Campbell Town and the Governor of the colony of New South Wales in the early 1800's may not seem to have much in common, but that is decidedly not the case. Maj-Gen Lachlan Macquarie, the said Gov, who held sway in the Antipodes from December 1809 until his resignation in late 1821, has a significant connection with the Apple Isle.
In November 1811 Macquarie journeyed down to Hobart Town (which in those days was a part of his patch) to see what was going on in this new settlement, and was appalled by what he found. At his immediate instruction, the government surveyor laid out a new street plan for this ramshackle southern settlement. The city of Hobart now stands on these streets.
En route to Launceston to take ship back to Sydney, Macquarie tarried briefly in what was in those days nothing much more than a layover on the road. At that point he left his mark by blessing the local river with the Christian name of his wife.
Ten years later, in 1821, when the settlement grew around the garrison which had been established there to provide protection for travellers and arriving settlers (against the predations of both bushrangers and antsy Aborigines.....as we had seen at Evandale and its surrounds), Macquarie's wife again featured on the map, but this time per agency of her maiden surname, Campbell. No wonder that Eddie Freeman has included the good Gov and his comely spouse in his wood carvings!
Now a town of about 900 souls, Campbell Town remains the centre of a thriving fine merino wool industry (of world standard), is home to support industries which service the Midlands agricultural production (the most significant in the State) and, of course, remains a serious contender on the Tassie tourism scene with its outstanding examples of colonial architecture and plethora of old homes.
And, as we were discovering all over the island, the early settlers were quick to build places of worship, for a range of denominations. Campbell Town was no exception. I had already wandered past the Brickhill Memorial Church in the centre of the CBD but here was more to come.
At the northern end of the straight section of High Street the Anglicans have left their mark, but not without some early problems.
The square spired St Luke's church
with its 'satellite' Sunday School building made of the same red bricks and roofed with the same grey slate,
got off to a bit of a rocky start (or perhaps more to the point, a lack of rock). The foundation stone of this John Lee Archer (architect of note in the colonies) designed building was laid in 1835, but to his horror and the ire of all others involved, it was soon discovered that the contractor hired to undertake the work was in financial strife. Undeterred he carried on, but cut his losses by rather naughtily failing to lay a foundation under some of the walls.
Needless to say this discovery prompted a rapid change of builder, and work continued under the now very watchful eye of Lee Archer, but it was not until 1839 that the doors opened to admit the faithful. A shonky broke builder in 1835.....everything old is new again!
Further north along High Street, at the point where the Midland Highway enters the town and intersects with Pedder Street, visitors are greeted by what has become a local landmark, the spire of another of Campbell Town's fine churches, St Andrew's.
Described as early Victorian Gothic revival (circa 1857) this beautiful sandstone Presbyterian church with its square tower, castellated parapet, clock mouldings and needle spire is considered to be amongst the best built in Australia at the time.
And the spire comes with a wonderful yarn, one retold by Geoff Richie in his marvellous blog 'On The Convict Trail'.
"The spire of this beautiful little church is a landmark in the town. It is reported that the builders forgot to untie a rope and left it dangling from the top of the spire when their work was finished and the scaffolding taken away. Not wishing to have the unseemly thing in evidence on the day of dedication, a rifleman of repute was asked to come along and shoot it down. After several tries with various missiles, among which it is said, even marbles were used, the offending rope at last came tumbling to the ground."
I fervently hope this is a true tale. Aussie ingenuity at its best!
This charming church and its attendant stone hall are both now in private hands and from what I could gather by the sign at the front and
this notice pinned to a post in the grounds, it is proposed to use these premises as an entertainment precinct. Given that the permit as dated December 2017 and I was now standing here a year later, I would not be holding my breath for a quick drink!
Where there's a church, there's a rectory (by that or any other name), or that was certainly the case in the days of yore. Across the road, off Pedder Street (east) that's exactly what I found, 'The Old Rectory', a so called Georgian Manor House which is now given over to an antiques business.
Mind you, looking at the little which could be seen of the associated advertising sign through the high, unkempt weeds, I could only speculate that this may well be a business in decline.
At this point in my ever increasingly long roam around Campbell Town I could not resist the descriptive pull of 'Howley Lodge'.
