The Wooyeo Woolshed located in Lake Cargelligo, NSW Australia
There are few places that command such attention as to have been included in Australian folklore. Places that hold the memories, the myth and the nostalgia of what was and is Australia. Sunburnt in drought one moment and in the next drowning in flood. The resilience and the heartbreak held in the heartbeat of every Australian farmer. Those fields of wheat and harvest become the killing fields of disappointment. But still they go on year after year.
The Wooyeo Woolshed has embodied such folklore since it was built by skilled craftsmen in 1873. A work of poetry over engineering, no plans were drawn for its construction and just as a musician plays by ear, the woolshed was built one post at a time, held together by hand made nails and its doors swung wood on wood on poles through circles hollowed out of the beam.
Even stripped naked, its inner workings exposed, the woolshed holds a commanding presence. Each twisted and splintered beam holds a tale. If these walls could speak, they would never give up their secrets, surely the back breaking work and sweat of the shearer and the jackaroo deserved a little down time.
Though my mother, a ballroom dancer in her day, does doubt how anyone could dance on the woolshed floor this woolshed held an annual ball that drew the people from miles around and inspired a popular bush song, The Euabalong Ball.
It was this song and its woolshed that inspired the author, James Cowan who published his book "The River People" in 1983 to begin a journey along the Lachlan River to find this legendary woolshed and to stand on its timbers and breathe in the myth. That somehow by being there in person, some great mystery would unfold.
The Wooyeo Woolshed has embodied such folklore since it was built by skilled craftsmen in 1873. A work of poetry over engineering, no plans were drawn for its construction and just as a musician plays by ear, the woolshed was built one post at a time, held together by hand made nails and its doors swung wood on wood on poles through circles hollowed out of the beam.
Even stripped naked, its inner workings exposed, the woolshed holds a commanding presence. Each twisted and splintered beam holds a tale. If these walls could speak, they would never give up their secrets, surely the back breaking work and sweat of the shearer and the jackaroo deserved a little down time.
Though my mother, a ballroom dancer in her day, does doubt how anyone could dance on the woolshed floor this woolshed held an annual ball that drew the people from miles around and inspired a popular bush song, The Euabalong Ball.
It was this song and its woolshed that inspired the author, James Cowan who published his book "The River People" in 1983 to begin a journey along the Lachlan River to find this legendary woolshed and to stand on its timbers and breathe in the myth. That somehow by being there in person, some great mystery would unfold.
An Artist's Impression of Wooyeo Woolshed
The image above is from a photograph of the Wooyeo Woolshed heritage sign located on Euabalong Road, Lake Cargelligo. It is an artist's impression by L. McLain of the "Wooyeo" Woolshed in background - Bunkhouse on the left, cookhouse/dining in the centre with Manager's Hut on right, all from the eastern side, looking west and all centred around "Wooyeo" Lake, 1880's
Wooyeo Ball
Lyrics to the Australian Ballad written by Vox Silvis
O, who has not heard of the Wooyeo Ball,
Where the clans of the Lachlan, the great and the small,
Come bent on diversion, from far and from near,
To shake off dull care at least once a year.
The lairds of fat wethers assembled in force,
And with them their dames, as a matter of course,
While here may be seen the spruce manager too,
With the best of good fellows, the gay Jackeroo.
There were maidens in plenty - some two or three score,
Some weaners, some two-tooths, it may be some more,
And their fleeces so puffy, so fluffy and clean,
Hid the daintiest creatures that ever were seen.
The bachelors seemed t be frisky and stout,
But the old fellows suffered immensely from drought,
If the water was scarce, sure the whisky was there,
And the way they tucked in was caution, I'll swear.
There was music and dancing, and going the pace,
Some went at a canter, some went at a race;
There was bobbing and sliding, and twisting and gliding,
And, to vary the measure, some couples colliding.
Much hugging and squeezing - of course on the sly -
And tender emotions when bidding "Good-bye",
The men swore they were all as right as a trivet,
As they gulped down their 20th nip of "Glenivet".
