Sewer Lane

The lower western end of Dumaresq Street was once affectionately known as 'Sewer Lane'. Many years ago, a creek ran down from the Cattle Tank and reservoir in Allman Street. It would meander past the Methodist Church, run down to Oxley Street and come out in Dumaresq Street, into stormwater drains that Council built, and would finish up going underneath the road. The water was then drained away in a large open canal on the northern side of Dumaresq Street between Queen Street and the railway line. In Campbelltown's early days, a corduroy bridge ran over this same creek in the vicinity of the entrance to the car park on the northern side of Dumaresq Street, between Moore-Oxley Bypass and Queen Street. This is the creek some believe flowed under a bridge that John Farley once sat on when he claimed to have seen the ghost of Fred Fisher. A 1918 parish map shows the section between Queen Street and the railway line as Kidd Lane, named for the Hon. John Kidd, M.L.A. who once owned Blair Athol House.

The town's older residents remember Sewer Lane fondly. "When we were kids we used to crawl through all the stormwater pipes down Dumaresq Street, which we used to call Sewer Lane" said one. "There was a big gutter running down to the railway line and we used to make little boats out of paper and sail them down there from Queen Street to the railway line. They called it Sewer Lane as it was a big open drain all the way to a creek at the railway line." The drain had wooden bridges over it. Another lifelong resident remembers its size: "It used to come down Dumaresq Street and kick across, it was huge. When it was full on rain, man that was something to watch! Yes, an incredible amount of water used to go through it." Another local, Bob Moore remembers "We would often walk down Dumaresq Street, under the roadway during storms, which was then known as Sewer Lane, and wade through the stormwater just for the fun of it."

Although it was referred to as 'Sewer Lane' the water was stormwater as there was no sewerage until many later years. In 1986 Council excavated the old water race at the intersection of Queen and Dumaresq Street and replaced it with new pipes and culverts.

 

Excavation of the Water Race at the intersection of Queen and Dumaresq Streets

 

 

Detail of the stone wall during the 1986 excavations

Written by Andrew Allen

ANZACS of Macarthur

Like those from other cities and towns across Australia, the people of Macarthur rallied to support the war effort. Through aiding of recruitment, caring of troops and commemorating the losses, the Macarthur region had significant involvement in the First World War.

Local author and historian, Lauren Hokin, will launch her new book ANZACs of Macarthur: Men and Women Who Served in the First World War at Campbelltown City Library. The book commemorates the Macarthur region's 1000 or so soldiers, sailors and nurses who served in World War I.

Date: Thursday 21 July 2016
Time: 2.30pm
Venue: HJ Daley Library, Hurley St, Campbelltown

Light refreshments will be served. This is a free event, however, bookings are essential on 4645 4431.

Author of ANZACs of Macarthur Lauren Hokin is pictured with Local Information Services Librarian Andrew Allen

The One Armed Butcher

 

Photograph coutesy of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society

The man with his head down in the back row and second from the right in this 1947 photograph is Ted McPherson. Look closely and you can see he is missing his right arm! Ted McPherson was affectionately known as "the one armed butcher". His shop was located next to Lack's Hotel near the corner of Queen and Railway Street. Ted worked with Bill Coogan when it was known as Coogan's Butcher Shop and took it over on Coogan's death in 1962. It seems Ted moved to the Illawarra after leaving Campbelltown and died there in 1991.

The butcher shop can be seen in the undated photograph above on the extreme left. Lack's Hotel is the large building on the right. (photo courtesy of Mick Murgatroyd)


Does anyone remember the one armed butcher? Perhaps you remember the butcher shop? I'd love to hear from anyone who does.

Written by Andrew Allen

Survival, storms and a happy ending

Part 2.

The following morning, Betsy was finally produced. Unbelievably, Alexander Berry knew Betsy, having taken her and her family from Norfolk Island in 1808 back to Sydney from Norfolk Island via Van Diemens Land. Betsy was emaciated, and her skin was raw, after spending about 3 weeks with the natives. She was however, clean, dressed in the linen shirt of the captain, and had her hair combed and decorated with a white feather. Berry took all the survivors back to his ship. Fortunately he had had medical training at Edinburgh University, and was able to care for them all. In January 1810, the “City of Edinburgh” set sail from New Zealand for the Cape of Good Hope, via Cape Horn.

In mid-February, whilst near Cape Horn, the ship encountered a fearful storm, which blew the sails to pieces and knocked the rudder away. More difficulties followed, with further gales and scarcity of food. Finally after 5 months since leaving New Zealand they limped into Valparaiso, and were able to have some repairs made, and then headed north to Lima, Peru, where they were to remain for ten months. Berry felt responsible for making sure Betsy was being looked after, so he made arrangements for her to stay in a respectable house with a Spanish couple. There she was accepted with love and affection, indeed, the couple did not wish to give her up, nor did she wish to be separated from them. Had Berry not been a friend of William Broughton he may have left her there.

Instead, they headed for Rio de Janeiro, arriving in December 1811, where Berry was able to secure passage for Betsy to Port Jackson aboard the whaler “Atlanta”.

Meanwhile, William Broughton, who had received word of the demise of his common law wife, had married Elizabeth Charlotte Simpson, and been granted 1000 acres at Appin, which he named “Lachlan Vale”. Elizabeth took on William’s children, and brought with her a son. Little Betsy was returned to her father, finally reunited with him in March 1812, almost 2 and a half years after she left Port Jackson with her mother. He was so delighted, he had her portrait painted and sent to the kind Spanish couple who had cared for her in Lima. (This portrait would surface 150 years later in a second hand shop in England, with a letter from William Broughton concealed inside.)

At seventeen, Betsy married Charles Throsby, nephew and heir of Dr Charles Throsby. By all accounts, and despite the trauma she endured as a child, she had grown into a charming young woman, and went on to live a long life. She and Charles moved to Moss Vale, and built Throsby Park. They had 17 children. Charles died in 1854, leaving Elizabeth a widow at 48. Elizabeth lived at Throsby Park until she passed away in 1891, at the age of 84. She was a highly respected member of the community, and well known throughout the colony.

 

 

Portrait of Elizabeth Isabella Broughton

 

Sources

Throsby Park by Rachel Roxburgh

Unsung hero – a short monograph about Alexander Berry 1781-1873

William Broughton and the Kennedy Connection by Margaret Carty

Australian Dictionary of Biography

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/loot/boyd.html

www.australianroyalty.net.au

http://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/stories/william-broughton/

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/rex-nan-kivells-famous-and-infamous-portraits-on-show-at-national-library-20150901-gjd2wc.html

 

 

An extraordinary tale of murder and cannibalism!

Part One.

William Broughton, for whom Broughton Pass at Appin is named, came to New South Wales on the First Fleet, as a servant to Surgeon John White. In 1789 he was appointed as storekeeper at Parramatta, and then in 1800 he was appointed storekeeper and acting Deputy Commissary at Norfolk Island. Between the years of 1792 and 1805 he fathered five children with Ann Glossop, who had been transported for 7 years. This story is about the youngest of these children, Elizabeth Isabella Broughton, who was born on Norfolk Island on December 14^th, 1807. The Broughton family returned to Sydney from Norfolk Island, and in November 1809, Ann and Elizabeth, known as Betsy, sailed from Port Jackson on board the General Boyd for England, possibly to visit Ann's eldest daughter Mary Ann, who was at school in England.

The first port of call for the General Boyd was in Whangaroa, New Zealand, where they were to load Kauri Pine timbers. It was there that the ship was attacked by the natives, and all the crew and most of the passengers were murdered, and eaten.

Apparently the captain of the General Boyd had insulted the Maoris, flogging the son of a Whangaroan chief on flimsy charges, and as a result, horrific retribution was taken. All on board except a woman named Mrs Morley and her infant child, a young man named Davison, and the young Elizabeth Broughton were slaughtered.

Meanwhile, a friend of the Broughton family, Alexander Berry, was aboard his cargo ship “City of Edinburgh” which was anchored in the Bay of Islands. He began to hear the rumours of a ship being taken by the Maoris, so he decided to investigate and see if there were any survivors.

Alexander Berry made his way to Whangaroa with three armed boats and a Maori Chief who had agreed to help. When they arrived, they saw the wreck of the burnt out General Boyd lying in shallow water. With the help of the Chief, and under threat of reprisals, the Maoris produced three of the survivors. Berry learned from them that another survivor was still being held. He bravely demanded her return.  

To be continued...

The "General Boyd" burns