A short distance further east along Pedder Street I did find the main gateway to the property, with its descriptive plaque nearby,
but this was the best I could do as far as a tourist shot of the building itself went.
Undeterred, dear readers, in my quest to bring you the real thing, and pretty impressed with the bits I could see through the trees, I scrounged around the Internet and finally
came across this advertising photo on a real estate site, which presents a far better view of this delightful home. And here is yet another example of the importance with which those who came to the colonies to spread the good word were held........this magnificent home was built for the Reverend William Bedford Junior who arrived here in 1833 to become the first Anglican minister in the district.
Retracing my steps, I toddled back to the intersection where a most unusual monument had previously caught my eye.
Directly across High Street from St Andrew's church, I discovered the 'Harold Gatty Memorial Park' where, at the end of a short path, an odd looking globe, topped with a model of an aircraft of some age, rose above the tree line. Now that just demanded a closer look, and what a story unfolded.
I have already alluded to the intrepid Harold who is recognised as one of Campbell Town's famous sons in Eddie Freeman's work, but the question remains.....why?
This disappointingly faded plaque at the base of the stand on which the globe is mounted, provided some of the answer, but this is only part of the story.
Gatty was a most remarkable man indeed. This plaque did nothing but encourage me to learn more, which has presented me with my usual dilemma.......of the editing kind!
And for once I am not going to fill paragraphs of this missive with his story, other than to say Harold Gatty was recognised by all in the aviation world during the 30's and 40's as the most brilliant 'dead reckoning' navigator to have graced the skies.....with good reason....he was!
After his mind blowing feats of navigation on his record breaking flight with Wiley Post in the 'Winnie Mae' he went on to do sterling work with the allies during WW2.
I would encourage you to visit 'Google' or what ever search engine you use to read more of this man's incredible skills and extraordinary life. I reckon his memorial demands a significant upgrade!
My little down-loaded historical walk brochure invited me to continue west along Pedder Street. I dutifully obeyed and my jaunt took me past 'Gages Row'
and the plaque which told the story of Henry Gage, yet another transported convict who at the completion of his sentence made the most of his situation in Van Diemen's Land, well, for some time at least.
Not too far distant along the same road, this oddly shaped dwelling with its impressive Georgian style frontage stood starkly isolated on a bare block.
It was built in 1840 by the very Henry Gage who lived in the same street. Most neighbourly. And as you can read, the Johnsons were an interesting bunch.
Pedder Street is virtually the northern end of Campbell Town proper, and I had by now exhausted its points of interest. It was time to head back towards the other end of town, where I knew there was a congregation of old homes clustered conveniently south of our camp site.
So, off south down one of the town's main streets I went, feeling very much at home in 'Glenelg' Street (but one of a few reminders of home which included 'Adelaide' Street as well)
which took me past 'Ivy Cottage' (now another local B&B)
and another interesting but annoying dilapidated sign which I've included as much for
the yarn about Willy Wrankmore as for any other reason. He was clearly a Campbell Town character.....what little there was of him!
My stroll along Glenelg Street then took me past the rather forbidding looking Campbell Town school building (circa 1878)
and, on the corner of Queen Street I came across yet another reminder of home. 'Balvaird' was constructed of 'bluestone', a building material used extensively throughout the city of Adelaide and beyond.
Like so many of the homes and other buildings in this historic town, it came with a story. And this was not the only house I discovered in which the original occupants had some connection with Napoleon, as you will see shortly.
By now I was beginning to run out of puff, both physically and 'historically', and decided to become a little more selective in what I visited, so I'm afraid the cluster of buildings in Church Street and Bridge Street remained serenely unvisited as I continued on down the Glenelg Street hill towards the valley of the Elizabeth River.
However, before heading off across the creek (well, it's hardly a river despite its name!) to the southern end of town, I did venture briefly along King Street where the original Wesleyan Chapel provided another example of the use of red bricks in early Campbell Town
and another interesting story.
But this had been something of a distraction. This is what I had come to see,
and to learn a bit more about because I have read 'The Potato Factory' and knew of the connection. What a name Joseph Solomon gave his son....fancy having to live up to that! Many of the plaques around the town include Hayes yarns on them, and I have to say there were some doozies amoung them.
Here in King Street, however, this story came with an accompanying cartoon.
