FREEMANTLE ROAD CONNECTIONS_AUTUMN 2023

FEATURED INSIDE:

• Biodiversity company buys

Killongbutta property

• Freemantle Volunteer RFS

Feature

• Histor y of the Milkers Flat School

• Bathurst Art Retreat

FREEM ANTLE ROAD LOCALITIES

• Termite Inspections and Repor ts

• Termite Control

• Rats and Mice

• Spiders, Ants and Cockroaches

• Bees, Wasps and Birds

CALL 0422 853 011

Reliable, professional ser vices using only the best quality products that are pet and family safe.

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To Root Hog

GowanRoad

Editorial: Content :

4 KILLONGBUTTA: MEET LEIGH AND SAR AH THORNE

5 CASSINIA: RESTORING THE LAND

6 PL ATYPUS PALS: KIDS PHOTO COMPETITION WINNERS

7 FISH SURVEY: M ACQUARIE AND TURON RIVER SITES

8-11 MEMORIES: OF GOING TO A BUSH SCHOOL

12-13 FREEMANTLE: RFS FEATURE

By Captain, Phillipa Jarrett

14 LOCAL HISTORY: BACK TO FREEM ANTLE DAY

By Lisa Howarth

14 KELLOSHIEL CREEK REPAIRS

15 WIRES: M ATT TO THE RESCUE

16-17 ART FEATURE: BATHURST ART RETREAT

18 HERITAGE: FUNDING SAVES PRIOR CATTLE PAVILLION

STARTING UP a new seasonal magazine to connect the people who live along and off Freemantle Road has been a passion of mine for some time since moving to my property at Killongbutta.

The COVID years of isolation provided a sharp focus of how important it is to feel connected to a community with local Facebook groups blossoming throughout this period.

Facebook can’t replace the permanency of a publication about the stories of the people who live and have lived in this region, while acknowledging the traditional owners of this Wiradjuri countr y that follows the Wambool “winding river”

I’ve been travelling this road for more than 70 years. It would take an hour to drive into town on a dusty road with sharp corners and dangerous bends After crossing Kings Creek, our mother would speed up, then slow down on the three large humps of the straight to make our tummies rise.

I’d look out the window of the FJ Holden and dream of building my house on the side of a cliff overlooking the west

It took 10 years as an owner builder to fulfil this dream with the help of local builder, Lindsay Russell, who finished it in 2010 I moved here just before COVID to live on a steep hill with easterly views where I write, publish and produce podcasts.

Local historian, Jim Buchan, found this area just as fascinating, spending most of his early retirement years researching old records and newspaper articles written about the region. His book Freemantle via Bathurst, first published in 2001, provides a histor y of the Freemantle district and the pioneering families from the 1820s to the 1960s. I am forever grateful to Jim whose collection of newspaper articles provides the research for my features

This community magazine wouldn’t have got off the ground without the encouragement of Sarah and Leigh Thorne, sponsorship from Cassinia and the support of Phillipa Jarrett, Captain of the Freemantle Volunteer RFS.

We are now working on the winter issue which profiles one of our pioneer families with a focus on agriculture. If you would like to contribute or advertise please contact me.

- Marje Prior, Managing Editor

Published by On The Stone

Managing Editor: Marje Prior

Writer and Designer: Marje Prior

Contributors: Cassinia, Phillipa Jarrett, and Lisa Howarth

Proof readers: Colin and Niveska Hogg

Advertising: request our advertising rates sheet and deadlines

Postal Address: PO Box 8, Bathurst NSW 2795

Email: connections@onthestone.com.au

Phone: 02 6337 4131

Website: w w w.onthestone.com.au

Facebook: Freemantle Road Connections

Pictured on the front cover : Sarah and Leigh Thorne with Honey, their young Golden Retriever.

Couple choose Killongbutta

Welcome to our new residents

Leigh and Sarah Thorne, who left their home at Barfold, Victoria, to manage the Cassinia holding at Killongbutta.

They bring to our community a wealth of experience with a focus on art, agriculture and land regeneration.

The couple had a choice of where to move to take up the management of one of Cassinia’s biodiversity properties and chose Killongbutta because of its natural beauty.

