The Good Intent

Earlier this year I wrote a brief article for the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society's newsletter 'The Kernel' on the Hotel Good Intent. Below is the full article.

The Good Intent opened its doors to the public on March 24, 1939. It was built on the site of Alpha House which was demolished the previous year. The license was transferred in the names of Mr and Mrs Kerr from the nearby Commonwealth Hotel to the Good Intent.

Aubrey John Raymond, better known as “Titus” Oates, became the licensee of the Good Intent after winning the lottery. “Titus” seems to have been a divisive personality in the town. Many enjoyed his company and regarded him as a generous man. Others are less complementary. Whatever the views, no one could doubt his courage as a pilot. During the 1949 coal miner’s strike, he would go a on a “beer barn-storming mission” flying his Comper Swift, to ensure the beer supply at the Good Intent was kept flowing! He would fly as far as Adelaide locating supplies for the hotel. In 1954 “Titus” sold the Good Intent hotel, in order to enter television production and film making.

 

 

The Good Intent was one of the more popular pubs in Campbelltown during its existence, especially on Sundays. It was a two-story brick building at the front and had three levels at the rear. A large car park was situated on the southern side of the building. The pub was set on a large block of land and included a brick shed, living quarters and a large garden at the rear. In 1973 a drive-in bottle shop was added.

The hotel closed its doors for the last time on April 17^th, 1982. This was an unpopular decision and many regulars defied the demolition signs on the hotel doors and arrived for their usual drink on the Sunday morning- the day of the demolition. They were eventually coaxed out of the bar by a security guard. It was demolished to make way for Campbelltown Mall.

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Jack Crawford

Jack Crawford was a famous Australian tennis player from the 1930s. He is perhaps remembered best for almost winning the grand slam in 1933. He lost the US Open, the last slam for the year, after tiring in his match against Englishman Fred Perry, which he led by two sets to one. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997. Jack was known to have taken a shot of whiskey between sets if the game was tense. He was Queen Mary's favourite player.

 

Jack Crawford rolling his sleeves down in a match because of the cold (State Library of NSW)

Jack Crawford had connections to Ingleburn. His wife Marjorie Cox, also a tennis player and a State representative, came from Ingleburn. After his heroics in 1933, Jack and Marjorie returned to Australia and, needing time for relaxation after an exhausting schedule, spent some time at Ingleburn with her parents to recover. In early November the following year, Jack played in an exhibition match at the newly opened Ingleburn tennis courts in Memorial Park.

Jack Crawford died on 10 September 1991 and is buried with Marjorie at Denham Court Cemetery.

 

Jack and Marjorie's grave in Denham Court Cemetery

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources: KERR, David

               Old Ingleburn

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

               Vol. 21, No. 1, March 2008

 

Wikipedia

 

Ernest James Walsh - truth is often stranger than fiction!

Who would have thought that a simple request for information about why Ernest Walsh Reserve is so named, would take me down a rabbit hole of the fascinating history of a number of people with somewhat colourful pasts.
Ernest James Walsh was a well-known radio identity from the 1930s who broadcast from several radio stations including 2CH and 2UE and did voiceover work for Movietone. He married his first wife Kathleen in 1931, but married life did not suit Ernest. In 1936 he was put in charge of the evening radio session on 2UE and was a keen sailor on weekends, keeping him away from home for long periods.  The marriage was rocky, and eventually Kathleen took Ernest to court in 1938 on the grounds of desertion and a decree was given in 1939. Ernest was said to have claimed “he preferred the single life”.
Meanwhile, Robert Hudson, a timber merchant, and his wife Trixeena, had two daughters, Frances Verdie, and Trixeena Bertine. The family had homes in both Randwick and Leumeah, both named “Kumbogan”.  Frances was tragically killed in a car accident at age 20, leaving Trixeena the only remaining child. She would become the second wife of Ernest Walsh. They became engaged in August 1941, and married in September the same year. Trixeena and Ernest had two daughters, Verdie in 1943 and Ernestine in 1946. Ernest gave up the radio business and went into sales, before starting his own pottery firm – “Rochefort Pottery”, which became highly successful.

