Jackadgery: The Old Public School

The Public School closed in 2003. It know looks very forlorn with the overgrown tennis court and empty playground.

Jackadgery: Big Sky Country

There is not much at Jackadgery besides the Service Station and attached Caravan Park. The real delight is the enormous feeling of space and vastness.

The dark shadows of the Great Dividing Range are a rim for the big skies. Through the scenery the Mann River cuts a wide swathe, creator and life blood of the landscape.

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Jackadgery: Mann River Service Station

It is the only shop for 160 kms between Grafton and Glen Innes. It sells all the essentials one needs in life; petrol, ice, beer, fishing hooks, hamburgers, milk, newspapers, bottled gas, lollies, ice creams and toilet paper. You can buy a stamp and post a letter. It even has an ATM these days!

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Jackadgery: The 'New' Bridge

In the mid 1930's the Department of Main Roads (DMR) decided that rather than reconstruct the road to Glen Innes ( see posts on Old Glen Innes Road/Dalmorton) an entire new route would be built. It took another thirty years for this project to be realised. In October 1961 the new bridge over the Mann River at Jackadgery opened.

An original DMR map showing the old and new routes between Grafton and Glen Innes.

 

An old photo of the official signpost detailing specifications in imperial measurements and currency.

Jackadgery: The Bridge That Steve Bellamy Built

Here are the remains of the old low level Jackadgery bridge, replaced by a new flood free bridge when the Gywdir Highway was built in the early 1960's.
I have a personal connection to these old concrete piers. My grandfather, Stephen Conroy Bellamy, built them with a Jack Eaves in the 1930's.

In those far off days everything would've been done by hand and it must have been very hard work. At least they didn't have to go far for the river shingle to mix with the cement.

Steve learnt how to build bridges in the Great Depression on the massive Grafton Bridge project, it would've been his 108th birthday a few weeks ago.

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Jackadgery. Mann River Reflections

Jackadgery is a very small village on main road to Glen Innes, Highway 38 Gwydir Highway, about 45 minutes west of Grafton. We will be visiting this locale all this week on Clarence Valley Today. Here is an image of the Mann  River with the bridge in the background, Jackadgery's raison d'être in the 21st century. More on the bridge tomorrow.

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Sailing Boats and Storm

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Fig Tree

A feature of the Clarence Valley river flats are the magnificent Moreton Bay Fig Trees that dot the landscape.

Rite of Passage

Angourie is famous for its freshwater pools which are only metres from the saltwater surf. The Green and Blue Pools have an interesting history which I will do at another time.
The focus today is the 'rite of passage' by the local youth in jumping and diving off the cliffs. Yes there have been accidents over the years but for the thousands and thousands of people who have done it over the decades, it seems minimal. However, I'm sure they will try and stop it one day.

This is a Watery Wednesday Post. Click here for other water views around the planet.

Knitting Graffiti

It is known by many names, yarn bombing, urban knitting, guerilla knitting etc. It has become popular in Grafton over the last few weeks. Here is a Flame Tree in Skinner St South Grafton with its new attached art.

Once Were Bridges

It sits forlornly in a Yamba park going from no-where to no-where. What was once a good idea now seems an embarrassment for a once noble and useful structure. It's riddled with termites and now sheathed in garish orange construction netting; rank weeds grow through its boards.
What will become of the old Palmer's Island Bridge (1925-1986)? Moved into Yamba in 1988 and in a comatose state since the early years of the new century!

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South Grafton Ex-Sevicemens Club

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Sailing Boats in Yamba

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Feeding Frenzy

The recent flood rains have bought egrets and ducks to the swamps to feed.

Flood Waters on the Common

The South Grafton Common is low swampy land that acts as a giant reservoir when we have downpours. After yesterdays gales and rain the Common is a sheet of water and now home to thousands of feeding birds.

Torrential Downpours and Gales

We have had torrential weather over the last 24 hours. Yamba has had over 300 mls (12 inches) of rain in 48 hrs. At 4.00am we had terrible gales and driving rain. 

Many roads are closed this morning with local flooding.

Weather For The Birds

The Long Weekend has been absolutely miserable with rain, rain, rain! Good chance my intermittent blog Clarence Valley Floods might get a few new posts this week.

Winter Sunset

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Xanadu

I am always reminded of S. T.Coleridge's poem when I visit Ebor Falls.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!

Contemplation

The river is a lovely place to sit in the sun and think.

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Choices

Being "follicly challenged", choosing a hair colour is not something I have to ever worry about. I was impressed however, with the vast array of subtle shades available for the more hirsute.

Freight Heads North

Friday Skywatch: Mann River Valley

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South Grafton Skinner St 4pm

South Grafton's main street contains some lovely historic buildings. My favourite is the closest with its Art Nouveau cement mouldings, blue glass and wooden shingles. At this time of the afternoon it is a very quiet and laid back place.

June Theme Day: Under Construction

A forest of metal forms the skeleton of the new GP Super Clinic, promised at the 2007 Federal Election and now under construction on the old McAuley College site.



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