Exploring Roma

 26 June 2018 - Exploring Roma

Roma Saleyards were our first destination today.  The saleyards are owned by the Maranoa Council and they provide free tours for the public.  The guide (prime Geoff, as opposed to the leaner store Geoff) provided a lot of information about the beef industry and auction process.  Cattle are auctioned a pen at a time, and a price determined per kilogram live weight, generally $2-3/kg.  The cattle are then herded through the gated yards to be weighed and the final price determined.  Most cattle are bid on by agents on instruction and hence they are experts at judging weight by eye.  I was surprised to learn that it was possible to bid subject to certain beasts being removed from the lot.  We spent two hours at the saleyards and Hayden would have happily stayed much longer.

http://www.mymaranoa.org.au/business/saleyards

St Paul’s Anglican Church was out next stop – it was beautiful!  The ceiling was all wood and the walls built of locally made grey brick.  There is an impressive pipe organ, though unfortunately the church no longer has an organist to play it.  The church has fifty beautifully decorated windows, eleven leadlight (made of panels of tinted glass) and thirty-nine stained glass (painted glass joined with lead; these can have a lot more detail such as proper faces). 
https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/anglican/directory/2618-st-pauland%2339%3Bs-anglican-church

This afternoon we drove around the Hospital Hill Heritage Walk, which showed the first sites in Australia where an indication of oil and gas reserves were found.  In the evening we attended the Big Rig Oil and Gas Night Show – this was a short film, cleverly integrated with lighting of stage props: tents, campfires and rigs.
https://www.australias.guide/qld/attraction-tour/the-big-rig-night-show/