CAHS Inc Stop Press

Varroville - or Heritage Lost?

The historic buildings known as Varroville are cradled by the Scenic Hills. The whole area, with the exception of the 8 acre lot surrounding the main Varroville homestead, is under imminent threat of becoming an Industrial Estate. This threat has come about following the recent purchase of the other Varroville land lots by the development company, the Cornish Group.

The issue is not that the private owners of the main Varroville house will lose their view. The issue is that we, the people of Campbelltowm in particular and New South Wales in general, will lose a large part of our environmental and agricultural heritage forever.

If we look at the various aspects of the Varroville estate we can see its significance and exactly how much we as a community are likely to lose.

The original 1000 acre Varroville grant was made in 1810 to Dr Robert Townson where the headwaters of the Bunbury Curran Creek meet the crossroad from Campbelltown Road to Cowpastures Road. On his farm, Dr Townson raised sheep and cattle and established a vineyard - the terraces of which are still visible. The vineyards at Varroville played an important role in the development of the colonial wine industry.

The main house and garden, circa 1859, are privately owned and stand on an 8 acre lot. Earlier buildings, including a cottage and barn stand on a separate lot. The main Varroville house is Heritage protected but the early "outbuildings" are not protected at all.

A succession of owners includes the prominent colonist and explorer, Charles Sturt, who dug several dams on the property. These dams remain.

The spectacular Bunbury Curran Hill was climbed by Governor and Mrs Macquarie and was mooted by the late Alderman Guy Marsden as a potential attraction as impressive as the Blue Mountains.

In April 1972, the area we know as the Scenic Hills came under the Campbelltown Local Environmental Plan - District 8 (Central Hills Lands). The aims and objectives of the Plan was "... to ensure that the Central Hills Lands District... retains the rural character that was envisaged for it during the planning that preceded the urbanisation of that city". (Part 1:2)

The Scenic Hills was to be a green buffer zone for Campbelltown preserving an area of outstanding significance.

In spite of the Environmental Plan, it appears that the State Government takes control of any development worth over $20 million. Local opinion and control is therefore legally disregarded.

According to media reports the Cornish Group has an "arrangement" with neighbouring businesses, Sweeneys and the Scenic Hills Riding Ranch, effectively giving the Cornish Group access to the majority of the Scenic Hills.

This is another local development which will rob us of the open green belt which we thought was protected, and clog our roads and infrastructure; this added to Oran Park and Smeaton will make a high price that we will pay for "progress".

What can you do?? Write to your local Member of Parliament, Campbelltown Council, the local papers, talk about the issue with your neighbours and make yourself heard.

Formal Objection To Amendment Of Lot 2 DP607229

The Committee and Membership of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society Inc. (CAHS) are directly affected by the proposed amendment to the Development Application as we have a Memorandum of Understanding with Campbelltown City Council over the adjoining historically significant property, Glenalvon. Membership of the CAHS is approximately 150 at this time.

For the full submission please click this link.

Tom Reeve

'Gowrie' the lovely farm of Stan and Margaret Reeve at Kenny Hill, was chosen by Tom Reeve, their son, to launch his recent book on his great, great grandfather. Members of the scattered descendants gathered in the home of Rob & Lorna Reeve who run the last dairy farm in Campbelltown.

The book, entitled 'St. Ives to Sydney' tells the story of Thomas Parker Reeve, who migrated to Australia with his wife Lydia and their two small boys in 1853. 'T.P.' Reeve, as he became known, set up a successful ironmongery (hardware) business in George Street, Sydney. An earnest Christian, he supported many ventures such as the early Sydney City Mission, the Ragged Schools and various ministries of the Wesleyan-Methodist church. He lived sixty years in Sydney and Stanmore before his death in 1913.

The book has a chapter devoted to each of his eight children. It was his fifth child and third son, Thomas Henry, known as 'Harry' or 'T.H', who married Elizabeth Milgate at Eshcol Park in 1878 and who in 1897 commissioned the building in Campbelltown which became known as Reeves Emporium. This was run by his son Harold up until the 1940's.

In launching his book, Tom Reeve told of his research which had taken him to many parts of Australia to meet with relatives, and to England - Norwich and St Ives in East Anglia, from where the family originated.

Tom paid tribute to his parents, his many relatives who had made information readily available, and to his brothers Jim, Robert, Sam and Hank who were all present. He also thanked his children, Peter who helped with the photography, Hannah who typed his manuscript, and Lydia who did extra household duties during the production stages of the book.

A continuing theme running through the book is the Reeve family's connection to various protestant churches. Said Tom, the story highlighted the Christian heritage of the family and it exemplified the precept, 'Faith in God, Faith in Action'.

