Mt. Mulligan & Thornborough Cemetery

23rd - 25th April 2005

The club has a proud tradition of maintaining the Thornborough & Mt. Mulligan cemeteries & it was in the spirit of those who have gone before us, we set off for a weekend of consciousness about community, about history, about camaraderie about fun. Not only was this trip concerning club history but that of this region - we were on our way to honor the 30th anniversary of our club but also to honor the memory of those brave & determined pioneers who gave so much to opened up the outback & ultimately our great nation & lest we forget - The ANZACS.

With this in mind some brave souls of the advanced guard set off on Friday to pave the way while the remainder ambled up the range on Saturday morning.

The trip started out as most others do, a collection of vehicles, people, expectations & excitement, however this trip was always destined to be something different, something special, something unique.

Friday night saw a few vehicles arrive at different times from early afternoon to rather late - by then Beryl & Jamie had to endure all the advice on how to set up a tent in the dark from those who had arrived earlier & had time to wash down the dust.

Saturday Morning - all the keen early rises were ready to embark upon the redignification of Mt. Mulligan cemetery. On arrival it looked much the same as it usually does - requiring some tender loving care. After the initial “oh no” it was all hands to the pump & with mowers roaring, whipper snippers whipping & snipping & rakes raking in a couple of hours the cemetery was indeed transformed. Just in time the cavalry (the first Lady & the president) arrived with the drinks - which was very well received & appreciated. So as Mt. Mulligan was being finished the rest of the troops arrive at Thornborough for it’s make over. Thorborough this year did not seem as overgrown, apparently due to some earlier well placed bovines. It did however require some hard work from a few dedicated stayers to complete the job. All this was made possible by the club members who so graciously went out of their way to collect & return the mowers & whipper snippers required to complete the job - a big Thankyou.

Back to the camp & everyone finished setting up & preparing for the night ahead (there were many different versions of this).

Saturday night & one of the main reasons for the trip - celebrating our 30th anniversary.

With the newly acquired tarp in place it was time for the cookhouse boys to do their thing - barbequed stakes, snags, onions while the girls arranged buns & salads for a sumptuous feast befitting the occasion. The new club colours were introduced; this set the night off as most people wore their club shirts. It was a grand sight to see so many shirts being proudly worn. All of this with great live music in the background & a full moon (which I’m sure was responsible for some of the behavioral inconsistencies which followed). A fantastic night of dancing, Raffles, speeches, great food, a few drinks, abundant laughter & wonderful mateship made the night one to remember & a great credit to the 3oth anniversary committee & the willing club members for all the setting up, cooking, & arranging required to make such an event a success. Many thanks also to Sam for the band with was fantastic & well received. With all this happening the dogs were not going to be left out & Basil certainly had his share of fun playing not so hard to get with a dingo for hours. All in all it was a great night & most sane club members when to bed quietly & contentedly.

This was one of those significant trips made special by the people involved, the hard work, the circumstances, the organisation & the fact that it occurred on such a significant weekend for our nation - ANZAC DAY