150th Anniversary - The City of Liverpool Gazette

Gazette THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIVERPOOL MUNICIPAL DISTRICT

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Original proclamation of the “Municipal District of Liverpool” from the Supplement to the New South Wales Government Gazette, 27 June 1872, Trove: The National Library of Australia.

Front cover images top to bottom: Georges River Military Rail Bridge & Light Horse Bridge, c.1974 Liverpool City Council Engineers Department, c.1971 Bigge Park, Australia Day, 1985 Photographer: Ray Hely, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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Table of Contents Mayor’s Message

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An Early History of First Nations People in Liverpool

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Liverpool City Crest

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The Early Years: The First Liverpool Council Adapted from Leading Liverpool: Aldermen and Councillors through the Years, by Beverley Donald

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Liverpool Key Dates: 1798-2022

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History of the Liverpool Brass Band

By Glen op den Brouw - President, The City of Liverpool and District Historical Society Badgerys Creek: Relocated Remains from a Liverpool Suburb

By Peter M. Allen OAM - Public Officer, Liverpool Genealogy Society

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Harris Creek Rail Bridge: A Heritage Listing

By Mike Davis - Vice President, Moorebank Heritage Group

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The Matron and The Flying Pieman: Unlikely Paths Crossed in Life and Death

By Anne Doran - Museum Officer, Liverpool Regional Museum

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An Ancient Waterway: Toggerai to Georges River

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Liverpool City Council float participating in the Liverpool Festival of Progress of 1972 as it moves along Macquarie Street, Liverpool. A banner on the side of the float reads “1872 Liverpool City Council 100 years of Progress 1972”, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

Liverpool Tomorrow, part of the 150th anniversary display at Liverpool City Library.

Picture of the plaque covering the 1972 time capsule due to be unearthed as part of this year’s 150th anniversary of local government in Liverpool.

Most Blessed Nights Street Food Markets at Macquarie Mall Liverpool, 2022, photograph by Ben Williams.

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Mayor’s Message In 2022 Liverpool City Council marks an important historical milestone –150 years of local government in Liverpool.

On 27 June 1872, following a petition by residents, the Liverpool area was proclaimed the “Municipal District of Liverpool” by NSW Governor Sir Hercules Robinson and Liverpool Council was formed.

In September 1872 Liverpool Council also elected its first Mayor, Captain Richard Sadleir, and Aldermen, now referred to as Councillors.

The 150th anniversary of Liverpool Council is one of several important milestones in Liverpool’s history, including 40,000+ years of First Nations heritage, the founding of the town of Liverpool in 1810 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and the granting of city status to Liverpool in 1960.

Liverpool has a fascinating history, and I am proud to celebrate this as Mayor. Our area has rich First Nations, colonial and migrant heritage, and Liverpool is considered one of the oldest towns founded in Australia.

To mark this significant occasion, Council has organised several events and special initiatives such as The City of Liverpool Gazette. I very much hope you enjoy reading about Liverpool, and some of the unique stories about our local area.

This year we will also be unearthing a time capsule buried in 1972 to mark the 100th anniversary of local government in Liverpool. The school children of Liverpool are also participating in the 150th anniversary celebrations by helping to create a new digital time capsule to be opened during the 200th anniversary year in 2072.

Celebrating milestones including the 150th anniversary of local government in Liverpool are important. They give us the opportunity to look back at the incredible development of our city and to look forward to an exciting future for Liverpool.

MAYOR NED MANNOUN Liverpool City Council

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An Early History of First Nations People in Liverpool The Darug (Dharruk, Dharug) were the First Nations people of the Sydney region at the time of the First Fleet. Other First Nations people, Gundungurra (Gandangara) and Tharawal (Thurrawal, Dharawal) occupied surrounding districts during the same period. At the time, tribes were separated by territory, language, and group identity. The majority of what is now the area of Liverpool was considered part of Darug territory, while people further south spoke Tharawal.

The First Nations people of Liverpool belonged to the Cabrogal clan of the Darug nation and lived on land along the Georges River and Cabramatta Creek.

Their diet consisted of cobra (cabra) grub. Nearby there were other people known as the Cowpastures clan, also called Muringong, while the Prospect clan was named Warmuli. Another group called the Gomerigal people were found further west at South Creek. Sadly, European settlers introduced smallpox which resulted in a decline in the First Nations population.

Initially, interactions between white settlers and First Nations people were not always hostile, but relations deteriorated over time. For thousands of years, First Nations people hunted and gathered on their own land, however European settlers, who established residences and farms in the area, considered them trespassers. Six years after Liverpool was founded in 1810, the soldiers at the Barracks (built in 1811) were instructed to protect settlers from attacks by “hostile natives”. Due to their weapons and organised militia, European colonists quickly forced First Nations people to comply with white laws. There are few European records of any local conflict between Liverpool’s new settlers and its First Nations people after 1820.

Governor Macquarie explored the bush around Liverpool and was often in contact with local tribes.

On one occasion, he met with Cogie (Coggie or Cogy) the chief of the Muringong clan, and he was entertained with “an extraordinary sort of dance after their own manner”. Cogie also acted as a guide for Francis Barrallier in his exploration in 1802.

When Cogie’s son Norbertus was baptised into the Catholic Church in 1827, the father was listed as 6

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“King Cogy” of the “Liverpool Tribe” and his mother as “Yoo Coleby”.

The First Nations peoples’ skill in hunting native animals and sourcing beehives fascinated European settlers. At the time, settlers still relied on many food stores whose goods were shipped from England or its colonies; famine was all too common. Wellintentioned colonisers such as Reverend Robert Cartwright and Richard Sadleir intended to educate, settle, and “civilise” local First Nations people. By contrast, attempts at providing schools for First Nations children were not fully supported by the government and church, leading in part to their abandonment. One such example of an educational institution was the Boy’s Orphan School near Liverpool which admitted some First Nations youth in the 1830s. The goal of this institution was to train a respectable labouring class whose students would work alongside orphans and children of convicts to develop the colony.

There is some evidence of First Nations people remaining in the Liverpool area after white settlement. In 1834 there was a record of Aboriginals in the District of Liverpool including four adult males, five adult females, two wives listed separately, five male children and two female children.

One Liverpool tribesman called Gilbert was named the “Black Tracker” for his contributions. According to the story, he led the police to Fisher’s remains following the reported sighting of “Fisher’s Ghost”, a popular Australian folk tale dating to the early 19th Century. Some members of the Liverpool tribe were descendants of Gilbert, including daughters Martha and Rosa. Both girls were born to Judith of the Mulgoa clan as part of the Darug people. Rosa is shown in a drawing of the “Cabramatta Tribe” around 1843. After being sent to the Wellington Valley Mission in 1828, Martha married a European named William Harvey. The couple’s children were eventually married into the Lock Family.

Maria Lock was a significant First Nations figure in Liverpool. Her father, Yarramundi was an elder in the Boorooberongal clan from the Richmond area. Maria was among the first children to be placed in the Parramatta Native Institution upon

its opening in 1814 and was reportedly its top student in 1819. Maria, then going by the surname Cook, went on to marry Robert Lock, a convict who worked as a carpenter at the Native Institution and their wedding was held at St John’s Church at Parramatta in 1824. Their union was the first officially sanctioned marriage between an Aboriginal woman and a British convict. As Robert was still serving his sentence it was a condition of the marriage that Robert be “assigned” as a convict to his new wife Maria.

Maria and Robert Lock initially lived at Blacktown for a year, before moving to Liverpool. In 1833 Maria received a land grant of 40 acres at Liverpool adjacent to Reverend Robert Cartwright and Eber Bunker’s respective grants, after successfully petitioning the Governor Sir Ralph Darling. In 1843 or 1844, the family moved to the land previously owned by Maria’s brother Colebee at Blacktown.

