We lived in Bathurst 1987 to late 1988 where Fraser managed a slate quarry. This was his first job after leaving Shay Gap in Western Australia and we were both keen to get back to the eastern states. We were only in Bathurst about 18 months and then unfortunately the slate quarry went bust. There just wasn’t the economics in it as the slate was not of good quality. Whilst there, Di worked a number of different part time jobs including a School Nurse at the private boys Scotts School.
Di worked with Pat there for about eight months and became life long friends. Over the years we have attended all the kids weddings and regarded them as very deae friends. Their children are now well grown up and have begun families of their own. We haven’t had the chance to catch up with them before on previous trips Downunder as Bathurst is off the beaten track for us. We are going to make up for that this weekend.
It is a four hour drive over the Blue Mountains to Bathurst. The Blue Mountains form the western border of Sydney which stops the city spreading west ward. The Southern city of Wollongong and northern city of Newcastle prevents Sydney spreading in those directions. A thing called The Tasman Ocean prevents it spreading east. So, the only way for the city to grow is to intensify its density and go up. As they say, it is all about supply and demand and there is a lot of demand as it continues to increase in population. Construction in the city even during this cooling in the house market is overwhelming.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sydney a lot more than we anticipated. Abbortsford Cove where we were staying with Darryl and Sue is tucked away from the rat race and it felt like an oasis in the hurley burley.
The drive over the “mountains” (that is Australia’s definition of them) was picturesque but one of those instances where a photo would not do it any kind of justice.
Once we got to Pat and John’s it was a feast of catching up on the last 16 years. They have four who now have children and then those now have children. It was difficult for us to follow them all.
Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia and had a population of approximately 42,000 as at the 2016. Bathurst is often referred to as the Gold Country as it was the site of the first gold discovery and where the first gold rush occurred in Australia. Today education, tourism and manufacturing drive the economy.
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