Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Artists · Belgenny Farm · Camden Park Estate · Camden Story · Colonial Camden · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Dairying · Farming · Farming history · Heritage Walking Tours · History · History Festival · Leisure · Living History · Local History · Macarthur · Macarthur family · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Settler colonialism · Settler Society · Social History · Stories · Storytelling

Explore History with Friends of Belgenny Farm Events

On a cloudy day in late May 2025, the Friends of Belgenny Farm held an open day attracting over 285 visitors interested in early Australian history. The event featured various stalls, historical displays, and guided tours of the historic site, which holds national significance and showcases Australia's earliest colonial farm buildings.

Adaptive Re-use · Adaptive Reuse · Attachment to place · Belonging · Built Heritage · Camden Built Heritage · Cultural Heritage · Engineering Heritage · Heritage · Indigenous Heritage · Narellan Built Heritage · Nostalgia · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Stories · Storytelling

Understanding NSW’s 2025 Draft Heritage Strategy

The NSW Government has unveiled the NSW Heritage Strategy, marking a significant update in over twenty years. Aiming to broaden the understanding of heritage, it includes Aboriginal culture, historic structures, and natural heritage. Public feedback is welcomed until July 13, 2025, to shape the final strategy guiding future heritage policies.

19th Century · 20th century · Architectural History · Architecture · Camden Story · Colonial Camden · Elderslie · Hilsyde Elderslie · History · History of a building · History of a house · House history · Housing · Housing styles · Local History · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Stories · Storytelling · Uncategorized · Urban history · Victorian

Exploring Hilsyde: A Look at Elderslie’s Historic Home

Hilsyde, originally known as Pammenter, is a Victorian single-storey brick residence built in 1888 by WC Furner in Elderslie. The property features a galvanised iron roof, bay windows, and retains good integrity. It served as Hilsyde Lodge from 1978 to 2003, catering to Christian women workers, and is heritage-listed.

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 · Architecture · Argyle Street · Australian History · Camden Festivals · Camden Story · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Cultural Heritage · Cultural icon · Entertainment · Heritage · Heritage Walking Tours · Historian · Historical consciousness · Historical Research · Historical source · Historical thinking · History · History Festival · History of a building · History of a house · Living History · Local History · Local Studies · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Stories · Storytelling · Tourism · Uncategorized

Exploring Your Hometown: Hidden Gems Await

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.

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.

19th Century · 20th century · Aesthetics · Art · Artists · Artworks · Attachment to place · Burragorang Valley · Business History · Camden District · Commemoration · Cultural Heritage · Engineering Heritage · Engineering History · Local History · Local Studies · Memorials · Memory · Mining · Mining History · Monuments · Oran Park · Oran Park Raceway · Place making · Placemaking · Public art · Sense of place · Stories · Storytelling · Teamsters · Town planning · Transport · transport history · Uncategorized · Urban development · Urban growth · Urban history · Urban Planning · urban sprawl · Urbanism

Exploring the ‘Infinity Tracks’ Art Installation in Oran Park

The 'Infinity Tracks' art installation in Oran Park honors the region's heavy haulage industry, highlighting the historical impact of the transport industry and Oran Park Town urban development. Commissioned in 2020 by Greenfields Development Co and TRN House, it enhances the forecourt's aesthetic while reflecting the area's economic growth and employment contributions from the haulage sector and urban development.