Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday I attended the Annual Heritage Park Fair, in Castle Hill, which this year commemorated the 204th anniversary of the Castle Hill convict rebellion. This was the first ever convict rebellion on Australian soil and took place on the site of the modern-day Heritage Park. It was from this site that Governor King gave the suburb of Castle Hill its name, back in 1802, and declared the area the third convict settlement after Sydney and Parramatta. On 4 March 1804, 250 convicts broke out of the barracks at the government farm in Castle Hill, overpowered the guards and set fire to farms throughout Baulkham Hills and Winston Hills. The Castle Hill Heritage Park is a site of national importance and one of the nation’s most significant landmarks. The Castle Hill Heritage Park remains one of the least known government farms, dating back to 1801. However, with the enthusiasm of those involved in the commemoration on Sunday, I am sure the recognition of this important heritage site will only strengthen. I will work in this House to see greater state and federal funding given to, and recognition of, such an important and valuable resource for future generations.

I would like to especially congratulate Warren Bowland of the Castle Hill Heritage Park 355 Management Committee and their dedicated volunteers Ian Nowland and David Sommerlad; the Hills District Historical Society; and Elizabeth Roberts, the Executive Director of the Convict Trail Project. Finally, I would like to especially congratulate and thank the talented young men and women of Northmead High School who played out a vivid and intense re-enactment of the battle scene at Castle Hill. They certainly have bright futures ahead of them and were great ambassadors for their parents, their school and the electorate of Mitchell.