Sarah, a retired primar y school teacher, who taught art to her students at Barfold, is now putting together some works for sale as she establishes herself in the local arts community

The couple had a landscaping business before starting with Cassinia in 2020 Leigh studied horticulture while working in law enforcement as a lecturer in ethics, integrity and human rights before his friend, Paul Dettman, convinced him to join his company

They are still settling in with Honey, their young golden retriever, who Leigh is training to be cautious of snakes. They have lots of guests who come to stay and are adjusting to living in their rustic wattle and daub home where Sarah cooks on a fuel stove

They rationalise their move by saying they are now located in the middle of where their children live and make regular trips back to Victoria and the far north coast to visit them

Their ‘Killongbutta’ property is at the end of a long, narrow, dirt road that winds its way around the hills

until the countr y opens up into a spectacular river valley

Access is dependent on the weather and its condition is based on the frequency of council roadworks. You can still see the remains of some stonework from the old bridle track which part of the road followed when it was constructed by relief workers during the depression.

The historic homestead is situated overlooking the Macquarie River that tunnels downstream through the granite rock face of the Forge. The remoteness of this property was part of its attraction for the couple

“It was like a little oasis and a real sense of arrival for us. Ever ything was green The garden, the trees, it is just beautiful. The natural beauty of the river and the light that comes off it keeps changing colour and is just captivating,” says Sarah.

“We’ve found the community here ver y open and welcoming which is a credit to the people who live here. We are part of a ver y long stor y as the histor y of this place is incredible.”

They are a couple of deep Christian faith Leigh has a non government organisation in Uganda which sponsors a school, teachers and disadvantaged children in a small, remote village.

Sarah says their faith which guides their ever yday life is important to them. “Living here makes us ver y aware about God’s creation which surrounds us. He put us here to enjoy what he has made - which shows his beautiful character.”

Pictured is Sarah in her studio painting her first body of work for sale locally

Restoring the land

Balancing agriculture and revegetation to achieve the best environmental outcomes

The keen obser ver could have noticed significant changes happening at Killongbutta as the beginnings of a committed land restoration project takes place. The land was purchased by Cassinia Environmental in 2022, from vendors Richard and Judy Thatcher who are sympathetic to Cassinia’s environmental approach.

Work has begun to restore this environmentally degraded site while maintaining agricultural practices on the property and complementing remnant bushland with 400 hectares of revegetation

Cassinia Environmental is an Australian land management company with extensive experience in wilderness protection, ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture and social investment

Cassinia has 15,000 hectares of hands-on management experience, combining this with the utilization of innovative management approaches and a respect for the

natural world

Killongbutta is managed by Project Manager Leigh Thorne, for the purpose of restoring the landscape with similar vegetation to that which existed before it was substantially cleared for agriculture This also involves the management of weeds and invasive species

The property, straddling the Macquarie River, is representative of large swathes of land in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales that is marginal agricultural countr y, often suffering from overgrazing, mining and infestation

Elements of the property remain a stunning reminder of the beautiful local natural landscape and is a driver in the efforts of the ambitious project. The project has already seen the revegetation of 100-200 hectares of land with direct seeding of more than 100kg of native tree and shrub seed and 6300 seedlings planted. Natural revegetation from planting is taking

place, driving strong regeneration, especially closer to the Macquarie River. The next phase involves further planting of 15,000 seedlings and further direct seeding over an additional 200 hectares.

B eyond planting, committed efforts are required for the management of wide-spread weed infestation and pest species Hopes are to see benefits of this project spread beyond the property boundaries as communities grapple with similar challenges.

This project of land restoration has been made possible through funding through partners LandLife Company LandLife supports the restoration of degraded land across the globe, accessing funding through carbon markets to ensure that projects can be completed.

If you are interested in how revegetation can help the restoration of your property, contact Cassinia Environmental at info@cassinia.com or cassinia.com.

KILLONGBUTTA: CASSINIA

PHOT O CO MPET IT ION winners are grinners

Pictured are the winners of our 13 years and under photo competition after receiving their certificates and their platyus pin from On the Stone. This page is for our young contributors who want to publish their work.

