Newsletter No. 10 - Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage ...

HERITAGENEWSLETTER OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATIONOF CULTURAL HERITAGE ORGANISATIONSJULY - AUGUST 2010 ISSUE No. 10In December 1789, Governor Phillipcharged Lieutenant William Daweswith the task of reaching thewestern mountains.This was the first recordedexploration of the area, followed bya series of adventurers like Tench,Hacking, Bass, Paterson, Wilson,Barrallier and Caley.All those explorations failed to crossthe mountains, but their knowledgewas the real reason that Blaxland,Lawson and Wentworth succeeded.There is no known journal ofLieutenant Dawes journey, the onlyrecord was a map dated 1791,signed by Dawes.There is no doubt that Dawes, withhis superior skill at “compass andpace” could produce a traverse ofhis journeys with comparativeaccuracy.The actual line of Dawes’ march, asper his inscribed map, can belocated on the modern ordnancemaps prepared by the Army SurveyCorps.The details of the creeks on Dawes’traverse favourably compare withthe ordnance sheets.LIEUT. WILLIAM DAWESTo the “line of march.” The first dayhe headed due west from Emu Fordto the crest of the first ridge, in thevicinity of Mount Riverview, andfrom here he had a direct view ofRound Hill........First recorded white man on the Blue Mountainsby Lindsay Paish, Springwood HistoriansKeeping on, he crossed a series ofcreeks draining to the south side ofValley Heights, the ridge to thesouth of Springwood at Farm Road,the next ridge south of Bee FarmRoad near the rifle range, intoSassafras Gully, then across theMain Ridge close to FaulconbridgeStation.By now “the line of march” was halfway through their total route. Thecountry was rougher on the westside of Faulconbridge. Most of thecreeks and gullies they had crossedwere precipitous with averagegrades being close to 1 in 2.Further on, they encountered aseries of deeper gullies – includingLinden and Woodford Creeks –about 900ft [275 m] deep. Thewestern flank of Woodford Creek isa long unscaleable cliff, whichforced a deviation around the headof the ridge. Back to the ridge top,located north of Linden, theyreturned to their “line of march.”An extensive view of the sceneahead appeared even rougher thanthat they had already negotiated.Immediately west was the deepWentworth Creek, the roughestgully on the mountains and furtherahead, the chasm of the GroseRiver.Dawes and his party were nearexhaustion and short of provisions,and considering the country theyhad already travelled, the prospectof a further, rougher portage, forcedthe party homeward.Continued page 10Dawes moved his “line of march” toa straight traverse and made a beeline for Round Hill crossing the nowline of the highway just near theSydney side of Warrimoo.Pictured is former Forestry Department cartographer, Lindsay Paishnow 85 years of age, looking at the map he drew in 1959 from overlaysof Dawes 1789 traverses on to Australian Army Survey Corps mapswhich lend credibility to the claim Dawes was the first white man on theBlue Mountains. Photograph by John Leary, OAM May 2010HERITAGE 1July- August 2010

The front page piece by LindsayPaish in this edition of HERITAGElike so many historical andheritage based stories is in partwritten as a result of research inSydney’s magnificent MitchellLibrary which earlier this yearcelebrated its centenary.On following pages, John Lowalso writes about a Blue Mountainsconnection among the OneHundred treasures on display atthe Mitchell.It is all but impossible to write orread about Australia, the Pacificand the Antarctic without incurringdebts of gratitude to the Mitchell.Libraries are the most personalpublic institutions. History neverforgives those who destroy themand it remembers those who arebook donors such as David ScottMitchell.The State Library of New SouthWales traces its origins to 1826,with the opening of the AustralianSubscription Library. In 1869, theNew South Wales Governmenttook over responsibility for theLibrary and created the SydneyFree Public Library. In 1895 it wasrenamed the Public Library of NewSouth Wales, and in 1975 itbecame the State Library of NewSouth Wales.The Australian SubscriptionLibrary soon outgrew its premises,and a new wing was built in themid-1880s. By the turn of thecentury this too was outgrown, andplans were prepared for acompletely new ‘national’ librarybuilding.PinchgutPinchgut Island (now Fort Denison)once boasted Sydney’s finest weightloss cure – if you could stomach aweek’s solitary confinement.As early as 1788, convicts were putonto Pinchgut for petty crimes such asstealing food. Back then, the placeFrom the president’s pen......The magnificent MitchellLibrary a researcher’s dreamThe stimulus for this was DavidScott Mitchell’s offer of his immenseand unrivalled collection ofAustraliana to the people of NewSouth Wales. One condition of hisoffer was that a new building beerected to house the collection as aseparate library.Mitchell, book collector and nationalbenefactor, became one of the firstundergraduates of the University ofSydney (BA, 1856; MA 1859). InDecember 1858 he was admitted tothe Bar but never practised thoughhe is said to have later declinedappointment as attorney-general.Mitchell had been reared in acultivated household; never robust,he preferred books and intellectualinterests to business or politics.By 1866 he had won some reputefor scholarship in English literatureand for the next 20 years hecollected mainly English literaryworks, including many fine editionswhich in 1900 exceeded 10,000volumes.From about 1886, he turned almostsolely to the record of Australia andits surrounding region.Book-collecting, which had been anintellectual pastime in youth and ascholarly vocation in maturity,became his all-absorbing purpose.Perhaps it could be said, Mitchellwas favoured: he had wealth,leisure and position, with usefulsocial connections yet was freefrom outside distractions.His scholarly knowledge of books,coupled with education, experiencewas little more than a desolate rockyoutcrop in Sydney Harbour.The history of the name Pinchgut is alittle hazy. It was named Pinchgut byGovernor John Hunter, It is both an oldnautical term for the point where astream channel narrows and a word forbeing hungry.and a talent for book-collecting,approached genius.After 1895 he was aided andencouraged by HCL Anderson,the principal librarian, who hadseen Mitchell as the chief rival ofthe Public Library of New SouthWales and set out to combineforces.Apart from Mitchell, the library hadthe best Australasian collectionand had demonstrated a capacityand will to develop it. Mitchell wasaging and in poor health, with norelations of like interests to hisown.In 1898 he offered to bequeath hiscollection to the library trustees.The offer was immediatelyaccepted and eventually hisconditions were met: the trusteeswere incorporated in 1899 and theMitchell wing of the new librarybuilding was begun in 1906.Mitchell died in 1907 andbequeathed to the library trusteeshis entire collection with anendowment of £70,000. Despitehis fine memory and erudition hewrote nothing and left as his onemain memorial the Mitchell Library.When opened in March 1910 ithad some 60,000 volumes andmuch other material. It remainsunrivalled in its field and is one ofthe great national collections inthe world.John Leary, OAMPresident, Blue MountainsAssociation of Cultural HeritageOrganisations Inc.HERITAGE 2July- August 2010

