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  1. The Dictionary of Sydney
  2. Willis, Ian

Willis, Ian

Author

Dr Ian Willis is an honorary fellow at the University of Wollongong and a member of the Professional Historians Association (NSW & ACT) and Independent Scholars Association of Australia. He has a special interest in local studies, place and the war at home.

Camden as Author
Elderslie as Author
Kirkham as Author
Mount Annan as Author
Narellan as Author
Narellan Vale as Author
Oran Park as Author
Spring Farm as Author
The Red Cross in Sydney in World War One as Author

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Camden

One of the most important towns in Sydney's hinterland, Camden was shaped by its landed gentry from the time of John Macarthur's original land grant in 1805, until the Macarthur family influence faded in the 1950s. Camden dairy products and farm produce went to the Sydney markets, but the town resisted Sydney-based decisions and remains ambivalent about its proximity to the city.

Elderslie

Traditional country of the Dharawal people, Elderslie developed from land grants given to settlers from 1812. By the 1840s a small village was planned, but was overtaken by the development of Camden across the river. Vineyards, orchards, and market gardens flourished through the nineteenth century. Growth in mining and Sydney's spread have led to more residential development in Elderslie since the 1970s.

Kirkham

A picturesque, semi-rural locality on Sydney's rural-urban fringe, Kirkham's identity has been shaped and reshaped by successive generations who have created their own stories, heroes and icons in an ever-evolving landscape.

Mount Annan

Traditionally owned by the Dharawal and Gundungurra people, the new suburb of Mount Annan is built on land once owned by William Howe, who named the hill after his home town in Scotland. The property was run as a dairy farm until 1978, with land released for housing in the late 1980s. A series of estates have been released aimed at different markets, and new shopping centres have sprung up. The suburb also includes Mount Annan Botanic Garden.

Narellan

Traditional country of the Tharawal and Gundungurra people, the Narellan area was granted to colonists by Governor Macquarie and became a prosperous farming area, though the village remained small, and overshadowed by nearby Camden. From the 1970s, commercial and residential development took place that changed both the village and the surroundings, with extensive new suburbs.

Narellan Vale

Part of the traditional lands of the Tharawal and Gundungurra people, Narellan Vale is a new suburb on land granted to William Howe and William Hovell in the 1810s. For much of its history, it was dairy farms.

Oran Park

Dharawal country south west of Sydney that was taken and granted to Europeans who established country estates. Later development included a golf club and racing circuit. In the twenty-first century, suburban development has overtaken the area.

Spring Farm

A new suburb growing along the Nepean River, Spring Farm's history is as agricultural as its name.

The Red Cross in Sydney in World War One

A Sydney branch of the British Red Cross was formed in 1913 and it, and a host of new branches, joined the national movement at the outbreak of World War One in August 1914. The earliest activities were training in first aid and home nursing as pre-requisites for membership of Voluntary Aid Detachments. At a local level Red Cross workers undertook sewing, knitting and fundraising, all the while being encouraged to see themselves at 'ministering angels'.