The good news is that the redevelopment of Campbelltown RSL is finally under way, starting with the demolition of the Campbelltown City Arcade in Queen Street.
But as legal eagle Patrick Duffy said when he shared this photo with us, the arcade has been a big part of Campbelltown for at least 50 years.
“Lots of memories here back to getting my dentist done by Peter Auricchio upstairs left, and my braces put on by the orthodontist, who then went round to the old Prospect electricity building, as well as the old bike shop back left where I had a mate working during high school,’’ Patrick reminisced.
“I also used to be able to walk through here to the Venture store. The TAB used to be in here too!
‘In more recent years hairdressers, solicitors, and the best music shop in Campbelltown – all gone or moved,’’ he said.
Personally, we remember when the newsagency was at the front on the right, the well known Campbelltown optometrist Peter Overton, a Polish deli and, further back, a Middle Eastern store that sold fresh vine leaves for dolmathes, the popular Greek dish.
No doubt readers will have their own memories, so do let us know.
Looking to the future, the RSL club will end up with a front entrance on Queen Street, right where the entry to Campbelltown City Arcade used to be.
The new club is part of a massive redevelopment costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
It will include two other towers for a hotel and residential apartments as well as commercial space.
There’s no doubt that it will be a game changer for Campbelltown and indeed our poor, neglected main street.
xxxxx
Reader Diane Wills is not happy over plans to expand the Moorebank Intermodal.
She says most residents are unaware that it is to be expanded in warehouse numbers and height and to enable the storage of more dangerous goods.
But what she is just as upset about is that residents were not informed about these plans by anyone, from the department of planning to Liverpool Council.
xxxxx
A local couple who have been involved in community work for many years have had to walk away from one of our local Rotary clubs. The reason: other Rotary members told them that another member was insinuating the couple were racists. So, they just walked away, which is very sad.
xxxxx
Back to a more positive vein – four Ingleburn Public School students will be heading to Japan next month to represent Australia at the world finals of the Universal Robotics Challenge.
Congratulations and good luck, kids, and thank you to reader Maggie To for sharing the news with us.
xxxxx
It’s election season and there’s plenty of opportunities for residents to get to know their candidates.
In Campbelltown there’s the candidates forum on Monday, September 2 in the arts centre.
But there’s also a “politics in the pub’’ night being organised by the local Greens candidate Jayden Rivera.
This is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 27, in Macarthur Tavern, with Greens MP Amanda Cohn.
Before being elected to the NSW upper house Ms Cohn was the deputy mayor of a NSW council, so she’s got a bit of local government wisdom to share.
Still with the local Greens, tomorrow, Saturday, August 24, they are having a “day of action’’ and will have another one of their MPs, Cate Faehrmann, an advocate for koalas, speaking.
If you’d like to attend any of the above check with the Greens first to confirm the venue. Jayden Rivera can be contacted on 0401 333 126.
Down south, the Wollondilly business chamber will be hosting a mayoral candidates forum and question time next Wednesday, August 28 in Picton Bowling Club.
All four candidates running for mayor have been invited to be on a panel to present their vision for Wollondilly over the next four years, and then to be put under the microscope to answer the Wollondilly Business Chamber’s set of questions.
xxxxx
It’s good to see that our newest political representative Nathan Hagarty has a sense of humour.
“On the left is how I look on the inside, and on the right how I look on the outside,’’ was his response to our observation of the juxtaposition of his photo outside his Leppington electoral office right next to a photo of a very fit looking young man who no doubt spends most of his time in the gym.
The heavy metal music shop, the guitar shop and the 2nd last home of radio 2MCR after “Radio House” on Carsile St at Ingleburn was demolished to make way for the Woolworths carpark.
Nothing lasts forever, but we have to consider what should be preserved as we progress. What we’ve lost down the years in Campbelltown is a tragedy.
Correct me If memory Is Imperfect but according to my recollection I thought that the Campbelltown-City-Arcade opened sometime In the mid or late 1960’s since I can distinctly remember my mother taking both my younger brother Including myself there when we were knee high to a Grasshopper to a newly opened shop situated Inside of the arcade which both sold and dispensed donuts from a machine which deposited the uncooked dough within the hot cooking oil. The teenage young girl who served my mother gave her two free donuts covered In pink Icing since mum purchased a dozen of them what a bonus the aroma was Intoxicating. In 1975 Mrs Avril Rickets who came from England originally she happened to be a middle-aged woman at that time she used to work at Downes-Department-Store situated In Queen Street In Campbelltown within the Menswear-Department alongside of myself apparently she eventually resigned from Downes and shortly thereafter she soon opened up a gorgeous small pop up shop which exclusively sold Cigarettes It was situated In the center of the Campbelltown-City-Arcade I will never forget her, she remarked what a very smart business woman I have become I agreed with her since she was now her own Boss which she always wanted to be and Importantly how can I ever forget those stunning mouth watering fresh delectable donuts. 9/9/2024
I worked in the toy shop up the end on the left ‘Funtasia’. Venture was there then and the arcade a busy place. I remember people queuing to buy fireworks. It was a large store with all the popular toys and hobbies for sale. The memories….