The 144 page book, with over 100 photographs, is available from Tom Reeve at 'Hurleyview', P.O. Box 53, Campbelltown, 2560 at a cost of $28 plus postage of $6.50. The following link is a photograph of Tom presenting his parents Stan and Margaret Reeve with a copy of the book.

Saddler's Shop

We acknowledge and thank, Gwen Scriven and the Rev. Ralph Short, both descendants of David Hugh Barker (1838-1899), for donations of photographs and documents relating to Campbelltown in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

D.H. Barker was a Saddler, Alderman for sixteen years and Mayor of Campbelltown for three years. His saddler's shop was on the western side of Queen Street, a short distance to the north of Dumaresq Street. We are especially delighted to have received photos of D. H. Barkers Saddlery and Campbelltown's first fire station (adjoining the then Town Hall) which was opened by Mr Barker in 1891 when he was Mayor.

Glenalvon

Glenalvon is one of the finest Georgian Town Houses in New South Wales, situated in Lithgow Street, between Queen Street and Moore-Oxley Bypass. Our Society's Museum is housed in this beautiful property.

We are grateful to those people who have kindly loaned items of furniture for exhibition. Many of our collection items are on display in the house and servants' quarters.

An important collection of items from our farming history are currently on display in The Stables Museum and the Alex Goodsell Rural Exhibition at the rear of the property.

Campbelltown Sport & Recreation of Yesteryear

Tennis, golf, cricket, rugby league and athletics - these were some of the sport activities included in a slideshow of old photographs presented at Glenalvon Stables Museum on Saturday 1 July. Programs and tickets from sporting events had been lent by Bev Harrison from the Gore collection. For example, we noted the Local Rules of Campbelltown Golf Club when it was sited on the corner of Camden and Menangle Roads in the 1930s. The land was still owned by Mrs Flitcroft and used for grazing her dairy cattle but the golf greens were fenced off.

Some examples of rules applying were:

"Ball lying in cattle tracks on 1st Fairway may be lifted and dropped without penalty."

"Balls lying on or interfered with by manure may be lifted and dropped without penalty."

Those were the days!

If future visitors to the Glenalvon Stables Museum would like to see this fascinating slideshow, they are welcome to make a request. This is just one of a number of special slideshows now available on the society's iMac computer.

Campbelltown's Oar Factory

Feedback regarding our website is always welcome. John Fenwick has read our article about the oar factory and responded with the following.

'After reading the story on the web page about my good friends Brian and Jenny Favelle and the oar factory, I thought that you might be interested in the front page of The Manning River Times from 31 January 2006. Brian was a senior member of the Campbelltown Volunteer Fire Brigade when I joined in 1966. Because of my occupation as a milko and the fact that I had most of the day to myself, Brian encouraged me to do some casual work for him at the oar factory. That was the start of a relationship that lasted for ten years until Brian sold the premises to Rod Lawrence Ford.'

'I have many fond memories of the years spent helping Brian and Jenny making boat oars (sculls) and packing cases for Crompton Parkinsons Electrical switch gear, and also driving one of his tractors doing contract slashing.'

'Campbelltown will never be able to repay Brian for his dedication to his commitment to the NSW Volunteer Fire Brigade. It was fitting that he was awarded The Australian Fire Service Medal in hit year's Australia Day Honours.'

Never Throw Anything Away: The Story of Sydney Pearson Smith

One of our members, Diana (Dana) Vale, produced this book as a tribute to her late father. Members of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society will recall Syd as the quintessential well-spoken perfect English gentleman who was a delight to greet at our meetings when he accompanied Dana (in the 1980s).

This is an unusual book, as Dana has drawn on a large collection of documents to present Syd's life in great detail. Soon after he was born in 1909, Syd's parents moved to Bottesford. In Dana's words: "Bottesford. Halcyon days. Any mention of Bottesford to Sydney Pearson elicited a serene, peaceful, sometimes far-away look, and a chain of happy reminiscences."

Dana was born in 1944 and soon afterwards the Smith family moved to Coalville. Later they moved to Newtown Linford and it was here that in 1965 Dana married civil engineer David Vale and eventually made their way to Australia, staying at East Hills Migrant Hostel. It was at this time that Dana visited Liverpool Library.

"The saga of our attempts to join Liverpool Library amused my father, an avid reader. Though accepted as immigrants planning to live permanently in Australia, the library consigned migrant hostel dwellers into the 'having no fixed address' category, ergo, would not grant us membership."

Syd holidayed in Australia in 1975, noting in his diary a few impressions of life in Bradbury so that he could recount his trip when he returned home: "Campbelltown 19 Doctors…. All shops wide overhangs, wide pavements… classless… average winter like Durham summer… road sign "Stop, you are going the wrong way" (this greatly amused him)… no TV licence, armed police, cicadas heard at night…

Eventually, in 1980, Sydney Pearson Smith left England forever and settled in Bradbury with Dana and David.

