Community identity · Heritage · Historian · Historical consciousness · Historical Research · Historical source · Historical thinking · History · Living History · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Uncategorized

How History Shapes Our Present and Future

History enables us to comprehend the past and influences the future by revealing how past events shape current realities. It provides context, identifies patterns, and highlights cultural influences. Additionally, it inspires critical thinking, informs decision-making, and prompts social justice efforts, reinforcing that the future is shaped by choices made today.

Attachment to place · Camden Story · Community · Community building · Community identity · Gledswood Hills · Gregory Hills · Hope and loss · House history · Housing · Housing styles · Lifestyle · Local History · Local Studies · Lost Camden · Lost Campbelltown · Mount Annan · Narellan · Oran Park · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Social History · Spring Farm · Stories · Storytelling · Uncategorized · Urban development · Urban growth · Urban history · Urban Planning · urban sprawl · Urbanism

Navigating Australia’s Housing Crisis: Insights from Sydney’s Urban Fringe

The complexities of addressing Australia's housing challenges, suggests an article from ABC News, on Sydney's urban fringes are not as simple as they might seem. While author Ian Willis explores how the growing population has created demand for housing, the reality often falls short of expectations. Many new residents, he writes, are drawn by promises of suburbia, face disillusionment due to inadequate infrastructure, high density, and unresolved issues like traffic congestion and housing quality. Willis argues that the ongoing crises reflect a disconnect between development aspirations and lived experiences, suggesting the need for improved planning and understanding of community needs.

Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Art · Artefacts · Attachment to place · Belonging · Camden Festivals · Camden Show · Camden Story · Community · Community identity · Community organisations · Community work · Country Women's Association · Craft · Crafts · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Cultural Heritage · CWA · Emergency Services · Entertainment · Farming · Farming history · Festivals · First Responders · Garden history · History · Horticulture · Local History · Local Studies · Macarthur region · Nostalgia · Onslow Park · Pageant · Pioneers · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Recreation · Ruralism · Social History · Stories · Storytelling · Theme Parks · Transport · transport history · Travel · Travellers · Uncategorized · Volunteering · Volunteerism

2025 Camden Show: A Photographic Journey

The photographic essay captures the vibrant atmosphere of the 2025 Camden Show, showcasing various activities, displays, and exhibitions. Highlights include the Woolworths produce pavilion, enthusiastic attendance from parents at performances, and contributions from local services like the Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire Brigade, and police, enriching the community experience.

Adaptive Re-use · Adaptive Reuse · Built Heritage · Business · Business History · Cafes · Community identity · Cultural Heritage · Economy · Film · Film Making · History of a building · Industrial Heritage · Local History · Macarthur · Macarthur region · Picton · Picton Corbett Hardware · Picton Menangle Street · Picton Retail · Picton The Celebration Society · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Shopping · Storytelling · Streetscapes · Uncategorized · Urban growth · Urban history · Urban Planning

The Celebration Society: Revitalizing Picton’s Retail Scene Through Adaptive Re-use

The Celebration Society opened in 2024 in the former Corbett hardware store, revitalizing Picton's retail scene. Owners Deborah and Michael Quinn, along with business partners, preserved the building’s historic integrity. The venue includes a café and space for events, enhancing community engagement and contributing to the area's renewal.

1920s · Adaptive Re-use · Aesthetics · Architecture · Attachment to place · Belonging · Business · Camden · Camden Museum · Camden Park House and Garden · Colonial Camden · Communications · Community identity · Cowpastures · Cultural Heritage · Cultural icon · Economy · Entertainment · Family history · Fashion · Festivals · Genealogy · Heritage · Historical consciousness · Historical Research · Historical thinking · History · History of a house · History theory and practice · House history · Job creation · Lifestyle · Living History · Local History · Local Studies · Macarthur · Media · Menangle · Military history · Modernism · NSW History K-10 Syllabus · Place making · Ruralism · Sense of place · Settler colonialism · Stereotypes · Storytelling · Streetscapes · Sydney's rural-urban fringe · Tourism · Travel · Urban growth · Urban Planning · urban sprawl · Volunteering · Volunteerism · Women's history

Understanding the Camden Story: History, Community, and Identity

The Camden story encapsulates the rich tapestry of tales and histories that define the Camden community, including dreamtime legends and settler accounts. It offers insight into the community's values, identity, and resilience, serving as both a historical narrative and a tool for local businesses, fostering deeper connections among residents.

