This is the 18th article in a series of columns written by Alan Henderson about Deniliquin district historical events and issues. Alan’s grandfather purchased ‘Warragoon’ on the Finley Road in 1912. Alan was born in the Deniliquin Hospital in 1944 but moved to Canberra in 1967. In retirement he has written a family history, Boots, Gold and Wool, and will share some of his research in this local history column.
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My brother Donald (1930-2017) and I were occasional demonstrators, although not on the same issues.
He marched against shire amalgamations, and I marched against the Vietnam war.
Shire amalgamations were not his only concern.
In July 1985, in company with about 40,000 other farmers, he marched behind Ian McLachlan of the National Farmers Federation on the first day of the Hawke-Keating National Tax Summit in Canberra.
I was in Treasury at the time, working in the Tax Reform Taskforce and the 40,000 noisy farmers walked right past our glass walled, ground floor office.
We were genuinely concerned they would throw rocks through our windows.
Some of the marchers had watering cans – containing weed killer as it turned out.
A few days later, the dead grass in the lawns read in large print ‘FAT CATS’.
After the march, I invited my brother and two of his friends into my office. My Treasury ‘Fat Cat’ colleagues were surprised, these farmers seemed quite civil.
My brother’s concern about shire amalgamations, specifically the Conargo Shire, was more long standing.
The municipal district of Deniliquin was proclaimed on December 16, 1868, under the Municipalities Act of 1867.
The establishment of local government bodies in NSW was voluntary until the passage of the Shires Act of 1905.
The Local Government Extension Act of 1906 consolidated the municipalities and shires legislation, formalising the distinction between urban or town municipalities and country shires.
The Conargo and Windouran shires were established under the 1906 legislation.
The separation of town and country derived from political struggles through the latter half of the 19th century in various NSW districts and in parliament, reflecting concerns that “the estates of large landholders would be taxed to build roads and footpaths in the towns” (John Hirst, 2008, Freedom on the Fatal Shore, page 427).
In a notorious 1860s case, the municipal boundaries of Nowra were drawn initially to precisely include the surrounding lands of a substantial landholder, Alexander Berry. Berry defeated the move (Hirst, pages 427-30).
The prospect of local amalgamations started with the possibility of the Windouran and Conargo shires amalgamating in the 1940s (Brad Chalmers, The Sunlit Plains Extended: A Centenary History of the Conargo Shire, page 385.)
Reviewing Chalmer’s chapter on amalgamation, entitled ‘Upheaval’, it is evident that because of the modest populations in the shires around Deniliquin, governments and the NSW Boundaries Commission were frequently contemplating amalgamations.
In his Conargo Shire president’s report for 1980, my brother thanked his predecessor Alan Bouchier “for his untiring efforts in defending the boundaries of the Shire through two Boundaries Commission Inquiries” (Chalmers, page 386).
I am not sure what year my brother joined numerous other NSW councillors in Sydney, demonstrating against amalgamations, but he frequently mentioned one incident when a heckler on the footpath yelled at the assembled councillors “get home you dole bludgers”.
In anticipation of continuing pressure for amalgamation, the Conargo and Windouran Councils initiated processes for a “friendly merger” in 1999.
The negotiations stalled when Conargo became fully aware of the financial challenges faced by Windouran - Conargo did not wish to sacrifice its strong financial position.
Following an inquiry into Windouran’s situation, initiated by the Minister for Local Government, the council was dismissed and an administrator was appointed.
During 2000 the administrator explored the scope for savings by amalgamating with Conargo, and following a further public inquiry, arrangements were agreed and the first meeting of the Conargo Shire Council - including three councillors representing Windouran residents - was held on July 2, 2001.
The greater concern of shire residents was amalgamation with the taxing towns folk residing in municipalities.
In 1969 the Deniliquin Municipal Council wrote to the Conargo Shire Council suggesting that “residents of surrounding shires should contribute a reasonable proportion of the costs involved in providing facilities and services which benefit those shire residents”. Unsurprisingly, Conargo “strongly opposed” the suggestion (Chalmers, page 385.)
It would be almost another half century before the amalgamation of Deniliquin and Conargo local government bodies was imposed by the state government.
The Edward River Council was proclaimed on May 12, 2016.
The economic and community affairs of Deniliquin and surrounding districts are integrated, so it seems logical that local government services be integrated.
The economic and sporting opportunities of rural residents depend on the range and standard of commercial and community services in Deniliquin, as well as their local roads, bridges, and recreation reserves.
In the deliberations leading to the amalgamation in 2016, Conargo Shire - like Alexander Berry in the 1860s - expressed “concern regarding cross-subsidisation from current Conargo Shire Council rates income to Deniliquin Council areas”.
In response the minister’s delegate observed “that cross-subsidisation is a feature of all government activity and that much of Conargo Shire Council’s income is in the form of grants, which originate from outside the council’s area”.
The cross-subsidisation continues under the equalisation arrangements for local government general purpose payments.
In 2022-23 in NSW, 18 councils located in Sydney will receive the minimum per capita payment of $22.64, compared with $506 for the Edward River Council, and from $1500 to $2000 per capita in local government areas like Balranald, Bogan, Bourke, and Carrathool.
I am not sure what my brother thought about my views on the Vietnam war, and he never asked me what I thought about shire amalgamations.
He would have been disappointed with my answer.
Historical column contributor