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xenithSomewhere in the early hours of the morning, a train woke me up. Although I tried to go back to the sleep, I didn't seem to be about to sleep for more than 10 or 20 minutes at a time, or the clock was broken. At 5.30 am I gave up and went for a walk.
Not that there was much to see at that time of the morning :)
Glenrowan is a small town, and only on the map for one reason (a failed attempt to derail a train) although they make the most of that. The main street here is mostly tourist orientated -- souvenir shops & cafes & stuff.
After wandering to the other end of that area and back, I went back to the motel room and found some hot water. I washed, dressed, packed my bag and by then it was just after 7 am. As the motel reception didn't open until 8, I went off to find something to do.
The camera reckoned it was still too early. We discussed the issue and I won, mostly.
Obviously at this time, most of the souvenir shops & cafes & stuff were not open, so I went over to check the bit that didn't have an opening time, that being the Siege Site.
Rebuilt railway station on the right, across to the site of the inn (white sign below the red arrow).
So I guess I should give the background story. I could start with four young men riding into town one cold winter's day, except I don't know what the weather was like and two of them actually rode out east to a place near Beechworth that was home to one Aaron Sherritt. Now Aaron was childhood friend of Joe Byrne, one of the Kelly Gang, and he'd turned police informant. Although not a very good informant, as his information was out of date or just wrong. His sympathies lay with his friend, it seemed. The police found another use for him though -- by making it known he was acting as an informant, they hoped to bring the Gang out of hiding. And they did. On this winter's day, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly went up to Aaron's cottage and shot him dead. They had a plan of their own: When the police heard of the murder, they would jump on a special train from Melbourne, the only one running over the weekend, and rush up to Beechworth, but part of the track had been sabotaged, with the intent of derailing the train.
With the bait laid and the trap primed, the gang retired to the local pub to wait for the train to appear, along with about 60+ hostages who spent the waiting hours dancing, singing, playing games. As they waited, some of the hostages were released, including the schoolmaster, Thomas Curnow.
It was he that ruined the derailment plans, when he went down to the track and, using a candle and red scarf, alerted the train driver of a problem ahead. So the police on the train got off at the station...
went across to the pub...
and engaged the now armoured outlaw gang.
I am not going to recount that as it's been covered many times, in print and online, except to say it ended with the leader being captured, one gang member shot and the other two being burnt to death or killing themselves when the inn was fired.
By the time I'm done here, the sun was still rising. It was close on 8 o'clock though so I went back and checked out of the motel. Then I went to one of the takeaway/cafes places for a Big Breakfast, a plate of eggs, toast, sausages and stuff that I usually don't eat in the morning but nothing else appealed either. It took ages to cook and I ate it slowly. Yet by the time I was done, it wasn't much 8.30. So I went for a walk to kill time. Out of the town and back in actually, and it was during this walk, that I noticed the time seemed to be running slow. I spent the rest of the day checking my watch against other clocks to make sure it was working properly.
There are two souvenir/gift shops in the main street, both of which have an attached museum-type displays.
At Cobb & Co, the display is in basement. It's mostly pictures & write-ups on the wall which don't make for very interesting photos.
In the shop itself, I found my favourite souvenir. As you can imagine, it's all Ned, Ned, Ned and little mention of Joe, Dan or the other guy. But this shop has these magnets (starting 3rd row down) so I had to buy them. Didn't see these, or anything similar, anywhere else either.
At Kate's Cottage, where I went looking for the stamps the night before, the display is out the back and behind the shop is a reconstruction of the Kelly's cottage.
Now this is a bit weird.
It's a series of animated displays where you move from room to room watching events play out.
There's even a burnt-out shell of a room that collapses. As I said, weird but entertaining.
The only bus service that picks up from Glenrowan runs on Wednesdays, so I'm worried about catching it, especially as they told me it leaves from outside the general store and there is no general store. After asking various locals, I work out that the burger place where I had a souvlaki the night before used to be the general store and this is indeed where the bus has been seen to depart from. Reassured, I retreat to the park opposite and wait for it to arrive.
The locals here, at least the ones I dealt with, were all very friendly and helpful. Probably a combination of working in tourism businesses and small townness. It's an interesting little town to visit, if you happen to driving past one day.
But I'm gone.
The bus drops me at Wangaratta train station, where I get to wait half an hour for the VLine coach to turn up.
I guess the south-eastern corner Australia isn't that different, whatever side of the Bass Strait you're on. Some local variation within that area, of course, but most of the differences seem to be man-made.
Finally arriving in Beechworth.
At the hotel, they can't find the key to my room as, it turns out, someone had stayed in there the night before and it hadn't been cleaned. So they sort me out another room. *sigh* I do get a free drink while I'm waiting.
Once I'm settled in, I head down to the check out the town. The sun is setting and there's a lot of traffic so I don't bother with photos. It's 20 mins to 5 so the shops will be shutting soon so I don't bother with them. I do want to wait until after 5 pm so I can post my mail though. So I walk down the street, through the Historic Precinct and down through the park.
Former gaol, now owned by a private developer.
Then I go to the supermarket to get some fruit and something to read. By now it is 10 mins to 5. Uh...
I head over to Beechworth Bakery. Australia's greatest bakery? Not if this dried out pie is any indication. The cup of tea is nice but that was self serve.