The family owned the land in Liverpool until the late 1880s or early 1890s when it was voluntarily gifted to the development of the Liverpool township. Today a memorial dedicated to Maria Lock stands on the land she previously owned at Liverpool.

First Nations people of the Liverpool area also contributed to Australia during wartime. At least one Darug man served in the Boer War, and at least eleven of his extended family served in World War One. One of these men also served overseas in World War Two. Despite the soldier’s bravery, his wife was denied a military pension based on her First Nations identity. Today, thousands of Darug descendants call the Liverpool area home.

Places of Significance There is evidence of several local sites significant to First Nations people, including a burial ground at Greendale, and rock paintings in sandstone caves along the Nepean River. Other important sites are located along the eastern banks of the Georges River. In 1889, the earliest written record of local paintings is recorded. These paintings uncovered by a geological survey team are thought to be more than 50,000 years old. Elsewhere in the region, paintings serve as a historical reference. For example, a bull depicted by an Aboriginal artist at a cave in Kentlyn south of Liverpool references a small herd of cattle that escaped from Sydney Town in 1788. This area was later named Cowpastures.

The Collingwood Precinct The Collingwood Precinct in Liverpool was officially named an Aboriginal Place in honour of the traditional owners of the land. The announcement was made by Dr Andrew McDonald MP, then the

Member for Macquarie Fields, during a special ceremony. This Precinct was considered an important hilltop meeting place for the Tharawal and Dharug people in close proximity to the Georges River.

Council is committed to the ongoing preservation of the site through its ‘Plan of Management for Collingwood Precinct 2007-2017’, which provides a framework for the land’s sustainable management and maintenance.

Holsworthy The Holsworthy area falls within the Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council area. The Dharawal homeland is bounded by Botany Bay to the north, the Georges River to the west and the South Coast to the south.

There are artworks, archaeological sites, scarred trees, and artefacts throughout the Holsworthy area.

More than five hundred significant First Nations sites have been identified in the restricted access areas of the Australian Army firing range at Holsworthy.

Drawings of wombats, macropods, fish, eels, turtles, bats, emus, birds, lizards, and other animals abound.

In some cases, Aboriginal artwork appears to vary by area. For example, Holsworthy art samples use equal red and white pigment for hand stencils, while others feature a more dominant use of red pigment.

However, charcoal was the most commonly used pigment in local artwork. The area is also home to several engraving sites, all of which are wellpreserved and storytelling in nature. A total of sixtynine grinding groove sites (for axe production) were found in the Holsworthy army training area.

Scarred Trees Thousands of surviving trees in NSW contain scars resulting from the removal of bark or wood by First Nations people in the past. In particular, bark was used to make canoes, shields, and other artefacts. A number of scarred trees have been recorded in the Liverpool area. One is currently on display at the Liverpool Regional Museum on loan from Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Scar Tree on display at Liverpool Regional Museum. Temporary loan from Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council.

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City Crest

A crest, or coat of arms, is a heraldic symbol of Council which embodies the rich history and identity of the local government area.

The origin of crests date back to the Medieval period when they were used by various families, communities, or landowners to symbolise strength and leadership.

The logo has now replaced the Liverpool City Crest as the symbol for Council and the community they serve. However, the crest is still retained as a symbol of the Mayor’s office and represents the power and authority embodied by the title.

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Official Blazon Arms

Supporters

Argent, A Cormorant or Liver Bird, wings elevated and addorsed Sable, beaked and legged Gules, in the beak a sprig of Wattle leaved and flowered, on a Chief wavy Vert a Lymphad, sail furled, between two Towers.

On either side of the shield a Hawk, wings elevated and addorsed, beaked, legged, belied, and jessed Or, gorged with a Collar Azure charged with two Estoiles and pendent thereform an Escutcheon Gold charged with a Grenade Sable.

The cormorant on the shield (also known as the arms) is drawn from the Coat of Arms of the City of Liverpool, England. The cormorant holds a blooming wattle, the floral emblem of Australia, which provides a local connection to Liverpool’s English ancestry.

The wavy line represents the Georges River, while the ancient ship and two towers are drawn from the arms of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, who founded Liverpool in 1810. The ship and towers also symbolise, respectively, shipping on the river and the military origins of the city.

The shields colours of silver (or argent) and green (or vert) may represent a variety of traits, including dignity, growth, hope, joy, and peace.

Crest At the top of the shield, a Mural Crown, standing in front of a Cross Crosslet with a winged bull rising above emblazed in gold, armed, and unglued.

The Mural Crown symbolises a walled city, and the five towers are a modern elaboration relating to a town.

The supporters are two hawks derived from the arms of Lord Liverpool and refer to his second title, Baron of Hawkesbury. Each hawk holds a collar with two gold stars, also taken from the arms of Lord Liverpool.

From the hawks’ collars hang two shields. Both shields picture a fired grenade, the symbol of the Royal Engineers and the Royal Australian Engineers.

Motto “Nisi Dominus Frustra” The motto is a contraction of the first line of Psalm 127. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain”…typically summarised as either “Without the Lord, frustration” or “Without God all is in vain”.

The motto reflects the Anglican origins of the community, based around St Luke’s Church. It implies that unless we as a community become a servant of God, living by His power and for His glory, our lives lack all meaning and purpose.

Above the crown, a winged bull, the symbol of St. Luke, the patron saint of the local church, a grass mound and gold cross represent St Luke’s Anglican Church and its importance to Liverpool.

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The Early Years: The First Liverpool Council During the early days of European settlement, Liverpool was fertile ground ready for new growth.

From the first European settlers at the turn of the 19th Century to the birth of Liverpool as a municipality, the forests and plains of the local area were full of personality and rich in opportunity.

Let’s look at the history, legislation, and individuals that helped define the Liverpool of today.

The information in this article is adapted from Leading Liverpool: Alderman and Councillors through the Years

by Beverley Donald.

First Nations People of Liverpool The traditional custodians of Liverpool are the Cabrogal Clan of the Darug Nation. Long before European settlement, the lands of Liverpool were also accessed by peoples of the Tharawal and Gandangara Nations. Traditional owners had been living, hunting, and fishing in the area when the first European settlers arrived in 1798. Setters started living on the banks of the Hawkesbury and Georges Rivers, and members of the Cabrogal Clan were gradually displaced with force.

Early European Settlement

encourage “sober industries tradesmen” to build homes and settle in the area.

To make the grade, new residents had to provide a satisfactory testimonial of honesty and sobriety from their previous location. Each suitable person was given an acre of land on a 21-year lease and a cow from the government herd. New settlers were allowed to graze their cattle on the town common, which was now joined by a hospital and gaol and several inns and stores. By 1828, the population of Liverpool town and district had grown to 949, and by 1841 it had risen to 2008 in the district and 690 in the town itself.

Local government may have said to have begun in Liverpool on 7 November 1810, which was the date Governor Lachlan Macquarie declared the area “fit for the purpose of a town”. Pockets of European people lived in the area for years, but the town did not grow from an existing settlement. Unlike most other cities at the time, Liverpool was specifically chosen by Assistant Surveyor James Meehan before settlers moved in. After the location was laid out, systems were put in place to support home building and maintain social order.

New residents also started building churches, military barracks, and a schoolhouse, with activity increasing when the road to Sydney was completed in 1814. Law and order were crucial during the early days, with the upper story of the schoolhouse serving as a courthouse and Thomas Moore appointed magistrate for the local area. He was tasked with developing the town over the next decade, with the Colonial Secretary asking him to 10

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Portrait of Governor of NSW Lachlan Macquarie, 1822

by Richard Read Sr, State Library of NSW Collection.

