Bills Horse Trough - Prince Alfred St. Berry, NSW - Historic Upping Stones, Hitching Posts, and Carriage Blocks on Waymarking.com

These troughs are scattered throughout the eastern states of Australia in particular, with only one recorded in Western Australia. They can also be found overseas.

They were donated by Annis & George Bills who initially had them installed around Melbourne in the late nineteenth century. George died in 1927 & his will directed that his estate, estimated at £70,000, be used to construct & erect horse troughs. The relevant wording was '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'.

Over 500 were installed across Australia but with the advent of reliable motor vehicles, none were erected after 1940.

This trough was still in working order until the late 1980s but as traffic increased less & less people rode their horse buggies into town.

Each trough has a marble plaque on which is inscribed Donated by Annis & George Bills Australia.

There is a website that honours the Bills & their love of animals, horses in particular. This can be found here: (visit link) In all the author has recorded 310 troughs in Australia.

Information on the Bills & a trough in the UK (Tunbridge Wells) can be found in this blog: (visit link)

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