Newsletter No - Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage ...

Aboriginal people also
remembered in Wauchope
Continued from page 25
A statue of a ram at the side of the
Cobb Highway near the Wanganella
Village acknowledges the debt
owed to the merino by Australian
people.
On a wall in the Sydney Botanic
Gardens the members of the Desert
Mounted Corps erected a large
plaque dedicated to the gallant
horses that carried them over the
Sinai Desert into Palestine in 1915-
1918.
Another which I think we would all
know is a statue and brass plaque
erected by the North Shore
Historical Society outside the NSW
State Library in honour of Matthew
Flinders’ beloved cat.
A surprising memorial was erected
in 1970 on the Hume Highway,
Bargo, commemorating the first
recording by Europeans of the
lyrebird and koala.
Tessa, the Guide dog is
remembered in Stockton – a
realistic bronze Labrador on her
haunches complete with guide dog
harness.
Tessa and monument, Stockton
Aboriginal people are remembered
too.
In Wauchope there is a bronze
plaque mounted on a block of local
sandstone in memory of the
Aborigines of the Hastings River.
On the lighthouse at Norah Head
there is a monument to Bungaree
acknowledging his great help in
surveying the coastline near Norah
Head.
One of the most spectacular looking
monuments was erected in Bondi
Junction to acknowledge the origins
of the Surf Life Saving Movement.
It is built of reinforced concrete in
the form of a wave which is about to
break.
One of the sweetest is a brass
plaque in a Woollahra church
erected by the employees of John S
Hunter in recognition of the happy
relationship which always existed
between them.
And one of the most exotic is a
brass plaque in a Mittagong church
in memory of Florence Alice Stewart
Rawson, wife of Admiral Sir Harry
Rawson (21st Governor of NSW
1902-1909), who died in 1905 and
was buried in the Red Sea.
The entries are arranged
geographically.
The Blue Mountains has
surprisingly few entries with only
two for Springwood and only one of
the amazing number of monuments
at Mt York.
The book, in a different sort of way,
is an index to New South Wales’
social history – social values,
historic tragedies and pioneering
achievements.
Further reading
HERITAGE newsletter
Shirley Evans, The Story Behind the
Springwood Macquarie monument,
May-June, 2010
John Leary, ‘...for the relief of
horses and other dumb animals...’
January-February, 2010
Patsy Moppett,Tribute to Bills horse
Troughs, September-October , 2012
GET INTO THE
CHISTMAS SPIRIT
BLUE MOUNTAINS Branch of
National Trust is having stalls at
Leura on December 1 and
Wentworth Falls on December 8,
with a Christmas theme.
For more details contact Rhona
Leach on 4757 2424
War Hero
project
launch
LITHGOW
Family
History
Society will
officially
launch its
War Hero
project later
this month.
The launch
on
Remembrance Day, Sunday
November 11, will be held in the
Club Lithgow (Bowling Club, 2c
Lithgow Street, Lithgow with
proceedings commencing at
2.30pm.
Guest speaker, Mr Joe Elkusch
from Springwood RSL Sub
Branch will talk about his World
War 2 recollections as a boy, of
the midget submarine attack on
Sydney Harbour.
There will be a slide presentation
by Helen Taylor of the War Hero
project.
Also attending the function will
be local resident Mr Ron Barker
a son of “Digger” Walter Barker
who served in the 6 th Light Horse
Battalion in World War 1.
Ron will bring to the launch for
display, memorabilia brought
home from Egypt by his father.
Cost of the afternoon including
afternoon tea is $10.
Members of the public are
welcome to attend. RSVP to
Helen Taylor (02) 63 557 231 or
Lithgow & District Family History
Society (02) 63 531 089, PO Box
516, Lithgow 2790
HERITAGE 26
November - December 2012