Lochend
Lochend house, located on Lochend Drive in the Lochiel Park Estate in Campbelltown, is the original home of Charles James Fox Campbell, after whom Campbelltown is named. The home is owned in trust by the City of Campbelltown, as a place of State Heritage significance.
Lochend House Open Days
The Campbelltown Historical Society takes great pride in opening the house to the public on various dates throughout the year. Volunteers provide visitors with information about the history of the house and the six year restoration process.
Gold coin donation appreciated and Devonshire tea available for purchase.
For further information, please contact Anna Leombruno, Campbelltown Historical Society Inc. President, on 0418 806 118.
Be a Friend of Lochend
The Campbelltown Historical Society Inc. are a volunteer group who share a passion for preserving the City of Campbelltown’s heritage and undertaking continuous local history research.
Members of the Society meet on alternate months (2nd Tuesday of the particular month) at 7.00pm at the Campbelltown Public Library in the Meeting Room. The meetings offer guest speakers and tea and coffee is available. New members are always welcome.
Membership Subscription level for 2023 is:
- $15 Individual
- $25 Family
- $50 Corporate
For further information, please contact Anna Leombruno, Campbelltown Historical Society Inc. President, on 0418 806 118.
Charles James Fox Campbell
Lochend dates back to Charles James Fox Campbell who was born in 1807 at Kingsburgh House on the Isle of Skye into a prominent family, the Campbells of Melford, Argyllshire. His descent was from the Campbells of Lochend whose aristocratic lineage can be traced back clearly for 300 years.
The Campbell family was related to Elizabeth Campbell, wife of Governor Macquarie of New South Wales, and this would have been a factor influencing the family's move to Australia. In 1821, the family, including Charles, migrated to Sydney and were given a large grant of land near Parramatta. At the age of 16, Charles Campbell was orphaned and he devoted himself to pastoral pursuits.
In 1838, Campbell arrived in South Australia with the first overland cattle expedition led by Joseph Hawdon. A developing Adelaide, at this time, was just over two years old with a population of 3000. By 1842, Campbell had bought a section of land on the River Torrens and had built Lochend, his 'town house'. He sought advice from his friend George Strickland Kingston, the State's first architect, in the design of the house. Kingston also designed Ayers House, parts of Government House, the Adelaide Gaol, and the first monument to Colonel Light in Light Square.
Lochend was built of river stone and included a stucco porch, hall and living room with a finely moulded ceiling. The roof was of wooden shingles and Campbell later added three bedrooms and a cellar. Lochend had four acres of garden and 156 acres of arable land in the estate.
Campbell married Martha Levi, sister of great pastoralist, Philip Levi, in 1850. Their first child, Philip, was born at Lochend in 1851 and other children Frederick, Edmund and William were born in 1852, 1855 and 1857.
In 1852, Lochend was described in the Register as a residence on the Torrens, 3 1/2 miles from town, having every convenience, a 50 acre paddock and two extensive gardens, one of five acres planted with choice fruit trees in full bearing.
In January 1858, Campbell sold Lochend to James Scott of New South Wales for 2600 pounds and moved to a new homestead on the Nor'West Bend Station, near Morgan on the River Murray. It was here that his untimely death occurred on 5 March, 1859, from blood poisoning. He was 52 years old.
Lochend subsequently passed to the widowed Mrs Jessie (Scott) MacDonald. During her time at Lochend, five handsome rooms were added to the existing house and cellar, with a stone cottage, stables and coach house clustered around the homestead. A stucco porch sheltered the new front door, while a hall and living room were ornamented with moulded and painted ceilings.
Following Mrs Macdonald's removal to Glenelg in 1875, Mr David Mundy acquired the property, abandoned the old piecemeal structure and built a more imposing house on the hill, where his Lochiel Park house still stands.
By 1898, David Mundy had had enough of running a near-city estate and sold Lochiel Park to his neighbour Jonah Hobbs. The Hobbs family lived in both buildings from the turn of the century.
