Horse Troughs with a history
A horse trough has been placed alongside the drive at Schramms Cottage. It is one of the world famous Annice and George Bills Horse Troughs. This one had been in Warrandyte Road near Deep Creek and was no longer in use. |
| Annis and George Bills Horse Trough in Shramms Cottage Museum Complex, Doncaster rdomelbourne.com |
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Annis and George Bills Horse Trough in Shramms Cottage Museum Complex, Doncaster 1980 |
George Bills was born in England in 1859. He came to Australia and started a mattress factory with his brothers in Sydney, later moving to Melbourne to live in Hawthorn. Bills helped many needy people during his life and took a great interest in the welfare of animals. Both he and his brother Henry were committee members of the R.S.P.C.A. and in 1924 George became a Life Governor.
George and Annice did not have any children. On his death George, after several generous bequests to former employees, left the balance of his and his late wifds estate, £70 000, for the welfare of animals. "To build drinking troughs for horses and other dumb animals, and for the alleviation of suffering of animals in any country".
Over 400 horse troughs were erected. Most were in Victoria and New South Wales. In Central Australia, they were used for watering camels. One "Bills" trough was sent to a town in America. It was received with such enthusiasm that a holiday was declared for its unveiling.
The executors of George Bills estate were Mr and Mrs W. H. Crook. They received application for horse troughs from Municipal Councils. the executors installed the trough and the councils had to accept the responsibility of maintaining them and seeing that they were continuously filled with clean water.
The concrete pipe firm "Rocla" designed and manufactured the distinctive concrete troughs which cost £25.00 installed. At Tocumwal trucking yards, by the time a trough was erected and water laid on, the whole installation cost £121.
Originally water barrels were placed outside hotels for the use of horses of travellers. Even strict teetotallers found it necessary to honour every hotel along roads. In 1859, a well known London Banker, Samuel Gurney, founded the "Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association". As a result of the activities of the association, drinking troughs were erected in many countries, including Australia.
When a 2" water pipe was laid on to Doncaster in the 1890's, the first horse troughs in the district were installed. These were made of iron with a ball valve to control the water. To serve the many horses employed in the orchards of Doncaster-Templestowe, horse troughs were erected on all main roads. On Doncaster Road there was a horse trough on the N.W. corner of Williamsons Road, in the town near the present A.N.Z. Bank, outside the Doncaster Hotel, at East Doncaster on the N.W. corner of Blackburn Road, and at Donvale near the present bus terminus. In Templestowe, outside Finns Hotel at the corner of Andersons Street and in Warrandyte Road near the creek. Some of these were Bills concrete troughs.
With the widening of roads, they have all been removed. Some were given to organisations using horses such as the Pony Club in Pettys Reserve. By 1940, there was no longer a need for new horse troughs The proceeds of Annice and George Bills trust were used for other purposes, such a rest homes for horses and the George Bills Rescue home for cats, dogs and other pets at Burwood.
1980 09 DTHS Newsletter
George and Annis Bills
George Bills was born in Brighton in England in 1859.[2] He migrated with his family to New Zealand and subsequently to Echuca, Victoria in Australia in 1873.[2] In 1882 he opened a bird dealers shop in Brisbane, where he met and married Annis Swann who had immigrated from Sheffield in England.[2] In 1884 the couple moved to Sydney and George Bills went into business with his brothers, manufacturing innerspring mattresses.[2] In 1908, George retired to Hawthorn, Victoria and in 1910, Annis died while the couple were visiting England.[2] George became a Life Governor of the RSPCA in 1924.[3]
Trust fund
A Bills horse trough on the roadside at Newtown, Victoria
George and Annis had no children, and following the death of George in 1927, a trust fund was set up, believed to be around ₤70-80,000.[2] One of the purposes of the trust, as set out in George Bills' will, was to:
"..construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities being obtained."[3]
Each trough cost ₤13 plus transport and installation .[2] The majority of the troughs were installed in Victoria and New South Wales between 1930 and 1939.[2]
Initially the troughs were individually designed and constructed, however by the early 1930s, J.B. Phillips, a relative of the Bills, became the head contractor. Working to a standard design he produced the troughs in Auburn Road in Hawthorn.[3] The troughs were pre-cast concrete with a curved pediment with the inscription "Donated by Annis & George Bills Australia".[3]
Manufacture was subsequently handled by Rocla, who produced troughs to the same design in Victoria and later in Junee in New South Wales.[3] With the rise of motorised transport, demand for the troughs declined and production had ceased by the end of World War II.[3]
Aside from the horse troughs, the trust was involved with other animal welfare projects including the establishment of the George Bills RSPCA Rescue Centre at Burwood East, Victoria which opened in 1964.[2]
See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bills_horse_troughs . SEP2017
The Annis & George Bills Horse Trough was donated in memory of the horses that did not return from World War One.
