Bathurst District Historical Society Newsletter

Lots more from Bathurst including a full report and photos of the Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival.

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Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival - Issue 8 - Last Days to Go!

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR
 

Being my eighth e-newsletter this is the last before the Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival and the second last in the series. The very last will be produced with a wrap-up covering the weekend’s event, though it may be several weeks before I get a chance to finish it as I have another major weekend to work on – this being the Collectables Swap Meet and Gem Expo being held at the Bathurst Showground on Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December, 2013. 

It has been a long haul to get to where the committee is now with everything that has to be arranged. A massive amount of research has gone into ensuring that we have the information to be incorporated into the various site information signs. 

The bookings for the various tours are receiving entries daily and will ultimately see some people miss out on taking the opportunity to visit the “Ben Hall” sites. Many sites will have numbered information boards to inform visitors and Bathurstians as to what took place there or what part the location played. 

Already collectors have many of their displays labelled and ready to travel to Bathurst to put them out on display in front of the Bathurst Court House from 10am till 5pm on Saturday. 

The organisers are encouraging anyone attending to wear any colonial or bushranging costume throughout the festival. Already we know that there will be a number of colonial ladies, bushrangers and troopers wandering around on the day. The Lithgow Living History group of re-enactors will keep many enthralled and provide a mirror into our colonial past. 

Many collectors and volunteers will be participating to bring visitors and the general public an event to remember during the Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival on Saturday 28th September. On behalf of the Bathurst District Historical Society and the Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival Committee we would like to thank those who have given freely of their time to ensure a weekend to remember.

Lastly on behalf of the Bathurst District Historical Society I would like to acknowledge all the sponsors who have made generous donations in support of the weekend activities. 

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society

To view the full Newsletter click here, for program click here.

Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival - September 2013 Newsletter

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

This e-newsletter is the seventh produced so far and the second last before the Ben Hall Weekend Festival. This event has seen a mountain of organisation take place as we count down the final weeks until Friday, Saturday and Sunday 27th to 29th September. Accomodation is very tight but it is still possible to get accommodation. Publicity for the event began over nine months ago to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Ben Hall Raid on Bathurst which took place on Saturday 3rd October, 1863. 

Collectors from a number of the eastern states will be converging on Bathurst to bring their hobby and passion to display their collections to the public with a good deal of the material rarely seen outside museums. 

Bobby O’Keefe is one collector who will have some of his colonial pieces on display. These will show just some of the items that were in use around Hall’s gang of bushrangers. Bobby has a great knowledge on his collection.

Russell Street in front of the Bathurst Court House will be closed from 6am with the Ben Hall Festival activities commencing at 10am till 5pm. The raid re-enactment will take place at 2.30pm

There have been a number of escorted tours organised for Friday, all Saturday and on Sunday morning with bookings open now to participate. One bus tour takes in various sites associated with the Ben Hall Raid which took place on Saturday 3rd October, 1863. SEE A LIST OF TOUR DETAILS AT THE END OF THIS NEWSLETTER.


Another tour takes in “Macquarie”, its historic homestead and convict buildings originally being built for Lieut William Lawson of Blue Mountain’s crossing fame.

 
Another tour visits Bathurst’s historic general cemetery - you can pay your respects at the graves of five people who were caught up in the various escapades and raids of Ben Hall. The “Gravely Speaking Bus Tour” will let you hear amazing stories in a history-making time in Bathurst.


Bathurst’s famous Court House will be the centre of more tours from 12 noon. Designed by James Barnet the east and west wings were built for the local Post Office and Telegraph Office. The Court House was then constructed and is used to this day. Hear about some of the tales of the ‘old’ court house as well.


The program of tours so far is included with this newsletter or email. Bus and tour bookings are currently being taken at the Bathurst District Historical Society Museum (with booking contact details outlined at the end of this newsletter.)


I would like to acknowledge the number of volunteers involved with the staging of the Ben Hall Raid Festival and its various events. One can’t speak too highly of those donating their time to ensure the success of the weekend. The generosity of our sponsors is also acknowledged for this Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival. A list of Sponsors is listed towards the end of this newsletter.


Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society

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To view the full newsletter click here.

To view List of Ben Raid Weekend Festival Tours click here.

Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival - August 2013 Newsletter

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR 

The Ben Hall Raid took place at Bathurst on Saturday 3rd October, 1863, and the Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival will mark the 150th Anniversary of the event. This is the sixth in the series of these e- newsletters to be emailed to anyone interested. If you would like earlier issues, just ask.  

The Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival Committee of the Bathurst District Historical Society has been meeting for almost fourteen months to bring plans together for this event. The next issue will contain an updated program for the three days.

We are most grateful to Sergeant Kylie Riddell, the Mounted Police Event Co-ordinator, for making the arrangements for the Mounted Police to visit Bathurst to take part in the weekend events.

A number of bushranger, colonial and historic displays will be on show on the Saturday as well as talks, numerous bus tours, a dinner and a  number of activities that will take place during the three days. The re-enactment is on schedule. The countdown is now on with about 9 weeks before visitors start arriving in Bathurst for the weekend.

If you are planning to spend some extra time whilst in Bathurst make sure you visit some of the many attractions 

Mick de Losa will have his superb display of historic orangeish, reddish and amber-yellow Meerschaum pipes. Tobacco was often stolen by the Hall gang to use them- selves or give away. We know that Mickey Burke smoked a pipe and Captain Edward Montague Battye, Commander of the Western Mounted Police and Gold Escort, smoked a meerschaum pipe with its bowl depicting a man’s arm holding a pistol though he lost it in 1861.

We hope that some families will use the weekend to peaceful Macquarie River, especially on the Sunday. Some may wish to put a family plaque on Bathurst’s Pioneer Wall.

I hope you are enjoying these monthly e-newsletters of which there are just three more to go, including this issue. I’m surprised by the number of people asking if these newsletters could be made into a book. Maybe next year. I look forward to meeting some of those who have emailed or phoned. I trust that everyone will have a terrific weekend here in our fine city.

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society 

To view the full newsletter click here.

Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival - July 2013 Newsletter

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Welcome to the fifth e-newsletter in the series in the lead-up to the 150th Anniversary of the Ben Hall Raid on Bathurst which took place on Saturday 3rd October, 1863. The e-newsletters seem to be getting quite a following. 

It is pleasing to have noted Ben Hall history buff, writer and collector, Mark Thurtell, attending and bringing his magnificent display of Ben Hall relics and memorabilia to exhibit in Bathurst on Saturday 28th September.

The Ben Hall committee of the Bathurst District Historical Society have been meeting weekly of late and organising an impressive number of historic displays, talks, tours, a dinner and numerous activities which will take place during the three day festival and information on these activities will appear in various issues as details are confirmed. 

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society 

To view the full newsletter click here.

Ben Hall Weekend Festival June 2013 Newsletter

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

It is very pleasing to see the list increase with those collectors and historians who will be displaying their collections, or parts thereof, on the Saturday afternoon 28th September in Russell Street in front of the Bathurst Court House. There will be items never displayed before and other items rarely seen outside museums. These displays will be very educational and younger children and students are encouraged to come along with their parents or grandparents.

The New South Wales Mounted Police will be in attendance over the weekend and will be taking part in the re-enactment of the Ben Hall raid on Bathurst.

This is the fourth in the series of e-newsletters with five more to go and by all indications many people are enjoying them.

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society 

To view the full newsletter click here.

Ben Hall Weekend Festival May 2013 Newsletter

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Welcome to the third in the series of e-newsletters for the Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival. It continues to be received with great interest. The raid by the Hall gang was extensively covered in the early newspapers right across Australia, including as far away as Western Australia. It even made the papers in Great Britain.

More historic displays have been promised since the last e-newsletter. The Bathurst District Historical Society Museum (below) and the Bathurst Court House will be the centre of a large range of static bushranging,

colonial and historic displays which will be exhibited on Saturday afternoon 28th September. 

The museum features on the Society’s letterhead (right).

NOTE - If you are missing any back issues of these Ben Hall Weekend Festival e-newsletters which commenced in March 2013 feel free to email amcrae@lisp.com.au and state which issues you are missing.

Have you booked for the dinner yet? as well as any accommodation you require – book early.

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society

To view the full newsletter click here.

Ben Hall Weekend 2013 Bathurst Newsletter No 2 April

The idea of our e-newsletter has been received extremely well. This is the second edition and I hope you enjoy reading the information in it. Remember any suggestions or additions would be appreciated and considered.

We have been informed that the Bathurst Court House will be open for tours as well as housing some of the historic displays on the Saturday afternoon. This historic building, situated in Russell Street opposite Kings Parade, was constructed in a neoclassical style which features Greek revival and Renaissance elements by a local builder David Jones. The building, which cost ₤47,000, was opened on the 16th July, 1880, by the Hon Francis Bligh Suttor, Minister for Justice and from the well known local Suttor family of ‘Brucedale’.

Booking are now open for the Ben Hall Raid Dinner with guest speaker Peter Smith who will give the address entitled “Heroes to Villains.” Cost is $60 per head, B.Y.O. and Colonial costumes encouraged. Bookings at Bathurst District Historical Society, P.O. Box 237, Bathurst NSW 2795 or personally to the BDHS Museum. East Wing, Bathurst Court House, Russell Street, Bathurst. Phone 63308455 - best times 11am – 2pm from Tuesday to Sunday or email info@bathursthistory.org.au Book early with payment due within 14 days.

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society

To view the full Newsletter click here.

150th Anniversary of the Ben Hall Raid, e-newsletter Issue 1

This is the first of a series of e-newsletters to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Ben Hall Raid at Bathurst in 1863. The event saw some far-reaching effects that changed people’s lives and the Government of the day. 

The anniversary will take the form of a weekend festival with numerous activities planned over three days. There will be a full programme of re- enactments, talks, tours, historic bushranging and colonial displays and memorabilia, book launches as well as a special dinner with guest speaker and bushranger historian Mr. Peter Smith with his talk entitled “Heroes to Villains.” 

A sub-committee of the Bathurst District Historical Society has been meeting since May last year to organise this special weekend. This event marks the raid on Bathurst by the Ben Hall Gang and the effect it had not only on Bathurst but the Colony of New South Wales and the police system. The raid took place on the evening of Saturday 3rd October, 1863, sending many residents into a panic as the news was passed around. 

It was during the time in history where bushrangers roamed the country from the 1860s till the 1880s.

Plans for the weekend are well in hand and coming together nicely. There are just some 25 weeks before visitors start arriving in Bathurst so be sure to book or arrange your weekend accommodation if you plan to stay for the weekend. 

The Bathurst Regional Council has granted permission to close Russell Street in front of the historic Bathurst Court House to hold the activities on the Saturday afternoon and has agreed to finance the cost of the closure. The Bathurst District Historical Society and the committee are very appreciative of their assistance. 

Details, locations and information on the dinner, historic displays, talks, tours and other activities over the three days will appear in various issues of this e-newsletter and media as details are confirmed. The re-enactment of the event is currently being organised. 

Please enjoy yourself whilst in Bathurst and be sure to visit some of the many other attractions that historic Bathurst and the district have to offer. 

We hope that some families will use the weekend to incorporate a family reunion, especially on the Sunday. Some may wish to put a plaque on Bathurst’s Pioneer Wall which can be organised through the Bathurst District Historical Society on info@bathursthistory.org.au to arrange for the information and application form. 

I hope you enjoy these monthly e-newsletters and that they will be interesting and beneficial. It will be great to meet people in person and I hope you all have a terrific weekend here in paradise. 

If you wish to receive this e-newsletter direct just email amcrae@lisp.com.au 

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District Historical Society 

To view the full Newsletter click here.