Day 36

Getting a tensioner replaced in the car (something to do with the fan belt ?!?) so have a little courtesy car to potter around town in, a Diahatsu Hairdryer or something like that.

As Broken Hill is so isolated from the rest of New South Wales, it operates on South Australia time, a difference of 30 minutes.

Found out today that BHP of BHP Billiton stands for the Broken Hill Proprietory Company Ltd. It was setup back in 1885 and like most Australian towns, the mines was the reason they were founded. Today we saw the brick fireplace which is all that is left if the original offices.

Drove up to the top of the hill overlooking the town for a view over the city at the miners hall of fame.

This was followed by a visit to the Royal Flying Doctors Service. This was originally started by Reverand John Flynn back in the 1930's to service people in remote areas who were dying from relatively minor illnesses simply because they were so far from medical care.

There were many impediments to getting the service up and running.

One of the original problems to overcome was how to reliably power the radios to contact the RFDS base. A young radio engineer named Alfred Traegar designed the pedal radio so the problem of batteries going flat was no longer an issue. As well as the medical need, the radios were also used as a means of communication for the Country Woman's Association as well as a way to educate the children by the School of the Air. Interestingly, a modern version of the pedal railway is currently being trailed in Kenya where remote villages do not have electricity.

The conditions made navigation difficult with dirt airstrips sometimes turned to mud by rain. For pilots landing at night without any markers on the strip for navigation, both ends often marked by nothing more than a car headlights or a big fire.

Overnight: Comfort Inn Motel, Crystal Street

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