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1HERITAGE July - August 2012

HERITAGENEWSLETTER OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION

OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS INC. JULY - AUGUST 2012 ISSUE No. 22

GOVERNOR of NSW, ProfessorMarie Bashir, AC CVO officiallyopened “The Red Admiral” – anexhibition of Patrick White’s yearsat Mount Wilson last month

Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine HistoricalSociety celebrated the centenary ofPatrick White’s May 28, 1912 birthdate with the opening of anexhibition that examines the writer’searly years at Mt Wilson.

It highlights the impact of both theAustralian natural environment andthe influence of working class andwealthy society individuals andfamilies that were to strongly shapeWhite for the remainder of his life.

“He [White] was one of our greatestwriters and this exhibition enrichesour understanding of him,” saidProfessor Bashir .

“The hidden yearnings of White’scharacters are what I have mostenjoyed and now I am inspired torevisit them,” Professor Bashirsaid.

David Marr and Barbara Mobbs,White’s biographer and literaryexecutor respectively, were alsoguests of the society at the opening.

A specially commissioned 25minute DVD of White, and hisrelationship to Mt Wilson, premieredat the exhibition.

The film featured interviews withthree Mt Wilson residents, PeterValder, Mary Reynolds and LibbyRaines. Another three localresidents – Rachael Kohn(interviewer), Huw Evans (narrator)and Fiona Carruthers (producer) –also made significant contributionsto the film.

Governor opens ‘The Red Admiral’exhibition at Mt Wilson

Dr Bernadette Brennan and DrSusan Lever, two respectedacademics from the University ofSydney and the Association for theStudy of Australian Literature(ASAL), and David Marr were alsointerviewed in the video and exploreMt Wilson’s influence on White’sworks.

Both the video and the exhibitionmaterial were enthusiasticallyreceived by attendees.

Most people were genuinelysurprised at the deep affectionWhite had for his childhood homeand the profound influence it had onhis work.

At the conclusion of the openingformalities, Des Barrett, president ofthe Mt Wilson and Mt IrvineHistorical Society, presented $5,000to ASAL for the purpose of study atpost-graduate level (MA or PhD) ofthe literary work of Patrick White.

ASAL have nominated that thescholarship would be jointly sharedby Georgina Loveridge from theUniversity of Sydney and LorraineBurdett from the University of NSW.Both Georgina and Lorraineattended the opening and werepresented to the audience byBernadette Brennan, ASAL’spresident.

The exhibition is now in winterrecess and will move to the MtWilson Turkish Bath in Septemberthrough to May 2013.

Details of opening hours during thisperiod will be announced at a laterdate.

The DVD can be obtained bycontacting Tim Gow [email protected] on (02) 4756 2032. A donation tothe Society of $15 to cover postageand copying costs is suggested.

Mary Reynolds, OAM , the Governor of NSW Professor MarieBashir AC CVO and Des Barrett at the exhibition opening


An opinion from the editor.......Contents.........HERITAGEJuly - August

2012

The digital age and theway researchers source

information

John Leary, OAM - Past president,Blue Mountains Association ofCultural Heritage Organisations Inc.

*P1 Governor opensRed Admiralexhibition at MtWilson

*P2 The digital ageand the wayresearcherssourceinformation

*P3 Crisis for regionalicon Zig ZagRailway

*P4 Historians andfriendscongratulate JohnLow OAM

*P7 Miles and hermates in themountains

*P8 World War 2 inthe BlueMountains

*P9 Managing yourcollectionworkshop

*P11 Paddy Ryan lefthis mark in stone

*P13 National tree day *P14 Lithgow SAF

centenary *P15 Tribute to Bills

horse troughs *P16 e-mails are

bouncing *P16 Bendigo Bank

helps Everglades *P17 Cemetery walk

remembersGallipoli hero

*P17 National Trustluminary dies

*P18 Lithgow FamilyHistory electscommittee

*P18 Dicover exoticplants

*P19 Western Crossingcommemoration

* P20 Timbuktu WorldHeritage shrineunder attack

CorrectionWhat have welearned in 2067

years?“THE budget should be balanced, thetreasury should be refilled, public debtshould be reduced, the arrogance ofofficialdom should be tempered andcontrolled, and the assistance to foreignlands should be curtailed lest Romebecome bankrupt. People must againlearn to work, instead of living on public

assistance.” Cicero - 55 BC

IN the May – June 2012 edition ofHERITAGE it was reported that duringthe past 6 years Barrie [Reynolds] hasbeen successful in gaining considerablefunds for the work of BMACHO withmore than $12,000 from successfulapplications in the past financial year.

While the statement was not incorrect itcould have been reported that in his[Professor Reynold’s] term of officeBMACHO has been successful inapplications at local, state and federallevels to the tune of some $25,000

FOR a decade or more libraries anduniversities around the world havebeen emptying their bookshelves ofbooks as more of the bound paperobjects are digitalised.

Of course some universities and to alesser degree libraries are using thecover of a need to digitalise to disposeof publications which are not in regulardemand thus freeing up valuablespace for computers and work areas.Using the euphemisms of today thiswill mean ‘the transformation oflibraries from studious environments tosocial ones’.

Librarians have had to weigh up thepluses and minus of disposing of ‘slowdemand publications’ from librariesand one of the more obviousdownsides is this information boundbetween the dusty covers could be lostfor ever.

So how is digitalising affecting theresearchers — academics,professionals and more importantly forreaders of this newsletter, people likethe amateur historian and local studiesenthusiasts?

Researchers face the task of acquiringtechnological skills to navigate themasses of information often displayedin an entirely different form of pastcenturies.

Generally speaking academics andprofessionals appear to have readilyadapted to digitalisation; manypredicting that with completion ofindexing the time in researching

subjects has been dramaticallyshortened allowing time saved “lookingthings up” to be used for more in-depthresearch. One of the downsides is ofcourse that the easy access ofinformation by students paves the wayto more plagiarism.

But how are amateur historians coping?These are the people who as thiscolumn has stated many times beforeform the backbone of research andrecording of our local history andheritage.

They have taken surprisingly well itwould seem, to change, although thereare some who have been left behindwith the computer age and in particulardigitalisation.

BMACHO with a generous grant fromthe Telstra Connected Seniors programearlier this year played a significant rolein assisting local historians to betternavigate the Internet and otherorganisations continue to assist olderpeople.

Libraries are and have changed and it isinteresting that the incoming chairmanof the National Library of Australia, RyanStokes appears to come to the jobmaking no claims as a scholar or loverof books. But rather in a previous life, hehad according to the federal minister forarts shown leadership in “driving digitalcontent and developing the digitaleconomy with the wireless broadbandprovider Vividwireless.”


Crisis for regional touristicon Zig Zag Railway

ONE of the region’s premier touristattractions the heritage Zig ZagRailway at Clarence suddenlyclosed last month and could be offthe rails for months after its boardreceived notice to cease operationsfrom the Independent TransportSafety Regulator (ITSR)

Larry Zanker, chairman, Zig ZagRailways issued the followingstatement: “Zig Zag railway hasbeen operating both steam anddiesel rail motor trains seven days aweek for many years now.

“Unfortunately this intensive runningschedule is taking its toll of ourlocomotives and carriages.

“Zig Zag Railway is currentlydeveloping a whole new set ofprocedures to ensure that we will beable to return to the services weoffered before.”

An ITSR spokesperson said theregulatory body did not considerthere was an immediate threat tosafety at the attraction but actionhad been forced by “systemic andmanagement difficulties.”

NSW Transport Minister GladysBerejiklian has offered to providethe Zig Zag Railway’s managementwith the advice, expertise andassistance it needs to update its

operational systems to ensurecompliance with regulatoryrequirements.

The Zig Zag Ralway is a 19thcentury engineering masterpieceand a renowned tourist attraction.

The Zig Zag is a full size, narrowgauge tourist railway located atClarence, 10km east of Lithgow.

Built in the 1860s, the line wasconstructed to transport people andproduce from the western plains ofNSW to Sydney.

John Whitton, chief engineer of theNSW Government Railways,designed a ‘Zig-Zag’ line - a series

of gently sloping ramps in the formof a letter ‘Z’ - which alternatelypush and pull trains down theescarpment.

The Zig Zag Railway, passes overthree wonderful sandstone viaductsand through two hand-hewn tunnelsplus a cutting. The views during itsdescent from the Blue Mountainsinto the Lithgow Valley are striking.

By the beginning of the 20th centuryrail traffic over the Blue Mountainswas heavy and the single track wasinadequate.

A ten-tunnel line was constructedthrough the escarpment andcompleted in 1910 bypassing thezig-zag line.

The trains, track and rolling stockare maintained and operated by theZig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd, avoluntary, “not for profit’ co-operative.

An early photograph of the heritage Zig Zag railway

Zig Zag Railway is an inauguralmember of BMACHO and itsmembers wish the railway’smanagement and volunteers aspeedy return of this greatattraction steeped in the heritageof this region

The Zig Zag Railway appeals tochildren and adults alike, especiallythose who once rode behind steamlocomotives on the way to school oron holidays.

A BMACHO member


Historians and friends congratulateJohn Low on Order of Australia award

John Low, OAM --- Historian, gentleman and friend to many.Photograph courtesy Blue Mountains Gazette

MANY will have privatelycongratulated John Low on beingrecognised with an Order ofAustralia Medal (OAM) for hisservice to the Blue Mountains as ahistorian, author and librarian

HERITAGE in a salute to John anindividual member of BMACHO, hasinvited a number of people tocomment on the work of this trulyquiet achiever.

Former president of BMACHO JohnLeary, OAM has written:“Communities throughout Australiahave men and women researchingand chronicling local history, theimmense product of which is andwill be of immeasurable value tofuture students and those interestedin our heritage. Most of these goodpeople will go unheralded and JohnLow in his humble way might wellsay, ‘Why me’.

“Simply … using the hackneyedphrase, ‘his award is well deserved.’He has served his community well.He has been a doer, a giver and theBlue Mountains has been a betterplace for his coming.

“John Low has a quality whichmarks him out as a person who isnot only interesting but alsointerested.

“John as a historian, while alwayskeen to discover the facts of ourheritage portrays history in aninteresting manner almost as if araconteur.

“Not only is John interesting but heis also interested as a spectator ofwhat is going on around him.

“Wild Ephemera a collection ofsome his poems is indicative of hisability and skill as an unbiasedobserver of the natural and humanhistory of the Blue Mountains.

“The opening stanza of his poem LISTENING,

evokes an image which has beenpart of Blue Mountains heritagesince time immemorial.

“One of the most refreshing of mymemories of John was in the earlyyears of this millennium when aschairman of the Friends ofWoodford Academy; I invited anumber of local poets includingJohn Low and Deb Westbury toread poetry as a fund raiser for theNational Trust of Australia (NSW).

“The day had been a success, butfor me the jewel in the crown of theday was to quietly talk and listen toJohn about Woodford Academy.

“I listened enthralled to John quietlytell me what he knew about theproperty. He told me in a quitehumble manner what he knewabout the property encapsulating ina very short time more than I couldhave ever hoped to haveresearched on my own. John hascontinued to give me this sort ofadvice and support for more than adecade and particularly as theeditor of HERITAGE.

“His advice is highly valued by allthat come in contact with him notonly in the Blue Mountains but in amuch wider sphere.

“His pleasing personality andunassuming manner allows thoseseeking the benefit of hisexperience to gain access to atreasure trove of knowledge.

“Others will speak and write moreeloquently than I of this giant of aman in the field of Blue Mountainsheritage and whose love of localhistory seems to know no bounds,”

--- John Leary, OAM

“I’ve learnt a greatdeal in my time aslocal studies librarianand my life in the BlueMountains has beenthe richer for it. Nowit’s time to retire andlet someone elseenjoy it.”

- John Low July 2, 2007

With cries like breaking glassfive rosellas,blue and scarlet dartsfire themselvesat a hidden targetsomewherein the canopy’s confusion.My daughter is startled, butexcited.She loves the bush innocently,pointingto where the birds have gone…


Manager Blue Mountains CityCouncil’s libraries and customerservices Vicki Edmunds hascontributed the text from an addressat his retirement in 2007

John Low was employed by theBlue Mountains City Library as alocal history librarian in March 1982on a 6 month contract to establish alocal history collection.

“Following an extension of thiscontract, he was appointed on apermanent basis in September1983.

“From these small beginnings thelocal history (now studies) collectionhas grown into a large and valuablepart of the library’s reference andinformation service.

“It has been used by a wide varietyof people – school and universitystudents, local residents seekingexplanations for place and streetnames, professional and localhistorians, authors, songwriters etc.– and has been acknowledged innumerous publications.

“Besides acquiring material andanswering inquiries John enjoyedgetting out and speaking tocommunity groups and schoolclasses and liaising with the varioushistorical societies.

“He particularly enjoyed researchinglots of hidden corners of BlueMountains history and planned tocontinue doing this.”

John retired from Blue MountainsLibrary Service in August, 2007.

--- Vicki Edmunds

Continued page 5

“He kept me entertained withhis conversation...”

President Blue Mountains FamilyHistory Society Inc and secretary ofBMACHO, Jan Koperberg writes: “Ifirst remember meeting John Low in1988, when I purchased two BlueMountains City Council posters, oneby H Rousel and one by JoeBooker, which I still have, framed inmy home.

“At the time John was in the localstudies section of Springwoodlibrary when it was in the“dungeons”, under the existinglibrary, which now houses thelibrarians’ offices.

“However, it would have been amuch quieter and much roomierlocation than the present localstudies section, where it shares withBraemar Gallery.

“Over the years, when I have comeinto contact with John, he hasalways been the same. Alwayspleasant and always willing toprovide assistance.

“He has been guest speaker at anumber of Blue Mountains FamilyHistory Society meetings and I oncedrove John to Windsor for ameeting of the Hawkesbury FamilyHistory Group, where he was guestspeaker.

“He kept me entertained with hisconversation to and from Windsor.

John is ever the historian, stillresearching, still taking groups ontours, still guest speaking andassisting others with their research.

“His daughters say to him that he isstill doing what he was doing whenhe was working, but now he doesn’tget paid. John recalls this with alaugh.

“Congratulations John, youthoroughly deserve the OAMaward.”

--- Jan Koperberg

John Low OAM --- Simply Australia

‘A mastery of so manyunfamiliar corners of Mountains

history...’Long term former president theRAHS and vice president ofBMACHO, Associate Professor IanJack was one of many to respond toa request for a comment.

“All students of heritage and historyin the Blue Mountains are much inthe debt of John Low,” said Dr Jack

“By developing a local studiescentre of excellence at SpringwoodLibrary, John has been an essentialforce in broadening publicawareness of the diversity ofsurviving evidence.

“I was impressed at my firstexposure to the local studiescollections not only by the historicalbooks and journals, the guidebooks, the rate books, the mapsand the photographs, but also bythe shelves of creative literaturewritten in or inspired by theMountains.

“The search-rooms became as aresult an indispensable source forcultural history of all sorts.

“I was simultaneously pleased tofind the rich files and photographsof the Springwood Historical Societycohabiting with the Blue MountainsCity Council’s local studies libraryand equally accessible.

“While John’s own holdings dealteven-handedly with the whole of theBlue Mountains City, their locationin Springwood implied inevitably aparticular relationship withhistorians of the lower Mountainsand the relationship of the twoindependent collections hasbenefited all potential users.

“John’s amiability, unflappability anddetermination, combined with hisown effortless mastery of so manyunfamiliar corners of Mountainshistory, have given him a veryspecial place in the affections of allright-minded scholars,”

--- Ian Jack.

WELL DESERVED


President of the Blue MountainsHistorical Society, GrahamWarmbath writes, “I doff my cap toJohn Low, OAM”

“As a boy in war time Britain,chortling over Sir David Lowcartoons of Hitler and Musollini, ifsomeone had told me that one day Ishould meet a relative, how could Ihave believed that? Yet it’shappened.

“If Sir David ‘damaged Anglo-German relations’, John hascharmed us all from his ‘head full ofsecrets’.

“Did I really think that the soldiers ofthe 4th King’s Own Regiment of Footwould lead as harsh a life as thoseof the convicts? I could go on!

“John Low is a prominent memberof Blue Mountains Historical Society

“I doff my cap to John Low, OAM”and of its management committee,taking responsibility for a programof ‘walks and talks’ which hasattracted a community and grownmembership of the society.

