Tues 23rd Dec, 2014 Penstock Lagoon to “Pub with No Beer” Rest Area, Bothwell

Warmer night, 19 degrees in the van at 7am, though we didn’t wake up again till nearly 9!!! Light pitter patter of raindrops on the roof all night and this morning. Packed up in between light showers. Back past the old sheds and deer. The deer were too far away for a photo – Steve said “they are being raised for next year’s Santa trip”.

Back onto the Highland Lakes Hwy and through St Patrick Plains (880m elevation).

Looking out for Steppes Hall when I saw a sign on the left giving the distance to the Steppes Homestead, then Steve saw in the bush a sign for the Hall. The signs down here are a bit hopeless at times. Either they put “the place 150m ahead” then no sign to turn in, or they just put the sign right on the turn in. Anyway there was nowhere to turn round so kept going to Steppes Homestead. The hall was the St Luke’s Anglican Church which was built in 1911 as the centre of social activity and place of worship for early Highland residents. Outside, are plaques commemorating the shepherds, hunters, trappers and public servants who settled the area. Shame we missed it but can’t do everything sometimes.

The Steppes Homestead was very interesting. There was a good information hut and I got more information from the Info Centre in Bothwell.

James Wilson was appointed as Superintendent of Police, a position he held for 30 years, in 1863. He was assisted in his work by 2 or 3 deputies. The area was growing with sheep grazing in the highlands. With the pilfering of stock, police districts were created on the plateau and mounted police were employed. Stock were driven up to the highlands to rest the lowland paddocks during the summer months. A series of accommodation paddocks were provided en route where the sheep were held overnight. Some of these paddocks are still used today when sheep are driven from farms in the vicinity of Ouse and Bothwell to highland locations like the Liawenee moors.

The original homestead was built in March 1863 and only a few remaining rocks etc remain. The single room police quarters built for James in 1863 was incorporated into the original homestead. Miss Mary Wilson (the eldest child of James and his wife, Jessie) operated a school in this building from 1883 to 1916 and then again from 1935 til her sudden death in 1936. School pupils walked a round trip of up to 22 km per day to attend the Steppes School.

The six room new homestead was built in 1888 and still stands here today. James and Jessie raised 5 children here and the youngest, Madge, stayed till her death in 1975. She donated the homestead and some additional land (48 hectares). It was a place where many travellers through the area stayed.

By the late 1800s fishing was becoming a popular activity in the area. James had assisted in introducing English brown trout into the Great Lake. In 1870 James and a police constable carried 119 trout fry, that had come from the Salmon Ponds hatchery, to Great Lake. The fry were carried in large billycans on horseback and the water was changed at every creek along the way.

James was made redundant when the police station was closed at Steppes in 1894. The Wilsons were allowed to stay as tenants of the Police Department. Ten years later he purchased a 17 acre property about one kilometre from the homestead. James died in 1922, aged 85. Mrs Jessie Wilson and her three daughters continued to live at the homestead. She remained there till her death in 1946, aged 99.

In 1897 a post office was opened at Steppes with Jessie as postmistress. She was paid an honorarium of 20 pounds per week.

 Customers were served via the small window adjacent to the chimney. It was little alright!

Between the post office and the house was the bakery which was restored in 1970s. The Wilsons would bake a batch of a dozen large loaves at a time. Their yeast recipe contained potato peelings, hops, parsnips and brown sugar.

There was a fireplace and the big bakers oven.

Put the flash on and got a shot inside the oven.

We wandered through the yard checking out the other buildings. This is the woodshed and outhouse.

  – love the toilet paper holder

There was never the convenience of an inside toilet or bathroom here. This was the bathroom and store hut. It was empty and the floor has risen up that Steve could hardly get the door open.

This was the site of the barn and the cow paddock was beside that.

The old fence railings.

The youngest daughter Madge was a self-taught artist. Her father built her this studio.

 You can see the mosaic tiles in the hearth.

The rooms are lined with what looks like a hessian type linoleum.

There were public toilets (pit style) and picnic tables available here. And after reading the brochure from the Info Centre we could have camped opposite, where they used to house the sheep overnight.

I found another outhouse.

This room is locked and looks like a modern (well 50s) outdoor bathroom as I can see a tub, porcelain toilet and sink and it is connected to the water tank.