Greens Party heritage policy to ensureHeritage Council’s independenceAt a meeting organized byBMACHO in Springwood last monthMs Sylvia Hale, MLC (pictured)outlined the Greens Party policy onheritage which it will take to the nextstate election.The meeting was the third in aseries organized by BMACHO tolearn of heritage policies of themajor political parties.Leary, OAM said many in thecommunity especially those in theheritage sector would welcome theproposed policies.Mr Leary said that it was farcical tobelieve that heritage could beadequately protected with thepowers which had been given to theMinister for Planning under Part 3Aof the Planning Act 2005.The Greens will• Ensure the independence ofthe NSW Heritage Council byguaranteeing its funding andmaking it directly accountable to theNSW Parliament in a similar fashionto the Ombudsman’s Office, ratherthan to a minister.• Reconstitute the HeritageCouncil to ensure the appropriaterepresentation of community andprofessional organisations.• Provide adequate resources topermit an increase in the rate ofassessment of items for inclusionon the State Heritage Register.• Facilitate the extension ofInterim Heritage Protection Ordersto items not on the State HeritageRegister.• Remove economicdisadvantage as a reason to delist aheritage item.• Remove the right of a ministerto unilaterally delist a heritage item.• Require the Heritage Council toapprove any recommendation to delistany item on the State HeritageRegister• Require local councils to notifythe Heritage Council of any itemthat may be of State Heritagesignificance and to seek theHeritage Council’s advice prior toapproving demolition or alteration toan item.• Encourage and fund localcouncils to revise and extend theirlocal heritage registers.• Require any application todemolish a heritage item todemonstrate why alternatives suchas adaptation of existing structuresare not feasible, and forbid thedemolition of any heritage itemwithout prior approval of therelevant authority.Thanking Ms Hale for her addressand for answering question from themeeting, BMACHO president, JohnProfessor Ian Jack president of theRAHS who has had a longassociation with the former HeritageCouncil also welcomed theproposed policies.SUPPORT FOR HERITAGEADVISORY COMMITTEENew support has recently comefrom a number of electedrepresentatives including BlueMountains City Council’s deputymayor Cr Janet May and GreensCrs Eleanor Gibbs and HowardMcCallumHeritage advisory committeeshave been established by manyNSW local government units andare in fact widely usedthroughout Australia to allowcouncillors and staff to availthemselves of local and expertknowledge on a wide range ofheritage and historical issues.Formed under Section 377 of theLocal Government Act 1993these committees usuallycomprise one councillor and anumber of community members,selected by council afternewspaper advertisementscalling for expression of interestfrom members of the community.Those selected often includemembers of heritage or historysocieties and people eitherworking in or retired from theheritage sector includingacademics.For some time BMACHO hasbeen seeking to have BlueMountains City Council reestablisha heritage advisorycommittee and for several yearsBMACHO’s executive has beenmeeting with council’s senior staff.The suggested objectives of aheritage advisory committee are:a. To advise council in relation toreviews of local heritage listings;b. To advise council aboutincreasing the community’sawareness of heritage matters;c. To advise council on heritagematters relating to developmentapplications before council;d. To advise council about heritageassistance, grant applications,review and recommendations;e. To advise council onimprovements to the care of,public access to and siteinformation for existing historicsites, buildings etc. and how theseimprovements might be achieved;f. To advise council in relation tolong term planning of significantheritage cemeteries.There is no shortage of people inthis region who are eminentlyqualified to serve on a localheritage advisory committee.They comprise long-termenthusiastic and experiencedresearchers of heritage and historyor professionals and academics inthe heritage sector includingseveral with local governmentexperience. BMACHO is confidentthat they would be prepared toserve on such a committee.HERITAGE 3July- August 2010

‘He fought six rounds with the horse police’--- the shooting of Bold Jack DonahoeIn the current exhibition at the StateLibrary of NSW, celebrating thecentenary of the Mitchell Library,there are a number of items ofinterest to Blue Mountainshistorians among the One Hundredtreasures on display.The original journals of Blaxland,Lawson and Wentworth arefeatured as is a 1930s journal ofbushwalker Myles Dunphy.by John Low, Blue Mountains Historical Society Inc.One item, however, that caught myattention, the relevance of whichmay not at first be evident, was alithograph portrait of the deadbushranger Jack Donahoeattributed to Thomas Mitchell.While Donahoe died at Bringelly,his death has a slight but interestingconnection with Wentworth Falls (orThe Weatherboard).In 1902 the Warren Heraldpublished a series of reminiscencesby Edward Readford whose father,Thomas, had been the licensee ofthe Weatherboard Inn during theyears 1833 to 1837.At the time, the innkeeper’s onlyneighbours were a small troop ofmounted policemen housed in a‘Police Military Barrack’ opposite.Readford makes particular mentionof one of these, a quiet youngScotsman named John Muggleston,who was stationed there “nearly thewhole time my father kept the hotel”and regularly frequented his father’sestablishment.Fate had given Muggleston adegree of notoriety among hisfellows.John Muggleston (also speltMugglestone, Muckelstone,Muccleston, etc.) was born ca. 1804in the Scottish agricultural andA lithograph portrait of the dead Jack Donahoecotton milling town of Neilston in theLevern Valley south of Glasgow.While nothing is known of his familyor early life other than that he hadworked as a groom, by thebeginning of 1827 he had travelledsouth into England and had takenthe king’s shilling, joining the 39 th(Dorsetshire) Regiment at Coventry.His decision to become a soldierwould take him even further fromhis birthplace for, in June 1827, the39 th Regiment embarked as part ofthe convict guard on board the‘Champion’ and arrived in Sydney alittle over four months later.Following a twelve month tour ofduty in Norfolk Island, Mugglestonjoined the mounted police in March1829.The mounted police had beenestablished by Governor Brisbanein 1825 in response to a generalincrease in bushranging activities, astate of affairs that continued toworsen under his successor,Governor Darling.Its principal role was to combat thisand to pursue escaped convictswho contributed mightily to themembership of the bushranginggangs.In these early years the mountedpolice had a strong militarycharacter, its officers and menbeing volunteers seconded from theregiments garrisoned in the colonyand generally returning when thesewere transferred elsewhere.Their uniform also reflected themilitary connection with ‘full dress’resembling the 14 th Light Dragoons,though their ‘bush uniform’ includeda cabbage-tree hat along with thepatrol jacket and trousers.They were armed with a sabre,carbine and horse pistols. By 1830there were about 100 mountedpolicemen in the colony.One of the most troublesomebushrangers operating at the timeMuggleston joined the ‘horse police’was a young Irish convict escapeewho, following a conviction forhighway robbery on the Sydney-Windsor Road, had dramaticallyavoided the hangman and fled intoto the bush.This was the “wild colonial boy, JackDonahoe by name” whosedepredations and continuedevasion of the authorities in theHawkesbury-Nepean and otherdistricts around Sydney werenotorious.In the repressive climate ofDarling’s administration JohnDonahoe (sometimes speltDonohoe) was rapidly becomingsomething of a folk hero among the‘lower orders’ of society.Born in Dublin ca. 1806, details ofDonahoe’s early life and family areas vague as those of his Scottishcontemporary.Continued page 5HERITAGE 4July- August 2010

The shooting of of bushranger, Jack DonahoeContinued from page 4A couple of years younger thanMuggleston, he was sentenced totransportation for life in 1823 afterbeing found guilty of “intent tocommit felonry”, a rather vaguecharge that has been interpreted bysome to refer to ‘political’ crimes.As the child of a country exploitedeconomically and repressedpolitically, he had good cause todislike the English. Donohoe arrivedin Australia on board the ‘Ann andAmelia’ in early 1825, not longbefore Brisbane’s departure and theadvent of Governor Darling.In 1830 Muggleston’s commandingofficer and fellow Scot, LieutenantLachlan McAlister, devised a newstrategy for his mounted police unitbased at Goulburn.Instead of the usual reactionarypursuit from place to place, allowingthe villains greater options forescape, his troopers now conductedregular and systematic patrols ofthe known haunts of the Donahoegang. It was a good plan and onWednesday, September 1, 1830, itbrought results.As an early spring evening settledon the Bringelly bush, Mugglestonand six other troopers unsaddledtheir horses and prepared to makecamp.In the dusk they spied, somedistance away, three men ridingslowly through the trees leading apackhorse.These were soon identified asDonahoe, William Webber andJohn Walmsley.At the later inquest Mugglestondescribed the situation: “Thebushrangers were in a hollowsurrounded by bush, by whichmeans they were prevented fromobserving our approach.When Donahoe saw us he took hishat off, and waved it three times,threw it in the air, and bid usdefiance ...” Both sides took coverand the bushrangers, with areckless confidence borne of theirearlier successes, began tauntingthe troopers with insults,obscenities and shooting.What followed was described indetail in the Sydney Gazette:“Muggleston, who is reckoned oneof the best shots, kept his eyesteadily fixed on Donahoe, andwhen the latter peeped from behindhis tree, shewing (sic) only his headand part of his breast, the warysoldier took aim, fired, and though ahundred yards distant, in less thana minute the vaunting hero was ineternity.”The ‘troublesome’ Jack Donahoewas dead but his memory wouldfuel a legend and inspire numerouspopular ballads that circulatedthroughout Australia and overseasin places as diverse as Ireland,England, the USA, Canada, NovaScotia and Newfoundland.His nemesis, the young Scottishsoldier, on the other hand, slippedquietly into obscurity.Prior to his transfer to TheWeatherboard, there are referencesto Muggleston’s involvement inskirmishes with bushranging gangsin the Oberon area and near theFish River (Jenolan) Caves in 1831.He clearly preferred the life of amounted trooper to that of a footsoldier and twice transferred toother regiments (the 4 th in 1832 andthe 80 th in 1837) in order to remainin Australia.By the end of the 1830s he wasstationed at Newcastle and wasprobably involved in the pursuit ofthe ‘Jew Boy’ Gang (led by EdwardDavis, the only Jewish bushrangeron record) who were operatingthroughout the Hunter regionbetween 1839 and the end of 1840.John Muggleston died in NewcastleHospital on January 13, 1841 at theearly age of 37 and was buried inthe Christ Church CathedralCemetery. I have not, however,been able to establish the cause ofhis death.His colleagues in the mountedpolice erected a substantialheadstone to his memory and, whileno longer marking the spot wherehis body lies, this still exists.On its face are inscribed the words:“Sacred to the memory of JohnMuggleston who died January 1841aged about 40 years. This stone iserected by the officers, noncommissionedofficers and troopersof the Mounted Police Force”.REFERENCES[Anonymous] ‘Death of Donahoe’,Sydney Gazette, September 4, 1830.Gibbney, H.J. & Smith, Ann G. ABiographical Register 1788-1939: Notesfrom the Name Index of the AustralianDictionary of Biography, Volume 2, L-Z.Canberra: ADB, 1987.MacAlister, Charles. Old PioneeringDays in the Sunny South. Goulburn,NSW: Chas. MacAlister BookPublication Committee, 1907.Meredith, John. The Wild Colonial Boy:Bushranger Jack Donahoe, 1806-1830.Ascot Vale, Victoria: Red Rooster Press,1982.Readford, Edward. ‘Reminiscences ofEarly Days’, Warren Herald, 2 August,1902. [Copy held in the files of the BlueMountains Historical Society]Ward, Russell. ‘Donohoe, John (Jack)(1806?-1830)’, Australian Dictionary ofBiography, Volume 1. Melbourne: MUP,1966.Information supplied by the LocalStudies Librarian, Newcastle RegionLibrary [Letter dated 9 January 2003]MOUNTAIN MURDERSGlenbrook & District HistoricalSociety Inc. will conduct a walk“The Mountain Murders – LeeWeller’s Grave” on Saturday,August 28.For further detailspplinden@yahoo.com.auNATIONALTRUST WALKThe Blue Mountains Branch ofNational Trust is organising a walkon the lower Blue Mountainseastern escarpment for Saturday,July 24.The walk will visit Elizabeth’sLookout, Knapsack Gully andrailway viaduct built in 1867, thentraverse the original Lapstone Zig-Zag, cross the portal of theoriginal Lapstone Hill railwaytunnel, the subject of ArthurStreeton’s painting ‘Fires on’.Morning tea and lunch will beprovided.For further enquiries RhonaLeach 4757 2424.HERITAGE 5July- August 2010

Woodford’s memorial for those who for kingand empire enlisted from this villageIn the aftermath of the Great War,communities across Australia builtwar memorials to perpetuate thememory of those who served theircountry and who lie buried inforeign soil or beneath the seas.Their memory must not bediminished by the passage of time.Woodford like so many other townswas to see the creation of aMemorial Park in which wasincluded a war memorial housed ina pavilion.Often the memorials were built atthe instigation of local residentswho banded together inorganisations such as progress,citizens and/or ratepayersassociations.In his book Hazelbrook & Woodford–A story of two Blue Mountainstowns local historian Ken Goodlet,records: In February 1917, ‘it wasunanimously decided to form a localprogress association, the objectbeing to formulate plans for theenhancement of the district’.The committee included such localidentities as Gustavus Waterhouse(president), Thomas Thomas,Aubrey Murphy and Herbert Dakin 1 .The local press saw this as marking‘an epoch in the history of thischarming town’ 2 .The war memorial is described inthe State Heritage Inventory as asquare pavilion with an intersectinggable roof.A rock faced stone balustrade withbullneck brick capping spansbetween the piers.On the north side a terrazzo stairwith stone spandrels providesaccess to the shelter.On a monument in the centre of thepavilion is a rockfaced sandstonemonument with tapered sides.Marble plaques at the basecommemorate those who enlistedfrom the village in World War 1.Granite plaques commemorateWorld War II 3 .In 1919 details of WoodfordMemorial Park appeared in theGovernment Gazette and theWoodford War Memorial andpavilion was designed andconstructed in 1920 by localstonemason and master builderThomas Thomas. The memorial andpavilion was built on a sandstoneoutcrop on the south east portion ofthe park between the train line andthe highway.Thomas Owen Thomas had built hishome in Woodford in 1909 soonafter he emigrated from Wales.At the time of his death in 1973 hiscontribution to the Blue Mountainscommunity was considered to beone of the most important in thedevelopment of this district.He served as an alderman on BlueMountains Shire Council, was along term president of WoodfordProgress Association, a chairman ofWoodford Sights and ReservesTrust, and a member of the 530ACommittee [of council] caring for theWoodford parks and reserves at thetime of his death.In 1921, the Woodford Group of theBlue Mountains Sights Reserveswas established, most of the earlyattention going into WoodfordMemorial Park and much of the costbeing paid as a loan by GustavWaterhouse 4 .It was not until 1962 that MemorialPark was transferred to BlueMountains Council.In recent times Woodford MemorialPark has been difficult to accessfrom the Great Western Highway orthe footbridge over the rail line.However, there is expected to besome enhancement of the park andmemorial which will not be affectedby construction work to upgradethe Great Western Highway.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThe editor of BMACHO’s newsletterHERITAGE is grateful to Ken Goodletfor permission to use information fromhis book, Hazelbrook & Woodford. Astory of two Blue Mountains towns.Compilation and photographs by JohnLeary, OAM.ENDNOTES1Goodlet, K., Hazelbrook & Woodford. Astory of two Blue Mountains towns.2Blue Mountains Echo. February 2,1917, August 10, 1917, January 4,1918.3NSW Heritage Branch HeritageDatabases,www.heritage.nsw.gov.auaccessed June 10 2010.4Goodlet, K., Hazelbrook & Woodford. Astory of two Blue Mountains towns.HERITAGE 6July- August 2010