Piper Thompson, Killongbutta Best B & W

Maddy Campbell, Watton Best natural photo

Finnian Rees, Freemantle Best colour collage

SUR VE Y SITES record fish species in our rivers

The Department of Primar y Industr y Fisheries has three local sur vey sites on the Macquarie River to record the fish species in our area.

I managed to catch up with Laura Markham and Shane Ferrier (Pictured above) when they were visiting the Killongbutta site as part of a project that has 230 odd sites across NSW.

The sur vey work is funded by the Basin Planning Environmental Outcome Monitoring (BPEOM) project to identify current fish populations and water quality.

The three river sites are located at Killongbutta, R andwick Hole and on the Turon at Sofala.

The sites are sampled using electrofishing which uses a small amount of voltage to identify, measure, weigh and release the fish

Fish species in the Turon River

At the Turon site the following fish species have been recorded:

Australian Smelt

Carp-Gudgeon species complex

Common Carp

Eastern Gambusia

Golden Perch

Mountain Galaxias

Murray Cod

Redfin

Fish species in the Macquarie River

At the Macquarie River sites, all of the species present in the Turon were also recorded with the addition of the following fish species:

Goldfish

Common Carp – goldfish hybrid

Flathead Gudgeon

Trout

Cod

Anyone over the age of 18 needs to pay a NSW recreat l fishing fee and carr y receipt showing proo payment to be able to fish in NSW This is required for fishing i freshwater and saltwa

The fees are:

$7 for three days

$14 for one month

$35 for one year

$85 for three years

You must first seek permission from property owners if yo want to access the riv through private properties You can report illegal fishing by phoning 1800 043 536

For more information

NSW Recreational Freshwater Fishing Guide 2022-23 from www dpi nsw gov au

Memories of going to a bush school

by Marje Prior

I grew up on Freemantle Road at ‘Hillside’, now known as Milkers Flat, on a grazing property where four generations of my family lived.

One of my earliest memories was waking up to hear my mother’s parents arrive from Queensland In my excitement I stepped on a broken glass while opening the spring gate to collect firewood

My grandfather had to turn around and drive me into the Bathurst hospital while my mother held my foot together to stop the bleeding. It was an injur y that took a long time to heal aided by the crutches that my great grandmother, Laura Prior, made for me

When I was big enough to walk the distance to school I was enrolled to keep the numbers up! It was 1955 and I was four!

My first school memories were counting bottle tops on the verandah and licking off the phosphorous coloured numbers from the black counting cards while the students

were taught their lessons When the school closed my brother, sister and I were home schooled by our mother until we moved into town in 1961.

I will always cherish my childhood as I had a freedom that most city children didn’t experience. Exploring the river, rescuing trapped rabbits, collecting Autumn mushrooms and listening to Smoky Dawson on the radio I believe that children who grow up in the countr y are exceptionally lucky, surrounded by the wonders of nature, our enter taining wildlife and a close-knit rural community.

The Milkers Flat school was the heart of the Freemantle Road community in the late 1940s and 50s. Built by the local families it was also used for church ser vices, christenings, and a meeting place A tennis court was constructed nearby and became a popular social event

The first public school in the Freemantle district was established at Chambers Creek in 1872 during

the height of its gold rush with student enrolments reaching 29 before it closed in 1876

The next school was at ‘Hillside’, Milkers Flat. The subsidised school ran from 1897 to 1917 The community raised funds to pay for the teacher, Miss R Richardson, who was given “suitable and comfortable lodgings at Mr Henr y Prior’s ” From school records held in the NSW State Archives, Milkers Flat was described by the District Inspector as “ a small grazing and farming district. It has a population of about 50 persons all I believe are permanently settled A small building for a Union Church has been erected on the right bank of the river and within a radius of two miles there are 18 children who will attend the school if established I recommend that the applicants be granted 10 pound for the provision of two suitable out offices and the under mention articles for school furniture: 2 desks - each 10ft long; 3 forms - each 10ft long; 1 bookpress;

Photo taken by its current owner, Rhonda Clay ton.

1 table 4ft x 2ft 6in; and 1 chair ”

The inspector noted that William Murnane’s three children had to cross the river in a boat!

Later, other subsidised schools in the district were opened at Freemantle Station, ‘Warra Creek’, Killongbutta, and Rock Forest. In 1948, the local community moved the school building from Freemantle Station to its present location at Milkers Flat.