Hand coloured postcard of the Liverpool Town Hall featuring three children standing on the footpath, c.1900, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

NSW Legislation and Municipalities The New South Wales Legislative Council was formed in 1823, which laid the groundwork for local governments across the state. Several Acts were passed, many of which were influential in shaping Liverpool. The Impounding Act was the first, followed by the Dividing Fences Act of 1828 and the Cattle Slaughtering and Dog Nuisance Acts of 1830.

Further Acts were listed and passed, dealing with everything from buildings and roads to water supply, markets, and police.

The New South Wales Constitution Act of 1842 set up the first official Legislative Council, which comprised 12 appointed and 24 elected members.

This Act was also responsible for setting up district councils, with Liverpool proclaimed as one of 28 councils by Governor Gipps in 1843. The District Council of Liverpool was formalised a few years later in 1848 through a charter created by Governor Fitzroy. Along with other districts, Liverpool faced many difficulties during these early years, including the inability to raise rates among residents.

Councillors and citizens were forced to sell their goods to help maintain police and pay debts.

Representative government finally came to New South Wales in 1855, which laid the groundwork for the incorporation of Liverpool. The Municipality Act was passed in 1858, and 13 areas were incorporated

in 1859. Liverpool was not a priority, however, with the closest municipalities at the time being Redfern and Wollongong. Another eight areas were incorporated in 1860, along with 16 more between 1861 and 1867. All these municipalities were located in inner suburbs or country districts, with Liverpool continually missing out. While nearby Parramatta became a municipality in 1861, Liverpool had to wait until 1872.

New South Wales was expanding fast, with a new Municipalities Act passed in 1867. Liverpool was one of 40 new areas incorporated in the years following this Act. Local residents fought to be recognised, and while it meant paying rates, 148 people petitioned the move. During the early days, roughly £1,400 was collected in rates annually, which was enough to start kerbing, guttering, and bridge-building projects around the town. Despite this work, the area struggled with bad roads and unemployment for many years. Nevertheless, residents were already looking forward to a time when Liverpool would become a suburb of Sydney.

The First Liverpool Council There were nine councillors in the first Liverpool Council: Richard Sadleir, Frank Paine, Thomas Wearne, George Whiteford, John Hatton, Peter Taylor, Gilbert McHugh, Robert Douglas Graham, and Thomas Marsden. Three Aldermen were elected THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL GAZETTE

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each year, with many of these men re-elected on numerous occasions. While data on some individuals is scarce, some information does exist on the most influential Aldermen.

Richard Sadleir - Liverpool’s First Mayor Born in Cork in 1794, Richard Sadleir spent his early years in Ireland during the Irish Rebellion.

These years were very formative, with his childhood marked by nearby battles and burials and multiple accidents from misadventure. The Battle of Trafalgar influenced young Richard to join the navy, and a few years later, he travelled to the UK, Canada, and America. He studied surgery, discovered the Bible, and became a preacher known by some as “mad Sadleir”.

After returning to Ireland, Richard helped local families migrate to America but decided to book passage to Australia. After arriving, he spent six months exploring the country and living with several First Nations clans. Once he settled down, Richard was appointed catechist for the Upper Hunter, where he held services on stations and preached to chain gangs. Richard was an early champion for justice for First Nations people, speaking of protection and remuneration. In addition, Richard suggested educating First Nations children and wrote the book The Aborigines of Australia in 1883.

After suffering an injury, Richard became the catechist at the Male Orphan School and St Luke’s Church of England in Liverpool. He held the latter role from 1829 to 1851, taking a wife and having five children while he became increasingly interested in local affairs. He was invited to stand for the state seat of Vincent (Braidwood) in 1856 but failed by six votes. He stood again after moving, this time for the Legislative Assembly for the seat of Lower Hunter.

He remained in this position until 1864, returning to Liverpool when it became a municipality and becoming the first mayor in 1872.

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Early Councils During the early years, councils had the power to borrow and levy rates for purposes, including lighting and building projects. The Municipal Lighting Act of 1873 concerned the maintenance and construction of works related to lighting.

A second Act was created in 1884 to construct Gasworks related to street lighting and domestic use. Liverpool’s first Gasworks was created in Speed Street in 1890, with the first streetlamp a cause for community celebration.

An Act in 1888 allowed council to borrow money for building projects. However, Liverpool Town Hall had already been built by 1881, with the entertainment section at the rear recognised as a “place of vaudeville, drama, comedy and cultural shows”. Council offices were located at the front of the building, including the mayor’s room and council chambers. The town hall hosted numerous meetings and special events during the early days, as Councillors organised projects, allocated funds, and laid the groundwork for the Liverpool of today.

Lighting Liverpool With Gas, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 June 1890, p. 6, Trove: The National Library of Australia.

Liverpool’s First Aldermen Along with Richard Sadleir, eight Councillors made up the inaugural Liverpool Council. Information on six individuals is included, with little known about Robert Douglas Graham or Thomas Marsden.

Frank Paine Frank Paine travelled to Liverpool in 1866 after spending his early life in Sussex, England. Frank quickly became a successful businessman, with his commercial endeavors augmented by public life. He served on the first Liverpool Council from 1872 to 1876 and was re-elected in 1878. Unfortunately, Frank suffered a nasty accident involving a bull later that year and went on to work as a butcher on Macquarie Street.

Thomas Wearne Born in Australia in 1835, Thomas Wearne was an ironmonger who gained several government contracts in NSW. Thomas was an Alderman on the first Liverpool Municipal Council, having been elected by popular vote before returning in 1873. He moved back to Glebe in the 1880s, where he was a member of the Glebe Borough Council before being forced into bankruptcy after a dispute with government officials.

George Whiteford George Whiteford was Liverpool’s postmaster during the early days of 1868. In fact, the local post office moved to his store on Macquarie Street. George was an Alderman on the first Liverpool Council and remained there until 1874. After running the biggest store in town and providing many years of public service, he died in Liverpool in 1876.

Portrait of Captain Richard Sadleir, c.1850 by William Griffith, State Library of NSW Collection.

John Hatton John Hatton was born in 1842 and married Jane Scrivener in 1874. John was a trustee of the General Cemetery in Liverpool and served on the first Liverpool Council. While he was not re-elected for a second year, he did return in 1878 before resigning the year after.

Peter Taylor Peter Taylor was a watchmaker and early public figure in the Liverpool area. He was one of the organisers of the petition that called for the incorporation of Liverpool as a municipality, which made him a natural fit for the first council. Peter served for a single year before dying at the young age of 48.

Gilbert McHugh Gilbert McHugh was born in Castlederg, Ireland. He was a business owner in Liverpool for 35 years and the oldest member of the inaugural council. Gilbert remained a council member until he died in 1878 and was “much respected by all for his honest and straightforward conduct”.

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Liverpool Key Dates: 1798 - 2022 The Early Days of Liverpool: 1798 to 1830s

Liverpool City Council acknowledges the Cabrogal Clan of the Darug Nation who are the traditional custodians of the land that now resides within Liverpool City Council’s boundaries. We acknowledge that this land was also accessed by peoples of the Dharawal and Darug Nations.

Liverpool has a rich First Nations heritage dating back over 40,000 years.

1798

1811

First land grants in Liverpool area, on the bend of the Georges River, to George Johnston, James Healy, Michael Murphy, John Wixstead and Thomas Rowley.

Liverpool’s first schoolhouse built c.1811.

A two-storey building with an upper storey served as a courthouse at the time. Church services were conducted there until St Luke’s Anglican Church was built.

1804-5

Military barracks nearing completion.

