Newspaper articles

The Blue Mountains seemed to attract its fair share of wandering tramps during times of economic stress.  For example, several years after the Great Depression the Nepean Times newspaper reported that an incident involving wandering tramps was causing duress to the residents of Holland Street in Springwood.  It would seem that the tramps made a habit of visiting Lomatia Park on Sunday to wash their megre wardrobe which was hung over the oval fence to dry. 

This was not a good advertisement for Springwood because visitors wanting to spend a few pleasant hours  at the park went away in disgust (perhaps never to return).  Furthermore, it was no longer safe for local children to play on the swings in the park because they were located between the 'summer houses' tenanted by the tramps.  Parents were forced to warn their children away.  A plea to the council had not remedied the situation thus residents were urged to apply to the local area League to allay the nuisance. 

Scouts at Lomatia Park c1930s

Ref: Nepean Times, 10.2.1938      

Newspaper Articles of Interest

The Sydney Morning Herald dated 11 February 1896 mentioned that Anthony Lettellier, a Frenchman, pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of articles to the value of seventeen pounds from the residence of Honore Marie at Springwood.  Lettellier came to the house of the victim declaring to be a French Patriot hoping to get to Newcastle and thence catch a ship for home. 

However, Lettelier was a convict liberated from New Caledonia where only habitual criminals were sent.  The prisoner had various aliases and incurred two years hard labour in Parramatta gaol for his crime. 

Pamela Smith

Newspaper Articles of Interest

The Canberra Times newspaper announced 27th April 1949 that 'Blue Mountains Place Ban On Communists.'  It went on to say that: 

"strong support was given to aldermen of the Blue Mountains City Council  to a motion denying Communists the right to hire public halls controlled by the council."

       The motion was carried 11 votes to four. 

Several of the aldermen, who voted in favour of the motion, had opposed a similar motion which alderman Frank Walford - the then Mayor - brought to a previous council meeting.  The paper mentioned that "only a few Communists were in the gallery" when the former motion was carried.  The motion resolved that no public hall was to be hired to any Communist supporter or any Communist subsidiary organisation or the Communist Party.  The paper suggested that aldermen who opposed the motion were not necessarily Communists, or in favour of Communism, but thought it was a matter for the Federal Government to impose.

The following article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald 1st August, 1949, stating that the Communist Party had gained a strong foothold in the Blue Mountains, Lismore, Gosford and Wagga.  It would appear that a Mr. C. Davidson, a Blue Mountains councillor, had been charged with subversive activities which infringed on the code of the Returned Services League.