By Cathy Jones
In response to inquiries about the cottage in Strathfield Park. There was a cottage in Strathfield Park. From 1947 it was leased at 11 /- (shillings) per week to S. Begnell, a member of Council’s outdoor workforce, who resided in the cottage and performed some oversight of park’s activities. Issues were raised regularly regarding the condition of the cottage which is described as a weatherboard cottage. In 1952, Council vacated the cottage and in February 1953, Council called a tender for the removal and/or demolition of the cottage. The cottage was demolished and all utilities disconnected in November 1953.
The aerial photo is dated c.1947 and shows the location of the cottage. I haven’t any other photos of this structure – if anyone has any old photos of the cottage and of Strathfield Park generally, donations of photos and documents are appreciated.
References
Strathfield Council, Minutes of Council meetings 1947-1953
© Cathy Jones 2018
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Strathfield Heritage 
Stan Begnell and his family lived in the Cottage before 1947. According to Electoral rolls my father lived with him for a period in the early 1930s. My father, Jim Begnell , was Stan’s nephew. Stan, or Thomas Stanley Begnell was born in 1895 and he worked for Strathfield Council after returning from service in WW1. He enlisted and served in the Second World War as well. The Begnell family lived n Eve Street South Strathfield between 1901 until the 1980s.
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Hi Joe,
This is a funny question – could it have been Elva Street that they lived in and
not Eve Street? This is because a lovely man name Mr Begnall used to look after our
garden in Churchill Avenue and I believe that he lived nearby in Elva Street.
Or it could just be a coincidence!
Jenny Inglis
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We lived in Augusta street from 1961 onwards and remember as kids walking to the park with clean shoes and playing on the wooden swings, hot metal skinny slippery dip, running around the wooden merrygo round that we would push and then jump on .
We then walked home all by ourselves at 8 & 10 years with filthy feet from the gravel and dust off the wooden play equipment. So Much simple run.
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