Marathon Month. October: Our Mammoth,

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1 Volume One, ssuesir, November-December, 2002 NEXTME~NG S TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10 ATTHE COMLEROY ROAD SCHOOL OF ARTS HAL AT 7.30PM. October: Our Mammoth, Marathon Month a NEXTME~NG WLL BE A WEEK EARLY BECAUSE OF CHRSTMAS. SAME TME, SAME PLACE, BUT THE SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, JUST FOR DECEMBER. NEXfMEmNG GUEST SPEAKERS AT OUR FNAL M E ~ G FOR 2002 WLL BE MEMBERS BRUCE AND BETH JOHNSTON OF NORTH RCHMOND WHO WLL TALK ABOUT FARMNG AND OTHER ASPEC~S OF KURRAONG. WELCOME: TO AU OUR NON MEMBERS WHO JONED OR REJONED. OUR ACTMTTES OF RECENT MONTHS HAVE HELPED RASE THE SOCETY'S PROFLE AND ATTRACT UP TO 13 NEW MEMBERS. WE NOW HAVE 83 FNANCAL MEMBERS. NEW OR REJONNG MEMBERS WELCOME. HOUSEHOLD COUPLE $25, SNGLE $20 AND OVER 75, $5. KURWONG-COMLEROY HSTORCAL SOCEP~ RECEVED A $1000 GRANT FROM HAWKESBURY CTY COUNCL TO HOLD AN NFORMATON AND EDUCATONAL EXHBTON HGHLGHTNG THE HSrORY OF THE ML~NES AT MEMORAL PARK AS PART OF THE OCrOBER %RECROW FE~AL. THE SOCETY EXTENDS TS THANKS TO ALL HAWKESBURY COUNCLLORS FOR SUPPORTNG THS MPORTANT NTATVE. THE SOCETY WLL BE ABLE TO USE THESE DSPLAY MATERALS AT THE SCARECROW FESTVAL NEXT YEAR, AND ON OTHER OCCASONS.

2 One small Society, so much achieved, such g~eat success! "FERTLE GROUND" PHOTO EXHBTON AN EVENNG OF YARNS, SNGNG, SUPPER AND HSTORC PHOTOS RECALLNG THE EARLY DAYS OF KURRAONG WAS HELD AT THE KURRAONG CWA HALL ON FRDAY, OCTOBER 18. GUEST SPEAKERS NCLUDED ROSS MATHESON BEVERLEY WOODMAN AND LOUSE MCMAHON. AND MEMBERS LAURE DUFFY, LAURE SPOKE ABOUT THE EARLY DAYS OF GROSE VALE NCLUDNG RUNNNG THE KURRAONG BUS SERVCE FROM HE WAS ACCOMPANED BY WFE MARGARET WHO CONTRBUTED TO THE "OVER SUPPER" DSCUSSONS. ROSS MATHESON SPOKE ABOUT HS FATHER, ALAN WHO RAN A TRANSPORT BUSNESS CARTNG FRUrr TO THE MARKTS FROM THE HAWKESBURY N THE 50s AND 60s. BEVERLEY WOODMAN SPOKE ABOUT HER FAMLY RESEARCH AND HER SlRONG UNKS TO KURRAONG HEGHTS. HER GREAT- GRANDFATHER'S POST OFFCE S THE PRESENT DAY GENERAL STORE. HER GRANDPARENTS RAN THE PANORAMA PONT PCNC GROUNDS FOR MANY YEARS. LOUSE MCMAHON SPOKE ABOUT KURRAJONG HEGHTS WONDER WOMAN OF THE 1860S, LOUSA A~NSON, AND GAVE A TASTE OF THE THEN UPCOMNG "LOUSA'S LOST LEGACY" DAY OF TRBUTE TO BE HELD AT MOUNT TOMAH BOTANC GARDENS THE FOLLOWNG SUNDAY. ENTERTANERS ARCH BSHOP AND JOHN GRENGNGER PROVDED VERSE AND MUSCAL NTERLUDES. UNDER SHEPHERD, THE SOCXiTf PRESENTED A DSPLAY OF SOME 120 HSTORC PHOTOS UNKED BY THE THEME "FERTLE GROUND", HGHUGHTNG THE AGRCULTUAL LEGACY AND DVERSrPl OF "THE KURRAONG" FROM THE LATE TO THE 1970s. THE VSONARY AND ENERGETC LEADERSHP OF JOY THE DSPLAY RECEVED NUMEROUS COMPLMENTARY COMMENTS. THE ACCURACY OF me NFORMATON WAS PARTCULARLY NOTED BY KURRNONG "OLD-TMERS" THE