Council merger talks started at the end of WWII

This week history columnist Tom Richmond reveals that Hornsby Council rejected a merger in 1945.

The original Hornsby Council chambers on what is now Peats Ferry Rd.

The recent weather has been perfect for curling up in front of a heater and enjoying one’s favourite reading material.

Certainly, right at the top for instruction and occasional entertainment is the collection of Hornsby Shire Council minutes that have accumulated over the past century.

Flicking quickly through application approvals and rejections, the reader senses that our councillors, over a long period, took a direct and personal view of matters that came before them. Turning to August, 1945, we find meetings that followed the conclusion of World War II.

Those sitting on the council at this significant time were councillors G. H. Vaughan, Somerville, Gollan, Davey, Wright, Taperell, Storey, and Mills.

One of the reports given by the president Vaughan, outlined the celebrations that had taken place on VJ Day, marking the conclusion of the war with Japan.

He gave particulars of the gathering at Waitara Park on the night of Wednesday, August 15 at Beecroft School of Arts on the same evening; of the Church Services arranged at Hornsby on Thursday, August 16; of a religious service at the Picture Theatre in Epping on Sunday afternoon and thanksgiving Services at St Peter’s Church of England Hornsby all of which were attended by himself and other councillors.

The president moved a motion that council place on record its thankfulness that the victorious peace so long awaited has now eventuated, its gratitude to the men and women of the services for their selfless devotion to duty and their share in the successful conduct of the War.

These were great and memorable times and the councillors had served the area with great distinction in times of crisis. Often they volunteered to carry out organisational duties and assisted in fund-raising activities.

Turning back one meeting, before the drama of the atomic bombs and the Japanese surrender, it is interesting to note that the councillors were preparing for the 1945 Local Government Conference to be held in September, 1945.

The Hornsby councillors were anxious to have two motions submitted for discussion at the conference. One motion to be included on the agenda was: “That this conference recommend to the constituent councils that action be taken to ensure that before any amalgamations take place, a poll of the ratepayers of each municipality and shire affected shall be taken.”

That was the view of our own Hornsby councillors on August 9, 1945. The motion was passed unanimously by this very worthy group of distinguished civic leaders.