Griffith

We arrived in Griffith from Sydney via a quick look at some very attractive buildings in Leeton, an hour or so up the road.

Griffith appears to be a most prosperous and friendly town, with some unique history, and we enjoyed a day wandering around under a cloudless blue sky, taking in some fascinating sights.

From the Visitor Centre, with an Australian Navy aeroplane perched inexplicably out the front and a clever memorial incorporating a Dethridge Wheel (used for measuring water allocations), we walked up and down the very impressive Banna Street and navigated Walter Burley Griffin’s radial street design to the City Park with the Main Canal flowing slowly through it.

Then it was off up what seemed to be the only hill in the district for a look at the Hermit’s Cave, where in 1920-something Valerio Ricetti made his home in the overhangs and crevices, closed in by dry-stone walls. We spent an hour or so enjoying the sunshine and stumbling up and down the hill looking at the various structures, all amazingly put together from rocks moved solely by him and largely under cover of darkness.

Poor Valerio was a great stone-mover but a bit unlucky, having been jilted by the barmaid he loved, left his wallet in a brothel and then interred during the Second World War as a suspected spy. He also lived on the hill under the impression that he was the only Italian in the area, a short wander from Griffith where half the population have Italian heritage.

Our last stop was the Griffith Pioneer Museum, an impressive collection of old buildings and memorabilia gathered from the surrounding area. Australia is a bit full of such outdoor museums, but this one was made interesting due to the particular history of the area, with the development of the M.I.A. and the Italian heritage of the people (not to mention the winemaking) strongly emphasised.

Speaking of wine, we didn’t taste a single drop, although this will definitely not be the case for the rest of the trip!Read more