A Brief History of the Shire
The following history of the Shire provides a basic outline of the main phases in the Shire's history that are considered important. There are numerous sources of information that provide more specific information about the area's past and its inhabitants, such as historical societies and local libraries.
Aboriginal Heritage
A large part of The Hills Shire Council area occupies the Dharug country. The Dharug were the inland Aboriginal group of the Sydney hinterland, making use of both the rich diversity of the Hawkesbury River food supplies and the land animals and plants of the adjacent valleys and hills. There are remains of Aboriginal occupation throughout the Shire area.
Aborigines in The Hills (13.38kB)
Traditional Aboriginal Names for Local Regions and Features (69.71kB)
European Exploration
It is believed that Governor Phillip and a support party were the first white visitors to the Hills District in 1788, four months after European settlement. Their aim was to find new country for settlement and farming to feed the struggling Sydney colony. Land along the Hawkesbury was identified and eventually settled given its suitable soils and river access.
Early Road Systems and Convict Labour
The settlement of the Shire followed its two main arterial systems, the road to Windsor and Wisemans Ferry, and the Hawkesbury River, with the later addition of Pennant Hills Road to the east. Most of the initial land grants followed these lines of communication and access.
Many of these roads were constructed by convict labour. The Great North Road (which generally follows the line of Old Northern Road today) was constructed by convicts in the early 1800s providing a direct form of access to Wisemans Ferry and beyond to the present Hunter Valley. It remains one of the most impressive engineering feats of Australia's convict era.
More information on the Great North Road can be obtained at the Convict Trail Project website http://www.convicttrail.org/.
Convict Uprisings: The Castle Hill Rebellion and the Battle of Vinegar Hill
The story of the Castle Hill Rebellion and the Battle of Vinegar Hill is a story of failed mini-rebellions, unsuccessful escape attempts, mutiny, conspiracies, betrayal and personal tragedy.
Following an uprising in 1798 in Irelands Wexford County known as the Battle of Vinegar Hill, many Irish leaders were exiled to New South Wales.
After repeated escape attempts, in March 1804 the Irish patriots at Castle Hill Government Farm decided to rise up against the authorities of the colony and escape back to Ireland. Together with their supporters they escaped, captured arms and marched towards Parramatta.
On the way to Windsor in the search for reinforcements, the NSW Corps led by Major Johnston set upon the convicts. The ensuing conflict with the British military forces took place near Rouse Hill and became known as the Battle of Vinegar Hill, after the Battle in Ireland, the first European battle fought on Australian soil. The battle left 15 convicts dead with most of the leaders of the uprising being later executed as a mark of infamy.
Today a memorial stands at Castlebrook Cemetery on Windsor Road, commemorating the battle.
Back to top
Settlement and Mixed Agriculture
(links within this section will take you to more information and stories contained within the Hills Voices Online Project)
1794 saw the beginning of settlement in the shire when Governor Hunter officially granted the first parcel of land on the Hawkesbury Road (now Old Windsor Road) at Baulkham Hills to William Joyce, a pardoned convict.
Castle Hill Government Farm, operated by convicts from 1801 to 1811 to provide food and stock for the colony, centred on Old Castle Hill and Banks Road, was approximately 14,000 hectares and extended northwards. The first free settler at Castle Hill was a Frenchman of noble birth, Verincourt De Clambe, who had fled France because of the revolution and was granted 100 acres in 1802.
Early settlers such as Andrew McDougall, John Smith, George Suttor, and Matthew Pearce stocked their land with cattle and sheep and cleared the bush to plant crops of wheat and maize. With the spread of citrus trees especially by George Suttor and the Mobbs family, orchards developed all over the district and proved a more worthwhile crop.
From the 1860s large areas of land from Parramatta to Dural grew fruit. Bella Vista Farm, for example, quintupled its landholding to grow significant wool and citrus crops and was considered one of the major producers in the late 19th century. The Gilbert and Shore families were typical Hills orchardists who farmed for over 100 years.
By the early 20th century the dominance of citrus growing was being replaced with stone fruits, poultry, eggs, and milk. Many Hills district residents like the Kentwells were self sufficient by having their own cow, fruit, vegetables, eggs, etc. With the arrival of European migrants from the 1930s and especially after the Second World War market gardening of vegetables, mushrooms and flowers became important.
Howard rotary hoes were manufactured at Northmead from the late 1920s until the 1970s and sold both locally and worldwide. Many Hills residents were employed to make these innovative machines that revolutionised farming by mechanising the tilling process.
