1960 - Australiana Pioneer Village - Wilberforce

- Dugald Andrew McLachlan - State Heritage Inventory - Hawkesbury - Rose Cottage - Hawkesbury Council -

The Australiana Pioneer Village in Wilberforce was established by the late Bill McLachlan. It was listed on the State Heritage Inventory as a significant item. Dugald Andrew 'Bill' McLachlan purchased the property in the 1960s with the dream of of rescuing some of the Hawkesbury's heritage. He transferred a number of historic buildings from around the district that were at risk during the 1970s. Many would otherwise have been demolished. His vision was to create a recreational park on the riverbank that would also have some educational and historical purpose.

The most significant building is Rose Cottage, believed to be Australia's oldest surviving timber building, built circa 1811. The cottage was constructed by Thomas Rose (1749-11933) who arrived on the Bcllona in 1793 as one of the first free settlers in the colony.

Amongst the 18 buildings re-sited are the stables from the Black Horse Inn, Richmond; the Kurrajong Railway Goods Shed and Bowd's Sulky Shed from Wilberforce.

Bill McLachlan died in 1971, aged 54 years, and is buried in the grounds of the village. His family carried on his vision, supported by a Friends Group.

The site somehow came to be owned by the Hawkesbury City Council.

In 2009, the Council decided to sell the site to a developer. This prompted the Friends group to call a public meeting to protest the decision. The Eureka Council sent a delegate to that meeting, and then wrote a letter of support for the Friends goup to the Mayor of the Hawkesbury City Council. The outcome of this matter is still pending at the time of writing.

Faces at the 2009 Public Meeting

Click on the imager for a better view

Reference

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