HAMILTON HILL’S history and future will be the focus of an old-fashioned field day this Sunday.

The Hamilton Hill Community Group and Cockburn council are putting on a Back to Country event at Randwick Stables, the last-remaining vestige of the area’s once-strong racing community. It neighbours the site of Hamilton Hill farm, one of the first land grants in Perth.

Apart from highlighting the suburb’s history, the council will use the event to gather ideas to create a new town centre.

The area used to be an important meeting place for Whadjuk Noongars, and HHCG hopes to use that history to inspire the new hub.

“Hamilton Hill doesn’t really have a central hub but we hope there will be soon,” vice president Maureen Fisher-Sim told the Herald.

Sunday’s event will give visitors an impression of farm life in the 19th century, with cow-milking workshops, Clydesdale ploughing and wagon rides, a petting farm, and blacksmithing demonstrations.

“The day is primarily to be a free family fun day to celebrate heritage,” says Alison Bolas, manager of the stables.

The event will run from 10am to 4pm.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM