Pyre

Have I told you about Pyre? Pyre is a little village just east of Nowra. It appears to be primarily rural but in the center there are several small old-world shops, which include a lolly shop, a Christmas shop, several restaurants, a café and some craft and art studios.

To walk around Pyre is like being transported back to an old country town that would be seen in John Wayne movies, etc. The horse troughs are still installed in places, there are wagons and garden seats everywhere and the backdrop to the area is that of rolling green hills and mountains.

The area now is principally dairy farms and when we went for a walk out into the back areas there were large numbers of black and white cows relaxed in the sunshine.

Pyre was first officially put on a map back in 1850 and after several decades the township was added to the “wagon” run which delivered supplies regularly. The head wagon was called the “The Cumnock Star” and was built by James Bennet in 1875 at St Marys NSW and weighed approx. 2.5 tons. It was purchased by Samuel Reilly of Cumnock NSW in 1877 for one hundred and eight pounds. The Cumnock Star worked the round trip to Molong (out near Wellington Dubbo area) carrying around ten tons of wheat and produce.

It then returned with beer, spirits and supplies. Now Cumnock and Molong are not that far from one another however Sam’s trading route tracked east to include tons such as Orange, Bathurst, Oberon, Bell River, Cowra, Young, and many towns all the way out to the coast. Amongst the paddocks and wilderness in many of these areas one can still find the tracks of the first drays, wagons and coaches. In Pyree there is still the first bush school, some of the first farming houses and of course, gravesites of the pioneers and settlers.

Anyhow, a team of nine Clysdale horses pulled the wagon and Sam worked the Cumnock/Molong route until 1924 when the extended rail was built and put him out of business. I was amazed at the size of his trading path.

Could you imagine driving nine horses with ten tons of supplies on a wagon through rain, fog and extreme heat all the way from central NSW out to the coast and then back again.

Nonetheless, you can now view the Cumnock Star at Pyree where the locals have purchased the wagon from the original owner’s grandson, also named Sam Reilly, and it is on display as a tribute to our Pioneers. While there I sampled some of the best homemade Devonshire tea that I have ever tasted.