While we've been keeping isolated, taking the dogs for a walk has covered pretty much the same ground each day. This map of my iNaturalist observations over the last two months shows how limited our horizons have been:
At the top of the map you can see a blue marker where we drove up to the
Falls about a month ago. Today I felt the need for different scenery again, and you can see the result on the right-hand side. A short drive lead to a few observations of plants and fungi here:
There were a couple of other people in the car park when we arrived, but they were just leaving. So we enjoyed an isolated walk around this historic area, the remains of an iron mining and smelting endeavour at Lal Lal from 1875 to 1884:
There is little left but some stonework, and this ruin of the blast furnace which operated from 1881 to 1884:
It turned out not to be economical to run; iron produced here was more expensive than imported iron. It is a fascinating bit of local history though. There is a Wikipedia article with lots more detail about it if you are interested:
Lal Lal Iron Mine and Smelting Works.
5 comments:
You have a lot of isolated walking areas--we are a pretty congested State (and more so now that "Summer cottagers"
are here early) so, we don't get out that much...too many who don't observe rules for ALL!! S I G H
~ ~ ~ waving from my recliner Julierose
The blast furnace is beautiful, so much character in it’s brickwork.
I had no idea that iron was produced in Victoria. Such an interesting historical site even though the old technology they used was basically doomed from the start. Certainly an adventurous lot of risk takers. Wonder what the women and children who were dragged into the speculation thought of it all.
Interesting! I love ruins and historical sites.
This is interesting! I love finding bits of history when I’m out and about.
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