The naming of Springwood by Governor Lachlan Macquarie 200 years ago will be celebrated this Springwood Foundation Day on Saturday, March 14.
In May, 1815, Governor and Mrs Macquarie set out with a large party on a 21-day trip on the Western Road to Bathurst. The Springwood Historical Society said there is now a monument in Macquarie Road in Springwood to mark this camp site. Macquarie wrote in his diary at the time:
'We then halted at three o'clock in a very pretty wooded plain near a spring of very good fresh water, and pitched our tent near the side of the road. This stage is 12 miles from Emu Ford and our first on the Mountains. This place being very pretty I have named it Spring Wood.'
It's the final year of the three year program of events of the Blue Mountains Crossings Bicentenary that acknowledges that original crossing.
The first recognised European crossing of the Mountains in 1813 by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth, provided fresh farmlands from the interior to the starving colony. It will be the third visit to the area by the "Governor and Mrs Macquarie" aka Joanne and Kevin Weeks from Australiana Pioneer Village at Wilberforce.
The Australian Pioneer horse and buggy driver, Mr Weeks, said he was always "very well received as part of the parade by the community".
"We provide carriages and townfolk dressed in period costumes and on their request I impersonated Governor Macquarie."
Foundation Day spokeswoman Michele Brown said "they have been a feature in our parade for the last two years.
"One of the drawcards to the event will be 'The Bushwackers' performing on the Lister and Cole stage and we are anticipating an exciting line-up of talent both on the Donley Real Estate and Royal Hotel stages.
"The Springwood Dash is being lengthened [to 1.16 km] for the more serious competitors and there are new arrangements for the parade."
Ms Brown said they were still looking for stallholders. Email springwoodfd2015@gmail.com or search for Springwood Foundation Day 2015 on Facebook.
