.

Harry Chivers as mayor (on the extreme left) is on the platform with 3 other unidentified men

Thomas Henry Chivers, better known as Harry, was born in New Zealand in 1871. He came to Ingleburn around 1907 and joined Ingleburn Council in 1913 before becoming mayor in 1921 and for the next 10 years. He had endless energy and achieved much for the Ingleburn community. Water from the city was connected to Ingleburn homes during his term but his crowning glory came in 1930 when electricity was first switched on in Ingleburn. Harry was listed as a farmer but also had a shop in Ingleburn. The family home was a beautiful old house known as "Dunrobin" in Sackville Street. He lost his first wife Sarah in 1918 and re-married in 1919 to Alice Smith. Harry died in 1935.

Chivers family outside their shop in Oxford Road, Ingleburn 1925-1925. Harry is on the left with 2 unidentified girls. (Verlie Fowler Collection)

Albert Victor Chivers, better known as Vic, was one of two sons of Harry that served in the First World War. He was born in 1897 and was working as a printer when he enlisted in 1915. He served at the Somme but in February 1917 was sent to England with bad trench foot and did not rejoin until August. He served at Ypres and in April 1918 was admitted to hospital ill.    

 Chivers family outside their home Dunrobin, Ingleburn (Verlie Fowler Collection)

After the war Vic worked as a shop assistant. He married Hilda McIlveen, the daughter of a local shop owner. He joined the 4th Battalion in World War 2 and was discharged in January 1945. Vic Chivers lived with his family at 34 Chester Road, Ingleburn. He died in 1976.


L. to r.: "Wac" Allan, Victor Chivers and Bill Hilder at the opening of Ingleburn RSL in Chester Road, Ingleburn (Enid Lowsby Collection)