Today was momentus. For the first time, in over 20 years, we raised the Australian flag at the Shop (the old Roadhouse) - to be known as Metalsmithery & The Daily Pie. Grandpa had painted the flagpole, and the Machinist was really grateful that he did. The three men in my life raised the pole to their shoulders and carried it to where it would be erected. They marched proudly! Later, Sam brought the forklift around the building, and the Machinist and I climbed onto the platform, so that we could be lifted to the height of the flagpole bracket.
We had lunch at the Bushranger Hotel (formerly the Kimberley's Hotel) and later did the commemorative walk for Constable Samuel Nelson, one of our village's own:
"Shortly before 6pm on 26 January, 1865 bushrangers Hall, Dunn and Gilbert attacked kimberley's Inn at Collector. The local Police at the time were out searching the area for the bushrangers, and the only man on duty in town was the Lockup keeper, Constable Nelson. When news of the attack reached the Constable he remarked to his wife that he would simply "have to do his best" against the bushrangers. Approaching the hotel armed only with a Police carbine with bayonet attached, the Constable was shot by Dunn who had hidden behind a fence post. Nelson was initially hit in the chest by a shotgun blast, and as he staggered, Dunn fired again, hitting him in the face. He died almost instantly. The bushrangers then robbed the Constable's body of his personal belongings and the carbine, and escaped into the bush. The entire incident had been witnessed by one of the Constable's nine children, young Frederick Nelson, who was also fired upon by Dunn.
The Constable was born in 1823 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 5 August, 1857. At the time of his death, he was stationed at Collector".
Here are the Ten Tenors singing "I Still Call Australia Home". Makes me cry every single time!
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