News & Events
Kow Plains & Cowangie
In July 1859 James (Piccaninny) Smith of Yanac signed the first lease of the Kow Plains Run . This event was celebrated on the 26th July 2009, with an open day. New interpretative signs were in place and smoke was coming from the Homestead & Cookhouse chimneys as visitors arrived.
Official proceedings took place when the crowd made their way to the original stable site, and looked to the west to see three horsemen arriving. The horse riders represented James 'Piccaninny' Smith & his brother -in-laws William & David Little who in 1853 brought cattle from Yanac to Kow Plains & wintered cattle there for the next 5 years. Ray Wandel representing Piccaninny dismounted and presented two letters to Jocelyn Lindner, President of Kow Plains who handed them to Ian Castles, great-great-grandson of Piccaninny& Richard Castle great-great-great-grandson of Piccaninny Smith. The letters were from David Johnson on behalf of Piccaninny Smith's hundreds of descendants in New Zealand where he & some of his eleven children settled after leaving Kow Plains and John Jennings great-great grandson of William Little. The letters praised the strength of character & spirit of adventure of these three young men.
A plaque was unveiled by Richard Castles to mark the site of the original stable. A plaque was also erected to mark the site of the original hut.
The lease of Kow Plains was taken up by Dugald Macpherson in 1867and a number of his descendants were present on the day. Bruce Macpherson great great nephew of Dugald planted a Murray Pine near the stable site, symbolic of those that had grown there.
Interpretative Signs
A Woolworth's Community Recovery Grant was received from CWA Vic , to replace the 3 interpretative signs along the drive way and to add a new one. These signs and an additional one were in place by the 26th July 2009.
Restoration work December 2010 to June 2011
A State Government grant was received to reinstate hessian & wall paper ceilings in the bedroom and entrance of the Homestead . The wallpaper was reproduced and has been installed.
Reconstruction of the Stable
A grant was received from Regional Development Victoria and with further funding from the Mildura Rural city Council the reconstruction of the Stable was able to commence in May 2011
A permit from heritage Victoria was received to reconstruct the stable, which was first constructed in the 1860's, A scope of work was prepared by Heritage Architect Pip Giovanelli, who visited on the 20th &21st of April and marked out the site . Logs for the stable were harvested by Grant Saw Mills Narrandera .
The completion of the reconstructed stable and the reinstating of the ceilings in the Homestead was celebrated on the 31st October . The bakers oven in Cowangie was fired up and the Pinnaroo Baker baked pies, pasties ,scone, bread & pizza's. Susan Nichols acting mayor of the Mildura Rural city Council unveiled the plague. Present on the day were architect Pip Giovanelli and the Great Grandson of William McDonald lease holder of Kow Plains in 1879 and descendants of the Kelly family who owned the property in the 1920's.
An old wagon has been positioned in the stable and an amount of horses harness, photos of the reconstruction and of the time when the Kelly family were there are on display. More memorabilia will be displayed as it comes to hand. It is planned to put some early farm machinery outside the stable.
Future work
A tank stand and tank is to be erected next to the windmill and a short distance of dog leg fencing is to be constructed from the stable towards the mill. A dog leg fence was around the perimeter of the property.
Photos of the Opening of the Stable 30th October 2011
Murrayville Happenings
An Interpretative sign has been placed at No 7 Bore where Murrayville was proclaimed a town on the 12th October 2010, This sign was funded from the sale of the Murrayville books.
The book "Murrayville 1910 to 2007" and the Supplement to it ,published by the Murrayville Liaison Committee are available for $40 plus postage,
4 wheel drive extravaganza Easter2012
Trips to be organized to the Big Desert State Forest , Wyperfield National Park & the Murray-Sunset National Park