HUNDREDS of Wellingtonians and visitors crowded Cameron Park for the historical celebration of Wellington’s Bicentenary on Saturday, August 19.
But it wasn’t just Wellington’s celebration as the weekend coincided with three anniversaries – 200 years since Surveyor-General John Oxley with explorer George Evans and botanist Allan Cunningham and a party of 10 entered the valley for the first time; the 100th anniversary of St Patricks Catholic Parish; and the 50th anniversary of the official opening of Burrendong Dam by then premier, Bob Askin.
The fun-day attracted some 70 market stalls, camp-over cooking demonstrations, whipcracking, Cob and Co coach rides and free bus tours of Wellington Caves and Lake Burrendong.
The official commemorative ceremony followed the Wiradjuri dancers from Wellington High School and Wellington Public School and a re-enactment of Oxley riding into the valley to declare it Wellington in honour of the “Iron” Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Waterloo.
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The party was led by Ken Dombrain as Lieutenant John Oxley, Peter Barton as George Evans, Hugh Taylor as Allan Cunningham, and local school students Livvy Taylor, Will Eather, Liam Miller, Alex Graham, Anthony Ah See, Archie Rich, Shep Taylor, Will Horton, Deacon George and Jack Whiteley as an historical oratory of Oxley’s travels was announced.
Wellington Aboriginal elder, Aunty Joyce Williams then welcomed all to Wiradjuri country.
MC Tim Gilbert of the TODAY Show, Channel Nine, ensured the ceremony ran smoothly. Dubbo Regional Council administrator Michael Kneipp, Member for Dubbo Troy Grant and Federal Member Andrew Gee also spoke in wishing the vibrant little town a happy birthday.
Special guest and award-winning actor, Max Cullen, had the audience in fits of laughter as he spoke of his connection with the town.
The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the BINJANG Memorial at the front of the council chambers.
Crowds continued to linger in Cameron Park where they enjoyed market and food stalls, coffee and entertainment for the kids, the highlight being a vintage carousel.
Celebrations continued into the evenings with a Lion of Waterloo re-enactment of the last record duel in NSW, a trivia night at the Soldiers Club, and a night of entertainment at local pubs and venues.
In the week leading up to the celebration the Wiradjuri Aboriginal Town Common Aboriginal Corporation hosted the “Town Common Art-a-facts” exhibition in the town’s old Western Stores building in the main street.
On display were art pieces of local Aboriginal artists and historical memorabilia of the town’s “Mission” and other items of historic interest including a self-published book on life in the valley.
Former dam workers returned to Wellington on Friday 18, alongside family and officials to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Burrendong Dam and acknowledge the men who died during its construction.
Some 120 people attended the event held at Burrendong Dam which featured a small ceremony and wreath laying before attendants were treated to a bus tour around the dam.
WaterNSW CEO, David Harris, unveiled a plaque that acknowledged and commemorated the milestone and the five men killed during construction of the dam. Bishop Ian Palmer commemorated those who died by giving a blessing.
School students from St Mary’s Catholic School, Wellington Public, Euchareena, Mumbil and Stuart Town public schools laid wreaths on the day.
A spokesperson for WaterNSW said it was a good opportunity to recognise the contribution workers made.
“Your men and your colleagues toiled in trying and sometimes dangerous conditions to make this project a reality,” he said.
“Many workers left family and friends to join the project. Other local young men took up the opportunity and gained skills they took to other dam projects underway around the same time.”
The rock-filled embankment with a clay core captures water flowing from the Macquarie and Cudgegong Rivers and Meroo Creek. The rock wall is 1116 metres long and 76 metres high.
“But it is more than merely a dam,” he said.
”It provides the water security without which the Macquarie valley could not thrive and prosper as it has.”
The possibility of irrigation was first raised by wheat farmer William O’Neill in Narromine in 1893. A scheme for the construction of a dam at Burrendong in 1921 was delayed by the depression, to be revived from 1943-1945. Major floods in 1955 and 1956 saw amendments to the dam’s design to allow a greater flood mitigation capacity.
“At 85 per cent of capacity today, the storage level translates to 100 per cent allocation to irrigation customers, communities and the environment,” the spokesperson said. “This dam protects this valley while supplying the resource that drives its longevity and prosperity. That is the real legacy of the dam builders of 1967.”
Also on Friday evening a “Welcome Dinner” was held at Hermitage Hill Resort, the refurbished former Wellington District Hospital.
Wellington’s “North Shore”, Montefiores, while noted as the crossing point of the Macquarie River, also has some notoriety in that in 1854 a scene outside the Lion of Waterloo sealed for posterity the the last recorded duel in Australia.
On Saturday afternoon the fiasco was re-enacted. Resident Doctor and Magistrate, got in a row in the pub over a woman. But both pistols misfired.