There was an A frame hut (Currawong) and a memorial the James Thwaites who was instrumental in making the homestead and land into a State Reserve. The hut was built in 1960s to accommodate rangers and volunteers who worked at the site periodically. In the 1960s and 70s several members of the Hobart Walking Club formed close friendships with Madge Wilson and regularly visited the Steppes to assist her.

Followed the track (900m) to see the Steppes Sculptures. Wonga Mick was here again!!

Lots of big trees and evidence of ones cut down years ago. This one has been burnt out.

The Steppes stones (dolerite rock) and iron sculptures are images of highland life. They were a gift to Tasmania by the sculptor, Stephen Walker, and his family. The works have been thoughtfully “dedicated to those who share in the love and care of the Highlands of Tasmania from the past to the future.” There was wombats, Tassie Tiger, echidnas and birds but no Tassie Devils.

Very interesting place. Back on the road, heading over Bakers Tier, down to 730m. Lots of eucalypt plantations amongst the scrub. Heading down off the Highlands, over Shannon Tier to 640m and Blackburn Creek rest area. It is beside the creek and quite roomy but we decided to head on as it is only midday.

We have left the Highland Lakes country. More open pastures, browner than up the north near Burnie.

Following the power lines which are heading to Hobart.

Thought we were entering Bothwell but it is a very big station. Nothing on my map about it though. Found out it is “Dennistoun”.

Heading into Bothwell (360m altitude) and passed the Ratho Golf Course. It is the oldest course in the Southern Hemisphere, established in 1822 and second oldest in the world after Scotland.

Stopped at the Info Centre which was the old School House, circa 1887 and it houses the Australasian Golf Museum ($5 entrance).

The lady was in for a chat and when I mentioned Cairns, she had been there. Then I said about going to Hobart to see the yachts she went into a very long story about her husband’s boating experiences in Port Phillip Bay etc. A bit lonely I think. The toilets next door are built with stones from an old church in the highland country that the Anglican Church was going to use. But they couldn’t afford a stone mason to work with the stones so the Council took them and built the toilets.

She said that Madge Wilson had painted lovely verses on the wall at the Steppes Hall that we missed. It is always left unlocked for people who get stuck in the snow etc.

Another long story about the Presbyterian versus Anglican’s fight over the Community Church. There were a lot more Presbyterians here. The few Catholics had their services in private homes. She then explained about the migration of the Mutton Birds (we learnt about them in Phillip Island) to the West Coast of Tassie in March. She said the parents go out and get the krill from as far down as Antarctica and when they fly in a sunset it is like a black cloud coming in. They fill up the chicks till they are big and fat then fly off back to Canada and leave the chicks behind. The chicks get their features and thin down then they fly off following their parents. Very interesting, she did have lots of info to share. She lives in 1822 military barracks that they restored.

As I was going back to the car (Steve waiting patiently!!) I noticed a sign about Black Angus. It was to commemorate the arrival of Black cattle from Scotland to Australia in 1824.

We went down the road to Clyde River to have lunch where she suggested. It was only a small spot but Steve got us in and it was lovely sitting by the river with the ducks (of course!!)

They were funny as Steve fed them bits of his lunch but they didn’t like lettuce.

Nearly finished eating, the heavens decided to open so we dashed back into the van. Scuds of rain came through so I uploaded some more of my blog while Steve decided to wash all the dirt off the van from our dirt road ventures.

A couple of crows landed on the power lines near us and whether they did it or something shorted out the insulator and there was a loud crack and flash. Made us jump. More heavy rain which the farmers will be happy about. There are also a lot of poppy fields here too.

During a break in the rain decided to head for the rest area (thought we had better not stop here in case the river came up!! also there is a van park nearby). It is called behind the Pub with No Name. Just out of town but we missed it – it is a largish rock painted like a pub and there is plenty of room off the road. We had to go a far way down though to find a place to turn around. 

Looks like locals bring out all their rubbish here as there are bags of bones and even a full skeleton of a sheep. 

As it is raining we won’t be wandering around too much. We will go back to Bothwell tomorrow to explore the history of the place.

Steve managed to get the ABC on the TV and there is only one bar on the phone with it connected to the aerial but it will do for the night. ABC was good, watched the story of Bob Jane and then Cyclone Tracy and then about the car the Delorian (from the movie Back to the Future) and the man who created it whose name was Delorian. Very interesting. Good on the ABC for some informative shows.