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Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in
* The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association was founded in London in the year George Bills was born and was no doubt his inspiration.
Bills horse troughs
- Public Facebook photo album of troughs Animal welfare History of transport in Australia
Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and installed to provide relief for working horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
s in the first half of the twentieth century. The troughs were financed by a trust fund established through the will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and 50 in several other countries.
George and Annis Bills
George Bills was born inBrighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
in England in 1859. He migrated with his family to New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and subsequently to Echuca, Victoria
Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest s ...
, in Australia in 1873. In 1882 he opened a bird dealers shop in Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, where he met and married Annis Swann who had immigrated from Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
in England. In 1884 the couple moved to Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and George Bills went into business with his brothers, manufacturing innerspring mattresses. In 1908, George retired to Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Boroondara local government area. Hawthorn recorded a population of 22,322 at the 2021 census.
Glenferrie ...
, and in 1910, Annis died while the couple were visiting England. George became a Life Governor of the RSPCA in 1924.
Trust fund
George and Annis had no children, and following the death of George in 1927, a trust fund was set up, believed to be around £70-80,000. One of the purposes of the trust, as set out in George Bills' will, was to: :"...construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities being obtained." Each trough cost £13 plus transport and installation. The majority of the troughs were installed in Victoria andNew South Wales
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, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
between 1930 and 1939.
Initially the troughs were individually designed and constructed, however by the early 1930s, J.B. Phillips, a relative of the Bills, became the head contractor. Working to a standard design he produced the troughs in Auburn Road in Hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
. The troughs were pre-cast concrete with a curved pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
with the inscription "Donated by Annis & George Bills Australia".
Manufacture was subsequently handled by Rocla, who produced troughs to the same design in Victoria and later in Junee in New South Wales. With the rise of motorised transport, demand for the troughs declined and production had ceased by the end of World War II.
Aside from the horse troughs, the trust was involved with other animal welfare
Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
projects including the establishment of the George Bills RSPCA Rescue Centre at Burwood East, Victoria which opened in 1964.
See also
* The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association was founded in London in the year George Bills was born and was no doubt his inspiration.
References
External links
{{commons category, Bills horse troughsBills horse troughs
- Public Facebook photo album of troughs Animal welfare History of transport in Australia