The Dying Darling

We drove south from Broken Hill to Wentworth (the junction of the Darling and the Murray) crossed into Victoria to Mildura, which looked lush compared to NSW, then crossed back into NSW, never far from the Darling.
Every creek, every river, every dam...bone dry, except for the Darling, which is just a trickle. The Murray is still in reasonable shape.
On the way to Turlee Station where we would be staying, we saw dry land wheat, such a toxic green -- they plant it without water, then this chemical green wheat with desert all around!
After leaving Mungo we drove in a severe dust storm to Pooncarie, crossed the Darling to the west side and followed it all the way to Bindara, the homestead of Old Netley Station, a million acres in the 1850's. (A couple of photos on cam'era ƒ.)
Then on to Menindee Lakes and Kinchega National Park...all the lakes were dry of course. No people, a few lizards and lots of emus.

Turlee Station

Fortunately on our arrival Dione (the mum) was there. Otherwise we would have had to book in via UHF channel 8.

As it turned out we were the only guests and so we had the run of the place and also got to know the family. They go back four generations in the area, uncles and other relatives owning stations all around the lower Darling. Shearers' quarters become guest accommodation, the cookhouse the share kitchen and dining room, outdoor showers and toilets, all very civilised, nothing like a bit of fresh air.

We got to see station life unhindered, all 145,000 acres of it, albeit during a quiet time.

The Schoolhouse

Although you get used to the expanse of the place pretty quickly (Lake Mungo is half an hour away, any shopping is an hour and a half...by dust), it is still astonishing that less than thirty years ago the brothers went to 'primary school' in this little building on the property and they had a governess. A lot of the instruction was by radio...the epitome of distance education. M~