GREENOUGH

Have you ever passed by a place at least half a dozen times and thought to yourself  "One day, I'm going to stop there and have a look around"?  Well Greenough, just south of Geraldton, is that place for us.

We've driven past at a 100kms an hour and each time I say to John how much I would like to explore that little old township, with all its limestone and rock buildings. Of course, each time we just sailed past. But not this time. There were no excuses and so shortly after leaving Dongarra, we were pulling in to this very historical site, parking the van and walking up to the doors of the very roomy old original house that now serves as the welcome rooms and restaurant/gift shop. That in itself was a lovely experience as the shop was full of things I would love to purchase and coffee and pastries to satisfy the best of appetites.

Having our own access to coffee and a bicky though we did not stop to enjoy their selection. We paid our family fee of $14 and entered the old town. The first building was a little old schoolhouse and just walking through the door made me visualize the children that would have sat behind the little wooden desks hard at work doing their school work.

THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE

TIME FOR SCHOOL

SCHOOLKIDS IN GREENOUGH

 There was a picture of one such group taken many many years ago and I could have looked at that picture all day. So we took a picture of the picture and that will have to do for now. The desks in this photo were still there.
 The gaol was also one of those places where you stop to reflect upon who walked the ground many years before you and just why were they there. 


 The courthouse was at the same site so once found guilty it was straight through the door and into the gaol. 

GUILTY AS CHARGED.  GO DIRECTLY TO GAOL AND DO NOT PASS GO!

The conditions must have been pretty bad. Even going to the loo was a hard task.

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THE TOILET AT THE GAOL

THE OLD STOREKEEPER"S RESIDENCE  (NEXT DOOR IS THE PRIEST"S HOME)

ST CATHERINES CHURCH.  STILL FUNCTIONING TODAY.

The rest of the town consisted of 3 beautiful churches (still functioning each Sunday), a town hall, several cottages, a priest's cottage which also doubled as an overflow for the local nunnery (the mind boggles), a boys boarding school and several other very old smaller limestone/rock buildings whose functions one just has to ponder. It was truly a nostalgic wander back in time and one I recommend to anyone passing through. Don't go past. Make sure you stop to reflect and enjoy.  It is well worth the cost of entry.