16 June 2014

Today was a good, relaxing day of not doing much other than playing tourist in down town Charters Towers. There is not really a huge amount to see though it is worth a visit if you find yourself passing through the area anytime. The morning tour around the streets and building of the town was quite interesting and the social history was possibly better than the history of the gold fields. There really are some quite impressive old building here, it's a shame they don't make impressive buildings like that any longer. The Stock Exchange really is something of a reclamation judging by the pictures of it before it was restored, it is amazing they actually bothered when the usual norm for such a dilapidated structure would have been a bulldozer. So over all I would rate the walking tour (which takes about 45 minutes). Mind there were only three of us on the morning tour and we were all able to give the guide some information in relation to references she used or examples she was seeking, so we all learnt something.

The town as a mural Pt 1 

 Mural Pt 2

Inside the Stock Exchange

 Location of the Mural

 Busy main street looking back towards the Excelcior (formerly Pub, now Library)

 Looking from the Exclecior library to the Stock Exchange

Looking from the Excelcior towards the Venus Battery outside of town

I then went down to the Venus Battery, the only one of the gold batteries that is left in the area and unfortunately it doesn't operate any longer, though if it did the noise would never pass health & safety laws. Interesting information from the guide that really knew his stuff, probably helped that I had the tour all to myself, so there was no stupid question asking, except mine. Really interesting what, by today's standards, an environmental disaster they created with the processes to get the gold out.

 Venus Battery, Constructed in 1872 and ceased operation in 1973 (officially)

 Battery heads and workings

 Old steam boiler was rolled up there as a water tank once not safe to maintain pressure, 15 feet up!

Lastly was the National Trust Zara Museum, so many things in there to see and so much that has been donated as well. The place is just packed with all kinds of items, from kitchen items to farm machinery. There is a Ford fire engine, a Chevy buckboard and about 12 pianos/pianolas,piano fortes, just so much stuff you would be hard pressed to actually take it all in, but there were a couple of items in there that I actually have examples of at home, so that was interesting.

This afternoon was addressing the problem that has arisen with the Count, it seems the fan belt must have stretched, so  I've adjusted that, problem sorted, Hopefully if anything else crops up it will be just as easily addressed.

Townsville tomorrow....