Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia

Cuballing - the place that time almost forgot

Narrogin is located south south east of Perth - a couple of hundred kilometres or so by car. Prior to the end of the 1800s the region was opened up by ambitious farmers with strong legs and horse and carts. It must have been very exciting for them when the Great Southern Railway opened for business. Within a relatively short time Narrogin became a junction with spur lines running to the east and west. The main line continued south towards Wagin.

Originally the junction was going to be 13 kilometres further north at a siding called Cuballing. Had that occurred Narrogin might not have become the important regional centre it is today.

The railway line is still in use, but there are no longer any passenger trains. It's freight only, and probably not a lot of that. There once was a station at Cuballing, but there is no sign of it now. It's as if it never existed.

Cuballing still bears evidence that there were high hopes for progress with some well preserved non-railway architecture. These buildings are off the main road and on the other side of the track. They're probably missed by most travellers in cars.

My wife and I took a few photos for Google Earth last Saturday afternoon. The first was of the railway crossing, facing west. I like taking these type of wide pictures because they typify the reality of so many rural towns in Western Australia at the beginning of the twenty first century. They are quiet, peaceful places with few people - at least they are on a Saturday afternoon. While we wandered about Cuballing we didn't see a single person. Nor a dog, cat or anything else that was capable of moving.

Guarding either side of the railway crossing is an old bank and a post office. Both have dwellings attached. The post office appeared to be still functioning, but the bank operation may have ceased.

A few hundred metres south of the bank is the largest remaining building in Cuballing. A quite splendid two story federation style hotel, now more fashionable declaring itself to be a tavern. My guess is that it was located immediately opposite the railway station. Being only 13 kilometres from Narrogin the place probably gets going on Friday and Saturday nights, but as you can see from the photo I took on Saturday afternoon, all was calm.

Further west from the railway crossing on the right hand side are two very nice buildings, still sparkling in the brilliant sunshine thanks to daylight saving.

The Agricultural Hall. It was built of locally fired brick in 1912. It must have been very important as a meeting place for generations of local farmers as must the old stone Shire Council building next door. That was built earlier in 1898. It looks like a church. Probably the builder was good at doing churches. Nowadays the building is the domain of the local branch of the Country Womens' Association, as can be seen from their signs.

I felt I would have liked to learn more about Cuballing. For all its quietness it looked like the kind of place I could enjoy ferreting about in. I found the shire website. The big event in March was a combined fox shoot by local farmers. Foxes are the curse of most rural areas in southwest Australia.

Before we left town I took a photo of the railway line heading north, the same direction we were going in the comfort of our air conditioned car. I'm sure the old pioneers would have enjoyed air conditioning.

© MMVIII Paul R. Weaver.

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Check out each month's subject index on the Calendar Page for my "common-man" monologues about survival in 21st century Australia – plus a little history occasionally. An original essay is added most days as part of an undertaking to write at least couple of million words. Zzzzzzzz!