from the then land owner during this time. Four years later, Hornsby Road Metal Limited acquired the lease of the quarry, which they held for more than ten years. When Hornsby Road Metal Ltd first took over the lease of the quarry, crushed blue metal was being hauled to the ride in skips on a narrow railway line. As production increased, a continuous chain of buckets was installed to deliver crushed rock to the screening plant, above the valley floor. During the 1930s, bushland walks were apparently created around the quarry as part of unemployment relief. The quarry operations were temporarily closed down during World War II, and work did not recommence until the 1950s. In 1954, the Council sub-leased the quarry. The lessee worked the quarry until 1959 and production increased dramatically during this time. In 1959, Hornsby Blue Metal Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Farley & Lewers Ltd, acquired the quarry and Council lease. Farley & Lewers commenced management of the present quarry operation and acquired several of the original Higgins family properties. Farley & Lewers was subsequently taken over by CSR Ltd and incorporated within the Readymix Group. CSR Readymix continued to operate the quarry until its recent acquisition by Council. Products produced by the quarry included road base and aggregates. Acquisition by Hornsby Council In recent years, the quarry became increasingly unviable due to the poor quality of extracted material and the then owners, CSR Ltd, explored opportunities to fill the site with either waste or virgin excavated material, or rezone areas of the side for medium density residential development. Neither of these proposed options was undertaken and CSR Ltd subsequently served notice on Council to acquire the site on 22 March 2001. In accordance with Council's obligations under the HSLEP, and the statutory processes required under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act, Council obtained the approval of the Minister for Local Government on 9 May 2002 to acquire the quarry site and the adjacent lands. The final transfer of title was formalised on 31 May 2006. Higgins family conservation of the cemetery In 1992, a Conservation Plan was prepared by Godden Mackay Logan and a cemetery restoration project commenced. The work proceeded under the guidance of archaeologist, Siobhan Lavelle who supervised volunteer workers from the Higgins family and friends. A stonemason was engaged for the skilled restoration of graves and monuments with family members