Day 15 - Temora Historic Railway Museum and Temora Aviation Museum & Home

Friday 20 March 2020

It’s a shortish drive home today, only 4 hours or so and I’m reasonably inclined to just go straight home this morning, especially as it’s another hot day, roughly 15 Celcius hotter than I prefer when out and about. But I’ve wanted to spend a little time in Temora for ages. I just haven’t got to it because it feels so close to home. I decide to just sus things out and make a call based on the set up and visitor numbers.

Temora Railway Museum

First stop is the Temora Railway Museum. Parking is easy and the beautiful heritage station building is schmick. I wander in and chat briefly with the trio of volunteers in the entry room. I can have a guided tour, but given the pandemic, I opt to just wander around on my own. I know a fair bit about railways so I don’t need a lot of interpretation to understand what I’m seeing. The displays and presentation is simply outstanding. Signs tell of heritage awards received and it’s really not at all surprising. My favourite item of all is the story of Boofhead, the Temora railway dog. Everything about the story sings of the love that Temora had for this jaunty little dog during his life and the decades beyond. His story would make a good movie, it’s got everything, drama, romance the lot.

Heading out through the “chat room” I get talking with the three blokes. I hear tell of the process of cleaning up the station from its derelict state and the many truckloads of dead pigeons that had to be disposed of. I am astonished. To look at it now you would never in a million years think that it had been in such a state. People have donated many of the items on display. In better times, the guided tour would definitely be the way to go and if they don’t mention it, be sure and ask about the process of establishing the museum, it’s a very interesting and impressive story. Even without the guided tour I didn’t find it at all difficult to spend an hour, but would recommend longer to read the interesting information boards.  I'm chronically distracted at the moment so I photograph the panels to read later. In cooler weather, walking around the block on the railway heritage trail, you’d probably want another hour at least.

There’s a handy free camp area adjacent to the Railway Museum, beautiful level sealed ground and there’s a lovely green outlook to the park. On the edge of the park, there’s a sound shell where the campers congregate to talk in wet weather but it’s not big enough to meet demand so the Railway Museum volunteers are converting a shed to provide another pleasant space for similar use.

Next of course, I have to go and take a look at the famous Temora Aviation Museum. There was supposed to be a flying day this weekend, which perhaps explains why the accommodation in Temora was pretty full when I was looking for a room at short notice. The pandemic has meant they have cancelled the flight day. Today there’s almost no one on site.

Temora Aviation Museum

I stop to read the sign at the entrance about Covid-19, and behaviour required in line with social distancing. I am encouraged to start my visit with the short video that explains how the museum came to be. It provides important background information and it is simply astonishing what a fantastic, community driven museum has been built. Aviators do tend to be very passionate about the aviation, but still.

I am happy to see the information board on the RAAF in the Korean War, historically often an under-represented conflict in museums.

Listening stations provide an opportunity to listen to oral history from veterans who have a connection to the aircraft on display. There’s quite a large amount of material to listen to, so that could really consume a lot of time if you settle down in that area. No wonder this place is well known, of course it is with its biennial War Birds Downunder air show which is next scheduled for October 2020. Now in doubt of course due to the pandemic.

Cessna A37B Dragonfly - well named!

Every plane on site is kept operational and they have some remarkable historic planes all displayed in immaculate spaces with fascinating details about the operational usage of each.

I don’t have the luxury of spending as long as I like today unfortunately, none-the-less, I’m happily occupied for about an hour and a half and I’m glad to have gone ahead and visited.

A quick reccie out to Lake Centenary which is a fairly young recreation area, there’s a playground with shade sail, but shade trees that have been planted have some growing to do.

Time now to get on the road, I’m already expecting not to be home until after 6:30 pm so I need to make tracks.

I love driving and exploring, Temora to home is not new territory for me, but it’s an enjoyable drive through what I think of as “home territory” and after such a long while on my own, it feels good to be home in NSW in a landscape I know and love.

I stop and revive at Binalong when I come to the grave of Johnny Gilbert, accessible via some stairs from the roadside parking bay. Gilbert was a bushranger, basically just a wrongun’ he joined Ben Hall’s gang as part of his short life of reckless criminality.

From Binalong it’s straight home to crawl under my rock, just in time for growing application of increasing restrictions on movement imposed for response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s clear I made the right choice to turn for home when I did.