Mrs Macquarie on horse-back bush excursionsContinued from page 7Riding in the carriage gave way tohorseback on just the second dayuntil the Nepean was forded, andthen resumed on and off.Accommodation that night atSpringwood, as for the next 22nights, was in tents, the couplesometimes relaxing with a game ofcards after dinner.The pass that William Cox hadconstructed down Mount Yorkstunned the Macquaries, the roadbeing so steep that Elizabeth andLachlan had to walk the whole waydown on foot, whilst three hours ofstruggle elapsed before thecarriages and baggage came downsafely.A special halt was called byElizabeth elsewhere, so she couldsketch ‘Mount Evans’ [EvansCrown]. 12Lachlan was proud of Elizabeth’sfortitude and pleased with hercompanionship:Mrs M. I am happy to say, hasbore [sic] the fatiguing journeyover the Blue Mountains to[Bathurst Plains]… wonderfullywell indeed … 13An earlier comment, written in thewilds of the Cowpastures, summedup Macquarie’s affection andElizabeth’s varied talents succinctly.While needing fires and guards toencircle their camp site from fear ofthe wild cattle, her husband couldnote of Elizabeth:we sat down eight at table to amost comfortable dinner; Mrs. M.tho’ so young a campaignerhaving provided every requisite tomake our tour easy, pleasant andhappy… 14ENDNOTES1M.H. Ellis, Lachlan Macquarie , Angusand Robertson, Sydney, 1978, pp. 121,124-131, 133, 142-143.2Ellis, pp. 123, 143; J.Ritchie,Macquarie: a Biography, MelbourneUniversity Press, Carlton, 1986, pp. 20-21, 91; Lachlan Macquarie, Journals ofHis Tours in New South Wales and VanDiemen’s Land 1810-1822, Library ofAustralian History in association with theLibrary Council of New South Wales,Sydney, 1979, pp. 3, 113; SydneyGazette 22 December, 1810; Personalcommunication from Meg Douglas ofBridges Cottage Aros, Mull to JanBarkley Jack and Ian Jack, 27 June1997; field trip to Gruline-Salen-Fishnishon Mull by Jan Barkley Jack and IanJack, 1997.3Ritchie,p. 91.4Ritchie, pp. 211-213, 221, 218-219;Ellis, p. 251; Personal communicationfrom Meg Douglas of Bridges CottageAros, Mull to Jan Barkley Jack and IanJack, 27 June 1997.5www.nationaltrust.com.au/properties/macquarie/default.asp6Ellis, p. 134.7Ellis, p. 131.8J. Broadbent, The Australian ColonialHouse, Hordern House in associationwith Historic Houses Trust of NSW,Sydney, 1997, pp.124,145; J. Broadbentand Joy Hughes(eds.), The Age ofMacquarie , Melbourne University Pressin association with Historic Houses Trustof New South Wales, Carlton, 1992, pp.11, 168.9Macquarie, pp. 2, 5-16, 25, 27.10Macquarie, pp. 23-43, 45-79, 86-87.11Macquarie, pp. 15, 82, 152.12Macquarie, pp. 90-110.13Macquarie, p. 98.14Macquarie, p.7.Governor Macquarie exhibitionOne of Governor LachlanMacquarie’s most enduring legacieswas the setting out of five towns onthe Hawkesbury River.They were named Richmond,Windsor, Wilberforce, Pitt Town andCastlereagh, and, according toHawkesbury Regional Museumdirector, Kath von Witt, theyguaranteed the survival of thecolony of New South Wales.“Attempts to farm at Sydney andParramatta had not producedenough food to support thepopulation, and although theHawkesbury had the rich alluvialsoil needed to grow crops and raiselivestock, regular flooding hadswept much of it away,” says Kath.“With his five towns, Macquariechanged all that — by situatingtowns above flood level, grain andlivestock could be protected fromflooding and Sydney’s food supplywas assured.“At the same time, Macquariecreated settlements that, 200 yearslater, continue to reflect his townplanning ability, his belief in thecivilising influence of BritishTHE AUTHOR. Jan Barkley Jack is ahistorian, educated at the University ofNew England, with a BA (Hons.) fromthe University of Western Sydney.She co-authored the Hawkesbury CityCouncil’s Bicentennial book and haswritten many articles.She has promoted history through beingon Hawkesbury Historical Society,National Trust and Hawkesbury CityCouncil heritage and celebrationcommittees, and as honorary curator ofHawkesbury Museum for over twentyyears.Jan has presented Community Linkcourses for the University of WesternSydney and was a recipient of aCommonwealth Centenary Medal in2003 for ‘service to the communitythrough the history and heritage of theHawkesbury’.In 2005 she was an advisor to SBSTelevision on historical content in theirLiving History series The Colony. Herlatest book, Hawkesbury SettlementRevealed was published in 2009.institutions, and his willingness tospend public money oninfrastructure.”On show throughout2010 at the awardwinningmuseum inWindsor, itselflocated on a townallotment grantedby Macquarie toJohn Howe in 1811,is a display aboutMacquarie’s achievements.It includes information about thetime he spent in the area, and thethinking that went into the siting andnaming of the towns.Hawkesbury Regional Museum is at8 Baker Street Windsor. Open daily10am - 4pm except Tuesdays (prebookedgroups only) Selectedpublic holidays 10am - 4pm. ClosedChristmas Day, Boxing Day andGood Friday.For further informationPhone 4560 4654 museum@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.auwww.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.auHERITAGE 8July- August 2010

THE OLD COMMUNITY HALL - THEHEART OF THE LAWSON TOWNSHIPAlthough the place that was tobecome the modern Lawson hadappeared under its first name ofChristmas Swamp on John Oxley’s1817 survey, it was not until 1867and the arrival of a single-trackrailway line that the township had itsreal beginnings.Up to this time its major functionhad been to serve the needs of thesteadily increasing movement ofpeople and trade both ways acrossthe mountains. The Blue MountainInn and an official stock resting area(now Douglass Square) togetherwith a good water supply had madeBlue Mountain as it came to beknown a major stopping place.by Nance Cooper, Mid Mountains Historical Society Inc.After 1867 a settled communitybegan to appear. The name Lawsonappeared in 1879 as part of agovernment clean-up of placenames.The Blue Mountain Inn was movedfrom its original site on what is nowthe public school playground finallyending up where the BlueMountains Hotel now stands and aflourishing small shopping centregrew up to serve the needs of boththe permanent residents and theincreasing numbers of holidaymakers.By World War I, Lawson was one ofthe major holiday resorts of the BlueMountains. By the end of the 19 thcentury when the story of Lawson’sOld Community Hall begins manyforces were having an impact evenon a quiet mountain township.The development of the MechanicsInstitute movement as a social andeducational force was under waythroughout NSW and within theLawson community new needs werebeing felt.The result was at first a smallventure called the Lawson Literaryand Debating Society that was setup in 1896 with eight members andno money.It met in what had been the secondBlue Mountain Inn (on the presentschool playground).A small library encouraged moremembers, so a move was madeacross the railway line to the CoffeePalace (later Stratford School ofwhich only the tower still remains) inSan Jose Avenue.The purchase of a small billiardtable against much oppositionencouraged younger members so apermanent home was sought by theProgress Association.In 1899 the state government cameinto the picture and set aside Lot 17Section 1 of the Village of Lawsonfor a mechanics institute and thesociety with library and billiard tablemoved back across the railway lineto a home in a temporary woodenbuilding.A more substantial masonrybuilding was erected on the site in1903 at the cost of £400 paid for bycommunity subscription.About 40,000 bricks from the oldLawson railway station were usedas well as some from Mount Victoriastation, all becoming available asthe result of the upgrading of therailway line and the need for newstations.Once again the community wasdirectly involved in providing thetransport for such a majormovement of building material.The new Lawson MechanicsInstitute building was officiallyopened in December 1903.The needs of current highwaywidening have had the effect ofrestoring the old community hall toits original appearance as createdby the Lawson community.The portico that provided a coveredfront entry to the building was not toappear until at least 30 years afterthe original building was completed.A 1905 photograph shows a set ofsteps from the footpath to thedoorway that still faces the highway.Exactly when the portico was addedis a matter of question butphotographic evidence shows thehall without portico up to the time ofWorld War II.In all probability its appearancecoincided with the use of thebuilding on a regular basis as acinema up to the advent oftelevision.The new building was put toimmediate use. By 1905 the library,now a circulating library, hadreached 1000 volumes andmembership continued to grow. Apermanent caretaker was neededand the library and billiard roomwere open all day in the holidayseason.Continued page 10HERITAGE 9July- August 2010