The teachers were boarded with the local families who took turns in accommodating them.

In 1953, it was finally reclassified as a public school and renamed Milkers Flat to avoid any confusion with Freemantle WA where the mail was regularly sent

The Class of 1955

The relocation of the building wasn’t that simple. The work was carried out on weekends by the families and on at least one occasion part of the building fell down during construction Those involved were from both sides of the river and included Dan Sprouster, Donald McIntosh, Allan Webb, Jack and Len Howarth, Ernie and Jim Prior The building was constructed on three courses of concrete bricks which were used to raise the building to the regulation height of nine foot ceilings.

The building had a small classroom with an open fireplace and a smaller storeroom where the sports gear and bags were stored on

pegs with the student’s name The verandah was a later addition and eventually concreted

The pit toilet enclosures would fall over with a strong gust of wind until posts were installed on either side to hold them up. But it didn’t stop Ernie Prior’s bull from trapping his daughter B everley inside when it rubbed itself up against the back of the loo, knocking it for ward onto its door. B everley, thankful that she hadn’t fallen into the pit, was rescued when the students noticed that she was missing from class.

The same bull trapped the students inside the school one afternoon as it menacingly patrolled around the building

Students L-R back and centre rows: Don Howarth, Robert Sprouster, John Webb, Shirley Clout, Billy Langby, Fred Howarth and Wendy Prior. Front row: Ron and Marje Prior and Katherine Langby

‘“Going

was like going to heaven as we ran on grass instead of the stoney thistle covered ground that we trained barefoot on around the school We were the smallest country school participating with the most winners!”

Collett

L:Beverley Prior, Pam and Helen Webb from Watton, were the only students when the river f looded. Students competing in the annual spor ts carnival

R: The school without the verandah. Presbyterian Minister, Peter Bowes, with students from L-R: Jerr y Sprouster, Pam Webb, Beverley Prior and Tony McIntosh Front: Fred Howar th, Wendy Prior, Ian McIntosh and Helen Webb

(Photos cour tesy of Fred and John Howar th and Bev Kerr )

“When we didn’t arrive home my brother came looking for us and got us out of the school because it had us bluffed. Why dad would put the bull in that paddock I don’t really know” B everley (Prior) Kerr

In the 1950 flood, with the teacher boarding with a family on the wrong side of the river, it took eight days before school reopened.

Mr JB Creagh was appointed the first public school teacher and soon had a fence erected around the front and side of the building so the children could have a garden. His prized crop was a magnificent display of ‘Seventh Heaven’ sweet peas that were raised along the eastern wall

“ The ground was hard and unsuitable so we dug a trench which we filled with fresh sheep manure. This was covered with about two centimetres of soil and the seed sown By all the rules the seedlings should have burnt off as soon as the roots reached the fresh manure but we were rewarded with a terrific crop of blooms, the like of

which I have not grown since ” JB Creagh.

The school enrolments peaked at 13 before they started dropping off when the older students left. Mr Creagh was remembered for his school excursions where the children carted the garden soil from the riverbank and collected rocks from Smiths Hill to build a rock wall along the school’s driveway Hoeing the thistles from around the building was seen as a form of punishment

Mr Creagh was impressed by how the students were used to working quietly by themselves and noted that most wrote neatly. “ The high standard of their work and the application of these children became the standards I expected from all children I taught after wards, ” Mr Creagh recalled. Drinking water was scarce and caught in a 100 gallon honey tank until the school purchased a 1000 gallon rain water tank Tongala dehydrated milk, made up by adding water, was supplied to the

to the sports carnival

Joyce (Howarth)

children which they hated drinking until cocoa was added to it.

The countr y schools’ sports day at the Bathurst Sports Ground was an exciting day out with students looking for ward to wearing their white sports uniforms and tartan ribbons Tony and Ian Mcintosh, Joyce Howarth and B everley Prior were the school champions bringing home the cups for their particular events that included athletics, potato, sack, three-legged races and ball games

Visits by the school inspector were infrequent, and pastoral visits ‘spasmodic’. while the religious instructions were held in the school, students from other denominations were taught outside.

