This horse trough is the only survivor of the two troughs originally installed in Raglan Parade, Warrnambool, in 1932. It was later moved to the Pony Club at Albert Part, near the north corner of Coulstock and Craig Streets. Over the time there its purpose was changed from a horse watering trough to a colourful garden bed of agapanthus plants. By February 2013 the horse trough had been transferred to Flagstaff Hill for display in the Maritime Village’s grounds. This trough is one of hundreds provided by the Annis and George Bills Estate Trust since 1927 for the welfare of working horses and dogs. The original concrete cap over the small compartment is still retained. There are also markings on the right side of the trough where it probably had a birdbath, tap or a dish for the horseman’s dog, similar to other troughs donated elsewhere by the Trust. Less than half of the troughs produced for the Annis and George Bills Trust still survive. In 2017 Felicity Watson, National Trust Victoria’s advocacy manager, said that the troughs were treasures and becoming rare, with more than a dozen across Victoria now being heritage protected. ABOUT ANNIS AND GEORGE BILLS The 1927 Will of George Bills included setting up the Annis and George Bills Estate Trust, which provided for hundreds of horse troughs to be supplied and installed throughout Australia, Britain, USA and other parts of the world for the welfare of horses. Town and city councils could apply to the Trustees for a horse trough for their communities. George “Joe” Bills was born in Brighton, England, in 1859. The family migrated first to New Zealand then to Australia in 1873, settling in the Echuca-Moama district. George moved to Brisbane in 1882 where he met Annis Swann, formerly from Sheffield. Both were animal lovers. George and Annis married 1885 and moved to Sydney to join George’s brother Henry in his mattress wire weaving business, later known as the Bills Brothers. They patented their own machine in 1893 and the business became very profitable. George was able to donate to charities that supported his passion to improve animal welfare. He and Annis joined the Victorian Society for the Protection of Animals and in 1924 George received a Life Membership with the RSPCA. George retired in 1908. The couple moved to Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1910, where they donated troughs for the work horses of Melbourne. During a visit to England Annis passed away. In 1927 George moved from Hawthorn to Camberwell, where he passed away at the end of that year. George had requested in his Will that a trust fund be set up from his estate "…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." The troughs were to bear a plaque inscribed “Donated by Annis and George Bills, Australia”. In 1927 the cost to make a trough was about £13 (which converts to about $1079 in 2020 ), plus transport and installation costs. Most of the troughs were installed between 1930 and 1939 in Victoria and New South Wales. It is estimated that over that time around 500-700 Bills Horse Troughs were installed in Australia and another 50 overseas. Most of the troughs made in Victoria had three moulded front panels like this trough, and no panels moulded on the rear, whereas troughs made in NSW had four panels on the front and five on the back. Victorian troughs were made by a Bills’ relative, J H Phillips. Later, other manufactures for the Trust’s troughs included Rocla Concrete Pipes Ltd, in Auburn Road, Hawthorn, Victoria, who produced to the same original design. No further troughs produced after the end of World War II. A memorial to Annis and George Bills was first erected in Hawthorn in 1929. It included a drinking fountain and a dog dish. Its current location is unknown. In 1964 the George Bills RSPCA Resource Centre opened in Burwood East. This Bills horse trough is nationally significant as one of the surviving examples of the standard Bills memorial horse troughs that still has its compartment cap and evidence of it once having had attached fittings, possibly for a birdbath or dog dish. This trough has State historical significance for being produced in the early 1930s by a business in Hawthorn, Victoria. This example of a Bills horse trough is significant for being in comparatively good condition. The trough is locally significant for being the sole survivor of the two Bills horse troughs installed in the City of Warrnambool in 1932, originally installed on Raglan Parade and continued to be used in the community at the Pony Club, then finally transferred to its current location at Flagstaff Hill by early 2013. It is culturally significant as it represents the community’s dependence on horses for travel and transportation previous to motorised vehicles. It is morally significant as a generous gift from a couple concerned with the welfare of animals.Horse trough; a long narrow rectangular container used for storing water. Trough is made from pre-cast concrete with one large open compartment and a small covered compartment. The base of the small compartment is raised slightly above the base of the trough and is covered by a removable concrete cap. The design of the front of the trough includes three panels moulded into it that align with the shape of the back pediment (panel). The pediment is shaped with side arcs that step up to a wide centre arc. A rectangular concrete plaque is cast into the centre of the pediment and is engraved with the names of the original donors, Annis and George Bills. The trough was made in Hawthorn, Victoria, by J H Phillips circa 1932. “DONATED BY / ANNIS & GEORGE BILLS / AUSTRALIA”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, annis and george bills, bills trust, j h phillips, rocla concrete pipes ltd, hawthorn, water trough, watering trough, horse trough, animal welfare, bills horse trough

George Bills left his estate to be used to build the well known 'Bills' horse troughs found in many Victorian TownsColour photograph of a Bills Horse Trough situated at Howitt Park Bairnsdale .Note dog bowl at the right hand end.agriculture, animals, bills family history

Horse trough is situated near the Stratford Historical Society . post and rail fence behind the trough . Note trough has no dog bowl. Colour photograph of a Bills Horse Trough at Stratford Historical Society. Also second photo of same trough in its original location in front of a church. (05538.1)bills family history, agriculture, genealogy

Copy of a newspaper article titled Still in Use mentions a granite horse trough at the corner of Bennett Street and Havilah Road. Accompanying photo shows two Eaglehawk High School students, Ian Coyle and Geoff Lindrea inspecting the trough.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - granite horse trough, eaglehawk high school, ian coyle, geoff lindrea

Colour photograph of Cement Horse Trough - no dog bowl on the side agriculture, animals, bills family history

35mm colour positive transparency Mount - Black and Whiteannis bills, bills horse trough, george bills, main road, research (vic.)

