Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I met with the President of the Blue Mountains historical Society, Wayne Hanley, and society member John Lowe, about a project that was made possible under the coalition government's Community Heritage Grants program. In Glen Street at Woodford in the Blue Mountains there is a horse trough which has special historical significance. It represents a time when horses were a common form of transportation over the mountains. Horses also played a crucial role in the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813 by Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth. The $1,000 government grant was used to install a commemorative plaque at the trough so that visitors would know its historical significance.

In the 1930s, Blue Mountains resident Bernard Schleicher formed a local branch of the RSPCA and was elected chairman. To ensure working horses have adequate access to water, the branch built a trough in Hazelbrook, which unfortunately no longer exists, and the one in Woodford, which remains. I congratulate the Blue Mountains Historical Society, a not-for-profit community group, on their commitment and dedication to ensuring that our rich history in the electorate of Macquarie is preserved.