Way out west…

22 Apr Way out west…

Recently I went to South Australia and visited the town of Burra
(a little north of the Clare Valley, about midway between Adelaide
and Broken Hill). Burra was the one of the world’s largest
copper mines and a major rail transport centre.
In 1877 the mine closed, the population shrank, and the area became wheat
and prime merino sheep country. And sadly the train no longer runs to Burra.
Today the town services the local farming & grazing community, and with its charming
blue stone architecture and mining heritage, is a popular tourist destination.
A warm hearted town with some lovely and interesting people and there’s some good
accommodation (we stayed at the railway station, a fabulous little B&B!),
a couple of great restaurants too.
But the main draw card for me is the abandoned buildings out of town.
To the north, it gets dry. In past times people have upped and just walked off the land.
Tough decisions in very hard times. The area is scattered with an abundance of ruined
buildings, and those colours of the country! A rich source of inspiration for
artists and photographers alike.