Turret on turret (‘Iandra Castle’)

 

When one tower just isn’t enough.

As a youngun visiting my ‘grandparents’ I was fascinated by ‘Iandra Castle’. Iandra sort of backed onto the family sheep property between Young and Grenfell (central New South Wales) in a huge acres kind of way. I was always hoping for that country road detour to visit other rellies and a drive-by look at ‘the castle’.

A few years back we got to wander around inside ‘the castle’ on an open day! Sadly we weren’t allowed up in the turret. Can you imagine how impressive the view is from up there?  ♦

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Weekly Photo Challenge, ‘Cherry On Top’

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/cherry-on-top/

Photo taken with my old Canon Powershot A550

‘Mount Oriel’, commonly known as ‘Iandra Castle’, is the elaborate homestead of the Iandra property near the village of Greenethorpe, New South Wales, Australia. The first home was established from 1880 and completed in 1911 in its current form by Mr George Henry Greene MLC, an Englishman by birth connected to aristocracy. Greene bought 32,000 acres of the poor wooded country, clearing it to grow corn and wheat. He built Iandra up into a very successful enterprise and pioneered share-farming practices. He also built the village of Greenethorpe nearby, for his workers.

‘Iandra Castle’ is located on Iandra Rd, 11 kms from Greenethorpe village, NSW, Australia at 34°04′51″S 148°21′51″E.

It has open days on some long weekends throughout the year. See their website for details.

Welcome to Iandra Castle

‘Woo Back!’ World Record

WE DID IT AUSTRALIA!

On Sunday (4 May 2014) the World Record for Heavy Horses Ploughing was set at the “Woo Back!” Event on a property in Yass Valley, New South Wales, Australia.

Twenty-eight heavy horses, in pairs or singly, tilled the ground with antique ploughs. A crowd of over 5000 spectators braved the autumn chill to watch the record go down in history!

The feat has now been set in the Guinness Book of World Records for “The greatest number of horse drawn ploughmen/women to plough a paddock at the same time.”

They came from near and far across the country – from the city and the town, across the ranges and the paddocks – and that was just our family!

The giant horses lined up before the crest of the turned paddock, facing into the chill wind. Leather collars and harnesses with brasses and silver shone under heavy skies.

 

The crowd huddled by the marshal’s stand and stretched down the paddock, lining the fences.

Bagpipes echoed across the green hills. Then a young voice’s sweet tones called a hush over the crowd singing “Amazing Grace” and the Australian national anthem, “Advance Australia Fair”.

A school bell rang out to mark the start.

 

Twenty-eight Clydesdales, Shires, Draught Horses, Cobs and other heavy breeds pulled at their horse collars and plodded over the rise to the edge of the paddock and then turned back on their own furrows.

 

All manner of reconditioned ploughs, harrows, and scarifiers tasted the dirt again, some after lying idle for a generation. Some of the ploughs had even been used on the “Willow Vale” property by the father of the current owner.

What  a truly magnificent sight! History in the making and living history.

A glorious tribute to the farming pioneers of this country and a fascinating showcase for the beautiful horses.

Congratulations to all four-legged and two-legged participants!!

♦

More photos of the “Woo Back!” Event will follow, including antique farm machinery, carriages and vintage tractors.

The Woo Back! event was held at “Willow Vale”, Hardwicke Lane, Yass, NSW, Australia on 4 May 2014

“Willow Vale” property near Yass, New South Wales, Australia

For more information on WOO BACK! 2014 see the official website and Facebook page: 

www.wooback.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wooback-Yass-World-Record

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For the TV news coverage of the World Record go to:

Heavy horses set a new ploughing record in Yass.

ABC News (online), Mon 5 May 2014, 7:34am AEST

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-04/horsepower-on-display-at-yass/5429350

Big Horses – Big Hearts

ABC News (online), Mon 17 Mar 2014, 1:32pm AEDT

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-17/big-horses—big-hearts/5326006