Grants to Eber Bunker, the ‘Father of Australian Whaling’ who built Collingwood, and Thomas Moore who built Moorebank.

1809 Flooding along the Georges River forces people from their homes.

James Badgery granted land at South Creek, and which later became Badgerys Creek and built Exeter Farm.

On the 31st of December Governor Lachlan Macquarie arrived in Sydney.

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On the 19th of May Thomas Tyrrel, aged 4 years and 5 months, was buried in what is now Apex Park, the first burial at Liverpool’s first European burial ground. Samuel Marsden also carried out two baptisms on this date.

1812 Cottage of Content was built (demolished in 1875).

1813 Road from Sydney to Liverpool was completed.

1810 – The Founding of Liverpool

1814

On the 7th of November Governor Macquarie founded Liverpool and named it after the Earl of Liverpool (England), Secretary of the Colonies.

Population of the Liverpool area 832.

Collingwood House was built on Eber Bunker’s land. This house is still standing.

Foundation stone of St Luke’s Anglican Church laid by Governor Macquarie.

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1818

1819

1830

The setting up of a pound was authorised at Holdsworthy (Holsworthy was originally spelled with a ‘d’ until after WWII).

Liverpool Hospital completed.

Commissioner John Bigge was sent to the colony to investigate the administration of Governor Macquarie. Bigge St and Bigge Park are named after him.

1821

1836 On the 26th of January the Lansdowne Bridge, designed by David Lennox was opened by Governor Burke. It had been built with convict labour.

Liverpool Weir, also designed by David Lennox, may have been opened later that year.

On the 18th of April Richard Guise was the first person buried at what is now Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park after Apex Park was considered too damp.

1822 The foundations were commenced for Liverpool Hospital (now Liverpool TAFE).

Liverpool’s location for a major hospital was chosen for its “pure air and sweet water”.

Governor Macquarie left the colony and commented that when he first came to Liverpool in 1810 it was a “thick forest”, and now contained “a handsome neat brick-built church, a brick-built hospital, a provision store, barrack, school-house, parsonage house, gaol and several other government buildings”. He also mentioned “a wooden wharf or quay, in the centre of the town, to which vessels of 50 tons can come to load and unload, which trade from Sydney to Liverpool, by way of Botany Bay”.

St Luke’s Anglican Church, Liverpool during celebrations for the centenary of the church, 1919, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

1825 The date of 1825, inscribed above the Liverpool Hospital door, possibly records when the roof was built.

1828 Liverpool was one of the first country areas to open a post office in 1828. The first postmaster was Frederick Meredith.

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Liverpool Key Dates: 1798 - 2022 Late colonial period: 1840s to 1890s

1840

1853

Foundation stone laid for the original All Saints Catholic Church, which was demolished in 1964. Before the church was built, Mass was celebrated in people’s homes.

Benevolent Society of New South Wales took over the hospital as an ‘Asylum for Destitute and Infirm Men’.

1841

1855

Population of the district 2,008. 690 lived in the town.

On the 20th of November, J.H. Atkinson of Sophienberg turned the first sod for the railway at Liverpool.

1842

1856

New South Wales Constitution Act was passed.

Sir William Denison declared open the railway line from Granville to Liverpool.

1843

Foundation stone was laid for the Collingwood Abattoirs.

Liverpool was incorporated as a district with Samuel Moore as Warden, and six Councillors.

Moore Theological College was founded in Liverpool. This was later moved to its present site near the University of Sydney.

1846 Liverpool area suffered severe bushfires.

1848 District Council of Liverpool was formed in January.

Original All Saints Church, 1963, the building was demolished in the early 1970s to make way for the Westfield Shopping Centre, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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1868

1890

The Paper Mill at Collingwood, possibly the first in Australia, was built.

The Gasworks opened in July and lighting of the first lamp was cause of much celebration.

Henry Haigh’s Wool Scour was built.

1872 - The Foundation of Local Government Liverpool was proclaimed a municipality on the 27th of June 1872. 148 residents petitioned for the ‘Municipal District of Liverpool’, even though in future it meant they would have to pay rates for their properties. Richard Sadlier became the first Mayor of Liverpool.

1892 Cabramatta and Canley Vale separated from Liverpool and formed their own local Council.

1893 Water pipes were laid in Liverpool.

The Paper Mill at Collingwood, Print hand coloured (reproduction), by Albert Henry Fullwood,1888, Liverpool Regional Museum Collection.

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Liverpool Key Dates: 1798 - 2022 A New Century begins: 1901 to 1945

1901

1914

Population of Liverpool 3,901.

During the outbreak of World War One an Internment camp, known as the German Concentration Camp (GCC), was set up at Holdsworthy for male enemy aliens of German and Austro-Hungarian backgrounds. Prisoners of war were also interned there.

1906 Liverpool’s geographic area increased when the parish of Holdsworthy was added. Council committees were recorded as Finance, Works, Gas, Town Hall, Health, Bylaws, Park, Library and Hackney Carriage.

1907 Telephone connected at the Liverpool Town Hall. Council had first proposed installing a telephone in 1899 but one Alderman described it as a “new-fangled notion”.

1910 Senior Council staff were recorded as Town Clerk, Assistant Clerk, Sanitary Inspector, Overseer, Gas Manager, Sanitary Collector, Valuer and Auditor.

Lord Kitchener visited the Holsworthy area and recommended setting up a permanent military establishment on the site.

Establishment of Challenge Woollen Mill.

1913 16,868 acres were acquired for the Army at Holsworthy.

Liverpool Council met on alternate Thursdays at the Town Hall on Moore Street.

The Council’s telephone number was ‘7 Liverpool’ and the office was open five hours on weekdays and two hours on Saturdays.

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Army Training Camp established at Holdsworthy for soldiers assigned to fight on the front lines.

In September the 3rd Light Horse Regiment was transferred to Holdsworthy.

1916 In February an Army Riot began at the Casula Army Camp with rioting soldiers later joined by those from the Liverpool Camp. Soldiers broke into hotels and later commandeered a train into the city where the riot continued. One man was shot dead and six injured. This event resulted in “six o-clock closing” being brought into New South Wales hotels.

Publication of William Freame’s ‘Early Days of Liverpool’.

1917 The Branch Railway Line from Liverpool to the Holdsworthy Army Camp was completed.

1918 Liverpool Chamber of Commerce formed.

1919

1937

Returned Servicemen ‘Soldiers Settlement Scheme’ farms set up in the suburbs of Chipping Norton and Hillview.

Celebration of the first hundred years of Catholic Education in Liverpool.

An influenza epidemic, commonly known as the Spanish Flu, continues. Many internees died at the German Concentration Camp.

1938

Population of Liverpool 6,302.

Increased Citizens Military Forces require a further 22,860 acres obtained for the Army from the NSW Government on a permissive occupancy agreement. By this time the Army area had extended to 54,000 acres.

First ANZAC service at Liverpool in front of the Railway Station with a ceremony to dedicate its war trophy gun.

1939

1921

1925 Electricity switched on in Liverpool for the first time. Power was purchased from the Department of Railways and the main substation was at Warwick Farm.

The Australian Gas Light company took over the Liverpool Gasworks and supplied all of Liverpool’s gas supply.

1928 First female staff member was appointed to Liverpool Municipal Council.

1929 The Local Unemployment Relief Scheme employed men to demolish the old Moore College and Thomas Moore’s House. The Colonial Hall was later built on the college site as part of the relief scheme.

Publication of Ward and Olive Havard’s history of Liverpool publication, titled ‘Liverpool: The Story of an Historic Town’.

1942 American troops quartered on Warwick Farm Racecourse and at Hargrave Park.

1944 An estimated 6780 Australians, mostly of Italian origin, were interned at a camp on the ANZAC Rifle Range. The previous Internment Camp repurposed for other uses.

