Week Commencing 18.10.10
Monday 18.10.10 – We headed off to Geraldton , passing the Pink Lake which wasn’t pink at all. Amazing we were told that it can be different and you are just lucky to see it pink. We stopped for lunch at Northampton which is one of the oldest settlements outside Perth . Northampton was declared a town site in 1864. In 1993, Northampton was classified by the National Trust as a “Historic Town”. We visited the Museum which took us about 3 hours, there was so much to see and the lady was very passionate about her job. We settled in to the Sunset Caravan Park later that afternoon.
Tuesday 19.10.10 – We visited the Information Centre and ended up doing the 2pm tour of the Victoria Hospital and the Old Goal. Once again a very interesting afternoon, these people who do the tours are great they a very passionate. The goal cells are leased to Arts & Crafts group who sell their wares.
Wednesday 20.10.10 – Today we went on a day trip to Walkaway & Greenough. The township of Walkaway is derived from a crop failure circa 1860 when a few farmers “walked away” from their land. When an indigenous man was asked where the farmers were, he said “They wagga wah” in his pronunciation of English. Walkaway was the name given to the railway station when the line was built from Geraldton in 1887. In 1894 it was linked with Midland Junction by the building of a private line by the Midland Railway Company. From here we went to Ellendale Pool which is 20kms east of Walkaway. This lovely natural pool laps at the foot of an impressive river cliff and is surrounded by tall shady trees. On this occasion we had lots of flies to join us for lunch – not nice. After lunch we went to the Alinta Wind Farm, which is located near Walkaway. The Wind Farm is the largest renewable energy generator in Western Australia, capable of powering the equivalent of 60,000 homes or in broad terms, all the power consumed by Geraldton. The are 54 Vestas 1.65 Megawatt Wind Turbines.
Our next stop for the day was Central Greenough Historic Settlement. Located approx 25km south of Geraldton and 380km north of Perth , the Greenough flats form the flood plain of the river system close to the mouth of the Greenough River. The buildings and altered landscape provide an example of colonial expansion in the mid-nineteenth century- an expansion which dispossessed the indigenous population of is resource rich land. Central Greenough developed as the local administrative centre, housing the churches, schools, stores, government and law enforcement offices necessary to service the surrounding farms.
• Greenough Store – Constructed in 1886, the building served as a store until 1936, after which it was used as a residence.
• Central Greenough School – The school was built by William Trigg in 1865, the first teachers being James & Susan Rowe. It also served as a community hall and an Anglican place of worship.
• Police Station and Goal – The police were first stationed at Greenough in 1863, and two years later. Maitland Brown was appointed the first Resident Magistrate. In 1870 work began on the construction of the Police Station, Gaol and Court House. Built by J Nunn and HF Brophy, it cost 1,500 pounds. The gaol cells were not used for the long term housing of prisoners, who were instead transferred to Geraldton upon conviction. Four of the cells were for white prisoners, holding one or two people in each. The fifth, larger cell was for Aboriginal prisoners who were chained to the iron bar along the back wall. A small enclosed exercise yard was located adjacent to the cells. The building complex served a variety of purposes, all associated with government services. In addition to the court room, which also served as a meeting place for Greenough Road Board until 1906, the complex housed the police station/charge room, a retiring room used both by the magistrate and visiting doctor, the police sergeant’s quarters, a school teacher’s quarters, a kitchen for preparing prisoners’ meals and from 1874 a post office. A stable for police horses and two outside toilets were at the rear. Ticket-of-leave men dug a 22 metre deep well in the rear courtyard.
• St Catherine’s Church – Is the second Anglican Church built at Central Greenough. The first, an iron and timber building that had been shipped complete with all fittings from England, was erected on Company Road in 1892. It was replaced by the present building in 1913. St Catherine’s church is still in regular use for worship.
• St Catherine’s Hall – The plans for a community hall were prepared in 1893 by Perth Architect Thomas Whitney. It soon became a popular venue for dances, parties, concerts, politicial meetings and flower shows. During the 1930’s the hall was used as a school. It continues to be used for social functions.
• Hackett’s Cottage – Ned and Harriet Hackett, who ran a store on land adjacent to their home built the cottage after the 1888 flood. Ned was a versatile man. As well as running the store, he also acted as the community’s blacksmith, cobbler, carpenter and undertaker.
• Presbytery – Was built in 1900 by Mr Bennett and furnished by the church, it housed the local priest for thirty years. Monsignor Hawes was the last priest to occupy the house. The house was later used as a boarding house for some of the older boys from the Convent School.
• Goodwin Cottage – The Catholic Church built this cottage in 1890 for Ned Goodwin, a retired policeman, and his wife until Ned died in 1912. The Presentation Sisters used it as a school until 1958, demolishing a wall between two small rooms to make one large schoolroom.
• St Peter’s Church - Was designed and built by W Martin in 1908 and continues to be used for worship today.
• Greenough Convent – The convent was constructed in 1898 to house a group of Dominican Sisters from New Zealand. They conducted a mixed day school in the large room until they moved to Dongara in 1901, The building was then taken over by the Presentation Sisters who ran a boarding school for boys.
On the way home we came across The Leaning Tree, these trees are buffeted by prevailing southerly winds and from the salt of the Indian Ocean, the trees of Greenough have taken on a decided lean. The horizontal trunks of the Red River Gum (eucalyptus camaldulensis) have become something of an icon for the region. We have taken a picture of one particular tree which is on the Brand Highway – Greenough Flats.
Thursday 21.10.10 – Sunday 24.10.10 – We have really been a little lazy this week as it is very windy and not for much at all. Today, Sunday we took ourselves for a 2 hour hike up the Chapman River.