“Our class was visited by a red belly black snake that came through the door and went down a small knot hole in the floor that we used for tipping out our ink We all watched it for a while A couple of days later it reappeared through the hole and went back outside. ”

Wendy (Prior) Brown

The highlight of the year was the school concert where ever y child was involved in more than one item. Mr Creagh recalled a segment on the North American Indians Students spent many hours making costumes and learning an Indian dance performed in front of a

packed house with parents supplying a tea party for the children and visitors

In 1955, he was replaced by Fred Hodgson, a keen photographer who brought many of his photos of the school to its reunion in 1988.

In 1957, enrolments dropped dramatically after the older students left and the school reverted back to being subsidised with Blackfriars Correspondence school super vised by B everley Prior and later, B er yl Davis It finally closed in 1958

Above: a community Christmas par ty with Pat Sullivan as Santa. Many of the children pictured were home schooled

Below : the school playground

M i l k e r s F l a t t e a c h e r s :

1948 Miss McKillop

1949 Patsy McGrath

1950 Irene Chamberlain

1951 Mrs Taylor, term one

May 1951–1952 Anne Richardson

1952 Jean Mitchell

1953-54 JB Creagh*

Feb 1954-1957 Fred Hodgson*

1957 B everley Prior

1958 B er yl Constant Davis

*public school teachers

By Phillipa Jarrett Captain

FREEMANTLE VOLUNTEERS: a diverse bunch of blockies & farmers

Welcome to the first edition of Freemantle Connections RFS page. What a fantastic contribution this newsletter can be for our community.

Most readers would be ver y aware that the brigade is the backbone of our area. The brigade covers from Billywillinga Road to the boundar y of Cabonne shire, north to the Macquarie River east to Root Hog Road, then overland back to Billywillinga.

This is a large area covering many types of terrain Open farming grasslands through to rough inaccessible bush There are areas of bush/small blocks that are at high risk if a fast moving fire event occurs especially in the Billywillinga area that has only one access road. When mother nature strikes, be it flood, fire or other event, it can take some time for an emergency response We all need to understand the risks and what steps

we may need to take if an emergency occurs. If flooded in, or both Gowan and Freemantle Roads are cut, there will be no emergency response beyond what we can locally organise Freemantle Brigade was formed in 1940. Our brigade station is located at 2512 Freemantle Road, Freemantle. It is about 300m south of the junction of Killongbutta Road The shed was built with volunteer labour. The shed was officially opened by Trevor Toole, the mayor of Evans Shire at the time.

Our members are a diverse bunch of blockies and farmers. When the firecall comes, we drop whatever we are doing and go to the fire Some years, we are extremely busy, some years are quieter. We volunteer our time and skills

Funding. Our general running costs and equipment are supplied to us, such as vehicles, PPE and fuel

However there are always items that are not supplied that we need to purchase. Donations are always welcome and can be tax deductable Please contact our secretar y/treasurer Annette Taylor via Freemantle RFS facebook page or email.

For general fire information, please refer to the official NSW RFS website. It has a wealth of information regarding how to prepare your property and your family. For local district information, please phone the Chifley Fire Control Centre during office hours on 1300 258 737 For local Freemantle specific questions, please contact Freemantle via our facebook page or via email

Training is on the first and third Wednesday of the month, 7pm at the fire shed You can visit us then If there is a fire and you have determined that it is definitely uncontrolled and not a permitted or

super vised burn, PHONE 000. Do not tr y and contact the brigade or brigade members. We cannot monitor our phones 24/7 and you will spend more time waiting for a phone to answer. Often, our phones are out of network range

Looking for ward to sharing more brigade and fire information with you over the coming issues

- Phillipa Jarrett Captain of Freemantle Volunteer Bushfire Brigade.

email: freemantlerfs@gmail.com or visit the Freemantle Rural Fire Ser vice facebook page.

Managing the Hill End Fire at Alpha Road, Tambaroora

Our brigade has had a busy fortnight alongside other Chifley Lithgow Brigades helping the Hill End brigade and Cudgegong district with a significant bushfire.

