Featured Image: Acknowledge ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001; by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle. Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2002

In October 1995 Belltrees was used as a location for Warner Brothers’ film ‘Fiddlers Green’ which was based on a true story of General Macarthur’s decision to mechanise the the U.S. army, which meant the end of the Cavalry was near. in 1934, the Cavalrymen were ordered to shoot and bury their horses. Five men rebelled and took four hundred of the horses from the Mexican border through the United States to cross the Canadian Border at Milk River. In Australia, in 1955, the video was released as In Pursuit of Honor.

The movie was commissioned by American Home Box Office for cable TV in the USA. It starred Don Johnson, Rod Steiger, Craig Sheffer, Gabriel Anwar all from the USA plus Australians Robert Colby and Neil Melville.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfK9MEo61tg

Many local people were involved in the production including Greg Bennett (manager), Julian Lord, Derech Homer, Andy Gordon, Tim Cone, Jeremy Metcalf, Paul Metcalf, Edward ‘Bear’ Payne, Jill Murphy, Jim Haydon and John Sylvester. Horses were sourced on a daily basis from Belltrees (100), Hamish Lee-Warner (35), Ross Greenwood (50) and Les Evans (80). Another 150 came form Broken Hill making a total of 415. Selena Graham (Sylvester) was the veterinarian in charge of horse health on the sets. Mathew Clarke of Aberdeen played the part of a Canadian Mountie in full uniform.