From the 1950s agriculture declined in the shire as urban development rapidly extended northward, with Box Hill being one of the last areas to change. There are still some rural properties in the north but many farms have been reduced in size to accommodate hobby farmers.
The annual Castle Hill Show began in the 1880s from ploughing and sporting days and has showcased the varying agricultural activities of the area for over a century. The Orange Blossom Festival, commenced as an annual event in September 1969, recognised the significance of the shire’s agricultural history.
|
|
|
Steam Tram at Castle Hill Terminus. Source: The Hills District Historical Society
|
Subdivision, Townships, Country Retreats and Transport
About 100 years ago, most of Sydney's citrus products were grown in the Hills District. The transportation of goods to and from the District was very slow, so from the 1880s the feasibility of building a railway was explored.
Two major developments that changed the face of the southern part of the Shire by 1930, were the tramway and its conversion to a railway, and the subsequent subdivision of land for residential purposes, particularly around Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills.
The tramway opened in 1902 and extended to Baulkham Hills, then on to Castle Hill in 1910, and Rogans Hill in 1924. In 1923 the tramway was replaced by a railway. The line generally followed the roadway, and as vehicular traffic increased and patronage decreased the railway was closed in 1932 and replaced by buses.
Learn more about the Baulkham Hills Tramway/Railway
Tram Rail Information - 172 KB
View video on Trams and Trains in The Hills
The Hills district also made a very attractive alternative to the Blue Mountains. One result of the desirability of the climate, the enhanced transport facilities and increasing middle-class prosperity was the creation of large houses in substantial garden settings, commonly referred to as country retreats. Typically they were located along major ridgelines such as Old Castle Hill Road to take advantage of the impressive views.
featuring Google Earth Overlays
Religion and Social Development
(links within this section will take you to more information and stories contained within the Hills Voices Online Project)
In the nineteenth century three major Christian denominations, Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic, built churches in the area. Many others followed in the twentieth century and in more recent years, with the arrival of migrants from various cultures, the shire has seen the introduction of other religious buildings like a mosque at Annangrove in 2003.
Education in the shire was first provided by churches like the Roman Catholic St Michael's Denominational School Baulkham Hills from 1862 until 1867 when the school was temporarily closed due to the lack of a teacher. St Michaels Orphanage for small boys was opened in 1902 by the Mercy Sisters who have operated St Michaels Family Centre since the1970s.
With its country atmosphere on the outskirts of Sydney, the Hills became the location for some major philanthropic activities. Burnside Homes, founded in 1911 at North Parramatta, represented a grandiose scheme by Sir James Burns and the Presbyterian Church to provide a refuge for orphans and children in need. Other examples were William Thompson Masonic School opened in 1922 at Baulkham Hills by the Freemasons and the Church of England Boys Home Carlingford started in 1927.
Public schools were established in the district from the late 1800s, sometimes replacing church schools such as in Castle Hill in 1879. The number of public schools multiplied considerably from the 1960s with the rapid expansion of the urban population especially in the south. One of the earliest public schools, Baulkham Hills Public School founded in 1876, became a victim of the expansion due to its location on Windsor Road near the M2.
Most early community events centred on church and school groups. From the late nineteenth century local progress associations, like those in Annangrove, and later Box Hill, built halls for community activities. Memorial halls, honour boards and plaques were also erected by community groups after the First World War and by RSL Clubs.
Following the Second World War more specialised community groups and clubs have emerged in fields like art, drama, music, voluntary aid, Country Women’s Association, disabilities, youth and sport including netball, AFL, cricket, and Little Athletics. The Hills Shire values its volunteers and in 2001 celebrated The International Year of the Volunteer and in 2009 100 years of Active Women in The Hills.
The Castle Hill Water Wall was launched in 2009 at Castle Grand, home of Council’s Castle Hill Library, Community Centre and Early Childhood Centre. This public art includes images and words reflecting the history of the idea of community in the Hills Shire. How some recent Hills residents felt about Living in the Hills in 2009-2010 has been captured in short videos, photos and stories.
Industry
No heavy industries were developed in The Hills Shire, however the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing plants has played a part in the Shire's history and development. The plant at Darling Mills founded in 1825 as a steam powered flour mill catered for local farmers' wheat crops. The mill diversified over the years into the making of linseed oil, tanning, candle making and a tweed factory.
The primary extractive industry in the Hills area was timber. Cedar along the Hawkesbury was a valuable commodity and was used in the construction of numerous homes in the region. Today, a number of sand mines now operate in the northern parts of the Shire.
Back to top