There’s no shame in confessing that I got a little emotional this morning while flicking through bound print copies of the Macarthur Chronicle.
That’s because I could see some of my handiwork in editions dating back to 1989.
After helping to launch the paper in 1984, I was appointed editor in 1987 and served in that post until 1993, before moving across the street to the venerable Macarthur Advertiser.
Michelle Hatfield, the current vice president of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society, was kind enough to invite me to one of Campbelltown’s most historic homesteads, Glenalvon in Lithgow Street, to check out the collection of old Chronicles.
The beautiful home and property are a stone’s throw from Queen Street, but as Ms Hatfield confirmed some people visiting Glenalvon during open days will say “I didn’t even know this place was here’’.
But I’m digressing, so let’s get back to the old Chronicle editions.
The reason I was at Glenalvon was to see for myself the collection of the bound copies in the hands of our historical society.
“When the paper closed down we ended up getting all these copies,’’ Ms Hatfield said, pointing to neatly filed Chronicles in the former stables building at the rear of Glenalvon.
Now the historical society has decided it wants to share these newspapers with anyone who may want to have one for whatever reason.
They could be used for research, a school history project, or just as a keepsake for someone who may have been featured in the Chronicle from 1989 to 2010.
For just $5 you get a bound copy that contains not just one old newspaper, but an entire month.
Five bucks – now that’s a bargain we have not seen for a while.
If you’re interested in purchasing one, contact Michelle Hatfield by phone on 4625 1822 or via email at vicepresident@cahs.org.au
And keep an eye out on their Facebook page for their regular open days. If you’re interested in history, visiting Glenalvon should be on your list.
