The Tingle Factor Box

Roaming Roy Discovers A Stationary History - Werris Creek Station

Roy loves visiting new places and heading to the country to explore the amazing places to be found in Australia. One of his favourite things to do is check out the amazing architecture which is often to be found in country towns. One of the most stunning buildings he has visited was a railway station, but it wasn’t in a big city - it was in Werris Creek and it is even more grand he thinks than the stations to be found in Sydney. 

If you would like to visit the beautiful Werris Creek Railway Station, it is located in Werris Creek, not far from Quirindi. To get to Werris Creek, follow the New England Highway to the junction of the New England and Kamilaroi Highways. Take the Kamilaroi Highway and you will run through Quirindi. From Quirindi, follow Werris Creek Road to Werris Creek. You will see the Railway Station as you drive through town, and follow the signs to actually visit it. On top of the station, there is plenty to see in Werris Creek with a railway monument, museum and local shops. There are also parks where you could stop for a picnic or to kick a ball.

This history of Werris Creek Railway Station begins before the station even existed. In the 1870s the Great Northern Railway Line was under construction and in 1876, the line went over the mountain range and down into the Liverpool Plains. Then, in 1877 the Sydney Parliament decided to build a branch line in the direction of Gunnedah. The branch was to begin in an empty paddock which was owned by a man named John Single. The paddock was in the area where Werris Creek is today, though at that time, the railway station didn’t exist and nor did the town! A basic station, which was really just a platform, was built about 500 metres south of the current station, but when the line was opened, a station nearer to the actual branch was needed. The new platform for the new station was completed in 1879. 

Over the next years, a grand station began to arise. The building, which was built in the free Victorian style, was magnificent, and would easily have fit into a city, yet it was in a small bush town! The station, which was made up of a station building and a refreshment room, was really a monument to the power and confidence of the railways and the people who operated them. The buildings were completed in 1885, and soon a town also grew up around the station. Werris Creek was to be the first railway town in NSW which developed exclusively to service the railways, and in fact most people who lived there were employed by the railways. IN 1925 the office of the District Superintendent of Railways moved to Werris Creek from Murrurundi, and the station buildings were added to, with a second story being built for his offices. Werris Creek remained an important railway town right through until the 1960s, when the importance of the area began to decline. There was a decline in rail travel and freight, and in the 1980s and 1990s the railways made a lot of changes to save money. Today, the town and its magnificent station is a reminder of the grand history of railways in Australia. 

Roaming Roy Wonders Who'd A Thought It? The Fertile Liverpool Plains

Recently, some of the children Roy knows have been interested in the agriculture which has, historically, been so important to Australia. Most of the children are aware of the history of raising animals, and have seen animals like cattle and sheep on farms. Yet many have not visited any of the major cropping areas of NSW, let alone Australia, and were curious about what could be found there. Roy decided that this gave him the perfect opportunity to return to Who’d A Thought It Lookout and the Liverpool Plains, NSW richest cropping area. 

The Who’d A Thought It Lookout is not far from the heart of Quirindi. To get there, follow the signs out of Quirindi towards Gunnedah, and you will see the Who’d A Thought It Lookout turn off clearly signposted. Follow this road to the lookout itself. There is plenty to see and do in and around the area, and the lookout is a perfect place to take a break, let the kids run off some energy and of course admire the beautiful views over the Liverpool Plains. You can collect all the necessary supplies for a delicious picnic in Quirindi itself.

The Liverpool Plains have long been an important agricultural centre in Australia, dating back to 1831 when the Australian Agricultural Company took up 101,000 hectares of land at Warrah. The land is extremely fertile, and thus perfect not only for growing crops, but also to support livestock like sheep and cattle. At first the Australian Agricultural Company focussed on livestock, but over time they introduced various crops to the area, and today that is what the Liverpool Plains are particularly famous for. Yet it was not until the 1950s that cropping became the dominant form of agriculture. Before this, horse drawn ploughs meant that the areas which could be prepared for crops were limited - these ploughs just couldn’t cope with the deep, rich soils. These areas still supported thick grassy vegetation though and were perfect for grazing. Then, in the 1950s, large tractors which could cope with the soil became common, and the land began to be used more for growing the various crops. Today, the major crops of the Liverpool Plains are Sorghum, corn, canola, wheat, barley and sunflowers. 

 

Why is this area so fertile though? It all starts millions of years ago when the area known as the Namoi Catchment, which includes much of the Liverpool Plains, was underwater. During this time shallow oceans and lakes deposited sediments which eventually became sedimentary rocks. Then, about 400 million years ago there was a huge shift in the landscape - literally. A uplift of the land created The Great Dividing Range. This uplifted a lot of the older sedimentary formations (and also resulted in smooth, round rocks which look like they belong in a creek bed ending up of the tops of hills!) Then, due to volcanic activity, basalt and granite were added to the mix of rocks in the area. It was also this volcanic activity which actually formed the Liverpool Plains themselves - some 40 to 50 million years ago. Then, over the millions of years since all these different rocks were created, the rocks were eroded, and the sediments which resulted mixed together. The Namoi River, which was once much larger than it is today often flooded, and deposited the weathered soil on the Liverpool Plains area, leaving behind deep layers of alluvial soils. It is this soil which is so rich and productive, allowing the extensive cropping which occurs in the area today. 

