Bronwyn Parry

Baradine is on the western edge of the Pilliga forest area, about 50km north of Coonabarabran. The town has a population of about 800. To the east is the Pilliga forest; to the west the plains, where cattle and sheep are grazed, and wheat grown. Baradine once had a much larger population – around 1500 – and had 12 timber mills in operation; these days it serves as a gateway to the Pilliga, and attracts bird watchers and other nature lovers.

The Baradine Memorial Hall is the most impressive building in town, and sits at the east end of the main street. The motto above the entry reads “Fidelis ad urnam” which I think means ‘faithful to the tomb’ – but I’m happy to be corrected on that!

While the economics of running a business in a small town are challenging, evidenced by a number of empty shops, in a positive development since I was last in Baradine a few years ago, a new cafe/gallery has opened. I’m happy to report that the English Breakfast tea, served in a proper teapot with a china cup, was delicious, as was the raisin toast I had. So delicious that I was very tempted, on my last day, to drive the 50km back to Baradine for some more!

One of the problems about a wilderness area like the Pilliga is that it is so difficult – at least for this amateur photographer – to take photographs that give a real sense of place; it’s just so vast. The Pilliga is the largest area of native forest in NSW. Parts of it are state forest, parts now National Park, and other areas are still privately owned.

I’m sorting through the images I’ve taken, and I’ll post a few here now – more to come later!

This is the western side of the Pilliga forest, on the road between Baradine and Gwabegar. Some areas have been cleared for farming, but the scrub borders the paddocks.

This is one of the main tracks through the forest. My vehicle has a low clearance and isn’t 4WD, so as I was travelling alone, and it had rained a few days previously muddying many of the sandy tracks, I didn’t venture too far into the forest. The Aloes is a small clearing about 10km along this track, with a couple of picnic tables. I sent an hour or so there, and stopped a few times on the way in and out along this track, and didn’t see another human soul that whole time. There was just the constant sweet chatter of a variety of small birds, and the rustling of the breeze in the trees, and the soft buzz of insects feeding on the nectar of the spring-flowering plants.

The sandstone caves (more on them in a later post) are on the eastern, more hilly side of the Pilliga area. This is the view looking vaguely north; you can just see amongst the trees the blueish line of the forest, which stretches on to the horizon. Now, close your eyes, and imagine birds and the sunshine and the dry heat and the forest going for many, many miles on into the distance, for 360 degrees around you…