September 15, 2018
Barellan, the home of The Big Tennis Racket. The primary school years of Evonne Cawley (Goolagong) were spent here where her interest in Tennis was born and developed with the help of the local Tennis community.
Now with a diminishing population, down from around 500 to less than 400 in the last 5 years, the town supports only a small local store and a returned services club, a Hotel a small cafe, and garage.
Large grain silos provide seasonal work for some but the current drought is also taking its toll, even this close to the Murray River. One local farmer imparted to us that he is de stocking completely and going looking for a job; this after normally running up to 500 head of cattle on 5000 acres nearby.
The town also has the first CWA Rest House in Australia, built in 1924 for passing travellers; the end of the main street is dominated by the Commercial Hotel
One thing which brings some excitement to the town is the annual “Good Old Days Weekend”, a Clydesdale Festival to be run in it’s ninth year this coming long weekend (September 29-30). Held here, where we are camping, at the Barellan Showgrounds, it attracts up to 8000 people over the two days; Barellan Clydesdales is the local owner and breeder who was instrumental in starting the festival almost ten years ago.
While we are here some of the preparations are getting under way with firewood being brought in for the Camp Oven Dinner and a semi trailer load of hay arriving for feed for the four legged participants. They generally expect over 300 caravans as well as all the visitors who stay in nearby towns and the locals.
This morning, Sunday, we were treated to the sight of the Clydesdale team bringing a visitor ride through the Showgrounds and right past our caravan.
