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Petersham Horse Trough

Overview

The Petersham Horse Trough, made out of precast concrete, was erected in the 1930s by the Bills Trust. A dog trough is attached at ground level on the right side. A terrazzo plaque, situated prominently at the centre-front, reads ‘Donated by Annis and George Bills, Australia’.

Around 700 troughs were installed throughout Australia by the Bills Trust in the first half of the 20th century to provide relief for working horses and ‘other dumb animals’ (as set out in George Bills' will).

ICS was commissioned to remove and relocate the trough to a new platform away from the edge of the road.

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Treatment

After removal, and prior to relocation, conservation works on the trough included:

Replacement of the exposed and corroding connecting rods with new stainless-steel rods, conservation and patching with concrete
Anti-corrosion treatment of exposed and corroded reinforcement
Surface cleaning with water and soft brushes
Application of biocide
Inpainting of plaque lettering
Application of silane treatment to reduce permeability, thus reducing future water ingress and slowing the rate of corrosion of reinforcement

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