ATTENTON TO DETAL AND STANDARD OF PRESENTATON S A TRBUTE TO JOY'S MPERTSE AND PROFESSONAUSM. THE SOCEPl S HUGELY APPRECATVE OF JOY'S EFFORTS WHCH HAVE HELPED ESTABUSH THE sc EP( AS A RESPECTED AND AUE-lORrATVE SOURCE OF ACCURATE NNFORMATON ON., THE HSTORY OF "THE KURRAONG"., JOY, OF COURSE, NSSTS TT WAS ALL A TEAM EFFORT AND MTENDS HERTHANKS TO VAL BRCH, MARGUERTE AND BrUAN WYBORN, FRANK AND VALERE HOLLAND, GERALDNE TLDEN, JEAN MCMAHON, KATHY MCMAHON, LOUSE MCMAHON, STEVE RAWUNG, AND JAN LVNGSTONE FOR ME LOAN OF THE DSPLAY BOARDS. The Society gratefully acknowledges the following people for their generosity in donating photos for display, reproduction and sale, with proceeds to the Society: Don Ford, Albert Ford, Eileen & Keith Ford; Ross, Lyn & Lillian Matheson; Heather Pearson & son Gerald; Elaine Neil/; Ken & Nell Franks; Laurie and Margaret Duffy; Gladys (nee Davis) Vincenc Vince & Marcia McMahon & daughter, Geraldine Tilden; Kathie McMahon-Nolf; Bill & Margaret (Want) McMahon; Dorothy (Sheldon) Phipps, Wendy (Case) Guy; Joy and Phillip Shepherd; Jean McMahon; Joan (Bellingham) Dubois; Pam & Ken Bennett; Austin & Pat Buttsworth; Olive William; Pauline (Bennett) Pakulski; Lance Robinson..

3 Scarecrow Festival Crowds mill around our display! THE KURRAONG SCARECROW FESTVAL WAS HELD ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20. WTH CROWDS ESTMATED AT BETWEEN 7000 AND 10,000, THS WAS AN DEAL OPPORTUNrrY FOR THE SOCETY TO MOUNT AN EXHBTON TO CAPTURE THE NTEREST OF THS "PASSNG TRADE". MEMBERS LES DOLUN AND LOUSE MCMAHON TOOK LEAD N BY STEVE WLNG, WHO HAD A VDEO OF HS RECENT VST TO TWO MLLS N ENGLAND, WHCH MAY BE SMLAR N SZE, AND STYLE, TO OUR WHEENEY CREEK MLL. A $1000 GRANT FROM HAWKESBURY CrrY COUNCL MEANT WE WERE ABLE TO MOUNT A VERY NTERESTNG at the millstones on October 20. UP ATTHE CWA HALL, STEVE'S VDEO WAS PLAYNG ON CONTNUOUS LOOP, SHOWNG A WORKNG MLL N ACTON, WTH A PANEL OF DAGRAMS PROVDNG FURTHER EXPLANATON OF THE MECHANCS AND HSTORY OF MLLS GENERALLY, AND WHEENEY CREEK N PARTCULAR. LES PUT A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT AND THOUGHT NTO PREPARNG FOR HS MLLSTONE MN-LECTURES, WHCH WERE A GREAT SUCCESS, AND SGNFCANTLY RASED PEOPLE'S AWARENESS OF THE SOCETY AND THE RESEARCH WE ARE UNDERTAKNG NTO THE WHEENEY CREEK MLL. THANKS, LES, FOR A GREAT EFFORT - WELL DONE!. AND EDUCATONAL STATC DSPLAY FOR PASSERS-BY, T WAS A HGH-ENERGY DAY, WrrH ALL HANDS ON DECK. WHLE LES WORKED ENTHUSASTCALLY ALL DAY THANKS TO MARGARET AND RON ROZZOU WHO CAME FOR GVNG HS "MN-LECTURES" OF ABOUT THER "SHFT" AND STAYED AU DAY TO HELP!. THANKS EVERY 5PM' ALSO TO GERALDNE, STEVE, JEAN, MARGVER~ AND BRYAN AND TO OUR TRELESS RAFFLE-TCKET SELLER *', LES CERTANLY CAPTURED PEOPLE'S NTEREST, WTH PHL SHEPHERD. EACH SESSON QUCKLY AURACTNG A GOOD SZE CROWD. PEOPLE WHO HAVE LVED N KURMONG