By now I was almost back to my starting point as I meandered down High Street for a block or so past the front of the Foxhunters and thence into the Esplanade (that's another interesting thing we had noticed about Tassie.....as well as 'tiers' and 'rivulets' many of the streets which parallel even the smallest streams are granted the grand title of 'esplanade') where the downstream Red Bridge wall and the stables at the rear of the pub were by now almost 'old hat'.
Not so, however, the footbridge I was about to utilise. This was the first time I had ventured into this part of town.
Although this modern crossing traverses the river at a point on Bridge Street, it is not the site of the first bridge which took travellers across the river before it was superseded by the Red Bridge. This section of the Elizabeth River is part of the diversion which was dug after the Red Bridge had been completed and High Street became the main road through Campbell Town.
Beyond this crossing a dirt walking path took me across open ground following the route of old Bridge Street towards the point where the original river crossing existed.
Let me revert to the use of my old friend 'Gogle Earth' to explain. Here you can see the main highway crossing the river on the Red Bridge near our camp site, and further to the right, the footbridge on Bridge Street over which I had just walked, and the open ground beyond.
Surrounding this open ground below the present course of the Elizabeth River you will see a triangular line of trees. These mark the original course of the river before it was diverted and widened. The original Bridge Street crossing stands where the road crosses this old watercourse just before it forms the junction with Adelaide Street.
I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't actually visit this site. The original bridge is still here and is the oldest in use in Tasmania, but by now I was weary. Our campsite beckoned, and to get there I took a shortcut across to Edgar Street and back to the highway.
This was to be my last historical hurrah, where several of Campbell Town's original buildings line either side of what is still High Street (but only just, before resumes the nomenclature of either the Midland Highway or Highway 1 depending on your point of view).
The picturesque and meticulously restored and maintained 'Cottage Ornee', surrounded by inviting shade trees, occupies the site at 154 High Street.
And yet again, this is a home which comes with a marvellous tale. What a life Captain Forth enjoyed. Dare I say he spent most of it 'island hopping'! Oh, and yes, Cottage Ornee is now a very classy B&B!
On the same side of the road this smallish, whitewashed building played a very significant role in the lives of those in the early days of Campbell Town.
It looks very much like a domestic cottage, and indeed it was initially, well at least until 1855.
Here's the story. As early as 1838 the good burghers of Campbell Town had been petitioning for a public hospital, to no avail.
Finally, one Mr William Race Allison, occupier of a local grazing property with the improbable name of 'Streanshalh' (and an even more interesting history...more homework for those who can be bothered!), scurried around the neighbourhood and raised the not inconsiderable sum of 340 pounds and 4 shillings, money which was then used to lease this private home as the new local hospital.
I should add, perhaps a shade unfairly, that this act of seeming selflessness has to be viewed against the backdrop of Allison's political passions and ambitions, but whatever his motives, at least now those ailing in Campbell Town had a place of comfort and care.
Let me conclude this historical ramble (I know, in more ways than one was the mutter) with a reminder of my previous comments about connections with Napoleon.
Almost opposite the old hospital building, on the corner of High and Edgar Streets, stands 'Rosetta', a modest little stone cottage (circa 1847).
Modest indeed by the standards of other much more opulent abodes about town (particularly those occupied by the clergy!) but look who lived here.....a bloke who had fought against Napoleon's forces at Waterloo....and survived! Brings history to life, doesn't it?
Well folks, still marvelling at these remarkable connections between early Campbell Town residents and the arch enemy of the British (and many others) during the late 1700's early 1800's I tramped past the old town brewery buildings (now the Red Bridge Cafe......for sale) opposite our camp site
and staggered into our van to the somewhat understandable greeting of "Where on earth have you been? I was about to come looking for you in the front bar of the pub." Harsh comment I thought but it did prompt me to realise that I had worked up a considerable thirst.......it was shortly hereafter that we made the disappointing discovery that the Campbell Town pub was little more than a drinking barn.
Now if you have managed thus far you may find it difficult to believe that my last two offerings have been severely edited. The blurb is correct....there are over 100 homes in this Midland Highway town which can rightly claim to being centenarians and more.
Whilst here we did scoot down to nearby Ross, a most captivating village but one which at this time of the year was utterly over-run by holiday makers and tourists. We revisited the town a couple of months much later to spend a few days there when it was much quieter and we could enjoy all it had to offer in a much more civilised manner.
