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Bourke Gateway to the Australian Outback

Dance of the Echidna's

Bourke

Located in the Orana Region of western New South Wales, Bourke is the edge of the Outback. To many Australian, the saying Back O’ Bourke means in the middle of nowhere.

Visitor Centre

Our first stop was the Back O’ Bourke Tourist Information Centre, so that we could find out if there was anything new in the area to see. The friendly staff told us about a local artist’s gallery, a display at the airport and a riverboat cruise. They also gave us a map of the local cemetery, which had graves of interest marked, which was very helpful.

Outside the main building, an excellent sculpture artwork, The Dance of the Echidnas combines aboriginal culture and local flora, to form a great display.

Bourke Airport

As suggested by the tourist visitor centre, we dropped into the local airport, where the terminal is named after famous Australian aviator Nancy Bird-Walton. Nancy Bird-Walton, was a pioneering Australian aviator, known as “The Angel of the Outback”, and the founder and patron of the Australian Women Pilots’ Association. In the 1930s, she became a fully qualified pilot at the age of 19 becoming the youngest Australian woman to gain a pilot’s licence.

In addition to information and photos on Nancy Bird Walton, the airport terminal shows the history of aviation at Bourke and how important it was to Australia’s development of aviation. Many air races and original air routes passed through Bourke, before flying became what it is today.

MV Janda Riverboat

Heavy rain in the previous month meant that the Darling River was rising. We were lucky to get on the last river cruise because of the river’s height. The amount of silt washed down stream due to flooding meant that the river was brown.

The peaceful and relaxing 90-minute trip took us passed river red gums and farm land before returning.

Bourke Wharf

The wharf is a reconstruction of the original and is primarily a tourist attraction. However, it still shows how it operated, even as the river rose and fell seasonally, with multiple levels available to access the ships.

Crossley Engine

Sitting undercover near the wharf, the Crossley engine was donated by Bob Crawford and family from Narromine in 2001. Operated on weekdays for an hour by volunteers, and fully restored to working condition it is worth seeing.

Originally used from 1923 to 1938 in the Sydney Power House to generate electricity for Sydney it moved to the Allowrie Butter Factory in Coffs Harbour until 1949. It then went to a property in Narromine in 1949 to pump water for irrigation until 1964.

Historic Buildings

The centre of town has many lovely old buildings, which makes a walk through the main streets interesting, as you are constantly looking to see what is around.

Bourke Cemetery

Many people were visiting the cemetery when we arrived, mostly to see the grave of Fred Hollows. Fred was an ophthalmologist became known for his work in restoring eyesight for thousands of people in Australia and many other countries.

Our map from the Tourist Information Centre showed several other interesting graves. We found the most interesting to be the Afghan graves and associated mosque. Camels carried freight in the early days of colonial Australia, until replaced by trucks in the 1930s.

What did We Think of Bourke?

We found Bourke to be a very relaxed town, easy to find your way around, with plenty to see and do.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Miss Porter’s House Newcastle Australia

Miss Porter's House

Miss Porter’s House

Built in 1909 by Herbert Porter for his new bride Florence, the Miss Porter’s House is a freestanding Edwardian terrace building. The Porters ran a business in Hunter Street, immediately behind the house. Herbert and Florence had two daughters, Ella, and Hazel, who lived in the house their whole lives. Unfortunately, Herbert died in the 1919 influenza epidemic at the age of 41.

The last surviving daughter, Hazel died in 1997, since then the house has been cared for by a volunteer Management Committee of the National Trust. The house is unique because it was only occupied by the one family. Unlike most National Trust houses, which have been reburnished to represent a particular time period, Miss Porter’s House has its original furnishings.

Miss Porter's House
Miss Porter’s House

Original Kitchen and Kitchenette

As part of the reconstruction work, following the 1989 Newcastle earthquake, the sisters had the laundry and bathroom reconfigured. The resulting kitchenette contains a small 1935 electric stove.

Containing the old wood fuelled range, the original kitchen also displayed items from the early twentieth century.

Old Moffat Oven Miss Porter's House
Old Moffat Electric Stove
Wood Fired Range in the Kitchen Miss Porters House
Wood Fired Range in the Kitchen
The Kitchen Miss Porter's House
The Kitchen

Ceilings

The decorated pine wood ceilings are beautiful and a highlight of the building, because of their rarity.

Miss Porters House Decorative Ceiling
Decorative Ceiling
Miss Porters House Decorative Ceiling
Decorative Ceiling

Parlour

Green glassware was on display in the parlour, along with 1939 lounge suite. Other furnishings and decorations were Art Deco, along with a 1920s gramophone.

Green Glassware
Green Glassware

Upstairs Bedrooms

Two bedrooms make up the upstairs area. Both have the original bed and clothing. Even the receipt for the bedroom furniture was found, the Porters appear to have thrown nothing out.

Sewing Machine
1910 Treadle Sewing Machine
Upstairs Bedroom Miss Porter's House
Upstairs Bedroom

Government House Sydney

Front of Government House

Government House

Located next to the Royal Botanic Garden on Sydney Harbour, Government House is the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales. Completed in 1845, the building is an example of the Gothic Revival style which is characterized by the towers and other medieval features.

The Governor is appointed by the Sovereign and is her representative in New South Wales. As the formal head of state in New South Wales the Governor has an important constitutional, ceremonial and community role  In respect of constitutional matters, the Governor acts on the advice of his/her Ministers.

Getting There

We chose public transport, because it is easy and convenient. Only a ten-minute walk from Central Quay, it’s easily accessible using ferries, trains, light rail or buses.

Walking through the Botanic Gardens, we only noticed it was open when we saw people wandering through the gardens. On walking up to the front gates, we saw the open times and decided to take the opportunity to go inside.

Outside and Gardens

Entry to the gardens is free and you are able to walk through them during opening hours. With views over Sydney Harbour, they are great to wander around and admire. At the same time, the outside of the building and it castle-like appearance look great surrounded by trees.

Interior Tour

To go on the guided tour inside the building, you need to sign in at the gate house. Identification is required and bags must be left in the cloak room.

With tours run every 30 minutes, they are convenient and regular. The first starts at 10.30am and the last at 3.00pm. The gardens and guided tours are free of charge, which is great.

Photography is not permitted inside the house. This is a pity because the interior decorations and artwork are amazing.

The tour takes you through the public rooms, where the guide explains the significance of the decorations and the house’s history. We learnt a lot about the Governor’s role and how it has changed since the early days of the NSW colony. Originally the Sovereign’s representative, in charge of running the colony, they are now responsible for ceremonial duties, while the Premier and their Ministers run the state.

If you are able to go on the tour, we really recommend it, as we found it very interesting.

What did We Think?

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.