York to Pingelly 1999

York to Pingelly, day 3, Tuesday 12 October 1999. The morning was cool and cloudy with a light N drift. I left the motel at 735, 167, and cycled east until I reached the start of the Top Beverley road, seeking to save a couple of km and avoid heavy traffic.

Pingelly

I rested at 190. The wind was very light, from the NW. I rode on through Beverley, 198, without stopping, and rested again at 213, by which time the wind had gone around to the SW, right against me, but it was still gentle. I reached Brookton at 11 am, 232. I had a long rest and drink here. I felt good and the bike was perfect, and the word ‘doddle’ occurred to me as I faced the last 20 km into Pingelly, which I reached at 253, 12:20.

The motel units were a row of fibro cabins built next to the roadhouse, but they lacked nothing in facilities and everything worked. My unit was No. 11. The tariff was $40 a night.

Later I went for a walk around the town and did the usual shopping and telephone calls. I booked the Wickepin Hotel for the next day. According to the forecast there was to be a NW wind, strengthening, but there wouldn’t be rain until later.

I went back up the highway to have a look around the cemetery that I had passed on the way into town. There were many twin graves of married couples in which the man was up to 30 years older than the wife but had died much younger than she, leaving her a widow for 40 or 50 years.

There was a set of three graves of the Jones family, side by side. Ivy, the daughter, had died at the age of only 15, on 28 November 1916. John, the father, had died on 18 December 1939, aged 79. Hannah, the mother, had died on 5 December 1963, aged 92. There was mention of a son, Jack, but his grave was not there. Perhaps he lives yet?

The Boyles were buried beside each other. Mum had lived from 1880 to 1922 and borne 12 children. Dad had lived from 1870 to 1941.

I inspected the war memorial and noted that 71 people from the Pingelly district had died in World War I, but only 13 in World War II.

If I seem to be preoccupied with cemeteries and memorials in these towns, it is partly because these are interesting, but also because of my apprehension that most of these towns have more past than future, unlike the booming towns in the southwest corner.

I had the mixed grill in the roadhouse.

Reading at Pingelly: 253 km. Day’s ride: 86. Aggregate: 175 km. km/day 58. Kph, York to Pingelly: 17.

Charles A. Pierce

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Tags: Beverley, Brookton, Pingelly, York

York to Pingelly 1999

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