Lawson Mechanics Institute a venue foruniversity lectures in 1906Continued from page 9It became a venue for young menand women for Christianconferences with up to 200 inattendance and was also used in1906 as the site of universitylectures for students from NSW andVictoria.It provided a venue for the new BlueMountains Shire Council that tookover the building temporarily in1907 before relocating to San JoseAvenue, first to Avon on the cornerof Park Street, then into itspermanent home in what is now thelibrary building where it stayed until1947.A major change occurred in 1911when the Lawson MechanicsInstitute was renamed the LawsonLiterary Institute reflecting achanging attitude to the buildingand its use.In 1909 its move to becomingLawson’s entertainment centreaccelerated. The stage wasenlarged and wings were added.Moving pictures were first exhibitedin the hall by a travelling show andskating appeared as a hall activityin 1912.The connection of electricity in 1931increased its availability for a widerange of social activities. There arenewspaper reports of dances,bazaars, lectures, school prizegivingfunctions and billiardcompetitions and until the early1960s it was the local cinema.In 1991 the building was renamedthe Mid Mountains Youth Centre butwas vacated in 2004 for its future tobe determined.While at one stage demolitionseemed inevitable to meet theneeds of highway widening, arealignment of the new line ofhighway coupled with the removalof the portico has made theretention of the building possible.REFERENCESEco Design - Studio Lawson MechanicsInstitute .Report for inclusion in BMMC BusinessPaper 29 January 2008.Innes, Paul - Lawson MechanicsChristmas party given by RSL c. 1936 held in Lawson MechanicsInstitute Hall. Photograph by A Manning of KatoombaInstitute/Community Hall .Oral history project on behalf of BMCCMarch-June 2005.Staas, Robert - Lawson MechanicsInstitute Hall Heritage Assessment2004. Prepared for Noel Bell RidleySmith & Partners Architects Pty Ltd.The Nepean Times. Newspaper 1882-1962. (References throughout relevantperiod)Lt William Dawes named Mt TwissContinued frompage 1Mount Twiss, named after an officerof the Royal Engineers, and DawesRidge are enshrined on theRegister of the Geographic NamesBoard.There have been numerousattempts to pinpoint their exactlocation but there is no backing inany journals so their position willslip into the realm of mythology.BIBLIOGRAPHYThe notes and extracts used in thisarticle obtained from journals andvolumes contained in the MitchellLibrary and Public Library of NSW, whilethe journey mentioned was plotted on astandard Ordnance Map of Katoombaand Windsor.The Mid Mountains Historical Societywas set up in 2000 at a communitymeeting to give a voice to the muchneglected heritage and history of thisforgotten part of the Blue Mountains.Preservation, recording and publicisingof material relating to the area is aparamount object which is reflected inthe Society’s website and variouspublished documentsList of PapersComplete account of settlement at PortJackson in New South Wales – 1793 byWatkin Tench.New South Wales – Historical Records,vol. 1, pt. 2.Historical Journal of Admiral JohnHunter, p. 151.Historical Records of Australia, Series 1,vol. 1.History of New South Wales, G.B.Barton, vol. 1.Account of the English Colony of NSW,David Collins.Guide book to the excursions to theBlue Mountains and Lithgow, 1923.Pacific Science Congress –Explorations by H.R. Cambage, F.L.S.First crossing of the Blue Mountains, F.Walker, Royal Australian HistoricalSociety Journal, vol. 25, p. 475-519.Macquarie Historical Society, Notes onthe Exploration of the Lower BlueMountains. H.Paish.HERITAGE 10July- August 2010

STRANGE DOINGS AT SPRINGWOODBy Shirley EvansNepean Times, February 1, 1890“Petty Thieving. – Petty thieving inand around Springwood seems tobe the popular amusement – meandespicable appropriation of otherpeople’s goods – one of ourhardworking neighbours has to pickhis ripening fruit every morningbefore he goes to work; if not it issure to go during his absence –another one left a few tools wherehe had been working some littledistance from his house, the nextday they were missing – and onTuesday we met our roadmaintenance man plodding towardsSpringwood with a very dolefulcountenance, his road repairingtools having been left between twodays – we believe some peoplewould steal a dog-leg fence if theycould get it on their shoulders – OTempore ! O Moses! “Nepean Times, May 3, 1890“More petty thieving and wantonmischief in the back blocks, onepoor fellow loses five of his besthens, and another has his wirefence cut in various places andsome of the wire stolen – this isbeyond a joke. Another had a few(a case or so) late apples on thetree one night – the next morningthey had disappeared . We shallhave to interview the war office andhave a detachment of mountedinfantry sent up here. They couldmake a dear little camp on peachtree flat, and it would be such funfor the girls. We are sure theywould be just as useful in thecountry (even more so) thandisplaying their roosters’ feathers inthe neighbourhood of Sydney, and ifour liberal government would supplythem with a little ammunition, wemight get rid of our flying foxeswithout trying to blow them up withdynamite. Lor! what a scare thewallabies would get.”Nepean Times, May 10, 1890“The operations of our Springwoodthieves are extending and taking ahigher tone. A few days back theytook advantage of Mrs Hoare’sabsence and forced an entranceinto her house 1 , but they wereevidently new at this branch of thetrade for they decamped withouttaking anything of much value 2 .Their entrance was effected veryclumsily as they had roughly boredholes in the front door and burst apanel in sufficiently wide to get theirhands in and undo the fastenings ofthe door. This is certainly anupward tendency in the style of theftfrom robbing orchards, making araid amongst the hen roosts,stealing and cutting wire fences tobarefaced robbery. We shall nexthear of them sticking up our localbank or stopping the mail train. Weare as far too go-ahead in villainyas we are slow in other natures.”Nepean Times, June 28, 1890“I daresay you have heard of thenefarious proceedings of certainA pair of antique silver cruets, probably not unlike the set stolen fromMiss Todd’s Springwood home in 1890. Photograph courtesy of JohnLeary, OAMFor more than 400 years, since the first ever newspaper, the Relationaller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien was printed inStrassburg, Germany by Johnann Carolus in 1605; newspaper reportinghas undergone many changes in literary styles.From the early 18 th century up until recent times it was not uncommon forprovincial and even some metropolitan newspapers to supplementcrafted writings of journalists with contributions from correspondents oras they were sometimes called ‘stringers’ who provided news fromoutlying areas.The writings of these correspondents varied from the bland to thebeguiling, the storyline sometimes quaint, sometimes questionable. Theauthors were sometimes humble, sometimes hostile while some triedhomespun humour to get their story read. Unquestionably for futureresearchers and historians these correspondents have left a first-handaccount sometimes complete with hyperbole of lifestyles of yesteryear.The Nepean Times seems to have employed a ‘stringer’ in the thenoutlying township of Springwood. Springwood Historian, Shirley Evans inher ongoing research of old newspapers has contributed this interestingarticle. It is well worth the space given to it in this edition of HERITAGE.The editor.unknown “gentry” in the district ofSpringwood. Truly, we are in badcase. No one when he retires forthe night can say he will have apeaceful time of it. He mayexamine under his bed with hisrushlight to see if anyone is there,and he may perchance keep hisrevolver loaded too under his pillow;but for all those precautions he mayfind the next morning that his fowlshave been stolen, or his beehivesdisappeared – the very wires of hisfence may have been cut and takenaway, or worse still his house maybe broken into and many of hisfavourite articles gone.If he has goods consigned to him byrail and leaves them or his luggageon the Springwood platform, part orthe whole may disappear in thetwinkling of an eye without hisauthority. These are not fancifulcases. These things havehappened and that lately. Some noless than last week. You may saythe remedy lies in having onepoliceman stationed here, whosedistrict extends from about Blaxlandright away to Lawson and beyond.Well he is no doubt a very worthyconstable, but so far has beenunable to afford us any relief. Hecannot even find one offender, and Ifear it is hopeless to expect that hewill be able to unless ably assistedby the Inspector General of Police’sinstructions.Continued page 12HERITAGE 11July- August 2010