Walers were the type of horse used by light horsemen in the campaign in the Middle East during the First World War. The light horse combined the mobility of cavalry with the fighting skills of infantry. They fought dismounted, with rifles and bayonets. However, sometimes they charged on horseback, notably at Magdhaba and Beersheba. The smallest unit of a light horse regiment was the four-man section: one holding the horses while the other three fought.
The horses were called Walers because, although they came from all parts of Australia, they were originally sold through New South Wales. They were sturdy, hardy horses, able to travel long distances in hot weather with little water.
At the end of the First World War Australians had 13,000 surplus horses which could not be returned home for quarantine reasons. Of these, 11,000 were sold, the majority as remounts for the British Army in India (as was the case with this horse) and two thousand were cast for age or infirmity. Only one horse "Sandy" , who belonged to Major General Sir William Bridges who was killed at Gallipoli, returned home.
Note : - Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in Australia and installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The troughs were financed by a trust fund established through the will of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and 50 in several other countries.
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/animals/display/102270-annis-and-george-bills-horse-trough
Doncaster Corner 1967 Serpells Store as Dickens food store. cnr Doncaster and Williamsons Roads, after it had been purchased by G. J. Coles and Company. In the foreground is a concrete horse drinking trough, installed in 1930, one of many donated by Annis and George Bills who had been concerned for the welfare of horses. Photo: Green, Irvine DTHS-DP0138
Main Road (now Doncaster Rd) Doncaster 1910 Looking west from outside the E. S. & A. Bank, with the Doncaster Tower, Doncaster Primary School and Church of Christ in the distance. Pair of hitching posts outside the bank and a horse trough opposite the bank (adjacent to the Post Office which is not in photo). The Bank now has a new front (compare with DP0001). Advertising sign outside Post Office possibly 'Argus' newspaper price 3 pence. DTHS-DP0012. This photograph was used to illustrate an article in the Doncaster Mirror on 12 March 1986, to mark the centenary of E. S. and A. Bank (now ANZ Bank) in Doncaster. The first customer was William Meader, who opened an account on 15 March 1886. He was the proprietor of the Tower Hotel in Doncaster. At that time the Bank was named The English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank. The E. S. and A. Bank amalgamated with the ANZ Bank in 1970 to become the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.
Horse trough Location: Doncaster Hotel. ???
Horse trough Location: East Doncaster on the N.W. corner of Blackburn Road
Horse trough Location: Outside Finns Hotel at the corner of Andersons Street and in Warrandyte Road near the creek.
George and Annice did not have any children. On his death George, after several generous bequests to former employees, left the balance of his and his late wifds estate, £70 000, for the welfare of animals. "To build drinking troughs for horses and other dumb animals, and for the alleviation of suffering of animals in any country".
Over 400 horse troughs were erected. Most were in Victoria and New South Wales. In Central Australia, they were used for watering camels. One "Bills" trough was sent to a town in America. It was received with such enthusiasm that a holiday was declared for its unveiling.
The executors of George Bills estate were Mr and Mrs W. H. Crook. They received application for horse troughs from Municipal Councils. the executors installed the trough and the councils had to accept the responsibility of maintaining them and seeing that they were continuously filled with clean water.
The concrete pipe firm "Rocla" designed and manufactured the distinctive concrete troughs which cost £25.00 installed. At Tocumwal trucking yards, by the time a trough was erected and water laid on, the whole installation cost £121.
