Many readers enjoyed this column's recent exposé on historic 'Annis and George Bills' water troughs still dotted around the Canberra region.
Some, like Peter Jeffery, wrote in to report of even more of the distinctive troughs. "You missed the one at Tumbarumba near the courthouse on Bridge Street," Peter points out.
A bit further afield, Greg Schroeder reveals, "There's one at Agnes Banks near Richmond on the outskirts of Sydney. Like some others around the country, it appears out of place for the road it was originally located alongside has been realigned over time." A true vestige of earlier times, when horses ruled our roads.
The sight of water-filled troughs also brought back a flood of memories for Kip Deveson, who, as a kid growing up in Cooma, used to ride his bike to the river and back.
"It was about five miles each way and there was a stock trough in a paddock about halfway there," reveals Kip. "I used to stop at the trough each way for a drink and to splash my face. These days they'd want to hospitalise anyone who did that, especially if it was a kid!" he exclaims. So true.
Just north of Canberra, it seems that mid last century, children also had an unusual penchant for quenching their thirst at public water troughs. I. Bruggeman dug up an article from the Goulburn Evening Post of November 25, 1949, which urged the local council to provide a drinking fountain for children as members of the public had "noticed that children had endeavoured to drink from a nearby horse trough". Heck.
Meanwhile, the Captains Flat Rural Fire Brigade may no longer be needed to flush out their town's Annis and George Bills trough. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council mayor Kenrick Winchester has generously pledged "it will soon be fixed".
Yippee - that'll make it one of the few (only?) Annis and George Bills troughs still in working order and regularly used by horses. I'm sure George Bills, who donated the funds for more than 700 of the troughs to be made and distributed around eastern Australia in the 1930s and early 40s, would be sporting a grin from ear to ear from the big trough in the sky.
Finally, fellow trough appreciator Brendon Rutter of Crookwell is amazed that another of the Annis and George Bills troughs has "survived at one of the busiest intersections in Sydney".
"It's at the intersection of Church Street and Victoria Road in Parramatta," reveals Gordon. "With all the adjoining light rail construction and other associated landscaping that has gone on, it has now been moved back from the kerb to the edge of Prince Alfred Park."
An English beauty!
Gary Poile of Collector, who introduced me to the curious world of Annis and George Bills troughs, warned me tracking down the historic relics could be a little obsessive. And he was right. In fact, during a trip to England earlier this week, much to the exasperation of my family, we made a four-hour round trip diversion from London where we had tickets at The Globe Theatre so I could pay homage to this Annis and George Bills trough in Reading, near Oxford. Memo to Mrs Yowie: I'm sure the first 15 minutes of A Midsummer Night's Dream wasn't as thrilling as the rest of the performance. Oops.
New students 'got troughed'
Maria Greene of Curtin vividly recalls a horse trough on Royal Parade in Parkville, around the corner from Ridley College in Melbourne, where she lived "many eons ago" as a student.
"At the beginning of the year, the head of the College, Reverend Dr Leon Morris, would bless the waters and new students would be dunked in the water to initiate them," reports Maria, adding "it was called being troughed." Oh dear, sounds like a forerunner to the dunking machine.
Unfortunately, the fabled trough was regularly hit by wayward drivers. "The council eventually gave up repairing it, so an old bathtub was moved into the yard of the college" recalls Maria, adding that the initiation was still referred to as "being troughed"
And the trough wasn't just used to initiate nervous new students. "It was also used on special occasions such as birthdays." I guess you'd never reveal your birthday if it was mid-winter.
"It' a long time ago now," admits Maria, who wonders if troughing is still "a thing" anywhere?
Check out this brick wall
While recently hiking in Namadgi National Park, geocacher extraordinaire Thomas Schulze stumbled upon this "brick factory".
"It appears to be a large granite boulder that had a seam running through it," reports Thomas. "The seam (made of the brick pattern) must have been weaker, and the boulder split in half, revealing the seam. The boulder and seam both appear to be granite. Half is still standing, and the other half is lying on the ground.
"I would love to know how that happened," says Thomas.
According to earth scientist Dr Doug Finlayson, this column's go-to expert on all matters geological, "my best guess is that the granite boulder has been split by the repeated freezing of water in fissures within the boulder to expose a seam of aplite that has found its way into the granitic partial melt at depth. Aplite can have a composition very similar to the host granite, namely quartz, feldspar, and plagioclase." Now you know.
Howzat for breaking the silence?
While recent discussion in this column has focused on what lurks under the Edmund Barton Building (EBB), it's also rekindled memories for some readers of the days when the forerunner to the current National Library of Australia stood on the same site until it was bulldozed in 1968.
During the mid-1960s, Peter Roberts, now of Merimbula, reports he often played lunchtime cricket with other members of the public service social club in the open area behind the library.
"The library building was well guarded by a fieldsman placed in front of a small gully running along the boundary of what was then an area now occupied by the EBB," reports Peter. "But unfortunately on this day, the ball speared off a rock and over the head of the fielder and right through a library window."
Peter and his mates expected an explosive reaction from the library staff "but nothing happened except that the other players disappeared" and left poor Peter "standing bat in hand like a stunned mullet".
After a few minutes, Peter conjured up enough courage to front up to the library and confess.
"When I went in, all was quiet," recalls Peter.
"I knew roughly where the ball went and saw a friend reading a book and asked him what had happened when the ball appeared. He said that the readers looked up and then continued their reading and no one had informed the library staff!"
Peter took the ball and retreated to work, hoping the episode would be forgotten but a few days later the library sent a demanding letter to the social club.
It didn't stop the cricket, but did result in a rule change. "I think we posted extra fielders after that and slogs to the boundary were banned."
WHERE IN THE SNOWIES?
Rating: Medium
Clue: Not far from a former historic weather station
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to tym@iinet.net.au. The first correct email sent after 10am, Saturday July 15 wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.
Last week: Congratulations to Andy Hogan of Bonython who was first to identify last week's photo as a former Weights and Measures facility in The Causeway.
SPOTTED
While fossicking through old photos, Frank Cassidy of Kambah stumbled upon this ripper.
Sure, it's a bit out of focus, but this is what it ominously warns the reader: "... Your pocket could suffer by $50 for not obeying this direction". Mmm. I wonder what would happen if you were wearing something without pockets?
"I have no idea of the date the photo was taken but it has to be before 1982 since I moved out of Belconnen about then and the lake was well and truly in its place," muses Frank.
SIMULACRA CORNER
While recently stepping out on the Budawangs Scenic Rim Trail, Sandy Lolicato from Murrumbateman noticed this rock "face". Can you see him? The moustached man seems to be asleep and wearing a beret.
CONTACT TIM: Email: tym@iinet.net.au or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, GPO Box 606, Civic, ACT, 2601
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