Midnight Oil House by Steve Davis & The Virtualosos

Описание: We recently holidayed in Burra, about two hours north of Adelaide, and discovered a rich vein of South Australian history.

I'm sure Burra is one of the most under-visited or underappreciated locations in SA, because it's not on the ocean, on the river, or saturated by wineries. And yet, what it lacks in those conventional tourism accoutrement, it more than makes up for with immersive and authentic experiences of history.

The key to enjoying Burra is, in fact, a key. Well, it's called the Heritage Passport but it is a key that grants you access to a number of self-accessed sites around town.

For starters, the Burra copper mine is worth a visit because if you slow down and take time to sit on that site, you can drink in the harsh beauty of the area and be thankful that you weren't one of the miners who had to work it. Your key unlocks different buildings, into which you can wander and climb and think, and even dodge very active and curious huntsman spiders. See what I mean about authentic!

Just a few years after Governor Hindmarsh proclaimed the state of South Australia, copper was found in Burra, very close to the surface, and it turns out that there was lots of it. So much so, at one point it was providing 5% of the world's copper. This rush for profits was curbed by two things. Firstly, winter. The paths back to Adelaide got boggy very quickly in wet weather, so they had to slow down or even pause mining until the bullock drays could get through again. And, secondly, within fairly quick time, they had mined it out. Worth noting, according to the very helpful people at the Burra Visitor Centre, that it was seriously being considered as the Eighth Wonder Of The World, at one stage.

This is where the reference to greed comes from in the song. You could argue that's a harsh call, but it is human nature and it has left a legacy that is one of the main attractions for tourists. We get another taste of greed, to some degree, with the Unicorn Brewery. It emerged and grew and expanded and money was flowing, until the State Government brought in new licencing for breweries, the cost of which squeezed out all except for the big brewers. Opening up the door to the cellar network at the brewery was fascinating and it certainly was a feat of entrepreneurialism. To be fair, while Banks and co were voracious in using greater capacity to tie up local hotels and squeeze out smaller brewers, they then fell foul of intense competition from Adelaide-based brewers who played the same game on them, once Unicorn had proven there was a viable market in the mid north.

The song also mentions punishment being an attraction and, for that, we turn to Redruth Gaol. When you take time to enter it with your key, and wander quietly around the yards and into the cells, and read the regulations and anecdotes, you get a very very bleak picture of life behind those walls. Justice was meted out harshly, and visiting on a hot or cold day further amplifies the inhumane conditions inmates experienced.

And, of course, we can't mention Burra without noting the so-called Midnight Oil House. This is the rundown farmhouse, photographed by Ken Duncan, whose photo was then used on the cover of Midnight Oil's album, Diesel and Dust.

This song tips its hat to the power of that image and the procession of visitors that cottage on the old "Cobb & Co" corner still attracts. You'll notice that we mention Midnight Oil album titles in each verse and in the chorus, and we've gone for a heavier, acoustic rock feel to at least edge our sound a little bit towards the Aussie rock n roll legends.

As beautiful as it is, once you do dig deeper, I'll hope you will agree that the house is somewhat of a nice distraction, compared to the places you can access and wander through in the area. But then again, who is keeping score?

Another reference in the song is to the St Mary The Virgin Anglican Church and its stained glass windows. They were crafted in England, shipped to Adelaide, and then packed in molases to ensure they didn't break while being carted by bullocks up to Burra. It was very tempting to consider linking the windows, but I didn't. I do note that the town had its church and its brewery when South Australia experienced depression in the 1890s and I'd like to think that the communion wine and local beer helped get people through as the region transitioned into a farming area.

Have a Burra time! Oh, Burra means Great in Hindustani, the language used by the Afghan camel herders who named the creek Burra Burra Creek in the 1840s.

More information and lyrics here: https://stevedavis.com.au/blog/midnig...