Originally water barrels were placed outside hotels for the use of horses of travellers. Even strict teetotallers found it necessary to honour every hotel along roads. In 1859, a well known London Banker, Samuel Gurney, founded the "Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association". As a result of the activities of the association, drinking troughs were erected in many countries, including Australia.
When a 2" water pipe was laid on to Doncaster in the 1890's, the first horse troughs in the district were installed. These were made of iron with a ball valve to control the water. To serve the many horses employed in the orchards of Doncaster-Templestowe, horse troughs were erected on all main roads. On Doncaster Road there was a horse trough on the N.W. corner of Williamsons Road, in the town near the present A.N.Z. Bank, outside the Doncaster Hotel, at East Doncaster on the N.W. corner of Blackburn Road, and at Donvale near the present bus terminus. In Templestowe, outside Finns Hotel at the corner of Andersons Street and in Warrandyte Road near the creek. Some of these were Bills concrete troughs.
With the widening of roads, they have all been removed. Some were given to organisations using horses such as the Pony Club in Pettys Reserve. By 1940, there was no longer a need for new horse troughs The proceeds of Annice and George Bills trust were used for other purposes, such a rest homes for horses and the George Bills Rescue home for cats, dogs and other pets at Burwood.
1980 09 DTHS Newsletter
Bills horse troughs
Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in Australia and installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The troughs were financed by a trust fund established through the will of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and 50 in several other countries.[1]George and Annis Bills
George Bills was born in Brighton in England in 1859.[2] He migrated with his family to New Zealand and subsequently to Echuca, Victoria in Australia in 1873.[2] In 1882 he opened a bird dealers shop in Brisbane, where he met and married Annis Swann who had immigrated from Sheffield in England.[2] In 1884 the couple moved to Sydney and George Bills went into business with his brothers, manufacturing innerspring mattresses.[2] In 1908, George retired to Hawthorn, Victoria and in 1910, Annis died while the couple were visiting England.[2] George became a Life Governor of the RSPCA in 1924.[3]
Trust fund
A Bills horse trough on the roadside at Newtown, Victoria
George and Annis had no children, and following the death of George in 1927, a trust fund was set up, believed to be around ₤70-80,000.[2] One of the purposes of the trust, as set out in George Bills' will, was to:
"..construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities being obtained."[3]
Each trough cost ₤13 plus transport and installation .[2] The majority of the troughs were installed in Victoria and New South Wales between 1930 and 1939.[2]
Initially the troughs were individually designed and constructed, however by the early 1930s, J.B. Phillips, a relative of the Bills, became the head contractor. Working to a standard design he produced the troughs in Auburn Road in Hawthorn.[3] The troughs were pre-cast concrete with a curved pediment with the inscription "Donated by Annis & George Bills Australia".[3]
Manufacture was subsequently handled by Rocla, who produced troughs to the same design in Victoria and later in Junee in New South Wales.[3] With the rise of motorised transport, demand for the troughs declined and production had ceased by the end of World War II.[3]
Aside from the horse troughs, the trust was involved with other animal welfare projects including the establishment of the George Bills RSPCA Rescue Centre at Burwood East, Victoria which opened in 1964.[2]
See also
- Bills horse troughs - An enthusiast's site with locations and pictures. http://billswatertroughs.wordpress.com/
- Englefield Green - One of the three troughs installed in England
- Bills horse troughs - Public Facebook photo album of troughs https://www.facebook.com/bruceacolyer/media_set?set=a.1034796169898253.1073741962.100001036381043&type=3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bills_horse_troughs . SEP2017
Annis & George Bills Horse Trough
The Annis & George Bills Horse Trough was donated in memory of the horses that did not return from World War One.
Walers were the type of horse used by light horsemen in the campaign in the Middle East during the First World War. The light horse combined the mobility of cavalry with the fighting skills of infantry. They fought dismounted, with rifles and bayonets. However, sometimes they charged on horseback, notably at Magdhaba and Beersheba. The smallest unit of a light horse regiment was the four-man section: one holding the horses while the other three fought.
