Blog Comment: Ooldea Joining of the Rails 100th Anniversary

Submitted: Saturday, Nov 25, 2017 at 06:56

ThreadID: 135909 Views:3583 Replies:3 FollowUps:5

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Baz - The Landy

Hi Stephen
A great write-up in a well presented blog. I was looking forward to travelling to the event myself, but wasn't able to in the end; your blog goes someway to "taking me there".
Cheers, Baz

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Nov 25, 2017 at 07:43

Reply By: Pete G - Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 02:22

Reply By: Zippo - Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 14:22

Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 14:22

We already had a schedule to be elsewhere at the time so were not going to be able to attend, but agree re Stephen's write-up.

We were in NSW at the time of the ceremony, but when in Canberra we took the opportunity at the Australian Mint to stamp a commemorative "joining-of-the-rails" $1 coin for ourselves. The commemorative press is set up to do one type for I believe a three-month stint, and will be doing these coins until the end of the year. The mint do not do mail-order or provide an other purchase mechanism other than the walk-in-self-service that we used, but apparently there are individuals who come in, stamp a bunch and then offer them via ebay and/or other outlets.

My interest in the ceremony was mainly because my grandparents, mother and her siblings relocated from Melbourne to Perth, travelling on the second train to travel west - the first being for pollies and celebs only. We actually travelled on the I-P past that point on the 17th of November, saw the "memorial" as we passed, and thought of all the EO-ers who would have been there a month earlier.

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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 21:58

Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 21:58

Hi Zippo

That's good that the Mint were doing the $1 commemorative coin, and to be honest, I was not aware on that.

When you went past the site, did the train driver let people know of its importance.

It would have been a very special piece of family for your grandparents to travel across the Nullabor back in 1917 and a far cry to the train trip of today.

Cheers

Stephen

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Follow Up By: Zippo - Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 22:14

Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 at 22:14

There was an announcement explaining to passengers that Ooldea was where the tracks were joined in 1917, but that was all. This came as we passed the siding (?), which caused us to look out the window. Shortly after, the "steelwork" came into view.

A bit off-topic, but normally I wouldn't be caught dead on the I-P, but SWMBO has always wanted to do it (once). Mind you 8 transits across on the bitumen is at least 7 too many, the reason we have used and re-used the GCR as our preferred route.

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