Inscription on the trough " Donated by Annis and George Bills, Australia" - note no dog bowl Coloured photograph of a Bills Horse Trough at Great Alpine Rd. Bruthen. East Gippsland. bills family history, genealogy, agriculture, animals

North West corner of Canterbury and Blackburn Roads Blackburn.Black & white photo of 'Bills' Horse Trough, north-west corner of Canterbury and Blackburn Roads See page 97 of Da Costa book.blackburn road blackburn, canterbury road blackburn, horse troughs

Water troughs were installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the 20th century. As the use of motorised transport increased the use for water troughs declined.Coloured photograph of a horse trough located on the corner of Canterbury and Blackburn Roads Blackburn South. This trough was one of many donated by Annis and George Bills. See ND883 and ND885 for articles in the 'Sun'.horse troughs bills george and annis

Black and white photo of horse trough at corner Canterbury and Blackburn Roads. This trough was one of the many donated by Annis and George Bills. See ND883 & ND885 for articles in 'Sun' and also Robin De Costa's book 'Blackburn - A Picturesque History'horse troughs, bills, george, annis

Elephants from a Circus at Fraser's Bricklayers Arms Hotel Barnes Street drinking out of Horse Trough. At that time the circuses used to be at the Stawell Showgrounds in lake Road now the Shire Yards opposite the Brickworks.stawell

Colour photograph showing 2 horses tethered to the hitching post . Note dog bowl at right end agriculture, bills family history, animals

Horse trough, Market Square, Bendigo. Donated by ANNIS & GEORGE BILLS AUSTRALIA.slide, bendigo, market square, horse trough, market square, bendigo

Photocopies of articles, some unsourced relating to the genral history of the Bills horse troughs. "Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in Australia and installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The troughs were financed by a trust fund established through the will of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and 50 in several other countries" - Wikipedia There is a trough locally situated on Main Road, Research7 pageswater trough, bills horse trough, george bills

Photocopy of a newspaper article titled Still in Use. Photo shows two Eaglehawk High School students, Ian Coyle and Geoff Lindrea inspecting a granite horse trough at the corner of Bennett Street and Havilah Road. The boys are sitting on their bikes, one with his foot resting on the end of the trough.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - still in use, eaglehawk high school, ian coyle, geoff lindrea, granite horse trough

Black and white photograph rural scene, lady in horse drawn jinker near cattle."Horse trough Jean Gascoigne-Turnbull in jinker (gig) horse and cows".jean gascoigne-turnbull, horse drawn vehicles

The interviews were recorded in 2000 by Bronwen Gray and Alan Young for the production of Unreserved, Stories from Truganina Explosives Reserve, animated stories from past residents, workers and interested people of the Reserve (subject to copyright 2004). Joyce Hyde was married to Joe (Lesley) Hyde, the last Officer in Charge of the Truganina Explosives Reserve. They moved into the weather board house on 11 December 1952 when Joe was the assistant manager of the Reserve. They moved into the brick house when Joe was appointed Officer in Charge in 1956. Even though the site closed in 1962 and Joe was transferred to the head office in Spencer Street as Explosives Inspector, the Hyde family continued to live in the brick house. Joyce discusses her life at the Explosives Reserve and the early development of Altona. A primary source of information on memories of the Truganina Explosives Reserve and Altona,VictoriaDigital copy of original cassette recorded in 2000 and digitised in 2018altona, upton street altona, harrington court, coal mine, horse trough, mr piper, diggers hall, owen hyde, clive hyde, joe hyde, salt works, horse drawn explosives trucks

The fountain in the image is at the entrance to the 'Emu Bottom' homestead. George Evans squatted on land to graze sheep, along the Jacksons Creek Valley, originally known as Buttlejork Valley, in 1836 and built the homestead from local Silurian sandstone and timber. Over the years it has had a number of owners. In the 1920s the property was renamed 'Holly Green' by H.L Webb after a property in Narre Warren.In the 1950s it was renamed 'Emu Bottom'. Over the years a number of fires have destroyed parts of the building and as a result, little of the original building remains. The fountain was erected in 1936 to mark the centenary of the property as well as 100 years of European settlement in theSunbury area. The property is now a private residence and function centre.'Emu Bottom' is one of the oldest homesteads in Victoria.A small non-digital sepia photograph with a cream border of a fountain, with a horse trough around the base, at the entrance of a rural property.'emu bottom', holly green, sunbury, jacksons creek, buttlejork valley, george evans

Bazeley's Victoria Hotel 1899, Hogan Street. Features two women posing on balcony; horse trough; streetlamp attached to hotel.tatura, buildings, historic, costume, female

Article from Williamstown Historical Society Newsletter No 157 dated 1 January 1997 about establishment of horse troughs by George Bills.Article from Williamstown Historical Society Newsletter No 157 dated 1 January 1997 horse troughs, williamstown historical society, bills, george, royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals

This parade was held on 75th Anniversary of Charge at Beersheba, World War One.Two colour photographs of Lieutenant Colonel B. Hoskin laying a wreath at the horse trough memorial at the Shrine, Melbourne, 31 October 1992.charge, melbourne, hoskin, beersheba, shrine

Annis was the wife of George Bills of horse trough fame. George Bills left his estate to be used to build the well known 'Bills' horse troughs found in many Victorian TownsBlack and white photo of Mrs Annis Bills nee Swannbills family history, genealogy