Glenalvon Historic Museum Campbelltown
Glenalvon is a fine townhouse dating back to the the 1840s. It is now occupied by the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society who open the house regularly to visitors. Inside the museum you will learn about the domestic and social history of the Campbelltown area through photos and artfacts in this beautiful Georgian townhouse, built by Michael Byrne in 1840, and his original 1831 cottage.
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Campbelltown on Show
Welcome to the City of Campbelltown - the capital of the Macarthur region. Located just 50 minutes from the Sydney CBD and within easy reach of major road and rail links to the Southern Highlands, Canberra, the Blue Mountains and the south coast beaches, Campbelltown offers a unique combination of city opportunities in a natural setting to its 150,000 residents. If you live in the area, are visiting, or simply planning a trip, there's plenty to see and do. Enjoy our clip highlighting some of the attractions and services available across the city. Our presenter is Jarred Morley. Visit campbelltown.nsw.gov.au to find out more about what's on offer in Campbelltown.
Campbelltown - Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
A recording of festivities in 1968, when Campbelltown became a city and the first electric train pulled into the station. Photos are from the Campbelltown City Library photographic database:
Macarthur Heritage Trail
Explore the Macarthur Grapevine and check out some of the regions historic properties.
Rich in history and character, Macarthur was the birthplace of Australia’s wool, wine and wheat industries. Today, these links with the history of colonial settlement are reflected in the large number of heritage listed buildings that are still scattered throughout the region. The Macarthur Grapevine Heritage Trail gives you a chance to visit and explore some of these early properties.
Macarthur is named after renowned pioneers, John and Elizabeth Macarthur, who were granted 5,000 acres in the Cowpastures area in 1805 to develop Australia’s merino wool empire. Macarthur named the estate ‘Camden Park’. Since the beginning, Camden Park has been part of the core of Australian history. Governor Bligh’s resistance to allowing Macarthur to keep his land on the Cowpastures, and his contempt for the sheep industry, were factors that brought Macarthur actively into the rebellion against the Governor in 1808.
Take a look through the list on the right hand side of the page to discover the locations on the Macarthur Grapevine Heritage Trail, and start exploring today.
Life in Campbelltown in 2001
Use for any purpose requires written permission from the Campbelltown City Council and the State Library of South Australia.
Published by the Campbelltown City Council, 2001. Writer & director, Cole Larsen ; cinematographer, Ronald Bollman ; production coordinator, Robert Habel ; sound recordist, sound & picture editor, Karl Larsen.
This is a segment of a video produced by Campbelltown City Council as part of the commemoration of Australia's Centenary of Federation in 2001. The video was distributed free to all households in the district.
For more information about this film see
The Library has endeavoured to identify and contact all copyright holders for this material. The Library invites people who believe they are further copyright holders to contact Library staff to discuss usage of this item.
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A transcript of the film has been posted here as captions cannot be added correctly.
The migrant monument is a symbol of the diverse and rich cultural makeup of Campbelltown, and is a true representation of todays multicultural Australian society.
Migrants have played a major role in the development of the Campbelltown area, with significant contributions to business, cultural and religious activity, education and urban planning.
My name is John. My name is Giovanni in fact. I'm right here at this migrant monument. At this Glynde corner, because at Glynde corner where a lot of people years ago used to meet. Then from here they used to gain work in farms, in gardens and so on.
My name is Reb Jordana. I'm the architect for the migrant monument here at Campbelltown. Basically the monument, the design we have a circular pathway, which is 20 metres diameter, which represents the world. The actual monument has four doors, four entrances, to represent the four corners of the world.
Today, the multicultural mix of the community continues to grow, with nationalities from South Africa to China and beyond.
We've got one friend here, a friend of the family, right Johnson. My eldest daughter Erica, my wife Sonia, Kerry sitting in the corner, and Clare who's not eating tonight because she's going dancing. We came from Johannseburg about two years ago. First to Brisbane, then when I got a job, we settled in Adelaide in January of last year.
This is my wife... This is my two years and eight months old daughter, Natalie. Say hallo. My name is Rali. I migrated here from China, my wife migrated from Malaysia. We came here, got married, and pretty much here we are. I'm working with an internet company called Asia Online and my job mainly involves the technical area.
I'm a medical social worker and I work at the Flinders Medical Centre.
In a community as diverse as Campbelltown, religion plays a major role, as reflected by the many religious denominations operating in the area.
I'm... I'm the secretary of the Parish of St Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Orthodox church in Athelstone. You might be wondering, what's a Chinese man doing as the secretary of the Greek church. Well, fortunately I'm married to a Greek and as a result I'm an orthodox and all my family are orthodox.
