Cape York question

Submitted: Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 16:50

ThreadID: 61224 Views:2364 Replies:5 FollowUps:4

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Member - Marco T (VIC)

I have just returned from the Cape and have fallen in love with the place.
A shame not everybody can not see this magic area.
I will always have memories of sitting at my camp in Loyalty Beach looking at the islands with the sun setting over my camp fire.

My question is about the telegraph posts:

Many were completely bent over and the cross members missing. A rare few were in as good a condition as when installed almost. Is this vandalism? Souvenir hunting?
I hope not, I would hate to think some people out there would do this.

Another thought is possibly a fire has heated the posts up and bent 'naturally' This sits with me better.

Just another question if somebody knows:

From Somerset Ruins you can see a house on Albany Island. Note it appears to be Aboriginal land.
Who is the lucky bugger living there?

Cheers to all

Marco

Does anybody know?

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Reply By: Thermoguard Instruments - Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 17:17

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 17:17

Hi Marco,

Thnaks for reminding me about that wonderful place - hard to believe it's now six years since we did the trip.

I know what you mean about the OTL poles. Perhaps when the salvagers (authorised or otherwise) recovered all the copper wire from the line after it was decommissioned, they weren't to fussy about how they pulled it down off the poles (i.e. threw a rope over the wires, tied it to the tow bar and drove off??) I doubt the bushfires up that way (generally just grass fires) would get hot enough to soften a 2" or so steel pipe. Still, an interesting question - I hope someone who knows what really caused it posts back.

Don't know Albany Is.

Ian

AnswerID: 322996

Follow Up By: Ted G - Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 17:25

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 17:25

We were told that the insulators were taken for souvenirs you can buy them at Bramil station for about $50 each. Some were knocked over by floods in the low areas.
Don;t know about Albany.
RegardsTed

FollowupID: 590050

Follow Up By: furph - Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 19:01

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 19:01

Where I grew up in Vic. (1950's) the phone wires going past the house used to emit a wonderful singing noise at night, particularly if a frost could be setting in.
Then eventually they all went underground and my old man and others thought there could be a fortune in the copper phone lines left behind.
Alas they were only gal. wire. We were told later that the expansion/cotraction of pure copper wire makes it unsuitable for overhead phone use at the distances we were on.
As kids with a .22 we played havoc on the old insulators though.
So us kids settled for rabbit skins at 6d./lb.
furph

FollowupID: 590056

Reply By: Crackles - Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 18:16

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 18:16

In the mid 80's there were still heaps of insulators & most of the posts were unright but on a return trip 6 years ago almost all had been taken. As already said the easiest way to get the wire & insulators was to throw a rope over & pull it down with the car. It's a shame ripping up all our history like that but it's the same with the old Gahn Railway buildings & all the survey markers accross the Simpson Desert.
Cheers Craig..........

AnswerID: 323000

Reply By: obee - Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 20:38

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 20:38

Leaving the posts there was the act of vandalism. These days it is incumbant on contractors to leave the bush the way it was. Next act of vandalism is thousands of vehicles working a track that was never meant for heavy use. Good fun yes but us bashers should not throw stones in our glass houses.

How yesterdays rubbish is tomorrows historical feature. Hmmm!

My brother wants to sell all the scrap on his farm but I told him that scrap is history. I wonder.

The HM Victory is being replaced all the time cos thats the way things are. Stuff dont last forever. A curator told me what a pity but I said hey, the thing is there to tell a story of people. the actual bits of rotten timber dont count for anything.

How much was that cup of tea at the station where they sell insulators for fifty. They probs import them from all over the country. How can you tell where they come from. there are milliions of them out there.

Owen

AnswerID: 323015

Follow Up By: al - Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 20:57

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 at 20:57

r u some sort of wan#er what would you do ? close all of the tracks so no body gets to see this great country. of all the million of square miles out there all the 4wd. wants is a 3.0 mtr. wide strip to drive on and you complain. give us a break.
al

FollowupID: 590066