Pioneers Passed Traditional Cache
This cache has been locked, but it is available for viewing.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size:
 (small)
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Another historic spot in the Red Cliffs Area.
Red Cliffs Pioneers Cemetery
Often Pioneer Cemeteries are full of really old graves where people who died 100 years ago are buried. Red Cliffs pioneers were a sturdy bunch and many of them have only died in recent years. Hence many of the graves are shiny and new.
The Beginning of Red Cliffs Settlement
Red Cliffs and the surrounding district was once the largest irrigated Soldier Settlement area in Australia. After the First World War in 1919 Red Cliffs was identified as a potential site for the repatriation of Australian Soldiers.
The first settlers arrived from Melbourne in 1920 and although many did not stay the more tenacious among them stayed on to scratch their livelihood out of the red dust.
Big Lizzie
At first they cleared the rough mallee scrub with their bare hands until the arrival of Big Lizzie who can be seen still standing in Barclay Square in Red Cliffs. Big Lizzie is a traction engine built in Melbourne and then brought to Mildura to bring the wool clip down the Darling River. But the Murray River proved difficult to cross so she spent her years clearing the Mallee Scrub instead.
The first allocation of blocks was made in December 1920. The settlers cleared the mallee scrub and grew vineyards, citrus and stone fruit and soon a dried fruit industry was established. To pump water from the Murray up over the nearly 200 foot high cliffs, the Southern Hemisphere's largest pumping station was built. By 1928 it was supplying 200 km of irrigation channels.
Descendents of the original pioneers buried in this cemetery are still working the land today. In fact some set this cache so say hello to Poppa and Nanna D while you're there.
The cache is a 400mL sistema container with a log book and a few swaps.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre n fueho.
Treasures
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