I’ve been outback NSW over the last week. Working of course, but managing to combine business with pleasure.
While we were out that way I took the opportunity to go and visit some relatives, and over a couple of bottles of wine with dinner we started discussing the family history.
My grandmother was born in 1907 in a little place called Mt Hope. About halfway between Cobar and Hillston on the Kidman Way.
I’ve been doing a bit of research on the place, trying to find anything related to my grandmother. According to an historical timeline, way back in 1881 Mt Hope had a population of 11, and I don’t think it’s changed much since.
There’s still a pub of course, every town has to have one of them, but there’s not much else there.
Don’t be fooled by the buildings, most of them are abandoned. There appears to be somethign going on though because that’s a very big aerial and tower behind the pub. And there’s demountable buildings beside it – the type where fly in, fly out
mine workers stay. Though I’m not sure the mine is still operational there. There’s what appears to be ruins from a mine or other substantial buildings on the hill opposite the pub.
The minimal research I’ve done so far hasn’t told me a lot. But a photo I found at the State Library of NSW shows that it was quite a bustling little place at one point. Unfortunately the photo’s not dated so I don’t know when.
There’s a cemetery not far out of town. Some of the graves are have wooden markers which of course are crumbled away so you can’t see who is buried there. Others go back to the late 1800s, so I might yet find some family connection.
I feel a bit like Hercule Poirot, or maybe I’m closer to Miss Marple.
If there’s something to be found, I’ll find it!
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