City Murals by Maria Caesar

     Scattered throughout Charters Towers are numerous displays of local works of art. There are even paintings upon decorative timber boxes that cover the public rubbish bins in the main street. Each of the wooden enclosures on this surprising avenue for a “Heritage Link” feature different historical buildings such as the Church of Christ with its bell tower and the School of Mines. Other examples of city art can be found in the form of several large wall murals depicting various scenes of Charters Towers’ yesteryear.

     In the restaurant of the Charters Towers Civic Club there is a beautiful floor-to-ceiling mural that stretches the length of the dining area. The colourful artwork is divided into three sections. One captures the scene of a lawn bowls game being played c.1950. Players donned in their white attire occupy a field with the Charters Towers Bowling Club as their backdrop.

      The other two sections of the wall painting are set in Lissner Park. A woman dressed in an elegant ankle-length gown and carrying a dainty parasol strolls with her equally well-garbed partner within the lush green landscape. Both the Lissner Park rotunda and the fountain feature prominently on the mural. If you look closely you can see the bats hanging from the tree branches; they had been added to the painting in recent years.

     The Civic Club was originally known as the Londoner’s Club (a gentleman’s club) and in the room adjacent to the dining section you can play a few rounds of billiards on one of their two 100-year old tables.    

     Other city murals can be located at Centenary Park and next to the Westpac Bank. The painting in Centenary Park depicts a sepia image of Mosman Street c.1890, whereas the Westpac Bank mural shows the Pyrites Works on Towers Hill during its glory days c. 1895.

     The largest and perhaps most famous mural in Charters Towers has been painted onto the wall of the Arthur Titley Centre in Mosman Street. The images on this grand-scale work of art, unlike the others scattered throughout the city, are almost cartoon-like. The two-dimensional imagery includes several historical buildings such as Stan Pollards, the Arthur Titley Centre, the local Post Office, and the Stock Exchange Arcade. Tall chimneys and clusters of mullock heaps sit alongside the old miner’s cottages as the scene, despite its dimensional shortcomings, provides a remarkably accurate glimpse into the Charters Towers mining heyday. The mural was originally painted in 1986 by Mark Sutherland then due to long-term exposure to the elements required careful restoration in 2010.

Texas Longhorn Wagon Tours by Maria Caesar

     As I waited for my order to be filled at a local cafe I noticed an advertisement. Upon the glossy poster was the image of a large beast with horns that stretched incredibly far on either side of its head, and an invitation to see the animal up close via a wagon tour. I gaped at this newfound knowledge. At the base of the poster was a website address. By the time my sandwich had been sliced and wrapped I decided to alter my lunch plans and dine in. I sat at a nearby table and munched on my sandwich whilst surfing the internet via my iPhone.

      I was surprised to discover that there was no need to travel abroad to see the Steer with the Guiness World Record for the longest horns in the world; he could be found at Leahton Park, just 10 kilometres from Charters Towers!  Leahton Park was also home for the largest herd of purebred Texas Longhorns in Australia. These animals were practically living on my doorstep (a slight exaggeration) and I didn’t even know it.  I delved deeper into the contents on the website, chewing my sandwich absentmindedly.

      Apparently, from April to October you can climb aboard for a 1-hour Wagon Tour to view the Texas Longhorn herd along with a buffalo herd and other wildlife. ‘Before the tour, you can enjoy a traditional Aussie smoko including camp oven cooked damper or scones and billy tea plus some Texas chocolate brownies served from a genuine ‘made in Texas’ Cowboy Chuck Wagon.’ Despite being midway through my sandwich my tummy rumbled at the details of the tour menu. I glanced at the cakes and slices on offer by the cafe counter before resuming.

‘Guests of all ages can ride on a western-covered wagon drawn by Woodrow and Gus (Awwwhhh!), two magnificent Percheron draft horses. The wagon and harness were made at Leahton Park and while visiting you can take a guided tour of the Bethel Saddlery Custom Saddle Shop.’

     I paused to check the calendar on my iPhone. But what if the April to October time frame didn’t suit me? Scrolling down the website screen provided my answer: the Texas Longhorn Safari was available all year. ‘On this tour guests can ride on an all-terrain 8-seater Polaris Ranger for a whole new perspective.’  Whichever way you go, a visit to see the Texas Longhorns at Leahton Park was guaranteed to be a truly memorable experience.

     I took note of the contact number listed on the screen before exiting the website. Some relatives from down south would be visiting the Towers for the first time later in the year and this tour was something the entire family could enjoy.  By the time the last crumb of my sandwich had been eaten I had contacted the station and made a booking.

Towers Hill by Maria Caesar

     Standing proudly atop Towers Hill is a large water reservoir painted in bright blue and yellow with the wording “The World”, the name Charters Towers was affectionately referred as when it was the second largest city in Queensland. In December 1871 an Aboriginal boy named Jupiter Mossman first discovered gold at the foot of Towers Hill. A monument was constructed at the site to commemorate the Australian bicentenary in 1988.

