20200620 Qld Thargomindah

June 28, 2020

20200620 After 130ks we arrive in the town of Thargomindah, sitting on the Bulloo River, this town came to life in the the 1870s servicing the stations at Bulloo Downs and Durham Downs then later it became an important stopover for carriers taking wool from Queensland to the steamers which traveled down the Darling River from Bourke to south Australia.

The Outback Town of Thargomindah

The wide main street takes you back in time as the image comes to mind of a team of bullock pulling it's load through the town.

Leahy House (1885) was made of mud brick and was first owned by John & Patrick Leahy

The original Post Office opened in 1870 but was destroyed by storm in 1877 then rebuilt in 1881.

I found this old relic in someones yard, now that would be a huge project doing that baby up

The Old Jail cells were constructed in 1930 of cypress pine with a galvanised iron roof and lined with hardwood.

These two characters put on a display of time’s gone by as the police man reprimands his prisoner for steeling cattle, but they are my cattle he says trying to defend himself.

Built in 1888 this old hospital was made of locally produced unfired Mud Bricks which were made from black soil on the banks of the Balloo River. After the bricks were molded they were then laid out tom dry and covered with Yapunyah leaves. Once the leaves were sufficiently dry, they were ignited and the bricks were "fired" changing the color from mud grey to red.

Thanks Bruce Jefferies I had no idea what this was used for. The metal farm implement is an early tractor drawn scoop. Worked like a scraper to fill the bowl and to empty a lever was pulled to allow the bowl to roll over with the wheels.