Exciting Finds – Exploring Forgotten Back Roads

On a dirt road to nowhere!

When exploring forgotten back roads there is always a sense of expectation of what you might find around the next bend..  Even more so if there used to be a farming community or village in the area.  Old Community Halls, General Stores or cemeteries are always a sign the area was a  lot more active in pioneering times.

As an example White Swamp was once a village on the NSW/Qld border.  It had two general stores, a post office, school, cemetery, and a timber mill. When the timber mill closed White Swamp disappeared from the map,  with the exception of White Swamp Road and the cemetery, nothing else remains.  Once the borders reopen it will be time for an expedition to the area to see what evidence remains of life in the once productive village.

Maroon Hall
The small farming community of Maroon.

If you find a few old road maps that were printed in the 50’s and 60’s, they will show you the roads  that ran through many villages and small towns.  Most have been forgotten as the newer highways, with their soulless services centres now take centre stage. 

I have been fortunate this year to locate a few farming service villages that have all but closed.  One called Kooroongarra, near Millmerran, has the derelict tin community hall, empty church, old butter factory, shop and a couple of houses still standing.  The former village only has a one line description on Wikipedia, and is not described as anything but a location on most maps.

Because of the vast distances and remote location of many of these old settlements, they have been left largely undisturbed and forgotten.

With travel options to remain limited for the foreseeable future, now is a good time to go exploring.  You will be surprised at what you find within 150 Kms of where you live.  Don’t forget the camera, and remember to leave the places you discover as you found them.

  1. © “Old Houses” Gallery here
  2. © “Landscapes and Seascapes” Gallery is available here.

 

 

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About suggpixc 79 Articles
Heritage and History Tragic... chasing the past, one picture at a time!

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