A lazy drive through Hartley Vale revealed a couple of photography locations that I hadn’t considered before.
On the Great Western Highway, there is Hartley cemetery, and directly opposite is a private property with an impressive. long driveway lined with maples. Then a little further west is the Hartley Historic village
The historic Hartley cemetery is a typical Australian country cemetery: unassuming, humble and a source of information about the families that have lived in the area since settlement.
There are a handful of crass, ugly mausoleums – all relatively recent additions. I avoided including them in my images as I was more interested in the heavily weathered gravestones – how the sun played on them, and the range of colours and textures in the lichen and other growths on the stone. The old ones are nearly all sandstone and almost certainly locally quarried. The earliest one I saw was dated 1832.
The image showing the smaller gravestones are those of children – none of the names or dates were readable, but a sad and poignant reminder of a time when infant mortality was high and ever present in the community.
First, the locations of the cemetery and the historic village:
Hartley Cemetery and avenue of maples:
The second gallery of pictures is from the Hartley historic village, located close to the turn-off to Jenolan Caves.
I focused here on the old Shamrock Inn and the exterior of the Catholic church in the village. There is more to photograph in the village – in particular, the Anglican church building and the restored Italianate courthouse. For another visit.
Hartley Historic Village:
