Sherwood Hills and why it was called Bradbury

An exhibit at Campbelltown’s HJ Daley Library will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the suburb of Bradbury.

The display, From Sherwood Hills to Bradbury, will showcase the history and development of one of Campbelltown’s oldest suburbs and highlight the life of pioneer William Bradbury, after whom the suburb is named.

If you’re a relative newcomer to the Macarthur area you may not be aware that a few years ago some residents wanted a patch of their Bradbury called Sherwood Hills. No doubt this exhibition will shed more light on what was a fairly controversial issue back in the 1970s.

William Bradbury was one of Campbelltown’s most prominent pioneers, and as a local innkeeper he was also one of the town’s most colourful characters.

He owned a farm to the south of Campbelltown named Bradbury Park and when he died in 1836 his large estate of 300 acres was passed on to other owners and eventually subdivided into farm blocks and town allotments.

Successive developments will be documented in the display, which includes photographs and articles.

Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Paul Lake, said it was important to acknowledge the history of the area and celebrate the interesting characters and events that make Campbelltown’s history so unique.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Exhibits like this connect us with our past and give us a sense of our cultural identity,’’ the mayor said.[/social_quote]

“Campbelltown was one of the first areas of European settlement in the colony of NSW and the area is rich in heritage pieces which are significant to the community,” Cr Lake said.

The display will be exhibited at HJ Daley Library, Hurley Street, Campbelltown, from Monday, July 13  and will be on until Friday, July 31 during opening hours.