This book was published in 2000, has 281 pages and includes black and white photographs. It is available from Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society.

Soldiers Settlement Museum

The Soldiers Settlement Museum is located at Campbelltown East Public School, Waminda Avenue, Campbelltown, 2560

The museum is open on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month during school term from 8.30 - 10 am. Open Days including Anzac and Remembrance Day are advertised. Special openings can be arranged via appointment. Please phone (02) 46462022 for more details.

Tellicherry Bicentenary

On 12 February 2006, over 100 descendants of those who arrived on the convict transport Tellicherry two hundred years ago gathered in Campbelltown. Most were descendants of Hugh 'Vesty' Byrne and the other four Wicklow rebels, Michael Dwyer, Martin Burke, John Mernagh and Arthur Devlin, who were exiled to New South Wales after the 1798 uprising in Ireland.

After meeting at Campbelltown Catholic Club, visitors inspected Glenalvon (built by Michael Byrne, son of Hugh Byrne) and old St John the Evangelist Church and the adjoining Catholic cemetery. They also visited Quondong (the old St Patrick's Schoolhouse) where children of Michael Byrne received their schooling.

Members of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society were pleased to host this visit on such an important occasion. The event made page 1 in the Macarthur Advertiser, when Tom Killen was photographed in Glenalvon House.

The society thanks Kevin Rixon, who arranged for old St John Church to be open on the day and showed visitors where many family graves are to be found. We also thank Campbelltown Council who arranged for a security person to open Glenalvon House on the day. We conducted a number of guided tours of Glenalvon on the day. Organisers of the event were Jennifer Killen and Ann Prendergast. Campbelltown Catholic Club proved to be an excellent venue for the initial meeting of visitors.

Photographs taken on the day can be seen on our "Memories" link.

Donation of slate by James Summers

James (Jim) Summers was a cub when he was about six years old. Mrs Hilda Davidson was cub mistress then and the cubs used to meet at Glenalvon, where Mrs Davidson taught the boys good manners and other useful things. Jim later became a scout and then a rover.

Mrs Davidson was an excellent golfer. She used to practise golf in the park now known as Hurley Park. One day, while practising golf there, she twisted her ankle badly, injuring it, and the young boys (Jim included) had to rush into town to get help. Dr K. O. Jones attended her.

Jim attended Campbelltown Public School, where he used a slate. He recently donated the slate to Glenalvon Stables Museum. It has straight lines etched into it as a guide for lettering. One of his teachers was Miss Dennett, who was very strict and liked to use the cane.

Jim used to swim in both the reservoir and the cattle tank adjoining Hurley Park. He recalls there were large fish and eels in the cattle tank. Sometimes the reservoir and cattle tank dried out completely, but after rain the fish and eels always returned.

Jim used to help Fred Lower to load up his utility and take ice creams and lollies out to his stall at the Woolwash. At the end of the day, Jim would help load up again. In return, Jim got a lift out to the river.

Donation of Harrow

Allan Duncan of Kentlyn has donated section of a harrow that was used by his father on the family orchard at East Campbelltown. The Duncan family lived in a stone cottage. The entrance to their orchard was off Georges River Road near Deans Road.

Allan's father was Charles Stanislaus Duncan who was one of the first gangers employed by Campbelltown Municipal Council and worked under Charlie Asher.

The harrow was horse-drawn and Allan recalls seeing it used by his father in about 1929 or 1930, when he was 5 or 6 years old. (Charles died when Allan was 7 years old.)

The Duncan orchard grew mainly peaches but also produced pears, oranges, figs and apples. One variety of apple was the Trivet. Lucerne and oats were also cultivated.

Allan attended St John's Primary School. He used to walk through Paddy Barrett's poultry farm on the Soldiers' Settlement (where Campbelltown East Public School is today), up Valley Road, up Allen's Hill (Mr Allen owned St Elmo at the time), across paddocks to school. Along the way they passed Routley's orchard near St Elmo. Routleys had a tennis court and Allen became a keen tennis player.

Wivenhoe

Wivenhoe is a magnificent Colonial villa set in a parklike rural setting at Mater Dei, 229 Macquarie Grove Road, Camden. It is open for guided tours on the first Sunday of each month except January, between 10 am and 3 pm. The cost is $5 for adults and children 12 years and over.

The villa (attributed to architect Verge) was built by Sir Charles Cowper and named after his wife's home in Essex. Some particularly fine specimens of the Bunya Bunya Pine are in the grounds.

Groups are also welcome at other times by arrangement. Morning and afternoon teas by arrangement. Phone 02 4655 7057 or email Wivenhoe@hotkey.net.au

Please note that the entrance gates to Wivenhoe are in Macquarie Grove Road directly opposite the top of Kirkham Lane.