Each year the Italian Catholic Community in Campbelltown host the Montevergine Festival, one of the largest religious festivals in Australia. More than 5000 people take part in church services at the Church of the Annunciation at Hectorville and then march in procession to the St Francis of Assisi church at Newton for a giant mass.
North Parramatta Government Precinct (Fleet Street Heritage Area)
Captions:
Bethel was built c1862 and sits on the southern most extent of the precinct, just north of Parramatta Stadium. She is as pretty as a dollhouse and 'appears' to be in stunning condition.
Nearby is the entrance to the main dormitory of the Roman Catholic Orphanage. The Georgian Palladian core of this building was constructed in 1842 and the Victorian Gothic wings added later
A long L-shaped 2-story wing was added to the main dormitory c1850 to provide additional accommodation for the Orphanage. Today, the site is under the control of the Department of Corrections and is known as the Norma Parker Centre
Sadly, this architectural asset was severely damaged by an electrical fire on Dec 22, 2012. While responding fire fighters did a wonderful job preventing the fire spreading beyond the upper floor or main chimney stack, it remains unprotected and it's future is unknown
Immediately north is the former Female Factory, later known as the Asylum for Lunatics and Invalids. The oldest remaining structure in this group of buildings was designed by Francis Greenway and dates back to 1818
Structures commissioned by governors including Macquarie, Brisbane and Gipps, designed by architects including Greenway, Barnet and Vernon and built using convict labour mass this important space. Today it serve as an area for waste storage and ad hoc parking
Designed by James Barnet and built between 1883-1885, the Clocktower and Institute of Psychiatry Building were constructed using the stones and clock of the original Female Factory. The clock, 1 of 5 gifted to the colony by King George IV in 1822, no longer chimes
It's environs have gradually been eroded by unsympathetic adaptive reuse and little consideration has been given to maintaining a suitable curtilage around this and other important structures
and while counsellors and politicians hold out for a cost neutral solution in terms of asset management these incredibly valuable heritage assets, which we have a responsibility to protect, remain in a state of demolition by neglect
Like the Old Kitchen Block with it's glazed and vented lanterns and beautiful square chimney stack, designed by Walter Liberty Vernon in 1892 not long after his appointment to the position of Government Architect
Or the Main Administration Block that was designed by Vernon much later in his career as Government Architect in 1909, by which time he had become a master at executing the various disciplines of Federation architecture
This excellence in architecture is evident throughout the entire precinct. The former Nurses Administration Building which was also built in 1909 features a grand portico addressing the riverbank and is another fine example of the Arts & Crafts movement
The Old Laundry & Workshop was constructed c1890 and sits on the northern end of the precinct (also under the control of the Department of Corrections). Each of the tiny window panes on it's western facing elevation were once a kaleidoscope of colour
Viewed from the east, it is clear to see that the Laundry & Workshop has served many different uses and has been altered many times in the past 12 decades. Properly interpreted, it no doubt possesses an interesting narrative
Key plantings from the extensive formal gardens that once graced the site still remain where not in conflict with current uses, like the ever expanding need for parking. Many are pushing north of a century and some, introduced under the direction of Charles Moore, are over 150 years old
There are even archaeological gems hidden in the creek bed amongst the weeds and rubbish, with hints of structures past able to be found by the keen observer. Such as this interesting piece which appears to be the foundations of timber walled dam
It seems reasonable to assume that this is the remnants of a storage pond that once fed the mill which knew no Sabbath. The mill was constructed by Rev Samuel Marsden on the site c1812 and was so picturesque as to be the subject of a painting by Joseph Lycett
This area of immense historical and cultural importance situated on the nucleation point of a nation and at the geographic heart of it's most populous city, even boasts evidence of it's original inhabitants, members of the Burramattagal clan of the Darug people
REFERENCES
OPENING AERIAL IMAGE
Bing Maps
INFO ON HERITAGE STRUCTURES
Fleet St Heritage Area Archaeological Management Plan by Edward Higginbothom
Hidden Heritage by Terry Smith
parragirls.org.au by Bonnie Djuric
INFO ON MARDEN'S MILL
Wind & Water Mills in Old Parramatta by Olga Tatrai
Hidden Heritage by Terry Smith
PHOTOGRAPHS, CAPTIONS & VIDEO PRODUCTION
Shot on the morning of Sunday the 23rd of December, 2012
using Nikon D300 and produced on iPad using iMovie
CLOSING AERIAL IMAGE
Sydney 1943 Photo Map - Land & Property Information
A division of the NSW Department of Finance & Services
SOUNDTRACK
Great Southern Land - Icehouse 1982