This web site is dedicated to the memories of Annis and George Bills. They showed so much love and care for animals when money was short in the years of the Great Depression. They financed drinking troughs in many regional towns throughout Australia to relieve the suffering of animals.
From my travels and with thanks to a network of interested people, I have
collected photos from over 300 locations where Bills Horse troughs can be still found today. These Bills Horse Troughs are monuments which remind us of years gone by when horses were the main way to travel.
All the troughs bear a inscribed terrazzo name plate on the fascia
plate Donated by George and Annis Bills
Australia. With the event of the motor vehicles the usefulness of the
troughs waned.
No troughs were made after the start of World War 2,
I have received photos of Bills troughs from places as far away as
London Ireland and Northcliffe in Western Australia.
Many of the troughs have had to be moved to make way for roadwork's.
many were destroyed or dumped in the rubbish tips, but fortunately many
were saved from this faith and have found they way into private
ownership and with tender loving care are still preserved today, They
are a very much sort after items for features in gardens
The photo above is of the Bills Horse Trough in Stanhope Victoria with the author George Gemmill and his poodle dog Hamish. Note the small drinking trough at the right hand side is for dogs to have a drink from. The average daily water requirement for a horse is
about 50 litres a day.
Further reading about George and his brother Henry tells how they donated gifts to the RSPCA in many different ways.
There is a full account in the book written by Barbara Pertzel, For All Creatures - A History of the RSPCA Victoria (First published in 2006).
The Webmaster of this site can be contacted at billshorsetroughs AT hotmail DOT com
I welcome your inquiries.
Just received this photo of the Hill End Trough in NSW. Thanks Denis and May {Jan 2006}
Above is an invoice from J B Phillips of Hawthorn, dated the 31-Nov-1931 for eight Bills Horse Troughs - they cost Thirteen Pounds each. I have been told that Mr Phillips was in some way related to George Bills. Mr Phillips was a trustee of the BIlls Trust. Rocla, a concrete products manufacturer, made and distributed the Troughs for the Bills Trust.
These Eight troughs were sent to these location in Victoria click any of the towns listed below to view these troughs:
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