Residents of the Australian town that became home to many Campbeltonians seeking a new life in the 1920s continue to maintain a strong connection with Kintyre 100 years on.
As home to a whole community of former Campbeltown residents and their descendents, Northcliffe has featured in the Campbeltown Courier’s news pages many times over the years, most recently in honour of the town’s centenary celebrations earlier this month.
Among the hundreds of people who joined in with the celebrations was Robert Prew, whose mother Margaret, née Jackson, moved from Drumlemble to the group settlement town in 1926.
Margaret travelled with her parents, Margaret and George, and brothers, George, James and Archie, to the Western Australian town as part of group 133.
“Her story is a commendable and courageous one of helping first on the family farm then going to Perth on her own to earn money to send back to her parents so they could continue to survive in terrible circumstances,” said Robert, who has visited Campbeltown three times during his life.
Claire Nixon, one of the volunteers who helped organise Northcliffe’s four days of 100th anniversary celebrations, said: “I can imagine people thinking, ‘How is 100 years important?’ Well, the poor people who were sent here came to land that was not cleared; it was a tough gig.”
Claire, whose own grandmother was born in Campbeltown in 1920, added: “The settlers were put into groups/areas – group 133 was only Scottish people and is affectionately known as ‘Scots Group’. We all still keep in touch.”
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