Friday, September 17, 2010

Day 132: Farina, not just a ghost town.

Proclaimed a town March 1878, Farina was formally known as Government Gums.  In its heyday it was a very important service centre for outback pastoral stations.  It had a large Afghan population using camel trains to carry supplies to remote areas.  Also the northernmost point (until 1884) for the Old Ghan Railway, it was a hive of activity.  This old girl is the Post Office that ran from 1878 to 1960, being one of the buildings virtually intact.  It still has the wooden window sills, which is very surprising after the harsh climate that it sits in.  The former town ruins lie in a desolate part of this country and are a stark reminder of those who went before us.

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