From Springwood burglar to Peak Hill murdererContinued from page 11It is plain to me that we want morepolice here if only as a temporaryexpedient, then there may be somehope of being able to keep one’sgoods intact. If no help is afforded,and more burglaries and theftsoccur it will have but one ending –somebody will be made a target of;perhaps the wrong man whichwould be a lamentable result.Revolvers are to be brought intorequisition by several of our folkwho are determined to use them tooif occasion demand it. Perhaps ourProgress Committee will make amove in the desired direction, for atpresent “our” policeman’s lot is nota happy one.”Nepean Times, July 19, 1890“Another petty robbery has occurredin the district. Miss Todd uponreturning home, near the railwaybridge, after a short absence, foundit broken into and some blanketsand a cruet stand abstracted. It is acurious thing that in all the latecases of robbery about Springwood,the thieves have appropriated acruet-stand. It does not seem tomatter much whether the stand iselectro or silver it is all the same tothem, it is taken. We wonderwhether he, she or they are going toset up a dining saloon, and are thuscommencing to appropriate thenecessary stock. It’s a risky game;and for our part we would rather buythe articles on terms, and leavebefore payment was required – withthe articles, if not too bulky.Nepean Times, July 26, 1890“Theft. – In the midst of life we arein theft, at least we find it so thisside of the Zig-Zag, and aconsignment of tower muskets willhave to be forwarded to the district.Neither our cruet stands or ourclothes lines are safe. In fact thissystem of petty foggingappropriation of other people’sunderlinen is the meanest type ofkleptomania. Last Saturday our twohotels had their clothes linesstripped in a most barefacedmanner, and the night before MrHumphries, a quiet hard workingman, had his home broken into anda quantity of wearing apparel andpapers taken. We can understanda starving homeless wretch filchingfrom the super-abundance of a richman’s house, the temptation beingso great, but for thieves to break inand steal from a hard working tillerof the soil seems the very poorestkind of employment.We would just as soon work for ourliving and take our natural rest atnight.”Nepean Times, August 2,1890“No more robberies. – Since thestirring events of the last week havetranspired, our village has returnedto its usual placid serenity. Wecarefully take in all our washedclothes at night, lock the back gatewith a six inch nail, and shove thecruet stand as far up the chimneyas possible. Having made thesepreparations, we chain the dog upto the grind-stone, and feel easy forthe night.”Nepean Times, August 16, 1890“Mr Parker’s house on Single’sRidge was entered the other day inthe absence of the owner, butnothing much was appropriated, butthere has been an increaseddemand for shot, caps and powderat Mr Rayner’s store. We pity themarauders if the vengeance iscarried out that we have heardthreatened them. Life will be aburden and death a happy releaseto them.”Nepean Times, October 11, 1890“A sensation is now beingexperienced through somediscoveries made this week byConstable Illingworth. It will berecollected that our little communitywas moved by feelings of alarm andindignation some few months agoin consequence of the numerousburglaries and robberies which tookplace in our midst, some which‘took the cake’ for barefacedness.Well the secret is being unearthedat last, much to our relief of mind,and very much to those who wereunfortunately wrongly suspected ofbeing participants in theproceedings. It is an old saying that‘murder will out’, and it looks as if itis going to prove in our case. Itappears that Mr Larsen 3 had in hisemploy as caretaker and gardener aman named Lars Peter Hansen.This individual enjoyed theconfidence of his employer for overa year and left for ‘fresh fields andpastures new”’about a month since.The next news we heard of Hansenwas that he had been arrested forsupposed complicity in the murderof a man named Charles Duncker inthe Peak Hill district. Opinionsbegan to be expressed here that hemight have been guilty of some ofthe crimes in this district. Then didour constable arise to the dignity ofhis profession. Without further adohe considered it advisable to makea little search for himself 4 in thehouse and grounds of Mr Larsen,and was well rewarded for histrouble by finding a ‘plant’. Awaterhole in the grounds was‘fished’ with the result that two tintrunks and part of a leatherportmanteau were found, minus thecontents, the said packages beingthose which were mysteriouslyconveyed away from the stationhere in June last. Heaps of rubbishwere overturned, resulting in thediscovery of sundry articles, all ofwhich have been already identifiedas stolen goods belonging to ourvillagers. In a cooking stove werefound some lumps of white metalwhich had evidently been melteddown in the hope of it being silver,but which it is probable issomething baser. Much thereforehas been done towards clearing upa great mystery. The circumstantialevidence thus afforded pointsstrongly towards Hansen as theperpetrator of at least some of therobberies. As at present he issuspected of the most serious crimeof murder, we can afford to wait andsee how he gets on with thatcharge.”A tomahawk like this missingfrom Springwood crime scene.Photograph by John Leary, OAMNepean Times, October 25, 1890“Since Hansen’s departure from ourdistrict we have been free fromrobberies, for which much thanks.The various goods found on MrLarsen’s premises, after Hansen’sarrest for the Peak Hill murder,which is believed to have beenstolen by Hansen, have all beenidentified; some as belonging tosome ladies at Miss Hooper’sschool 5 at North Springwood, andothers as the property of Mrs Hoare.HERITAGE 12July- August 2010

Murder of the little German on the Peak Hill roadContinued from page 12The only article missed by MrLarsen is a tomahawk which thatgentleman states he could identify.It is hoped he may have anopportunity of seeing the tomahawkwhich is said to have been inHansen’s possession about thetime of the murder.”Nepean Times, January 24, 1891“Murder will out! We note thatHansen has confessed to themurder of the little German on thePeak Hill Road. Who in our littlecommunity would have suspectedthat so quiet a man as Hansenwould have been guilty of theseveral robberies here, much lessthe serious crime of murder.”***********Lars Peter Hansen, 30 years of age,was born in Denmark and arrived inAustralia in about 1889. Afterleaving Springwood (probably withsome of his purloined pieces), hewent to Sydney where he stayed inlodgings with a German man,Charles Duncker, aged 23, and aSwedish man called PeterPetersen.In 1889 gold was discovered inPeak Hill in Central New SouthWales between Parkes and Dubbo,hundreds of people rushed there toseek their fortune, and the arearapidly expanded into a thrivingtown.Hansen and Duncker decided to trytheir hand at prospecting but rapidlyreached the conclusion that it wasnot for them – as Hansen put it toseveral people he met, “thediggings are all duffered out” and“there were too many people”. [Thiswas not exactly correct as goldmining is still continuing in PeakHill] They decided to return toSydney although Hansen told oneman he was going to catch a trainto Springwood.In September, 1890, Hansen andDuncker walked along the road fromPeak Hill to Dubbo where theyintended to catch a train. Severalpeople remembered seeing the twomen, describing Hansen as a tallstout man about 6 feet 7 or 8 inches[200cm] high with a thick accentand carrying a heavy swag with atomahawk strapped to it. One mansaid he looked fierce andfrightening. Duncker, a shortdistance behind him and hurrying tocatch up, was described as smalland slight and carrying a light swag.The next morning some of thesewitnesses found the body of a manthey believed was Duncker, lying onthe remains of a fire with a knifenearby.Hansen was immediately suspectedof murdering Duncker and theyfinally found him working on thedocks at Port Kembla.He was known to be trying to earnenough money for his passage toGermany. He was wearing a cap heclaimed to have bought fromDuncker and admitted to thepossession of a revolver, alsobought from Duncker, which was inhis box in Market Street. In the boxthey also found a number of pawntickets for Duncker’s clothes.When arrested he said, “I nomurder the little German”. He wastaken to Dubbo for the inquest and,on arrival at the railway station, wasgreeted with booing and hissingfrom the crowd. Duncker’s bodywas officially identified by theSwede, Peter Petersen.The knife was also identified asbelonging to Hansen. The inquestinto the little German’s deathconcluded that “he was murderedby person or persons unknown”.However, Hansen was immediatelycharged with the murder.At the trial he pleaded not guilty andsaid in his defence, “I no guilty. I killhim to save myself”. Mr JusticeStephen [son of Sir Alfred Stephen]passed sentence of death on him.On June 2, 1891, Lars PeterHansen, attended by ArchdeaconWilson, was led to the gallows ofDubbo Gaol 6 showing little anxietyor fear. When asked if he felt safehe replied, “Yes”, shook hands andsaid, “Goodbye”. He was asked ifhe had anything to say and hereplied in his broken English, “I amnot guilty of this murder. I die aninnocent man and a Christian, andtrust myself to Jesus Christ.”Although death appeared to beinstantaneous, the doctor said theheart had continued for someminutes after the drop.ENDNOTES1Mrs Alice Hoare, a wealthy widow,owned “Homedale”, a handsome villa,valued at £5,600.0.0 in 1884, located atthe corner of Homedale and RailwayParade. Mrs Hoare was the sister ofJohn Frazer, benefactor of the FrazerMemorial Church. Edward Deaneestablished the Blue MountainsGrammar School in Homedale in 1918.The house was demolished in 1975 tomake way for Wingara, an agedpersons’ complex.2“A cruet stand is a small stand ofmetal, ceramic or glass which holdscondiments. Typically these include saltand pepper shakers, and often cruets orbottles of vinegar and olive oil.”Wikipedia3Gustav Larsen and his nephew AxelBech were tobacconists in Balmain.They had come from Denmark and theircountry house in Springwood was“Elsinore” situated on the Bathurst Roadon 4 acres of land with a frontage of550ft stretching eastward from the firstPublic School (now the Springwoodnorthern car park).4Constable Illingworth’s decision tosearch the grounds of “Elsinore” wasprompted by Axel Bech’s daughterfalling in the water hole in the grounds.In retrieving the child Bech foundportions of three empty trunks. Heimmediately reported this to theConstable.5Miss Hooper’s school for girls was“Hartlands” (now “Hartfields”) on theHawkesbury Road, Springwood.6Dubbo Gaol 1871-1966 Eight menwere hanged at Dubbo Gaol includingJacky Underwood who inspired ThomasKeneally’s “Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith.REFERENCESThe Argus (Melbourne, Victoria) –various issues.Australian Encyclopaedia, GrolierSociety of Australia, 1963.Cook, Kerrin and Garvey, Daniel, “TheGlint of Gold”.Nepean Times – various issues.N.S.W.Family History DocumentServices www.ihr.com.au/secure/docimages/ inquests 1890/gg4115.gifN.S.W. Registry of Births, Deaths andMarriages.Sydney Morning Herald – various issuesWikipedia – Old Dubbo Gaolwww.olddubbogaol.com.auCruet Stands http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruet-standsMy thanks to Pamela Smith and JohnMerriman for research assistance,S.Evans.‘Australian history is almost always picturesque....It does notread like history, but like the most beautiful lies’--- Mark Twain, More Tramps Abroad (1897)HERITAGE 13July- August 2010

