Cleo's Milparinka Talk
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It was a pleasure to have our very own Cleo talk to us about the ten days she spent staffing the information centre in Milparinka, a renowned stop off for travelers to the remote Corner Country (bordered by NSW, QLD and SA). And what an interesting story it was. Cleo signed up to volunteer and off she went – it was a trek just to get anywhere near the Corner Country… 1250km from Sydney, and at the final part of the journey Cleo joined Glen driving the Tibooburra Mail to take her across to Milparinka. At the time that Cleo went to the town, it had 4 permanent residents. The Albert Hotel was still in use and several buildings designed by the colonial architect James Barnett in the town had been painstakingly restored. Milparinka has an interesting history - 10km drive from the town is Depot Glen where explorer Charles Sturt and his team were stranded for more than 6 months. Milparinka had been a thriving town in the 1870s, due to gold being discovered nearby, but when the gold ran out in the 1890s people deserted the town. The information centre was opened to explain the town’s mining heritage and agricultural history. Although a popular tourist destination among 4WD travelers and people wanting to visit all three states, Milparinka is a virtual ghost town these days. Cleo spoke about her experiences with the friendly locals, and with the not-so-friendly mice and moths that descended on her accommodation in plague numbers. She talked about traveling through the outback and the characters she met on her journeys. She showed us photos of the town, the heritage buildings, and newspaper clippings about the area. It was such an interesting and inspiring story, and the residents who came really enjoyed it. After the presentation we had a chance for questions over a cuppa and a biscuit. Thanks Cleo for giving us some insight into this fascinating time in your life.