Education/Tourism/Recreation.

(Over 30,000 visitors annually)

This year 6000 students will be educated in environmental education, agriculture and history; conducted by the NSW Department of Education and Training’s Camden Park Environmental Education Centre operating across a number of sites. Some 15000 people visit Belgenny Farm, and another 4000 visit Camden Park House, the original Macarthur family home which, is still occupied by the family.

Also some 2000 people visit Menangle’s historic shop and bakery, and churches.  There are over 70 weddings at Belgenny and 10-15 in Menangle Churches every year. Macarthur Collegians Cycling Club holds cycling events on Station Street and Moreton Park Roads with up to 100 riders on a regular basis. The Nepean River Reserve on the Nepean River is also well used by locals all year round because of its park, fishing, beach and swimming area.

This is a total of well over 30,000 people visiting the area annually and obviously has the potential to grow with the right leadership.

Belgenny Farm Trust held a Strategic Planning day recently to develop their strategies.  It was identified that much could be done to improve the areas prominence and that part of the problem is the area is bounded by three councils, Camden, Wollondilly and Campbelltown and linking them. The result was some excellent ideas on increasing tourism and education in the area.

The Food, wine and tourist trails are not well advertised and need to be developed. Both local wineries are developing cellar door facilities and the Menangle Community Association is considering possible options to increase tourism.

To negotiate access for teaching of 19th century curriculum …provided the integrity of the learning environment remains intact, and this depends largely on maintenence of a significant curtilage.

The authenticity of the experience relies on the space and background aesthetics of a rural school.

The plan is for one room to be a Museum and the other a Historical Day school for Stage 1 and 2 Children, to satisfy the history requirements of the current sylabus.

There is a need for this in the South west as there is a long waiting list of schools for the historic school experiences that currently exist.