Dad, dear Dad

Dad, dear Dad

I found my father

Standing tall with his faded hat slouched
rabbit rifle on the farm
and a cheeky grin,
in the box, under the others.

And smiling by the sepia fence
near the bountiful orange tree
where the garden grew the beans for the kids
and I mixed mash for the chooks.

And in the shop, with the curled edges,
where chairs were reborn
with flock and tacks,
masterful movements,
and a fabric of care.

I found my Dad today
in my box
under the others,
under the stairs.

Robert G Barnes
9 November 2013
For George Henry Barnes 1924-1978

Parramatta Park Steam Trams

Maitland in the Hunter Valley, NSW is steeped in history and I love cruising around town and looking at the old buildings. My interest in photography allows time to gaze at things and look for the right light, the right angle. History oozes out of the place.

Sometimes passing remarks provide a long forgotten link. Recently the Maitland and District Historical Society invited a local steam tram enthusiast to speak on Maitland's steam trams. I was amazed that such thing had existed as there is now almost no physical sign of their presence. But there it was - a curve on a building on a street corner to accommodate a tram turning a sharp corner (Dick Smith building for those who know Maitland). And the historic photos showing the trams meeting up with the steam trains at the station.

And then the fact that the steam trams after the steam tram service ended in Maitland at the end of 1926 they were moved to Parramatta Park in Sydney where they ran as a tourist attraction.

And, hey, I remembered taking some photos I had taken in Parramatta Park in the 1970's: