Enfield Council Chambers and War Memorial, 1934

The corner of Liverpool Road and Coronation Parade (formerly Punchbowl Road), Enfield, 2 October 1934. Courtesy NSW State Archives and Records

This photo was taken on the corner of Coronation Avenue and Liverpool Road on 2 October 1934 at about 2.28pm after reconstruction of the road, then known as Punchbowl Road. On the right you can see the former Enfield Council Chambers, built in 1930, and the Enfield War Memorial which was unveiled on 11 October 1924, in a ‘commanding position’[1] – a gift of the Mayor, Ebenezer Ford and his wife.[2] Both of these landmarks are easily recognisable today.
A gentleman in collar and tie can be seen leaving the Council Chambers. The tram tracks are also clearly visible and two ladies are waiting for their tram. Trams ran along this track until 1948.

This photo from the book ‘The Rockdale & Enfield Lines of the Sydney Tramway System’ shows much the same scene on the last day that the trams ran through Enfield in 1948. The Council Chambers and War Memorial are partly visible.

Behind the ladies is a white drinking fountain which was unveiled on 2 July 1932 as a tribute to Alderman Ebenezer Ford who had suffered an accident during April that year. Before his accident he had not missed a council meeting in 23 years.[3] Ford was also mayor for 11 years. The plaque was unveiled by the Premier, Mr Stevens.[4] Alderman Ford died the following month on 25 August.

Photo cropped from above. Courtesy NSW State Archives and Records

Alongside the drinking fountain is the flagpole, although there is no flag flying on this day. In 1953 however, Strathfield Council offered a £100 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the sawing in half of a later flagpole on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation. A small flag with a note ‘Down with the Monarchy’ had been left beside it.[5] Rather ironic considering that the Coronation Arch was built for her father, and the road renamed Coronation Parade in honour of George VI’s coronation in 1937.

On the left the spire of St Thomas’ Church rises above the modest shops that advertise hemstitching, a fuel merchant and body repairs. Several cars share the road with two carts being pulled by horses and a man on a bicycle. Another man rests on his bike on the footpath to the left. A well-dressed lady walks towards Liverpool Road while the man in the cart closest to the camera looks directly at the photographer. The road is only two lanes, compared with today’s six lanes of traffic. The view from the same point today is difficult to photograph from the middle of such main roads but the spire of St Thomas’ is no longer visible from this angle.

Opening of Enfield Council Chambers 19 July 1930. The gentleman standing in the centre is Treasurer (later Premier) of NSW, Sir Bertram Stevens. The Mayor, Mr Stanley Lloyd sits to his left. Aldermen Phillips and Jackson are on the far left. Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies.

On 22 July 1930 ‘His Worship the Mayor welcomed the aldermen at the first meeting held in the new council chambers, and expressed the hope that the deliberations of the Council in its new home would long continue to the benefit of the municipality.’[6]

Although this Enfield Council Chambers performed duties as a seat of municipal government for less than 20 years, the building was the gathering place for many meetings during that time. The newly-formed Women’s Amateur Swimming Club made the Enfield Council Chambers its headquarters, and the mayoress Mrs Lloyd its patroness, when it was formed in September 1933.[7] Other activities on site included the sale of properties for rates during the Depression.[8]

The staff of Enfield Council outside the Council Chambers, 1937. Back row, from left: Mr Dudeney (Overseer), Mr Lawson (Clerk), Mr Upcroft (Baths’ Manager, Mr Lloyd (Clerk). Front row, from left: Miss Brown(Typist), Mr Ryan (Engineer), Mr Drew (Town Clerk), Mr Moore (Health Inspector), Mr Moore (Health Inspector) and Miss Doe (Clerk). Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies

