By the late 1990s, the Springett name had been part of Bowral for more than 70 years. The family business had changed enormously since Henry Louis Springett first brought his family to town in 1926, but its connection to the community had only grown stronger.
The August postcard captures Springett’s Arcade during a particularly familiar period in Bowral’s more recent history. Estreich Jewellers occupied the shopfront beside the Arcade entrance, while Greg Maley’s Soul Pattinson pharmacy was another recognisable name along Bong Bong Street. By this time, the Arcade was no longer Bowral’s new development. It had become part of the rhythm of the town: somewhere to shop, work, meet and pass through on the way from one part of the town centre to another.
The decade from 1996 to 2006, however, tells a story that reaches well beyond the Arcade itself. It was a period in which the Springett family increasingly turned its attention towards preserving Bowral’s history and supporting the community that had supported their family for generations.
Changing Generations
The decade also brought the loss of members of the generation that had helped transform the Springett family businesses throughout the twentieth century.
On 20 June 1998, Anthony Louis “Tony” Springett Senior died at the age of 81. Two and a half years later, on 14 January 2001, his brother Harry Springett also passed away. Both men had spent decades connected to the family businesses, their working lives spanning an extraordinary period of change in Bowral and within Springett’s itself.
Their generation had seen the family move from its early grocery, bakery, ice works and cordial operations into new businesses, property development and eventually the creation of Springett’s Arcade.
Yet even as one generation began to pass, the family’s involvement in Bowral continued to grow.
Ted Springett and Tulip Time
In 1998, Ted Springett became president of the Tulip Time Committee, adding another chapter to his long involvement in the civic and commercial life of Bowral.
During his presidency, Ted successfully advocated for a $3 admission charge while the tulips were in bloom. The result was significant. Records within the Springett family history note that Tulip Time raised approximately $80,000 in the first year and $130,000 in the second, compared with previous annual returns of around $18,000.
For a family whose history had become so intertwined with the commercial growth of Bowral, Tulip Time was a natural cause to champion. The festival attracted visitors to the town, supported local businesses and celebrated the gardens and character that had become central to Bowral’s identity.
That contribution formed part of a much broader record of service.
On 26 January 2000, Albert Edward “Ted” Springett was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the communities of Bowral and Mittagong through service, tourism and business organisations. The Australia Day Honours record confirms the award and its recognition of his contribution to both communities.
It was national recognition for work that had always been distinctly local.
The Springett Family Foundation
By 2004, that commitment to the region had taken a more permanent form. Ted and Bob Springett established the Springett Family Foundation, creating a vehicle through which the family could continue supporting the Wingecarribee Shire community into the future. Records described it as a fund established by the two local philanthropists specifically to deliver benefits within the Bowral community.
After decades of building businesses in the Southern Highlands, the family was putting structures in place to ensure that its contribution could continue beyond any one generation.
Remembering the People Who Built Bowral
Perhaps one of the most visible expressions of that philosophy arrived the following year.
On 21 August 2005, the Bowral Commemoration Wall was officially opened at Memorial Park on Bong Bong Street. Donated to the town by the Springett family, with Ted and Bob closely involved, the wall was designed to recognise the people whose efforts had helped shape Bowral.
Ted did considerably more than fund the project. In the 12 months leading up to its unveiling, he researched the history of approximately 130 local people represented on the wall. Their stories were recorded through bronze plaques, alongside relief sculptures celebrating some of Bowral’s best-known figures.
The idea behind it was remarkably consistent with the Springett family’s own story: a town is not created by buildings alone. It is created by the accumulated work, ideas and generosity of the people who call it home.
The wall was intended not simply to look backwards, but to encourage future generations to value the same community spirit.
Farewell to Bob Springett
The decade closed on a more personal note.
On 12 October 2006, Robert “Bob” Springett passed away at the age of 80. His son Mark later remembered the commitment that had characterised his father’s working life:
“He always worked hard and long hours and that was the reason for the success he has had.”
Bob had been an important part of one of the most transformative generations in Springett’s history. His years in the business encompassed the Hot Canary era, the development and expansion of Springett’s Arcade and the evolution of the family from shopkeepers and manufacturers into custodians of one of Bowral’s most recognisable commercial landmarks.
More Than a Place to Shop
Look again at the August postcard and there is something wonderfully ordinary about it.
Cars are parked along Bong Bong Street. Familiar businesses sit beneath the old brick façade. The entrance to Springett’s Arcade occupies the centre, not as a grand new development, but simply as part of Bowral and perhaps that is what makes this period important.
By 1996–2006, the Springett family no longer needed to establish its place in the town. More than seven decades had done that. Instead, this became a decade in which attention increasingly turned towards what could be given back, through Tulip Time, philanthropy, local history and projects intended to benefit generations still to come.
The businesses changed. Shopfronts changed. Bowral continued to grow, however, the relationship between Springett’s and its community remained at the heart of the story.