Tomorrow.....back to Hobart and all things New Year at Constitution Dock and beyond.
In November 1811 Macquarie journeyed down to Hobart Town (which in those days was a part of his patch) to see what was going on in this new settlement, and was appalled by what he found. At his immediate instruction, the government surveyor laid out a new street plan for this ramshackle southern settlement. The city of Hobart now stands on these streets.
En route to Launceston to take ship back to Sydney, Macquarie tarried briefly in what was in those days nothing much more than a layover on the road. At that point he left his mark by blessing the local river with the Christian name of his wife.
Ten years later, in 1821, when the settlement grew around the garrison which had been established there to provide protection for travellers and arriving settlers (against the predations of both bushrangers and antsy Aborigines.....as we had seen at Evandale and its surrounds), Macquarie's wife again featured on the map, but this time per agency of her maiden surname, Campbell. No wonder that Eddie Freeman has included the good Gov and his comely spouse in his wood carvings!
Now a town of about 900 souls, Campbell Town remains the centre of a thriving fine merino wool industry (of world standard), is home to support industries which service the Midlands agricultural production (the most significant in the State) and, of course, remains a serious contender on the Tassie tourism scene with its outstanding examples of colonial architecture and plethora of old homes.
And, as we were discovering all over the island, the early settlers were quick to build places of worship, for a range of denominations. Campbell Town was no exception. I had already wandered past the Brickhill Memorial Church in the centre of the CBD but here was more to come.
At the northern end of the straight section of High Street the Anglicans have left their mark, but not without some early problems.
The square spired St Luke's church
with its 'satellite' Sunday School building made of the same red bricks and roofed with the same grey slate,
got off to a bit of a rocky start (or perhaps more to the point, a lack of rock). The foundation stone of this John Lee Archer (architect of note in the colonies) designed building was laid in 1835, but to his horror and the ire of all others involved, it was soon discovered that the contractor hired to undertake the work was in financial strife. Undeterred he carried on, but cut his losses by rather naughtily failing to lay a foundation under some of the walls.
Needless to say this discovery prompted a rapid change of builder, and work continued under the now very watchful eye of Lee Archer, but it was not until 1839 that the doors opened to admit the faithful. A shonky broke builder in 1835.....everything old is new again!
Further north along High Street, at the point where the Midland Highway enters the town and intersects with Pedder Street, visitors are greeted by what has become a local landmark, the spire of another of Campbell Town's fine churches, St Andrew's.
Described as early Victorian Gothic revival (circa 1857) this beautiful sandstone Presbyterian church with its square tower, castellated parapet, clock mouldings and needle spire is considered to be amongst the best built in Australia at the time.
And the spire comes with a wonderful yarn, one retold by Geoff Richie in his marvellous blog 'On The Convict Trail'.
"The spire of this beautiful little church is a landmark in the town. It is reported that the builders forgot to untie a rope and left it dangling from the top of the spire when their work was finished and the scaffolding taken away. Not wishing to have the unseemly thing in evidence on the day of dedication, a rifleman of repute was asked to come along and shoot it down. After several tries with various missiles, among which it is said, even marbles were used, the offending rope at last came tumbling to the ground."
I fervently hope this is a true tale. Aussie ingenuity at its best!
This charming church and its attendant stone hall are both now in private hands and from what I could gather by the sign at the front and
this notice pinned to a post in the grounds, it is proposed to use these premises as an entertainment precinct. Given that the permit as dated December 2017 and I was now standing here a year later, I would not be holding my breath for a quick drink!
Where there's a church, there's a rectory (by that or any other name), or that was certainly the case in the days of yore. Across the road, off Pedder Street (east) that's exactly what I found, 'The Old Rectory', a so called Georgian Manor House which is now given over to an antiques business.
Mind you, looking at the little which could be seen of the associated advertising sign through the high, unkempt weeds, I could only speculate that this may well be a business in decline.
At this point in my ever increasingly long roam around Campbell Town I could not resist the descriptive pull of 'Howley Lodge'.
A short distance further east along Pedder Street I did find the main gateway to the property, with its descriptive plaque nearby,
but this was the best I could do as far as a tourist shot of the building itself went.