     At 420 metres, Towers Hill dominates the skyline behind Charters Towers. Over the years the hill’s three peaks have been subject to much use, predominantly as a mining site. Nowadays it is an ideal exercising venue as every morning and afternoon walkers and cyclists take on the challenge of ascending the hill as part of their daily routines.

     Upon entering the gates at the main entrance, immediately to the right is the Landcare rehabilitation project. Follow the road to the Charters Towers Seismograph Station. In the early 1960s, the University of Queensland established a geophysical recording station on Towers Hill. As part of a worldwide project spanning more than 65 countries with approximately 120 recording stations, the programme provides more accurate recordings of earthquakes. To this day, the Charters Towers station continues to record geophysical information. Located a little further up the road is the Magnetometer structure.

     Next on the road, a dirt track branches off allowing walkers to investigate the site of Clark’s Gold Mine. Whereas the North Australian Mine was the first on the field, Clark’s Gold Mine was the town’s last great deep mine to work on the goldfield, ceasing its operations in 1924.

As you resume your journey towards the summit you will notice that the hillside is dotted with World War II bunkers. Charters Towers played a critical role in the defence of Australia from 1941 to 1945. More than 15,000 American servicemen were based in the area along with Australian Army and Air Force personnel. The RAAF No.3 Replenishing Centre was established in Charters Towers in September 1942.

     Thirty bunkers were constructed at Towers Hill, arranged into four groups, to store munitions. These bunkers were camouflaged by being almost completely covered with mullock from nearby disused gold mines. After the war, the bombs from the bunkers were safely removed and destroyed through a series of controlled explosions. Other items, including ammunition, were thrown down mine shafts and burnt.

      Atop Towers Hill you will find an amphitheatre, picnic tables and a toilet block. In the evenings, a film called “Ghosts after Dark” is screened in the amphitheatre. Ghosts of the past have a starring role as they share the story of the history of Charters Towers.

     Follow the bitumen beyond the amphitheatre and you will discover another dirt walking track, this time leading to the ruins of the site of the Pyrites Works, Charters Towers’ largest chlorination plant. Its 167ft tower was demolished during World War II. Chlorine gas had been used in the plant to treat crushed rock discarded after being processed at the mill. The plant closed when the more cost-efficient cyanidation process replaced chlorination.

     Nowadays, the extension of the walking track enables people to complete a full circumference of the hill. It is best to come in the early mornings or evenings to see the large variety of native wildlife. Birds, reptiles and echidnas have made their home on and around Towers Hill along with several species of macropods such as the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, the Whiptail and the Allied Rock Wallabies. I highly recommend that you walk/cycle/drive up the hill and enjoy a sunset picnic with the best view in “The World”.

A Step Back in Time by Maria Caesar

     With thunderous booms and flashes of lightning the city of Charters Towers was born. In the early 1870s, the horses of four prospectors scattered during a fierce thunderstorm. Whilst searching for their horses, the first Towers gold was discovered.  A rush of fortune-seekers quickly followed. By the end of 1872 approximately three thousand people inhabited the new field. Originally a rough settlement with bark and calico buildings the township transformed into a thriving city with around 25,000 residents. The goldfield reached its peak of gold production in 1899.

     Hundreds of shafts were sunk during the lifetime of the field and the ore raised was processed through many large Treatment Batteries. All religions were strongly represented on the field and in 1890 there were no less than 65 hotels registered. With sports, music and the arts also having fantastic followings, there was no reason to travel elsewhere. This is how Charters Towers earned its nickname, “The World”.

     A journey to Charters Towers would be incomplete without a visit to at least one of the many mining relics located within the town.

     The Columbia Poppet Head is located on the heavy vehicle bypass as you enter the town. The Columbia mine shaft is a vertical excavation that was used to access underground mining facilities 545 metres below. Above the shaft’s entrance stood an open timber structure known as the poppet head or head frame.  The poppet head was an essential part of the mining process and stood up to 20 metres high over the top of the mine shaft. The Columbia mine was one of the last that worked on the goldfield. In 2002, the Charters Towers City Council installed a replica mine works to cap the shaft.  

     The Venus Gold Battery is located on the outskirts of town. It is the largest surviving battery relic in Australia and the oldest surviving battery in Queensland. The battery was constructed in 1872. It was a public or custom mill in its heyday and became a state battery in 1919 to provide ore crushing facilities for small miners long after the other mills had closed. After a century of service, the Venus Gold Battery ceased commercial operations during the early 70s.

     Guided tours are available daily at the battery. One of the highlights of the tour is a holographic film presentation that shows the process of extracting gold from ore and the story of the battery’s working life.  The ghost of Mr EHT Plant, who built the battery, has some interesting tales to tell.

