Our day was spent exploring the old abandoned towns of East and West Pillinger. These towns were established in the late 1890s by the North Mount Lyell Copper Company. Bricks were made in the enormous kilns in East Pillinger, where most people lived and some parts of the bakery remain. On the other side, in West Pillinger, more offical buildings like the police station and post office were located. However the forest has reclaimed much of West Pillinger back and it is harder to forage and find any old evidence of this.
The railway line that was built in this area is possible the one feature that can be seen on both sides of the basin. The evidence of a huge wharf that extended out into the basin is still in someways there, and the ancient railway track is like following a hidden path to a secret village.
We visited West Pillinger first. Told about a Blackwood sapling growing in the middle of a old carriage 30 years ago, we were determined to try and find this specimen. Close to shore we could see the railway line, and the rusty rivets or pegs that once held down the track. After trying to penetrate the bush is several places we’d almost given up. But then I thought if it’s in a carriage, surely if we follow the tracks we should get close. I don’t know what Blackwood tree looks like ( it’s not like there’s a sign) so I kept my eyes down and looked for the rusty track. Isabelle and Gracie followed me blindly, asking occasionally if I knew where I was going…and at times you could tell that the track had been walked through before, but the growth extending across the path, certainly reminded me to wear long pants next time I decide to go bush bashing!
We found it. With some clear space around the cart or carriage, it was quite obvious once we were close enough to see. The ancient wheel, buffers and chain, and as Joel point out, the suspension leaf springs ( he thought about 12, but they were so compressed and weathered it was difficult to tell) all there for us to see.