Oxford Park, London: A History Reclaimed

As a child in London West in the 1960s, Lorraine Tinsley, BA’76, MA’20, spent her days wandering around the Thames River or Medway Creek with her friends, not returning home until dusk.

“Growing up in those years was a different kind of childhood than today,” says Lorraine from her residence in London. “I’ve always felt a kinship with the people of Oxford Park.”

An author and historian, Lorraine has spent decades of her adult life documenting history in the Middle East. When she returned to London in 2019 to start her Master of Arts in Public History, she described it as a “second homecoming.” 

“As a Western alum in History, it seemed to be the obvious place to continue my education because of its stellar Public History program, and its rigorous research concentration in World War I and Middle Eastern studies – my area of focus at the time.”

In 2024, she published her latest historical volume Here Before Us: A Neighbourhood History of Oxford Park, London, Ontario, Canada. A culmination of a three-year research exploration to uncover the hidden history of Oxford Park and London West, the book contains never-before-seen images and accounts from residents.   

Irresistible research

Known for their passion and curiosity about their small piece of London, Oxford Park’s residents and local historians invited Tinsley to document the mysteries of its inception. She was referred to the Oxford Park Community Association, which had been awarded a City of London Neighborhood Decision Making Grant.

“The history of Oxford Park was never properly documented. It was gratifying to know there was this much interest from the community in recording and producing a book on its history. I couldn’t resist.”

Her research – conducted in collaboration with Western University Archives and Special Collections (ASC), London Public Library's London Room, and Museum London, and with first-hand oral accounts from residents – unveiled fascinating stories about this often-overlooked pocket of London.

Lorraine’s book digs deeper than the development of the neighbourhood and land. Through her account, she unearths relics of history – the presence of an early Indigenous settlement, the Forks of the Thames’ European roots, the local Black settlers’ role in creating the neighbourhood (with the area’s earliest known settler being freedom seeker John Holmes), and insights into wartime service, the post-war baby boom, and the catastrophic gas explosions of summer 1973.

The book’s “Reflections and Recollections” chapter highlights the locals’ first-hand experiences from their lives in the neighbourhood, capturing childhood memories of Oxford Park School, recollections of life for women and children during and after World War II, and stories illustrating the community’s defining sense of self.

“Ordinary people often don’t get to have their memories documented or printed,” she says. “It was a reciprocal gift to show London residents that their memories were just as important as any other archival documents I have found.”

A new discovery

Lorraine credits the ASC at the D.B. Weldon Library as an invaluable resource for uncovering London’s history.  

The ASC houses a unique collection of London Free Press negatives, which helped her gather historical photographs of Oxford Park, including a series of images documenting the 1973 gas explosions.

She also unearthed rare maps at the ASC, including one that has never been published before.  

“Hiding in plain sight, I found a bird’s-eye-view coloured map from 1874 of the Kensington Brigade Camp, a military training camp that ran for two weeks,” she exclaimed. “You can see the area that would soon be laid out as Oxford Park on the horizon.”

Her book contains more than 120 fascinating images of Oxford Park and London West drawn from these resources and contributions from residents.

From the past to the future

A lifelong learner, Lorraine is already planning her next book focusing on a longstanding interest – the art of Sir Frederick Banting. Known for discovering insulin in 1922, Banting developed his interest in painting while living in London.  

She is also writing an article on the Middle East travels of Milly Harris of Eldon House (London’s oldest house that has been preserved since the nineteenth century), and considering a children’s book on acclaimed English writer, traveler and archaeologist Gertrude Bell – the subject of her first work The Uncrowned King & the Desert Queen, published in 2023.

“Doing my master’s in Public History at Western and creating Here Before Us are the culmination of a long-held dream to help bring the past to life in my hometown. I am very grateful to be working as a local historian in London ever since.”

Here Before Us: A Neighbourhood History of London, Ontario, Canada is available for purchase at the Dellelce Family Bookstore at Western and can be borrowed from the D.B. Weldon Library. 

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