Thomas Cook of ‘Turanville’ was one of the most benevolent pioneer benefactors in Scone in the late 19th and early 20 centuries.
For much of the 20th century the Thomas Cook Fountain was the centrepiece in the middle of the Kelly Street/Liverpool Street intersection. It was removed when the roundabout was instituted. Art was again the casualty of the immutable domination by the traffic Gods.
COUNTRY NEWS
The Sydney Morning Herald: Monday 18th November 1901 (Trove)
A DRINKING FOUNTAIN
SCONE, Saturday.
With a view to marking the accomplishment of federation, Mr. Thomas Cook, of Turanville, has presented to the town of Scone a marble drinking fountain, which was unveiled this week by the Mayor (Alderman Shaw).
The fountain stands on free-stone steps. Above there is a moulded marble base course, supporting a diminishing die, with heavily-moulded top, upon which are pilasters, with carved capitals and panels, indicating the dawn of the Australian Commonwealth. A fine effect is gained by sur-mounting this with a heavy cornice, the dome-shaped top being of such a nature that it forms a handsome support for an acetylene gas lamp. Marble horse-troughs are provided on either side. The whole structure (including lamp) reaches a height of 13ft. In unveiling the fountain the Mayor said he was glad to be in the position to publicly thank Mr. Cook, on behalf of the people of Scone, for his princely generosity in endowing the town with such a handsome monument.
This was not the first time that the town had benefited by Mr. Cook’s large-hearted and handsome public spirit. Their hospital, their School of Arts, and their churches would stand out as enduring monuments of Mr. Cook’s noble-hearted generosity. They all bore evidence, as did his gift of that drinking fountain, of his warm interest in the welfare of the town of Scone.