ALL THER LVES REPORTED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OTHER 1 PROJECTS LES S WORKNG ON: ANYTHNG ABOUTTHE MLLSTONESAND WERE LES S THE SOCETY'S LEADER FOR SPECAL STU NED TO LEARN SO MUCH N JUST 15-MNUTES. RESEARCH PROECTS AND HE HAS COME UP WTH 7 TWO PROJECTS FOR THE FRST S A THE STATC DSPLAY SUPPORTED LES'S MN-LECTURES, 1 DSPLAY FEATURNG THE "GREAT CHRSTMAS W m DAGRAMS OF HOW A MLL WORKS, AND POSTERS DAY BUSHFRE OF 2001". PLUS A HSTORY OF ON THE HSTORY OF THE WHEENEY CREEK MLL EARLER FRES OF KURRAJONG. SPECAL THANKS TO NEW MEMBER, ELANE NEL,, WHO 1 THE SECOND PROJECT NVOLVES COLLATNG GAVE PHOTOS OF THE MLLSTONES AT THE COMLEROY ORAL HSTORY ON ME "RABBTTOS" OF BELLS LNE OF ROAD CORNER TAKEN N THE 1950s. KURRNONG OFTHE 40s AND 505. THE N~L.GTONE - KURRAJONGCOMLE.ROY METORCAL SOCETY NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 QF 6 -\

4 KCHS in good society with RAHS grant fp- Above: Jan Barkley-Jack (KCHS), Judy Newland (secretary, Hawkesbury Historical Society), Carol Carruthers, Louise and Jean McMahon (KCHS) at the Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) national conference at Wingham (near Taree) in November. Above: KCHS secretary, Louise McMahon, accepts a $500 RAHS grant from the Hon Amanda Fazio, MLC, representing the NSW Ministw of the Arts. The grant is to engage a professional researcher to discover exactly when the millstones where brought to Australia. (RAHS president, Carol Liston in background.) FURTHERNG THE SOCETY'S MSSON TO FULLY RESEARCH ALL ASPECTS OF M E WHEENEY CREEK MLL, LOUSE MCMAHON SUCCESSFULLY APPLED ON BEHALF OF THE SOCETY FOR A $500 RAHS GRANT. THE GRANT MUST BE USED TO ENGAGE A PROFESSONAL RESEARCHER TO EXAMNE MARmME RECORDS TO DSCOVER EXACTLY WHEN THE MLLSTONES WERE MPORTED NTO AUSTRALA. THS S A VKAL PECE OF NFORMATON WHCH THE SOC TY NEEDS TO PROGRESS TS RESEARCH NTO THE EARLEST HSTORY OF ME WHEENEY - CREEK MLL. CTY COUNCL GRANT AND THE RAHS GRANT ARE COMPLETELY DFFERENT N r'he HAWKESBURY NATURE AND PURPOSE. THE RAHS GRANT S VERY DFFERENT TO THE HCC MLLSTONE DSPLAY PROJECT. THE SOCETY MUST COMPLETE TS MHS RESEARCH N 2803 AND PROVDE A REPORT TO THE RAHS AT THE CONCLUSON OF THE PROJECT. THE RAHS GRANT WLL ASSSTTHE SOCETY, AS KNOWNG WHEN THE MLLSTONES WERE MPORTED, MAY BE THE KEY TO UNLOCKNG NEW NFORMATON ABOUTTHE MLL. WHLE BOTH RELATE TO THE MLLSTONES, THE HA~KESBURY COUNCL GRANT CAN ONLY BE USED BY THE SOCETY TO DEVELOP DSPLAY MATERALS. THE PRMARY PURPOSE WAS THE OCT 20 SCARECROW FESTVAL EXHBTON, BUT l S ABOVE: KCHS MEMBERS, BEA HORACEK, LOUSE ANTCPATED THE SOCETY WLL ALSO USE THS MCMAHONAND ROGER HOLLDAY AT THE KCHS DSPLAY FOR EDUCATONAL PURPOSES AT A STALL AT "CARNNALE", RCHMOND PARK N NUMBER OF COMMUNTY EVENTS. SEPTEMBER. THE M~LLSTONE - KURRAJONGCOMLEROY HSTORCAL SOCETY NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 OF 6

5 Louisa's Day of Tribute at Tomah, a triumph AN UPDATE OF CAMP MACKAY-RESEARCH By Valerie Holland 'Camp Mackay' Research OFficet. A COMBNED "DAY OF TRBUTE" HELD TO RASE AWARENESS OF THE ACHEVEMENTS OF 1860s THE CAMP MACKAY RESEARCH GROUP HAS MADE A KURRAONG HEGHTS RESDENT, LOUSA ATKNSON, SECOND VSrr TO BELMORE PCYC (POLCE BOYS) - AT WAS HELD AT MOUNTTOMAH BOTANC GARDENS ON BELMORE WE ARE GRADUALLY WORKNG OUR WAY On 27, JUST A WEEK AFTER THE MAMMOTH EFFORT OK) OF METNGSOFTHE OF ME SCARECROW FESTVAL. FEDERATON OF POUCE BOYS KURRAJONG CAMP AND CAMP MACKAY'S CONTROLLNG COMM~~TEE. T WAS HOPED THE WALK TO TOMAH SPUR WOULD SEE ONE OF THE PLANTS NAMED FOR LOUSA, THE MOST OF HSTORCALLY NTERESTNG NFORMATON A~NSON~, ~ G U ~ NN A FLOWER, BUT WHLE THE WE FOUND WAS PHOTOCOPED. THE REST WLL HAVE PLANT WAS BUDDNG, T HAD NOT YET FLOWERED. TO WAT UNTL OUR NEXT VSm N THE WE JAN ALLEN S SUCH A KNOWLEDGABLE BOTANTST HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR 10 MORE PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE HER GUDED MORNNG WALK THROUGH THE RANFOREST SfXNNED AND EMALEDTO US AS THE COPES ARE FAR TO THE PLANT WAS AN NCREDBLE TREAT. CLEARERTHAN PHOTOCOPES. WHEN WE HAVE RECEVED THESE PHOTOCOPES WE HAVE AN THE AFTERNOON TALKS WERE HOSTED BY JENNFER AGREEMENT TO EMAL OUR PHOTOCOPY RELEASE STACKHOUSE AND A GREAT DEAL OF NFORMATON ON FORM FOR BELMORE PWC MANAGEMENT TO READ LOUSA WAS SHARED. THE DAY WAS DECLARED A AND WE HOPE, ACCEPT. WONDERFUL SUCCESS AND A GREAT EXAMPLE OF TEAMWORK BY THREE DFFERENT ORGANSATONS FAULKNER MACKENZE PREVOUSLY GAVE US THE LNKED BY A COMMON GOAL. NAME OF PERCY STEVENS, WHO HE SAD CAME TO HS FATHER N THE EARLY 1930's WHEN ON A MSSON TO BEFORE THE A~RNOON WAS OVER TALK HAD ALREADY ACQURE LAND FOR A CAMP FOR BOYS. T APPEARS, STARTED ABOUT "NEXT YEAR" AND lt MAY BE THAT FROM THE RECORDS, THAT PERCY WAS A PVOTAL VCTOR C ~NDON, WHO HAS REPRNTED PERSON N THE EARLY LFE OF THE CAMP AND A NUMBER OF LOUSA'S WORKS, AND PATRCA CLARKE, THEREFORE ONE WHO WU BE VERY NTERESNG TO AUTHOR AND AUTHOW ON LOUSA, MAY JON US DOCUMENT. (T S BELEVED THAT HE WAS THE FRST FOR ME "DAY OF TRBUTE" N SUPERNTENDENT OF KURWONG CAMP.) HKNG ROUND THE HEGHTS KCHS MEMBERS, ROGER HOLLDAY, JUDY AND STEVE RAWLNG, LOUSE MCMAHON, PETER AND ARDRE MARTN AT THE HEGHTS FUN DAY, WHERE STEVE LEAD A "HSTORY STROLL". WHLE HE WAS PHOTOCOPYNG AT BELMORE, FRANK HOLLAND MADE CONTACT WKH TWO POLCEMEN WHO HAD WORKED AT CAMP MACKAY AND WHO WERE VERY NTERESTED N OUR RESEARCH AND WLL BE WLUNG TO TALK TO US N THE FUTURE. VALERE BRCH HAS MADE CONTACT WnH THE "LFE" ADVENTURE sm WHO HAVE REQUESTED A L ~ TO R STATE OUR NTEREST N THE Sm, FORMERLY 'CAMP MACKAY'. A L M R HAS BEEN FORWARDED WHCH WE HOPE WLL RESULT N A MEmNG WTH JOD, THE GUEST COORDNATOR. WE WLL BE WORKNG ON THE NFORMATON WE HAVE ACQURED UNTL 2003.

