Page 883 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016
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(b) the ACT Government’s decision to undertake a comprehensive village plan outlining the heritage, culture and liveability of the region;
(c) the comprehensive consultation undertaken as stage one of the Village Plan, utilising a nationally recognised engagement website and several well attended planning forums to gather ideas for the draft plan, due to be released to consultation in the next few months; and
(d) the ongoing consultation on the Tharwa Village Plan which is occurring prior to the publishing of the final plan, due to be released mid-2016; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to continue to work with the ACT community, in particular the Tharwa community, on the development of the Tharwa Village Plan.”.
The ACT government recognises the importance of our rural villages and has a number of plans and strategies in place to retain the unique character of these areas for future generations to enjoy. In 2012, the ACT government released the ACT planning strategy, which calls for new strategies to be prepared to retain the function and identity of the ACT’s rural villages, including Tharwa, as distinct places rather than a continuation of Canberra’s urban area. While urban growth is focused on existing urban areas, the lifestyle opportunities afforded by these villages will be recognised and supported, providing Canberrans with choice about where they want to live, be it in an urban or suburban environment, in a rural village, in “the bush” or on a farm.
The ACT has many rural villages, and they provide evidence of a pioneer life before the formation of the Federal Capital Territory. They are important in understanding the history and story of our place. These early villages include Tharwa, Hall and Oaks Estate, and each village represents a different part of the region’s early story.
Tharwa’s story stretches back at least 25,000 years as a significant place for the Ngunnawal Aboriginal community and for neighbouring nations as a travelling route between the plain and the alps, and an ideal place to cross the Murrumbidgee River.
The village of Tharwa was proclaimed in 1861. The track crossing the Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa became the major route from Queanbeyan to Kiandra during the Kiandra gold rush of 1859 to 1861. The rush was intense, with over 10,000 people making their way to the goldfields in its first year. The track was also essential to the pastoral and farming activities to the west of the river, largely used to transport stock across the river. Camps were often made at Tharwa while this occurred.
Just a couple of years ago at Tuggeranong Homestead it was wonderful to hear stories of the life and times of early Tharwa residents and the farmers around the ACT and Tuggeranong—stories about moving sheep and other stock from those early parts up from Smiths Road across through Tharwa to Tuggeranong Homestead for shearing; and also, later on, taking those goods—the wool, if you like, baled—to the Tuggeranong railway station for train delivery to Sydney. There were quite a number of wonderful stories about the social activity that occurred during those operations, including cricket matches at Tuggeranong Homestead, where we had some players actually fly in antique aircraft to play the matches.
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