Troughs Built – Bills Paid

Under the heading, “A Tale Worth Telling”, the story of the horse troughs financed by an incredibly generous couple, George and Annis Bills, was compiled by Julie Scott in 2020.
Thanks to Dale Anderson, of GWMWater, for supplying the “Times” with a copy of that fascinating story.

George Bills was born in Brighton, England, in 1959. He migrated with his family to New Zealand and, subsequently, to Echuca, Victoria, Australia in 1873.

George had a business in Brisbane where he met and married Annis Swann in 1885. She had emigrated from Sheffield, England. The name of Annis is associated with nature in the sense of love of bird and beast.

Soon after their marriage the couple moved to Sydney and George Bills went into the innerspring mattress business with his brother, Henry.

In 1908, George retired to Hawthorn, Victoria. Annis died in 1910 while the couple was visiting in England. Annis and George Bills were a couple who, although having no children of their own, shared a concern for those less fortunate and also for animals.

The average working horse needs 30-50 litres of clean water during its working day. In order to ensure no horse went without, especially in the dry and dusty streets of Australian urban and rural towns, the Bills Horse Troughs were a frequent addition to many a street.

During their lifetime, they anonymously donated large sums of money for destitute families and, recognizing the important role horses played in the business and transport of the day, they also donated horse troughs throughout Australia and other countries.

George Bills’s last Will, 1925
“I empower my said Trustees to construct and erect and pay for horse-troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are necessary or desirable for the relief of horses or other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world.”

Following the death of George Bills in 1927, a Trust Fund (believed to be around £70,000 to £80,000) was set up as per his Will. Under the direction of his family and trustees, over 500 horse troughs were donated in Australia and overseas.

Each trough cost £13 plus transport and installation (approx. £12). The majority of troughs were installed in Victoria and New South Wales between 1930 and 1939.

Initially, the troughs were individually designed and constructed. However, by the early 1930s, J.B. Phillips, a relative of the Bills, became the head contractor. 

Working to a standard design, he produced the troughs in Auburn Road, Hawthorn, Victoria. The troughs were pre-cast concrete with a curved pediment which included the inscription “Donated by Annis & George Bills, Australia”. 

Manufacture was subsequently handled by Rocla, who produced troughs to the same design in Victoria and later in Junee, New South Wales.

The Bills donated many such troughs overseas to Switzerland, Ireland, England and Japan; some intended for the use of donkeys and mules. However, with the rise of motorized transport, demand for the troughs declined and production had ceased by the end of World War II. 

Aside from the horse troughs, the Trust was involved with other animal welfare projects including the establishment of the George Bills RSPCA Rescue Centre at Burwood East, Victoria, which opened in 1964.

George Gemmill (of Stanhope, Victoria) has documented more than 300 horse troughs. 

His lists of locations and photos can be found on his website: billswatertroughs.wordpress.com. There are also many other informative websites.

Donald’s Trough
Donald’s Bills Trough is thought to have been originally positioned in front of saleyards, not far from its present location, at the Old Police Camp, alongside the Sunraysia Highway.

It was later moved to the Donald Showgrounds, before being obtained by Donald farmer, John Tyson, and placed ay his property’s cattle yards.

In more recent times, it has been welcomed at the Old Police Camp, where its history has been read by hundreds of visitors to the town.

The Donald trough now bears two plaques. One reads: “Donated by Annis & George Bills, Australia”. The other: “Donated by Daryl Tyson, in memory of the Tyson family, of North Laen.”