Exploring your hometown can reveal hidden wonders and local history often overlooked. Resources like libraries and historical societies offer insights into the past, while nature provides adventurous experiences. Engaging with local culture, festivals, and unique culinary offerings can enhance your appreciation of familiar surroundings. Stay curious and discover the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Category: Argyle Street
Camden Council vote on listing the Camden Township on the State Heritage Register
On 11 March 2025, Camden Council discussed a motion by Councillor Peter McLean to list Camden Township on the State Heritage Register, citing its significant historical and cultural value. Despite support from the Camden Historical Society and several councillors, the motion was ultimately defeated in a 6-3 vote, with concerns raised about its impact on businesses.
Share this:
Share this:
Camden Rose Festival 1968: history and festivities
The Camden Rose Festival, founded by JW Hill, celebrated the 1960s' prosperity and optimism. The festival included a street parade, wheelbarrow derby, art exhibition, and a masked ball. The event attracted significant community participation and raised funds for Camden District Hospital. The festival reflected the spirit of the post-war years and local community engagement.
Share this:
Share this:
Camden, the making and re-making of familiar places
This presentation at the WEA-RAHS Seminar Series on 28 October 2009 at History House, Sydney, explores the conflict between urban expansion and the desire to preserve Camden's identity as a country town. It delves into the tension between nostalgic ideals and the reality of modern development in the area.
Share this:
Share this:
Camden Material and Colour Guide, a heritage building guide
Camden Material and Colour Guide In 2023, Camden Council published the Camden Material and Colour Guide. The guide was the initiative of the Camden Council Heritage Advisory Committee. The aim of the guide The Material and Colour Guide aims to provide a handy guide for owners of heritage buildings with practical tips on working with… Continue reading Camden Material and Colour Guide, a heritage building guide
Share this:
Share this:
Celebrate Camden 93, a spring festival
In 2023, Camden celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Celebrate Camden 93 spring festival, initiated by the Camden Chamber of Commerce to boost tourism. Despite initial sponsorship issues, the event drew over 100,000 attendees and was deemed a success. Subsequent festivals struggled with community support, leading to its eventual discontinuation.
Share this:
Share this:
The Camden Story: the historiography of the history of the country town of Camden NSW
The history of telling the story of a small community has been interpreted in different ways at different times in the past by different historians. This area of study is called the historiography. I have recently published an article on the historiography of the small country town of Camden, NSW.
Share this:
Share this:
Camden pepper trees, a remnant of the past
In the 1890s, Camden Municipal Council started beautifying the town area by planting various trees, including peppercorns. These cultural plantings defined the local urban landscape for decades, yet only a handful remain today.
Share this:
Share this:
The Plough and Harrow Hotel: an early colonial Camden inn
The Plough and Harrow Hotel is the second oldest pub in the Camden town centre and was built in the early 1850s. The hotel is still on its original site located on the former Great South Road, later the Hume Highway, now relocated.
Share this:
Share this:
The former Bank of New South Wales building in the country town of Camden
In central Camden is an empty bank building of understated significance at the intersection of John and Argyle Streets. This building was the premises of Westpac, formerly the Bank of New South Wales, and was the second banking chamber on that site. Constructed in the 1930s by a prominent firm of local builders and designed by one of Sydney’s top award-winning architects. It is a building of much architectural merit, and few know its history.