1945 End of World War Two.

1931 R.A. Lovejoy and F.A. Crowe founded the Collingwood Golf Club, Collingwood House as the clubhouse.

1932 Archdeacon R.B.S. Hammond established Hammondville to provide housing for families out of work.

Green Valley Progress Association founded in June.

Banking day at Liverpool Military Camp, 1915, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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Liverpool Key Dates: 1798 - 2022 Liverpool Post-War: 1946 to 1970s

1946

1961

HMS Golden Hind taken over for temporary housing which became the Hargrave Park Housing Settlement.

Official opening of the Liverpool Technical Collage (as it then was) in the building which was originally built in the 1820s as the hospital.

1947 Population of Liverpool 12,692.

Building commenced for Green Valley Housing Estate. The Minister for Housing the Honorable A. Landa turned the first sod for the project on 3 August.

1949

1967

Nepean Shire Council ceased to exist and part of its area transferred to Liverpool.

The Liverpool Speedway was opened in May

by Frank Oliveri.

1956

1968

The first Municipal Library in Liverpool opens.

1958

Local swimmer Michael Wenden wins two gold medals, 100m and 200m freestyle, setting two world records at the Mexico Olympics.

The new Liverpool Hospital opened.

1969

1959

The Hume Highway diversion was completed, bypassing Macquarie Street and the City Centre.

The Liverpool and District Historical Society formed. Now known as The City of Liverpool of District Historical Society.

1970 First ‘Liverpool Festival of Progress’ held.

1960 - A City is Declared Liverpool declared a city on the 9th of November.

1972

Population of Liverpool 30,000.

Federal Member for Werriwa Gough Whitlam becomes Prime Minister.

Distribution of electricity taken over by Prospect County Council.

Opening of Liverpool Shoppingtown (Westfield).

Fire destroys retailers Woolworths and Big W Liverpool in October.

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1974

1976

Official opening of Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park, formerly the old Liverpool Cemetery.

Population of Liverpool 89,656.

‘Freedom of Entry’ granted to 5/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Australian Army.

Liverpool Festival of Progress, 1973 (Liverpool City Council float), the newly built Westfield Liverpool Shoppingtown is visible in the background, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

Jeff Pickering in sprintcar number 28 racing at Liverpool Speedway, early 1970s, Frank Oliveri Collection, Liverpool Regional Museum Collection.

“Liverpool - A City”, Liverpool News, 16 November 1960, p. 1

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Liverpool Key Dates: 1798 - 2022 Modern Liverpool: 1980s to 2022

1982

1992

Conversion commences of former Liverpool Powerhouse into Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.

Renaming of Holsworthy Village to become Wattle Grove.

1983 Opening of The Whitlam Centre leisure centre.

1984 Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council established after the passing of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1983 (NSW).

1993 Construction began on a four-stage development of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.

1994 Macquarie Mall opens and unveiling of the Cenotaph.

1985

1996

Celebration of Liverpool’s 175th birthday (of being declared a town) with the dedication of the Liverpool Heritage Wall, located adjacent to the old courthouse.

Publication of Christopher Keating’s history of Liverpool ‘On The Frontier’.

Badgerys Creek selected as the site for Sydney’s second international airport.

1987 Liverpool City Library, Plaza, and Council Administration Centre opened.

Liverpool District Family History Society formed, now Liverpool Genealogy Society.

1989 Liverpool Bicentennial Museum opens, now Liverpool Regional Museum & Family History Centre.

Announcement by the Federal Airports Corporation of a new environmental impact study to be carried out for both Badgerys Creek and Holsworthy as sites for Sydney’s second airport.

Publication of the ‘A Little Bit Country: An Oral History of Badgerys Creek.’

1997 Official opening of Stage One of the new Liverpool Hospital.

2000 Sydney Olympics

2006 Population of Liverpool 164,000.

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2010 Liverpool City Council Chambers on Hoxton Park Road destroyed by a fire.

2016 Population of Liverpool 204,326.

The Moorebank Heritage Group is formed.

2021 Bicentenary – 200th Anniversary of Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park.

2022 Sesquicentenary – 150th Anniversary of Liverpool Council following the “Municipal District of Liverpool” being declared on 27 June 1872 by the then Governor of NSW Sir Hercules Robinson.

Population estimate for 2022: 249,311, forecast to grow to 386,646 by 2041.

Casula Powerhouse and new Park under construction, 22 March 2019, photograph by Quentin Jones.

Pop Art Fountain at Macquarie Mall, 19 January 1995, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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History of the Liverpool Brass Band WRITTEN BY GLEN OP DEN BROUW, PRESIDENT THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC. (EST. 1959)

Liverpool Town Band, group photo of 26 men dressed in band uniforms, c. 1906, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

1883 – 1914 The Liverpool City Brass Band is a traditional brass band from Liverpool, NSW Australia. By the early 1880s, Liverpool was a vibrant regional centre with a growing population, and in 1883, an anonymous donation was gifted to a group of young musicians to help them form a brass band for the city’s entertainment. Following the 19th Century British musical style popular in the Australasian colonies, the band played brass and percussion instruments that today include the cornet, flugelhorn, tenor and baritone horns, euphonium, trombone and bass drum.

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This original brass band performed regularly at Bigge Park, Liverpool, on Sunday afternoons from at least 1888. With their increasing experience and popularity, in the early 1900s, Liverpool City Council gifted new musical instruments to the ensemble, which would go on to become the Liverpool Municipal Band. The band continued to perform at Bigge Park and official Council events through to 1914, when on the eve of World War One, it was disbanded due to its members joining the Australian war effort.

1924 – 1939 After the war, in 1924, Tom Laing reformed the Liverpool Municipal Band, which continued to perform throughout the 1930s. There is a dearth of historical information on the activities of this generation of the brass band, apart from the fact that their uniforms had front and sleeve piping details on the coats and were worn with plain trousers. And yet again, in 1939, the ensemble disbanded for the duration of WWII.

1949 – 1961 The Liverpool Municipal Band was reformed by Liverpool City Council in 1949, with its then Labor Mayor Ron Dunbier elected as band President, and Alderman Bill Edmondson, proud father of the renowned John ‘Jack’ Edmondson VC (Posthumous), its first Patron. Kitted out in old uniforms acquired from the Waratah-Maitland Band, the Liverpool Municipal Band’s first post-war performance was for the November 1949 Mayoral Ball. The band continued to play throughout the 1950s, although it never acquired a permanent home. During this time, it had a number of temporary rehearsal spaces including the Town Hall and the Methodist Sunday School, as well as A. C. McGrath’s Motor Garage.

Original photograph of the Liverpool Brass Band, also called the Liverpool Municipal Band, c.1890s, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

1961 – 1973 Liverpool was proclaimed a city in 1960, and in early 1961, the Liverpool Municipal Band was renamed the Liverpool City Brass Band. It was at this time that the band adopted the Liverpool City Crest, which is still proudly displayed today on their uniforms, banners, and the bass drum skin. The following year, Liverpool City Council gifted the hall at Woodward Park, which remains the home of the Liverpool City Brass Band to this day. In 1965, Council gifted a full set of new instruments in recognition of the valued services of the city’s brass band.

This 1960s iteration of the band was led by conductor Charles Salmon for a full decade through to 1973. On the 8th of June 1963, the Liverpool City Brass Band first entered the NSW State Championships, taking out tenth place (D Grade) and playing what would become a perennial band favourite, the Eric Ball composition ‘In Switzerland’.

After a bold uniform change to royal blue coats matched with yellow ties, the band took fourth place (D Grade) in the 1967 NSW State Championships and would go on to compete at the state level for another half-decade until 1973.

