# THE REDGUM HOLLOW GAZETTE **Edition 15 — Monday to Thursday** *Serving the district since before most of you were a twinkle.* Est. Marge Holloway, Editor, Proprietor, Typesetter, Delivery Driver When Required. --- **WEATHER:** Nil. Again. The sky looks like an empty promise and the paddocks look like it kept one. --- ## HENDERSON INFRASTRUCTURE: OLDER THAN WE THOUGHT? The trenches on the east side of the Henderson property are now open to public view from the road, and what they are revealing is, frankly, more interesting than a routine restoration. Clay pipe. Old clay pipe. So old, according to Clarrie Burton — who was observed standing at the Henderson gate Tuesday morning for, and I am quoting my source, "a solid minute or two" — that it may pre-date Henderson itself. I will let that sit with you. Bruce Kellaway has been advancing the full-scale restoration theory at the co-op, and I respect Bruce, but Bruce has also been attributing this "older than Henderson" remark to Clarrie as though it were merely an interesting footnote rather than what it plainly is: a small detonation. Clarrie Burton does not make idle observations. He stands at gates and looks at things and says four words, and those four words have a history behind them that the rest of us have not caught up to yet. This editor also pulled over on the Henderson road Thursday morning. Briefly. For journalistic purposes. The infrastructure is notable. What was here before Henderson? Who built it? And why does Ray Connelly — cash buyer, Queensland man, Whitmore & Associates client — own it now? --- ## MACCA AND CLARRIE: THE BACK ROOM CONVENES Thursday afternoon, Macca and Clarrie were observed entering the back of the Royal together. Door closed. Bev noticed. The bar noticed Bev noticing. By Thursday evening, theories were circulating: footy draw, festival logistics, old business. I have it on no authority whatsoever that any of those are correct, which makes them interesting by default. Two men of that particular vintage, meeting with that particular privacy, at this particular moment in the district's quiet drama — draw your own conclusions. This editor has drawn hers. She is keeping them warm. --- ## FESTIVAL MOOD: MEASURABLY IMPROVED Following Deb Forsythe's exemption announcement, two additional stall registrations have come in since Thursday's CWA working bee, and the general temperature around the Bicentenary planning has shifted from anxious to cautiously festive. This is a good outcome. Credit where it is due. The CWA working bee itself produced at least one other item of circulation — something said in passing by Margaret Mitchell to Sharon Bates — which this editor will not yet name but notes that Sharon Bates has been described as "distracted" since Wednesday. Sometimes a sentence is just a sentence. Sometimes it lands like a stone in still water. --- ## LETTERS TO THE EDITOR **From Bruce Kellaway, via the co-op noticeboard:** *Marge — I said what I said about the east-side work and I stand by it as a restoration project. But since you're going to print Clarrie's comment anyway I may as well say publicly: if those pipes are older than Henderson, somebody ought to find out who put them in and why, because it changes the water rights picture considerably. That's all I'll say. — Bruce K.* **From Lorraine Apps, Post Office:** *Marge. For the record, there is nothing unusual about a person buying stamps. People buy stamps here. That is what the Post Office is for. I would appreciate if certain editors remembered that before speculating in print. — L. Apps, Postmistress.* *(Ed. note: I have not yet speculated in print about the stamps, Lorraine. But thank you for the invitation.)* --- ## AROUND THE DISTRICT Tash's Tuesday run sold out at nine thirty-eight. Second-ring regulars now arriving by nine-fifteen. Lorraine has still not confirmed the time. The arms race continues. Steve-o's ute was reportedly on Merton Street Thursday evening. No comment from anyone. Yet. Fuel up again at the servo. Fill when you can. The Royal remains open. Drink there. --- *The Redgum Hollow Gazette is published when events warrant it. Marge Holloway, sole staff.*