Stock, Allan
Allan Stock (9/2/1936 - 19/8/2021) lived in Campbelltown for the first 50 or so years of his life. He attended Campbelltown Primary School, as did his daughters. Allan met his future wife at this school too and they were married 63 years. He was involved with the school in the 1960s through volunteer work and as a member of the school board and parent clubs. He led fundraising events to build the school pool and organised working bees to keep the school grounds maintained.
Allan Stock was a grandson of Arthur John Stock, who from 1902 ran Stock and Bernath on the corner of Ann Street and Lower North East Road, Campbelltown. Stock and Bernath later became AJ Stock Pty Ltd and was one of the longest-lasting and influential businesses in the history of Campbelltown. AJ Stock Pty Ltd began as a blacksmith, but continued to grow and adapt over the years, building motor bodies, adapting market gardening vehicles, engineering cable-operated tip trucks, and designing and building fire trucks for the CFS.
Allan worked in his family’s business after he left school. The site is now Stocks Corner on Lower North East Road. Many of the local teenagers had their first job working at AJ Stock’s on Saturdays. Allan Stock, his brother Reg, and cousin David, took over the business in 1971. In 1988 the company sold the Lower North East Road premises and relocated to Holden Hill.
Allan was very involved in supporting the local community. He was a member of the Campbelltown Methodist Church as well as a lay preacher, Sunday school teacher and Church Elder. He was a keen tennis player and played competitively for Campbelltown Methodist Church for many years. Later he went on to coach church tennis teams.
Allan was from one of the "founding families" of Campbelltown. He would often tell stories about Campbelltown when it was farmland and everyone knew each other. He loved the time he spent growing up there and raising his own family there too. He was a quiet achiever, always helping out (often anonymously) and never asking for or expecting recognition or reward.
Researched and compiled by Sam Brook, in conjunction with the family of the late Allan Stock.
If you have any comments or questions regarding the information in this local history article, please contact the Local History officer on 8366 9357 or hthiselton@campbelltown.sa.gov.au