Robert Hudson was a keen racing man, and was the owner of the brilliant racehorse Lordly. Lordly had been purchased at the 1947 yearling sales by Robert for 190 pounds. He was trained by George Johnson, who, in 1948, after another of his horses returned a positive drug swab, was banned for life from racing by the A.J.C.  Upon hearing this news, Robert, who had a heart condition, had a heart attack and dropped dead at his property “Kumbogan”  in Leumeah. Lordly had won the Randwick Novice Handicap the previous week and continued to race under the syndicate of Mrs T. Hudson, and Trixeena and Ernest Walsh. He went on to win the Encourage Handicap a month after Robert Hudson’s death, and the Homebush Handicap another month later.

Lordly was retired to the newly formed “Kumbogan Stud” in Leumeah in 1953, managed by Ernest Walsh. However, trouble was brewing on the home front again for Ernest, and he and his wife Trixeena divorced. She remarried in 1957 to Gerrit Stel. It would appear that Ernest stayed on in Campbelltown, whilst Trixeena lived the life of a socialite. She divorced Stel in 1962.
Meanwhile, Ernest married Mary Ridgeway in 1961 in Campbelltown, with whom he would remain until her death in 1987. They lived on a property called “Wal-Park” and the family home stands on the corner of Leumeah Road and Parkhill Avenue.
Perhaps the most bizarre part of the tale is the ongoing story of Trixeena. She was named as a co-respondent in the divorce case of Lord and Lady Montagu in 1964 whilst they were living in Australia.  In 1966 she claimed the 27 year old Lord Angus Montagu was the father of her 5 month old baby. She had changed her name by deed poll to Montagu, and engaged a lawyer to represent her. Trixeena moved to London, and left the baby in a pram, with a note to Lord Angus, in trendy Quaglino's restaurant. She also claimed that Lord Angus owed her some money. A court ordered blood tests to prove paternity, which ultimately showed that Lord Angus was not the father of the child. Despite utterly denying that he was father, rumours were that no-one was more surprised than he when it turned out that he was not. Trixeena reverted to her middle and maiden name, and died as Bertine Hudson in 2002 in Queensland.
Ernest, on the other hand, became a well known and respected resident of Leumeah, and after his death in April 1992 his family requested that Parkhill Reserve, which had formed part of the Walsh property, was renamed  “Ernest James Walsh Reserve”.  This was granted by council in July 1992.


Written by Claire Lynch
Sources
Trove
Ryerson Index
CCC minutes

A Popular Young Man

In the library's recent cemetery tours, we looked at the tragic death of William Saunders. William's headstone had been flattened by vandals, so it was decided by some enthusiastic locals to get the stone standing upright once more. Led by local history devotee Learna Coupe and with the approval of St Peters Church, William's headstone was raised in recent weeks.

In May 1881, a contract was given for the construction of the tramway line between Camden and Campbelltown, to be completed by January 1882 for a cost of just under 13500 pounds. Generally the line followed the contours of the ground, with one exception- Kenny Hill, where a deep summit cutting was necessary. In August 1881, it was reported that "thousands of tons of stones have been removed" from the Kenny Hill cutting. This part of the construction was responsible for about half of the cost of the line.

The workers lived in a tent village, and among these workers was William Saunders. Young William, aged 18, died in an accident at the "Kenny Hill Quarry" on 16 February 1882. An inquest was held into his death on February 17th, and the cause noted as "death from a blast". William's estate was valued at two pounds. No parents or other family are noted in either his death or burial record, although it was recorded that William was born in Wales, and was a stonemason, hence his work at the quarry. William was buried at St Peters, with a memorial headstone raised by his co-workers. This indicated that William must have been a popular young man.

The tramway opened on 10 March 1882, just 22 days after the accident.

Written by Andrew Allen

When Harry met Mary

Joseph Hickey was from County Kildare in Ireland. He came to Australia in 1856 with his second wife Maria, and three children from his first marriage. After working in Liverpool as a butcher for a few years he moved to Menangle and opened a butchery business, which became a general store. Joseph had eleven more children, one of whom was Henry Joseph, who was known as Harry. As a young man, Harry assisted his parents with the storekeeping business at Menangle established by his father. After the death of his parents, the business carried on under the name Hickey Brothers.
In 1902, the building of the Cataract Dam at Appin began, the oldest dam of Sydney's water supply system. At the time it was the biggest engineering project in Australia. Harry established a business taking goods by horse and dray to the Cataract Dam site, where "Cataract City" was established for workers on the dam. The newspaper reported that at Cataract Dam "Mr Hickey, Menangle, has a large and capacious store built of wood, where every necessity may be obtained".