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A Brass Band playing at the official opening of Liverpool Olympic Memorial Pool held during the Festival of Youth celebrations on 7th November 1959 (149th anniversary of the founding of the town of Liverpool), Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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1988 – 2022 The Liverpool City Brass Band did not return to the competitive band arena until 1988, under the steady hand of Ronald Wright (1988-93), placing third (D Grade) in the 1992 Australian Championships.

This modern era of the band was increasingly professional in outlook and became a stalwart of the state and national brass band competitions. With Alex Clulow as conductor, the band took first place in the 1995 NSW State Championships (D Grade).

Clulow was followed by Trenton Wright (1998-2006), with the band placing third in the 2003 Australian Championships (D Grade), playing the old favourite ‘In Switzerland’. Finally, Eddy Claxton took the band to three consecutive second place (D Grade) finishes in the NSW State Championships from 2008 to 2010.

In 2014, the uniform changed yet again into a more conservatively sleek black suit matched with a royal blue tie. The Liverpool City Brass Band

combined with longtime rivals, the Yagoona District Band, formed the South-West Sydney Brass, with Eddy Claxton conducting. This highly competitive ensemble placed second in the 2015 Centenary of ANZAC Australian National Band Championships and took first place in the 2015 NSW State Championships (D Grade). Both bands continue to perform today, with South-West Sydney Brass taking second place in the 2019 NSW State Championships (C Grade), and the Liverpool City Brass performing in the 2022 State Band Online Festival.

If you find yourself in the City of Liverpool, you can check out the Liverpool City Brass Band who remain highly active in the city’s events calendar. If you’re lucky, you might even catch them playing ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ at the Macquarie Street Mall bandstand.

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Badgerys Creek Relocated Remains from a Liverpool Suburb WRITTEN BY PETER M. ALLEN, PUBLIC OFFICER LIVERPOOL GENEALOGY SOCIETY INC. (EST. 1987)

St John’s Anglican Church, Badgerys Creek, photographed in 1991, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

Located 40 kilometres southwest from Sydney, mostly within the Liverpool City Council boundaries, is the suburb of Badgerys Creek. In the 1980s Badgerys Creek was selected from over 80 initially identified locations (from the 1960s) as one of three final areas proposed for the site of Sydney’s second airport. The shortlisted locations were Holsworthy (Darkes Forest), Wilton and Badgerys Creek. In 2014, the Federal Government announced the Liverpool

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suburb of Badgerys Creek as the new airport site.

Planning was commenced by the Federal and NSW Governments for the construction of the airport; its facilities and contracts were finalised for work to commence.

Some residents of Badgerys Creek were given eviction notices for their homes after the Federal Government acquired the 18 square kilometres (1800 hectares) of land required for the airport.

The Naming of a Suburb Badgerys Creek is named after English born migrant farmer and miller, James Badgery (c.1768-1827). In 1806 Badgery was granted 640 acres of land within the district and named his property ‘Exeter Farm’.

Given the property had a creek, it became known as ‘Badgerys Creek’. The name was further applied to the district with its increasing population.

The district developed amenities including the opening of a post office in 1894 and primary school established in 1895. The rural suburb had then a population exceeding 2000 residents. Around one century later the post office closed in 1989 and the primary school was decommissioned in 2014 as it was located within the new airport’s construction site.

Within Badgerys Creek were two churches, both with a small cemetery, the Uniting Church and St Johns Anglican Church. The two churches were demolished prior to the removal of the graves by exhuming the remains for relocation.

With assistance, Liverpool Genealogy Society member Peter M. Allen OAM photographed and researched each grave to determine the grave’s identity and compile the Badgery’s Creek Cemeteries book.

Uniting Church Cemetery Badgerys Creek, photograph date unknown, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

All remains from each cemetery were exhumed, relocated and reinterred. The original Uniting Church Cemetery remains to the Uniting Church Cemetery, Luddenham, and the St Johns Anglican Church remains to Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Leppington.

James Badgery died in 1827 and along with other family members are buried at Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park.

Works commenced in 2018 on the Aerotropolis site employing several hundred workers and numerous contractors, the airport is planned to be operational by 2026, with the Western Sydney Aerotropolis precinct a major working suburb.

The heart of the Aerotropolis is ‘Western Sydney International Nancy-Bird Walton Airport’, named after Australia’s pioneering female pilot, Nancy Bird-Walton (1915-2009), the first Australian woman to hold a commercial flying licence. Nancy was also known as ‘The Angel of the Outback’.

Badgerys Creek Public School, photographed in 1991, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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Harris Creek Rail Bridge: A Heritage Listing WRITTEN BY MIKE DAVIS, VICE PRESIDENT MOOREBANK HERITAGE GROUP INC. (EST. 2016)

The Harris Creek Rail Bridge, located in the Liverpool suburb of Holsworthy, was nominated by Moorebank Heritage Group in 2017 for inclusion on the State Heritage Inventory given its historical significance to the people of New South Wales.

The bridge was built adjacent to Heathcote Road prior to its junction at the roundabout that leads traffic to Holsworthy Railway Station. It was an integral part of the largest World War One Australian Army Camp with an estimated 130,000 recruits trained for military service overseas. It also housed ‘enemy aliens’, imprisoned internees within the Holsworthy Internment Camp.

The Holsworthy Military Railway was built between February 1917 and January 1918. Other sidings were added later. Its purpose was to transport ordnance, ammunition, stores, cavalry, artillery horses, military equipment and personnel for the war effort.

The last stop on the line was the Holsworthy Internment Camp, also known as the German Concentration Camp. It was the largest World War One internment camp in Australia. By the end of the war, in November 1918, there were over 6000 men of German, Austro-Hungarian and Turkish descent held in captivity.

Photograph of the Harris Creek Railway Bridge date marker taken in 2017, Moorebank Heritage Group Collection.

The Harris Creek Rail Bridge is the only surviving rail bridge built by internee labour in New South Wales and the Liverpool to Holsworthy Military Railway was the only railway constructed solely for military purposes during World War One. In 2017, the State Government Department ‘Heritage NSW’ requested submissions to retain remnants of the bridge, now used as a pedestrian walkway. Moorebank Heritage Group lodged one submission which took four years for a decision.

Further submissions from the community supported the addition of the bridge to the NSW State Heritage Inventory under the NSW Heritage Act 1977.

Internees from the German Concentration Camp at Holsworthy constructing the railway between Liverpool and the Holsworthy camp in 1917, Australian Railway Historical Society Collection.

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Moorebank Heritage Group members have aided in securing NSW State Heritage listings for Collingwood House (2006), Liverpool TAFE – formerly the Liverpool Asylum for Destitute and Infirm Men, Liverpool State Hospital, Liverpool Technical College (2009) and the Church of the Holy Innocents (2018).

Harris Creek was placed on the historical map many years before the rail bridge construction. Flour was essential for the developing Macquarie Town of Liverpool and in 1822 a flour mill was built on land granted by Thomas Rowley II to his son-in-law John Lucas, whose father was the noted Liverpool identity, the convict carpenter Nathaniel Lucas. By October that year, Lucas had obtained millstones to produce flour, a seemingly small but significant feat. It was the first flour mill built after the arrival of Governor Brisbane, Governor Macquarie’s replacement.

Brisbane gave permission to name it the ‘Brisbane Water Mill’. The mill was locally known as ‘Harris Creek Mill’ being built on Harris Creek and on the west bank of Williams Creek.

