THE ONSLOW WATERFRONT AND A STUNNING MEMORIAL (3 - 5 MAY 2015)

Our caravan park was called 'Ocena Vew' and our site was designated 'beachfront'.  The 'view' bit was correct, but to call what lay below us at the water's edge a beach was, for us, something which demanded the use of some imagination.  I know we were spoilt living in Adelaide, particularly at South Brighton, where we just took the expanses of white, soft sand for granted, 

but here, anything which is not rock is termed a beach (I must say at this point that this is an observation not a criticism). At high tides the whole issue was irrelevant....the water lapped the rock wall. Here again you can see the results of Cyclone Quong and the outpouring of the Ashburton River in the turbid condition of the usually blue sea. This was somewhat disappointing, but we did see it clear just before we left, and for us, any view over water is better than the alternative.

We were travelling into the 'high tides' part of the WA coast.  When the water fell, as it did late in the afternoon, our 'beach' was exposed as a small strip of course, dark sand and a large rocky shelf which extended a considerable distance. This particular strip is known locally as Sunrise Beach. 

   

A quick drive around the headland finds one at Sunset Beach, and here, beyond the small park (and the views of the loading salt carrier)

a short walk through the trees

brings the visitor to the much more expansive sands, seen here looking to the north.

In the opposite direction the beach itself is overshadowed by the bulk of the salt conveyor belt, but the sandy strip does extend well beyond that to the south. I was reliably informed that the fishing along here was well worth a try.....if only! The very thought of exposing the wound on my foot at this stage to an invasion of sand or any form of moisture had The Matron huffing and puffing in fits of professional indignation. Beach fishing was well and truly off my present agenda!

But I could walk......sort of.  I invite any of you to try walking without bending your big toe....that was my challenge for a three week period.  I was determined to hobble along somehow, and we did just that on the beachfront path in front of our park. 

To the east this extended past and beyond our caravan park and joined the grassed area of the 'esplanade' which featured a couple of blogs ago.

Westwards, this rather rough, but well used pathway ran past the local fish cleaning station

to the extraordinary Onslow Memorial Park no more than 300 metres from our site.

One of the primary reasons for our visit to Onslow had been to see this park (the fact that we found so much more of interest was a delightful bonus), and believe me, we were not disappointed.

Let me take up the story of this marvellous memorial by quoting directly from the Onslow War memorial website and the press release from the Shire CEO relating to its pending dedication.

"The tiny NW coastal town of Onslow WA (population 750) is abuzz with excitement and anticipation as the dedication service for their recently completed War Memorial draws near.At 11am on Monday 15 September [2014], invited guests, residents and seasonal visitors will gather together at Beadon Point for a simple ceremony to mark what has been an incredible achievement for this small community.

The memorial sculpture, the work of internationally acclaimed artisans Charlie and Joan Smith (HMAS Sydney Memorial Geraldton WA) is a stylized interpretation of the Australia Defence Forces’ Rising Sun cap badge. The sculpture is geographically positioned so that the rays of the rising sun shine directly through the arch each Anzac Day.In the words of one well travelled Vietnam veteran the Onslow memorial is the most evocative tribute he has seen; elegant and eloquent in its simplicity and spectacular location. A truly Aussie salute worthy of the sacrifices that inspired the construction of the memorial............."

Charlie and Joan Smith, no less (you may recall the absolute passion with which I sang the praises of the HMAS Sydney memorial in Geraldton)....no wonder the result is so striking.

So how did all this come about? Onslow, like just about every country town in Australia, had previously housed a memorial to honour those who served in WW1, but with the removal of the town from its original site in 1924, this had been lost. After this the impetus for a replacement had waned over the years with the diminishing number or members of the Onslow RSL.  A few years ago, at a time when a redevelopment of the Onslow foreshore was high on the local agenda, the Shire received a grant from the State Government to be used to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the bombing of the town (such as that was!) 

In their infinite wisdom, the good burghers of Onslow decided that a new Memorial park was the ticket. With the grant funds augmented by contributions from Onslow Salt, the Pilbara Development Commission and a bit more tipped in by the Shire, the Smiths were commissioned, and the end result is now here for all to see.

What a story, and what a triumph for this tiny Pilbara coastal town. In addition to the main memorial, there are a number of other delightful touches, including this bench on which two bronze slouch hats rest (courtesy of Chevron)

and this, installed in memory of seven local fishermen lost at sea when their vessels the 'Lady Pamela' and 'Harmony' foundered in the huge seas whipped up in February 1995 by Cyclone Bobby.

And then, for me, a real little oddity, a stone and plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first British nuclear bomb test on the not too distant Montebello Islands. Given the iniquitous way in which the Brits behaved after the Maralinga tests, and their inexcusably intransigent refusal to provide well deserved compensation to the many who suffered dreadfully as a result of exposure to the resultant radiation, I found this addition to the Onslow Memorial park somewhat distasteful.

On a brighter note, looking back on the park from the beginning of the 'Ian Blair' walkway, you can see the rotunda and sheltered seating installed for any who wish to picnic here or just sit and contemplate life (and death) generally. This entire place really is a triumph of local initiative and drive.

Another surprise....the walkway, which extends 1.1 kilometres from the Memorial park to the small park at Sunset Beach.  Liz galloped its entire length on one occasion whilst I remained 'confiend to barracks'.  But here was the second occasion in this State where we had come across a significant small town acknowledgement of the services of their local member of the constabulary. Ian Blair had been sent to Onslow to police the district in 1959.  After his retirement he chose to make Onslow his home, where he continued to make valued contributions to the improvement of the local lifestyle. "Well done that man"....your name lives on in Onslow!

I did manage one small jaunt along this very well constructed path

to a lookout not to distant along it.

From here we could look down over the coastal scrub to the seafront as it rounded the headland, and it had been from here that we had spent an entertaining hour watching the salt bulk carrier make its way to its mooring at the end of the conveyor jetty.

We also took advantage of this lookout to take in an Onslow sunset on one occasion. It was well worth it.

As we slowly wandered back to our digs in the pastel haze of the distant rising moon, a couple to whom we had been chatting kindly offered to record the moment for posterity.

We did make the most of our our position right on the seafront. What a delight it was to take our ease no more than five metres from our site and raise a glass to the splendour of the sunset,

with the marvellous Onslow memorial silhouetted against the dying colours in the western sky.

And, after many, many attempts, I did manage to catch the lights of some of the vast number of lateral channel markers, which guide ships into the Onslow dock at night, as they flashed (very quickly, once every three seconds). Thank goodness for the digital age...had I been using film this result would have chewed through many metres of it.

We so enjoyed our stay here. Onslow had lived up to all we had expected of it and more. As I said in my introduction, we can understand why this small coastal town would not appeal to many, but for us it was just the shot.  Large, somewhat controversial industrial development on a huge scale, a town of interesting architectural contrasts, one of the best Memorial parks in the country, the sea on all sides, an obviously 'can-do' local community and a caravan park where, on the right site, relaxation is almost mandatory. A return visit is very much on our forward planning books.