M a g a z i n e o f t h e R o y a l a u s t R a l i a n H i s t o R i c a l s o c i e t y HISTORYsePTeMBer 2013 number 117 $5.50 (inc gst) The WesTern Crossings issue Message from the Premier, Barry O’Farrell MP Articles on community initiatives and RAHS projects funded by the Western Crossings Grant How Far We’ve Come - a poem by Gregory North, Australian bush poet Blue Mountains Bicentenary Countdown Frank Walker and Tourism by Richard White Interview with Kath Schilling, Heritage Grant Recipient Royal Australian Historical Society 2013 ANNUAL STATE HISTORy CONFERENCE The great Divide: getting there from here The conference will examine place and landscape; museum collections; new family history resources; society management and commemorating the past. saTurDay 2 & sunDay 3 noveMBer 2013 Katoomba rsL 86 Lurline Street Katoomba NSW Evans Crown [RAHS Frank Walker Crossings Collection] Friday Pre-conference events for attendees - State Records Tour - Welcome drinks at 5.30 pm at historic Hobby’s Reach hosted by the Blue Mountains Historical Society Conference Highlights - Presentations by local and specialist historians - Opportunities to network with other historical societies around NSW and learn about the latest approaches to local and community history - Choice of walking tours of Carrington Hotel, its industrial surroundings or Katoomba Street - Saturday night Conference Dinner at Katoomba RSL - Announcement of Arts NSW Cultural Grant and Heritage Grant recipients - Awards of RAHS Certificates of Achievements We hope you can attend to what is shaping up to be an informative and entertaining conference where ideas of local and community histories can be shared and enjoyed. For further details see the booking form inserted with this edition of History Magazine. Updates and additional information are available on RAHS website, eNewsletter and by contacting us on 02 9247 8001 or [email protected] Railway Station and Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, NSW 1885 [RAHS Photograph Collection] RAHS EDITORIAL Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker Veteris non inscius aevi Welcome to this souvenir edition of History magazine marking the Blue Mountains Crossing Bicentenary. The RAHS was in on the ground for this historic milestone when it set up the Western Crossings Committee in 2010 to bring together everyone planning activities for 2013-2015 to mark the bicentenaries of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth’s first crossing, Evans’s survey, Cox’s Road and the founding of Bathurst. Inaugural Committee Chair Emeritus Professor David Carment and Blue Mountains History House MP Roza Sage met with the Premier and the result was a 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000 grant of $80,000 which the RAHS partly distributed to community events and Phone 02 9247 8001 Fax 02 9247 7854 partly committed to RAHS legacy projects. Roza became a familiar face during email: [email protected] 2013 and we hope she will be able to attend our State History Conference in http://www.rahs.org.au ACN 000 027 654 ABN 91 000 027 654 Katoomba in November. This magazine includes reports on projects we funded The Library is open Monday to Friday 10 to 4 as well as a Blue Mountains theme to some of our regular features. One of History is published by the Society at the the key characteristics of the 2013 commemorations is that the perceived beginning of March, June, September and Triumphalism of the past has been tempered by the spirit of Reconciliation, December to convey information and to encourage discussion about Australian with involvement of the Darug and Gundungurra Aboriginal communities in history. All contributions must be signed and many of the commemorative events. This is set to continue in 2014 as the focus documented. References for edited material may be consulted by contacting the editor. shifts to Wiradjuri territory west of the Mountains. As Chair of the Western Views published editorially, by contributors or in any material distributed with History Crossings Committee for the past 12 months, I was greatly honoured to receive are not necessarily those of the Society. an Award of Excellence for my contribution to the Bicentenary at the recent Although the Society welcomes the support of advertisers and sponsors it cannot vouch Blue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism Awards, along with Dr Siobhan for the accuracy of offers of services or Lavelle OAM and (in absentia) Emeritus Professor David Carment AM. goods that appear in the magazine, or be responsible for the outcome of any contract that may be entered into with an advertiser. Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker Designed and printed by Gopher Graphics Guest Editor & Printing Services NSW 9798 3414. patron-in-Chief Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC septeMber 2013 issue 117 Governor-General of the Commonwealth cOnTEnTS of Australia patron Message from the Premier ........................................................................................................................... 2 Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO, Governor of New South Wales Bicentenary Souvenir Badges ................................................................................................................... 3 Office bearers Out and About with Executive Officer ............................................................................................ 3 President – Anne-Maree Whitaker, MA, PhD, FRHistS, FRAHS Crossing Play .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Senior Vice-President – Christine Yeats, BA, DipLib, Dip ArchAdmin Gundungurra Ancestral Pathways Walk ......................................................................................... 6 Vice-President – Elizabeth Ellis, OAM, Western Crossings Foundation ................................................................................................................. 6 BA, DipLib Treasurer – Kathrine Reynolds, BA MSc Frank Walker and Tourism ......................................................................................................................... 7 PhD FRHistS How Far We’ve Come ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Company Secretary & Executive Member – Siobhán Lavelle, OAM, MA, PhD Blue Wave Re-enactment .......................................................................................................................... 10 Councillors Hector Abrahams, BSc (Arch), BArch, RAIA Western Crossings RAHS Website .................................................................................................... 12 David Carment, AM, BA (Hons), PhD, Blue Mountains Crossings Bicentenary Countdown ......................................................... 13 FACE, FFAHS ....................................................................................... Judith Dunn, OAM, FPDHS RAHS Monuments Restoration Project 16 Ian Jack, MA, PhD, FRHistS, FRAHS NSW State Library Resources .............................................................................................................. 17 Carol Liston, BA (Hons), PhD, FRAHS Interview with Kath Schilling, Heritage Grant Recipient ............................................ 17 Christine Wright, BA (Hons), PhD .......................................................................................................................................................................... History Magazine Valete 18 Guest Editor – Dr Anne-Maree Whitaker Affiliated Society News ................................................................................................................................ 19 Production Managers – RAHS Staff Book Notes ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 staff Executive Officer – Suzanne Holohan Dewey’s Library News ................................................................................................................................. 22 Librarian – Donna Newton RAHS Outreach Program ....................................................................................................................... 24 Administrative Officer – Candy Malouf Member Services Officer – Amalea Manifis Grants Administrator – Maryanne Byrne Front Cover: Mount York pavilion was erected in 1913 to mark the Centenary of the first crossing of the Blue Mountains. This year Blue Mountains City Council spent over IT and podcasts – Graham Sciberras $300,000 restoring the monuments and upgrading the reserve at Mount York. issN 1031-9476 [Photograph courtesy of Siobhán Lavelle] HISTORY September 2013 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER bArrY O’FArreLL Mp This souvenir issue of History magazine is dedicated to the bicentennial celebrations of one of the most important events in the history of NSW and Australia – the crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813. On 11 May 1813 Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Wentworth set out to cross the Blue Mountains in search of improved agricultural land. The resultant trek cut a viable route to the fertile plains beyond the mountains, now known as the Great Western Highway. This opened up the growing colony, leading to the establishment of Bathurst. It is warming to see that so many people still recognise what the crossing means and I commend the Royal Australian Historical Society for their tireless work in the bicentenary commemorations.