The property, including Lochend and Lochiel Park, was sold to the Crown in 1947 and developed by the Government as a Junior Boys Reformatory. Arnold Hobbs stayed on at Lochend as manager of the property until 1957.
Recent Times
A 1979 article describes the house as being "in very good condition but needs protection from vandals". It had lost its roof during a fierce storm. The house was, however, already on the Classified List of the National Trust of South Australia. In 1982, the house was dedicated to Campbelltown City Council under a Trust Grant for community and historical purposes after three years of negotiation.
The house was described at this time as having "fallen into a bad state of disrepair" . A 1984 newspaper article describes the building as decidedly Scottish in character, even the stonework, and reminded readers that listing on the State Heritage Register means the building can be neither demolished nor renovated without conforming to strict guidelines.
In 1995 the Council erected a spiked fence to protect the building from increasing vandalism. A 1996 Council report stated that "urgent action was needed to rescue the building from further deterioration". The building was described as graffiti stained with the ceilings ripped out, partially ruinous condition with few of the home's original rooms remaining.
An archaeological dig was conducted in 1998 to trace the foundations and other structural remains to determine what restoration work needed to be done - three volunteer archaeological students from Flinders University assisted. They carried out a foot survey over the entire area to identify surviving sites and locate any other sites which had not previously been identified. The floors in the hallway and sitting room "appear to be original" the report stated, also that the sitting room is the only room with a partially intact ceiling.
The Restoration Project
Council became so concerned at the rapidly deteriorating state of the building that it formed a Lochend Advisory Committee, comprising elected members and representatives of the Campbelltown Historical Society, Rostrevor/Campbelltown and Athelstone Kiwanis Clubs assisted by Council staff.
Heritage architect Simon Weidenhofer was engaged and the Committee recommended that the building required immediate stabilisation and treatment for salt damp. Any intervention was to be kept to a minimum so as not to distort evidence apart from ensuring future structural stability.
Stage 2 involved restoration of the existing structure including reinstatement of original fabric to a known earlier state, typically the ornate special lath and plaster ceilings and joinery.
Stage 3 involved the introduction of old and new materials in order to return the place to a known earlier state, typically the reconstruction of the previously ruined kitchen/wash area and west wing, together with the continuing joinery restoration and painting. Council resolved to fund progressively each stage as recommended by the Advisory Committee greatly encouraged by community support for the project.
In 1998 Council applied to Federal Members Alexander Downer and Christopher Pyne for a Federation Community Projects Grant to assist in funding the project. The application was successful and together with a Grant from the State Government, restoration of Lochend was underway.
What you see today is the culmination of countless hours of hard work, dedication and commitment by groups of community-minded people who believed in this project and who knew that their collective and individual contributions would make a difference.
The faithful restoration work was unveiled by Campbelltown Mayor Steve Woodcock on Sunday, 29 February 2004.
The restoration of this significant old building is a gift to the community for present and future generations to enjoy. The City of Campbelltown acknowledges the involvement, support and vision of:
- The Campbelltown Historical Society
- The Kiwanis Clubs of Rostrevor / Campbelltown and Athelstone
- Heritage SA
- Tourism SA
- The Hon Alexander Downer (Electorate of Mayo)
- The Hon Christopher Pyne (Electorate of Sturt)
- Project Manager Simon Weidenhofer
- The Community of Campbelltown
Why the Lochend Project is Significant
Lochend was considered significant because of its representation of its market gardening history and its links to an early South Australian pastoralist. It is for these reasons that it is listed on the State Heritage Register.
The Future for Lochend
The State Government is working through a process to transfer ownership of the land under its control at Lochiel Park over to Council once certain standards set by Council are met. As part of this process, land around Lochend will be given over to Council to allow Council to progress the adopted Master Plan for Lochend House and the Surrounds as funding is available. View the Lochend House Master Plan.