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.