Roaming Roy Finds A Fleet In An Unexpected Place

 This week, Roy decided that with Australia Day upon us, he wanted to visit some place which commemorated the important events which are remembered during Australia Day celebrations. Australia Day falls on January 26^th and commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia on that day in 1788. The question was, where should he visit, but when I reminded him of a fascinating memorial garden in Wallabadah, he thought this would be perfect.

If you would like to visit the First and Second Fleet Memorial Gardens, they are located in Wallabadah, not far from Qurindi. The address is the New England Highway and there is plenty to do in the general area, including parks, lookouts and of course interesting shops. Quirindi itself, which is only a short drive away, provides plenty of opportunities to explore a beautiful country town, and perhaps even pick up a picnic to enjoy in the Memorial Gardens.

The Memorial Garden in Wallabadah is the culmination of an ambitious vision of Sydney born stone mason, Ray Collins. Collins discovered, as an adult, that he had ancestors who had arrived in Australia as part of the First and Second Fleet. He became passionate about creating a memorial to the pioneering men and women who came, by choice or ‘at his majesty’s pleasure’, as part of these fleets. He first focussed on the First Fleet, researching the names and details of every single person who sailed on the 11 ships which made up the fleet. He had a vision to carve each and every one of these names onto sandstone tablets to be displayed as a memorial to these men and women. Today it is the only garden memorial to these fleets, and also reputedly the only one to name each and every member of those fleets.

One might think that a memorial dedicated to The First and Second Fleet would be found in one of Australia’s major cities, perhaps close to where the Fleets first landed, but Ray Collins sought the support of numerous councils in Australia without success. Liverpool Plains Shire Council embraced the planned garden though and sponsored the materials and equipment which would be needed to bring his ambitious plan to life. Beautiful gardens form the backdrop for the historic plaques listing the names of the people who came on the fleets, each plaque is positioned adjacent to another plaque identifying the ship which those people came on. In addition to the gardens themselves there is a lovely picnic area, shaded by sails, arranged to represent a tall ship. The Memorial Garden is now used as a meeting place for many family reunions for families who have relatives commemorated on the many beautifully carved plaques.

Roaming Roy Proclaims Who'd A Thought It! - Quirindi Lookout

This week, with the Queens Birthday Weekend upon us, Roy wanted to share a beautiful place for a picnic. Although, the weather this weekend close to the coast may not be the best for enjoying such a lovely, outdoor activity, luckily Roy has visited plenty of places in finer weather, and decided to share one which he particularly enjoyed. He hopes that some of his online friends might also enjoy it! So this week, Roy is heading to Quirindi to visit the beautiful views from the Who’d A Thought It Lookout.

The Who’d A Thought It Lookout is not far from the heart of Quirindi. To get there, follow the signs out of Quirindi towards Gunnedah, and you will see the Who’d A Thought It Lookout turn off clearly signposted. Follow this road to the lookout itself. There is plenty to see and do in and around the area, and the lookout is a perfect place to take a break, let the kids run off some energy and of course admire the beautiful views over the Liverpool Plains. You can collect all the necessary supplies for a delicious picnic in Quirindi itself.

Who’d A Thought It Lookout actually sits atop a hill which shares the name – Who’d A Thought It Hill. It has amazing views over the town of Quirindi, the Liverpool Plains district and even to the Great Dividing Range. There is a plinth with a sign marking out what you can see from the hill at the lookout. For those interested in geological history, the view includes ridges which were created through volcanic activity and there is also evidence of ancient oceanic coral reefs and beaches in the area around the hill.

You might ask why the hill and lookout which is perched atop it is called ‘Who’d A Thought It’, but unfortunately the most honest answer is that nobody really knows for certain. There was a hotel on the Western side of the hill (also called ‘Who’d A Thought It’) which was built in 1882 and was popular not only for drinking, but also for sports meetings and even horse races. Whether the hotel was named after the hill or vice versa nobody really knows. There is a rather lovely local story though which suggests that a bullock driver was driving his bullocks up the hill and upon reaching the summit, hot and exhausted, was thrilled to see a hotel where he could get a drink. The story suggests it was he who came up with the name, proclaiming ‘Who’d A Thought It’ upon seeing the hotel. The hotel is long gone now, having burned down in 1906, but the lookout remains a beautiful place to enjoy a drink and leisurely picnic meal!