Heavenly Beverley : Dawdling Around Day Dawn

Monday, 1 July 2019

Dawdling Around Day Dawn

Another lazy morning. Just what the doctor ordered. We were snoozing when Vanessa rang. She was reporting on the scene at Perth International Terminal at eight thirty on a Tuesday morning. She drolly observed that the airport terminal was about as exciting as a wet afternoon in Betoota. (The current population of Betoota is zero. However, with the renovation of the pub nearing completion, the number of residents will explode to between five and ten. Watch this space.)

A spot of clothes washing, a bowl of porridge each, tea and coffee and catching up with photographs and social media happily filled up a few hours. We launched forth into Lily and turned her in the direction of Day Dawn, the sister settlement to Cue located about five kilometres south.

We wanted to return to the same site we'd briefly visited the other day. Near the old hospital that had also been part of the Day Dawn community. What is difficult to fathom was the size of these towns in favourable times. Cue had a population of ten thousand in 1900. Traveller and writer May Vivienne enthused delightedly, in 1901, upon arriving in Cue - "At last, I saw the lights of Cue. Electric lights in the streets, horses and cart, the shrill whistle of the railway engine, the boys calling out the evening papers...all told me that I had emerged from the 'back blocks' and once more approaching the metropolis."

Day Dawn's population was in the three thousands during the same period. Supported by the nearby Great Fingall Mine, Day Dawn would have been spread over a wide area, with numerous streets and services. Gold had been discovered in 1891, the town was named in 1894 and gazetted in 1895. The town was connected by rail to Mullewa heading south and Meekatharra heading north. The Great Fingall Mine operated until 1918 and the town itself had mostly disappeared off the face of the earth by the 1930s. Interestingly, the hospital did not close until 1942.

After some seriously satisfying fossicking with the hospital within sight, we moved on to look for more remains of Day Dawn. These glimpses of the past have, mostly, sadly vanished. What annoyed us more was the destruction of some buildings, obviously some years ago, that removed much of Day Dawn's identity. The town dam, still filled with water and supporting local wildlife, was a beautiful oasis. However, even this place had been spoiled by rubbish left by moronic individuals with no appreciation of the history that was Day Dawn.

The sandstone ruins of the hospital were stunningly lit by the late afternoon light. Although decaying along with the rest of what is left of Day Dawn, the hospital still exudes an aura of purpose deserving of its station. A noble reminder of a vital community facility.

We returned to the caravan park for showers, followed by dinner at the Murchison Club Hotel. An unusual and almost pleasurable sensation had occurred on our bodies today.

We had been sweaty.