Brief outline of Hawkesbury's Railway Service

An extension of the Sydney to Parramatta railway line was discussed as early as 1843. Following the plans to extend the line to Blacktown, the community pressured the Government. The railway line was officially opened to Blacktown in 1860. The Government eventually set aside money in the budget in 1862 for the line to be extended to Richmond. Originally the line was going to be a horse-drawn service however there was a lot of opposition and at the proclamation in 1863 the change was announced.

The line was officially opened by Sir John Young, the Governor of New South Wales, on the 29 November 1864 with stations at Riverstone, Mulgrave, Windsor and Richmond. Newspapers reported the opening in detail and The Sydney Morning Herald on the 30 November 1864 gives a thorough account. When the need grew, other stations opened at various times, these included:

• Racecourse 1870 but renamed Clarendon in 1876. This station was used extensively for the racecourse in the vicinity.
• Hawkesbury Dairy & Ice Society siding near Windsor opened in 1922 
• Vineyard 1935 
• East Richmond 1935

Richmond Railway Station in the late 1950s. Photo: R. D. Power
Source : Hawkesbury Library Service

The railway line was electrified to Riverstone on the 22 May 1975 and following long delays and debate, the extension continued to Richmond, officially opening on the 17 August 1991.

Official opening of electrified line at Richmond Railway Station, 1991. Photo: M. Nichols
Source: Hawkesbury Library Service

During the 1880s the community proposed that the rail service be extended to Kurrajong. In 1924 the first sod was turned and the line was officially opened to Kurrajong on the 8 November 1926. The line ran at a loss and following flood damage and land slides the line was officially closed in 1952.

Additional information about the Richmond-Kurrajong Railway Line is located online at Richmond Kurrajong Railway 


Sources
Hawkesbury Heritage / Stan Stevens
Macquarie Country / Douglas Gordon Bowd
Hawkesbury 1794 - 1994 / Jan Barkley & Michelle Nichols

Peter Kemp - World champion sculler

The sport of sculling was flourishing throughout the world in the latter half of the nineteenth century, particularly in Australia. Australians were dominating the sport and pulling in huge crowds of spectators, particularly along the Parramatta and Hawkesbury River. The professional sport of sculling remained popular until around the onset of World War 1.

Peter Kemp from the Windsor & Richmond Gazette 7 June 1890

Peter Kemp 1853-1921

Peter Kemp was well-known in the sport and was born and bred in the Hawkesbury. Peter was born 15 November 1853, the son of Peter Kemp, a convict who arrived in 1832, and Sophia nee Huxley. As a boy growing up near the mouth of the Colo River, he taught himself to row on both the Colo and Hawkesbury Rivers. His first race was against William Grono, another well-known Hawkesbury family. Kemp became interested and participated in several small events including a race in 1873 with his brother, Thomas. They beat William and Alexander Grono in a double sculls event, the times was thirty-three minutes over the four mile event.

Considered a late starter, his first important race was against George Solomon on the Hawkesbury River, he was then aged thirty-one years old. In 1884 as a virtual unknown, he raced against the superior sculler, Neil Matterson. Kemp led for half the race but then became ill. Following some controversy he attracted the attention of champion Bill Beach (1850-1935) and travelled to England with him as his protégé in 1886. He performed badly and was harshly criticised by the press both here and in England. On his return to Australia he started a training program, and actively exercised. In 1887 he once again met Matheson at a race on the Parramatta River which he won with little effort.

At another event, Bill Beach reigning champion, beat Canadian sculler Edward Hanlan at a race on the Nepean which Beach won. Kemp then challenged Beach however Beach decided to retire and under the rules of rowing, this made Kemp the World Sculling Champion. The sculling world was stunned and the press had a field day claiming the situation was rigged and Kemp was not worthy as the title holder. In 1888 a race was held at Parramatta between Kemp and his rival Hanlan. Huge crowds flocked the riverbanks and large bets were made. Kemp won the race and silenced his critics; he was then hailed as a brilliant oarsman. At his peak in 1888, Kemp's physical measurements were recorded in the newspaper. He was described as a strongly built, muscular man, with a wonderful freedom and dash in his stroke. His height was recorded as 5' 9"  with a chest of 40" and 14" biceps. His rowing weight was recorded as 11 stone 4 pound. The Windsor & Richmond Gazette reported that the Americans were keen for Kemp to travel to their country and organise a race between the American champion John Teemer and Kemp.

