Though Moruya and the South Coast might well have a rich past it is only via the passion of just a few who ensure that history is captured and preserved for coming generations. We are incredibly fortunate to have local historical museums and groups that cover the region and we are more than fortunate to have the many volunteers who devote countless hours to archiving and researching. In addition we have local authors who capture the stories of our past and celebrate the many lives and adventures that add to the very fabric of the towns we live in today. Behind every older facade of our local towns there is a story to be learnt and through the efforts of local authors and passionate historians we can learn these and appreciate that we too are just passing through the history of the region. Many in the Moruya township know Norm Moore. At 90 years of age Norm has been in the area for donkey's years. Norm has a passion for the town and a passion for its granite. And the story of Moruya's famous granite begins with the Louttits.
Back in 2017 Norm approached the Beagle and asked if he might be able to do a series of articles on the Louttit family that would unfold the history of the region by its telling and also reveal to a wider audience the story of Moruya granite and early colony architecture and design.
From these articles came his book "The Forgotten History of Louttits Quarry and Construction of Captain Cook's Monument"
It comes at no surprise then that Norm Moore has been nominated for the Fergus Thomson OAM Heritage Award 2020 that recognises local individuals, groups or organisations who have made an outstanding contribution to our appreciation and awareness of the rich heritage of the Eurobodalla Shire in the last two years.
Video: Moruya Historian Norm Moore"The Forgotten History of Louttit's Quarry and Construction of Captain Cook's Monument" March 14th 2019 Norm's nomination reads: Mr Norm Moore is an icon in the history of Moruya having lived in the town for nine decades
watching the township evolve from its early roots to the now modern hub it has become.
All the while through the evolution of Moruya Norm has been passionate to ensure locals
and visitors alike are informed of the rich heritage the town has. For decades he has
attended local schools offering lessons in local history, covering the earliest days of Moruya
through to its role in the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
He has celebrated the township commissioning an exhibit of the first blacksmith in the area
and using that exhibit to bring to life the rich past the township enjoys.
Disappointed by the lack of history described around the township Norm single handedly
sought to capture and present that history and deliver it in a series of articles he published
celebrating the Louttit family. By way of their history he was able to give life to the history
of the region and the role it played in the birth of the NSW colony.
Norm assembled his articles and produced, at his own cost, a rich glossy book entitled "The Forgotten History of Louttits Quarry and Construction of Captain Cook's Monument" that was launched on March 15th 2019.
Norm is a passionate historian who believes that history should not be locked behind closed doors and in glass cabinets but instead brought to life and made readily available to the public via information boards around the town to inform, include and enrich the cultural
journey of a region he calls home. The winner of the Fergus Thomson OAM Heritage Award 2020 will be announced on Tuesday 8 December 2020. Entries close at 2pm Friday 30 October 2020. Enquiries can be directed to Council's heritage officer on (02) 4474 1324
