The buildings on this site were constructed built as the barracks and support buildings for the construction of a dam in the 1840s using probationary labour, with the intention of providing irrigation for farms in the Midlands, but was abandoned a few years later due to economic and political factors. The site consists of a partially completed dam, an abandoned sandstone quarry and the nearby settlement that housed the workers. The original post on Live Journal was in three parts, the earliers parts providing more background information (and photos of the road in) and photos of the abandoned dam site
Among the trees are the remains of paths, boundary walls and chimneys.
Not sure exactly what made up the settlement. Barracks for the workers, obviously. Cottages for the supervisors/officers. Hospital. Laundry & cookhouse Storerooms. Forge/smithy?
There is a copy of the plans of the original settlement here but if you can make sense of it you’re doing better than me.
The chimneys are the most noticeable features.
The lighting is a bit strange, and the camera has picked up on it. It’s sort of green, like in a forest with a denser canopy, but also clear. On my computer anyway, it makes some of the photos look like they’re over sharpened.
A brick pile.
Some of the others poked around looking for arrow markings and thumb prints. They said they found some, but I didn’t see any.
It’s rather weird to casually look into the bush, and then have the ruins of a building resolve in front of you.
Although also frustrating because you have no idea what the remains actually are.
As we were about to leave, this caused some interest.
This is the front bit. It’s the only sandstone in the settlement area, that I saw.
This is the back bit. Purpose? It makes me think of water. Well? Laundry? Or cook house?
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