I've mentioned a few early starts not his trip so far but nothing will top the 3.30am start I had today to attend the ANZAC day dawn service with Janet's dad and uncle. The 4.30am service was incredibly moving and I was astounded that it was attended by over 2000 people. The service itself was similar in many respects to a Remembrance Sunday service back home but was a little less formal and certainly better attended. A truly incredible way to experience the pride Autralians have in their country.
Today was an exploration of Rockhamptons local history and we started off with a visit to Janet's Great Great Grandfathers grave. He was an early Rockhampton businessman and it's first mayor.
This was followed by an trip to Mount Morgan, the disused goldmine that was key to Rockhampton wealth. Mount Morgan was a great example of the impact on world history that a small place like Rockhampton has had. One of the first shareholders in Mount Morgan was a young Rockhampton lawyer William Knox D'Arcy, who returned to England once he had made his fortune from gold to invest in early oil exploration in Persia. This expedition was successful and the resulting company became BP, the energy giant we know today!
Mount Morgan the town sadly has more in common with many North East English towns with a feeling of decline that comes when the only employer disappears.
As if that wasn't enough to make anyone sad...
It had been a long day but we still found time that evening to head out for a few beers with some of Janet's old friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment