Thompson Square

Thompson Square is the oldest town square in Australia, dating back to 1795. It was formed from a grassy reserve set aside to allow access from the ridgeline main road to the water’s edge of the Hawkesbury River. Most of the commercial traffic in the new colony was water based, which explains why Windsor, the third-​oldest place of British settlement on the Australian continent, is 55 km inland.
Thompson Square was originally the centre of the village called Green Hills. In 1811 Governor Macquarie named this open public space after Andrew Thompson, a ‘founding father’ of Green Hills, later proclaimed as the town of Windsor by Governor Macquarie as one of the five ‘Macquarie towns’ in the Hawkesbury area. As the fifth governor of New South Wales who succeeded the infamous William Bligh (Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty), Macquarie he was intent on elevating the colony of New SouthTogether they had a vision of transforming the colony above its beginnings as a penal settlement. In 1809 Macquarie was appointed governor of NSW to replace William Bligh who had been deposed by the mutinous NSW Corps. Governor Bligh and Andrew Thompson had a run-​in and Thompson was arrested for alleged misappropriation of rum; Thompson had papers in evidence that Bligh was misappropriating money from the colony. I think we call that corruption.
Andrew Thompson was transported to the colony in 1792 aboard the Pitt but served out his term and in 1796 was appointed constable at Green Hills by Governor John Hunter. He was pardoned in 1798 and became a respected land owner and prosperous businessman operating a store on the square from 1799. In 1810 Governor Macquarie appointed Thompson as magistrate for the Hawkesbury district, the first emancipist to hold this office. An emancipist was a pardoned former convict. Thompson became the wealthiest man in the colony with his successful wheat farms.
Macquarie was to rely heavily on Thompson’s extensive local knowledge to advise on the sites for the five Hawkesbury townships. Andrew Thompson died in 1810 as a consequence of saving settlers in the great flood. I think he contracted pneumonia. The following year Macquarie dedicated the square to the memory of Thompson as follows:
«The square in the present town I have named Thompson Square in honour of the memory of the good and worthy late Andrew Thompson Esq. Justice of Peace & Principal Magistrate for this district, and who may justly be said to be the father and founder of the village hitherto known by the name of Green Hills; there being hardly a vestige of a single building here, except the Government Granary, when he first came to reside on the Green Hills ten years ago.» Quoted in Jack 1990, p108.
An excellent biography of Andrew Thompson is at:
The public space of Thompson’s Square gradually became defined and bounded by Georgian and Victorian style colonial buildings from the period. Many of those historic buildings still remain and most of the buildings in Thompson Square are also listed individually for their own particular historical and architectural merit on heritage lists including; the Register of the National Estate, the National Trust of Australia Register, the NSW State Heritage Register and the Cumberland County Council List of Historic Buildings. These buildings have been wonderfully restored.
When I visited my parents in this area, rock bands played at the square on Sundays and you would see some classic Australian bushman characters with their long ZZ Top beards get rolling drunk and have a great time.
There is currently a controversy surrounding a proposed new bridge to replace the existing Windsor Bridge, the road for which will pass through Thompson Square. Lots of people are very upset.