As I am want to do when bringing you tales of a town for the first time, one of my reference sources (amongst many) is always 'Aussie Towns'. I have so often found that the words of this excellent website mirror my views.
This is indeed the case when it comes to Wilcannia, and, as I read the relevant passage I recognised myself as one who had for many years held the 'popular' view of this town. This had been driven in part by my own experience so many years ago when I was severely 'humbugged' by a group of the locals, but I shall now be the first to admit that subsequent to that my unaltered views were unfairly prejudiced.
This is what 'Aussie Towns' has to say:
This is indeed the case when it comes to Wilcannia, and, as I read the relevant passage I recognised myself as one who had for many years held the 'popular' view of this town. This had been driven in part by my own experience so many years ago when I was severely 'humbugged' by a group of the locals, but I shall now be the first to admit that subsequent to that my unaltered views were unfairly prejudiced.
This is what 'Aussie Towns' has to say:
"It is impossible to write about Wilcannia without discussing what white visitors describe as "the Aboriginal problem". There has long been a perception, fuelled by newspaper reports and images of groups of local Aborigines standing around outside the pubs in the main street, that the town is a hotbed of violence, dysfunctional behaviour and "problems".
It is not uncommon to hear, in White Cliffs, Cobar or Broken Hill, people declaring that they drove through Wilcannia and did not stop because it looked so dangerous. And it is very common to hear locals advising visitors not to stop in Wilcannia because it is a dangerous town.
This assessment is simply not true.
Sadly very few travellers get out of their cars, have a look around this genuinely fascinating historic port town and talk to the local Aborigines, who are, almost without exception, very friendly and only too happy to chat about this interesting township on the banks of the Darling River."
Well, today there are no pubs operating in the main street, and although we did not have the occasion to chat to the locals, we had no sense of disquiet as we wandered around what is indeed a 'fascinating port town', one which reminded us in so many ways of its northern neighbour on the River Darling, outback Bourke.
There can be little doubt that the town appears to be in decline. Many of the shops on the major streets are boarded up and derelict, and the repairs and restoration of two of the town's major buildings have clearly stalled as you will shortly see.
But for all that the town remains dotted with beautiful old sandstone buildings which stand as evidence of a much more prosperous time in Wilcannia,
when its position on the banks of the Darling River and the wool production on the surrounding sheep stations saw river boats jostling for position alongside the wharves carved into the river banks and camel trains laden with wool bales plodding into town (with thanks to 'pic click' for this photo)
We began our town tour by parking the Cruiser at the south-western end of Reid Street, the thoroughfare which could be considered the town main street.
From here it was shank's pony for the Mobile Marshies.....the only way to really 'see a town', and looking to the north-east along the street the bulk of several large old buildings was evident.
The first to which we came, on the side of the road furthest from the nearby river, was the residence associated with the 'law and order' hub of the town.
Immediately adjacent, one of the most imposing buildings of the town houses the Wilcannia Police Station. Originally much of this served also as the local gaol.
Information plaques (some of which are sadly a little the worse for wear) can be found throughout the town. They provided us with fascinating insights,
which I can now
happily share with you.
The Court House building makes up the third of this trio,
which together as a group form a most impressive sight here on Reid Street.
Almost directly opposite, half hidden behind a huge pepper corn tree (a species so common in these dry, outback towns) is the impressive facade of the Frew, Wright and Co. warehouse, one of many which lined the river bank during the town's heyday.
Here again, the relevant plaque brought us a scene from the 1890's
and this insight into
just what went on here,
as does this old photo of the P.S. Ariel and a barge laden with bales of wool for which I thank the 'State Library of SA'.
Two single storey, but equally ageing buildings, stand next to this one remaining warehouse. The sandstone walls of that in the middle once enclosed the town's original Inn
whilst its brick built neighbour, on the corner of Reid and Cleaton Streets, has a somewhat similar history. It too began life as a hotel, 'The Punt', the name of which was later changed to the Courthouse Hotel. It is said that for the last thirty years of its life as a local watering hole (it closed in 1990) this pub was considered the best in town.
In 2013, after three and a half years of work, the restored building came to life again as the Courthouse Cafe and Gallery, a development which was hailed as a real fillip for the town. Despite a rapidly acquired reputation for fine food and coffee, sadly this venture did not survive and is now on the market. As 'Miss Inquisitive' soon discovered, all is still set up inside as if the doors were about to open, but there was not a soul to be seen.
Diagonally opposite, the original Queens Head Hotel no longer hosts thirsty throngs, but at least it has not closed altogether, well, not if the 'Air B&B' sign above one of the doors is to be believed.
At this point in our jaunt around town we detoured off Reid Street and made our way down the short street which ran beside the Courthouse Cafe. This took us to the edge of the river where a nearby sign told us that this once bustling transport corridor was, at this point, 700 kilometres from its confluence with the River Murray and, from there, boats using this waterway to take wool to Goolwa, for example, still had another 830 kilometres to travel.
