Dural and District Historical Society drew more than 130 members and friends to its July meeting, where local historian Mal Johnston spoke about the Round Corner.
Johnston has spent years gathering stories and artefacts from Kenthurst and the surrounding district, working to record a way of life that is quickly disappearing.
Members enjoyed his relaxed delivery and deep knowledge of the area, and at the end of the afternoon he was presented with a thank-you gift: a “bucket” made from an old kerosene tin.
The Society has a busy few months ahead. On 8 August, Dr Michael Griffith will deliver the annual June Roughley Memorial Lecture, this year on the life and poetry of Francis Webb. The poet Les Murray once named Webb among Australia’s greatest, and for a time Webb lived in Galston, where he wrote a quartet of poems set in the town. The lecture honours June Roughley, a founding member of the Society, whose research and financial support shaped its early years.
A second date worth marking is 12 September, when member and archaeologist Elyssa Freame will speak about the Convict Trail Project. The project documents and preserves what remains of the Great North Road, which runs from Abbotsford to the Hunter Valley and carries national significance, with some sections World Heritage listed. Several families still living along the road have direct connections to its history.
The Society’s open afternoons continue to draw useful research from visitors, with the next one set for Sunday 23 August, from 1pm to 4pm. Old maps are always popular, as are land title deeds that owners have lent in for copying — documents that often add rich detail to the history of a property. Anyone holding deeds of their own is invited to bring them along so the Society can copy them for its archives.
Monthly meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month at Galston Uniting Church, School Rd, Galston, starting at 2pm. Entry is free, with afternoon tea available for a gold coin donation. New faces are always welcome. Enquiries can be directed to Michael Bell on 02 9653 1365.