This week, Roy was going through some of the photographs he took last year when he noticed a series of photos of a bridge. Roy loves bridges, and he remembers the first time he saw this amazing bridge thinking he wanted to know more about it. In the excitement of visiting other places though he forgot all about this bridge, until now. So this week seemed the perfect time to find out more about the Hexham Bridge.
If you would like to visit Hexham, it is a small town in the Hunter Valley area, not too far from Newcastle, or indeed from the Sydney to Newcastle Freeway (the F3). The town is on the junction of the Pacific Highway and the New England Highway. The bridge itself, as you would imagine, crosses the River but there are now two bridges, one for each traffic direction.
Hexham is a sleepy little town situated just upstream from the Hunter River Delta. The Delta is full of small islands and so was never suitable for a permanent river crossing. Hexham however was and the first river crossing, a punt ferry was in operation in the 1800s. It was not the only ferry crossing in the Hunter area, but it was the busiest. As technology changed, so too did the punt, with a steam operated punt and later one to carry cars put in place. After World War One though, road traffic was increasing in numbers and people wanted to move between places as quickly as possible. The Hexham punt was becoming a bottleneck and holding the traffic up.
In the late 1930s, it was decided that a bridge needed to be built, but with the coming of the Second World War, the bridge was not actually built and opened until 1952. One of the major problems with building a bridge at Hexham was the need to allow room for coal carrying boats to pass underneath. In fact, wandering around downstream of the bridge Roy thought he found evidence of an old wharf which might have been used by just these sorts of ships! The ideal bridge would have enough clearance for them to pass even at high tide, but just the approaches to such a bridge would cost as much as the bridge itself! The bridge constructed was a steel truss bridge and had a centre span which could be opened to let boats pass underneath, and two lanes for traffic. By the 1970s though traffic had increased and Hexham was again a bottleneck. In 1987 another bridge was opened, a concrete bridge just downstream from the original bridge, which could carry two lanes of traffic in one direction while the steel bridge continued to carry cars in the opposite direction.
Recently, Roy was given a big container of old wrapping paper to play with. His Grandma was cleaning up, and she asked if he was interested in using any of the paper. Roy decided it was worth putting aside, but when he noticed that there was some bright green tissue paper in the box, he had an idea for it immediately. He decided it was the perfect time to try out an activity he had found in one of his old books – magic drawings. He was very pleased with the results, and thought it might even make great wrapping paper. So this week, Roy Creates Marvellous Magic Drawings.
You Will Need:
WARNING: An adult must supervise this activity, it should be done in a well ventilated area (outside is perfect) and you should wear old clothes, an apron and disposable rubber gloves while handling the bleach. Make sure you do not touch your face or eyes with bleach on your hands!
Method:
Imagine you are a housewife living in the early 1900s. You cook, look after the children, clean, look after your husband, look after the household, do the washing - the list never seems to end! You sometimes think that you work much harder than your husband, but it is generally work you love to do. The only thing you really don't enjoy is wash day. Scrubbing the clothes on the washboard in the hot soapy water is terrible for your hands.
When I showed the children this washboard (which has been beautifully restored) their reaction was very interesting. Many had not seen a washboard like this before and were amazed to realize that it was something which every household would once have owned. Some of the children recognized it as a washing implement but had not seen a glass washboard before, only those with a metal scrubbing surfaces. Most intriguingly, some of the children recognized the washboard not as a washboard but as a musical instrument having seen bush bands use them in the past.
So what exactly is a washboard? A washboard is a washing tool used for hand washing clothes. It is most commonly made of a wooden frame with a corrugated piece of iron or other metal as the washing surface. The one I showed the children is unusual as it has a glass washing surface. Washing boards have a long history though and were probably originally made completely of wood. We cannot know for certain when people first started to cut notches in wooden boards to wash their clothes with (an improvement to banging wet clothes on the rocks), but it seems likely that this first happened in the Scandinavian countries, as this seems to be where the earliest examples come from. However for centuries women in Italy and in England had used boards without grooves to help in washing clothes and there were also washing bats (for stirring and beating clothes) which had grooved patterns on the paddle piece. We do know though that by the 19th century wooden washing boards were being used in Europe and America, though they were not an item every household would have owned.
The invention of metal and wood washing boards is easier to pin down and these were certainly an American invention. On February 9, 1833, Stephen Rust of New York patented a washboard with a fluted piece of tin, sheet iron, copper or zinc as the washing surface, which is thought by many to be the first patent granted for a metal washboard. The metal surface was an improvement on the original wood as the wood grooves were worn down by repeated washing, while the metal, if cared for, would be more resilient. Later in the 19th century, glass washboards started to be produced, certainly before 1877 when a gentleman called Hermann Liebmann patented an improvement for glass washboards. His patent also shows that, at this time, there were washboards with porcelain and terracotta inserts available! These, and the glass washboards would be resistant to rust which was a problem with the metal boards, but would have been easier to break, which might explain why they were less common. They were probably also more expensive than a metal one, especially a cheap tin version! Washboards were, by the 20th century an item which would have been present in virtually every household and continued to be used until washing machines became common. Today, they can still be purchased and some still prefer to wash using them, but their chief use today is as a popular percussion instrument.