6 Research pmiects, family history, events for 2003 STEWART NOVEMBER 2002: 1 AM WONDERNG F YOU COULD FAMLY NFORMATON WANTED POSSBLY HELP... 1 AM N THE MDDLE OF RESEARCHNG MY FAMLY AND WE HAVE DSCOVERED MY FATHER'S PARENTS WERE FARMNG N THE KURRAJONG AREA N THE MD TO LATE 1800's AND MY FATHER WAS THE LAST SON BORN TO JOHN AND ANN STEWART AT THE MT STEWART FARM N MAY, WAS WONDERNG YOU HAVE NFORMATON ON THS FAMLY NAME OR THE FARM MENTONED? MY FATHER NEVER SPOKE OF HS PAST OR NDEED HS FAMLY AT ALL AND ALTHOUGH HE HAS LONG BEEN GONE, WE HAVE MANAGED TO DSCOVER FOR OURSELVES HS PARENTS AND HS SBLNGS ALTHOUGH NOT A LOT. AS YOU CAN APPRECATE, DSTANCE S A SOMEWHAT LARGE OBSTACLE FOR US HERE N THE WEST, AND NOT BENG TOO FAMLAR WTH YOUR LOVELY STATE OR HAVNG THE FACLmES CLOSE BY TO SAY HOP N THE CAR AND MANAGE SOME MORE "BONES DGGNG" AS MY FAMLY REFER TO MY QUEST, T CAN BE AWKWARD WONDERNG WHERETO LOOK NEXT! 1 DO HOPE YOU HAVEN'T MNDED MY WRlTNG TO YOU AND F YOU COULD ADVSE OR HELP N SOME SMALL WAY, 1 WOULD BE MOST APPRECATVE. MARY TALOR JTALOR@BGPOND.NET.AU SOLDERS' SmLEMENT UPDATE. NFORMATON GLEANED AT THE RAHS CONFERENCE S THAT NSW STATE ARCHVES AT WERRNGTON HAVE BEGUN A PROJECT WTH VOLUNTEERS, COLLATNG THE RECORDS FROM THE WW1 SOLDER SETTLEMENTS OF NSW. GUEST SPEAKER FOR ONE OF THE SESSON WAS CHRSTNE YEATS OF STATE RECORDS FASCNATED TO LEARN A LlTLE OF THE KURRAONG SETTLEMENT AND HAS AGREED TO ETHER BE A GUEST SPEAKER FOR ONE OF OUR 2003 EVENTS, OR, BETTER, NSW WHO WAS HOST A VST BY THE SOCm TO WERRNGTON WHERE WE CAN SEE FRST HAND SOME OF THE WORK THAT S UNDERWAY. COMLEROY ROAD-SCHOOL OF ARTS HALL FOLLOWNG ON FROM THE SEPTEMBER NATONAL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND MECHANCS N~TE CONFERENCE, THE PRESDENT OF THE SYDNEY SCHOOL OF ARTS, CAROL O'BREN, ALONG WTH THE CHEF MECUTNE OFFCER. ELLEN EllEY AND RESEARCHER, ROGER MORRS, VSTED COMLEROY ON NOVEMBER 29. THE VST WAS HOSTED BY THE RCHMOND SCHOOL OF ARTS AND ALL LOCAL SOFAS WERE VSTED. N MARCH THE SYDNEY SOFA WLL HOST A BUS-TRP VST TO OUR AREA. THE DEA S FOR GROUPS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES LKE NSURANCE AND BULDNG MANTENANCE AT A COLLECTVE LEVEL. MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KURRAJONG-NORTH RCHMOND HAD A DNNER ME~NG AT ME HALL N NOV AND WERE NTERESTED TO LEARN THE HAL'S HSTORY m WE WU CELEBRATE OUR SECOND BRTHDAY ON THE Lurtralia Day ir our Znd ~~nnivcrrar~ AUSTRALA DAY WEEKEND, SO AN EVENT S BENG PLANNED FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY ~PM. ' MUSC OF HENRY LAWSON, SOME NFORMATON DSPLAYS AND SOME GUEST SPEAKERS. PUTTHE DAY N YOUR DARY AND DETALS WLL BE CONFRMED AT THE DEC 10 MEmNG. 26 FROM llam TO AT. THS STAGE THE DEA S TO FtXUS ON THE HAVE A BBQ LUNCH, Events and excursions for 2003 ;.-. FEBRUARY: DUNSTON DAY: AN EXCURSON TO SOME OF THE DUNSTON HOMES WrWl BBQ LUNCH AT BUENA VSTA. SATURDAY, MARCH 1: WHEENEY CREEK MLL SrlE VST: (MEMBERS ONLY) LED BY LES DOLUN. APRL: NATONAL HEWAGE WEEK, HAWKESBURY-WDE PROGRAM OF EVENTS. V~srr TO STATE ARCHNES (SOLDER SETTLEMENT) CAR TOUR TRP OF SOLDER SETTLEMENT HOUSES CATHOUC CHURCH RESEARCH NTO ST GREGORY'S ( BY RrrA CRANE, WTH VSlTTO CEMETARY). TALK ON COPYRGHT BY RAHS DRAWN.