“Formerly, John was BlueMountains City Council’s localstudies librarian, based atSpringwood library. I first met Johnthere, a genial mercurial figure withwhom I felt at ease.

“Fast forward to Monday June, 11last: The Sydney Morning Heraldpublishes the Queen’s BirthdayHonours List 2012… John CarlisleLow has been awarded the Order ofAustralia Medal ‘for service to theBlue Mountains as a historian,author and librarian’… news thatmelted all composure.

“Well done, friend. Hurrah from theBlue Mountains Historical Society.”

--- Graham Warmbath

John Low on the verandah of “Braemar”, Springwood 1987, a buildingin which he spent considerable time as a local studies librarian.

Photograph Blue Mountains City Library collection.

Vice president of the BlueMountains Historical Society JudyBaham writes: “As a comparativenewcomer to the Mountains, I havealways found John’s encyclopaedicknowledge of the area inspiring.

“Little snippets of information givenfreely come at most unexpectedtimes.

“I enjoy the lectures he gives. Theyare often on obscure events of local

Encyclopaedic knowledgehistory which he turns into anabsorbing tale.

“As Blue Mountains HistoricalSociety’s librarian, I can always turnto John for advice andrecommendations for new booksand know that what he says issound advice.

“I can never hope to acquire hisknowledge of Blue Mountainsauthors and their works.”

--- Judy Barham

.

President of BMACHO and co-founder Springwood Historians,Pamela Smith writes: “Johndeserves the award for all the hardwork and dedication he put intobuilding up the local studiescollection from virtually nothing to avery valuable asset of BMCC.

“He was always unstinting in thetime he gave to local schools,service organisations and peoplethat frequented local studies(including myself) and as a resultJohn has gained wide recognitionand respect from all thosewith whom he came into contact.” --- Pamela Smith

A man unstintingof his time

Former president Blue MountainsHistoical Society and currenteditor Blue Mountains HistoryJournal Dr Peter Rickwoodwrites: “It is pleasing that thecontributions of the pre-eminenthistorian in the Blue Mountainshave at last been recognised withthe award of an OAM.

“One aspect of John’s activitiesthat has not been covered byothers is his willingness to travelin the interest of fostering localhistory.

“For some years John madeweekly train journeys from Leurato North Sydney to work as avolunteer at the Don BankMuseum.

“But although that is his usualmode of transport he is notrestricted to the rail corridor asone of his passions is forwalking.

“Thus he has been known toattend ceremonies etc. all overthe Blue Mountains irrespectiveof their location and theprevailing weather conditions,and his presence is alwaysappreciated.

“Congratulations John.” --- Peter Rickwood

John’s train tripsto foster local

history


Miles and her matesin the Mountains

A prolific writer and biographer of Miles Franklin,Professor Emerita, Jill Roe, AO (at right) will be one of aline up of first class speakers at the Blue MountainsHistory conference in October this year.

Professor Roe has chosen the title Miles and her mates inthe Mountains for her ‘talk’

Jill is professor emerita in modern history at MacquarieUniversity, Sydney.

She is the author of the prize-winning Stella Miles Franklin— A Biography (2008, now available in paperback and asan e-book), and editor of selections of Miles Franklin’sletters (My Congenials, 2nd edition, 2010) and her topicalwritings (A Gregarious Culture, 2001, with MargaretBettison).

She is a long-standing member of the editorial board ofthe Australian Dictionary of Biography. At present she isworking on aspects of regional history

At Macquarie University, Sydney, she has most recentlyserved as Director of the Macquarie PEN Anthology of theAustralian Literature Centre.

She has published books on urbanand social policy history inAustralia; also on the history ofalternative religious movements,and is now a leading authority onthe life and works of Australianwriter Stella Miles Franklin.

Professor Roe was visitingProfessor of Australian Studies atHarvard University from 1994-1995,and an honorary visiting fellow atthe Schlesinger Library, RadcliffCollege in 1999. She was chair ofthe editorial board of the AustralianDictionary of Biography from 1996-2006, an associate editor of aSupplementary Volume (2005), andis an ongoing member of the ADB’sNSW Working Party.

From 1998-2002 she was presidentof the Australian HistoricalAssociation and is a life member.

From 2005 to 2008 she held leadingpositions in the NSW HistoryCouncil. She has been a member ofthe Australian NominatingCommittee, Harvard Chair ofAustralian Studies since 2005, andin 2009 was appointed a member ofthe editorial board of HistoryAustralia.

Her biography of Miles Franklin wasawarded the Queensland Premier’sHistory Book prize 2009, and theSouth Australian Premier’s non-fiction prize and the MagareyMedal for Biography in 2010.

Professor Jill Roe AO the authorof the prize-winning Stella Miles

Franklin — A Biography

Major sponsors come on boardfor conference

IN another boost to the BlueMountains History conference,Blue Mountains City Council hasdonated $600 from itsCommunity Donations Program.

This amount and the $500 fromthe Katoomba and Upper BlueMountains Community Bank(Bendigo Bank) will assist indefraying some of theadministrative costs associatedwith organising this importantinaugural event.

BMACHO president, PamelaSmith said government grantfunds are becoming particularlydifficult to obtain in this currentclimate.

“In addition to the two majorsponsors already commit tedBMACHO would like to thankBlue Mountains City Councillibrary, the Federal Member forMacquarie, Louise Markus MP,

who arranged for the printing ofinvitations for supporting theconference at no cost.

“Other sponsors are also beingsought to keep the fee forparticipants within reasonablelimits,” Pamela said.

See comment by Robert Stock,chairman of Upper BlueMountains Community Bank(Bendigo Bank) on page 13

Thanks to Louise Markus, MP -Member for Macquarie


World War 2 in the Blue MountainsBy Joan Edwards

HOW did mountains people liveduring WW2?

The common view was that warwould be repeat of 1914-1918; anexpeditionary force would beformed, go overseas, women wouldsend knitted socks and foodparcels, and war would be “overthere”.

The Commonwealth enactedseveral pieces of legislation in thefirst week including banning certainimports, price controls andregulation of enemy aliens.

Within the background ofinternational politics and events, amere 7 million Australians occupiedthis island nation, many of whomstill called Britain “home” eventhough they had never been there.

The Commonwealth Governmentdeclared the narrow coastal beltfrom Newcastle to Wollongong asthe priority area, ignoring the smallmountain settlements with dairies,poultry farms and piggeries, theholiday destinations of the uppermountains and the Lithgow Valleyindustrial area yet to recover fromthe depression.

The significance of the area was notfully realised until 1942.

Censorship determined what thepublic was allowed to know as wellas what the government wantedthem to believe – not necessarilythe facts.

Many variations of the facts haveemerged over the years so it hasbeen necessary to rely on Trove’sdigitised major metropolitannewspapers for the wartime versionto which I have been able to addreleased information, extantnewspapers and records, oralhistories, reminiscences andunexpected, once restricted,archival material.

There are several recurring themesall of which relate to the political,military, social and economicconditions at the time.

Rationing was in force, some itemswere on the coupon system, others

when shopkeepers eked out theirsupplies to regular customers.

Creativity and ingenuity wereparamount as local ladies driedused tea leaves to bulk out theofficial supply sufficient for two cupsper day, or use golden syrup whenno egg was available to bind acake.

Similarly they could dodge the holesin Dad’s worn out trousers, turnthem inside out and create newtrousers for the son.

One pre-war development at theSmall Arms Factory, Lithgow was torevert from peacetime orders suchas golf club heads and handcuffsback to guns for which they werefamed in WW1.

The output of Bren guns wasoutstanding especially in view ofstrikes, not receiving full set of blueprints or tools and under trainedworkforce.

Lithgow’s coal mines, electricitygeneration, woollen mills, potteryworks and nearby Portland CementWorks all contributed to the wareffort.

Goods to and from these locationscrossed the mountains by the onedirect road or rail line through theBlue Mountains.

Lithgow could not house the everincreasing workforce so shantycamps developed.

Secondary medical screening usingX-rays identified tuberculosis inmany recently enlisted personnel.

In numerous cases it was two orthree weeks after attestation so theywere discharged into the care of theRed Cross at Bodington Sanatoriumat Wentworth Falls.

