I can recall heading west on the Trans Continental – steam all the way. Brisbane to Sydney; Sydney to Albury; Albury to Melbourne; Melbourne to Adelaide; Adelaide to Port Augusta; Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie; Kalgoorlie to Perth, seven changes over 7 days and nights. The Trans had a piano in the saloon carriage and many people played away. I hung off the back carriage watching the desert go by. Between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie it stopped 42 times at places called ‘245 miles’, Immama and Zanthus.
We were met at Perth by one of Bill Coote’s ex-wives and then somehow we travelled to Marvel Loch[1] (I assume by train to Southern Cross and then car to Marvel Loch).
I have fond memories of the place. Betty sewing on her treadle Singer and wondering what the hissing noise was. Just a brown snake which a neighbour killed. Bill killed snakes by holding them to the ground with a forked stick (which he always seemed to have at hand) and placing his pipe stem in their mouth – death by nicotine poisoning. If walking to someone else’s shack at night, “Make a noise Boy and stamp your feet”. Noise for most snakes, feet stamping for the Death Adders (abundant). He always called me ‘Boy’ even on my last visit to him when he was 99 and I was 45.
We initially lived at the Marvel Loch Hotel and then moved to a corrugated iron shack near some mine Bill had a licence for. It was whitewashed and had a super bush shelter out the back, which was coolish. The lounge suite was made from old car bodies – the back end cut off and Betty reupholstered them. Quite comfortable. Bill was a big radio fan and we had his Battyphone hooked up to a 6-volt battery and a monster aerial so kept in touch with the world.
I was sent to Christ Church Grammar School but quickly returned to Marvel Loch – not sure if I was expelled or the money ran out. I can recall primary school, learning the piano, eating water melon, going down the mine with Bill and very little else.
It was at Marvel Loch that I learned of my Father’s death so we headed off East to clean up.
[1] Marvel Loch is a small townsite of less than 100 people, some 401 km east of Perth, Western Australia. It is located 32 km south west of Southern Cross, along the Perth to Kalgoorlie Great Eastern Highway. Gold was discovered in the area in 1906 following gold mining leases being issued to Markham, Doolette, Leneberg and Le Breton who named their lease Marvel Loch after the horse that won the Caulfield Cup in 1905.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Loch,_Western_Australia