Blue MountainsBi-centenary ofCrossingOrganisationCommitteeappointedBlue Mountains City Council hasnow decided on the compositionof the Bicentenary of CrossingOrganisation Committee which isas follows:Aboriginal community - GaiMarheine (Darug Community)Chambers of Commerce -Graham Reibelt (Lawson), TomColless (Katoomba) and LewHird (Wentworth Falls)Historical/Heritage sector -Susan Warmbath (BlueMountains Historical Society),Robert Clarke (BM BranchNational Trust of Australia) andJean Arthur (Mt Victoria andDistrict Historical Society).Community representatives -Bruce Ferrier, Dr SiobhanLavelle, OAM, John O’Sullivan,John Wakefield, OAM and KerrinO’GradyHeritage Identificationand Protection –Revision of FAHSHeritage HandbookOriginally published in 2002 by theFederation of Australian HistoricalSocieties (FAHS), this guide toheritage identification andprotection is intended to provide apractical guide for local historicalsocieties that wish to identify andprotect local heritage places,objects and records. The revision isavailable from the web only:www.history.org.au/Heritage identification and protection.htmlNATIONAL TRUSTAPPOINTMENTNational Trust of Australia (NSW)has announced the appointment ofMaisy Stapleton as a new deputyexecutive director.Joan Kent comes on boardJoan Kent of Little Hartley hasaccepted an offer to fill a vacancyon BMACHO’s managementcommittee.Following an honours degree inhistory at Macquarie University,Joan spent five years as researchassistant to Professor John Ward,then Vice-Chancellor and ChallisProfessor of History at SydneyUniversity, followed by some yearsas a consultant historian engaged inthe preparation of thematic studiesand conservation plans.An interesting period as theresearch historian at National Parksand Wildlife Service developed herinterest in the conservation of thebuilt environment, industrialarchaeology and social history.While living in the UK in the early1990s she advanced this interest bycompleting a masters degree insocial science (industrialarchaeology) which, in betweenbreeding alpacas is now utilised in2.1 million Torrens Titles onlineThe system of Torrens Title isnamed after its creator, Sir RobertRichard Torrens who in the 1850sdeveloped this unique method ofregistering land ownership.Robert Torrens’ experience inmerchant shipping law stood him ingood stead when it came todeveloping a way of replacing theEnglish land law of the time thatwas complex, inefficient, timeconsuming and expensive.Before the Torrens Title wasformulated, a rather inaccuratechain of documents existed thatmeant all land dealings had to beexamined and registered, thenplaced on public record.With the Torrens Title system title toa property is created simply byregistering or recording thisownership in a central governmentregister.This simple system proved to be sorevolutionary that the RegistrarGeneral of NSW at the time,Christopher Rolleston, travelled allthe way from NSW to SouthAustralia to learn about it.assisting residents in the Hartleyarea in attempting to protect thishighly significant region from theravages of four-laned highways andconcrete flyovers.Joan and husband Tom have beenmembers of the National Trust ofAustralia (NSW) for 30 years andshe has served as secretary of theLithgow Branch.Although he was shipwrecked onhis return trip he managed tosurvive and on his return formulatedthe new titling legislation for NSW.In January 1853 the Real PropertyAct came in operation introducingthe Torrens system of Title to NSW.Today, even though Australia is afederation of sovereign states, eachstate having a different system ofland law, all are based on the sameTorrens Title system.After the first Torrens Title (Volume1) was issued in 1863, it took 33years to register the next 250,000titles made up of 100 volumes. Thenext 1,875,000 titles (7500 volumestook 65 years to register.There are 2.1 million records nowavailable online and can beaccessed on the SIX portal at:www.six.nsw.gov.auThe Torrens system of title is alsoone of Australia’s most famous legalservices exports operating in manyoverseas countries.Source: NSW Land and PropertyManagement Authority.HERITAGE 14July- August 2010

Mt Victoria exhibit recalls eccentriceducator at Osborne Ladies’ CollegeA collection of memorabilia, claimedas unique in the world, fromOsborne Ladies’ College formerly ofBlackheath has been curated as anexhibition at the Mt Victoria andDistrict Historical Society’smuseum.The college was developed by MissGibbins in 1923 on 40 acres atBlackheath overlooking theKanimbla and Megalong Valleys. Itwas renowned for being run in thetradition of the Royal Navy.Miss Gibbins started a school atBondi in 1910 initially for boys, butthe school was later changed togirls. She later moved the school toEpping, changing the name of herschool from the Epping Ladies’College to Osborne Ladies’ Collegeafter the Royal Naval College,Osborne on the Isle of Wight.The school uniform was in navalblue worn with Royal Navy Buttons.Junior girls of the school wereknown as “Middies” from the termmidshipman, with prefects beingaddressed as lieutenant and thehead girl as captain.Military courtesies applied with thesenior girls being saluted. MissGibbins was known as “the admiral”while her governess, Miss VioletEveringham was known as ‘thecommander”.TAFE students to prepare marketing plan forBlue Mountains Historical SocietyBlue Mountains Historical Societyhas enlisted the aid of studentsfrom two TAFE colleges to look ataspects of the future of the society.Advanced Diploma in Marketingstudents are working on amarketing plan to grow the society.These mature students havealready completed 3 years part-timestudy and are currently employed inthe relevant sphere.Another group, Diploma andCertificate IV TAFE students arecreating a garden master plan forthe future development of theThe rooms of the school wereknown by names of Royal Navyships such as HMS Dreadnought,HMS Nelson, HMS Neptune,HMS Pelican, HMS Rodney, HMSSirius HMS Sydney and others..An emphasis was placed onphysical fitness, Spartan living (onlyone room was heated at the school,the library) archery, shooting anddramatic arts.The school was closed in 1958following the illness and death ofMiss Gibbins. The original buildinga hotel built in 1883 was destroyedby fire in 1963.The exhibition curated by Mr RonBrasier will be officially opened byDr Peter Rickwood on Saturday,July 10.The exhibition will be open to thepublic at the museum RailwayStation, Station Street, Mt VictoriaWentworth Falls site previouslydeveloped by Colin Slade in 1991.These works will take a year tocomplete, under supervision of theirtutors and the two master plans areexpected to be completed by theend of this year.To engage private professionals forthese plans, the cost would beconsiderable. And as the society isgaining the enthusiasm of multiple,bright, young students it can beexpected that the plans might bebetter than perhaps those of asingle professional.every Saturday and Sunday andpublic holidays and school holidaysbetween 2 and 5 pmSources:Robyn Hanstock ‘In the spirit of theNavy’: Violet Gibbins and OsborneLadies’ College, Blackheath. Journal ofthe Royal Australian Historical Society,June 2005.:www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OsbornePhotograph courtesy Blue MountainsCity Council - Local History StudiesCollection www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/National FamilyHistory WeekBlue Mountains Family HistorySociety is planning a display in theSpringwood Library for NationalFamily History Week, from Friday,July 31, to Saturday, August 7,2010. In addition, there will be twovolunteers on duty each day to givepersonal assistance to members ofthe public wishing to research theirfamily history world- wide.Family History is not just familytrees; the exciting part of familyhistory is finding the stories behindthe ancestors or putting “the fleshon the bones”.It is far more interesting finding outabout the history and geography ofthe area/s your family came from,their occupations, anything that canbe found to “bring them to life”, sothat they are not just a name, but aperson. Of course, if there is aconvict in the family, there is awealth of information to be foundand usually an easy trail to follow.For further information, pleasecontact Jan Koperbergjank@eftel.com.au or 02 47541544.HERITAGE 15July- August 2010