Until March, there had been only one callout to an escaped campfire on the Macquarie River at Root Hog crossing. The 2022/2023 bushfire season had been quiet as we had been in an extended La Nina event, with significant flooding and the bridge at Freemantle going under water a number of times in winter and spring Pasture and undergrowth fuel loads were high, which meant any fire had plenty of extra fuel There were a number of storms over the summer with plenty of lightning strikes in our area, but all were extinguished with rain.

Hill End area did not have the luxur y of their lightning strikes being extinguished by rain. They had a number of callouts in late summer, including to Powell’s Hut fire which required a significant effort including air support to control it on the 21st Februar y.

On Sunday, March 5th, the Hill End brigade was called to a fire at Alpha Road Tambaroora in ver y rough terrain By Sunday evening, the fire was 150 acres Monday was forecast to be a ver y challenging day for firefighters Crews from Chifley

Lithgow, Including Freemantle, formed a strike team to assist with the fire. By Monday lunchtime, the fire had taken a significant run and turned into a major bushfire Crews did what they could to protect life and property.

“At the time of writing the fire is contained and is 17, 794 hectares.

Sometimes a fire this large is hard for people to visualise. It is a blob shape, approximately 20km by 15km, with a fire line perimeter of about 160km In one day, it ran over 8km ”

Over the next few days, the fire increased to 15,000 hectares in rough terrain. It took a significant response by NSWRFS, Fire Rescue NSW and National Parks and Wildlife to control. Eventually, as the weather eased and control lines were established with back burning and heavy plant, the fire was controlled, then mopped up at the edges with the fire still burning in

the centre during the day.

The Freemantle brigade worked 10 consecutive days, a huge effort by our small brigade. We are a small but ver y important cog in a ver y large response. We saved houses, did property protection, helped blackout and mop up, and then patrolled as the fire timeline progressed

At the time of writing the fire is contained and is 17,794 hectares. Sometimes a fire this large is hard for people to visualise. It is a blob shape, approximately 20km by 15km, with a fire line perimeter of about 160km. In one day, it ran over 8km

We have had large fires in Freemantle, with the possibility of having a fire as big as Hill End’s recent fire. It is a ver y important warning to ever yone in our area and any bushfire-prone area about how fast a fire can move and that it is critical that ever yone has their property adequately prepared and a fire plan in place.

https://www rfs nsw gov au/planand-prepare/bush-fire-sur vival -plan

Thank you to all members, their families, employers and community members who helped support our brigade in attending this fire and for your continued support over the season

BACK TO FREEMANTLE DAY Local histor y fills shed

Members of the Freemantle Rural Fire Ser vice together with the community successfully held their ‘Back to Freemantle’ event in March 2022 at the Freemantle Volunteer Fire Shed.

This event was a display of local histor y from the private collections of many families in the local area The event also screened the locally filmed silent movie ‘A Girl of the Bush’ on the 101st anniversar y of its release.

The memorabilia displayed on the

day showed some insight into the histor y of the Freemantle, Milkers Flat, Billywillinga, Killongbutta and Gowan localities. It displayed how these areas and the land holdings came to be and the challenges which have been faced along the way. Some of the original farming families displayed some memorabilia directly related to their properties and their ancestors More than 100 people attended and it was a great afternoon for catching up with locals past and

by Lisa Howarth

present and the extended families of some of the original settling families Many stories were told and an enjoyable lunch was put on for the community by the members of the Freemantle Volunteer Fire Brigade.

The day would not have been possible without the support of our contributors, the members of the Freemantle Fire Brigade and of course all of the people who joined us on the day and came ‘Back to Freemantle’

Council tenders for major road repairs

Council is currently considering tenders for the repair work to be undertaken at Kelloshiel Creek after significant flood damage in November last year.

The works include removal and reconstruction of the existing pipe culvert structure and installation of a retaining wall/scour protection system

The tender closed on 14 Februar y and is being assessed by Council to

consider the tender at the April council meeting Following the meeting, a contractor will be engaged and works scheduled. Traffic arrangements will remain in place with a give way sign at the old stone bridge until the repairs can be completed. Motorists are requested to obey the traffic rules in the area while the detour is in place.

MATT TO THE RESCUE of our injured native wildlife

The Wildlife Trust Sanctuar y at Billy willinga is a safe haven for injured native wildlife who are rescued by WIRES or brought in by the local community.

