It is located at Bankstown City Aged Care’s Self Care Facility, Donington Gardens, but Cr Glen Waud says it should be at a “more high-profile community position such as the Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre”.
More than 200 years ago, the Tom Thumb carried Matthew Flinders, George Bass and his servant William Martin on their voyage of discovery, which would take them up the NSW Coast, into Port Botany and up the Georges River to the area now known as Garrison Point.
Cr Waud said the story of the Tom Thumb was an important part of history and the replica should be in a location for all to see.
“The significance of this little boat cannot be understated and nor was it when, to celebrate the Bicentenary, the Tom Thumb 1 replica, crafted by the Ship and Boat Building Apprentices of Sydney Technical College, was sailed from the steps of Circular Quay to Garrison Point to recreate this journey,” he said.
“After the celebration, the Tom Thumb replica was officially handed over to the Maritime Museum only to be returned to the council in 2007, where it was displayed in the foyer of the Bankstown Town Hall. Ultimately it was provided to the Bankstown City Aged Care’s Self Care Facility, Donington Gardens, in a purpose-built enclosure.
“With such a significant story to tell, I think it only fitting that it be relocated to a more high-profile location for all of our community to admire and enjoy.”
Push to re-home Tom Thumb 1 replica in a more prominent location for more to enjoy
THERE are moves to relocate the Tom Thumb 1 replica from its home at a Georges Hall retirement village to a more prominent location in Bankstown.
