with Michelle Nichols & Jonathan Auld
The Legacy of George and Annis Bills
Have you ever seen a concrete drinking trough located by the side of the road on your travels throughout rural Australia ? Did you know there is a special story about these troughs related to the philanthropic couple George and Annis Bills .
Originally from England , George Bills was born in Brighton in 1859 , son of Richard and Elizabeth . The Bills family migrated , eventually arriving in Victoria in 1873 . His family originally operated a bird dealing business which later extended to manufacturing bird cages .
Portrait of George Bills . Courtesy : State Library of Victoria .
By the early 1880s he was working with his brother Harry , bird dealing in Sydney . While he was exploring business opportunities in Queensland , he met Annis Elizabeth Swann and the couple married in 1885 . His business later expanded into other wireworks such as bird cages , wire door mats and mattresses .
The couple had no children , however , they were recognised for their philanthropy , in particular of animal welfare charities . George ’ s own father Richard , “ instilled a love of all animals in his children ”. George and Annis were renowned for their support of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , which later became known as the RSPCA .
In 1908 , George retired and the couple spent a significant amount of time travelling . Annis died abroad in 1910 while on holidays in Brighton . George died in Hawthorn , Victoria in 1927 . Following his death the details of the estate were made public . In his will , a number of legacies were made to family and friends and a large portion of his estate went to a bequest which would supply drinking troughs at sites throughout the countryside . They were to be built in memory of this generous couple .
Remarkably ,
Water trough at Clarendon , near the Hawkesbury Racecourse . Photo : M . Nichols , 2017
a working horse needed about 50 to 60 litres of water daily to hydrate and troughs were a common site throughout rural Australia until the 1960s . Annis and George ’ s troughs were originally designed and built in Hawthorn by George ’ s nephew , Jack Phillips . Later they were built to a standard design , manufactured by Rocla , a company registered in 1922 by Walter Robertson and Heaton Clarke producing “ quality concrete products ” first in Victoria then later manufactured in Junee . Each were inscribed with a plaque of the names of “ Annis and George Bills , Australia ”.
A number of the troughs were constructed in the Hawkesbury district . The Local Government Association of New South Wales corresponded with local councils ( Windsor , Richmond and Colo ) instructing them about the funding available through the George Bills Estate . It was explained that the “ estate provided the troughs absolutely free , the council ’ s only obligation being to see that the trough was in a position where it would be convenient to the largest number , that a good water supply was available and [ that ] the trough would be set on a suitable foundation .”
In 1939 an application was made to the executors of the Bills Estate by Richmond Council for two horse troughs . One was to be placed near the Clarendon Hotel , opposite the RAAF Base , and the other was to be located in Richmond on Lennox Street , off the road to Penrith . Council later decided this would be located near
Warnock Road , Agnes Banks .
Colo council planned for one at North Richmond . In 1939 , the foundation for the memorial trough at North Richmond was completed , but delivery of the trough was delayed due to some alterations to the design of the water supply pipes .
Windsor council considered troughs for McGraths Hill and another in Windsor ’ s Christie Street . Nearby one was placed in Castlereagh across from the hall and another on Castlereagh Road at Agnes Banks .
Around five hundred troughs were built mainly in the 1930s , as part of the bequest in Australia and overseas . Yet growth in the use of motor transport , after World War 2 , resulted in a decline of the use of horses , and no more troughs were distributed after the war . The Bills Trust then focussed on animal welfare in other ways .
The troughs were once a familiar sight through the rural countryside and easily recognised . Clarendon trough has survived but was moved from the old hotel site and is now near the Hawkesbury Race Club entrance .
There is also one on Castlereagh Road almost opposite Crowleys Lane , possibly relocated . Another is on the corner of Bells Line of Road and Terrace Road at North Richmond . Adjacent to the Bird in the Hand Inn , Pitt Town another one stands . Today they are a reminder of times gone by and the generous charity of George and Annis Bills .
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