Medical advances in T.B. treatmentwere in their infancy and Bodingtonbecame recognised for its care.Other male TB patients were nearbyat the Queen Victoria Homes withfewer amenities.

Activity increased in the desperatedays of 1942. Brownouts were inforce, and all signage removed fromstreets and railway stations.

Street lighting and vehicleheadlights were hooded.

In addition to usual voluntarysupport services, volunteersundertook roles within the NationalEmergency Services (NES) aswardens, first aiders, ambulancedrivers and filled any other positionsas required.

Several centres produced hundredsof camouflage nets, while otherstook up the challenge and joinedthe Volunteer Air Observers Corps(plane spotters) and provided 24hour service at Wentworth Falls andBlackheath.

Continued page 9

Providing an escort to Wentworth Falls station for a patient allowed togo home


The Volunteer Defence Force lostits Dad’s Army image as it cameunder military control.

They were readied for possibleinvasion, prepared for sabotage ifrequired. Gun emplacements wereestablished to defend Lithgowindustries. The route across themountains was vital.

Hundreds of SAF workers werehoused in the upper BlueMountains. The workers weretransported by rail, later by buses.

It is difficult to imagine the men andwomen, working 12 and 8 hourshifts respectively, travelling bybuses limited to 20 miles per hourdue to brownout regulations, oreven loaded buses travelling upVictoria Pass at that speed.

The impact of voluntaryevacuations to the mountains in1942 is difficult to comprehend.

Katoomba school (K to 3rd yearhigh) had 830 pupils in 1941, andan extra 500 turned up on the firstschool day in 1942.

Up to 70 extras turned up atprimary schools. Mountain boardingschools were filled to capacity andseveral Sydney boarding schoolsset up temporary boarding houses.

Teachers were called up, retireesand married women taught inclassrooms or hallways or openlunch sheds or any other availablespace.

Victoria Barracks needed a lessvulnerable location andrequisitioned Burnside Homes atNorth Parramatta and so buildingsto house another 500 had to berequisitioned in Springwood.

Leura’s large bus depot was takento store emergency food suppliesand the Hydro Majestic Hotel for aU.S. army hospital.

The pros and cons of obtainingchemical weapons for retaliatorypurposes was discussed from themid 1930s as it was known theJapanese were using them inChina.

It was not until the 1990s thatcitizens knew about Glenbrooktunnel storage, even then the extentof chemical weapon storage was notrevealed. Of course, spies andenemy aliens are essential in warstories and, yes, we had them too.

All this went on within mountains lifeas we know it. Droughts, storms,weddings, thefts, sporting activities,movies, bushfires, late trains, lostbushwalkers, golf results and morebushfires as well as fears,uncertainty and the stress of familyand friends serving overseas, theever increasing lists of casualtiesand the dreaded telegramannouncing missing or killed inaction.

Volunteer Defence Force lostits “dad’s Army image

Continued from page 8

About the author

Joan Edwards is an historicalgeographer with a particular interestin people and events within theirtotal environment – physical, built,social, economic and political.

This research results from Joan’sdesire to place her childhoodmemories in the environmentalcontext.

Joan has produced numerouspublications over the years includingeducational texts for OxfordUniversity Press and others.

Joan is the past president of theBlue Mountains Family HistorySocity Inc.and currently its vicepresident.

World War 2 in the Blue Mountainswill be published by Blue MountainsFamily History Society in 2013.

State Records in partnership withRAHS will conduct a regionalworkshop, Managing YourCollection on Saturday,November 24.

Being organised by BMACHO,the workshop will be held atHobby’s Reach the property ofBlue Mountains HistoricalSociety, 101 Blaxland Road,Wentworth Falls.

The workshop will commence at10.30am and a cup of tea orcoffee will be available from10am.

Morning tea will be providedhalfway through the workshopand a light lunch will be providedat 1.30pm.

Bookings are essential by e-mailto: [email protected] orphone to Jan Koperberg 902)4754 1544.

Managing yourcollection workshop

DAFFODILSAT THEIR BESTMOUNT TOMAH

AUGUST 18-26

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden,Mount Tomah will be supporting theCancer Council’s Daffodil Day onFriday, August 24 as part of a weeklong festival celebrating the beautyof daffodils and in anticipation of thestart of spring. For detailS see page13.


SAVE 10% on early bird bookings

BLUE MOUNTAINS HISTORY CONFERENCETo be held at the historic Carrington Hotel, Katoomba

on, Saturday, October 20, 2012Conference theme: “Colonial Society”

with a great line-up of speakers and presenters

For further information andearly bookings (capacity

limited to 120 participants)contact Jan Koperberg at

[email protected]

[email protected]

Conference tobe opened byformerpresidentRAHS, Prof IanJack.

The earlyyears of thecolony bykeynotespeaker, ProfPaul Ashton,co-directorAustralianCentre forPublic History.

PROGRAM

Cost includesmorning andafternoon tea as wellas lunch in thehistoric grand diningroom of CarringtonHotel.

The CarringtonHotel - a returnto the era ofgrace,elegance andcharm. A tourguided by PaulInnes.

Musical interlude Jim Low, folk singer, historian and writer.

Bookings with full payment before August 20 will bediscounted to $45 per person ---

Colonialdress byGlynis Jones,curatorfashion &dress design

Nature androle ofgardens inthe earlysettlementperiod bySilas Cliford-Smith archivist atthe Heritage Centre, UNE

Prolific writerand biographerof Miles FranklinProfessorEmerita, Jill Roe,AO has chosenthe title Milesand her mates inthe Mountainsfor her ‘talk’

& society,Powerhouse Museum.


Paddy Ryan left his mark in stone, butmuch of his life is an enigma

by Pamela Smith - Springwood Historians

Everton built by Paddy Ryan for the Hon John Meeks in 1875-7 is stillstanding,

PADDY Ryan, the local BlueMountains stonemason, remainssomewhat of an enigma. Not agreat deal is known about his life ororigins despite being described asan ‘early character of the district.’

It appears that he did not belong toany association or group inSpringwood because when hisname was mentioned periodically inthe newspapers it was only inrelation to his profession.

The earliest official record of Paddyis documented on the 1891 census,where it was said that Patrick Ryanlived in a private house on GroseRoad, Faulconbridge.

A few years later the 1894-5electoral roll confirmed again thathe was still residing atFaulconbridge.

His occupation had changed, andwas noted then as being a ‘farmer’.Andrew Ryan, a labourer ofSpringwood was also listed on thesame roll, but it is not known if thetwo were related.

It is not clear how much land heowned because his name does notappear on any early maps.However, it appears that theproperty he held was located in thevicinity of Grose Road andChapman Parade.

The road that is currently ChapmanParade was known initially as GroseRoad, and the present dayextension of Grose Road past thehigh school was known then asLinks Road. More specifically, itwould seem that Paddy owned theproperty where the Norman LindsayGallery is currently located.

That home, along with severalothers in the district, attests to thehigh quality and enduring nature ofhis workmanship. Some years priorto the 1890s he is believed to havebeen responsible for the erection ofseveral other buildings in the area.

At Faulconbridge/Linden he isthought to have built Lady Martin’sBath, Martin’s Folly and a home forSir Alfred Stephen.

Around c1882-3, in the same area,he was the stonemason who builtEurama/Weemala for AndrewHardie McCulloch MP, to a designsupplied by colonial architectGeorge Mansfield.

Paddy was employed again c1885-7 for the building of Everton for theHon. John Meeks. Everton stillexists. Paddy was most fortunate tohave a ‘moneyed local’ clientele.

According to the Nepean Times(June 2, 1894), the skill of localstonemason Paddy Ryan was indemand again.

This time he was erecting a stonecottage for Mrs Quarry (formerlyGibbes). The Times mentioned thatthe home was being built on landthat lay along Lomatia Park Road.

A paper written many years ago byMrs Quarry’s grandson, Mr HBGibbes, stated that ‘severalattempts’ were made at building thecottage from stone that wasquarried from a site nearby.

Unfortunately Mr Gibbes did notelaborate on what the problem was.The home later becameStonehaven, a home for boys,

which was demolished 1966-7 forthe Great Western highwaydeviation.

Several years later the NepeanTimes (June 18, 1898) related thatP Ryan, contractor, was about to‘finish off’ the home that stood onproperty he had subsequently soldto Francis Foy of Mark Foy fame.