Architectural History · Architecture · Argyle Street · Attachment to place · Camden · Camden Built Heritage · Camden Council · Camden Country Town Idyll · Camden Story · Community · Community identity · Country town · Country town idyll · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Cultural Heritage · Heritage · Living History · Local History · Local Studies · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Social History · Tourism · Town planning · Urban development · Urban growth · Urban history · Urban Planning · Urbanism · Village

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.

Aesthetics · Art · Artists · Artworks · Belonging · Camden Council · Camden Story · Community identity · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Design · Heritage · Landscape · Lifestyle · Local Studies · Oran Park · Oran Park Leisure Centre · Oran Park Library · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Public art · Sculpture · Sense of place · Stories · Storytelling · Uncategorized · Urbanism

Exploring Greg Johns’s public art installation outside the Oran Park Leisure Centre

At the front of the Oran Park Leisure Centre is Greg Johns' art installation, Vortex Mandala, which was inaugurated on 21 October 2024. This public artwork reflects swirling patterns symbolizing energy flow and consciousness. Johns, influenced by the Adelaide Hills, aims to create significant public sculptures that engage viewers and enhance the local environment.

Aesthetics · Architecture · Attachment to place · Australian History · Built heritag · Built Heritage · Camden Built Heritage · Camden Modernism · Camden Story · Community identity · Country town · Cultural Heritage · Domestic Architecture · Elderslie · Heritage · History of a building · History of a house · Hope and loss · House history · Housing · Housing styles · Landscape · Landscape aesthetics · Living History · Lost Camden · Mid-century modernism · Modernism · Narellan · Nostalgia · Place making · Placemaking · Small town · Stories · Storytelling · Uncategorized · Urban development · Urban growth · Urban history · Urban Planning · Urbanism

A Journey Through Camden’s Mid-Century Housing Architecture

Camden's mid-century housing, developed between the 1940s and 1970s, reflects a worldwide modernism movement. Characterized by simple lines and open spaces, these homes arose amid urban growth linked to the new jobs created by the Burragorang coalfields. Unfortunately, many of these historic structures are disappearing, necessitating greater recognition and appreciation of their significance.

Australia · Australia Day · Australian History · Book · Camden Country Town Idyll · Camden Story · Community identity · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Cultural Heritage · Dr Crookston · Guesthouse · Historical consciousness · Historical Research · Historical thinking · Local Studies · Memory · Nostalgia · Place making · Placemaking · Propaganda · Sense of place · Stereotypes · Stories · Storytelling · Symbolism · Tourism · Uncategorized

Exploring nostalgia, more than a rear vision view of the world

Agnes Arnold-Forster's "Nostalgia: A History of a Dangerous Emotion" explores the multifaceted nature of nostalgia, reflecting societal anxieties and its weaponization by politicians. The book illustrates nostalgia's importance in contemporary culture, as seen in varying contexts like music and Australia Day debates, while offering a historical perspective on its evolution and impact.

19th Century · Australian History · British colonialism · British Heritage · Camden Built Heritage · Camden Cottage Hospital · Camden Story · Camden Town Centre · Colonialism · Community building · Community Health · Community identity · Country town · Health and Medical History · Health History · Heritage · History of a house · Local History · Nursing · Place making · Sense of place · Small communities · Small town · Social History · Stories · Storytelling · Uncategorized · Village

Camden Cottage Hospital – early English influences and the cottage hospital movement

The Camden Cottage Hospital, inspired by the English cottage hospital movement, was established in 1899 in New South Wales. This model provided the community with a small, welcoming healthcare facility, funded by donations and subscriptions. Over time, cottage hospitals became integral to the healthcare landscape in rural Australia, adapting local characteristics.