World War II in theBlue MountainsIn the 1920s and 1930s the BlueMountains had a relatively smallpopulation in the townships alongthe highway and railway.There were service centres, manyguesthouses and holiday cottages,TB Sanatoria, etc. World War IIsaw many families and schools,including SCEGGS and Cranbrookevacuating from Sydney andrelocating boarders in privatehomes, guesthouses, hotels, etc.Workers from the Lithgow SmallArms Factory also occupiedguesthouses on the BlueMountains. Other guest houseswere taken over as servicehospitals, such as the HydroMajestic for US servicemen andSans Souci for the Brits. In Term 1in 1942, Katoomba school had 350new enrolments.Blue Mountains Family HistorySociety is compiling informationabout the Blue Mountains in thisperiod and is seeking any personalstories, photographs and relevantinformation that can be used in thebook that will be published. Pleasecontact Joan Edwardsjoan.geofocus@gmail.com or JanKoperberg jank@eftel.com.auA Digger’s Best Friendarrives at Eskbank HouseThe Australian War Memorial’stravelling exhibition, A Digger’s BestFriend will be open to the publicevery day until Sunday, July 25,2010 at Eskbank House, Lithgow.Opening hours are 10am to 4pm,Wednesday to Sunday. Group andschool bookings are welcome.“Lithgow City Council is delighted tohost this exhibition”, Neville Castle,Mayor of Lithgow Council said.“Curators of the exhibition havedrawn together a fascinating arrayof images from the Memorial’sNational Collection, which havebeen specially chosen to suit thelearning needs of children.”A Digger’s Best Friend offers an Ato Z of animals in war, from mascotsand messengers to creepy-crawlies.Animals are put to many uses inwar. Sometimes they have jobs todo: the horses, camels, mules, anddonkeys used to transport soldiersand equipment, as well as carrierpigeons and tracker dogs with theirspecial talents.Mt Wilson & Mt Irvine Historical Society Inc.Notice of mid-year general meetingA warm invitation is extended to all members and friends tothe Society’s mid-year general meeting with guest speaker,Associate Professor Ian Jack.Saturday, 31st July 2010 at 10.30am at theMt Wilson Village Hall, The Avenue, Mt Wilson11.00am General meeting with committee reports and anupdate on the Society’s ongoing projects and activities. We areespecially pleased to announce the awarding of Honorary LifeMemberships to Arthur Delbridge and Bruce Wright.12.00noon Guest speaker Associate Professor Ian Jack,President of the Royal Australian Historical Society will tell us about hisrecent research on the history of Fernmount at Kurrajong. This historicproperty was created in the 19th Century by William Scott, the veryinteresting Government Astronomer, Warden of St Paul’s College andmaverick clergyman. It seems that Fernmount attracted similarlyunusual owners in the twentieth century.While animals are often used asmascots and pets, or as symbols onbadges and flags, A Digger’s BestFriend also looks at thoseunwelcome animals, such asinsects, rats, and wild creatures thatmake life in the field even moredifficult and dangerous.The exhibition has been developedwith a young audience in mind, butvisitors of all ages will enjoy itsfascinating and moving stories.The Australian War Memorial’sTravelling Exhibitions Program isfunded by the AustralianGovernment’s CommemorationsProgram.For further information contactNaomi Parry, Lithgow City Council’sCultural Development Officer on6354 9999 or e-mail:naomi.parry@lithgow.nsw.gov.auMILITARYMEMORABILIADISPLAYBlue Mountains Historical SocietyInc. is organising a display ofmilitary memorabilia at Tarella,Wentworth Falls for Saturday,September 18.Members and guests are invited to enjoy a warming lunch after thepresentation. There will be a gold coin donation at the door to covercosts.FOR CATERING PURPOSES, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU ARECOMING MARY REYNOLDS: 4756 2006 / HELEN CARDY: 9871 3661OR FLORENCE SMART: 4756 2063 EMAIL: westring@bigpond.comThe society is seeking additionalmaterial from members and anyonewho may have items of interest isasked to contact Susan Warmbathon 4757 3402.HERITAGE 16July- August 2010

Dig finds world’s oldest leather shoeIt is size six, has lace up design,and was worn more than 1000years before the pyramids werebuilt in Egypt.Dated at 5500 years old, it is theworld’s most ancient leather shoe.Its owner apparently cared enoughabout it to stuff it with grass to keepit in shape while in storage.The well-preserved shoe made froma single piece of cow hide and wornon the right foot was unearthed in acave in Armenia and studied by ateam led by Dr Ron Pinhasi ofUniversity College Cork in Ireland.While the shoe is small, about awoman’s size six, it was not knownBLUE MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION OF CULTURALHERITAGE ORGANISATIONS INC.REGISTERED OFFICE 14 Bunnal Avenue,Winmalee 2777E-mail: jank@eftel.com.au orbmacho.heritage@gmail.comWebsite: www.bluemountains.heritage.comTHE ORGANISATION Blue MountainsAssociation of Cultural Organisations Inc.(BMACHO) was established in April 2006 followinga unanimous response to a proposal from Prof.Barrie Reynolds at the 2004 Blue Mountains LocalHistory Conference which sought from BlueMountains City Council the creation of a culturalheritage strategy for the city.BMACHO in its constitution uses the definition:“Cultural heritage is all aspects of life of thepeoples of the Blue Mountains which was laterchanged to cover Lithgow and the villages alongthe Bell’s Line of Roads. It therefore involves therecording, 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 memberorganisations.iii. To initiate and support culturalheritage activities not already covered bymember organisations.One of the aims of BMACHO is to bring the variousbodies into closer contact, to encourage them towork more closely together and to provide acombined voice on matters of importance withinthe heritage sector.whether it belonged to a woman orman. Dr Pinhasi said. “The shoecould have well fitted a man fromthat era.”It was discovered along withhousehold goods, including largecontainers, many of which heldwheat, barley and apricots. A bonefrom a deer, with some meat stillattached, two horns of a wild goatand fish bones were also foundnear the shoe.The contents of the cave had beencovered with a thick layer of sheepdung, which had kept them driedand preserved for thousands ofyears, said the researchers, whosestudy is published in the sciencejournal PLoS ONE.MEMBERSHIP The following organisations aremembers of BMACHO: Blue Mountains City Library,Blue Mountains Historical Society Inc, Blue MountainsFamily History Society Inc., Blue Mountains TourismLimited, Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute,Cudgegong Museums Group Inc, Friends of NormanLindsay Gallery, Glenbrook & District Historical SocietyInc, Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society Inc,Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort, Lithgow MiningMuseum Inc, Lithgow Regional Library – Local Studies,Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum Inc, Mid-Mountains Historical Society Inc, Mid Western RegionalCouncil Library, Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens, Mt Victoriaand District Historical Society Inc, Mt Wilson and MtIrvine History Society Inc (including Turkish BathMuseum), Mudgee Historical Society Inc, MudgeeRegional Library, National Trust of Australia (NSW) -Blue Mountains Branch (including Woodford Academy),National Trust of Australia (NSW) - Lithgow Branch,Scenic World – Blue Mountains Limited, Springwood &District Historical Society Inc., Springwood Historiansinc, Transport Signal and Communication Museum Inc.,Two Centuries of Elegance, Valley Heights LocomotiveDepot and Museum, Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd. Thefollowing are individual members: Ray Christison,Associate Professor Ian Jack, Joan Kent, John LearyOAM, John Low, Ian Milliss, Professor Barrie Reynolds,and Dr Peter Stanbury OAM.COMMITTEE The committee for 2010-11 is: JohnLeary, (president), Ian Jack (vice president), JanKoperberg (secretary), Kathie McMahon-Nolf(treasurer), Jean Arthur, Joan Kent, Doug Knowles,Dick Morony (public officer), Barrie Reynolds and PeterStanbury. AUDITOR: Sue McMahon, B Comm CPA.AFFILIATIONS BMACHO is a member of the RoyalAustralian Historical Society Inc.HERITAGE is BMACHO’s official newsletter.HERITAGE 17July- August 2010