Johnny Mullagh Interpretive Centre on the main street of Harrow it became very apparent what this place and the story of the First XI means to the local community , each and all enormously proud of the history . One by one came to sit with three strangers that had by chance found a pizza night .
Earlier that day we ’ d ridden north through Budj Bim National Park , the vast lava fields hiding a unique history , a level of connection with that of Harrow , for Budj Bim has a history dating back as far as 30,000 years , a place of a permanent human society , a place where advanced knowledge of nature and mechanics saw tools being used to farm fish . Riding through the Manna Gums , discovering once used tracks now in a state of returning to nature had been a special experience . This UNESCO listed site is significant and left us wanting more but it was the society and culture of Harrow that demanded more .
We ’ d set camp on the Johnny Mullagh Reserve , there ’ s another reference , amongst the gum trees and tall grasses , on the edge of town it felt as if we were well into a secret camp amongst the Australian bush . A local had told us the pub , the
Hermitage Hotel , was closed , the owner , a South Australian couldn ’ t get across the state border , Covid-19 restrictions were still tough despite a somewhat easing in the state of Victoria . Politics were being played out across the country as statebased governments behaved more like colonies of old rather than a federated nation . A business forced to close due to an invisible line . A mention of a pizza night at the Johnny Mullagh centre beckoned and like a trio of sheepish children we stood at the gate waiting to be addressed .
The welcome was warm , no
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