{"id":1338,"date":"2023-08-13T18:00:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wepidgeon.com\/pidgeonpost\/?p=1338"},"modified":"2023-08-12T11:43:08","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T01:43:08","slug":"war-letters-nw-australia-friday-13-aug-1943-a-visit-to-darwins-water-supply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wepidgeon.com\/pidgeonpost\/?p=1338","title":{"rendered":"War Letters – NW Australia: 13 Aug 1943, Manton Dam; Inspecting Darwin’s water supply"},"content":{"rendered":"

W.E.Pidgeon
\nC\/O DPR Unit
\nAPO Darwin<\/p>\n

Friday
\n[13 Aug 1943]<\/p>\n

Darling,<\/p>\n

After posting yesterday\u2019s letter I had a most welcome surprise.\u00a0 One of your letters was delivered to me via the good graces of an Officer who had been in Darwin.\u00a0 It was quite a treat.<\/p>\n

I have a box of 200 cigs put away for you.\u00a0 I can\u2019t bring anything else much down because I will still have weight limits to consider on the place trip.<\/p>\n

See if you can buy some poultry shears.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I want \u2013 leave till I come home \u2013 it won\u2019t be long.\u00a0 Whacko the dinner \u2013 and after?!\u00a0 Your letters ar\u2019nt [sic] censored.\u00a0 So speak freely.\u00a0 Am back now with the crowd from Sydney.\u00a0 Amused them all last night with mad sketches of them waiting for a shower and straining at the stool.\u00a0 They were well received.\u00a0 Prior to the padre\u2019s (there is one here at the moment) departure last night the drawings were strictly on the up & up.<\/p>\n

One of the Captains here took me for a run to the dam which supplies Darwin with water.1<\/a><\/sup>Manton Dam, about 70km (43 miles) south of Darwin was constructed by the Department of Defence and completed in 1942.<\/span>\u00a0 It\u2019s a pretty big affair and water is held back for about 7 miles.\u00a0 The Manager of the plant there lives in a delightful cottage overlooking the river which flows from the foot of the spillway.\u00a0 Tall and gracious ti trees intermingled with pandanas palms and eucalypts shade the languid water lilies.\u00a0 His house on the hillside is surrounded with the greenest pawpaws, bananas, jacarandas and gums.\u00a0 A rustic fountain plays amid tropical lilies speckled like coleus.\u00a0 Bush orchids hang on the trees, citrus fruit, chrysanthemums, flocks and tomatoes add variety to the pattern.\u00a0 Hanging baskets of purple backed leaves complete the picture.\u00a0 The dam itself is full of fish which we could quite plainly see \u2013 perch \u2013 garfish – & one tiny snake swimming on the surface \u2013 a boat is moored nearby.\u00a0 It\u2019d make a wonderful weekender.\u00a0 Apparently anything grows at any time during the dry season.\u00a0 The ground is extraordinarily indulgent when supplied with plenty of water.<\/p>\n

Sort of<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The climate is getting one a bit lazy now.\u00a0 Also I am becoming somewhat rattled as time is drawing to a close –\u00a0 there are so many odds & ends I want to check on.\u00a0 I suppose I\u2019ll find I haven\u2019t half enough stuff or have overlooked something \u2013 when I start in re drawing it all.<\/p>\n

Next weekend I am flying over to a mission station2<\/a><\/sup>Believed to be Bathurst Island<\/span> where are plenty of blacks etc.\u00a0 Should be a wad of material in it.\u00a0 Native dances, tropical scenery.\u00a0 Air force base, shipping scenes, crocodiles \u2013 in fact \u2013 the whole works.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t help but be amused at the conversation in the territory. Only 2 basic topics \u2013 women & beer discussed ad infinitum.\u00a0 Lurid speculation precedes the arrival of the Tivoli ballet.\u00a0 I shudder to think of the boys\u2019 conversation after each performance.<\/p>\n

Have borrowed a pair of shorts from the Loot at Darwin, hoping to get my legs a bit sunburnt \u2013 so far all I have collected is several hundred sand fly bites.\u00a0 A microscopic fly with a Gargantuan bite.<\/p>\n

Am due at the big do tonight so cheerio whilst I am still whole & healthy.<\/p>\n

Lots of love sweetheart<\/p>\n

from your Willie.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

Notes:<\/h3>