Windows of your mind.........

A favourite journey I like to take is the discovery of old and derelict ruins around the state of South Australia. Interest in this subject was spawned by a book by George Farwell, called “Ghost Towns of Australia”. I have visited some of the sites mentioned, places like Waukaringa, Hammond, Silverton, Innamincka and many others around the state, particularly the mid north and the Flinders Ranges. A recent trip to Birdsville was another source of material for learning and recording, with the camera always at hand. Port Arthur is the last chapter of Farwell’s book and hopefully we will be able to visit this site in March 2010.
What has truck me about these deserted buildings and settlements is the method and materials used in the construction of buildings. Mostly the stone in the immediate area is used, so you get a varied style of stone construction depending on the countryside. In the Yorke Peninsula there is a lot of white limestone which is more rounded, therefore much more mortar is required to bond the stone. In the north of the state the stone is harder and flatter and appears to be a friendlier stone to use with building. The stone fits closer together so there is less mortar. Over time the mortar can erode and the wall takes on the appearance of dry stone walling. Depending on the age of the deserted buildings, all that may be left is a section of wall and single window. Or it could still have some of the timber beams and rafters still intact, in various stages of decay. Visiting these sites I have recorded “windows”............When you look at these crumbling structures and glance out from a particular window you begin to wonder at the memories that have since been lost to time. A room could have belonged to a child, and you can see the view that he or she may have grown to love by looking out of this window. Was the time spent in the room a happy time for the child? Maybe it was sad, depending on the situation of the family at the time. Maybe there were dust storms destroying the crops, maybe a shooting star was spotted at night, maybe they were lucky to have a window facing the east and they could wake to the morning sunrise. So many dreams and memories, if only the windows could record the changing scenes on a never ending spool to be rewound later in time............