Paddy had long been in the processof building the home, dubbed Eringo Brangh ---but according to thenewspaper the home stoodunfinished for many years.

We have no way of knowing howFoy came to know about theproperty because it is so far off themain road as to make it invisible toanyone passing.

Perhaps Paddy advertised it for salein the paper but, if he did, we haveno record.

Foy subsequently owned portions 4(80 acres), 108 (42 acres) and 110(50 acres) along the present dayChapman Parade.

But it is not clear if Paddy Ryan wasthe original owner of all three lots.Continued page 12


Pamela Smith, the author of thisbiography of Paddy Ryan is aregular contributor to HERITAGE.

She has an Advanced Diploma inLocal, Family & Applied History, aBachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Historyand is currently studying for aMasters in History all through theUniversity of New EnglandArmidale.

She has studied Australian andinternational history, museumpractices, and conservation. Herspecial interests are women’shistory, the history of educationand politics and social history ingeneral.

She is currently working through aunit on crime, punishment andservitude which encompasses theconvict era, the architecture andfunction of early prisons, WorldWar internment in Australia andthe current day internment ofasylum seekers.

She is also currently president ofthe Blue Mountains Association of

Paddy before the court for having “too much“powder on the job”

About the author......

Cultural Heritage Organisations Incand a founding member ofSpringwood Historians. She alsoserves on Blue Mountains CityCouncil’s heritage advisorycommittee.

An avid local history researcherand author she has been publishedon a wide range of subjects.

This article was first published onSpringwood Historians blog http://springwood historians.blogspot.com.au/

In March 1898 John Lawler, aSydney bedding manufacturer,employed Paddy Ryan to build hisstone cottage on a rather unevenpiece of property that he owned inRailway Parade, Springwood.

The home still stands today and isone of the finest in the district. It islisted on the Blue Mountains CityCouncil heritage register.

The erection of Lawler’s home didnot pass without its share of drama.The quarryman (Paddy?) who wasworking on the project was servedwith a fine for having ‘too muchpowder on the job’, with insufficientmeans of storage.

He was obliged to appear beforethe bench at Penrith Court Housewhere he was duly fined. The nameof Lawler’s home, Eringah, likePaddy Ryan’s unfinished home(Erin go brah), would suggest theyboth had Irish connections.

In August 1903 the Nepean Timescorrespondent mentioned that ‘Mr PRyan was doing some good work asa stonemason at Mr Lawler’s newbuildings’.

Unfortunately, the reporter failed tospecify where these buildings were!Almost a year went by withoutfurther news, and in July 1904readers were told by the NepeanTimes that Mr P Ryan of Vale ofAvoca had lately started in thepoultry farming line.

An amazing tale was told of anOrpington hen he had purchasedfrom a Rooty Hill poultry farm thathad laid 66 eggs without a break.

The poor hen rested for a weekbefore she started this amazing featall over again! He was reported tobe very pleased with his purchase.

Paddy had a stern warning given tohim via the pages of the samepaper in 1906, which said that itwould be advisable for Mr Ryan tokeep his pigs and poultry wellprotected with the rifle clubmembers so anxious to startshooting.

The exact location of Vale of Avocais unclear, however a paperback

entitled Exploring the BlueMountains mentions a place withthis name as being downstream ofthe Grose Valley.

The first explorer into the narrowvalley was William Paterson whothought it might be a gateway to thewest. However, it is not known if thisrefers to the place of residence ofour Paddy Ryan.

Paddy is known to have marriedKathleen (Kate) but no details areavailable as to where or when thisevent occurred.

They had a son Patrick junior whowas a contemporary of William andPercy Croucher.

The three made a return trip on footto Jenolan Caves in 1895.

Paddy died in 1917, and proctorJames CJ Ryan administered hisestate. Kate was his beneficiary.

The 1920 electoral roll mentionsThomas George Ryan, railwayemployee, Tyneside Faulconbridge,Kathleen Ryan, St Martha’s HomeLeichhardt, and Martin Ryan,Avoca, Archer Street, Chatswood,as owners of allotments of land atFaulconbridge.

It seems safe to assume thatKathleen (his wife?) and Martinwere relatives of Paddy but moreresearch would be required toconfirm if all three shared kinship.

Book before 20 August and save 10%Blue Mountains History Conference20 October, 2012 at Carrington Hotel

KatoombaContact Jan Koperberg at [email protected]


Magnificent old giants at Mount Tomah

Bendigo Bank supports BlueMountains history conference

BENDIGO Bank through its localbranch, Katoomba and Upper BlueMountains Community Bank hasdonated $600 towards theadministration costs of the BlueMountains History Conference

Chairman of the Katoomba andUpper Blue Mountains CommunityBank, local resident Robert Stockannouncing the donation said, “Thebank is very pleased to have theopportunity to offer support to theBlue Mountains Association ofCultural Heritage Organisations Incwith a contribution towards the costof the annual history conference inOctober.

“It is clear that much of our culturalheritage is lost over the years astechnologies change and our builtenvironment is redeveloped.

“Hopefully with advocacy andeducation provided by organisationssuch as BMACHO, whereredevelopment is necessary, it canbe done sensitively and in such away that evidence of the past is notlost.

“Maintaining this cultural heritageadds interest and quality to life uphere in the mountains.

“It is of course also a significanttheme with our local tourismindustry.

As such BMACHO’s efforts tounderstand and preserve ourcultural heritage are applauded.

“We wish BMACHO every successwith its conference later this year,”Mr Stock said

Robert Stock

THE Blue Mountains BotanicGarden at Mount Tomah willcelebrate National Tree Day as afamily day with displays and walks.

National Tree Day this year is onSunday, July 29 and activities areplanned in the garden from10.30am to 2.30pm.

Visitors to the Blue MountainsBotanic Garden can discover themagnificent old giants of MountTomah.

They can be guided through theancient hollows of Eucalyptusfastigata (Brown Barrels) and meetdinosaur trees - the tallest livingspecies in the world!

The Waratah Education Centre willopen its doors to showcase ourwonderful world of trees.

Images, barks, fruits, seeds,amazing facts about trees and theirlife giving properties can be seen.

Since 1996 National Tree Day hasrecorded over 2.8 million volunteersplanting over 17 million native treesand shrubs.

National Tree Day includes a wholerange of different activities aroundAustralia including planting treesand native plants and bushes,caring for trees and plants byremoving weeds, informationsessions, bushwalks and more.Most of all it is lots of fun!

School children measuring the girth of a giant Eucalyptus fastigata(Brown Barrels) tree trunk at Mount Tomah

The Blue Mountains BotanicGarden, Mount Tomah sits on abasalt peak 1,000 metres abovesea level in the World Heritagelisted Greater Blue Mountains.

The garden is home to thousands ofspecies of cool climate andsouthern hemisphere plants

Daffodil festivalThe early bulbs are starting toappear and once again the BlueMountains Botanic Garden willsupport the Cancer Council theDaffodil Festival from August 18-26.

With optimum growing conditions,the garden will be transformed by asea of golden hues as additionalplantings of daffodils erupt in bloom.

Enjoy a picnic, take somephotographs or simply enjoy themass plantings. Cut flowers andCancer Council merchandise will beavailable for sale.Contact details for all events:Call: 02 4567 3000 / RestaurantTomah 02 4567 2060Email: [email protected] us on Facebookwww.mounttomahbotanicgarden.com.auEntry to the Blue Mountains BotanicGarden, Mount Tomah is free.


Lithgow Small Arms Factory to celebratecentenary

LITHGOW Small Arms FactoryMuseum will celebrate thecentenary of the establishment ofthe factory which went on to be thesource of much of Australia’sdefence equipment for World War 1and 2.

An exhibition of pre-federationcolonial weapons will be presentedby the Lithgow Small Arms FactoryMuseum in conjunction with theAntique Arms Collectors Society ofAustralia from September 20 toOctober 27.

A series of centenary workshoptalks will be conducted over theweekend October 20-21.

For more information on theseactivities contact the Lithgow SmallArms Factory Museum by e-mail [email protected] by telephone to (02) 6351 4452.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THESMALL ARMS FACTORYThe Federation of the Australianstates in 1901 resulted in a uniformdefence and armed services policybeing implemented.