     The Miner’s Cottage, located a stone’s throw from the main street, is a typical example of a late 1800’s worker’s cottage. Between 1880 and 1920 many hundreds of these timber-framed “inside/outside” dwellings were constructed in Charters Towers.  Originally, the standard worker’s cottage consisted of two rooms, roofed by a transverse corrugated iron gable, with a verandah front and rear. The kitchen, bathroom and lavatory were located in separate detached buildings, almost always at ground level and with earthen floors.

     After the arrival of the railway in 1882, the four-room house began to replace the two-roomed cottage in Charters Towers. Then, when gold production slowed in the first part of the twentieth century, many of the quaint little houses were dismantled and transported to other parts of the region.

     The Miner’s Cottage has been refurbished and decorated to show how the house would have looked at the start of the twentieth century. Visitors can even pan for gold whilst visiting this mini museum. 

     Another historic building in Charters Towers is The Stock Exchange Arcade. Built in 1888, it was originally known as the Royal Arcade.  As one of Australia’s first few regional stock exchanges it was linked into the world via telegraph, with three calls a day, six days a week. In 2010 the Arcade was given an overhaul to replace the broken tiles and glass as well as repair other structural damage. Nowadays the Arcade offices have been converted into shops.

     In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the equipment in Assay rooms was used to analyse the quantity of gold contained within the ore. Some assay equipment and many various other mining artefacts can are on display in the Assay & Mining Museum located at the back of the Stock Exchange Arcade.

     The Historic Ambulance Centre dates back to 1903. It was the first ambulance station outside  Brisbane and covered a working area of almost 70,000 square kilometres – approximately the size of Tasmania. Within this museum there is an amazing collection of old vehicles and uniforms. Visitors can read log books that recorded the cases treated by ambulance officers during the past one hundred years.

     The Zara Clark Museum is owned by the National Trust and houses a large collection of photographs, equipment and other memorabilia reflective of Charters Towers’ golden past. The museum is housed in the historic Burns Philp building, built in 1888. Witnessing the demonstration of the flying fox (the Lampson Aerial Cash System from the old Pollards building) is a favourite amongst visitors. See if you can unlock the mystery behind the museum’s intriguing display of strange and somewhat unidentifiable objects. Or if you prefer military history then have a look at the Charles Wallace Military display.  

     It is hard to miss Lissner Park. This stunning garden, located close to the heart of the city, comprises of seven hectares. Within its grounds there is the Boer War Kiosk, Band Rotunda, World War I guns, Federation Fountain and memorials to grazier William Hann and pioneer Jupiter Mossman. A yarning circle was constructed in the park in 2009.  

     Another popular recreational area in Charters Towers is located on Hackett Terrace. Centenary Park was first gazetted as a Reserve for Public Purposes in 1888 and contains the gold discovery monuments. Every year, during the last weekend of August, the various clubs, schools and other groups operating within the region come together. There are over two hundred stalls in the popular Annual Community Day hosted by the Charters Towers Neighbourhood Centre.  

     To complete your tour, consider a visit to the two historic graveyards. The Pioneer Cemetery contains the graves of those buried from 1872 to 1895 and gives insight into the hardships the pioneers faced during the goldfield days, particularly to the babies and children within the population. The “newer” Charters Towers Cemetery was established in 1895 and is the resting place for several interesting local characters including gold discoverer, Jupiter Mossman and James Kenniff, the last bush ranger in Queensland. 

Writers of North Queensland work together by Maria Caesar

     Earlier this year the Bush Curlews were invited by WITS (Writers in Townsville) to participate in a new and exciting joint project. WITS are putting together an anthology. The finished product will include stories, poems and articles from members of writers groups based in Townsville, Charters Towers, Home Hill and Ayr.
      The anthology is due for official launch in October 2013 as part of the annual Queensland Writers celebrations. Each group is to provide submissions based on the theme of promoting their home towns.
     Members of the Bush Curlews worked furiously over the months of February and March towards the project. The group is looking forward to flicking through the final product.

Workshops 2013 by Maria Caesar

    A few lucky members of the Bush Curlews have had the opportunity to attend a couple of Townsville-based writing workshops this year. On Sunday, 3 February, two representatives of the Bush Curlews attended a "Manuscript Assessment Workshop". 

      The informative workshop was hosted by WITS (Writers in Townsville) and was presented by Carla of the Townsville Writers and Publishers Centre.

     It was a great opportunity to enhance our literary skills and to meet and interact with other writers from across the region.

     On Saturday, 16 March, the Queensland Writers Centre hosted a workshop titled "Unleashing your Creative Genius" during which budding authors from all over North Queensland learn't how to overcome the dreaded writers block through various and somewhat personalized techniques.

     The QWC will be hosting more workshops later in the year.