Mt Druitt Hall, built 1925. Located 85-87 Old Mount Druitt Road, Mount
Druitt.
Built by local community money raised by donations, charity events etc.
After WW2 it was used as a cinema. Taken over by BCC in 1967 and restored
back to its original state. In 1986 was renovated again.
An
ornate single storey structure with neo-classical motifs. Decorative
features include Corinthian pilasters, a balustrade parapet and pediment
over the windows and ceremonial doors to the street frontage.
Mt Druitt:
In 1925 the area was a farming community, quite different to the
suburban are it is today. Adjacent to the hall is the site of Major
George Druitt's homestead (no longer exists). Druitt was one of the
original pioneer and leaders of the early community. There were many
claims that Druitt made his money in land speculation and dealing with
the underground. With the arrival of a new colonial governor (Gov.
Brisbane), Druitt was embroiled in a fracas. Eventually the British
government sent out a supreme court judge to investigate, but he found
no evidence of misdoings on Druitt's part. Druitt's homestead burnt
down in 1849. The Druitt estate was lost to creditors in the depression
of the 1840's (in which one of my own ancestral families, the Browns
of Campbelltown, also lost almost everything). In 1853 the Druitt
estate was subdivided by another land speculator, but it was found part
of the estate was flood prone and the subdivided area was abandoned.
The flood-prone area is now the site of a WW2 war memorial garden and
the "Druitt Waterholes Reserve", which contains several natural springs.
The Druitt estate began in 1821 with the granting of 1000 acres to
Druitt. A homestead was built in 1822. The original gates remained
intact until 1872 when they collapsed. The site is marked by a plaque
listing the names of locals who served in WW1.
The first rail-line in Australia was between Sydney and Parramatta,
built in the late 1840's. Construction was interrupted by the gold rush
and the inability of the company to find workers. They went bankrupt
and the state government took over. Since then railways in Australia
have been state owned, with only a few small exceptions.
Sources:
Mt Druitt Historical Society - Historical Sites of Mt Druitt Tour.
George Nicolaidis. 21/10/2000 NSW Heritage Office Website, http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au