Ilfracombe- 29/9/14
Machinery Mile
27 kms from Longreach is Ilfracombe. as you enter the town on the side of the road is a mile of tractors, trucks, workshop machinery, a giant ships chain used to clear the land and other assorted farm machinery. There is a 1917 Ruston Kerosene tractor, a fore-runner to the caterpillar and one of only three in existence. In amongst all the machinery is a building housing 30,000 bottles and a display of military memorabilia which included a large collection of rifles. The collection of Hilton and Ike Jackson was boosted during the firearms amnesty period when locals passed their own rifles to the brothers. Definitely worth the stop.
BARCALDINE 29/9/14
Balcaldine is a country town with a number of historical buildings but the most well known being the Tree of Knowledge in the main street. This ghost gum tree that stood so close to the train station became known as a place for shearers to meet in 1891 during a time of unrest and a time that saw the Shearers strike for better pay and working conditions. Over the years the tree has become a symbol of struggle and of striving for a 'fair go' and freedom. The tree was actually poisoned and died in 2006 so it was excavated and sent south for preservation the following year. It is now encased in a square timber structure and inside hang many timber wind chimes that give a musical effect as the gentle breezes blow through but the structure also serves to protect what is left of the tree from further damage.
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