Judith Bailey was one of the first people to move into the first built, sealed road with mailboxes in Airds. Judith, along with her husband, also ran the fruit barrow in Lithgow Street, Campbelltown.
Today, as part of the 2025 Campbelltown City Council Jubilee awards, Mayor Darcy Lound presented Judith Bailey with a certificate and gift in recognition of her 50 years of community involvement.
All up 21 awards were handed out by the mayor, and all of them with an interesting Campbelltown story to tell.
Another one presented with a Jubilee award today was John Munro, who was born in Campbelltown Hospital in 1942, worked as a volunteer fireman for Campbelltown station, was a linesman for Nepean River County Council based in Campbelltown, married Marjorie, a local girl, and raised his family in Leumeah.
Marjorie, his wife of almost 60 years, has lived in Campbelltown for 80 years.
Marjorie worked for years as a receptionist for a physiotherapist in Campbelltown, volunteered in schools doing canteen work, helped in the classroom and assisted on school excursions for many years.
While all 21 recipients had special Campbelltown back stories, Alan and Rhonda Sloper stood out today.
Alan Sloper, who has called Campbelltown home since 1945, was a founding member of the Fisher’s Ghost Festival in 1956, along with well known locals of the time such as Jack Farnsworth, Alf Sloper, Guy Marsden, Harley Daley and Clive Tregear. (The last two served as town cleark and mayor respectively).
Rhonda Sloper has lived in Campbelltown since 1964.
In 1972 she established a dance school, which eventually serviced the wider Macarthur areas with nine locations, becoming quite famous across the South West Sydney region.
In her spare time, Rhonda set up fundraising committees for the Council and Fisher’s Ghost events including Mood nights at The Catholic club.
She was a local familiar face, serving freshly made fairy floss for the festival almost every year from the 1970s to the 2000s.
The Jubilee Awards celebrate people who have lived in Campbelltown for 50 years or more, and for 30 years or more for members of the local Aboriginal community.
Recipients were welcomed to this morning’s ceremony by Mayor Lound.
“Campbelltown has undergone tremendous growth over the past 50 years, and each and every one of these award recipients have played their part in making our city a better place to live in,” he said.
“The Jubilee Awards are held annually to show our city’s gratitude towards those people who have been an integral part of the Campbelltown community for a long time.
“I’d like to offer my congratulations to each of these fantastic award recipients,” he said.
This year’s Jubilee Award recipients include:
- Judith Bailey – 50 years
- Verna Barker – 50 years
- John Cook – 50 years
- Robyn Cook – 50 years
- George Cosis – 51 years
- Judy Cosis – 51 years
- Mark McLean – 60 years
- John Munro – 80 years
- Marjorie Munro – 80 years
- Pamela Nelson – 56 years
- Agnes Regan – 60 years
- Janet Robbins – 55 years
- Alana Rossmann – 46 years (First Nations community member)
- Alan Sloper – 80 years
- Rhonda Sloper – 61 years
- John Stanton – 80 years
- David Symonds – 73 years
- David Vale – 50 years
- Diana Vale – 50 years
- Kerry Walsh – 52 years
- John (Bob) Winch – 50 years
There was also recognition this year for Glenquarie Town Centre, which marked 50 years, and the Lynwood Park Rural Fire Service Brigade with 60 years of service to the Campbelltown community.
Nominations for the Campbelltown City Jubilee Awards are open throughout the year. Visit the council website to find out more.