The main street of "Cataract City", (photo - Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society) Note the general store on the right.

Miss Mary May Carroll was born at Borenore, a small town near Orange, and educated at the Convent of Mercy at Carcoar. An exceptional student in all areas, Mary (who was known as May) was an excellent horsewoman, seamstress and musician. In her early twenties May travelled to Cataract Dam to care for her three brothers who were working on the construction. Whilst there she started up a school to teach children that lived in "Cataract City". It was here she met Harry Hickey.
After completion of the Cataract Dam in 1907, the Carroll brothers and their sister May moved onto the construction site of the Barren Jack Dam, now known as Burrinjuck. Harry Hickey opened a store there. Love flourished in the temporary cities created at the construction sites of the Cataract and Burrinjuck dams, and Harry Hickey and Mary Carroll married in 1911.

Wedding of Harry Hickey and May Carroll 1911.
(courtesy 'The Descendants of Timothy and Ellen Carroll' compiled by Judy Rayment)

They had two daughters and a son and lived in Appin and Menangle while Harry continued to work in the family business. Even after moving to Parramatta, Harry worked in Appin and Menangle until 1928, only coming home on weekends. Harry died in 1939 at the age of 68, and May in 1960. They are buried together at Rookwood Cemetery.

The headstone of Harry and May at Rookwood.

Written by Claire Lynch


Sources
"The descendants of Timothy and Ellen Carroll" compiled by Judy Rayment
Trove

Bow Bowing Creek

Back in the days before the public swimming pool at Bradbury was constructed, or Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre as it is now known, most people either swam at The Woolwash or in the Nepean River at Menangle. There was however, another swimming hole that provided relief on a stinking hot Campbelltown day: Bow Bowing Creek.

Bow Bowing Creek's headwaters are found in Glen Alpine and the creek runs permanently, thanks to a natural freshwater spring. Fisher's Ghost Creek and Smith's Creek are two of its tributaries. It would once meander past the township on the western side of the railway line and be prone to flooding at Leumeah and Minto after heavy rain. The original course has altered greatly since a concrete channel was constructed in 1979. The channel cost $198,000 to build and was built to provide reasonable flood protection and to enable projected sales of council land adjacent to Campbelltown Road to proceed.

Many years ago, children from the southern end of Campbelltown would swim in Bow Bowing Creek in a hole known as "the Wattles". Kids from the north would swim in a hole known as the "Leg-o-Mutton". Alf Cooper, who lived most of his long life in Campbelltown, explained "When we came out of school we'd shout "Last to the Wattles is lousy". Across the public school we'd start undressing and by the time we ran down Sewer Lane (today's western end of Dumaresq Street) we'd be naked. The Wattles was a bonzer spot and I was a coot for diving."

It is difficult to imagine that fish were once caught in the creek! A fish called a gudgeon could be found in the creek, which grew to 20-25cms, had very little scale and was quite edible. It became extinct a very long time ago.

Old bridge on Redfern Road, Minto being flooded by Bow Bowing Creek (Jones Collection, Campbelltown City Library)

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

McGILL, Jeff 1995
Campbelltown's Streets and Suburbs: How and why they got their names
Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

Campbelltown- Ingleburn News, 22 May 1979, p18

FOWLER, Verlie
Reminiscences of Alf Cooper
In Grist Mills Vol. 10, No. 4, December 1997

FOWLER, Verlie
Mervyn and Kathleen Whitten: Living on the Farm
In Grist Mills Vol. 21, No. 2, July 2008

Memories of East Minto Public School

by special guest blogger

Laurie Stroud

East Minto Public School opened in September 1898 in Hansens Road, East Minto. The two classroom school served children who lived within a 3 mile (5 kilometre) radius. The solid brick building had a verandah in front with one end enclosed and a store room at the other. The building was painted in “public school brown”.

