Friday, July 15, 2016

Country towns.. Toodyay.



A drive into the country is sometimes 'just what the doctor ordered'! Wednesday morning dawned crisp and clear.. the perfect day for such a jaunt :) On the banks of the Avon River, Toodyay, 85km north east of Perth.. established in this spot in the 1860's after flooding of the Avon in the 1850's, is one of WA's prettiest country towns. The splendid heritage buildings seen here along Stirling Terrace, the main street, make Toodyay a popular tourist destination. 


This spot towards the end of the main street before heading out of Toodyay conjures up the clearest picture for me of how the town would have worked back then. Above and in the background below, Connor's Mill, built in 1870, the third build to go up in the region and just a stones throw from the river, produced high quality flour, before being turned into the town power station in 1917. St. Stephen's Anglican Church below, first service held in 1862, is one of the earliest buildings constructed in the town.


The Avon River Bridge below.. the river, a tributary of the Swan River was flowing strongly after the heavy rains lately.  I'm guessing the stumps to the side, the remnants of an earlier river crossing. Then, as now, the rivers and coastal areas were the hub of life in what must have been the hardest terrain colonials would have ever encountered! Happy Friday, take care and stay safe..p.s. happy Bastille Day to all who celebrated it yesterday, I just couldn't say it yesterday!


23 comments:

  1. Interesting looking town. From the architecture it looks much like a Western town in the U.S. The town probably dates from about the same era. Like you bridge and river photos.

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  2. Seeing these buildings is like stepping back in time.

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  3. Beautiful story of a beautiful city.

    Regards

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  4. What a pretty town, Grace! Not sure how you would say the name!

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  5. What a wonderful little town - so charming. And your photos are delicious! Great work, Grace!

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  6. This town looks so inviting. The first photo made me think of "cowboy country" in the US. The building's structure looks similar. Great photos as usual Grace and thanks for the tour!

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  7. The town looks wonderful. It looks like you were there quite early. It was a good idea to get away for the day. Connors Mill interests me. I will read about it later.

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  8. Fabulous pictures. A great tour of the history.
    I imagine floods would be common and very powerful when they came.
    Good stuff missus.

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  9. Oh my gosh, what an amazing set of photos. This place looks like a perfect place to visit and get a little taste of the past. I love all these images.

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  10. Yes thanks for this visite guidée. Nice place and good pictures. I like the way you tell what you have seen

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  11. First I thought you had made a mistake with typing. Today isn't it?, but I see it is the name of the city! Silly me. A very pretty place anyway with the old houses.

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  12. Where are the Cowboys, Grace? ;-)
    Another funny name for a city - on our long trips I had diaries and wrote the funniest down, thanks for remininding me, gotta have a look again!

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  13. It looks like an old town...but so clean!

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  14. Magnificas fotografias numa bela postagem.
    Um abraço e bom fim de semana.
    Andarilhar

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  15. Looks nice where you are, also the happy orange colours on the buildings. Nice details.
    HAPPY WEEKEND to you and yours.
    A good idea to listen to your doctor:) A wise person that is.

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  16. the church, mill and memorial hall looks very american...what a cute little town, great photos grace!

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  17. Your photos clearly indicate why this place is a popular tourist area. You really get around, girl!!

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  18. Beautiful place for a relaxing weekend! Arianna

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  19. Looks a great place, love your photo's.

    All the best Jan

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