The Society would like to thank our community for the support it has received over the past year. Because of the generosity of the Galston Uniting Church in sharing their premises we were able to continue holding gatherings that complied with Covid 19 regulations.
The community welcomed these opportunities and the Society hosted a number of well attended meetings – one with an audience of more than 100 – where we enjoyed outstanding talks about local and national history.
Talks about local identities and places generated many questions and recollections which added to the general knowledge of the topics. Our November speaker, Ray Williams MP, told the stories of a number of his ancestors who came to NSW as convicts and achieved great success in their new homes. Picture shows Ray speaking to his appreciative audience. Talks for next year will again cover a variety of people and places with the topic of the annual June Roughley Memorial Lecture, to be held in August, covering the history of surveying in our district. This will be a chance to explain the cairns that are sometimes visible in the bush or paddocks and the amazing work of early surveyors.
The Society was pleased to assist Hornsby Shire Council in a review of heritage in rural parts of the shire. After covering more than 300 km, the consultants were amazed at the evidence of our unbroken line of built and agricultural history. This is almost unique in Australia and it is important that its preservation be encouraged with good Council practices. Our proximity to Sydney also makes our history and area attractive for gentle tourism.
To all readers our Society sends Christmas greetings and our hopes for a healthy and caring New Year full of enjoyment of our local history.