On the end wall of the main classroom were two blackboards, each had two sections which could be raised or lowered. In effect this gave the teacher four blackboards which was quite helpful, given he had at least three classes to teach. To one side of the blackboards was a large piece of cardboard on which the multiplication tables were printed. (Leaning multiplication by rote was somewhat distracting for the other pupils but we all had to learn this way and just accepted it.) There was also a fireplace but it was seldom (if ever) used. The pupils sat at bench type desks with holes where inkwells could be placed.

East Minto Public School in 1920.

There were two tanks at one end of the building where the kids could have a drink. The square tank shown in the above photo was replaced by a corrugated iron tank to match the other. (The square tank was moved to the side fence and placed on its side to become the incinerator where rubbish was burned.) Sufficient rain water was collected from the school roof to ensure the tanks never ran dry.

The school grounds occupied about two acres with the bottom half of the site mostly bushland, including many large trees. There were three outside toilets – one for the boys, one for the girls and one for the teachers. The section between the front of the school and the main gate was covered with asphalt. This was where assembly was held at the commencement of each school day. It also boasted a flagpole – complete with flag on important occasions.

The immediate area around the school was cleared (no grass) to facilitate access and provide an area to play games during the lunch break. Sometimes there was a cricket match but the surface was rough. A bat or a proper cricket ball was seldom available. This meant that rounders became the favoured game. Rounders was played using an old tennis ball. Also it was relatively easy to fashion a baseball type bat from a sapling or a tree branch. The kids soon worked out that the longer the bat, the further they could hit the ball. However this advantage had to be balanced by the increased difficulty in actually hitting the ball. The “happy medium” was a bat just over one metre in length.

Playing rounders was not without some risks, particularly for the kid assigned to the outfield during  spring. Each year a pair of magpies would build a nest in one of the large ironbark trees towards the back of the school yard, adjacent to the side fence. The maggies considered any intrusion into their territory had to be strongly resisted. If the batsman succeeded in connecting with the ball it would invariably land in disputed territory and the person fielding the ball would be swooped repeatedly until he retreated – with or without the ball.

One year it was decided that we should not continue to be the subject to the indignity of these unwanted attacks. It was decided that force should be met with force. On the appointed day an arsenal consisting of bows and arrows, catapults, stones and acorn flicks was assembled. One kid who possessed a pith helmet hat was designated as the “lure”. When he ventured into magpie territory and was swooped, the kids responded with a barrage of stones, arrows and acorns. This only proved to be a temporary success. The wonder was that the “lure” escaped unharmed as accuracy was not a prerequisite for participation.

One of the positives of schooling in those days was the free provision by the Education Department of slates and crayons for the younger pupils, while the older ones were provided with exercise books, pens, ink and pencils. Any “extras” such as text books and sporting equipment had to be purchased by the Parents and Citizens Association (known simply as “the P&C”). Homework was unknown.

East Minto was initially a one-teacher school. The school's first teacher was Cecil George Browning Sutton. He remained at East Minto Public until he retired in 1921 and remained in the district as an active community member until his death in 1951. The altar at St James Minto is dedicated to him.

In the 1930s the teachers were Mr Edwards and Miss Frost. The next teacher was Percy Kable who also taught at Campbelltown Public School. He was followed by Mr Haines or Pop Haines as he was known. The school's numbers remained high during this time and at one stage there were two teachers. A Miss Henderson taught years 1-2 while Mr Haines took 3-6. He was regarded fondly by his pupils.
A former pupil by the name of Keith Longhurst remembered him playing cricket and rounders with the children at lunch time. Keith described his days at East Minto further: "We were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. And I don't mean maybe- we WERE taught. The only thing that spoilt my school life, if any, was that I was shifted from 2nd class to 4th class in one jump and it was a long hop and of course I missed my tables that you had to learn in 3rd class".

East Public School 1934, present Mr Edwards and Miss Frost.

(Denison Collection .Campbelltown City Library)

Names such as Etchells, Denison, Longhurst, Porter, Johnson and Hansen being prominent among the pupils.  Other names including Benjamin, Bentley, Goodwin, Hatfield, Leech, Mitcherson, Moore, Pickett, Stroud, Walters and Worrall also come to mind.

