Tag Archives: Australia

Portraits of a Place

Before leaving Australia I returned to Bexhill, invited to spend a few days with one of the families in the village.

I have a little more to write shortly, but in the mean time, I wanted to say a big thank you to all the lovely people I have met, not all of whom are here (apologies, there are one or two escaped my camera). Everyone has been warm and welcoming, and generous of their time and stories and I have really appreciated and enjoyed you sharing them with me (I hope I can do them justice), thank you:

Kaye and Selwyn (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Kaye and Selwyn (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Tom and Evelyn (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Tom and Evelyn (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Colin at the Brickworks (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Colin at the Brickworks (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Grant at home (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Grant at home (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Bob on Beck's Hill (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Bob on Beck’s Hill (Louise Kenward, 2014)

George at the General Store (Louise Kenward, 2014)

George at the General Store (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Jenny, Mayor of Lismore and villages (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Jenny, Mayor of Lismore and villages (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Ian and his book, pizza night, Bexhill NSW (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Ian and his book, pizza night, Bexhill NSW (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Mrs Geraghty, descendent from one of the original settlers to the Bexhill area (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Mrs Geraghty, descendent from one of the original settlers to the Bexhill area (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Wonderful Liz, Denver and Reece (Louise Kenward, 2014)

…and a special thank you to the wonderful Liz, Denver and Reece, who all made me feel very welcome in their lovely home.

Reuniting with Annie

Catching up after all the excitement of reaching Bexhill and I have travelled much of the Australian coastline in Annie’s path, from Adelaide to Townsville. Her descriptions of the landscape and places visited evoke a lovely sense of the country as it was, very much in development, capturing a sense of the attitudes and values of the day. From Annie’s perspective at least.  Some attitudes don’t always seem that distant.

“Working men in the colonies have a good time if they can only keep sober and are honest and industrious. Indeed those in the old country can scarcely form an idea of how superior the working man’s condition is out here. Of course there are quite as many ne’er-do-wells here as in the old country, and I fear that the policy of the Government rather encourages this class, and that there is trouble in store in the near future…”

Annie’s experience of rail travel is a little more different, however, I haven’t had any galloping horses when I’ve been late for a train

“We waited until a quarter to seven, and then, as our proffered escort did not turn up, we had to go to the station without it, for fear of missing the train. Five gallant members of the troop joined us on the way. The commanding officer wore blue dress uniform, and the others were in scarlet. It was amusing, on our way to the station, to see the late comers galloping furiously along the road…” (The Last Voyage, Lady Brassey)

Sunlander leaving Maryborough West for Cairns (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Sunlander leaving Maryborough West for Cairns (Louise Kenward, 2014)

One of the most striking practices in Australia which hasn’t altered since Annie’s visit, is the way that each state has their own Governments, their own laws, their own way of doing things. This is a little disconcerting for visitors, but does help to make sense of some of the peculiarities I have come across. This was especially surprising with regards to train travel (I had naively assumed it would be the one company I would deal with travelling around the one country). When Annie travelled by train from New South Wales into Queensland she had to walk through a fence, crossing the border on foot.

At Wallangarra “…we left the train and stepped through the rail fence which divides New South Wales from Queensland. A walk of about 200 yards brought us to the Queensland train, where we found a comfortable carriage prepared for our reception…” (The Last Voyage, Annie Brassey).

From there she travelled to Tawoomba on the rail line running alongside what is now the New England Highway, linking Sydney and Brisbane. The line has ceased use in recent years, although the station on the border is now kept as a museum. Alas, there is still no connecting train service from New South Wales to Queensland. Instead, a convoluted bus connection will travel from Casino to Brisbane. Given the penchant for gambling Australia has, and the chances you take in deciphering the bus timetables, Casino seems entirely appropriately named. I had been looking forward to trying to find the point at which Annie crossed through the fencing on the border, but it is some distance further inland. The train service today runs more or less along the East coast. Again it does seem that it has not altered significantly since the end of the nineteenth century in many respects. While this does add to its charm for the most part, it has made being stranded in Townsville following cyclone Ita all the more frustrating, as I am trying to rebook a train north to Cairns for the third time in as many days.

Sunlander, last stop Townsville (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Sunlander, last stop Townsville (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Sailing through the Whitsunday straits and around the islands last week. (Louise KEnward, 2014)

Sailing through the Whitsunday passage and around the islands last week. (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Whitsunday sailing (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Whitsunday sailing (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Sydney Harbour Bridge by night (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Sydney Harbour Bridge by night (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Great Ocean Road (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Great Ocean Road (Louise Kenward, 2014)

State Library, Adelaide (Louise Kenward, 2014)

State Library, Adelaide (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Travelling from Adelaide to Melbourne, Sydney and on to Brisbane, sailing through the Whitsunday Islands and on up to Townsville, I have crossed Annie’s journey at each point. Lord and Lady Brassey enjoyed a very thorough trip of Australia and I am spending about the same amount of time here that they did. What has also been wonderful is the trace left by their journey. In State libraries I have found references to the couple, from books written about Governors and their wives, with fabulously gossipy tales of the women who did not get along, to entries made in newspapers recording their trip and stops made along the way. Regarding the former, it seems that lovely Annie was far more dignified in her diaries than the ‘perfect Governors wife’ Lady Loch, who’s halo rather slipped when she wrote

“‘I never saw anyone give themselves such airs as Ldy Br and they certainly will not be loved in Australia…I think they stir up my bile (especially Ldy B) more than any one I ever met in my life…’ She [Lady Loch] thought Lady Brassey ‘must be mad’ and when she received a gushing letter of thanks decided that she was a hypocrite as well: ‘Tho’ I knew she hated me she signs herself “my very aff-ate!” Lady Loch’s judgement may not have been so harsh had she known that Lady Brassey was suffering from recurrent attacks of malaria…” Colonial Consorts, The Wives of Victorian Governors, Marguerite Hancock (Chapter 9)

On discovering this, I was keen to re-read Annie’s diaries, I didn’t recall a Lady Loch, and am sure I would have remembered this.  However, the best I could come up with was this:

“…we lunched at Government House. After bidding goodbye to HE and Lady Loch, from whom we have received so much kindness…” (The Last Voyage, Annie Brassey, 20th June)

Straight talking Annie remains as dignified as ever!

Combined with re-tracing places visited, identifying locations the Sunbeam docked, and people met, it has evoked a greater sense of Annie’s presence. This shift in time and place was made all the more real when, in the Victoria State Library in Melbourne, the very helpful librarian, Katie, seemed surprisingly knowledgeable of the Sunbeam and Annie, as if she was regularly being asked about this Englishwoman from the nineteenth century. As I made to leave, we chatted more about my trip and the reasons for my interest, at which point Katie tells me that she is in fact a descendent of one of the crew who allegedly ‘jumped ship’ from the Sunbeam. I was utterly awe struck. A very physical connection to the very boat I have been tracking around the globe. Tall story or not this is golden to me. To be so close to the Sunbeam and the voyage I am following, it was incredible. There have been moments in my journey where Annie has felt as though she is just around the corner, and once again I am left wondering just how far away Annie actually is.

Devils and Diemens

I have tried to spend my time during my travels pursuing activities and seeing sights as unique to the countries visited as possible. Nowhere was this more the case than in visiting Tasmania, it had to be devils.

Tasmanian devils are synonymous with the Warner Brothers cartoon. I discovered that this was apparently based on, or at least inspired by, Errol Flynn. His father had been a zoologist working with the creatures. While the cartoon has little to do with any factual characteristics of devils, the personality of the cartoon character is said to have more than a passing resemblance to Errol himself.

Tasmanian Devils have been registered as an endangered species since 2004. To be found no where else in the world, Tasmanian Devils have seen their populations fluctuate in response to a variety of environmental changes. Most recently they have been struck by a facial cancer, with the rare ability to be passed from animal to animal. It is contracted when a devil is bitten by one which is infected. These are not uncommon injuries sustained for Tasmanian Devils, largely solitary animals they do come together when eating, and where there is competition they will fight over food. Generally scavengers they will, for example, eat road kill which can put them further in danger of being hit by vehicles themselves. A hotline was set up in recent years to monitor where devils were being found at the side of the road after being hit. This has determined sites for signposts, warning motorists and imposing lower speed limits to protect them.

Dip Falls (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Dip Falls (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Where my journey fits in is a successful application to Sydney University, to work as a volunteer on one of their research projects. Run in conjunction with the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, I joined a researcher on a field trip to monitor, collect data and microchip new devils captured. One of the four sites used, set in the rainforest of western Tasmania, the first thing I noticed was that it was cold. Spending so long in tropical temperatures I had been looking forward to a little relief from scorching heat, but this was on a par with the UK! I unpacked layers of thermals again and was grateful of my ill-fitting rather fetching overalls as another layer of clothing. Okay, so the temperature was still in double figures but I’ve been in thirty degree heat for the last five months. It was a bit of a shock. The next thing I noticed was the landscape, it is beautiful and very green, more akin to Scotland or England than you might associate with Australia. Staying in the coastal area of Stanley, the beaches ran on both sides of the town. It was idyllic.

Stanley coastline (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Stanley coastline (Louise Kenward, 2014)

My first day and duties included helping to move furniture from storage, collecting a trailer, and looking for road kill. I probably hadn’t entirely thought this through. Of course, to monitor and collect data on devils you first need to catch them. To be able to catch them you need to bait traps, with things they eat, like road kill. I wasn’t entirely comfortable for the first few days, collected from the airport by this man in overalls with an axe and a large saw in the boot of the jeep, rolls of duct tape and bin bags, large plastic dustbins and so on, staying somewhere fairly remote without means of communication and spending our time on the look out for dead animals. I’m not sure, but this could have been the start to a film, one that did not end very happily for the person who got collected from the airport.

It's probably not as bad as it looks...Channing gets to work (Louise Kenward, 2014)

It’s probably not as bad as it looks…Channing gets to work (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Nonetheless this was a Sydney University research project. I clung on to this information and reminded myself regularly.

Early starts, and once all the traps had been set, each day started with a drive around the site checking each of the thirty traps for sign of captures. Spotted tailed quolls, another marsupial unique to Tasmania, and also endangered, were occasionally found in the traps too. These needed to be processed and released as soon as they were found. They do not respond so well to being captured as the mild mannered Tasmanian Devil. Yes really, on the whole the devils we worked with were pretty placid, allowing us to poke and prod them, taking measurements and checking their teeth. The quolls however found the whole thing a good deal more stressful.

Checking them over before releasing them again (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Checking them over before releasing them again (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Once all the traps have been checked, those with devils needed to be returned to, animals processed and released before resetting the traps for the next day. Weight, measurements and general condition was recorded, along with injuries and parasites. Most of the population seen were juveniles, born last year, they were new to the project and needed microchipping and naming before releasing and paperwork being completed. Finding mostly juveniles also suggested that it may have been a site where the cancer has recently travelled through. It is an unusual site, however, seemingly a transient one so I look forward to learning of the future field trips results as to the status of the population. The numbers were up on the previous visit however, so I hope that this is a positive sign and that some of the measures put into place are of benefit. I’ve certainly enjoyed a first hand view and much better understanding for it of this little known creature. And, smelly or not, I do really like them.

Just before being released back into the forest (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Just before being released back into the forest (Louise Kenward, 2014)

 

Bexhill to Bexhill part one

So nearly 50,000 km of train track and six months of travelling later, and I have arrived at Bexhill, New South Wales. Almost as far away from Bexhill, East Sussex as it is possible to get and yet not as foreign as the distance may dictate.

A small rural community, about forty minutes from the coast of Byron Bay. Sitting on the rail line from Lismore to Byron, the service is long since abandoned (although with some recent glimmer of hope that it may be resurrected as a cycle way and walking track). The train tracks still exist for the most part, although the station at Bexhill has been pulled down. I have spent time meeting with Tom, now living in what was the station masters house, and himself having worked on the railways for 44 years. Growing up his father was ‘in bridges and buildings’ on the railways, so it was only natural for him to continue to spend more time on the tracks as a child, drawn to the fixing and construction of the tracks themselves. Growing up himself, the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ he hails from Lismore, the dodgy side of town he laughs.

Tom, Bexhill NSW (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Tom, Bexhill NSW (Louise Kenward, 2014)

I have been welcomed by many in Bexhill, each person with their own story and connection to the village. Stumbling from one kindly soul to the next, across nugget of information and gem of discovery to another. I have visited the general store and it’s custodian and holder of all knowledge, George, who has directed me beautifully and kept me fed with tasty samosas. The ubiquitous Mrs G whose family dates back to original settlers from the UK. I have met Tom and walked the rail lines. I visited the brickworks, escorted by it’s foreman’s son, Col, another well of information and who’s family again have been generous of time and information discovering old maps and intrigue. I’ve met Bob with his wife and heard of their plans to visit Bexhill in the UK, enjoying lovely banana muffin and a nice cup of tea. Living on the Beck’s Hill itself, I had a 4WD ride to the top and marvelled at it’s views. And after many months of planning and several e-mails later, I have met Grant, synonymous with the village, his family having long established roots. Founder of the open air cathedral at Inspiration Point, among many other things Bexhill based, he also showed me around the church and told me stories of how entwined his family has been with Bexhill over the years.

One of the most exciting people to meet, however, was the author of the centenary celebrations of Bexhill. The book from which I have trailed from State library to State library from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, ordering and studying. No longer actually living in Bexhill, Ian does still attend pizza nights and presented me my very own signed edition of his work (if a bit baffled by my enthusiasm).

Ian and his book, pizza night, Bexhill NSW (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Ian and his book, pizza night, Bexhill NSW (Louise Kenward, 2014)

A place brings people to it for many different reasons. For some it seemed a nice place to move to in retirement, for others their family is so enmeshed in the place it is without question the locality in which they will forever stay. For others it is simply a place where there is a house.

 

A town that wasn’t meant to be

Another interesting thing I have learned about Bexhill, Australia is that it wasn’t meant to be, certainly not where it is if there at all. When surveyors were surveying and settlers settling, plans were drawn up at the place Bexhill now stands. Finding land with creeks proved to be good land to develop. It gave access to waterways for transporting timber, in what was cedar cutter country. This was to be Lismore. However, after a short while, and approximately 11 kilometres further in land, rivers were found. This was an even better spot. Lismore the first was abandoned and Lismore the second started, leaving what became Bexhill in its wake. Even more intriguing, Bexhill has never been finished. Early plans clearly show a number of roads which were never built. A place that was not meant to be, and that developers either became distracted from or changed their minds about. Either way, these curious tales make Bexhill all the more intriguing for me, something more intangible and ghostly.

Bexhill Cemetery (Louise Kenward, 2014)

Bexhill Cemetery (Louise Kenward, 2014)

 

Beck’s Hill

One of the first interesting things I’ve learned about Bexhill in Australia, is that it has absolutely nothing to do with early English settlers from East Sussex. Known as ‘Bald Hill’, the surveyor Mr Ewing recruited a Mr Beck to assist him for a time. Mr Beck must have been particularly good at assisting (or Mr Ewing short on imagination), for it is said that Ewing declared that the hill be known as Beck’s Hill thereafter. And so Bexhill was born – later perhaps mistaken for an English connection, or just coincidentally abbreviated to take on the same spelling.

Bexhill from Beck's Hill

Bexhill from Beck’s Hill (Louise Kenward, 2014)