Monday 7 November 2016

Next stop, Tocumwal, NSW

Tocumwal was our next stop to have a walk around as we were both getting a bit stiff sitting down driving since about 6.30am.

Tocumwal is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales.  Has a populations of approximately 1,860 people.

Prior to European settlement, the Tocumwal area was inhabited by the Ulupna and Bangerang Aborigines. The first pastoral runs were established in the 1840s. The town was established in the early 1860s and recognised as a village in 1872. Tocumwal Post Office opened on 1 August 1868.

During the Second World War the town was the site of Royal Australian Air Force Station Tocumwal, which was a major Royal Australian Air Force training airfield and aircraft depot. Today, the airfield is a renowned gliding site.
 
After the war families were housed at the American air Force Hospital,the men travelled daily over the river to Yarroweyah to work on farms which they could then apply for under the soldier settlement scheme. The Hospital was on or next to Barooga Station. Living quarters were made in long Nissen huts, 3-4 in each with a shared bathroom. Single quarters were at the front and a cook was employed for them.
After the war ended, many of the Air Force houses in Tocumwal were disassembled and trucked to Canberra to be rebuilt and reused in new and inner city suburbs where they provided Government housing to workers coming from Melbourne and Sydney to construct the new Capital City. To this day they remain a distinctive architectural form in suburbs such as Ainslie.

So lots of history in this town.




 These two photos are of the picnic area along the banks of the Murray River just over the border from Victoria to New South Wales.




Old tree across the road from the park, it would have many a story to tell.


 A Murray Cod.
A real one maybe be caught just over the bank in the Murray River


Strutting along as these three Galahas.

Farm-ily lives in this district, I waved as we drove by.

44 comments:

  1. Lovely.
    I would so like to hear that tree's stories.
    And the galah's bully boy swagger always makes me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't know about the Nissan huts in Canberra. We had them here and there is at least one still in use a take away alcohol business. The early settlers loved planting peppercorn trees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neither did I know about those huts until I researched for my post - I guess there are heaps of things we don't know about the past in our country.
      Those trees are a lovely tree.

      Delete
  3. Good story cultural with great images. I loved the last, with the birds in row.

    Kisses

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think that you are going to be very equipped to write the definitive guide to Australian tourism!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I don't know about that David :) I suppose pointers on our part can and could be given if asked.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. It was for only about 30 minutes that stop along the journey.

      Delete
  6. The old peppercorn tree brings back memories of my youthful days at good old Boomi
    right up on the NSW/QLD border.
    "Lousy Jacks" or sometimes called "Twelve Apostles" ( I am sure there were more than 12 in a flock) loved these trees for building their mud nests only to have we, kids, steal the eggs for Nature Study classes at the little 2 man teacher Primary school. Willy Wagtails also loved these trees for nesting, stealing their eggs was another "kettle of fish" - dive bombing by these miniature "stukkas" resulted in many a thud of said egg thief to ground zero!
    The three galahs look like they are on the Duntroon Parade ground.
    Great report, Margaret.
    Colin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Colin.
      Always learning about the towns and cities we go through, and it's good to share with photos.

      Delete
  7. Thank you for the wonderful tour. Great pictures

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't think I've seen a Galah before though here the only place I could see one is a zoo, such a beautiful bird.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adam, they are a very lovely parrot we had one as a pet some years ago.

      Delete
  9. Another pretty town and quite a bit of history too.
    I love the galahs strutting along, that's very cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those galahs look like they are marching off somewhere and meaning business in doing so :)

      Delete
  10. Sounds like an interesting little town, liked the photos

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Galahas have lovely colouring and look as if they behave in a comical manner.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Interesting history and I love that burly old tree.

    ReplyDelete
  13. that really IS an old tree. And a BIG fish. And the Gahalas are wonderful, just marching along.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I remember driving along beside the Murray, lovely part of Australia.
    The peppercorn trees do grow to a great size.
    Merle.................

    ReplyDelete
  15. I enjoyed reading the history. Such a pretty area by the river to picnic and/or fish. I've never seen any birds like that; very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  16. wonderful area to explore lot about history .
    the bank park is so beautiful .
    you captured the lovely birds in a perfect motion

    ReplyDelete
  17. loved that old tree resembles to one back in my village .
    such old trees definitely have so much to share if one has time to breathe under

    ReplyDelete
  18. You covered Tocumwal's history very well!! Thanks for the share. If only I had known you were in town we could have met for a coffee. Ah well... there is always next time.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh isn't that old tree amazing ...what a story it could tell.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for calling and your comment.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." Aesop