Last week, Roy spent some time visiting the Edogawa Japanese Gardens in Gosford (to find out about his visit click here). He loved the tranquil gardens, the beautiful Koi fish and the art gallery next door and decided it was a perfect place to enjoy a meal. The restaurant was lovely and he really enjoyed sitting out in the garden enjoying the winter sun. So this week, Roy takes you eating out!
If you would like to visit the restaurant, gallery and gardens, they are in East Gosford, on the shore of Caroline Bay. The street address is 36 Webb Street, and there is plenty of parking available in Webb Street and George Street. The restaurant is the Caroline Bay Brasserie and is open from 9am until 4pm. There is also a cafe for light snacks.
The Caroline Bay Brasserie is part of the Edogawa Japanese garden complex. The garden, set out in the Shoyu (wandering) style is a lovely place to have a stroll before, and/or after a delicious meal. There are good paths meandering through the garden, and the whole area is quite level, so it is the perfect place to take elderly people for a special day out. If you are taking young children though, make sure to supervise them near the lake and pond as the water features are not fenced. If you feel like a bit more culture, the complex also contains the Gosford Regional Gallery, which has wonderful, changing exhibitions.
After building up an appetite in the gardens and galleries, the Caroline Bay Brasserie is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. They are open seven days a week and offer full meals, but also morning or afternoon tea snacks. Being close to the coast, there is plenty of seafood to choose from on the menu, and Roy enjoyed salt and pepper squid and prawns while his Grandma enjoyed coconut prawns. There are also lovely salads available, delicious soups and meals featuring chicken and beef, including the ever popular burgers.
This week, Roy decided it was time to share a recipe which had been requested some time ago. Roy and I had been discussing food we remembered from when we were little with some family friends, and I mentioned Gem Scones, hot out of the oven when visitors arrived or on a cold day for afternoon tea after school. These friends loved the sound of gem scones and wanted to try them, and when they tried them, immediately wanted the recipe. So this week, Roy Creates Gem Scones.
Note: gem scones are best made in an old cast iron gem scone mould like the ones in the pictures. You can buy more modern aluminum ones, but the old ones just seem to work better.They are usually readily available for a reasonable cost in second hand or antique shops.
You will need:
Variation: You can add some sultanas to the mix or drop a dollop of jam into each gem scone before cooking if you like.
Method:
Imagine you are on a trip to China. You are visiting all sorts of wonderful places, and seeing all kinds of wonderful things. One thing you notice in particular though. There are turtles all over the place – statues, paintings, and the real thing, living in ponds in parks and gardens. Why so many turtles you wonder. There must be something significant about these creatures, and you have to find out what it could be.
When I took these little Chinese carved turtles (one jade, one made of Camel Bone) to show the children, they thought they were very sweet, but wondered what was so significant about them. The children are used to seeing little animal figurines, but turtles usually don’t feature highly. They were surprised when I told them how important and common turtles were in China, and wondered why this was the case. They were amazed to discover that the animal actually was a symbol of something important and special, longevity, and were curious to find out more.
In Western culture, turtles and tortoises are not particularly important. We all recognise them, and of course know the story of the Tortoise and The Hare. We generally think of these animals as slow, patient, easygoing and even wise, but only when we bother to think of them at all. Yet in many cultures, including the Chinese culture, turtles and tortoises are much more significant. In China, the long lifespan of turtles, their slow movement, and sturdy appearing body make them a symbol of longevity and stability. In fact, according to Chinese legend, the creator Goddess, Nu Gua, cut the legs off a sea turtle and used them to prop up the sky after Gong Gong destroyed the mountain which had previously supported it. This legend is based around the idea that a turtles shell resembles the way Chinese people used to think of the world as shaped – a flat Earth with a domed sky.
Tortoises in China hold a similar position of importance, being one of the ‘Four Fabulous Animals’, and thus one of the most important animals in China, ruling the North and representing the water element. The other three animals are from mythology, the dragon, phoenix and unicorn, and as such the tortoise is the only one of the four to definitely exist. However, when the tortoise is represented in art it often has supernatural features, with a hairy tail, dragon ears and flaming tentacles. Being such strong symbols of longevity, turtles and tortoises were traditionally often used in burial rituals, with a carved turtle used as a plinth to support burial tablets for important people in the Sui Dynasty, and some burial mounds even shaped like turtles (grave turtles). This importance to Chinese culture means that turtles and tortoises are commonly depicted, including as carved figures, like the ones I showed the children.
This week, Roy decided that he wanted to enjoy the last of the Autumn weather by visiting a garden. Roy loves gardens, and when he discovered that there was a well known garden in Gosford which he had not visited, decided it was the perfect time to rectify this. Not only was the garden beautiful, but there was a wonderful restaurant where Roy, Roy's Grandmother and I enjoyed lunch. Roy will tell you about the restaurant next week.
If you would like to visit the Edogawa Japanese Gardens in Gosford, they are located on the shore of Caroline Bay in East Gosford. They are at 36 Webb Street, and there is plenty of parking available in Webb Street and George Street. The gardens are a pleasant walk, and there is a lovely restaurant, shop and even the Regional Gallery to see.
The Japanese Gardens in Gosford are called the Gosford/Edogawa Japanese Gardens and were a gift from Gosford's sister city, Edogawa, to the people of Gosford. The gardens were opened in 1994 and since then they have grown and blossomed. There is a Koi pond, tea house, Koi pavilion, raked rock garden and meandering paths winding between the plants and water features. If you are visiting with children though, make sure you supervise them closely as the ponds are not fenced.
The garden is designed in the Shoyu, or wandering style, so that the paths wind gently and comfortably. Edogawa garden is also designed in the Heian period style, a style which dates to 800 ad. It was about this period that the nobility of Japan began to build palaces and lay out gardens in the Kyoto area, and this style of garden is the oldest in Japan. There was, at this time, similarities between the gardens of China and Japan, with Chinese gardens being very influential in the design of Japanese gardens. The purpose of the design was to have lake, plantings, rocks, pavilions and some sort of hut feature visible in one landscape, as opposed to having specific garden 'rooms'. This design principle is very evident at the Edogawa garden, where there are beautiful vistas including buildings, plants, paths and water features.
This week, Roy decided it was time to share a recipe a friend of his had requested last year. Roy loves meatloaf, and apparently so does this friend, and she asked him if he had a recipe for a meatloaf with a curried sauce over it quite some ago. Luckily for her, not only does Roy’s Grandmother have a recipe for just such a delicacy, she was happy to share it. Meatloaf is a great cool weather dish, so Roy thought this would be the perfect time to share it. So this week, Roy Creates Devilled Meatloaf.
You Will Need:
For the Sauce:
Method:
Imagine, you are a mother living thousands of years ago. You have children to look after, and all of the other family members to support too, so when the men go out hunting, you can't rely on them alone to bring home enough food to feed everybody. As a young, healthy woman you have to do your part, collecting fruits and grains, and of course the shellfish which are found in the shallows of the sea near where you live. Oysters are a wonderful food, so plentiful and easy to find, they can be used to feed the family when the hunt is unsuccessful.
This week, Roy wanted to tell you about somewhere really historic. He had his cousins visiting earlier this year and wanted to show them somewhere special, and unlike anywhere else. There was only one place which would fit the bill – Australiana Village. For many years this place was closed, but I had told Roy about it, and about the trips which his Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt and I used to make there, particularly on Australia Day. When I was little, it was one of my favourite outings. Roy had to visit and share this place with his cousins, and with his online friends.
If you would like to visit Australiana Village it is located in Rose Street, Wilberforce. There is plenty to see with the site being a huge open air museum, but it is not like your normal museum at all. There are heritage houses with ‘house museum displays’, but there are also shops in the original buildings. There is farm machinery, animals, horse and sulky rides, Cobb and Co Coach rides, and plenty of other things to do. The open air museum is open every Sunday, but also on special days, so check their website to find out when the next special open day will be.
Australiana Village was created by Bill and Marie McLachlan. They had travelled to Los Angeles in 1961 as judges for the World Water Ski Titles and while they were there they came up with the idea for Australiana Village. There were lots of very historic buildings in the wider area around Wilberforce and many of them were under threat. They decided to save them by building their own historic village. With the help of Silvo Biencoti, they moved each building, in a single piece, from its original location to the Australiana Village Site. This was a massive undertaking, with buildings being taken through daytime traffic, powerlines having to be lifted and even some telegraph poles having to be taken down for the trips!
Instead of simply giving the buildings a new home, the McLachlans brought them to life, arranging them as the main street of a village. There is a post office, police station, general store, stables, smoke house, shops, barber, blacksmith and of course heritage homes. One of these heritage homes, Rose Cottage, is the oldest slab hut in Australia and is the only building which was not moved to the site, but was originally built in its present location. The McLachlans have since died, and for many years Australiana Village was closed to the public but in 2010, on Australia Day, after a community battle to save the open air museum it was reopened. It is now being restored to its former glory, and has been a film set, with Wild Boys filmed there!
