In 1888, our transport
infrastructure consisted of rail tracks, coach routes, cart tracks and bridle
paths.
Bridle paths – the path used
for walking, riding a horse or driving stock – were not constructed but
followed the ancient trails of the first people. These paths were formally established through
the work of early surveyors, who carefully noted the ancient trails, and who
operated with stern directions to maintain first people names for major
landmarks and features. There were
plenty of exceptions – but this simple act of recognition helped to preserve a
surprising amount of the law of the first people – the law of names. And, within the names, we still heard the
music of those languages.
The surveyors also started
the process of establishing private land-holdings within the overall structure
of the ancient trails come bridle paths.
With an eye for the future, surveyors left sufficient room in the crown
reservations for an eventual expansion of paths to roads, as well as for future
towns and government facilities (such as ports).
Within the patchwork of land
grants and holdings came a need to use some paths for heavy vehicles. By the 1850s, local authorities were taxing
land holders to establish semi-permanent cart tracks and permanent coach trails
– although this became a source of claims and counter claims of local
corruptions and, then, when the tracks and trails were washed away by flood,
incompetence. Finally, alongside these tracks
and trails came permanent rail infrastructure.
In examining archive files
in Penrith a week ago for the Imaginary Cities Project, two old maps dropped
out of the files for the national city competition. One was dated 1888 – and they both show the state
of rural infrastructure in New South Wales at the time.
Peter Quinton
Palerang
July 2014
#imaginarycities
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