But no matter how determined the river boat skippers were, today none would be able to move an inch. As we looked upstream to the old and new road bridges
and downstream from our vantage point, we could see that this sometimes mighty river had been reduced by the drought to little more than a series of muddy waterholes.
As we stood looking at the all but dry river bed, it was hard to picture the river as it can be when the rains have fallen and the Murray-Darling basin catchment is in full flow, but this shot (thanks again 'Aussie Towns'), showing the same downstream section we were currently surveying, demonstrates just what a difference a good season can make.
Looking at the town as it is today, it took some stretch of the imagination to picture what it must have been like here in the late 1800's when Wilcannia was the third largest port on the Darling River, boasted thirteen pubs, had a population of over three thousand and even supported its own newspaper, the 'Western Grazier'.
It was, with Wentworth, Echuca, Mannum and Goolwa, one of the major Murray-Darling river ports which played a vital part in the transport of goods, notably wool and wheat, in the days of the paddle-steamers.
These boom times were all based on the river trade, with wheat and wool going south to Goolwa for trans-shipment and goods and supplies being brought up in the opposite direction. The staggering statistic which records that, in 1887, two hundred and twenty-two river boats passed through this port, provides some idea of just how busy Wilcannia was in those days. It is unsurprising that in this period it was known far and wide as the 'Queen City of the West".
The discovery of gold at nearby Mount Browne and the development of the opal fields at White Cliffs on the approach of the turn of the Century, when Wilcannia also then became the miners' supply depot, saw the river traffic and trade increase.
But, as we were seeing today, this did not last. Improved rail and road transport systems, both of which were far more reliable than the river steamers, spelt the end of the river traffic.
Wilcannia now hosts a population of just over 500, well over half of whom are indigenous. The history of Government tribal relocation to this town, where it was naively expected that all would mix and get on without trouble, is another story!.
Just north of the point where we had been standing pondering the days of old on the river, a long riverside park stretches back towards the Barrier Highway.
Here we could see the town War Memorial and a children's playground surrounded by well kept lawns with massed trees providing what would be essential shade during the hot summer.
Looking along the park from its far end, a number of coloured sign boards stand out amongst the trees.
Apart from a very good tourist information map of the town and its surrounds (including a series of photos of local flora and fauna),
here we came across another feature of this riparian park in the form of large story boards featuring local identities.
The record of the remarkable life of a remarkable woman, Granny Moisey, is one example of what
can be found in this part of the park. What a great initiative this is.
For many years a large proportion of the aboriginal population of the town was illiterate, but it was clear to us that this situation has altered considerably. The brightly coloured sign in the front yard of this modest tin house opposite the park caught my eye as we walked past.
It said much about local attitudes and the importance placed on education (bearing in mind that in this context 'deadly' means very good!)
By now we had meandered up to the intersection of Reid Street and the Barrier Highway, the heart of the town. Here stands another of the magnificent sandstone buildings which are a hallmark of Wilcannia. This is the Post Office with its attached residence.
Here again we found roadside plaques
which told us the story, not only of the establishment of the Post Office but also another lesser know facet of life here in the late 1800's.
No wonder thirteen pubs survived and flourished during this era what with shearers and drovers drifting into town to 'knock back' their cheques at the bars, river boatmen coming ashore to swallow more than muddy river water and hoards of undoubtedly dry and dusty coach passengers all looking to slake their thirsts.
And right opposite the Post Office stands one of the establishments in which all and sundry could do just that, the Wilcannia Club Hotel.
This is the site of the first pub in the town, but the present building did not rise here until 1879. On a nearby plaque we came across a description of the town as seen through the eyes of one E.F. Murphy, a station had at the nearby Murtee Station.
He had this to say about Wilcannia as it was in 1876.
Believe it or not, we have a real family connection with this establishment. Many years ago the owners and licensees were none other than the parents of Liz's brother-in-law. We have heard many tales of the Wilcannia of that time during various family gatherings.
But that was a different era, and not only is this pub now shut, like all the others, so are the two shops adjacent to it.
.
A few short steps across the highway from the Club Hotel building is another poignant example of the demise of Wilcannia, and one of the two stalled restoration projects I mentioned earlier.
The scaffolding and support structures are holding up all that now remains of the once large and important Knox and Downs emporium.
Once again I'll let the information boards nearby
tell the story of this store.
From here we pushed on further along Reid Street, where, nestled in the centre of this group of buildings we found yet another of historical significance.
The Wilcannia Athenaeum was a local community project which took some time to reach fruition. For years various committees worked hard to raise the necessary funds. Finally, in January 1884, this home to a school of the arts, which included a library and reading rooms, was opened with much pomp and ceremony.
A street procession through the town included the local orders of Druids and Oddfellows (I have always thought this a very apt name!), all in full regalia, led by a brass band. As the procession neared the building it was met by the brethren of the Masons, one of whom was no less a person than Edward Dickens, the son of the author Charles (you may recall we had already learnt of his presence in this area while in White Cliffs.....he was working on Mount Murchison Station which at the time surrounded the port of Wilcannia).
Now when the words 'full regalia' are mentioned, that is exactly what was meant. I cut this old photo from a nearby information board showing one of the local Masons in full battle dress. Each to his own!
It was at this point on Reid Street that we came across another stark reminder of the somewhat parlous state of the town at the moment. Here this entire group of shops stand boarded up and closed.
At least the local pharmacy, a little further to the north and housed in one of the town's original stone buildings, was open for business.
At this end of Reid Street we came to yet another reminder of the status and significance of this town in its heyday. Now the home of the local council, this fine edifice was originally built to house the London Chartered Bank which opened its doors for business in 1887.
Whilst the banking was conducted on the ground floor, the rooms of the upper storey, and later, this fine residence to the rear of the building, were used to house the manager and staff.
Well, that brought us to the end of the grand buildings of Reid Street, but, in the words of that old TV Advertisement, "but wait, there is more!".
At the the intersection of the Barrier Highway and Woore Street, the Anglican Church provides another example of the use of the local sandstone.
Also in Woore Street, the sadly decaying walls of the original Catholic Convent spoke of prosperous times.
And here we have stalled town project number two. If, as this notice on the garden gate proclaims, work began here in 2012-13, there seems to be precious little evidence of it. What a shame!
At least those of that particular faith do have a place of worship in the much more modern building next door.
Before we bring this town tour to an end we have one more significant street to go...Ross Street. We already had this thoroughfare on our radar. It is home to the local Golf Club and the town's famed Chinese restaurant, but as we did a mobile recce to confirm the location we discovered much more than this Wilcannia 'house of chow'.
Shaded in part by this huge tree, this comparatively large public health facility provides some idea of the wealth and importance of Wilcannia in the late 1800's.
It was designed by Edmund Blackett no less, who was at the time, widely acclaimed as the architect of St Andrews Cathedral and the University of Sydney. Built of locally quarried white sandstone, the building was completed in 1879.
Then in 1896 this building hosted an experiment of real significance. A private trial of X-ray apparatus was conducted by the then hospital superintendent, one Mr Bennet. The local newspaper trumpeted this achievement, noting that this was the first hospital outside Sydney to possess such equipment. What is not reported, however, is whether or not those conducting these experiments with a fluorescent screen and a crude cathode ray generator, had any inkling at all of the potential dangerous side effects of over exposure.
Opposite the hospital building we found the town's original water tower dominating a pretty little dry land park.
What a different scene this was in 1886! The brick building in the background housed pumping equipment which drew water from the river to fill the tank from which a gravity feed system then provided water for the town.
And now for something right out of left field. Many I am sure will have heard of Rech's beer, a famous NSW brew, but just how many would have realised that it was first produced right here in Wilcannia.
Here, on the site where the golf club now stands, the Red Lion brewery rose in the late 1800's.
I'll let the information plaque on the nearby roadside
tell the story.
This discovery was, for me at least, one of those 'scratch the surface of a small country town and see what is there' moments, and again, this was clear evidence of the significance of Wilcannia in its heyday.
As I mentioned, the old brewery buildings have long gone to be replaced by the modern Wilcannia Golf Clubhouse.
I scuttled in here during a quiet part of the day to snap the entrance area
and the bar whilst things were quiet (and to make a booking for our evening meal).
As I pointed out earlier, this is now the only operating public bar in the town. As you might imagine, this was a much busier place when we returned at about 1800 hours for a quiet libation and a much anticipated Chinese meal.
We soon discovered that Chef Robert (he was certainly Asian notwithstanding the name!), a man known far and wide locally for the quality of his kitchen, was about to leave the club and go into retirement. The staff were bereft. The lass who took our orders bemoaned this coming event constantly.
Needless to say, this gnashing of teeth suggested to me that all we had heard of Robert's cuisine must be true. Sadly, dear readers, this was not the case, and I suspect all who so loudly sang his praises were making a judgement off a low threshold! The meal was acceptable, but far from the most tasty Chinese cuisine which has ever graced the plates in front of me. Indeed, as we munched our way through the lemon chicken, beef with vegetables and a large special fried rice, we both recalled the excellence of a similar feast which we had stumbled across in the tiny town of Peake Hill so many years ago.
But we left replete, with the added bonus I had not had to soil a utensil in the van galley this evening.
What a fascinating stopover this had been. Our expectations had been more than met and we retired congratulating ourselves on a sojourn which had been well worth while. And as you may have gathered by the detail of this missive, I am more than happy to advocate that a visit to this town, which extends beyond merely a fuel stop, is absolutely worth while.
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