Wedderburn Heritage
WEDDERBURN is cut off from some aspects of the twentieth century by natural boundaries. Cubbitch Barta National Estate area forms both the Northern and Eastern boundaries. The O'Hares Creek National Estate Area and The Wedderburn State Forest form the Southern boundary while the Georges River forms the southern boundary. With views to the Blue Mountains and to Centre Point, pristine creeks and gullies with swimming holes such as Minerva Pool which has been used by local residents and visitors for as long as residents can remember.
The only functioning entry by car is over a causeway which is occasionally cut off by flooding of the Georges River.
Wedderburn is not serviced with mains water, sewage, shop, post office, public telephone, school or doctor although it is connected to Telephone and Electricity.
NATURAL HERITAGE
ABORIGINAL HERITAGE
The adjoining Cubbitch Barta National Area and the O'Hares Creek National Estate Area have both been recognised for their rich heritage value. While Wedderburn has had no official survey undertaken it is known that there is at least one sacred tree. It is unusual for such a tree to survive in the Sydney Basin, especially in an area where agriculture has been practised for over one hundred years. There are at least seven rock art caves three rubbing grove sites, and one living cave found within the area by Keith Longhurst, a special constable and ranger with the Campbelltown Council for eleven years and by David Homes and Hugh Bairnsfather while walking n the area over a number of years.
EUROPEAN HERITAGE
MORNING GLORY
Gracius Joseph Bronowski who left Poland in 1857 in order to avoid conscription, built the Morning Glory campsite. He taught painting in private schools and was given the task of drawing Australian birds and animals by the NSW Government. He completed his volume of three hundred illustrations whilst living in Wedderburn with his wife and children . The Bronowski family was among the early pioneers of Wedderburn.
The building at Morning Glory has a series of three pitched roofs . In the centre roof a run of highlight windows lets light into the building. the exterior of the building has been changed over the years with the addition of a verandah and new exterior openings. the building is now used as church camp/retreat
The following information and photographs are reproduced from the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society Journal Vol.10 No.2 with thanks to the Society and the author Marie Holmes.
WEDDERBURN CHARCOAL PITS
While constructing the tracks for the Outdoor Resource Centre in 1977, Keith Longhurst found the pits and following enquiries about their purpose he learnt that they were charcoal pits.25 During the Second World War some Wedderburn orchardists and Pop Delaney were responsible for a charcoal production venture. Delaney had a mall and bread delivery service for which he used an old Chevrolet truck. With petrol rationing these people were unable to buy enough fuel to run their trucks to carry on their businesses.26 Petrol could only be bought using petrol coupons due to the rationing so some alternative power source was needed. This was obtained by fitting charcoal gas producing units to cars and trucks. Tripps Garage in Queen Street, Campbelltown fitted these units and also sold charcoal.
There were three main methods of producing
Charcoal - pit, kiln and retort. The pit method required a large pit dug
in the ground and lined with bricks or sheet iron. Then a small amount of
kindling wood was placed in the bottom for lighting purposes after the pit
had been stacked with the timber to be carbonised. The wood was cut into
logs regular in size and shape, and then stacked very carefully into the
pit to utilise as much space as possible. It was stacked to a level higher
than the ground and covered with sheets of iron or sods of earth to stop
air entering the fire after the kindling wood had ignited. So that the charcoal
would not become contaminated, the sides and bottom of the pit were lined
with sheet iron, bricks or stone.28 The type of hardwood burnt influenced
the quality of the charcoal. Charcoal was stored and transported in disused
grain sacks with a sack of charcoal weighing about 40 lbs. (18.2 kg.)29
This page is under construction more heritage information soon