The birds are singing, the century-old pear tree is in full bloom and in front of me the rambling ruins of an old stone stronghold are backed by a hurtful blue sky. But for kangaroo droppings dotted on the ground, and the modest size of the ruins, you could easily be excused for thinking your akubra-clad columnist is somewhere in rural Spain exploring the vestiges of a long-abandoned castle.
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But I'm actually in the ACT, albeit a hidden corner of the territory that few people know about, let alone visit. I'm at the ramshackle remains of the Colliers Homestead in the Glenburn Precinct, which, wedged between the pines of Kowen Forest, Queanbeyan and the Kings Highway, is well-off the beaten track.
Providing me with a sneak preview of this upcoming behind-locked-gates event is Col McAlister, who for over two decades has led the charge for the preservation and conservation of this area which was recently added the ACT Heritage Register as ''an excellent example of a 19th century pastoral landscape''. In fact, earlier this year, the ACT Parks and Conservation Service and the Friends of Glenburn/National Parks Association of the ACT established a series of heritage trails, including a 12-kilometre signposted loop linking 16 key protected sites.
Sure, I've walked part of these trails before; like to the tiny graveyard where six-year-old Elizabeth Colverwell and her five-year-old sister Margaret were buried in 1837 after both tragically drowned, also to Glenburn Homestead (comprising both a circa-1897 two-room slab hut, and a pise circa-1900 hut) and to the charcoal kilns (the gas from which helped power the Commonwealth truck fleet during World War II), but this is the first time I've made it to Colliers.
Boasting a remnant orchard, which along with the grand old pear tree features two mature apple trees, two copses of quince and several plum trees, the site is sheltered from the wind on a warm spring day it's an ideal spot for lunch. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the Molonglo River gurgle by. Oh, if only I'd brought the picnic blanket.
''William and Bridget Collier had 11 children and in the 1880s they probably occupied both this six-room homestead along with the nearby Curleys Homestead located a short distance to the west,'' McAlister explains.
While fossicking among the ruins of Colliers, I notice that one of the bedrooms had no internal access. "In some areas it was a tradition that if you turned up at a farm house, you would be given a bed for the night. In some cases, to protect the children, the guests had no internal access," McAlister says.
One thing is for sure, the guest room at Colliers must have been overcrowded in January 1895 when according to an interpretation sign "a bachelors' ball was held at the homestead, with over 15 couples dancing to violin music 'til the wee small hours of the next day".
To further shine the spotlight on the Glenburn Precinct, apart from occasional drive-walk events like the one coming up on October 8, McAlister hopes the heritage loop, which is cycle friendly, will encourage more locals to discover the area.
While the track won't lure the serious mountain biker (they'll stick to more challenging tracks in adjoining Kowen Forest), this is an easy to moderate ride suitable for families wanting to explore a timeless treasure trove of artefacts dating back to the early to mid-1800s.
If you choose to bring your bike and you get a little puffed after the climb up to nearby Atkinsons Trig (worth it for the views) then spare a thought for Archie Rowley who lived in Glenburn Homestead with his family for a short time in the early 1900s. "I was told by one of his relatives that he and a mate rode their push bikes to Queensland to get work shearing," reveals McAlister. Heck, that's some ride.
Don't forget, if you do come along to McAlister's show-and-tell next month, you won't need a bike, just a willingness to travel back in time to a long-forgotten corner of our territory
Oh, and don't forget that picnic blanket.
Fact File
Glenburn Precinct: Located in the Kowen Forest, about 10 kilometres from Queanbeyan. Vehicle access is restricted, however pedestrian and cyclist entry to the 12-kilometre Glenburn Heritage Trail is encouraged via Charcoal Kiln Road (off the Kings Hwy) and River Road (upstream from Molonglo Gorge).
Don't Miss: On Sunday, October 8 (from 9am), the National Parks Association of the ACT will be hosting a drive (with a small amount of walking only) to historic locations featured in the Glenburn Precinct. Free. For details, contact Col McAlister: cvmac@grapevine.com.au or 6288 4171.
Curious curve: Most sheep dips in Australia are straight. However the circa-1940 sheep dip at Glenburn is curved at the lower end. An interpretation sign at the location suggests that this may have been a clever design to hide the extent of the swim that lay ahead for the sheep. But if it's so clever why isn't this design found elsewhere?
Did You Know? A sheep dip is a trough in which sheep are repeatedly dunked in a liquid chemical preparation to control external parasites.
Look out for: A small stand of what appear to be snow gums on the banks of the Glen Burn Creek near the sheep dip. If they are indeed snow gums, they must surely be one of the most isolated stands in the ACT.
WHERE IN CANBERRA?
Clue: Close to lots of real ones.
Degree of difficulty: Easy–Medium
LAST WEEK
Congratulations to David Nott of Ainslie who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as the memorial to the Royal Canberra Hospital, situated on the lake's shore just to the east of the National Museum of Australia. ''It commemorates the 50 years that the hospital stood on that site," explains Nott, who just beat John May of Lyneham to bragging rights. A number of readers misidentified the location as the painted labyrinth at the ACT Hospice in Barton.
How to enter: Email your guess, along with your name and address, to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday September 23 will be the winner.
