Pioneer Families Bicentennial MemorialPrint Page

The monument commemorates the bicentenary of Australia in 1988 and is a tribute to the pioneers of the district. 

Thompson Square is the centre of one of the earliest settled districts in Australia. Its collection of colonial buildings has remained largely intact since being built in the period between 1815 and 1880. The Square was refurbished as a Bicentennial project, ensuring that it remains a tribute to the pioneers of the district.

The anchor at the top of the Square on the Pioneer Families Bicentennial Memorial is an appropriate symbol for the districts early days. It serves as a reminder that the majority of craft that plied the Hawkesbury River were made or sailed by local pioneers for the transport of the life-saving grain grown by other Hawkesbury pioneers. Together, these early Hawkesbury settlers ensured the survival of the colony of New South Wales. This monument contains plaques listing pioneer families who in 1988 contributed to the cost of erecting this to all Hawkesbury pioneers.

The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788.  The Australian Bicentennial Authority (ABA), pursuant to the Australian Bicentennial Authority Act 1980, was set up to plan, fund and coordinate projects that emphasized the nation's cultural heritage.

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