Hanlan challenged Kemp again several months later, however Kemp easily won the race and he finally the undisputed World Champion. Following this race, Kemp was challenged by Henry Searle (1866-1889) an unknown sculler who was quickly being recognised as a champion. Searle beat Kemp to become the champion, however he died suddenly in 1889 and under the rowing rules, Kemp then reclaimed the title. After several more wins Kemp was finally beaten by John McLean in 1890.

Peter Kemp was married in 1874 in Windsor to Henrietta Jones, the daughter of William Jones and Catherine Elkin. They had nine children but sadly Henrietta died, following the birth of daughter Bertha in 1891. Kemp married a second time to Bertha Lawler in 1891 and there were two more children born. Peter Kemp passed away on the 1 December 1921 at Summer Hill and is buried at Rookwood. His obituary was published in the Windsor and Richmond Gazette 9 December 1921.

Recreation in the Hawkesbury

Hawkesbury River

The Hawkesbury River has always played an integral role in recreation and water sports in the district. In 1845 the Hawkesbury Regatta Club was formed to encourage aquatic sports on the Hawkesbury River. Races were held for two and four oared boats, sculls and canoes. Regattas were held regularly along the river and the Grono family were first-rate participants. 

Advertisement for the establishment of the Hawkesbury Regatta Club Sydney Morning Herald 11 October 1845

The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, is an annual race between Windsor and Brooklyn and now raises money for charity. 

Water ski-ing and power-boating are prevalent along the Hawkesbury River since the mid-twentieth century, the Bridge to Bridge Water Ski Classic commences from Dangar Island and continues the length of the Hawkesbury River and finishes at Windsor, 112kms later. The first race was held in 1961.

Early days of ski-ing on the Hawkesbury River.
Taken by Robert 'Bob' Powers, courtesy Hawkesbury Library Service

Sculling 

The sport of sculling was flourishing throughout the world during the latter half of the nineteeth century, particularly in Australia and around the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Parramatta Rivers. Australians dominated the sport with large crowds of spectators. Peter Kemp (1853-1921) a local Hawkesbury sportsman went on and became the World Champion Sculler.

Swimming 

When the district was originally settled by Europeans, many drownings took place as the settlers were not familiar with the river or swimming. Several generations later these families swam in the river for recreation. Swimming featured as a sport from about the 1890s. In 1896 the Mile Championship of Australasia race was held at Windsor with contestants from interstate and New Zealand, the race was won by Percy Cavill. 

In 1896 a meeting of ladies desirous of forming a swimming club in Windsor took place at the School of Arts. About thirty ladies attended the meeting and Mr. F. Collison and Mr. H. R. Buttsworth moved and seconded, on behalf of the ladies,  that a ladies branch of the NSW Swimming Association be formed in Windsor. The following ladies were proposed as a committee: Misses Becke, Linsley, Wood, Brancker,  Walker, Barnett, Dunstan, Cobcroft, Ward, Callaghan and Tebbutt. 

Swimming Clubs were formed to promote and teach the art of swimming. Richmond Pool was opened in 1963 and Windsor in 1971. Swimming in the Hawkesbury, Grose and Colo Rivers has always been a popular past time. Unfortunately swimming has not been promoted in the Hawkesbury River since the late 1980s with the advent of a Blue-Green algae problem. 

Recreation

Hawkesbury residents were proficient at entertaining themselves. Whilst sporting events were popular in some areas, social activities such as theatre, dances and tea parties were exceedingly prevalent in others. 

School of Arts & theatre groups 

Dr John Dunmore Lang opened the Windsor School of Arts building in Thompson Square in 1862 while Sir Henry Parkes opened the Richmond School of Arts in 1866. Each of the original buildings were fitted with a library and hall. Other buildings were established in the smaller townships at later dates. The School of Arts provided locals with lectures, recitals, debates, public meetings, balls etc. Richmond School of Arts is still used for its original purpose and is the home of the Richmond Players, the local drama group which was established in 1952. 

Windsor School of Arts
Courtesy Bowd Collection, Hawkesbury Library Service

Church activities 

Religion played an important role in the Hawkesbury district and the religious beliefs of the various denominations often influenced the lifestyle. Church services gave the inhabitants the opportunity to worship and the chance to interact socially. Denominations in the area included Church of England, Presbyterian, Methodist and Roman Catholic. Related events such as fetes, tea parties, concerts and other activities provided Hawkesbury residents with various forms of recreation. 

Organisations and community groups 

One of the earliest groups commencing in the district was the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society. Established in 1819, it was set up to support the poor, sick and elderly in the district. This group folded in the 1980s when the Western Area Service Scheme was set up. The Hawkesbury District Agricultural Association has been operating since 1879 and providing the regular Hawkesbury Show. Other groups such as the Richmond Rifle Corps, Windsor Ladies Music Club, Sons of Temperance or the Windsor School of Arts Literary and Debating Club have been and gone. 

Parks 

There are many parks in the Hawkesbury district that are used for the pleasure of the community. These range from large areas of land with grass and trees, to smaller portions that are filled with bushland. Some of these parks are also used as sports-grounds, meeting places and for recreation and picnics. The Hawkesbury has about 100 parks and reserves. 

Rotunda at McQuade Park,  1979
Taken by Margaret Chadwick, courtesy of Hawkesbury Library Service

Due to the diversity of the landscape in this district, there are six National Parks included within the Hawkesbury local government boundaries. They are Blue Mountains, Cattai, Dharug, Parr, Scheyville, Wollemi and Yengo National Parks. Other areas include the Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens, Pitt Town Lagoon Nature Reserve, Windsor Downs Nature Reserve & Comleroy State Forest. Renowned bushland landscapes and national parks in the area encourage the pursuit of bushwalking. 

Sport in the Hawkesbury

In previous centuries, recreation and leisure time in the Hawkesbury was constrained due to working commitments and economic factors. The residents of the district created their own activities which included a wide range of sporting pursuits and recreational entertainment.

Sport

The Hawkesbury district as always been very involved in the pursuit of sport. Some of the most popular sports include :-

Horse breeding and racing

Breeding horses and horse racing has always been very popular in the Hawkesbury district. A map dated in 1806 mention a "Race Course" and an early account reports of a race in 1810 in Windsor. Mr Benn's Scratch was matched against Mr May's roan poney (sic) formerly Mr Williamson's, to run two miles for a sum said to be considerable and Scratch was the eventual winner. Regular races were held throughout the Hawkesbury district including: Killarney, near McGraths Hill, Clarendon, Wilberforce and North Richmond. The first organised meet took place in 1829. 

Some of the well-known horse breeders in the district included members of the Cox family, Phillip Charley, William Town and his son, Andrew Town.

In 1865 a race course was built from leased Crown Land. A grandstand was also constructed and the first Hawkesbury Grand Handicap was run in 1871 with a purse of 120 sovereigns. 

Cricket

Cricket has been played in the Hawkesbury district since the early nineteenth century. In 1882 a match between the visiting 'All England Eleven' was played against a team selected from players from the Hawkesbury and Nepean. A special train conveyed about a thousand additional spectators to the game held in Windsor. The home team scored 61 with All England replying with 5 for 135. 

Local cricket at Richmond Park in the 1950s

Source : Hawkesbury Library Service

Charlie Nicholls of Freemans Reach was one of the finest players in the Hawkesbury in the 1920s. A promising fast bowler who played Grade cricket as well as representing NSW. The local newspaper reported he retired from Grade Cricket in 1933. 

Football 

Various forms of football have been played in the Hawkesbury. Rugby Union, which had been introduced from England in the 1860s, was the first type of football played in the late nineteenth century in the Hawkesbury. Rugby Union games were played in McQuade Park from at least 1896. 

Windsor Football Club in 1910 

Source: Hawkesbury Library Service 

Another code of football was introduced when a break away group Rugby League was set up in NSW in 1907. The first League team in Windsor was established by 1910. This was a very popular sport, particularly in the post World War 2 period, and the district won many premierships and produced many fine players. Rugby League continues to be a popular sport in the district and the local Windsor Wolves team generating a lot of support. The Windsor Leagues Club officially opened a licensed league club in South Windsor in 1986.

Australian Rules Football evolved in Victoria in the 1850-1860s. Mainly a Victorian game, eventually the code spread to NSW in the twentieth century. The local team club is Hawkesbury Australian Rules Football Club.

Athletics

Various challenges were made during the nineteenth century by persons wishing to show off their athletic abilities. These included running races, rolling downhill in a barrel and running with a pumpkin on your head. One interesting chap was William Francis King (1807-74) who was known as the ‘Flying Pieman.’ William migrated to Australia in 1829. He worked as a schoolmaster at Sutton Forest, then a barman in Sydney & also worked as a pie man. His nickname the Flying Pieman came from a series of extraordinary walking feats. He beat the Windsor to Sydney coach, several times. He walked from St. John's Parramatta to St. Matthew's Windsor and back, a journey of forty-three miles, three days in row. The first trip took eight hours, the second day seven hours and the last day it took him seven hours and twenty-five minutes. Other things he was renowned for was carrying a dog between Campbelltown and Sydney.

Athletic days were held in local parks or wherever there was space. One particular event held in Richmond Park in 1881 included races, hurdles, sack races and a tug of war. A fifty yard backward race as well as a race run on both hands and feet. Schools promoted athletics and a wide range of activities involving students took place. During the mid to late twentieth century many combined school athletics days took place at both Richmond Park and McQuade Park in Windsor.

Sports Days and tea meetings were very popular in the smaller communities around the Hawkesbury and often held for the dual purpose of raising funds for local projects and for the entertainment of the community.

The community at Bull Ridge (East Kurrajong) spent many years raising money to build a much needed School of Arts adjacent to Stanley Park. It was reported in the Windsor & Richmond Gazette in 1913 that a nice gathering assembled at Stanley Park on Monday, 27th January, for the tea meeting. Some of the proceeds were to go towards the project. A number of races were held including a bicycle race, flag race, and needle race. Apparently one lady cheated by having the needle already threaded but still failed to win the contest. Tests of strength were also included such as the wood chopping and ladies nail driving contest. After the tea meeting, about twenty couples continued the festivities by engaging in music and dancing into the night. About midnight refreshments were passed around. Dancing was kept going until 4 o'clock.

Today there are several organisations in the district promoting athletics for juniors. 

  

School athletics carnival at McQuade Park Windsor in the 1950s

Source: Hawkesbury Library Service

Netball

Over the last few decades, netball has grown to be an extremely popular sport in the Hawkesbury area. Played females of all ages in day games as well as night. The district has produced a number of outstanding teams and players, including Liz Ellis who commenced her career playing with Green Hills Netball Club in the Hawkesbury Association. Liz was inducted into the Australian Netball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Tennis 

Lawn tennis has been enjoyed by Australians since the 1870s. Although it was largely male dominated, females began playing the Hawkesbury district from at least the 1890s. Competition tennis commenced in the early twentieth century and night competition tennis was also very popular. The lights were turned on in 1936 on courts near the old Presbyterian church in Windsor. One of the finest tennis players was William "Bill" Walker who won many state and national titles during the 1920-1930s. Today tennis is still very popular and played throughout the district at various locations. Richmond Tennis Centre is the largest site where many significant competitions.

Wilberforce Tennis Team 1895

Source: Hawkesbury Library Service

Other activities

A wide range of other sporting activities took place in the Hawkesbury including bowls, skating, pugilism, tennis, cockfighting and ratting.

Ratting

This sickening diversion involved the placing a dog into a pit confined with and see how many the dog can kill in a certain time. An example from the Windsor & Richmond Gazette in 1888 follows:

Windsor & Richmond Gazette, 1 September 1888, p. 3

Newspapers of the time also advertised that rats were bought in any quantity, from Humphrey Douglas at the Royal Hotel, Windsor, at 2d each. He also sold rats and terriers. Douglas ran a Pit where ratting took place regularly.

Skating 

Skating was all the rage in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Windsor. 

Skating carnivals were regularly held in the 1880s including one conducted by Mr Hesford in 1888 at the Windsor School of Arts. The local newspaper reported that the Skating Carnival on Monday evening was a decided success. The attendance was very good, the weather delightful for such exercise, and the costumes selected by those in attendance were pleasing in the extreme. The hall of the School of Arts was made to assume a brighter aspect than usual by the introduction of a large collection of Chinese lanterns, which were suspended from the ceiling, and made quite a pretty show. 

During the early 1950s Charles Main requested permission to establish a skating rink in the district. Eventually permission was granted and Windsor Roller Skating Rink was erected in Brabyn Street, close to the railway station. Later renamed Windsor Skatel, it was a popular venue, particular for the youth of the district. By the late 1980s interest in skating declined and the business eventually closed in 2003.