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1900s Our Campbelltown

People

Rose Payten

Rose Payten Drive is named after one of the great sporting personalities of Campbelltown. Rose Payten's remarkable sports career is unparalleled, and she is remembered for both her prowess and good sportsmanship.

Born in 1879 at "Woodbine" at Campbelltown Road Leumeah, Rose Payten was a natural sportswoman, but it was as a tennis player that Rose really shone. At the New South Wales Open Tennis Tournament in 1901 she won the triple crown - singles, mixed doubles, and the women's doubles! It was an unprecedented feat to win all three titles, which Rose would repeat for the next 3 years running. In 1907 she again won the treble at the New South Wales Open, and then announced her retirement from tennis. For seven years she had been unbeaten at singles tennis. Following her retirement Rose took up breeding and training harness ponies, winning major prizes at Agricultural Shows for many years. She also developed a keen interest in golf, and in 1930, 31, 34, 36, 38 and 39 won the Ladies Golf Championship of the Campbelltown Club. Rose died at the age of 71 on the 9th May 1951, at "Woodbine". She is buried in St Peter's Anglican Cemetery.

A black and white potrait of Rose Payten holding a tennis racquet
(Sourced from Macarthur Advertiser)

Fred Moore

Fred Moore was Mayor from 1901 to 1909, and again from 1914 to 1919. Fred Moore brought much needed stability to the Mayorship. He was Mayor from 1901 to 1909, and again from 1914 to 1919. He was 30 when he stood for mayor, and was a man of wealth and social position. Under his leadership roads were improved, finances reined in and the town green upgraded. His popularity and faith in his leadership were clear when he continued to be re-elected. After a break of five years he again became Mayor in 1914 and led Council through the World War I years. After 16 changes of mayor since 1882, Fred Moore would hold the mayorship for a total of thirteen years bringing much needed stability to the council.

A portrait of Fred Moore from the 1900s
(Sourced from Macarthur Advertiser)

Local fashion worn by residents of Campbelltown

Dorothy Gore shows off the latest fashions of the early 1900s here in Campbelltown.

an old photograph of a young lady wearing the typical fashion of the day in the 1900s
(Image sourced from Gore Family Collection)

Two unidentified local gents looking very dapper in their attire, typical of the time.

Two very dapper looking gentleman in suits
(Image sourced from Gore Family Collection)

Local family- The Longhursts

A portrait of the Longhurst family, pioneer settlers of the bush east of Campbelltown. They came from Kent, hence the name Kent Farms which eventually evolved into Kent Lyn, then Kentlyn.

An early 1900s family portrait
(Image sourced from Gore Family Collection)

The Original Kangaroos

It features the original Kangaroos (then Wallabies) team from back in 1908/9.

Team photograph of the original Wallabies Team
(Image sourced from Wests Group Macarthur)

Events

Campbelltown Show

A "Campbelltown Stock Show" was held in December 1898. The Agricultural, Horticultural and Industrial Society was formed in 1899 and the first Campbelltown A.H.& I. Society Show was held the same year. It was not until 1901 that the Show Society would acquire the land on the corner of Moore and Warby Street where the show would be held from 1902 to 1975. A brick pavilion, fencing, cattle pens, a parade ring, a poultry pavilion, horse stalls and other ground improvements were made prior to the 1902 Show. The start of the Campbelltown Show is an indication of the importance of agriculture and livestock in the area which had been growing rapidly during the 1890s onward.

The photograph below is Mr Payten Secretary, Mr Moore President, Mr Sedgwick Vice President of the A.H.& I Society at the 1903 Campbelltown Show ( from left to right ).

Three well dressed gentlemen looking at the Campbelltown Stock Show program
(Image sourced from Town and Country Journal 18.3.1903)

The 1903 program is shown below.

A copy of the Campbelltown Show progrma from 1900
(Sourced from Campbelltown City Library Collection)

Formation of Campbelltown Branch of the United Milk Suppliers Association - Growth of the local dairy industry

The dairy industry was a large part of Campbelltown's formative years. Prominent dairymen were active in local government and a number became Mayor, or served as Aldermen. In 1906, there were 73 registered dairies, plus 7 in the Ingleburn municipality. Supporting agriculture produced large quantities of hay to feed the livestock. In 1905 Campbelltown formed its own branch of the United Milk Suppliers Association to lobby for better prices for dairy farmers. The photograph below is local Dairy Farmers waiting for the train at Campbelltown Station(PDF, 312KB) in 1900. Milk was collected into milk cans for consignment to the Campbelltown Milk Depot, on the western side of the railway line. After pasteurisation treatment, the milk was then transferred to a large railway wagon, which was picked up by the "Milk Pot" train which ran from Picton and delivered milk to the Dairy Farmers distribution depot in Harris Street, Ultimo.

Old photograph of dairy famers waiting outside the Campbelltown Railway station
(Image sourced from Judith Roberts Collection, Campbelltown City Library)

Tennis match at St Peter's Church

A Tennis match at St Peter's Church(PDF, 379KB) in 1901. A common local event in Campbelltown.

an old photograph of an early 1900s tennis match, with spectators
(Image sourced from Gore Family Collection)

A fancy dress event

The image below shows a local fancy dress event in Campbelltown in the early 1900s.

An early 1900s photograph of a local fancy dress event.
(Image sourced from Henson Family Collection)

Concert at Campbelltown

A local concert held at Campbelltown in 1903, with locals dressed as Japanese as parts of a series of tableaux.

Old photograph of people dressed in Japanese attire
(Image sourced from Gore Family Collection)

Places

Cataract Dam

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. "Cataract City" was established for workers on the dam, complete with a main street, post office, stores, butchers, and boarding houses. Campbelltown was always active with the coming and going of men and materials. At its completion in 1908 workers moved onto the Barren Jack dam, now known as Burrinjuck. The completion of Cataract Dam was a significant step in the continuing process of providing a reliable water supply for Sydney and surrounding areas and was part of a process of development of the Upper Nepean Scheme which was envisaged when that Scheme was designed in the 1880s. Cataract Dam was the largest dam constructed in NSW at the time and was considered to be a significant work of engineering in its day. It continues to play an important role as a major source of water supply for the Sydney area.

The photograph below sows the steam traction engine outside "Railway Hotel", 288-290 Queen Street, Campbelltown en route to construction at Cataract Dam.

A steam engine on an old wagon passing an old hotel
(Image sourced from Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society)