On the outskirts of Goulburn we found the Pioneers’ Cemetery, incongruously flanked by an industrial zone and poorly maintained. Broken headstones, heaving ground, and barely trimmed grasses were the resting places of pioneers who had died as infants, barely two weeks old, or drowned in the Wollondilly in their 20s, or fallen from a horse, or passed away at a ripe old age, more by chance than medical care of which there wasn’t much in those times.
Amazingly, the graves of several members of the Durack family were barely kept even though they would assuredly be key players in the history of Australia. Michael Durack died at 45 years leaving 7 children. Beside Mary Durack's headstone is one for two of her children who died aged 6 weeks and 2 years. Close by, another headstone was for a pioneer who died at 39 leaving 13 children - an insight into how tough and hazardous a pioneer's life must have been. Requiescat in pace.
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Amazingly, the graves of several members of the Durack family were barely kept even though they would assuredly be key players in the history of Australia. Michael Durack died at 45 years leaving 7 children. Beside Mary Durack's headstone is one for two of her children who died aged 6 weeks and 2 years. Close by, another headstone was for a pioneer who died at 39 leaving 13 children - an insight into how tough and hazardous a pioneer's life must have been. Requiescat in pace.
Garroorigang Historical Homestead
Built as a pub in the pioneer days, then used as a gentlemens’ school, and finally as a dairy farm, this attractive homestead was shown to us by the housesitter who was a fountain of knowledge about the house and its contents.
Our guide was linked by marriage to the Hume family and was originally a McDougall of the well-known Scottish clan whose members also were pioneers in Australia. She was amazed when we told her we had just read in the visitor's book that the last visitor was a McDougall. She rushed to have a look and was disappointed to have missed a relative.
Our guide was linked by marriage to the Hume family and was originally a McDougall of the well-known Scottish clan whose members also were pioneers in Australia. She was amazed when we told her we had just read in the visitor's book that the last visitor was a McDougall. She rushed to have a look and was disappointed to have missed a relative.
She showed us through the family heirlooms of the Hume family – highlights included a 19th century wine eskie, a fancy chamberpot and washbasin portable cupboard, embroidery as fine and detailed as a photo, and memorabilia from the diplomatic career of the last Hume. The founder of the Hume dynasty came over with the Second Fleet, exiled for the crime of playing about with the wife of a superior. The old schoolroom, overseen by a fearsome bewhiskered portrait of the principal, Mr Belcher, had desks and inkwells plus a bottle of writing solution as used in the late 1800s. A blackboard stood at the front with beautiful copperplate handwriting from the 1980s.
Goulburn Centre
A drive along the wide streets of the centre brought us to the famous letterbox built at the right height for a rider to post letters without dismounting.
On the outskirts of town are the stockyards conveniently next to the railway line for transporting to market.
Crookwell - Australia Day – Sock It to us Australia.
The weather was crisp and cold in the morning as we drove to Crookwell. Robert borrowed Gen’s fleece and we both swore we would bring cold weather clothes next time even in the middle of summer. A sign by the roadside said to be aware this is alpine climate subject to major temperature changes. Both of us got to wishing we had socks, when, like magic, a billboard appeared beside the road announcing that Crookwell had a sock factory. A quick visit to IGA grocery store in Crookwell got us sorted with socks – Gen with socks for ladies; and Robert with Mens’ Business Socks - and we were off to Taralga to do rodeo business with our socks.
In the afternoon, it was all change to sunshine and heat. We were left with our supplies of socks and soup untouched - swapping them instead for a chilled glass of white with some tinkling ice cubes.
In the afternoon, it was all change to sunshine and heat. We were left with our supplies of socks and soup untouched - swapping them instead for a chilled glass of white with some tinkling ice cubes.
Taralga Rodeo - Australia Day
Arriving at noon, we joined the small crowd at the arena watching the poddy herding by what looked like toddlers.
Highlight of the day was the trick riding by a team of young Aussie lady riders who flipped off the back of their horses, did handstands, and did the suicide move – hanging by one heel from the bridle whilst upside down and trailing a hand in the dust.
Bareback bronco riders followed, including one who stayed on for the 8 seconds but was given zero points because his helmet came off – cue huge boos from the crowd to the judges’ decision.
Highlight of the day was the trick riding by a team of young Aussie lady riders who flipped off the back of their horses, did handstands, and did the suicide move – hanging by one heel from the bridle whilst upside down and trailing a hand in the dust.
Bareback bronco riders followed, including one who stayed on for the 8 seconds but was given zero points because his helmet came off – cue huge boos from the crowd to the judges’ decision.
Youngsters in the crowd included lots of mini-Mes dressed just like their jeans and Stetson suited Dad, complete with the rolling stride and head tossing proudly to the side.
