Stopping by Albury for a few days

We rocked up to Albury to stay at a fellow MSO. Alan and Mary have a 50m acre farm they deem as small (after previously having a farm of some 1000 acres). They have generously opened up their place to fellow club members to stay over for a few days if they wish to sight see around the Albury/Wodonga area.

Our home for a few days near Albury

We were encouraged to join them for happy hours on the back verandah amidst the abundant bird life.

On our first day there we went into town and checked out one of the shopping centres as well as the Information Centre near the beautifully maintained train station. It is a grand old Victorian building, and possibly one of the most beautiful railway stations outside of Melbourne and Sydney.

Albury Railway Station is beautiful

On our second day there we went for a drive around a suggested tourist loop taking in the Hume Dam and The Bonegilla Migrant Museum.

The Hume Dam

Hume Dam is a major dam across the Murray River and is a part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. We were told that one could walk across the dam but we found that the top of the dam was closed to the public though there were viewing platforms that were open. To give you an idea of the capacity of the Lake Hume that is formed, it holds around six times the amount of water as Sydney Harbour. I am not sure about the general recreational use of the dam as to swimming and fish, but there is a sailing club on the southern borders of the lake and we could see at least one sailing boat on the lake.

The Hume Dam wall

The Bonegilla Migrant Museum

 

Rob at the entry

Australia’s largest and longest operating migrant centre opening for displaced men in particular in 1947 and soon to include families. It housed migrants up until 1971. Some 300,000 people passed through this centre, mostly from Europe. It is now listed as a significant heritage site and one can visit the many restored buildings and learn of the lives and deprivations people went through before arriving in Australia.

Somehow this appreciation seems to be lacking in many of today's migrants

It was interesting to note that those who came with nothing appreciated what Australia tried to do for them. The migrants that arrived under an assistant scheme were generally speaking a lot more critical. They might comment on the boredom of the food even as they acknowledged that there was plenty of it.

There were many informative, visual displays and memorabilia

Though I think it would have been hard to adjust to a new culture, different food and separation from family support, amongst other difficulties, for many it was a chance to start over. I haven't a clue what goes on in such migrant placement centres today, but I expect that the same frustrations exists with some appreciating the possibility of being able to start over in a new country and others expecting more than is being done for them/

Sumsion Gardens, Wodonga

Sumsion Gardens

We would have visited the Huon Lookout, but it is poorly marked as in NO signs on the main road and it is a dirt track which we ignored expecting it to be bitumen. By the time we realized it we used Google Maps and found a track further ahead that appeared to go up to the look out only to find that after a little bit, the track was barred closed by a gate allowing no vehicular access. So we gave up and went on ahead to Wodonga and had a lovely picnic lunch on the water's edge at the delightful Sumsion Gardens with all manner of ducks, geese and other birds for company.