Snapshot of Shire’s past on display at the Civic Centre

12 June, 2013Posted in: Community, Events
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With June and July traditionally bringing cold and wet weather to the Southern Highlands, Council is bringing its Sesquicentenary celebrations indoors.

During the month of June, the Foyer Gallery in Council’s Moss Vale Civic Centre is hosting an exhibition of historic photographs, newspaper articles and stories of the local pioneering families of Bowral and Moss Vale. It also features the entries in the Sesquicentenary ‘Our Town’ photography competition.

The exhibition was officially opened by the Wingecarribee Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Juliet Arkwright, on Wednesday 5 June. Winners of the ‘Our Town’ competition were announced and presented with their prizes.

Councillor Arkwright said the exhibition was a wonderful tribute to the early pioneers of our Shire.

“Family names such as Throsby, Charlesworth, Oxley, Springett, Whyte and Bunt are well known throughout the district, with many places named in their honour.

“These families played different roles in society, but all have had some responsibility in shaping the face of Bowral and Moss Vale as we know them today,” she said.

Many of the photographs received for the competition depict how Bowral and Moss Vale are seen in the 21st century. To complement these modern images, historical photographs of the two towns are displayed, providing a visual timeline of Bowral and Moss Vale from their earliest days to the present.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone who entered the competition, particularly the talented winners,” Councillor Arkwright said. “I’d also like to thank the many other residents who provided historical images from their own personal collections and to everyone who helped create this vivid pictorial history of these much-loved towns.”

The exhibition can be viewed in the Foyer Gallery at the Civic Centre in Moss Vale between 8.30am and 4.30pm weekdays until the end of June.

Preparation is also underway for the Mayoral Winter Ball, to be held at the Gibraltar Hotel in Bowral on Saturday, 6 July. The Sesquicentenary celebration will raise funds for Alzheimer’s Australia and live entertainment will be provided by the John Field Band. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased from the Gibraltar Hotel.

For details on Sesquicentenary events running throughout the year, visit www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/sesquicentenary-2013, phone Wingecarribee Shire Council on 4868 0888 or Tourism Southern Highlands on 4871 2888.