Also in the crowd were young bucks on a buck's party and various happy Australia Day partygoers.
Back in the campervan, Gen did some reviewing of her pics and discovered some extraordinary things going on in her photos.
Here is a heifer with socks.
A drag queen on the bronco.
A horse with a nifty hat.
Pejar Dam
On the way back from Taralga Rodeo we stopped at the Pejar Dam, built in the 1980s to supply Goulburn with water via the Rossi Weir. The success of the project is in question because other dams provide more to the water supply than Pejar. Nonetheless, it is an interesting sight with its narrow spillway and flourishing greenery at the bottom.
Here is a heifer with socks.
A drag queen on the bronco.
A horse with a nifty hat.
Pejar Dam
On the way back from Taralga Rodeo we stopped at the Pejar Dam, built in the 1980s to supply Goulburn with water via the Rossi Weir. The success of the project is in question because other dams provide more to the water supply than Pejar. Nonetheless, it is an interesting sight with its narrow spillway and flourishing greenery at the bottom.
Goulburn Campsite - Australia Day
Pull in to the Goulburn campsite and we are invited to join an Australia Day sausage sizzle opposite the van. We grab a glass of wine and start talking to a couple of older couples who have been on the road 12 and 14 years respectively. The 12-year travelling couple reminisced about the Gibb River Road in the Kimberleys. Apparently, the Shire sent the grader in too early and the road copped a huge rerun of the Wet with huge rains pouring down. However, the Shire only had had money for the one grading, so the road got left in a right state and tourists started driving along its rutted surface only to flip, bog and crash. Helicopters were called for the injured; and breakdown trucks cost $2000 bucks to come all the way from Kununurra to retrieve bogged vehicles.
The 14-year couple’s husband gets talking about the need to be aware on the road, not paranoid. He says it is good to have a weapon and be prepared to use it. He has a 20 inch sawn-off shotgun easy to manoeuvre to the driver’s window. He also has a gun safe and an ammo safe with interchangeable keys. He has had a few tight moments when he had to level the firearm at guys in Queensland, white and black, whom he then told to either back off or fall down.
Another friend of his had been up in the Top End when he came across a black with the bonnet up in his ute. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the top of a head hiding in the bushes on the opposite side of the road. He fired a shot into the bushes and told the guy with the ute to tell his friend in the bushes to come out. The bloke shouted to his friend who came out stiff-legged with what was obviously a .22 automatic stuffed down his trouser leg. The husband’s friend trained his gun on the guy from the bushes and told him to drop the gun and stand back. Then he took the gun and drove off to the local town’s police station where he handed it in and gave a description of the ambush vehicle and the ambushers.
Another friend of his had been up in the Top End when he came across a black with the bonnet up in his ute. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the top of a head hiding in the bushes on the opposite side of the road. He fired a shot into the bushes and told the guy with the ute to tell his friend in the bushes to come out. The bloke shouted to his friend who came out stiff-legged with what was obviously a .22 automatic stuffed down his trouser leg. The husband’s friend trained his gun on the guy from the bushes and told him to drop the gun and stand back. Then he took the gun and drove off to the local town’s police station where he handed it in and gave a description of the ambush vehicle and the ambushers.
The Big Merino Ram
One of the Big Things in Australia, this ram towers near the campsite. Disappointingly the dag ends of the sheep have been rendered invisible - even so, the steely gaze and rampant horns are worth the visit.
Monday Bank Holiday
As cold as it was the day before, today enjoyed blue skies and blazing sun. We headed first to the Beam Engine Drinking Water Pumping Station, dating from 1873 and still running under the care of volunteers, in a picturesque spot beside the Wollondilly River.
Next we drove via backroads and interesting rock formations past a colourful row of letterboxes en route to Bungonia Nature Conservation Park, to the south-east of Goulburn.
The park is famed for its limestone caves as well as a Lookdown and Lookout across to Moreton National Park.
A hefty gash in the view is the limestone mine, operating since 1870, that supplies half of NSW’s concrete and cement needs; as well as chomping away at the landscape leaving a huge white scar.
The park is famed for its limestone caves as well as a Lookdown and Lookout across to Moreton National Park.
A hefty gash in the view is the limestone mine, operating since 1870, that supplies half of NSW’s concrete and cement needs; as well as chomping away at the landscape leaving a huge white scar.
We broke the trip back to Sydney with a stop in Marulan. The splendid Royal Hotel, built in 1872, was by far the most opulent of all the inns in the town with plush velvet curtains and beautiful furnishings. At about the turn of the century, all the hotel licences were recalled by the Government and the Royal Hotel was not re-issued with one.
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