Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi joined Hills dignitaries, former students of the William Thompson Masonic School, the Balcombe Heights S355 committee and Hills District Historical Society members to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Balcombe Heights Estate on Friday, November 11.
On the day, long-time member and President of the Balcombe Heights S355, Connie Keith, accompanied Mayor Gangemi to unveil a plaque and showcase a banksia tree which was planted to mark the special anniversary.
“For over 100 years, this facility has provided exceptional service to The Hills community and beyond – particularly during the great wars,” Mayor Gangemi said.
“Council is incredibly proud to be the custodian of this wonderful community asset and are very committed to ensuring this venue remains a much-loved location that the community can enjoy for years to come,” he added.
On 11th November 1922 – during the fourth anniversary of Armistice Day – the site was opened as the William Thompson Masonic School. It provided for the care and schooling of the children of families experiencing hardship and those who were left parentless by World War I.
During World War II, the children were moved to the countryside and the buildings became the 103rd Australian General Rehabilitation Hospital. The school was reopened on the 8th November 1947 after the war had ended, and it functioned as a learning facility up until the 1970s.
From its opening to its closure in the mid 1970s, over 2000 children were cared for and schooled at the Masonic School.
The Hills Shire Council then signed a contract in 1973, to pay for the property over a three-year period. The final payment was made in 1977.
Mrs Keith said the Estate has been an important part of the Hills’ history.
“This site is unique,” Mrs Keith said.
“Originally it was a dairy farm. It then became the Masonic School, a rehabilitation hospital for the army and since the 1970s it has been occupied by various community organisations,” Mrs Keith said.
“The common thread that binds these three diverse eras of occupancy during the past 100 years, is the continuous provision of services to the community,” she added.
The Estate is still used to this day for events and a wide range of community activities and services. They include Woodbury Autism Education and Research, Hills Community Aid, Hills District Historical Society, dementia and aged day care services, medical equipment hire, The Hills Women’s Shed, community radio and Hills SES. There are also pottery groups, model railways and boxing groups, a dance school and a band that operate from the buildings located onsite.
Residents and visitors can also enjoy the Estate’s many outdoor facilities and attractions, including the two sporting ovals, a skate park, a dog-off leash park, World War I and World War II memorials, a playground, barbecue and picnic areas and abundant parkland.
