and then on my way to the nearest train station, in a little community called Wauchope, I stopped at another winery. This time I was at the Bago Winery, a family run winery with an additional 'twist' - the Bago Maze. Once totally complete (and it's not quite yet), the maze will be the largest hedge maze in NSW with a total area of 10,000 square metres and 2000 metres of pathways. The design of the maze has taken inspiration from the surrounding vineyard and bushland, incorporating a myriad of symbolic imagery within its pathways and hedges.
After a somewhat stressful travel day yesterday - stressful only because none of my connections met up as they were supposed to but thankfully things waited - I am now in Tamworth, New South Wales.
Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47, 000 people, is a major regional centre and is located midway between Brisbane and Sydney. The city is known internationally as the "First City of Lights", being the first place in Australia to use electric street lights, circa 1888. Tamworth is also famous as the "Country Music Capital of Australia", annually hosting the Tamworth Country Music Festival in late January; the second biggest country music festival in the world. The city is also recognised as the "National Equine Capital of Australia" because of the high volume of equine events held in the city and the construction of the world class Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre, the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 1818 explorer John Oxley passed through the area on his exploration mission. He named the river that now runs through the town the Peel River, after British Prime Minister Robert Peel. In 1831, the first sheep stations and cattle stations were formed, and in the same year the Australian Agricultural Company (AAC) was formed. In the 1830s, a company town began to develop on the Peel's southwest bank, and in 1850, a public town was gazetted on the opposite side of the river from the existing settlement. This town became the main town, called "Tamworth" after Tamworth, Shaffordshire, represented at the time in parliament by Robert Peel. The town prospered, and was reached by the railway in 1878. In 1888, Tamworth became the first location in the Southern Hemisphere to have electric street lighting, giving the city the title of "First City of Light".
This afternoon I went on a little walking tour to learn a bit more about Tamworth and its history.
St. Nicholas' Church is the second Roman Catholic church to be built on this site. The first was built in 1859 and was also the first church built in Tamworth. In 1877 the foundation stone for this building was laid for this William Vett-designed church.
Built in 1882, what is now the Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music was once a convent and the home of the Dominican sisters.
The current 'Old Bell Tower' is the former St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, built in 1909. A memorial bell was installed in the octagonal tower in 1946 in memory of 15 men from the congregation who died during World War II.
The Railway Station is an excellent example of late Victorian/Italianate architecture.
Built in 1871, Wesley Church is the oldest church still being used for worship in Tamworth.
This elegant Italianate style building was constructed in 1896 as the Tamworth Town Hall and Council Chambers and served in this capacity until 1934. Within the grounds the first government school was established in 1855. Now the building is Tamworth's Community Centre.
Tamworth was the first town in Australia to light its streets by electricity, in 1888. Electricity was generated in the power station which was formerly located on this site. This showroom was established in 1909 after electric power became available for commercial and private use in 1907.
One of the oldest surviving building in Tamworth, the former Mechanics Institute, was opened in 1866. This building was used as a venue for church services and Tamworth's first Sunday School, a regional library, reading room, chess, billiards, grammar school classes, and an Adult Education & University. In 1885 women of Tamworth met here and formed the Ladies' Benevolent Society. During World War II it was used as a canteen for the troops. Today it houses the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Construction of the present Town Hall began in 1933 and was officially opened in 1934.
The Lands Office was completed in 1900 and a number of windows and glass door panels retain the etched "VR" monogram.
Postal services began in Tamworth in 1840 and the present Post Office was opened in 1886.
The Tamworth Waler Memorial, a memorial to the Australian Light Horst, is a cast bronze statue of a Waler Horse and an Australian Light Horse Trooper. The famous Light Horse Charge at Beersheba which occurred in 1917 proved the Australian-bred horse could perform superbly and with great courage. Between 1861 and 1931 approximately 500 000 horses were exported from Australia to the Indian Army, the Boer War and Egypt with the Australian Light Horse as remounts. Of all these horses only one returned, a gelding Sandy. They were mainly bred from Blood, draught and pony breeds. These were the forbears of the Australian Stock Horses and were purchased from properties throughout Australia, and in the early stages were mostly purchased from New South Wales which gave them their name of Whalers, coined by the English.
The most famous of all feats of the Whaler Horse at war was the Light Horse Charge on Beersheba in 1917. The horses were without water for 48 hours in the hot Sinai Desert and then undertook a 4 km cavalry charge across the burning plains under Turkish gunfire to take Beersheba and its wells.
I also really liked the War Memorial which is located nearby.
After walking around the town I went up to Oxley Lookout which provides a panoramic view of the city of Tamworth and a large part of the Peel River Valley. The lookout (and park) are named after Lieutenant John Oxley who discovered the Peel River in 1818. He named the hills behind Tamworth the Wentworth Mounds.
Tamworth is also home to the 'Big Golden Guitar'. The Golden Guitar was erected in 1988 and unveiled by Australia's most popular country music artist, Slim Dusty. Its location in Tamworth is symbolic of the city's recognition and celebration of Australian country music and its artists. The Golden Guitar stand approximately 12 meters high and weighs over 500 kilograms. It is constructed out of fibreglass and wood, with steel reinforcements. The Golden Guitar has no strings because it was modelled directly on the Golden Guitar trophies given to winners at the Country Music Awards of Australia ceremony night during the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
And then at the end of my day I went to the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre. It is a multi-building and arena complex that was designed for equine usage. It has two indoor arenas, stabling, plus an education and training building. I thought we'd just be driving by to see the complex but it turns out the doors were open as the National Cutting Horse Association is holding their National Finals there right now, so I went in to watch for awhile.
Yup - Tamworth really is the Country (Music) Capital of Australia!
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