The Macarthur Police Station was commissioned on 28th May 1867, and we assume 2 lock-ups were constructed at the same time.
Originally located in Market Street, the lock-ups have had many and varied uses but were initially used to hold people overnight for such offences as 'drunk and disorderly'.
These buildings, weighing approximately 3 tonnes each, were imported from England and were flat packed, and assembled on site. All boards on the inside are stamped with a number to assist in assembly, and can still be seen today. The wall boards are 75mm thick; smooth on the inside and shaped like weather boards on the outside.
Between every second board there is a strip of flat steel. The bolts go through the base of the building from front to back, likewise for the ceiling, and the wall bolts go from top to bottom; so no-one was ever going to escape!
There was no furniture, only a 'dunny can' and two grey blankets. On one occasion, Mr. Charlie Bourke was arrested for being drunk and fighting, and as there was no pillow supplied, Mr Bourke took his sheepdog to use as a pillow!
The last official record in 1956 was of a local woman being locked up for being drunk and disorderly, although it is believed a few more may have seen the inside of the walls after that! Later in the life of the lock up it was used for storing horse food, chook food and last of all, as a woodshed.
One lock-up was demolished but the other has been restored. The marks on the walls and floor are from an axe chopping wood, not someone trying to escape! In 2009 the Lock-up was re-located to this site and restored by the Macarthur Historical Society.
Annis Billls (1859-1910)
George Bills (1859-1927)
The Bills Horse Trough was instigated by George and Annis Bills, who had a great love of animals and concern for their welfare. They bequeathed money to build drinking troughs for horses in the early 1930s.
The water troughs were essential for the 'relief of horses' as many goods were delivered by horse and cart.
The earliest troughs were individually designed and constructed in Hawthorn, later being mass produced. There were more than 500 troughs made, mostly supplying Victoria and NSW, however some were also installed in England, Ireland, North America, South Africa, Japan, USA, Canada, Rumania and Switzerland.
Few of the troughs still exist with many being repurposed, destroyed or broken over the years.
Macarthur is fortunate to have one of the remaining troughs in existence.