Thomas Rowley II was the eldest son of Captain Thomas Rowley of the NSW Corps who arrived in the Colony of NSW in 1792. In one decade, Rowley II had ownership of 85 acres of land at Chipping Norton and 700 acres at Holsworthy. This included land that would become the Liverpool Army Training Camp of World War One. Rowley II became a prominent citizen serving as a Liverpool Magistrate and Commandant of the Volunteer Loyal Association. Thomas Rowley II and his family are buried at Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park.

An image taken at the Harris Creek Rail Bridge in 2017 commemorating 100 years since the bridge’s initial construction, Liverpool Regional Museum Collection.

The Harris Creek Rail Bridge is now state heritage protected after being listed in 2021, 104 years since its official opening in 1918 as part of the Liverpool to Holsworthy Military Railway,

Photograph of the Harris Creek Railway Bridge taken in 2017, Moorebank Heritage Group Collection.

MOOREBANK H E R I TA G E G R O U P

PEOPLE . PLACES . STORIES

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The Matron and The Flying Pieman Unlikely Paths Crossed in Life and Death WRITTEN BY ANNE DORAN, MUSEUM OFFICER LIVERPOOL REGIONAL MUSEUM

The New Post Office, George Street Sydney (William Francis King is depicted in the lower right corner) Edward Winstanley, F. G. Lewis, 1846, Lithograph print, State Library of NSW Collection.

Researching those who lived and died in Liverpool for Liverpool Regional Museum’s exhibition ‘Notables and New Discoveries’ I discovered two fascinating characters who lived in the 1800’s: Matron Mary Burnside and William Francis King.

Both migrated to Australia from England and lived remarkable lives for the times, which impacted on the people and history of Liverpool. In King’s case he was renowned in Greater Sydney and his fame extended throughout the then colony. Meanwhile, 32

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Burnside was notable for her dedicated service as a frontline worker of her day. Events would bring them together in unusual circumstances. Both Burnside and King have their final resting places at Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park.

Humble beginnings Born in 1825, Mary Roberts married widower Thomas Burnside in Northamptonshire, England

in 1849. Thomas was born around 1820, in Sligo, Ireland and commenced a military career joining Her Majesty’s Army in 1838.

William Francis King was born in London in 1807. His father was paymaster at the Government Treasury in Whitehall, and it was intended that he should go into the church. However, William was more interested in athletics than theology. He held various jobs before becoming a clerk in the Treasury, which was not a success and was packed off to New South Wales “…to make something of himself.”

‘The Flying Pieman’ is born William arrived in Sydney in 1829 aged 22, accepting a schoolmaster position at Sutton Forest, before becoming a private tutor for the Kern Family in Campbelltown.

Missing the excitement of the city, William drifted back to town and was employed as a barman at the Hope & Anchor pub in Sussex Street, Sydney. It was around 1834 that he went into business transformed as a colourfully clad pieman, selling his wares around Hyde Park and Circular Quay.

He became renowned for selling pies to passengers boarding the ferry bound for Paramatta and then running 30 kilometres to the final stop on their trip to offer his unsold stock to the same passengers as they disembarked. William was gifted the name ‘The Flying Pieman’, becoming part of Sydney folklore.

After a rumoured ill-fated love affair with a female convict in 1842, William, now aged 35, further morphed into his character by becoming a professional pedestrian and strongman. He drew a crowd wherever he went, theatrically attired in his colourful costume of tightfitting jacket, knee breeches, jockey’s cap and a walking cane decorated with ribbons.

Between 1842 and 1851, William established a reputation for remarkable sporting stamina, devising all manner of opportunities for public entertainment with amazing feats recorded in the newspapers of the time. He became somewhat of a celebrity in the colony of New South Wales and toured extensively in the Hunter Valley and later Brisbane adding new feats of strength and endurance to his routine.

These included walking 2630 kilometres in 39 days, racing the Windsor to Sydney mail coach on foot, carrying a 32-kilogram dog from Campbelltown to Sydney in under seven hours and hauling an even weightier goat from Sydney to Parramatta in a similar time.

He also walked from Brisbane to Ipswich carrying a 45-kilogram wooden pole, beating the mail coach by an hour and, in Maitland in 1847, he had himself

horsewhipped to spur him on during a ten-day, 402-kilometre walking challenge.

William earned extra money by placing wagers on his athletic ability and at the end of each walk, he would launch into extravagant and lengthy speeches. During this time of his remarkable sporting achievements, his interest in politics peaked. In a rambling newspaper advertisement published October 1844, he announced his intention to run for office as a Sydney City Councillor and petitioned to become Mayor. Proclaiming he was not interested in trivial matters, such as the laying of a water pipe or repairing of a sewer, his first motion would require every Councillor to have a cockade (ribbon rosette) placed on their hats to become objects of gaze and astonishment. William was not elected.

In 1851, after a long athletic career, he ended as he had started, returning to the streets of Sydney, continuing his Flying Pieman persona. He was ever the showman, wandering the streets, selling pies, and issuing proclamations to passers-by.

In 1859, William may have crossed the line between eccentricity and mental illness. He published his own will leaving his estate to an imagined wife, Eleanora Ann Howell, a young woman from Parramatta who he seemingly worshipped from afar. Sadly, Eleanora died seven months after the will was published, which must have broken his heart. Four days after her death, he was charged with vagrancy and being of unsound mind and spent around four days in Darlinghurst Gaol.

The future Asylum Matron arrives in Sydney Around this time, Mary Burnside and her three daughters, Sarah (b. 1848), Ellen (b. 1851) and Jane (b. 1855), arrived in Sydney. This was a time of reunion for Mary and her daughters with their husband and father, the recently retired Thomas Burnside who had been deployed to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in 1854 with his army unit ‘Her Majesty’s 12th Regiment of Foot’. Their fourth daughter Mary Alice was born in New South Wales in 1859 and followed by their youngest Martha born in 1863.

Not long after Mary’s arrival in 1862, the Government took over management of the Liverpool Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Men from the NSW Benevolent Society. In that same year, the retired Colour and Hospital Sergeant Thomas Burnside became the first appointed superintendent of the Liverpool Asylum on a salary of £150 per annum.

Mary was appointed to the position of Matron and together they became responsible for the running of the Asylum and care of the inmates. Thomas THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL GAZETTE

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remained Master of the Asylum until his death at 49 years of age in 1869. Mary continued her work as Matron and worked closely with his successor.

becoming an object of jeers, ridicule, and pity, rather than admiration. By the end of 1869, without the resources to care for himself and without family to turn to, William sought refuge in the Liverpool Asylum.

He was described in an article published by The Evening News on March 21,1871:

“…as odd as ever and has a scheme in his head for benefitting the institution, by giving a performance on the top of the walls of the Asylum.”

By 1871, Liverpool Asylum had developed a formidable reputation as the most experienced medical and professionally managed institution in the Colony of New South Wales. The Asylum was called upon to handle increased chronic and incurable cases and, by 1873, housed a population of 629 residents.

In July 1885, a newspaper report noted:

“The number of inmates had doubled since its inception, totalling 750 inmates with 240 in the sick wards. The asylum, under the control of Mrs. Mary Burnside, assisted by her two daughters, Mary Alice, and Jane, is scrupulously orderly and clean.”

William Francis King, ‘The Flying Pieman’ Carte-de visite (Business card) Photographer: John Davies, 1869, Albumen paper, National Portrait Gallery Collection.

Crossed paths The Asylum provided a refuge for men who were ill or down on their luck. Commonly referred to as “the yard”, inmates were expected to assist in the upkeep of the institution. It was inhabited by a diverse range of people from various parts of the world representing multiple ranks, religions, and occupations. The majority were ordinary honest men, forced into hardship because of sickness, alcohol dependency, destitution, old age, loneliness, or lack of family support. One of them was William Francis King, ‘The Flying Pieman’.

