Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Soul of Patrick Daly


When I woke this morning it was 13 degrees (Celsius), which was quite warm compared to the early morning temperatures of late. The sky was looking a bit grey and drab but I was feeling optimistic so decided I didn't need a scarf for the morning commute through the Ranges to work, nor would I need a pair of socks to keep my feet warm.

Now, mid-afternoon, it does not feel as though the day's temperature has increased from the 13 degrees of this morning. The wind has picked up and it is decidedly chilly. My feet and hands are icy and I really wish I had that scarf for the evening walk from the office to the car.

I've spent most of today daydreaming about all the little adventures and discoveries I could be undertaking if I wasn't sat in front of a computer with nothing to do, but as it turns out it is that fact which has allowed me to stumble across and rediscover these photos - An old Lutheran and Catholic cemetery respectively, which were taken in 2009 on my 28th birthday.

I took a lot of photos that day and the four I've selected are just a few of my favourites. The headstone in the last reads: "O Lord have mercy on the soul of Patrick Daly, who died 10 July 1899, aged 33 years". It provides no indication as to how Patrick met his untimely end, but the headstone stipulates that it was erected by friends, suggesting that the deceased had no family in the region, at the time of his death or after.

It was a day of adventure and discovery: My birthday request that year had been to take a day-trip through the Ranges to Pekina, stopping at the towns and historic sites along the way. It was a warm-but-not-too-hot weather day, perfectly autumn. As we wandered through the ruins of deconsecrated churches and passed aging headstones, the dry, parched earth and paddocks of stubble reminded us of the summer that had just passed, and provided a beautiful contrast to the pale blue sky and its scattering of clouds.

6 comments:

  1. There is something mysterious about cemeteries. I love wandering through them and thinking about the lives and times of the people that are resting there...

    Lovely pictures, I especially like the first one.

    xx

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    1. The first photo is inside a deconsecrated Lutheran church between Booleroo Centre and Pekina. There are no obvious signs of settlements nearby so it makes me wonder where the people came from to attend the church, especially as towns like Pekina were Catholic settlements.
      ~S.

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  2. I've never seen a graveyard quite like this one, it looks as though its in the middle of nowhere and yet the grave stones with their iron railings are grand creations which I imagine were erected for individuals well loved. I wonder what the story is on Patrick?
    Interesting post, thanks for sharing
    Fiona x

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    1. I wonder about Patrick myself - it seems a lonely resting place for him, separated as he was from his family. But given the location and the distance between towns/settlements it's does not come as such a huge surprise that he had no family in the region. Headstones errected by friends are not uncommon in these parts.

      Iron railings are quite common in South Australia on gravesites from the 19th C and early 20th C, but their use served a less decorative purpose: They kept the animals out.

      ~S.

      Thank you for stopping by! :)

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  3. Thank you for your kind comment on my blog and for becoming a follower!

    This graveyard looks so different than the ones in Holland. A sort of grand with the huge gravestones and metal fences.

    Wish you a lovely day.

    Madelief x

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    1. Thank you for returning the favour, Madalief!

      The iron railings and huge headstones are quite grand. In a time when people were preoccupied with death they certainly make a lasting impression.

      ~S.

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