[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ost locals would know about St Helens Park House, the heritage listed two storey neo Gothic mansion on St Helens Park Drive.
Built in 1887, St Helens Park House is not the oldest historic building in Campbelltown but it did have something fairly unique: its own dam and water supply.
Macarthur legal eagle and amateur local historian Patrick “Scoop’’ Duffy, who took these pictures of the dam a couple of days ago, says it’s pretty impressive for a private undertaking at the time.
Apparently the Westgarth Dam was built around 1887, the same year as St Helens Park House, as the water supply for its occupants, who included Mr and Mrs George Westgarth and no doubt “the help’’.
Duffy says the dam sits in scrubs about 150 metres as the crow flies from manicured lawns in St Helens Park, and adds: “Only in Campbelltown!’’
“Incidentally, George Westgarth, who built St Helens Park House in 1887 as a summer home was a lawyer (and people think we’re pricey now) and his firm lives on today as Corrs Chambers Westgarth, a well known national firm,’’ he said.
Duffy himself lives not too far away in another Campbelltown historical gem, one actually much older than St Helens Park House.
A few years ago the relatively young lawyer bought Denfield House, located just off Appin Road.
Denfield was apparently built in 1837 by John Farley – supposedly the first man to have first seen the ghost of Fred Fisher.
Yep, it’s a small world around here.
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Morning tea, coffee and damper will be served by the Campbelltown Women’s Association at the 2019 Australia Day Awards on Saturday, January 26.
In a change from the tradition of recent years, the award recipients will be announced at a ceremony to be held in the Greg Percival Community Centre at Ingleburn.
In the past 20 years or so the awards ceremony was held at Koshigaya Park, which also staged a citizenship ceremony and an Australia Day celebration well into the evening which culminated with a fireworks display.
The Koshigaya Park Australia Day celebration party will be on once again from 2pm but the formal part of the day will now be at Ingleburn from 8.30am on January 26.
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The campaign to terminate the Wests Tigers joint venture and have Western Suburbs Magpies back as a stand alone NRL club playing out of Campbelltown is set to go up a gear in 2019.
Part of the strategy will include a Bring Back the Magpies fun day in Campbelltown early in the year in a bid to engage local black and white fans and give the push a bit more momentum.
There aren’t too many details available just yet, so just watch this space.
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Having raised more than $300,000 last year, no wonder Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation describes 2018 as an “amazing’’ year.
But we’re sure readers will find the list of things this money’s financed and which help sick children in hospital even more amazing; awesome even:
Portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging system from Sonosite $88,000;
Mobile diagnostic sky plate for babies x-ray machine $52,888;
Giraffe Draeger humidicrib $48,000;
Real Ti plus training tool for paediatricians and nurses $20,290;
AVIRO humidifier $19,953;
Mobile bladder scanner $19,000;
Nippy Clearway cough assist $14,255;
2 shuttle discovery mobility systems $10,215;
Billi blanket for jaundice babies $8,000;
2 Leckey standing frames $7,714;
Deluxe procedure chair $7,250;
PACs garden cubby house $2,000;
Furnished mothers lactating room $2,000;
Educational activity centres for waiting rooms $1,500;
Garden enhancements for the three hospital kids gardens $1,500.
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Late last year Camden Council announced the appointment of David Waudby as an economic development officer.
Mr Waudby, pictured, has a vast knowledge of business in the region, having worked as the CEO of the South West Sydney Business Enterprise Centre for eight years, and more recently in small business as an advisor with the Business Connect program.
“I’m very excited with this opportunity to work with council and look forward to working closely with Camden Region Economic Taskforce (CRET),’’ Mr Waudby said on his appointment.
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It’s interesting independent candidate for Wollondilly Judy Hannan has hit the ground running early in the new year.
Indeed her digital social media platforms were in place before Christmas; there’s a website and a Facebook page.
This Saturday the former mayor is inviting voters to join her for coffee and a chat at a café in the electorate.
Further north there’s still no word from the Liberal Party who their candidates will be in Macquarie Fields and Campbelltown.
The election will be on Saturday, March 23.
It will be interesting to see who the Libs put up against the popular Labor MPs Anoulack Chanthivong and Greg Warren, both of whom are almost certain to win second terms in office.
Time will tell.