As he grew older William became too frail to complete his extraordinary walks, he struggled to sell his pies, and his once flamboyant costume became increasingly shabby. He continued his loud and peculiar proclamations; but was fast 34

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Mary remained in the position of Matron until her retirement in 1896, aged 71. Considered extremely popular among both patients and fellow residents of Liverpool, she was tireless in her attention to the wants of the Asylum residents. During her career she managed to raise five daughters with her youngest Martha born after she was appointed Matron. Her other daughters ranged in age from four to 15 years old. To combine an enduring career, marriage and family was an uncommon practice for a woman of her time, however Matron Burnside was described as a woman of great capacity with an excellent disposition.

Her amazing dedication to her career was such that she only took one month’s holiday in 34 years of working at the Aslyum – an extraordinary feat given the challenging conditions she would have experienced.

William Francis King did not live long at the asylum, dying of paralysis on August 10, 1873, aged 66. He was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave in the Catholic section at Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park, unmourned by those he had so often entertained. However, with the passing of time the stories of his sporting prowess were rediscovered and celebrated. As an entertaining, colourful character from the past, The Flying Pieman’s spirit is evoked today through the Australian tradition, and irony, of enjoying a pie at a sporting event.

Matron Mary Burnside died on April 9, 1913, aged 88. She is buried at Liverpool Pioneers’ Memorial Park with her husband Thomas and three of her daughters; Martha Burnside Minton-Senhouse (d.1888), Mary Alice (d.1898) and Jane Elizabeth (d.1920). In 2013, Mary’s contribution to nursing and service to her community was commemorated by naming Burnside Drive at the Liverpool Hospital campus.

Mary and William were two quite different characters; however both were remarkable and challenged the social mores of their time. I like to think of William, ever the showman to the end, conjuring ideas to raise money to benefit the Asylum as a calm, caring Mary was forever asking him:

“William, please come down from the roof… safely.”

Ward at Liverpool State Hospital and Asylum c.1918, State Library of NSW Collection.

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An Ancient Waterway: Toggerai to Georges River

Postcard showing the old Liverpool bridge, the Liverpool Weir and Georges River, c. early 1900s, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

The Georges River, once known as the Toggerai River, begins near Appin in the Macarthur Region on Tharawal country and flows approximately 104 kilometres to Botany Bay. Historically, it formed a natural boundary between various First Nations people in the area. Two of the most notable were the Darug people and the Tharawal coastal people.

For the Darug, the river served as a boundary and essential means of sustenance for survival.

The Darug took their name from the yams that grew within the water. The Cabrogal clan, local to modern-day Liverpool, took their name from the cabra worms harvested from the river for food.

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In 1795, explorer George Bass named the river likely after King George III. The river land was rapidly granted to newly arrived soldiers, settlers, and emancipated convicts. One notable early settler, Thomas Moore, established Moorebank, eventually amassing over 4,000 acres of land.

During periods of high flooding, Governor Macquarie established several towns on high ground adjacent to the large rivers, including the Georges River. Liverpool was swiftly established near Moore’s property to provide neighboring settlers refuge during flooding. Today, the Georges River is considered a significant flood-prone river within the area.

Despite being renowned for flooding, the river has experienced times of drought. While the average freshwater flow is not large in volume, in 1901, it ceased altogether. The prolonged drought resulted in stagnant pools and the river was transformed.

Drought returned in 2002 when reduced water levels prevented water flowing over the Liverpool Weir.

Transportation, Urbanisation and Leisure on the River In 1835 the Liverpool Weir was built. This weir, designed by notable bridge-builder David Lennox, served dual purposes. First, it acted as a river crossing, allowing people to move more easily from one side of the Georges River to the other. Prior to the weir or other bridges, people could only cross the river at shallow fords. Second, because the water from Georges River at Liverpool was brackish, the weir also served as a dam. This allowed the surrounding settlers in the growing town of Liverpool to enjoy a fresh water supply. Today, the original Liverpool Weir has been largely replaced or rebuilt.

Despite this, it remains an important relic and excellent example of colonial engineering.

Though not one of its intended purposes, the weir also acted as a barrier to sharks that travelled the river. The construction of the weir made it possible for residents to hold swimming carnivals upstream without the risk of shark attacks. Swimming parties, boating trips and other leisure activities were once extremely popular, thanks to the river’s clean and unpolluted water. One member of an 1870 boating trip even remarked on the “pleasing charm [of] the scenery”.

In addition to leisure activities, the Georges River was also used for transporting goods via river barge, as the river was much deeper in the early 1800s than it is today. These barges travelled up-river as far as the weir, where a wharf and crane were built for handling cargo. Up until 1856 these barges were the most popular method of transporting cargo, most notably wheat and timber from Liverpool to Sydney.

River transport declined when the Liverpool to Sydney railway opened.

A bridge was built in 1894 to help ease the river’s increasing traffic. This bridge remained in use until 1958 and was replaced by a modern bridge on Newbridge Road, today known as Light Horse Bridge.

Postcard of the Georges River featuring a small, unmanned rowing boat on the bank of the river with the Challenge Woollen Mill visible in the background, c. early 1900s, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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Industrialisation and Pollution on the Georges River The late 1800s saw proposals for a dam to be built on the Georges River, in part to provide a steady water supply for Sydney, though Sydney was not the only city to utilise the river’s water.

The Georges River played an integral part in Liverpool’s industrial development. In 1864, the Australian Paper Company set up Australia’s first large paper mill, located on the banks of the river at the village of Collingwood, near Liverpool. The mill’s manufacturing process began in 1868, and by 1872 was actively utilising the river in its advertising campaigns, boasting access to “an unlimited supply of freshwater, unrivalled for its softness and purity”.

In addition to the paper mill, Liverpool was also home to other major industries, including slaughter yards, woolwashes and fellmongering works. Each of these relied on water from the river not only for manufacturing but also for waste transportation, as it was common practice to discharge waste directly into the river. So common was this habit that by 1886, the “awful stench” wafting up from the river was considered a local scandal.

The Georges River Today Much has changed for the Georges River. In addition to the continued pollution, the river faces several other threats, including infestations of Alligator Weed, increased turbidity as a result of prior sandmining at Chipping Norton and elevated nutrient levels caused by sewage and fertiliser run-off.

Introduced animals, weeds and other elements have altered the flora and fauna of the river. Native water birds are rare in Liverpool, however, cormorants, herons, egrets and ibises can sometimes be seen at Chipping Norton.

In 2002, the Georges River Program was initiated to improve environmental conditions in the river.

These days, as in the past, the Georges River is a popular place for certain leisure activities such as boating, swimming and fishing. Not too long ago, two tourist boats, the MV Georges River Queen and the MV Mirabel, were still in operation and providing tours on the river.

The dumping of untreated sewage into the waters of the Georges River was only a small part of pollution problems the river was experiencing. Despite several attempts to rectify the sewage problem, it wasn’t until 1950 that a functional sewerage scheme was developed. It would take an additional twenty years before Liverpool’s suburban areas were similarly sewered.

MV Georges River Queen at Liverpool Weir, 1986, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

Photograph belonging to Margaret Jean Stanbury (née Rowe) showing a group of people swimming in the Georges River, c. 1930s or 1940s, Liverpool City Library Heritage Collection.

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THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL GAZETTE

Australia Day Awards & Citizenship Ceremony at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 2020.

Love Summer on Australia Day at Bigge Park, 2022, photographs by Ben Williams.

Sorry Day at Liverpool Regional Museum, 2022, photograph by Ben Williams.

Starry Sari Night, May 2022, photograph by Ben Williams.

THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL GAZETTE

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THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL GAZETTE