Wenty Voices / Wentworthville Now and Then

18/06/2026

Oh yeah, this is happening next Monday. :0)

Join author Stephen Cummings at Merrylands Library as he shares the stories behind his new book Wenty Voices. After a decade of researching the history of Wentworthville, Stephen has gathered remarkable local stories, first shared on his popular page, and brought them together in one book.

Where: Merrylands Library
When: Monday, 22 June 2026 10.30am – 11.30am

Bookings not required. Just pop in and enjoy an hour of local history and community storytelling.

17/06/2026

Thanks to Jade Toogood for sharing family photos, of her grandparents Fred and Lorna Ridgway's home at 1 Barry Place, where they lived with their children Linda (Jade's Mum) and Steven. Lorna worked for Woolworths, where she racked up 20 year's service as a storeman.

17/06/2026

I’ve just applied to join the ‘Old Darcy Road Public School’ group, and have been approved to share some of their posts.
If you are an ex-student of Darcy Road Public School, and haven’t already, you might want to check out the group. :0)

16/06/2026

Thanks so very much to Kate Ellis for sharing these family treasures, featuring her family, and famed grandfather, and Boronia Street resident, Jack McCann.

Jack (John Gerald James McCann) was an official, and diving judge at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, won the 1940 State Low Board Diving Championship at North Sydney Pool, and represented Australia at the 1938 Empire Games (precursor to the Commonwealth Games).

Jack's daughter (Kate's Mum Glenda) wrote in her notebook that Jack was NSW and Australian high and low board champion, held other major Australian titles, and was leader of the NSW diving troop. Jack was also a founding member of Granville swimming club.

It should also be noted that Jack's brother Joseph McCann represented Australia in the Men's 3 Metre Springboard event at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, won the National Diving Championships in 1951, and competed in the 1950 Commonwealth Games.

The photos show:
- Jack McCann with daughter Cecily (Kate’s Aunt)
- Jack McCann in action
- Jack’s representative coat patches
- Jack at North Sydney pool doing an advertisement for toothpaste
- Jack (left) with 2 others (as noted on reverse)
- Jack standing 3rd from right, and Cecily McCann (Jack’s wife) seated at table, at a Hard Court Tennis Gala Ball
- Jack’s official documentation

13/06/2026

Thanks to Laurie Longmore, for sharing this great photo of Wenty Post Office staff in 1964.

Laurie worked there in 1968, “selling stamps, paying pensions, paying child endowment and sending telegrams by morse code.”

12/06/2026

Thanks to Greg Mashiah, for sharing the following info on the Prospect Quarry Railway and the accompanying photo:

The Prospect Quarry railway ran from Toongabbie to Prospect Quarry (south of the Great Western Highway) and was a private line owned initially by the "Emu and Prospect Gravel and Road Metal Company Ltd".

The railway opened for traffic on 7 April 1902. The exchange sidings for the private railway with the NSW Government railway were located on the southern side of Targo Road.

Trains stopped running on the line in 1945 because the railway department was unable to supply railway trucks for the gravel, so the quarry started to use road transport instead.

Two of the former quarry steam engines remained on site until being sold for scrap in 1957 (which brings it within the period of this group).

In the early 1960s much of the track from this branchline was donated to the Steam Train and Railway Preservation (Co-op) Society, which between 1962 and 1964 relaid the rails in Parramatta Park to operate steam trams on the 4th Sunday of the month until the arson attack on 7 June 1993.

Interestingly, the railway was still shown in the "Robinsons" street directory in the early 1970s!

Noted Australian railway photographer John Buckland visited the engine depot in October 1947, a couple of years after the last train had run, refer - https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-155201730/view

Photo source: NSW State Archives, SRA photo collection NRS-17420-2-6-393/138

12/06/2026

Sorry to be the bearer if sad news, but Meagan Robards has let me know that long-time Wenty resident, Marion Wilson, passed away on Saturday 6th of June, aged 93 years.

Meaghan was asked to pass on the news by Marion’s daughter Lyn.

I remember the Wilson family fondly, from our shared times at Wenty Public School, Greystanes High School, and St Andrew’s church, where my sisters joined the 111th Girls’ Brigade Company, where Marion served as Captain from 1972 to 1997.

The attached photo shows the 111th Company outside St Andrew’s in the early, to mid, 1970’s, at the wedding of one of the Company’s leaders. Marion is in the back row, 4th from the right.

My sisters and I would like to pass on our sincerest condolences to the Wilson family at this sad time.

10/06/2026

Thanks to Cathy Mason, for sharing this ‘Call to Arms’ Certificate, signed by Mayor, George Maunder, and Town Clerk, A Bavinton, which was presented to her father by Holroyd Council in October 1944.

09/06/2026

One for Parramatta Marist Brothers students.