| Historical notes: | The original inhabitants of the Campbelltown area were mostly people of the Dharawal (sometimes referred to as Tharawal) language group, who ranged from the coast to the east, the Georges River in the west, north to Botany Bay and south to Nowra. However, Campbelltown was a meeting point with the Dharug language group (whose area extended across the Blue Mountains), and early history of the area includes references to both peoples. (Liston, Carol: Campbelltown: The Bicentennial History, 1988; www.abc.net.au/indigenous). Mount Annan, to the south-west of the Campbelltown City Centre, was known as Yandel’ora to its original owners, the Dharawal people and was an important meeting place for Aboriginal people from as far away as northern Queensland and southern Victoria. (http://www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/landcare/publications/making_a_difference_a_celebration_ of_landcare/section_6_-_indigenous_landcare)
With the establishment of the convict colony in Sydney Harbour in 1788, the displacement of Aboriginal people began. A smallpox epidemic decimated many of the coastal clans, but was less destructive amongst the inland peoples.
Escaped cattle from the settlement moved south and bred in the Campbelltown/Camden area and after their discovery in 1795, the area became known as The Cow Pastures (or Cowpasture). In 1805, John Macarthur obtained a grant of 5,000 acres (later expanded to 10,000 acres) in the area, some of the best grazing land then known in the colony.
By 1809, 34 settlers had received grants in the newly named Minto district (named after Lord Minto, the Governor-General of India) in the northern portion of Campbelltown. Many of these early settlers were Irish, including surveyor James Meehan, who allocated himself a generous portion (now Macquarie Fields). Prominent settlers included surgeon Charles Throsby, who was allocated 600 acres (now Glenfield), Dr William Redfern (Campbellfield), Dr Robert Townson (Varroville) and Richard Brooks (Denham Court).
Though peaceful, the Dharawal people bore the brunt of a punitive expedition led by Captain James Wallis in 1816. At least 14 Dharawal people were massacred at Appin, to the distress of sympathetic settlers such as Charles Throsby of Glenfield. The Appin massacre of 1816 was a devastating and tragic event for the Dharawal people and other local clans, and was a difficult period in terms of the relationship between Indigenous people and European settlers. Corroborees and other ceremonies continued under the protection of the Macarthurs of Camden, though numbers steadily declined, with diseases introduced by the Europeans also having a devastating effect on the Dharawal population.
As the district became more closely settled, a town was needed further south than Liverpool. Campbelltown was formally established in 1820 and named ‘Campbelltown’, in honour of Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie’s maiden name of Campbell. In 1826, the town plan was formalised.
Between 1835 and 1845, the number of Aboriginal people in the Campbelltown Police District had decreased from twenty to none. However, limited tribal life continued and corroborees were still held at Camden Park and Denham Court until at least the 1850s. During 1858, approximately 200 Aboriginal people attended the celebrations at Campbelltown that were held to mark the opening of the railway line.
In October 1816 John Wild was granted 110 acres at Airds, which he named "Egypt Farm". This block passed by descent to John Edward Wild Larkin, who sold it to solicitor George Charles Westgarth in April 1886.
In October 1816 Samuel Larken was granted 90 acres adjacent to "Egypt Farm" that he named "Ambarvale". Larken did not move onto his grant and continued to reside at Parramatta until his death in 1835. William Payten sold the block to David Graham in September 1853 and in May 1886 George Graham sold 'Ambarvale" to George Westgarth.
George Charles Westgarth had arrived in Sydney with his father, William Westgarth, in 1852. William was the first manager of the Australasian Steam Navigation Co (formerly the Hunter River Steam Navigation Co). The Westgarth family had been shipbuilders in Hull. Westgarth's second wife was the Lucy Mansfield, daughter of architect George Allen Mansfield and grand-daughter of Sir G.W.D. (Wigram) Allen (1800-1877) who had been Lord Mayor of Sydney (1844-1845). Despite George Westgarth’s connections with the Allen family (who operated the law firm of Allen & Allen at this time) he became a partner in the firm of Norton, Smith, Westgarth & Sanders. Westgarth named his newly acquired property "St Helens Park".
Soon after purchasing the land George Westgarth commissioned his father-in-law George Allen Mansfield to design a house for the property. Mansfield, a partner in the firm Mansfield Brothers, was one of Sydney’s most prominent architects and lived nearby at "Glen Lorne", which he had purchased in 1876. Mansfield designed an elaborately-detailed Victorian Rustic Gothic villa, which was built of Menangle stone by local builder George Lusted and completed in 1887.
In 1886 Westgarth owned a residence on 140 acres of land with an annual value of £50. By 1889 its value had jumped to £150. George Westgarth purchased a further 13 acres at an auction of Crown lands on 30 October 1895. Westgarth later built a dam on this land (Portion 296) across Spring Creek to ensure the homestead's water supply.
In 1908 George Westgarth died at "St Helens Park". In 1911 the property was 216 acres and had an annual value of £93. It was then sold by the estate of G.E. Westgarth to Frederick Charles Sapphir who had been leasing the property. Sapphir subdivided several portions of the property and in 1924 he sold the house, on a substantial holding, to dairyman George Gately.
Subsequently the property passed through many hands, and by the 1940s it was known to many locals as "Blowfly Farm", because it had been used as a fly spray testing laboratory. It was bought in 1949 and restored by Cyril and Mary Brookes.
By April 1970, it comprised 123 acres (49ha), bounded by Appin and Woodland Roads and the Georges River, and was run as a grazing property.
Various uses for the property, apart from its original and present role as a country house, have been as a school, a guesthouse and an experimental farm. (Illawarra Mercury 12 March 1985 p11)
As a result of its impending sale, an Interim Conservation Order was placed over the property on 15 March 1985. A Permanent Conservation Order was placed over the property on 16 May 1986. It was transferred to the State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. |