Undeterred, dear readers, in my quest to bring you the real thing, and pretty impressed with the bits I could see through the trees, I scrounged around the Internet and finally
came across this advertising photo on a real estate site, which presents a far better view of this delightful home. And here is yet another example of the importance with which those who came to the colonies to spread the good word were held........this magnificent home was built for the Reverend William Bedford Junior who arrived here in 1833 to become the first Anglican minister in the district.
Retracing my steps, I toddled back to the intersection where a most unusual monument had previously caught my eye.
Directly across High Street from St Andrew's church, I discovered the 'Harold Gatty Memorial Park' where, at the end of a short path, an odd looking globe, topped with a model of an aircraft of some age, rose above the tree line. Now that just demanded a closer look, and what a story unfolded.
I have already alluded to the intrepid Harold who is recognised as one of Campbell Town's famous sons in Eddie Freeman's work, but the question remains.....why?
This disappointingly faded plaque at the base of the stand on which the globe is mounted, provided some of the answer, but this is only part of the story.
Gatty was a most remarkable man indeed. This plaque did nothing but encourage me to learn more, which has presented me with my usual dilemma.......of the editing kind!
And for once I am not going to fill paragraphs of this missive with his story, other than to say Harold Gatty was recognised by all in the aviation world during the 30's and 40's as the most brilliant 'dead reckoning' navigator to have graced the skies.....with good reason....he was!
After his mind blowing feats of navigation on his record breaking flight with Wiley Post in the 'Winnie Mae' he went on to do sterling work with the allies during WW2.
I would encourage you to visit 'Google' or what ever search engine you use to read more of this man's incredible skills and extraordinary life. I reckon his memorial demands a significant upgrade!
My little down-loaded historical walk brochure invited me to continue west along Pedder Street. I dutifully obeyed and my jaunt took me past 'Gages Row'
and the plaque which told the story of Henry Gage, yet another transported convict who at the completion of his sentence made the most of his situation in Van Diemen's Land, well, for some time at least.
Not too far distant along the same road, this oddly shaped dwelling with its impressive Georgian style frontage stood starkly isolated on a bare block.
It was built in 1840 by the very Henry Gage who lived in the same street. Most neighbourly. And as you can read, the Johnsons were an interesting bunch.
Pedder Street is virtually the northern end of Campbell Town proper, and I had by now exhausted its points of interest. It was time to head back towards the other end of town, where I knew there was a congregation of old homes clustered conveniently south of our camp site.
So, off south down one of the town's main streets I went, feeling very much at home in 'Glenelg' Street (but one of a few reminders of home which included 'Adelaide' Street as well)
which took me past 'Ivy Cottage' (now another local B&B)
and another interesting but annoying dilapidated sign which I've included as much for
the yarn about Willy Wrankmore as for any other reason. He was clearly a Campbell Town character.....what little there was of him!
My stroll along Glenelg Street then took me past the rather forbidding looking Campbell Town school building (circa 1878)
and, on the corner of Queen Street I came across yet another reminder of home. 'Balvaird' was constructed of 'bluestone', a building material used extensively throughout the city of Adelaide and beyond.
Like so many of the homes and other buildings in this historic town, it came with a story. And this was not the only house I discovered in which the original occupants had some connection with Napoleon, as you will see shortly.
By now I was beginning to run out of puff, both physically and 'historically', and decided to become a little more selective in what I visited, so I'm afraid the cluster of buildings in Church Street and Bridge Street remained serenely unvisited as I continued on down the Glenelg Street hill towards the valley of the Elizabeth River.
However, before heading off across the creek (well, it's hardly a river despite its name!) to the southern end of town, I did venture briefly along King Street where the original Wesleyan Chapel provided another example of the use of red bricks in early Campbell Town
and another interesting story.
But this had been something of a distraction. This is what I had come to see,
and to learn a bit more about because I have read 'The Potato Factory' and knew of the connection. What a name Joseph Solomon gave his son....fancy having to live up to that! Many of the plaques around the town include Hayes yarns on them, and I have to say there were some doozies amoung them.
Here in King Street, however, this story came with an accompanying cartoon.
