Putty, New South Wales
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Putty is a small town in New South Wales, Australia in Singleton Shire. It is north west of Sydney on the Putty Road between Windsor and Singleton.
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[edit] Geography
The town lies in a wide valley. The knee-deep Putty Creek, or the Tupa, rises in north at the foot of Mt Kindarun, and runs the length of the valley before joining with the Wollemi Creek which then feeds into the Colo River.
Adjoining the Putty Road (State Route 69) at a distance of 81 km from Singleton and 91 km from Windsor, Putty Valley Road services the northern stretch of the valley, while the recently relocated Box Gap Road services the south western end.
Land holdings in the area extend to the boundaries of the Wollemi National Park in the west and south, the Putty State Forest in the north and the Yengo National Park in the East.
[edit] Commerce
While the number of large land holdings in Putty are diminishing to make way for smaller hobby farms, livestock production (primarily beef cattle) continues on a small scale.
A saw mill, located on the eastern side of the Putty Road produces sawn timber from locally cut raw materials.
Local trades and services include an earthmoving business, a building/construction business and a tea room that can also provide overnight accommodation.
[edit] Infrastructure
Town water and sewer are not available at Putty. A 22,000 volt electical disribution line runs into the valley, but many residents in outlying dwellings rely on solar power and generators due to the distance back to the main line. The telephone system is serviced by a local automatic exchange.
In September 2006 Telstra commissioned a 3G/CDMA mobile tower near the Putty Road adjacent to the Putty Valley Road turnoff.
Only one terrestrial television signal (Newcastle based NBN) is of a usable quality in some parts of the valley. Residents must rely on satellite services for more variety.
The closest retail outlet is the Garland Valley Roadhouse, 12 km north of Putty, although the roadhouse really only caters for travellers. Residents of Putty must travel to Windsor (91 km), or Singleton (81 km) for food, clothing and agricultural supplies.
[edit] Social
The majority of Putty residents have a strong community spirit. This was recently illustrated during the construction of the Rural Fire Service Station, where many residents donated countless hours work and large amounts of money. The land that the station stands on was donated by a private landowner. All members of the Putty brigade are volunteers.
The Putty Community Association (PCA) currently operates the Putty Community Hall, an historic building that stands on land donated for the purpose, and as the land title deeds dated 1918 state: "Upon trust for the use of the residents of Putty for Public, Religious and Social gatherings and for such other purposes as the said residents may from time to time determine...". The hall has undergone a continual restoration over the last 20 years, using volunteer labour and funds donated or raised during social events. Several members of the volunteer Putty Rural Fire Service Brigade are also committee members of the Putty Community Association.
The PCA hosts several annual events at the hall, including an Anzac day service, a Christmas gathering, a Christmas in July, and the "Biggest Morning Tea" to raise money for cancer research. The major social event is the Putty Spring Fair, held at the hall usually on a weekend-day in September. Various information and training sessions are also held at the Community Hall from time to time.
The hall also serves as a place of refuge during times of local disaster. Bushfire and flood can quickly isolate the town making a return home impossible if caught on the wrong side. For such occasions, the PCA operates an emergency satellite phone in the event of a failure of the local telephone system.
The Putty Community Hall has been the subject of a long running feud between the Putty Community Association and a Sydney resident, Mr John Laycock (father of corrupt Sydney ex-police officer Christopher Laycock). Mr Laycock disputes the legalities of the current status of ownership of the hall and wants the title of the hall and land to bear his name only. To this stage, Mr Laycock has refused to surrender the certificate of title, despite court orders, and currently faces contempt charges. Mr Laycock does not own any land at Putty, nor has he ever resided there.
