crossing the blue mountains

[lark]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything more about the flyover from Sydney to Bathurst celebrating the crossing of the mountains. Think its meant to be on May 25. However have heard little about it. Was hoping to get some photos. Assume its still on?

 

 

[flying dog]

I heard it is still happening.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson walked. They would have loved the opportunity of a flyover

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson walked. They would have loved the opportunity of a flyover

Caution: Major Thread Drift!

After the crossing, the explorers were rewarded with large grants of (some-one else's) land. Blaxland built an estate near Broke. While working there in 1975 I came across the overgrown ruins- an awesome "Lost Cities" moment. I spent a few days exploring and making maps and drawings. A huge mansion, stone chapel and various other buildings, including a few underground- perhaps wine cellars.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Is that were he (Blaxland) ended up. Lol

 

(broke& penniless)

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Is that were he (Blaxland) ended up. Lol(broke& penniless)

spacesailor

From the scale of his estate, he must have had plenty of start-up capital... And plenty of free convict labour.

He named his Broke estate for his hometown of Fordwich in England. In '75 I was working on the nearby vineyard of the same name.

 

It too was set up with lots of investment capital, but is no longer. Perhaps the town name jinxed them too?

 

 

[boingk]

That is freaking awesome Old K, bet it was a very unique and enjoyable experience.

 

What were you doing there for work, if you don't mind me asking? Its just blowing my mind that all that was still there.

 

- boingk

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

That is freaking awesome Old K, bet it was a very unique and enjoyable experience.What were you doing there for work, if you don't mind me asking? Its just blowing my mind that all that was still there.

 

- boingk

Thanks for the interest, Boingk. Mostly tractor- driving on the vineyards; harvesting, pruning spraying, plus helping in the winery. Learned a lot. Drank a lot more.

The locals told me about the ruins, about a kilometer south of Fordwich Estate. Its all changed now, and I can't find anything familiar on Google Earth.

 

Most of the old convict-made bricks from the old mansion had been stacked up when I first explored the place. They were used later to build Blacksland's Barn at Pokolbin. I fear the stone has been robbed as well.

 

As a result of Jack Munday's Green Bans (I was once in the BLF) there is better protection of our scarce colonial heritage now.

 

 

[facthunter]

Jack Mundy saved the Rocks area. Great effort. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Jack Mundy saved the Rocks area. Great effort. Nev

The BLF and people like Juanita Nielsen set out to protect low-income earners from having their run-down terraces replaced by blocks of flats. Jack Munday was engineered out of the union and spent years weilding a shovel; Juanita Neilson was "disappeared", and now the area is overrun with the trendy rich.

Irony abounds.

 

 

[boingk]

Thanks K, really good history and something I've always been interested in. I really hope the buildings are still in some kind of repair, it'd be terrible to lose even more of our heritage.

 

I must try and get out there and see if they are still there, perhaps a good excuse for a flying holiday through wine county?

 

- boingk

 

 

[planedriver]

That was so interesting!

 

There's a lot more to this site than cross-winds and failing bolts.

 

Thanks for posting the info O K

 

Kind Regards

 

Planey

 

 

[lark]

Looks like the bicentenary flyover is still going ahead. According to Matt Halls website on the 25th of May. Aircraft departing from Bankstown, Camden and The Oaks.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Thanks K, really good history and something I've always been interested in. I really hope the buildings are still in some kind of repair, it'd be terrible to lose even more of our heritage.I must try and get out there and see if they are still there, perhaps a good excuse for a flying holiday through wine county?

 

- boingk

If it can in any way be restored, it should be done. That is one place where stimulus spending benefits the present and the future at once.