The sanctuar y is a member of the Humane Society International for the Wildlife Land Trust and is part of an important network of refuges for native flora and fauna in the eastern region of NSW

Located on Peregrine Road, it is owned by Matt and Christie Jarrett (pictured) who completed the WIRES Rescue and Immediate Care Course (RICC) and belong to WIRES Central West branch

While Christie looks after the sanctuar y, Matt is on call to rescue injured animals that are mainly hit by motorists on the roads.

“We get about 20-50 calls a week which are responded to by members across the Central West On average I would get a call out at least five times a week to rescue

animals from as far as Mudgee, Hill End, Wallerawang and Molong.

“In most instances, the macropods that are left on the side of the road are euthanised as their injuries are too severe for recover y But sometimes I will find a joey in the pouch that I can rescue

“My advice to motorists is to proceed with caution when they see a kangaroo on the side of the road as their behaviour is pretty random. They are flight animals who will follow their mob even if it means crossing in front of an oncoming vehicle They can also be stunned by the headlights especially if they are on high beam and can’t see where they are going ”

“If you injure one don’t just leave it by the side of the road to die, but phone WIRES who will come and take care of it.”

In most instances, Matt will use a firearm to put the animal down He said he has seen a few wombat sightings at Kings Creek on Freemantle Road and some residents have reported koala sightings in the area. WIRES volunteers are trained in the use of firearms and to handle most native animals with the exception of snakes There are 140 members in the Central West branch with 25-45% active volunteers who do the rescues The branch

covers a large area from the Blue Mountains to Dubbo, Lachlan, Trunkey Creek and Merriwa. Volunteers are on call 24 hours a day

There are a number of small emu groups that live at Billywillinga and Watton and are often talked about on the local Facebook group –especially Nigel who wanders from property to property to visit the residents He is ver y popular and loves hanging around a property to see if there is any food left out for him before he moves onto the next Christie has had a variety of birds in the sanctuar y and recently released a gang gang into a flock that came to visit the bird. R aptors, galahs, cockatoos, parrots , whitethroated nightjar, owls, feather tail and sugar gliders, shinglebacks and blue tongue lizards are just some of the species cared for.

Phone WIRES rescue on 1300 094737 to report a sick, injured or orphaned native animal or visit the w w w.wires.org.au for more information about becoming a volunteer.

Ba t h u r s t A r t Re t r e a t

Back on its feet after the COVID isolation years

The Bathurst Art Retreat is located 38 kms north of Bathurst, in the rugged and spectacular Macquarie River valley at Freemantle.

This 250 acres of remote, natural bushland with walking trails and accessible, spectacular river frontage is owned and operated by Sydney couple, Robbie and Steve Fayle.

Steve, an architect, is building the environmentally aware retreat as the business grows, while, Robbie, a former teacher who owns Calclear, a water treatment company, manages the business.

In 2022, they employed Marianne Larsen as the resident property manager who drives her 12-yearold son, Finnian, up a hilly, winding

dirt road to meet the school bus ever y day

Its remoteness is part of its appeal says Marianne, who previously worked as a cartographer at the NSW Lands Department. She is an environmentalist who is passionate about obser ving and protecting the wildlife and the river.

The property features nearly three kilometres of winding river frontage with deep waterholes and granite outcrops surrounded by rugged mountains. It is no wonder, that early Australian film maker Franklyn Barrett chose this location for his filming of the ‘Girl of the Bush’ (1920)

It is also home to a wide variety of bird life, macropods and reptiles With the recent Hill End fire,

Marianne sighted a group of wedge tail eagles flying close over the river to escape the danger. The pristine landscape is also home to 80 plus species of birds, platypus and echidna. This season has attracted goannas with one staying nearby waiting for the moment to steal eggs from their chickens.

From a tourism perspective, this property has the potential to become a significant ecotourism retreat for the region. But for now, it is being developed for short term bushland accommodation for artists and people who want to escape the city to enjoy the solitude and beauty of the bush

The couple bought the property as a part of the Freemantle subdivision in 2007 Since owning

it they’ve experienced floods, drought, fire, mouse plague and a pandemic!