When the British Army adopted the.303 calibre short, magazine Lee-Enfield rifle for general issue to itsforces colonial governments were“asked” to standardise and submitorders to the UK for the newweapons.

It was proposed in Australia that thecountry should be more selfsufficient and manufacture its owndefence needs in its own arsenaland a number of sites wereconsidered for Australia’s first riflemanufacturing facility.

The government received an offer in1904 by Mr W Sandford of EskbankIronworks to lease land, supplycheap coal and prepare his plant toproduce the steel required for themanufacture of rifles if Lithgow waschosen.

The Lithgow Progress Associationalso made representation to theHonorable Sir Joseph Cook MP onLithgow’s behalf.

After considerable investigations bythe defence department andinspection by Lord Kitchener in1909, Lithgow was chosen as thesite to establish a small armsfactory.

The ready supply of steel and coalfor power were the main factors butit was also believed that Lithgowwas beyond the range of the navalguns of the day.

Engineer Commander WilliamClarkson of the Royal AustralianNavy was seconded by the defencedepartment to supervise alloperations.

A suitable parcel of land waspurchased and the contract to erectthe factory buildings was let to thefirm of Jones and Allman early in1910.

The contract for the power plantwas given to the State GovernmentDockyard.

World wide tenders were called forthe supply of suitable plant tomanufacture 1,500 rifles perannum. Despite there being threeBritish tenders, the contract wasawarded to the Pratt & WhitneyCompany of Hartford Connecticut.,USA because of its assurance itsmachinery was designed for the“American method of repetitionmanufacture” which is now knownas “high precision massproduction”. Included in the contractwas the supply of machine tools,tooling and gauges as well as thetraining of six craftsmen in America.

The factory was officially opened bythe Governor General, BaronDenman on June 8, 1912.

The level of employment grewrapidly from 25 to 300 in 1913 andthe onset of war in 1914 broughtincreased production, extra shiftsand a labour force which reached1,150 by the end of hostilities in1918. The factory was the largestemployer in Lithgow and continuedpioneering the techniques of massproduction with precision tools andhighly trained personnel whichenabled it to produce all ofAustralia’s weapon needs.

Rifle production declined in the1920’s with a resulting reduction inthe work-force but production of the.303" Vickers machine guncommenced in a newly erectedbuilding circa 1924 and staffnumbers began to rise.

The 1930s’ depression causedmore reductions in staff with thefigure reduced to around 250employees. Despite muchopposition from the private sectorthe factory began to undertakecommercial production in anattempt to retain its workforce andkeep the factory operational.

This work included the manufactureof Western Electric ‘talkie’projectors, reverse engineeredsheep shearing hand-sets,Slazenger golf clubs, spanners,sewing machines, police handcuffsand many other non-military items.Continued page 18

A rifle fan display at the Small Arms Factory, Lithgow


BILLS horse troughs are located inmostly in country towns throughoutNSW and Victoria, although thereare some to be found in themetropolitan area.

They were a feature of theDepression years, and none weremade after 1940.

Many had a small dog drinkingtrough attached to the side. Theaverage daily drinking waterrequirement for a horse is said to beabout 50 litres.

Other troughs are showing signs ofwear, and with most people notbeing aware of their significancethey are sometimes inadvertentlydestroyed.

Some are still in pristine condition intheir original locations, and othershave been relocated to sites nearmuseums etc.

Many of the troughs have had to bemoved to make way for road works,and many were destroyed ordumped in rubbish tips.

Many were saved from this fate andhave found their way into privateownership and with tender lovingcare are still preserved today.

They are very much sort after itemsfor features in gardens

Some have been relocated tosporting grounds and are used fortheir original purpose for wateringhorses, or for garden beds.

The two at Narrandra are classicexamples, being located at the ponyclub grounds as a flower trough,and at the show ground, possiblystill being used as a drinking trough.

Within the Blue Mountains there areseveral, at Medlow Bath,Glenbrook, Warrimoo andWentworth Falls.

Another unrelated trough is locatedat Lawson, being donated by Mrs. RD Meagher to “The dumb friends of

Tribute to Bills horse troughsPatsy Moppett an individual member of BMACHO and a heritage consultant at Yethome whocontributed this article writes: ‘Following up on previous articles in HERITAGE about Bills horsetroughs, I would like to add a little more information. Having developed an interest in them elsewherein NSW and Victoria, I began to notice them a little closer to home’

man” presented to the BlueMountains Shire Council in 1921.

The Glenbrook trough has beenwell documented by John Low,historian, in the March-April 2011edition of HERITAGE.

The history of their troughs andtheir origins with George and AnnisBills was related admirably by JohnLeary, OAM in the January-February 2010 edition ofHERITAGE.

The troughs at Medlow Bath andWentworth Falls are of standarddesign.

They are mostly a water area, acistern with an iron lid being at oneend.

There is the additional small watertrough for dogs and cats at the righthand end.

The pedimented section at the rearhas the usual terrazzo panelnearing the Bills’ name.

The trough at Warrimoo is the sameusual characteristic design, butlacking the small side trough forsmall animals.

The trough was relocated in 1999from the highway frontage, and nowsits within a small park, where itssignificance is somewhat lost, awayfrom where horses would normallyhave passed through.

Much of the wider research into Billstroughs can be attributed to thework of George Gemmill, who hastravelled all over with his dogHamish, recording andphotographing them.

George is the” keeper of thememories” and has recorded over310 locations where the troughsmay be found in NSW, Victoria,Western Australia and from GreatBritain. He has yet to find any inSouth Australia or Tasmania.

As a young boy and growing up inNewport, Melbourne Australia,George sold papers on theWilliamstown short road ferry. Hecan remember a Bills trough whichwas in a park over the road from theNewport Hotel near the bus stop.

As lads they used to meet aroundthis spot, and the trough was usedby the few horses which were stillbeing used to deliver bread, milk,ice and wood around Newport. Thiswould have been about 1948.

A Bills horse trough at Wentworth Falls


Compassion for animals duringthe depression

Continued from page 15George has dedicated a web site tothe memories of Annis and GeorgeBills, who showed such compassionfor animals during the Depression.

From his travels he has collected alarge library of photographs, andhas displayed the images and theirlocations on his web site.

He has received photographs ofBills troughs from places as faraway as London Ireland andNorthcliffe in Western Australia, andhe is always open to add in itemsthat others find.

The Webmaster of his site can becontacted [email protected] andGeorge always welcomes inquiries,and additions to the library.

There are still some to be found.Any new ones I find, I relate theinformation to George Gemmill, asdo other people from across theglobe.

He would love to hear of any othersthrough the Blue Mountains andelsewhere that are hidden away insome back street or in a rear yardgathering moss.

As an aside, the other water troughlocated at Lawson at the HonourAvenue Gardens, was originallyinstalled in the 1920s in DouglassSquare and relocated to its currentsetting in Honour Avenue near theremnant steps of the Grand Hotel(prior to the hotel’s destruction byfire) during earlier refurbishments.

The trough has a recessed troughbeneath, probably for use by dogs.It has a timber post and rail bufferplank to the road, with a plate andlock fixed to the plank to preventaccess.

The trough is in reasonablecondition with clear lettering,painted yellow, mostly flaked off. Itno longer functions as a refilltrough, containing rainwater only.

The trough has a plaque on eachend which reads “The DumbFriends of Man. Presented to theBlue Mountains Shire Council byMrs RD Meagher, Lawson 1921”.

A review of the trough’s history waspresented by John Low in theSeptember-October 2011 issue ofHERITAGE.

References:Conservation Management Plan forHonour Avenue Gardens, Lawson,for Blue Mountains City Council2007http://billshorsetroughs.spaces.live.comwww.webdotwiz.com/billshorsetroughsNSW Heritage Office Listings

A Bills horse trough at Warimoo

IN recent times a number ofmembers of the Blue MountainsAssociation of Cultural HeritageOrganisations Inc. (BMACHO)may have been missing out one-mailed advice of activities andother information.

Secretaries of organisations areparticularly asked to provide thisupdated information as often thesecretary or contact person forthe society also changes fromtime to time.

