Outback Penguin by Stuart Kells

Author:Stuart Kells
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Schwartz Publishing Pty. Ltd

Sunday, 3 May 1925

These few lines are being written at my town residence in Richmond. I will mention the circumstances which led up to my visit to Adelaide. Last Thursday morning I took a load of grapes into the distillery and, after unloading, I went into Renmark to see if there were any letters for me. Of letters there were none but there was something more important: a telegram. ‘Will you be in Adelaide this weekend. C W Smith London anxious I make your acquaintance Harding South Australia Adelaide.’ Driving back to Chowilla Street, I decided to go. I informed the boss of this and told him I should be leaving the next morning. He was rather surprised and slightly upset, as there would be a load of grapes picked which he would have to take in on Friday morning. I had to make another visit to the distillery and then commenced to get ready. I decided to go via Paringa as it is 11/- cheaper that way. So after tea I walked across and asked Don if he would drive me in in the morning. We could not go in our ‘flivver’ as he cannot drive and I did not care for his suggestion that I should teach him to drive going in and let him drive back by himself.

After making arrangements with Jack Waters to help the boss load-up in the morning, I again visited Don and helped him to catch the horse, Bell, which was to take us in in the morning. She was loose in the block and took a lot of catching. After she was safely in the yard, I went back and started packing. Then I washed, shaved etc., and turned in just before 12 o’clock after whispering to the clock ‘Wake me early, ‘larmy dearie’, for it was only a few minutes off May Day. At 4.30am I was awakened by the soft and musical tinkling of a bell which I discovered to be the bell on the top of my alarm clock. ‘Larmy had not let me down.

I slipped on a few clothes, then walked across the block to wake Don. It was an expensive walk, as I tore my trousers on a barbed wire fence. It was dark and cold and windy, but I was quite happy and thought how lucky it was I had not put my best suit on. After some light refreshment we started off on our seven mile drive.

All I will say of that drive is that it was still cold, still dark and still windy. Don drove me to the punt. I crossed the river by boat, then walked to the station. From the platform I watched the approach of the sun, heralded by streaks of gold on the dark clouds and later I saw the sun itself, a ball of gold, appear over the hill top. The train leaves Paringa at 7.25am and arrives at Adelaide at 5.31pm. For the first eight hours the scenery

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