Safari 2019 August 30th

Friday August 30th 2019

The new invention of wire about 1860

 Another cold morning with a delightful day to follow. Washing was foremost in my mind! Once this was done we drove out to visit the old Wilpena Homestead site. It was most interesting. Buildings have all been renovated with care for the style in which they were built. The sign boards were very creative in their wording. I took particular interest in the blacksmith shop, mainly because I clearly remember being with my father and using some of his blacksmith equipment. Blacksmithing is unheard of in today's modern life except when an artist develops the skill of making sculptures.

Some comments about blacksmiths and their tools were very pertinent to farming and life in the 1800s 

 Old nails and horseshoes preserve the vanished Smithy's story. As souvenirs, these items lose their voice and the story fades'

Blacksmiths put shoes on horsed and slippers on working bullocks. They repaired the wagons and drays that hauled stores & produce between the runs and distant trade centres.

As an artist and craftsman, the Smithy understood the language of fire and hammer. He worked with colour and sound, shaping gates, tools and nails, shepherd's crooks and hoes, well buckets, horseshoes and knives. 

 Carefully restored old Wipena Homestead

One last comment on the story boards, which made me smile...
Hymn Books and Prayers....Religion on the early runs was lean, like settlers and the lives they lived. Ministerial journeys began as early as the 1860s to remote & isolated settlements.

Lonely Wilpena Station Cemetery

In the bush in a far away corner of the Home Paddock was a very small cemetery. There were only 2 tombstones visible but no doubt there have been more folk buried there, some of whom did not have a memorial tombstone - some whose lives have been forgotten.

We had a quick 'take-away' lunch, did a rather large shop at the IGA store (in readiness for leaving tomorrow) John walked again this afternoon along the rod and up to Hills Homestead again and up to the Lookout. He was weary on his arrival back at the van. I walked part of the way with him and read the notice boards and counted the bird nesting boxes..of which there were 4. Maybe used by Lincoln Ringneck Parrots, Galahs or Corellas

Photo of tiny Dunart taken from the information board

 Tiny Dunarts live along Wilpena Creek...in the many holes among the logs and in the root spaces.