Mon, 9th November, 2015 Barbour Park, Gunning (Crookwell & Wheeo – Selmes family tree)

Cold morning, 13 degrees at 7am with clear blue sky. All the ducks and ducklings are having fun in Meadow Creek. I put on the lamb shanks in the Ecopot for tea – yum yum. Said bye to the others. All the other vans have left too so there is only us and a motorhome left.

Stopped at Gunning Cemetery to look for one of the Selmes family who was accidently killed in Gunning but I couldn’t find him in the cemetery. Found a big tomb though. One of the two famous murders of Gunning – the other was the lady and man (1840s) who I heard all about at Berrima Court House.

Headed off over rolling hills of sheep pastures. The earliest flocks of sheep arrived in the 1820s and Gunning has since then been regarded as one of the major centres of fine wool production in Australia, or indeed the world – amazing how we read that in different towns!!

Into Crookwell which sits high (1000m) on the Great Dividing Range so can get down to minus 7 in winter with snow then up to 27 degrees like today for summer. Crookwell was a pastoral settlement from the 1820s though it wasn’t named until 1860s. It slowly grew over the years with the railway arriving in 1901. In 1998 Crookwell became the home to Australia’s first grid connected wind farm. It is also famous for potatoes (150years) with its seed potato production and a sock factory.

Went into the Information Centre which also houses research books for family history. I had a great time locating info about the Selmes family members in the books. Lots to email to Erica. Steve just stood and tried to look interested!! And it is his family!!

Back outside we went for a walk up the main street. Such a lovely day now though the breeze is still very cool. Some of the main buildings.

Drove down to Kiamma Park – Kiamma being the first name given to the township, to have our lunch. A couple of woodcarvings by the water. Lots of lovely roses around too and a couple of curious Alpacas.

Stopped at a Metro petrol station as Jill had said they were filling gas bottles for $10. David had given us two empty bottles he had spare. Steve wanted one extra for WA and the other is out of date so we can get a refund on it hopefully. Got one filled and the lady said that all Metros are offering that at the moment though they normally only charge $14 any case.

Headed out of town to find Wheeo which is now only an ‘locality’ on the map and find the cemetery. The Info lady said to head 22 km out of town but we came to a turnoff that said Wheeo so we headed down that way. Passed a couple of houses where ‘girlie’ said Wheeo was then hit dirt road so turned into a driveway to ask directions. Amazingly the sign on the gate said F & N Selmes so we drove in. Frank came to the door and we explained who we are but he was pretty old so we got directions and thanked him and his wife. Fancy finding them!!

Frank said to continue along the dirt road 5 miles or so and we would pass the brick homestead that belongs to the Selmes too. Got a photo as we went by, will stop on the way back.

Stephen’s Great Great Great Grandparents, James and Maria Selmes and three children came to Australia from England in 1838. They built a home and called it ‘Red Ground’ and raised their 13 children here. A second home was built here which is now owned by one of his Great Great Great Grandchildren, Wendy and his husband. James and Maria and other family members are buried in the family plot down the road in the Uniting Church Cemetery Grounds.

Obviously no one has been mowing the lawn lately. Put on our boots as the Info lady said the snakes are out at the moment with the warmer weather. Spent some time taking photos of the headstones to compare with what Erica took years ago. James and Maria’s tombstone.

Steve found some sheep and told them off for not ‘mowing’ the lawn!!

Looks like a plane has crashed over there but it was just how the jet stream went.

Lovely and green pastures around here.

Back to the house and we stopped to chat. Wendy was on the ride-on mower so I explained who we are and chatted about the family etc. I asked to take a photo of the house which she said yes but that was it. Looks like a lovely home.

Decided to head back to Gunning via another route along more dirt road to see different scenery. Found a turtle trundling across the road so gave him a hand and pointed him in the direction of the lake on the other side.

Then an echidna ran off into the grass.

Crossed over the Lachlan River which flows into the Murrumbidgee River north of Swan Hill which then flows into the Murray River. Big long rivers down here.

Back to the van for a cuppa then we walked up the main street of Gunning. The Telegraph Hotel was built in 1916 and is a very big hotel for such a little town.

London House was built in 1881 – not majestic like many others we have seen in that time.

Caxton House built around 1850 was much nicer.

The history was posted in the window.

A couple of bottles and a ginger beer jug in the window.

Next door was Caxton Cottage (c1850s) with lovely rose stain-glassed doors.

Bailey’s Garage was nicely painted up, celebrating Holden’s history on the side wall.

The Court House, built in 1879, is used for lots of different purposes now.

Beautiful roses everywhere.

This brick building was the first bank in Gunning – not very architectural. Opened 8^th Sept, 1874.

Though next door was a lovely house that had the plaque ‘Originally a Bank c1874’.

 This was the original front door.

The Gunning Public School opened in 1871.

The Shire Office showed another style of building.

Pye Cottage (c1860) was moved to Gunning from Dalton in 1979 to be a museum dedicated to the pioneers and settlers of the region. It was closed but we peered inside.

An old hand water pump.

The bottlebrushes are in bloom.

A quaint cottage as we walked back to the van.

A couple of murals on the side of the Hotel.

Onto the bridge looking over the park and Meadow Creek. The little town does well having an 48 hour stop here as most people buy something here – Jill and Pauline said the butcher is famous for his quality meat.

The park has filled up again with vans. Chatted with our new neighbours from Brisbane then headed inside to work on my blog and sort out all these photos. Now I have family tree stuff to sort as well – who said retirement was relaxing!! Glad I love all this.