After this we headed out to the pool for a quick swim before checking out town further. Checking out town is basically visiting all the old hotels in the main street. There used to be six pubs scattered along the main street, all within two blocks (not bad for a town of 2,500 people). There are now five as one had to be closed down as the building was deemed unsafe. We started at the Union which is still owned by the same people who had it when I was there. I was able to talk to the publican about my time there and get a lot of info about the people who were around at that time. Very interesting to see who is still there and who has moved on and what these people have done and are now doing. From there it was a quick visit into the Railway Hotel and then the Artesian Hotel without stopping for a drink. Neither was a favourite in my time there and I just wanted a quick look in. The Artesian Hotel was in a state of disrepair when I was there and it looks like nothing has been spent on it since that time. Not sure exactly how it is still standing.
Of course we had to check out the famous Tree of Knowledge. It is common knowledge that the original tree was poisoned some years ago and there is now a great monument built here which incorporates the dead tree, somehow preserved. An enormous wooden structure and, some may say, a bit of overkill especially at a cost of 8 million dollars.
Finally ended up at my old local, the Shakespeare Hotel. Had a good look around and a drink or two in the public bar. Was lucky as apparently it had been shut for a while after the previous licencee had walked out and has only been reopened in the three weeks before we got there. I managed to meet up with a couple of people I knew from my time there and had a good chat about the old days, much to the amusement of Vicki and the boys.
On our next day there did the skate park thing with the boys, checked out Barcaldine's other major tourist attraction, The Australian Heritage Centre and had a look at a few other sites including the local weir where they first pumped artesian water from. Finished it off with a visit to the showgrounds, home of the mighty Barcaldine Sandgoannas of which I was a part of their 1983 side which fell one game short of taking the title (ie we lost the grand final).
Was good to see the old town again and I still recount with fondness my days there as a young 18/19 year old on my first venture away from home. It was a lot of fun; but I don't remember it being this hot.
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| Just to prove I was there. Found a 1984 electoral roll in the town archives |
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| Artesian Hotel. The oldest pub in Barcaldine. And it shows. |
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| The Shakey. My local drinking hole while living in Barcaldine. |
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| Pat Ogden and his daughter Pauline. Pat owned the Globe Hotel when I was there and is a bit of a local legend. Caught up with him and Pauline in the Shakespeare Hotel which they now part own. |
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| Me and the boys at the end of the bar in the Shakey. This is where I would sit with my mates (ie fellow bank johnies both Westpac and CBA) and drink back in the days. |
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| The Union Hotel. Used to have a $5 (huge) rump steak meal here every Friday night before venturing out further (venturing out further means going to one of the five other pubs). |
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| Me and Jacob under the Tree of Knowledge memorial |
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| This is the quarters that I used to live in. It is in pretty much the same condition as when I lived there (however I did not see inside of course). Although it used to have a motor bike track around the house and this is no longer there and has been returned to grass. |
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| The local footy side I played for - the Barcaldine Sandgoannas. I played in the 1983 grand final which we lost to the Winton Devils. Due to injury inflicted by the devils this was the last game I ever played. My origin career was cut short here. |
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| Boys having some time at the local skate park |
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