Sister Cities

The Hills Shire Council maintains Sister City links with Wexford County in Ireland and Cootamundra Shire Council with activities generally involving arts, cultural and youth exchanges.

Introduction

The Sister City movement, as a worldwide concept, came about shortly after World War Two.

National Sister Cities efforts were independently started on many different continents but all had the same goal; to help develop enduring networks of communication between the cities of the world to cut across boundaries and reduce the likelihood of polarisation and conflict among nations.

Program Vision and Mission

Vision: Enrich our community through Sister City relationships.

Mission: Develop and fosters relationships with Sister Cities to grow community understanding, foster goodwill and promote a range of economic, historic, cultural and social engagements.

Our Achievements

Wexford County, Ireland

A Sister City Agreement with Wexford County, Ireland has been signed by Council;
Exchange visits have been undertaken between Wexford and The Hills, including a visit to The Hills in March 2008.
Wexford was involved in The Hills Shire Bicentenary of the Castle Hill Rebellion and Battle of Vinegar Hill;
Books from the Wexford Library have been sent to The Hills Shire;
A showcase of The Hills has been provided to Wexford;
The Driver Awareness Program (RYDA) has been adopted by Wexford and is currently in the process of being rolled out to high schools across Ireland.

Cootamundra, New South Wales

A Sister City Agreement with Cootamundra, New South Wales, has been signed by Council;
Exchange visits have been undertaken between Cootamundra and The Hills;
School and sporting links have been developed, particularly in the area of Sports Leadership Camps;
Cultural exchange has been initiated through the Art Prize and art exhibitions;
Business links have been developed through trips by business identities and promotional exposure of products and businesses;
Assistance and advice has been provided at the local government level to the Cootamundra Council;
Support has been provided to the Cootamundra Library;
Student exchanges occur as part of the official Australia Day celebrations each year;
The Hills Sister Cities Committee supports Cootamundra youth delegates attending the annual Australian Sister Cities Conference.

Information on Wexford County, Ireland

Vinegar Hill Wexford The Hills Shire Council has an international Sister City relationship with the County of Wexford, Ireland.

After community consultation in 2001, Council resolved to approach Wexford County Council to form a Sister City relationship to provide the opportunity for cultural and business exchanges and share in the historical links between the two areas.

The first and only relationship of its kind for Council, the agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by the Mayor and General Manager at Wexford County Council, Ireland, on Saturday, 29 June 2002.

Our Shared Heritage

The Hills Shire's shared heritage with Wexford County, Ireland, goes back to the 1798 Battle of Vinegar Hill near Eniscorthy in Wexford County where Irish rebels clashed with English troops in a fight for liberty and freedom.

Many rebels who survived the battle were exiled to Sydney as Irish political prisoners and were later involved in the Castle Hill Rebellion and the Battle of Vinegar Hill.

In 2004, a delegation of 50 from Wexford County and other parts of Ireland visited The Hills Shire for the Bicentenary of the Castle Hill Rebellion and the Battle of Vinegar Hill to commemorate these historic events.

In March 2008, the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and County Manager visited The Hills and met with the Sister Cities Committee to discuss a range of ongoing activities.

Click here to visit the Wexford County Council website.

Information on Cootamundra

A Sister Shire relationship was established with Cootamundra Shire on 13 September 1996. As part of the Sister Shire relationship, Shire representatives have travelled to Cootamundra for the Wattle Time Festival Art Show and 90th Birthday Celebrations of Sir Donald Bradman. The Sister Shire relationship also involves the inaugural 'student exchange' on Australia Day each year. Representatives from Cootamundra and Castle Hill High Schools travel to their Sister Shire to participate in an official capacity at the Australia Day celebrations.

Click here to visit the Cootamundra Council website.