Welcome to the web site of Hornsby Shire Historical Society Inc.
The objectives of the Hornsby Shire Historical Society are to encourage the study of the history of Hornsby Shire, to foster an interest in the history of Hornsby Shire, to compile authentic records, and to collect, preserve and exhibit objects which have affected, and will continue to affect, the lifestyle and occupations of the residents of Hornsby Shire, both past and present.
Members’ meetings, to which all interested local residents are welcome, are held at the museum (Joseph Collingridge Hall, Kenley Rd. Normanhurst), on the third Sunday of each month (except December), commencing at 2:00pm. The meetings include a short business meeting, followed by a guest speaker. A variety of historical subjects are covered throughout the year. Visitors are invited to stay for afternoon tea at the conclusion of the meeting. See below for upcoming meetings.
Meetings
HSHS Meeting – 2pm on Sunday 18th January. Guests are welcome.
Theme: HOWDY! Changing Patterns of Social Interaction
This will be the theme of our 2027 Local Colour. In advance, our speaker Liz Roberts will talk about the ways we we met when we were young and the changing ways that people meet now.
We look forward to seeing you at this meeting, our first in 2026.
HSHS Meeting – 2pm on Sunday 15th February. Guests are welcome.
Judith Dunne will be our guest speaker.
Judith will be speaking to our members and guests about the fascinating world of cemetery art, as she takes us through centuries of Australian and international carvings, ranging from 6th-century stone coffins to Victorian masterpieces.
She has been awarded an OAM for Services to History and Heritage, is one of two elected NSW delegates serving the Federation of Australian Historical Societies and serves on nine committees.
HSHS DUPLICATE BOOKS FOR SALE.
We have a number of duplicate books in our library that are for sale. The price is for pickup at our museum in Kenley Park, Normanhurst on the days on which we open. Postage can be arranged at cost price. Please click HERE to view the books we have for sale.
Community members, railway enthusiasts and history fans are invited to discover the mysteries of the Thornleigh Zig Zag Railway on a guided tour on Sunday November 9th. This walk will be led by the local historian and author of Zig Zag Away, Tim Sowden, on behalf of the Hornsby Shire Historical Society and will be the last such walk this year. Attendees will trace the route from Thornleigh Station, along local streets towards Zig Zag Creek, on to the site of a quarry which operated in the late 19th Century, before passing the site of Hall’s Camp, a temporary workers’ township now long forgotten. Built a few years after the well-known Zig Zag railways in the Blue Mountains, the Thornleigh Zig Zag was a temporary quarry line that played a small but vital role in building the Great Northern Railway. The line was designed to bring crushed sandstone up from a nearby quarry to use as track ballast. More walks will be announced next year.
New Book Releases
NEW BOOK ON THE SHIRE’S ROADS
Pathways to Freeways, a history of the main roads in the Hornsby Shire, is the latest publication from the Hornsby Shire Historical Society. Collated over several years, this book details the mains roads right across the Hornsby Shire and includes many quality historical photos from the recently released Transport for NSW archives.
Roads covered in detail include Old Northern Road, New Line Road, Beecroft Road, Pennant Hills Road, Comenarra Parkway, Galston Road, the Pacific Highway and Brooklyn Road. Also included are the M1, M2 and NorthConnex Tunnels. Other sections of the book detail Thompsons Corner, Pearces Corner, Hookhams Corner, Duffy Avenue, Somerville Road, Pretoria Parade and much more.
Enquiries regarding the purchase of the Pathways to Freeways book for $50 can be made by contacting Nathan at nathan.tilbury@bigpond.com or 0403 227 560 with free delivery to anyone in the Hornsby Shire. For outside the Hornsby Shire postage is available for a fee.
Robert Green has recently published a three-volume, 650-page book set for the Society on the history of the suburb of Hornsby Heights, covering the area north from Hookhams Corner through to Galston Gorge and Crosslands. Although not officially named until 1939, the settlement of the present-day suburb of Hornsby Heights dates back to 1917. The area north of Hookhams Corner to present-day Sutton Street off Galston Road was subdivided and progressively sold from 1886, while land
at Crosslands was purchased in 1831.
This comprehensive history took four years to research. The first printing has been sold out and we have had the set of books reprinted. We still have some copies available. Alternatively, a single-volume digital (pdf) file is available as an alternative for $40. This history contains 20 topical chapters covering specific areas of interest within the suburb, viz., Hookhams Corner, Galston Gorge, Crosslands, the Hopeville Settlement, creeks, businesses, utilities and services, schools, parks and playgrounds, churches, heritage-listed houses and places, sporting and community organisations, people of note, accidents, incidents and bushfires, a history of all the street names north of Hookhams Corner, plans of all the first land titles and names and details of the first landowners for the entire area.
Hornsby Shire Historical Society Inc. 