.Email addresses with the contactname and telephone number ofall individual and organisationalmembers should be e-mailed toBMACHO’s secretary [email protected] .

e-mailsare

bouncing

Bendigo Community Bank helpsEverglades prepare for fire

A dontaion of $1500 from BendigoCommunity Bank will be used byEverglades Historic House andGardens to purchase a pump tobetter equip the property forfirefighting.

President of the Everglades fund-raising committee, sandy Luxfordapproached the Katoomba bankasking for a dontaion for theequipment and within a short timethe board approved the donation.

This is the second time the BendigoCommunity Bank has supportedEverglades, last year sponsoring theinaugural Vintage and Retroweekend.

The National Trust propertyEverglades which adjoins vaststretches of national park bushlandhas been lucky since the 1930s toescape from bushfires.

The 2011 fire reached to within 500metres of the property and theGordon Creek area has not beenburnt since the 1957 bushfires.

Head gardner, Guy McIlrath hasalways been aware of the issue andpointed out the need for a fire-fighting pump.

Everglades at Leura is set in one ofAustralia’s foremost heritagegardens.

The house and gardens weredesigned in the 1930s as a week-end retreat by Danish-born architectPaul Sorensen.

Everglades is open from 10am to5pm in spring and summer andfrom 10am to 4pm in autumn andwinter.

The property sits on the edge of theJamison Valley and offersbreathtaking views across the BlueMountains National Park.

The gardens themselves covermore than 12 acres and featureboth European and nativeAustralian flora.


A cemetery walk at the LithgowCemetery to mark ANZAC day 2012was held by the Lithgow & DistrictFamily History Society Inc.

The walk started with morning tea inthe car park and the sharing ofANZAC biscuits made by memberCecily McCarten where participantsalso had a discussion aboutreturned service men and women.This was followed by the playing ofthe Last Post and one-minutesilence before commencing thewalk.

Each visitor was given a mapshowing the graves of 12 returnedservicemen.

It was very fitting to see SandraHaley able to lay the card on herown father Alfred Piggott’s graveand Cecily McCarten lay the cardon her grandfather Cecil Ford’sgrave.

Members visited the grave ofPrivate Joseph Peter King who wasa Gallipoli hero.

Joseph King was born in 1891 inOmaru, New Zealand and was theson of Frederick and Margaret King.

He enlisted at Rosehill, Sydney onOctober 2, 1914 in the 13thBattalion.

His occupation prior to enlisting wasthat of a coach painter.

Cemetery walk remembers Gallipoli heroJoseph proceeded to Gallipoliaboard the Alexandria arriving April12, 1915. He suffered from shellshock when he was in Rest Gullyand a shell exploded just behind hisdugout. He and two of his mateswere buried.

He was dazed at the time and wasunconscious for 3 hours andsuffered concussion, but did notreport sick until 5 days later, whenhe was sent to Lemnos where heremained for 4 months beforereturning to Gallipoli, although hehad become very nervous whileresting at Lemnos.

Joseph was returned to Australiasuffering from shell shock and wasdischarged from service on August24, 1916 as medically unfit sufferingfrom epileptic fits.

He never returned to New Zealandbut was admitted to LithgowHospital in 1917 suffering fromEpilepsy and his address was givenas The Lansdowne Hotel. Hepassed away on October 2, 1917just 26 years of age.

After hearing the story of PrivateKing it has been decided by somemembers of the society to have aworking bee and do somerestoration and cleaning of hisgrave.

Lithgow Family History Society willmake this an annual event.

Cecily McCarten laying the cardon her grandfather Cecil Ford’s

grave

Sandra Halley laying a card on thegrave of her father Alfred Piggott

Text and photographscontributed by Helen Taylor

JOHN FISHER who recentlypassed way will be rememberedfor his contribution to the NationalTrust of Australia (NSW) in itsformative years from 1960 into the1980s.

A member of the Trust Council for20 years, he founded and was thefirst chairman of the Trust’s historicbuilding’s committee.

National Trust luminary diesHere he worked with suchluminaries as Helen Blaxland, MaxFreeland, Leslie Wilkinson, RachelRoxburgh, Morton Herman, JohnMansfield, Cedric Flower, DanielThomas and Ted Farmer, thegovernment architect, producing alist of significant buildings worthpreserving.

John also worked on many Trustproperties as an honorary architect,and worked on most of the Trustadvisory committees on both builtand natural heritage.

In 1959 he prepared a plan topreserve The Rocks, and in 1966represented the Trust in advisingthe government on preserving HillEnd.

HIGH tea will be served atEverglades historic house andgarden on Saturday, July 28

Enjoy the ambience of the Art Decodining room at the recently restored1930’s property at Leura.

A scrumptious home made high teafollows a welcome punch andnibbles. Leaf tea and plunger coffeewill be served.

Wander around the garden beforeor after the tea.

Bookings essential by telephoningAnita on 4784 1974 or Liz on0418206899.

Cost: $25 for National Trustmembers, $30 for adults and $10for a child.

.

High tea atEverglades


Back row, L-R: LaurieCook- secretary/publicofficer, Louise Dean -research officer/socialsecretary, Coralie McDonald- member, Ian Irvine - filing,Danny Whitty - vicepresident, Robyn Whitty -member, Marcie Farr -photographic convenor, Ken

Lithgow Family History elects 2012-13 committeeLITHGOW & District FamilyHistory Society Inc recentlyheld it’sannual generalmeeting and election ofofficers for the coming year.

Pictured are members andoffice bearers for 2012-13.

Brice - committee, Helen Taylor-cemetery convenor/publicity officer,Eleanor Martin- president/membership secretary, JanSaundercock - publishing officer,

Seated left to right: Lea Wootton -indexing convenor/PALO convenor,Ross McDonald - journal editor, EanJones - special projects computerindexer, Kathy Brennan - librarian,Sandra Haley - minutes secretary.

Discoverexotic plantsTHE discovery of the continent ofAustralia with its exotic plantspreviously unknown to the rest ofthe world caused a sensation tothe botanic scientists.

Mt Annan Botanic Gardensdisplays over 4000 of theseplants in acres of hills and lakes.

The Blue Mountains branch ofNational Trust is organising a bustour to Mt Annan on Saturday,August 11.

Participants will have a choice ofstaying on the bus for a tour of thegardens or taking a walk to scenicoutlooks, lakes or bird hides.

Cost is $35 per person for Trustmembers, $40 for non membersor $25 if participants meet the tourat Mt Annan Botanic Gardens

Enquiries and bookings to Sandraat 4739 3003 [email protected]

Absent: Margaret Buckley -treasurer and Cecily McCarten -committee.

The society is hoping for anotherproductive year with steady growthas it has had in the previous year.The library is still growing with manyadditions to the shelves. Anyonewishing to join the society or justcall in to do some casual researchwill be made most welcome.

“Family history is still one of thefastest growing hobbies foundtoday and becomes quite addictiveso why not come in and researchyour own ancestors, said HelenTaylor.

The society’s library hours areTuesday nights 6pm – 9pm, Fridays10am – 4pm and the 1st Saturday ofevery month 10am – 4pm. There isalways an on duty librarian to help.

Continued from page 13With the outbreak of the secondworld war manufacture of smallarms resumed and following theevacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 theUnited Kingdom requested thatAustralia forward as many rifles ascould be spared. In response,30,000 rifles were sent, severelyreducing availability of weapons.

Action was taken to expand weaponproduction by erecting new feederfactories, the first at Bathurstfollowed by Orange, then Forbes,Wellington, Mudgee, Cowra, Young,Parkes, Dubbo and Portland.

In 1943 the total personnelemployed at Lithgow was 6,000while a further 6,000 wereemployed at the ten feederfactories. Weekly productionachieved figures of 4,000 rifles, 150Bren guns and 70 Vickers machineguns.

To protect Lithgow’s defencefacilities from possible air-attack,anti-aircraft guns were sited at theeast and western ends of the

Lithgow valley as well as a machinegun company stationed on the roofof the factory.

During 1945 all ‘feeder factories’were closed and full production re-established at Lithgow.

When manufacture of the .303"SMLE rifle No.1 Mk.III ceased in1956, a total of 640,000 had beenproduced in Australia, 415,000 ofthese were produced from 1939.

In 1954 the Australian governmentadopted the 7.62mm L1A1 rifle(Australia’s version of the BelgianFAL rifle) and entered into amanufacturing agreement with theFabrique Nationale d’ Armes deGuerre of Belgium to produce therifle at Lithgow.

Again the factory was completelyre-organised, new buildingserected, and new machine toolsprocured for its production. Whenproduction ceased in the mid1980s, some 230,000 units hadbeen issued.

Small Arms Factory history


Western crossing commemoration 2013-15great ideas - thoughts - just being talked about or it’s really going to happen

Australian actor Jack Thompson willbe the face of the Penrith crossingcelebrations.

He recently joined members of thePenrith District Historical Societyand St Marys and District HistoricalSociety and descendents of theoriginal three explorers on thebanks of the Nepean River tolaunch next year’s program ofevents marking 200 years sinceBlaxland, Wentworth and Lawsontrekked across the Mountains.

The two descendents of GregoryBlaxland, Gregory Blaxland andWendy Blaxland were present at thelaunch as were the Blue Mountainsmayor and Penrith mayor GregDavies.

Pictured at right are members of theSt Marys and Nepean DistrictHistorical Societies

Photographs courtesy ofRosemary Weaver - Penrith andDistrict Historical Society

PENRITHLAUNCH OF

CELEBRATIONS

***** William Cox and WilliamGeorge Evans had both lived in theHawkesbury area and theHawkesbury Historical Society inconjunction with Hawkesbury CityCouncil has indicated they wouldlike to be involved in the WesternCrossing Committeecommemorations.

***** Richard Cox a great greatgrandson of William Cox whorecently published a book will speakabout the work and significance ofthe crossings at the August 17meeting of the HawkesburyHistorical Society.

***** Graham Hunt a member of theSeniors Group, Institution ofSurveyors NSW, the group whichmaintains the Pillars in Timemonuments, had received $10,000for restoration work.

***** The BMCC Crossingscommittee has received a grant of$23,000 for the Mt York interpretivesignage.

Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker, seniorvice president of the RAHS(pictured above) will take over aschair of the Western Crossingcommittee at its August meeting.

She replaces Prof David Carmentwho has been the inauguralchairman for a number of years.

As a descendant of William Cox theroad builder, she has a personalinterest in the 2013-15commemorations.

Anne-Maree is an independentprofessional historian whoundertakes research in a widerange of topics.

She is the author of several booksincluding histories of Marrickville,South Sydney, Appin and StVincent’s Hospital.

Newchair

Her biography Joseph Foveaux:power and patronage in early NSWwas short-listed for the NSWPremier’s Literary awards in 2001.She won the National Trust Heritageaward for the Sydney Parks Projectin 2010.

***** Commemorative postagestamps are to be launched after theWestern Crossing meeting at BlueMountains City Council chamberson August 17. The BMCC CrossingsCommittee had argued that the$1.20 stamp was not appropriate,not as widely used, and so it wasdecided to issue a 60c stamp.

***** Andrew Tink would be willing togive talks pertaining to his book theBiography of William CharlesWentworth. (A number of localsocieties and organisations havehad Andrew Tink as their guestspeaker since the book waspublished.)

***** Lithgow City Council had putaside $10,000 for the WesternCrossings and a further $20,000 forinterpretive signage for Cox’s Road.

John Kelaher and Craig Werner(NDHS) with Jack Thompson


THE ORGANISATION Blue Mountains Association ofCultural Organisations Inc. (BMACHO) was establishedin April 2006 following a unanimous response to aproposal from Professor Barrie Reynolds at the 2004Blue Mountains Local History Conference which soughtfrom Blue Mountains City Council the creation of acultural heritage strategy for the city.BMACHO in its constitution uses the definition: “Culturalheritage is all aspects of life of the peoples of the BlueMountains which was later changed to cover Lithgow andthe villages along the Bell’s Line of Roads. It thereforeinvolves the recording, preserving and interpreting ofinformation in whatever form: documents, objects,recorded memories as well as buildings and sites.”The objectives of the organisation are:

i. To raise public consciousness ofthe value of cultural heritage. ii. To encourage and assist culturalheritage activities of member organisations. iii. To initiate and support culturalheritage activities not already covered bymember organisations. One of the aims ofBMACHO is to bring the various bodies into closercontact, to encourage them to work more closelytogether and to provide a combined voice on matters ofimportance within the heritage sector.

AFFILIATIONS BMACHO is a member of the RoyalAustralian Historical Society Inc.

MEMBERSHIP The following organisations are members ofBMACHO: Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah,Blue Mountains City Library, Blue Mountains Cultural HeritageCentre, Blue Mountains Historical Society Inc., BlueMountains Family History Society Inc., Blue Mountains,Lithgow and Oberon Tourism Limited, Blue Mountains WorldHeritage Institute, Cudgegong Museums Group Inc., EskbankRail Heritage Centre, Everglades Historic House & Gardens,Friends of Norman Lindsay Gallery, Glenbrook & DistrictHistorical Society Inc., Hartley Valley District ProgressAssociation, Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society Inc,Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort, Lithgow and District FamilyHistory Society Inc., Lithgow Mining Museum Inc., LithgowRegional Library – Local Studies, Lithgow Small Arms FactoryMuseum Inc, Mt Victoria and District Historical Society Inc.,Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine History Society Inc. (including TurkishBath Museum), Mudgee Historical Society Inc., MudgeeRegional Library, National Trust of Australia (NSW) - BlueMountains Branch, National Trust of Australia (NSW) -Lithgow Branch, Scenic World – Blue Mountains Limited,Springwood & District Historical Society Inc., SpringwoodHistorians Inc., Transport Signal and Communication MuseumInc., The Darnell Collection Pty Ltd, Valley HeightsLocomotive Depot and Museum, Woodford AcademyManagement Committee, Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd. Thefollowing are individual members: Ray Christison, AssociateProfessor Ian Jack, Joan Kent, John Leary OAM,John Low OAM, Ian Milliss, Pastsy Moppett, Professor BarrieReynolds, Dr Peter Rickwood and Dr Peter Stanbury OAM.COMMITTEE The committee for 2012-13 is: Pamela Smith(president), Ian Jack (vice president), Jan Koperberg(secretary), Judy Barham, Joan Kent, Doug Knowles, JohnLeary, Dick Morony (public officer), and Scott Pollock. .

DISCLAIMER Views and opinions expressed in HERITAGEoriginate from many sources and contributors. Every effort istaken to ensure accuracy of material. Content does notnecessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions ofBMACHO, its committee or members. If errors are foundfeedback is most welcome.

BLUE MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION OF CULTURALHERITAGE ORGANISATIONS INC.

REGISTERED OFFICE 14 Bunnal Ave, Winmalee 2777E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: www.bluemountains.heritage.comABN 53 994 839 952

Timbuktu World Heritage shrine under attackTIMBUKTU’S fabled shrines listedby UNESCO as endagered sitesonly days before have been attackedby Islamic fundamentalists.

The gunmen reported to be from amilitant group with ties to al-Qaedahad attacked tombs and vowed todestroy every last shrine standing inan act similar to the 2001 destruc-tion of the ancient giant Buddah ofthe Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan.

Timbuktu is thought to have beenfounded towards the end of the 5thcentury.

Legend has it a temporary campwas established guarded by an oldwoman, Buktu.

Gradually Tim-Buktu (the place ofBuktu) became a small sedentaryvillage at the crossroads of severaltrade routes. Quickly converted toIslam, the market city of Timbuktureached its apex under the reign ofAskia (1493-1591).

It then became an important centreof Koranic culture with the Universityof Sankore and numerous schoolsattended, it is said by some 25,000students.

As an intellectual and spiritualcapital, its three great mosques,Djingareyber (1325), Sankore(1578-1582)and Sid Yahia (circa.1400), recall Timbuktu’s golden age.

In the 16th century Moroccaninvaders began to drive scholarsout, and trade routes slowly shiftedto the coast The city’s importanceand prestige waned and scholarsdrifted elsewhere.

French colonisation at the close ofthe 19th century dealt anotherserious blow to the former glories ofTimbuktu. Source: UNESCO WorldHeritage Committee

HERITAGE BMACHO’s official newsletter is edited byJohn Leary, OAM.Blue Mountains History Journal is edited byDr Peter Rickwood.

heritage newsletter jan-feb 2009bluemountainsheritage.com.au/wp-content/uploads/...clarence, 10km...

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