The Dam

As part of my work I got to visit the site of Junction Reefs Dam which is just up the road from where we live. I first visited the spot back in the 80's, when it was a used and abused camping/ recreation area. The mines moved in and closed the area to the public and so the place has sat idle for a good decade or more. The old camping area is overgrown and quiet, all the planted trees(which were just small sapplings last time)on the regeneration areas are now fairly big and growing well.

Being out there for a day, really let me suss out the place and soak up the atmosphere. (Plus a dip in the river). The day was pretty warm, the water was roaring and to finish it all up I got a few good stings from some over-friendly wasps..

The dam was constructed around the late 1890's for use by local gold mines. The gold dried up and the dam filled with silt. It's a great structure, built in a narrow rocky pass on the Belubula River, with 6 huge brick buttresses and a series of cascades directly below the wall.

I can see why so many people complained when the mines closed down the camping area. Remembering it from the late 80's, its probably a good thing.

It was nice to have the place to myself for a day. All in all I had pretty good time.

Upper Forest schoolhouse

Just on down the road from our place is the old school house for the locality.

Its derelict now, all the windows are gone and the floors in the main shcool room have been progressively smashed by cattle looking for some shelter.

The old walls are beginning to buckle from the pressure of the huge trees surrounding the building. It really hasn't got long left.

At the turn of last century it held 30+ students and ran for 4 decades. It became decommissioned in the 30's and used as temporary rent till the early 50's.
I would like to think that some type of unfound record of history lies under the floorboards or beneath the long grass.

The scrawl scratched into the plaster of the walls is just about gone,
& bats live in the roof.