Sep 28, 2013

OLR - Site-1-Rail Gadi

Rail Gadi: Old and New Railway line.
Old Laverton Road = OLR
Site (1)
WA: 24TH Sept


One cloudy windy Windy Sunday my friend Joanna (who works for the Laverton Shire office) -- a brilliant human being and historian and an excellent guide for me. lived many years in Cambodia, She understands many layers complexity in many of the Asian countries.
she took me to a old heritage trial road trip. which is all along the old Laverton Road. It is called Golden Quest Trail Route. The New highway runs parallel to the Old laverton road- the distances between them differs from 5km to 15km

I start with Railways:

Railways as all know was a great contribution by British to many British ruled country. so here is the account of the Australian WA golden trail Railways for you.

we went along the old tracks and old platforms and old bridges - and also saw the new railway line from Malcom: and of course the salt lakes. 

The Old Railway line which ended in Laverton - which i have already mentioned check: 
http://archanadevitravels.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/golden-camels-laverton-wa-6th-sept-s5.html










the new railways line

 The railways line


still you find these lying all around which was used to fix the timber on the railways line. I am just wondering how people dont take them such an antique value








 Salt lakes



Sep 23, 2013

GOLD (s2)




2nd Big Gold mine visit
WA - 23rd Sept

Abandon – bigger than Mary mac (already reported): Admiral Hill – named after a hill which looks like a cap of the Admiral.



When you first visit these landscapes – it is difficult to say which one is natural hill or Gold mine or Cave or Cave in – or human made massive pit

Few places i am sure from an Arial view it would seem like a Rabbit has made these holes or underneath tunnels – but then it seeps in. it took me time – now I can make the difference.

So this Pit will be closed by the Company or will they pay the fine – need to wait and watch. 

Here you can find few earth colours for paintings - picked few. 

















Correction : Addition of the Living Archive


Correction : Addition
of the Living Archive
WA: 23rd September


Some Information needs correction and addition, as people are reacting to the images I am uploading and giving me the right information – which is amazing. I hope in the end of my stay everyone in Laverton gets addicted to my blog. – yeah I know it is a dream and also have to give some entertainment material.
 

The article http://archanadevitravels.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/golden-camels-s8.html i wrote on 12th September - correction and addition made here: 


Correction 1:










The Unclaimed Graves are basically – "Unconsecrated Ground" it is not been Blessed. 
The Graves which i called "Unclaimed" are of people: 



1.  Who where not Baptized

2.  Aborginal people who dint get converted into the religion of the white people and so are not baptized
 

3.  People who committed suicide – not acknowledged


In the main burial ground – as everything is recorded – we find many Aboriginal people who where buried– so it is assumed they adopted the White peoples Religion. But I am still wondering the story of the Afghan's in the main ground. Yes it seems they where all buried in a corner of the "main consecrated" ground – We also notice presently in Laverton the 5 graves are in the middle of the ground – specially after 1960 many where buried around the afghan graves so they are now in almost center. 

It is like Bombay city – the National park which was suppose to be outskirts of the city and now it is very much in the city and the highway runs all around the park or Dharavi was created to be a black town or a migrant outsider community been ghetto-ed is now the central prime land.

But interestingly presently the borders are not so much marked or emphasized you can see the cemetery is almost like a cycle of life or a Buddhist Mandala (conceptually not visually)- going back into its roots and also 'The segregation' is merging - the nature, the flat landscape, the horizon is all coming into a full life cycle. 

Correction and Addition 2: 


The image i took outside the Cemetery along the road – which I thought might have been someone’s pet or an unclaimed grave trying to claim its existence is not the story. The story goes:
There was an Accident of a Young Man – so this is a memorial in his name by his family – to mark the spot where he died and also to remind people to drive safe. Careful curve. There are such many spots I noticed on the road side in all over the area – still to document them. 

Correction and Addition 3: 


this image I thought was fruits and veges as offering to their ancestors - the real story is
They are called Paddy Melons or Camel Melons or Afghan Melons: the Afghans got them from S.Asia – for the camels – as these melons had water contains – Afghans got some seeds which grew wild – a creeper – which spreads on the ground. 

It is bitter so only the Camels eat them no humans. So the story is: the camel eats the fruits and walks all over the desert – the seeds come out from their dung and later the weed grows and more melons all over the continent. 

What we see here in the cemetery is - there must have some seed come from somewhere the weed has dried and left the fruit alone – so now the fruit will dry as summer is coming and again we are left with seeds and back to more melons. 

few information on the Melons from the Net: 

Common names: Wild melon, Afghan melon, Bastard melon, Bitter apple, Bitter melon, Camel melon, Jam melon, Mickey melon, Paddy melon, Pie melon, Watermelon.  

Fruits - the fruits are melon-like, spherical to oblong, from 6 - 30 cm in diameter, smaller than cultivated melons, and bitter to taste. They are hairy, dark green, mottled with pale green or yellowish, long stripes, and contain a white flesh. 


Ecology: Widespread throughout mainland Australia. A common species in semi-arid areas. The plant is often found on sandy or flooded soils, along roadsides, neglected areas, watercourses, channels, and also in cultivated situations. The density of the weed varies from year to year, depending on moisture.

The problem: Commonly found in channels and other areas that retain soil moisture. The seeds are readily spread via irrigation water and appear to remain dormant for several years. Dense stands can be very competitive and deplete the soil of water and nutrients. The long dead stems may also tangle in implements.

Distribution: Found throughout Australia.

Origin: A native of Africa. 


http://www.cottoncrc.org.au/industry/Publications/Weeds/Weed_IdentificationTools/Weeds_by_common_names/Wild_melon