Another former pupil, Laurie Stroud from Kentlyn, enrolled at East Minto School at the beginning of the 1939 school year. It was about one kilometre further to walk each day compared to Kentlyn School but East Minto had two teachers at the time. This indicated a better learning environment. It was still a long walk for a bare footed five year so on some days his Dad would take him to school on the back of his bike. At this time Mr Haines was the headmaster. He was assisted by Miss Miles who taught the younger pupils.

Laurie recalls one winter’s day in 1941 when the school dentist arrived – unannounced. One by one the kids had their teeth checked. “For some unknown reason I had several of my first teeth removed. I had no indication of a problem other than a couple were a bit loose.  After the extractions the dentist said, ‘You can now go home, son’. I took the short cut which was in a direct line to my home through the bush; about a two kilometre walk. It started to rain before I reached home. I can still recall the shocked look on my Mother’s face when this wet bedraggled kid with blood trickling out the corners of his mouth arrived unexpectedly at the back door. Fortunately I suffered no serious aftereffects and went back to school the next day.”

Parents and students at East Minto. Mr Haines is at the rear. (Circa 1942)

Following the attack on Sydney Harbour by Japanese midget submarines in 1942, the Education Department decided that schools should be prepared in the event of air raids. The order went out that a slit (Z shaped) trench should be dug where the students could seek shelter should an air raid eventuate. In response to this request a number of fathers, complete with picks and shovels, gathered one weekend to excavate a trench. The ground was hard and progress was slow until Alf Longhurst arrived with his draft horse and scoop. The work was then soon completed. Fortunately the trench was never used for its intended purpose. However the boys quickly made use of this newfound play area to fight their own make-believe wars. When it rained the trench filled with water. Soon the walls collapsed and it had to be filled in. So much for that brilliant idea.

The P&C was quite active raising funds for the school, usually through raffles (3 pence a ticket or 5 for a shilling). The main expense was the purchase of books to be given to the pupils as prizes at the end of the year. Occasionally the level achieved in the class at the end of the year was noted for the senior students but most books simply contained a presentation sticker signed by the headmaster with a notation that the prize was awarded for “general proficiency”. This sounded impressive and must have pleased many parents. One weekend the P&C hired a bus and took all the kids to the beach at Thirroul on the south coast. This was a novel experience for many and greatly appreciated by all.
After the retirement of Mr Haines there was a succession of temporary teachers and the quality of education suffered. It was not unusual for a temporary teacher to fail to arrive and the kids had the day off. Falling numbers of pupils saw East Minto become a one teacher school. In 1943 a “permanent” teacher was allocated to the school. His name was Samuel Cook (affectionately referred to by his wife as “Cappy”, no doubt due to his surname). Initially he was unable to obtain temporary accommodation in the area so he and his wife plus two daughters lived in one of the classrooms for several weeks. This was a rather tough introduction to his new posting, particularly as the school did not have a kitchen or a bathroom.

Mr & Mrs Cook with most of the pupils. (Circa 1944)

Mr Cook proved to be an excellent teacher and he increased the academic standard and motivation of the students considerably. Instead of pupils automatically going to Liverpool Junior High at the end of sixth class to complete their schooling, his tuition and dedication enabled several pupils to pass the exam necessary to gain admission to the selective high school at Parramatta where they were able to attain the leaving certificate at the end of fifth year. Some achieved a sufficiently high standard at the special exam to be awarded a bursary to Parramatta High School. (A bursary was means tested but virtually all the parents of the pupils had no difficulty in coming in under the financial threshold.)
It is worth noting that despite the general poverty (by today’s standards) of the district, a number of students went on to become successful in their careers. These included a TV news reader, an entrepreneur (now a multimillionaire), a lawyer and a senior public servant.

On October 2, 1947 the school was destroyed by fire. It started in the early morning and destroyed everything except a store-room. Some suspected arson and others thought the fire may have started as a result of an electrical fault.

East Minto Public School after the fire that destroyed it in 1947.

(Rear)

Following the fire, existing pupils were temporarily re-located to the large open verandah on the house next door owned by Mr Jim Angus. This became their new classroom until other arrangements could be made. However as the population of East Minto catchment area had decreased after World War 2, it was decided not to rebuild. Students were then bussed to nearby schools and eventually they would attend a new school at Minto.