Still, by the time I've finished eating and drinking, it's just after 5 so I can post my mail.
Then it's back to the hotel and to bed, to be ready for everything tomorrow!
Not that there was much to see at that time of the morning :)
Glenrowan is a small town, and only on the map for one reason (a failed attempt to derail a train) although they make the most of that. The main street here is mostly tourist orientated -- souvenir shops & cafes & stuff.
After wandering to the other end of that area and back, I went back to the motel room and found some hot water. I washed, dressed, packed my bag and by then it was just after 7 am. As the motel reception didn't open until 8, I went off to find something to do.
The camera reckoned it was still too early. We discussed the issue and I won, mostly.
Obviously at this time, most of the souvenir shops & cafes & stuff were not open, so I went over to check the bit that didn't have an opening time, that being the Siege Site.
Rebuilt railway station on the right, across to the site of the inn (white sign below the red arrow).
So I guess I should give the background story. I could start with four young men riding into town one cold winter's day, except I don't know what the weather was like and two of them actually rode out east to a place near Beechworth that was home to one Aaron Sherritt. Now Aaron was childhood friend of Joe Byrne, one of the Kelly Gang, and he'd turned police informant. Although not a very good informant, as his information was out of date or just wrong. His sympathies lay with his friend, it seemed. The police found another use for him though -- by making it known he was acting as an informant, they hoped to bring the Gang out of hiding. And they did. On this winter's day, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly went up to Aaron's cottage and shot him dead. They had a plan of their own: When the police heard of the murder, they would jump on a special train from Melbourne, the only one running over the weekend, and rush up to Beechworth, but part of the track had been sabotaged, with the intent of derailing the train.
With the bait laid and the trap primed, the gang retired to the local pub to wait for the train to appear, along with about 60+ hostages who spent the waiting hours dancing, singing, playing games. As they waited, some of the hostages were released, including the schoolmaster, Thomas Curnow.
It was he that ruined the derailment plans, when he went down to the track and, using a candle and red scarf, alerted the train driver of a problem ahead. So the police on the train got off at the station...
went across to the pub...
and engaged the now armoured outlaw gang.
I am not going to recount that as it's been covered many times, in print and online, except to say it ended with the leader being captured, one gang member shot and the other two being burnt to death or killing themselves when the inn was fired.
By the time I'm done here, the sun was still rising. It was close on 8 o'clock though so I went back and checked out of the motel. Then I went to one of the takeaway/cafes places for a Big Breakfast, a plate of eggs, toast, sausages and stuff that I usually don't eat in the morning but nothing else appealed either. It took ages to cook and I ate it slowly. Yet by the time I was done, it wasn't much 8.30. So I went for a walk to kill time. Out of the town and back in actually, and it was during this walk, that I noticed the time seemed to be running slow. I spent the rest of the day checking my watch against other clocks to make sure it was working properly.
There are two souvenir/gift shops in the main street, both of which have an attached museum-type displays.
At Cobb & Co, the display is in basement. It's mostly pictures & write-ups on the wall which don't make for very interesting photos.
In the shop itself, I found my favourite souvenir. As you can imagine, it's all Ned, Ned, Ned and little mention of Joe, Dan or the other guy. But this shop has these magnets (starting 3rd row down) so I had to buy them. Didn't see these, or anything similar, anywhere else either.
At Kate's Cottage, where I went looking for the stamps the night before, the display is out the back and behind the shop is a reconstruction of the Kelly's cottage.
Now this is a bit weird.
It's a series of animated displays where you move from room to room watching events play out.
There's even a burnt-out shell of a room that collapses. As I said, weird but entertaining.
The only bus service that picks up from Glenrowan runs on Wednesdays, so I'm worried about catching it, especially as they told me it leaves from outside the general store and there is no general store. After asking various locals, I work out that the burger place where I had a souvlaki the night before used to be the general store and this is indeed where the bus has been seen to depart from. Reassured, I retreat to the park opposite and wait for it to arrive.
The locals here, at least the ones I dealt with, were all very friendly and helpful. Probably a combination of working in tourism businesses and small townness. It's an interesting little town to visit, if you happen to driving past one day.
But I'm gone.
The bus drops me at Wangaratta train station, where I get to wait half an hour for the VLine coach to turn up.
I guess the south-eastern corner Australia isn't that different, whatever side of the Bass Strait you're on. Some local variation within that area, of course, but most of the differences seem to be man-made.
Finally arriving in Beechworth.
At the hotel, they can't find the key to my room as, it turns out, someone had stayed in there the night before and it hadn't been cleaned. So they sort me out another room. *sigh* I do get a free drink while I'm waiting.
Once I'm settled in, I head down to the check out the town. The sun is setting and there's a lot of traffic so I don't bother with photos. It's 20 mins to 5 so the shops will be shutting soon so I don't bother with them. I do want to wait until after 5 pm so I can post my mail though. So I walk down the street, through the Historic Precinct and down through the park.
Former gaol, now owned by a private developer.
Then I go to the supermarket to get some fruit and something to read. By now it is 10 mins to 5. Uh...
I head over to Beechworth Bakery. Australia's greatest bakery? Not if this dried out pie is any indication. The cup of tea is nice but that was self serve.
Still, by the time I've finished eating and drinking, it's just after 5 so I can post my mail.
Then it's back to the hotel and to bed, to be ready for everything tomorrow!