O, the Wooyeo Ball was a wonderful sight,
As the dancing went on thro' the whole blessed night,
And many there were who will love to recall
The fun that they had at the Wooyeo Ball.
Where the clans of the Lachlan, the great and the small,
Come bent on diversion, from far and from near,
To shake off dull care at least once a year.
The lairds of fat wethers assembled in force,
And with them their dames, as a matter of course,
While here may be seen the spruce manager too,
With the best of good fellows, the gay Jackeroo.
There were maidens in plenty - some two or three score,
Some weaners, some two-tooths, it may be some more,
And their fleeces so puffy, so fluffy and clean,
Hid the daintiest creatures that ever were seen.
The bachelors seemed t be frisky and stout,
But the old fellows suffered immensely from drought,
If the water was scarce, sure the whisky was there,
And the way they tucked in was caution, I'll swear.
There was music and dancing, and going the pace,
Some went at a canter, some went at a race;
There was bobbing and sliding, and twisting and gliding,
And, to vary the measure, some couples colliding.
Much hugging and squeezing - of course on the sly -
And tender emotions when bidding "Good-bye",
The men swore they were all as right as a trivet,
As they gulped down their 20th nip of "Glenivet".
O, the Wooyeo Ball was a wonderful sight,
As the dancing went on thro' the whole blessed night,
And many there were who will love to recall
The fun that they had at the Wooyeo Ball.
Photos of the Wooyeo Woolshed ruins in Lake Cargelligo
curated content from Flickr
Postcards of the Wooyeo Woolshed Ruins at Sunset
Wooyeo Woolshed Postcards (Package of 8)
An Australian Woolshed in Lake Cargelligo in ruin
Price: 9.00
Inside The Wooyeo Woolshed Ruins - Lake Cargelligo
These photographs were taken by a number of different people visiting the Wooyeo Woolshed as guests of the owner and their photographs are displayed here with permission in the interest of retaining a record of the woolshed before it is gone completely. The Wooyeo Woolshed is on private property and is not open for public access.
curated content from Flickr
The River People
James Cowan
My journey to find this book took on a life of it's own. I was told there is a fabulous book about the woolshed, there are pictures of it inside ... and I got the feeling that every resident of Lake Cargelligo was holding tight to their copy of "The River People".
I finally found a copy, in Tasmania???? None in NSW. I received it wrapped with such care, I smiled. This was a book that had begun as a result of a bush song. A searching for the woolshed of Euabalong Ball fame. All along the Lachlan River they traveled and they did find the woolshed. The woolshed that stands with its commanding presence and in its death will not go unnoticed.
The book is a large beautiful, hardcover with jacket and well worth the effort to track it down.
I finally found a copy, in Tasmania???? None in NSW. I received it wrapped with such care, I smiled. This was a book that had begun as a result of a bush song. A searching for the woolshed of Euabalong Ball fame. All along the Lachlan River they traveled and they did find the woolshed. The woolshed that stands with its commanding presence and in its death will not go unnoticed.
The book is a large beautiful, hardcover with jacket and well worth the effort to track it down.
THE RIVER PEOPLE. Photographs by Colin Beard.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/16/2009)
More about Lake Cargelligo
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Lake Cargelligo NSW Australia
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Lake Cargelligo, is a spirited town with welcoming people and a landscape which is both beautiful and harsh. The recent tumulterous weather patterns that have battered her with drought and flood couldn't subdue her spirit of opportunity and rural spl...
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- RedSportNiac RedSportNiac Jul 9, 2008 @ 11:13 am
- Wonderful lens. I enjoy seeing all these beautiful images. Well done.
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- LeslieBrenner LeslieBrenner Mar 7, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
- Beautiful country! The song reminds me of Hollywood westerns.
by Mia-Breitfuss
Just a girl, living in outback Australia, wearing my RM Williams boots, glued to my laptop and addicted to vegemite. (more)
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