The horses were called Walers because, although they came from all parts of Australia, they were originally sold through New South Wales. They were sturdy, hardy horses, able to travel long distances in hot weather with little water.
At the end of the First World War Australians had 13,000 surplus horses which could not be returned home for quarantine reasons. Of these, 11,000 were sold, the majority as remounts for the British Army in India (as was the case with this horse) and two thousand were cast for age or infirmity. Only one horse "Sandy" , who belonged to Major General Sir William Bridges who was killed at Gallipoli, returned home.
Note : - Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in Australia and installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The troughs were financed by a trust fund established through the will of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and 50 in several other countries.
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/animals/display/102270-annis-and-george-bills-horse-trough
Horse Trough Location: Schramm's Cottage Museum Complex. Muriel Green Drive, Templestowe 3106
Location: -37.77821771398381, 145.1457495709716
Add more photos of this trough.
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| Schramm's Cottage Horse Trough - Mar 2018 |
Horse Trough Location: Doncaster Corner (Cnr Doncaster and Williamsons Rd)
Location: -37.787273379967814, 145.12460131537725Installed 1930. Removed ???
Doncaster Corner 1967 Serpells Store as Dickens food store. cnr Doncaster and Williamsons Roads, after it had been purchased by G. J. Coles and Company. In the foreground is a concrete horse drinking trough, installed in 1930, one of many donated by Annis and George Bills who had been concerned for the welfare of horses. Photo: Green, Irvine DTHS-DP0138
Horse Trough Location: Probably opposite the location of the Manningham Library, approx 712 Doncaster Road
Probable Location: -37.78746005157572, 145.1318864934831
Installed 1890's ?? Removed ??
Main Road (now Doncaster Rd) Doncaster 1910 Looking west from outside the E. S. & A. Bank, with the Doncaster Tower, Doncaster Primary School and Church of Christ in the distance. Pair of hitching posts outside the bank and a horse trough opposite the bank (adjacent to the Post Office which is not in photo). The Bank now has a new front (compare with DP0001). Advertising sign outside Post Office possibly 'Argus' newspaper price 3 pence. DTHS-DP0012. This photograph was used to illustrate an article in the Doncaster Mirror on 12 March 1986, to mark the centenary of E. S. and A. Bank (now ANZ Bank) in Doncaster. The first customer was William Meader, who opened an account on 15 March 1886. He was the proprietor of the Tower Hotel in Doncaster. At that time the Bank was named The English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank. The E. S. and A. Bank amalgamated with the ANZ Bank in 1970 to become the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.Horse trough location: Opposite 49 Smiths Rd. When placed ? When removed ??
Probable Location: -37.760284973190075, 145.15325851521254
49 Smiths Road, Cnr of Aumann Cres. Home of Aumann. Horse trough was located opposite the house. Pony Club existed opposite the house in Pettys Reserve. Google Maps Oct2017
Horse trough Location: Doncaster Hotel. ???
Horse trough Location: East Doncaster on the N.W. corner of Blackburn Road
Horse trough Location: Outside Finns Hotel at the corner of Andersons Street and in Warrandyte Road near the creek.
Horse Trough Location: Trough removed from an unknown Doncaster house and take to Barry and Sandra Bills, 2 Blackwood Ave, Wy Yung. Current location unknown. Need to contact Barry/Sandra and ask where it was obtained in Doncaster....
Bill's Horse Trough
Horse Troughs Location List: quotes"Doncaster 1937 Has been Removed not there now." (wrote to Bill and provided photo of horse trough in Schramm's Cottage Museum Complex May 2024)Doncaster 1937 Has been Removed not there now St Arnaud 2003 Side St just off Napier St. Investigate
Templestowe 2004 In Petty’s Reserve, Smith St
Source: Bills Horse Troughs Website by George Gemmill (25 Brudenell St Stanhope 3623. Phone 0358572352. Email billshorsetroughs@hotmail.com or geogem25@bigpond.com (as at May2024)
Source: Bills Horse Troughs Website by George Gemmill (25 Brudenell St Stanhope 3623. Phone 0358572352. Email billshorsetroughs@hotmail.com or geogem25@bigpond.com (as at May2024)
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