One of the most intriguing events to occur at the Council Chambers was the anonymous return of a silver dish by two young boys which had been a prize at the Eighth Annual Mayoral Swimming Carnival at Enfield Pool on 20 February 1941. The competition between Sydney aldermen had been fiercely contested and an Alderman J. Porter of Newtown Council had won the race for deputy mayors. Although Newtown Council did have an Alderman J. Porter, the Deputy Mayor of Newtown was an Alderman Solomon, both of whom were much older men than the ring-in who actually won the race. ‘An anonymous note apologised for any trouble that had been caused, and said that the race had been entered into in a spirit of fun.’[9]

When the highly respected local bank manager, Mr Lumley was transferred to Lockhart in 1941, he was presented with a wallet of notes by the mayor, Mr Cooke, on behalf of a representative gathering of citizens in the Council Chambers.[10]

Probably the most tragic meeting held here was that for Mrs Scott of 538 Liverpool Road, Enfield. During April 1943 her tram conductor husband, James Victor Scott was killed when he was hit by a tram at Parramatta. He was off duty at the time. Offers of help for his widow and 12 children poured in with a Northbridge butcher offering to pay their meat bill for six months. Other families took some of the children for short holidays. The Mayor, Thomas Cooke, convened a public meeting in the Council Chambers to arrange further financial help for Mrs Scott.[11]

Enfield War Memorial c.1920s. Courtesy Australian War Memorial

The Enfield war memorial opened in 1924, featuring a German 105mm World War I Howitzer Gun. Although many such war trophies were brought home to Australia, today few of these trophies remain on suburban war memorials. Many councils declined to accept the trophies allocated to them after the war, viewing it as glorifying war amidst the losses suffered by so many families. The public display of enemy weaponry was not universally embraced and caused much debate. Other councils accepted their trophy but donated it back to the Government during World War II when there was an appeal for donations of metal for the war effort.[12]

Cover of program for opening of Enfield War Memorial. Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies

Although initially the gift of an anonymous donor, the Enfield Council minutes note that: ‘Ald Weil, who was supported by the whole of the Aldermen present, desired to congratulate the Mayor and Mayoress upon the fine War Memorial erected by them at the Broadway and presented by them to the Municipality.'[13] Ford Park was named in honour of this mayor, once described as the ‘uncrowned King of Enfield.’[14]

After the amalgamation of councils in 1949, Enfield Council ceased to exist with the central and east wards merging with Burwood Council while the west ward was transferred to Strathfield Council. The Enfield Council Chambers was no longer required as a seat of local government and has provided a home for many other purposes and businesses since that time.

By J.J. MacRitchie

Local Studies Advisor

 

References

[1] Daily Telegraph 13 October 1924 p.6 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245473972

 

[2] NSW War Memorials Register https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/memorials/enfield-war-memorial

 

[3] The Sun 2 July 1932 p.5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228883716

 

[4] Sydney Morning Herald 4 July 1932 p.10 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16907735

 

[5] Sydney Morning Herald 10 June 1953 p.5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18369723

 

[6] Enfield Council minutes 22 July 1930

 

[7] The Sun 13 September 1933 p.3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229143172

 

[8] Sydney Morning Herald 7 March 1934 p.19 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17071006

 

[9] The Daily Telegraph 21 March 1941 p.9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247566654

 

[10] Daily Advertiser (Wagga) 20 August 1941 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145234619

 

[11] The Sun 29 April 1943 p.3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231744247

 

[12] Scratching Sydney’s Surface: exploring hidden Sydney https://scratchingsydneyssurface.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/19-sept-2014-sydneys-war-trophies/

 

[13] Enfield Council minutes 21 October 1924

 

[14] The Sun 5 May 1919 p.25 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223961209

 

Further reading

Australian War Memorial ‘War trophies: First World War’ https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/war_trophies

Jones, Cathy ‘Enfield Council Chambers’ https://strathfieldheritage.com/local-government/former-enfield-council/enfield-council-chambers/

Jones, Cathy ‘Enfield War Memorial’ https://strathfieldheritage.com/war-memorials/enfield-war-memorial/

Scratching Sydney’s Surface. 19 September 2014: Sydney’s War Trophies https://scratchingsydneyssurface.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/19-sept-2014-sydneys-war-trophies/