“Our intention was to initially get away from what was a stressful time in our lives We lived in a caravan on weekends then brought in transportable buildings for the accommodation which was a challenge on our road,” says Robbie.

“I then looked up the artist trail event in Bathurst, studied paintings that suited our landscape and invited the artists out for lunch This was ver y productive and through these connections we started to get artists coming out from Bathurst to be inspired by the landscape to do painting, photography and life drawings

“I can’t deny it’s been hard work getting this place up and running as

COVID set us back for a couple of years.

“We now run three-to-five-day artists workshops in spring and autumn which is the best weather for En Plein Air painting as people are outdoors moving around the property. We’ve also had photographers, including life photographers stay here.”

The couple are now rebuilding their business with Marianne’s help and were busy preparing for their first workshop of the year with Herman Pekel when I visited them this month.

Well-known artists who have participated in the workshops include: Kasey Sealey ; John Wilson; Chan Dissanayake; Tony White; Meri Rice; David Lake and portrait artist Sally Ryan

Local musician Rob Shannon has provided the entertainment and the evenings often end with a campfire and a feast, sometimes provided by one of their favourite visitors and artist, Phil Budge who loves the place.

Left: internationally renowned Chan Dissanayake, a popular water colour ar tist, captures the mood.

Above: Robbie and Steve pondering the happy times they have had over the 16 years with visiting ar tists, airbnb guests, friends and family

Below : Ar tist Phil Budge prepares the campfire coals and ovens for cooking one of his memorable meals.

Kasey Sealy acclaimed oil and water colour ar tist, with his students

Heritage funding saves Prior Cattle Pavillion

A last minute effort to save the Prior Cattle Pavillion at the Bathurst Showground has resulted in funding of $410,000 being granted by the State Government to reconstruct it in keeping with the old timber building.

Daughters of Ern Prior, B ev Kerr and Wendy Brown (pictured) couldn’t be happier as they met for the first time with key stakeholders involved in the restoration project this month.

The family had previously not been notified of its demolition when the former land manager lodged a development application with Bathurst Regional Council to demolish and replace it with a colourbond shed This resulted in a campaign to save the heritage building with local member Paul Toole making the funding announcement in Januar y.

The family were shown the new architectural drawings by Robin White which encapsulates the main architectural features of the shed rebuilt with the same footprint.

The new building has been classified under the 9B National Construction Code for public entertainment making it a multi purpose building for both social

and show events

It will reuse the original timber gable and have a polished concrete floor The huge timber posts cut and transported by the Prior family from ‘Hillside’ Freemantle Road, will be relocated to the external walls. The family spent many months with show society volunteers building the pavillion in the early 1950s.

Ern Prior was Chief Cattle Steward for nearly 40 years.

He had not missed a show since 1909 and died in 1990 on his 91st birthday. The plans have yet to be approved by the Heritage Council before being resubmitted to Council.

PAK OF TRASH Call 0413 131 949

YO U R F R I E N D LY A N D R E L I A B L E R U R A L W A S T E S E R V I C E John Paton Serving the Freemantle Road communities since 1988. We provide the bins and a four-weekly collection. Our other services include:

• Hook lift bins for farm clean ups

• Bobcat (3.5 tonnes)

• Excavator (5.5 tonnes) with buckets and a grab for things like wire.

We cover an area of around 50km radius from Bathurst.

Pictured are Calare Civil Engineer, Sean Johnson,Wendy and Rex Brown, Richard Steele, Land Management Chair person, Front: Project Manager, Keith Hogan, Architect Robin White and Bev Kerr.

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Li fe i n Ea rly Pa rrama tta

Wattle Flat resident, Angela Sanderson, provides a snapshot of early colonial life through the stor y of The Vineyard, one of the earliest colonial homes built on the Parramatta River.

German free settler, Philip Schaeffer, was given one of the first land grants by Governor Phillip in 1791 to plant his vines and build his home .

Henr y Waterhouse , William Cox and Gregor y Blaxland all lived in Schaeffer’s cottage before John Macar thur’s nephew, Hannibal, built the grand home for his family

It was later renamed Subiaco by the Benedictine Nuns and sold to Rheem in 1961 for a carpark. You can purchase this book through our online book store for $20 plus postage . www.onthestone .com.au

Angela Sanderson