Monday 18^th June

Today we re-visited the banks of the Murrumbidgee so that I could take a few photos which we missed.  They were of the bridge pylons which had been painted in indigenous themes said to prevent them being graffitied – and it seems to have worked.

There were two other notable places of interest we saw in the Hay tourist magazine, being the former gaol and a historic house and heritage rose gardens, known as Bishop’s Lodge.

The gaol was located a good walk out of town, so we laced up the walking shoes and headed to see if it offered anything different from other gaols.  It was one of those places that had used each of the 14 cells to demonstrate a part of the history. An apologetic note at the entrance told us to forgive the dust on everything as the drought was relentless in depositing it, and to keep disturbing the “objects d’art” by cleaning them would make them more fragile.  I’m really not sure if the drought has indeed ended, but there are no dusters in sight.

We walked around for about 10 minutes before she “found us”.  An elderly volunteer committee member was keen to give us her version of the gaol and  I found it really difficult to kindly extricate myself from her, so I pointed her in Bob’s direction, so that I could continue reading the information in which I was interested.  In a timeline this building was built in 1878 and has been used as a gaol, maternity hospital, lock hospital for the insane, compound for prisoners of war during the Second World War and finally as a maximum security institute for girls under the Child Welfare Department.  This ceased to operate in 1974.

Bishop’s Lodge is a remarkable iron building constructed in 889 as the official residence for the Anglican Bishop of Riverina.  Owned by the Anglican Diocese until 1946, the Lodge was home to the first three bishops then between 1935 and 1946 became the Linton House hostel for boys attending the local high school.  From 1946 until its sale to the Shire Council in 1985 it had been private residence.

What was remarkable about this building is the technology used to build it.  Because Hay is subject to high temperatures, the 115 square house has 45 squares of verandah.  Low window sills on double hung windows with boxed counter weights allow for the windows to be opened low down or high up to better the inflow of cool air from the verandahs and the outflow of hot air from the rooms.  There were a few other significant ventilating features which were as relevant back then as we are trying to make them today – what is old is new again!!

The laundry featured a chip heater which Bob fondly remembered from his boyhood bathroom in Cooma.

When we returned to Sandy Point camp spot we were joined by at least 16 other vans. Happy Hour – and more- was spent around a roaring camp fire with the members of the Australian Caravan Club.  This group were travelling to Longreach on a “muster” - they were certainly an experienced bunch and we have come away with lots of hints about campsites, places to walk in the Flinders Ranges and the good and bad caravan parks on our route.