By now I was almost back to my starting point as I meandered down High Street for a block or so past the front of the Foxhunters and thence into the Esplanade (that's another interesting thing we had noticed about Tassie.....as well as 'tiers' and 'rivulets' many of the streets which parallel even the smallest streams are granted the grand title of 'esplanade') where the downstream Red Bridge wall and the stables at the rear of the pub were by now almost 'old hat'.Not so, however, the footbridge I was about to utilise. This was the first time I had ventured into this part of town.
Although this modern crossing traverses the river at a point on Bridge Street, it is not the site of the first bridge which took travellers across the river before it was superseded by the Red Bridge. This section of the Elizabeth River is part of the diversion which was dug after the Red Bridge had been completed and High Street became the main road through Campbell Town.
Beyond this crossing a dirt walking path took me across open ground following the route of old Bridge Street towards the point where the original river crossing existed.
Let me revert to the use of my old friend 'Gogle Earth' to explain. Here you can see the main highway crossing the river on the Red Bridge near our camp site, and further to the right, the footbridge on Bridge Street over which I had just walked, and the open ground beyond.
Surrounding this open ground below the present course of the Elizabeth River you will see a triangular line of trees. These mark the original course of the river before it was diverted and widened. The original Bridge Street crossing stands where the road crosses this old watercourse just before it forms the junction with Adelaide Street.
I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't actually visit this site. The original bridge is still here and is the oldest in use in Tasmania, but by now I was weary. Our campsite beckoned, and to get there I took a shortcut across to Edgar Street and back to the highway.
This was to be my last historical hurrah, where several of Campbell Town's original buildings line either side of what is still High Street (but only just, before resumes the nomenclature of either the Midland Highway or Highway 1 depending on your point of view).
The picturesque and meticulously restored and maintained 'Cottage Ornee', surrounded by inviting shade trees, occupies the site at 154 High Street.
And yet again, this is a home which comes with a marvellous tale. What a life Captain Forth enjoyed. Dare I say he spent most of it 'island hopping'! Oh, and yes, Cottage Ornee is now a very classy B&B!
On the same side of the road this smallish, whitewashed building played a very significant role in the lives of those in the early days of Campbell Town.
It looks very much like a domestic cottage, and indeed it was initially, well at least until 1855.
Here's the story. As early as 1838 the good burghers of Campbell Town had been petitioning for a public hospital, to no avail.
Finally, one Mr William Race Allison, occupier of a local grazing property with the improbable name of 'Streanshalh' (and an even more interesting history...more homework for those who can be bothered!), scurried around the neighbourhood and raised the not inconsiderable sum of 340 pounds and 4 shillings, money which was then used to lease this private home as the new local hospital.
I should add, perhaps a shade unfairly, that this act of seeming selflessness has to be viewed against the backdrop of Allison's political passions and ambitions, but whatever his motives, at least now those ailing in Campbell Town had a place of comfort and care.
Let me conclude this historical ramble (I know, in more ways than one was the mutter) with a reminder of my previous comments about connections with Napoleon.
Almost opposite the old hospital building, on the corner of High and Edgar Streets, stands 'Rosetta', a modest little stone cottage (circa 1847).
Modest indeed by the standards of other much more opulent abodes about town (particularly those occupied by the clergy!) but look who lived here.....a bloke who had fought against Napoleon's forces at Waterloo....and survived! Brings history to life, doesn't it?
Well folks, still marvelling at these remarkable connections between early Campbell Town residents and the arch enemy of the British (and many others) during the late 1700's early 1800's I tramped past the old town brewery buildings (now the Red Bridge Cafe......for sale) opposite our camp site
and staggered into our van to the somewhat understandable greeting of "Where on earth have you been? I was about to come looking for you in the front bar of the pub." Harsh comment I thought but it did prompt me to realise that I had worked up a considerable thirst.......it was shortly hereafter that we made the disappointing discovery that the Campbell Town pub was little more than a drinking barn.
Now if you have managed thus far you may find it difficult to believe that my last two offerings have been severely edited. The blurb is correct....there are over 100 homes in this Midland Highway town which can rightly claim to being centenarians and more.
Whilst here we did scoot down to nearby Ross, a most captivating village but one which at this time of the year was utterly over-run by holiday makers and tourists. We revisited the town a couple of months much later to spend a few days there when it was much quieter and we could enjoy all it had to offer in a much more civilised manner.
Tomorrow.....back to Hobart and all things New Year at Constitution Dock and beyond.
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