Day 7 In Bathurst

Saturday in Bathurst, after a bit of a wild thunderstorm lasting all night, and a soggy start to the day, we set off to stock up and check out the town.

When we were driving in, it seemed very large and spread out, but in reality it is quite compact and about the same size as Hervey Bay.

We collected some information from the Tourist Bureau, their things to see, then spent time researching the historical aspects of the town.  The lady at the information centre told me the first school was in the Court Yard Lane, and that some hangings occurred there.

But there was nothing in the information.  So, the story is that 10 Irish bushrangers were hung in the yard, and if my family were living here, the children would have been in the school in 1876, later events have perhaps changed that view.

Then there was such a lot of information to be found about the bells and the bell ringers!  Nothing in the information sheets.

Our first planned stop was 10 klms away, but on the way, we passed the hospital, what a lovely building.

Then onto Abercrombie House, a magnificent home perched on a hill, built in the 1870's by the Stewart family. It contains 50 rooms.


There was an antique fair on at the time.  More research needed on the Stewart Family from Scotland!

 

Then into town, where the historical precinct was surrounded by huge tracts of parklands.


The Courthouse in Russell Street, was opened in 1832, a magnificent building, consisting of two wings and a fully enclosed rear courtyard where the hangings must have occurred.

The left hand wing houses the Historical Museum, limited hours on the weekend, and the right hand wing is a music academy.

 

Across the road was a park devoted to those who served in Military Conflicts from the Boer War to
the Vietnam War.  I had read that the Boer War monument was visited by Lord Kitchener in 1910.
Another of my passions, is the life of my 3rd cousin second generation, Colonel Anthony William Durnford, RE who was blamed for the loss of the Zulu War in 1879.  Lord Kitchener was also a Royal Engineer and involved in the Victorian Wars.  He may be best remembered for the photo urging young men to enlist in WW1.

A walk down Court House Lane revealed the walled rear courtyard.






Another monument has been erected to Evans, the man who founded the town.

The railway station was another beautiful old building.  Still used as the railway station today, and one famous Australian worked in the railways.

The Ben Chifley Engine

 A selection of old homes near the Railway station, and a street scape with the old electricity lamps.


















 A couple of streets away from the Railway and here was the home of Ben Chifley, the 16th Prime Minister of Australia!   He worked in the railways.

Beautiful gardens outside the home.

Ben Chifley's home, Australia's 16th Prime Minister.