History Notes

History Notes

This week I have finally changed the rain record chart – with barely 25mls so far this year perhaps a change of chart might help! While putting the old chart away I came across records of a heatwave at Cobbadah in 1939.

There were ten days of readings ranging from 102 to 110 finishing with 104 on the 17^th January.  With 104 being about 40 centigrade in today’s measurements it must have been a rather testing time.  The heat further west in our state is worse than the central areas and a friend has found details of a heat wave in 1896 in western NSW where residents died from heat exhaustion – up to 25 residents of Bourke died in January 1896 for example.

We are rather fortunate that we live in an era of air conditioning in cars and houses and do not have to turn the hose on, up in a mature tree, to get my father’s version of cooler air!!

The hot weather has been a good chance to read Aaron Hardy’s history of the gold fields in this area – he has done a wonderful job – spending lots of time with references from a number of newspaper sources as well as some exploration in the areas.  It is hard to imagine particularly the Crow Mountain mines at full production with a Post Office, grocery shop and other services on the field.  There is nothing there now.

Woods Reef has seen more attention with settlers remaining there after the gold rush.  With a lot of research sites of miner’s homes, shops, and school were all marked for future generations of visitors to the area.  The cemetery has a few memorials to mark the burial of possibly 100 residents.

The school, Post Office and store remained in the village for some years – for instance the Post Office continued until the early 20^th Century – in fact it operated from 1861 to 1913.  The store remained to at least 1919 when John McKechnie ran the business.

The gold mining gradually faded away as asbestos was found and then mined early in the 20^th Century.  There is a photo of the early mine in this year’s Historical Society calendar.  Finally, I must remind everyone there are open shafts in the mining area – very dangerous today so keep away, especially children.