Gallery

Photos can inspire us, remind us of extraordinary days or exhilarating places. Photos play a part when I’m researching and writing.

Trial Bay Gaol, NSW

Overlooking beautiful scenes of the water crashing upon the rocks and shore is the last place you’d expect to find a gaol, but it was the perfect site for prisoners to construct a breakwater to make Trial Bay harbour safe between Sydney and Brisbane. Unfortunately the breakwater attempts failed, but the remains can be seen from the guard tower lookout. It is a weird sensation to see such beauty and then with a slight change of direction to view the stone fortress that deprived people of their freedom. During WWI, it became an internment camp for people of German descent. This was done to protect the country from German sympathisers.

This foreboding relic is a reminder of the 13 years it took to build, opening in 1886, and those who lived and died there.

May Day Hills, Beechworth

Originally known as Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, May Day Hills opened in 1867 and operated as one of the larges psychiatric hospitals in Victoria. Before it closed in 1995, it had 67 buildings, treated 1200 patients and employed approximately 600 staff. Patients weren’t treated well in the early days, but treatment and rights improved as the levels of psychiatric needs were understood better. Wandering through some of the buildings leave an unsettling feeling, especially the bathroom and basement. See if you have nerves of steel during a night tour.

Beechworth Mayday Hill gatehouse accommodation2

Noosa

Staying in accommodation that permitted an easy walking distance from Noosa’s Main Beach, it was an enjoyable stroll to gain an advantage point to watch the sun set. Noosa National Park also being closely situated meant welcomed visitations from the wild life. Stumpy the lizard, or so we named him because of his tail, often sunbaked while friendly birds dropped in on our verandah for a chat.

Mystery Pic

Now for a little fun! Guess where this picture was taken. As a hint, it was taken in New South Wales. Pop in again to see if you were right when this location is revealed.

Copyright Statement
No part of this website (including information and images) may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic or mechanical, through reprography, digital transmission, records or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.