While processing the photos from my Swallow Tail Pass ride, one particular grave in St Andrew's Anglican Church Cemetery at Tirrannaville caught my attention. It belonged to Arthur Blomfield, and something about the headstone piqued my curiosity.

Naturally, I decided to do a little digging.

My first stops were two of my go-to genealogy and historical research websites: Find a Grave and Trove. Between them, I was able to uncover the story behind Arthur Blomfield and the tragic circumstances that led to his untimely death.

This is from Find a Grave:

ARTHUR BLOMFIELD, a son of Thomas Valentine Blomfield, the first holder of what is now Coolamatong Station, was born at Dagworth, Maitland, in 1831. He came to Monaro in 1853 and took over the management of his father's property. In 1856 he married Annie, a daughter of Col. J. K Mackenzie, of the 4th Queen's Own Regiment, who is said to have at one time owned Dangelong Run, which was managed by his son, Alexander. In 1873 he sold his property to two young Englishmen, Messrs. Edward and Arthur Higgens, who in turn sold it to Mr. W. R. Hepburn. Following upon his disposal of Coolamatong, Mr. Blomfield acquired Murranumbla from Mr. William Rutherford. This he held until his death, which took place at Goulburn in 1887 at the age of 56, following upon a fall from his horse.
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​Three sons and three unmarried daughters survive. His eldest. son, E. H., is Manager of the Commercial Bank at Werris Creek, the second, T.V., is Chief of the Dairy Branch of the Department of Public Health, and the remaining one, Hugh Mackenzie, is Cooma's well-known Inspector of Stock. In 1891, some four years after Mr. Arthur Blomfield's death, his property was disposed of by Messrs. Garratt and Blomfield (the latter one of his sons), Auctioneers of Cooma, for 14,500 pounds, and almost immediately resold at an advance to Messrs. Morrice Bros., of Marulan. The present owner of the station is Mr. W. Morrice.

This from Trove:

FATAL FALL FROM A HORSE.

On Thursday afternoon a magisterial inquiry was held at the courthouse by Mr. C. S. Alexander P.M., touching the death of Mr. Arthur Blomfield, who died from injuries received by being thrown from his horse on the previous day near the Cooma Hotel. The following evidence was adduced:--

Dr. Morton deposed that on Wednesday evening about half-past six he was sent for to see Mr. Blomfield, and went without delay to the Cooma Hotel, where he was lying; upon examination witness found that deceased was suffering from concussion and compression of the brain; witness also diagnosed a fracture at the back of the skull; considering the case almost a hopeless one, he sent for Dr. Ray to hold a consultation, the result of which was that he and Dr. Ray cut down where they believed the fractured bone to be, and discovered a fracture of the occipital bone with depression; Dr. Ray and witness both considered it a most critical case; the operation of trephining was deceased's only chance of life, and with the consent of Mr. Blomfield's relatives that operation was performed, but without avail; the cause of death was the injuries to the brain described; deceased never regained consciousness after witness saw him.

Andrew G. Finlay deposed to having viewed the body lying at the Cooma Hotel; it was that of Arthur Blomfield, grazier of Marranumbla, near Cooma; he was connected with witness' family, and was at his house on Wednesday afternoon, about five o'clock; when leaving witness' house he said he was going to Tirranna; had was then in good health; about half-past eight witness heard that he had met with an accident; he then went to the Cooma Hotel and remained there till half-past ten; Drs. Morton and Ray were at the hotel; left the hotel at half-past ten, and did not see the deceased alive again; deceased was about fifty-six years of age and leaves a widow and six children.

Benjamin Williams, labourer, living with the late Mr. Blomfield deposed that he came to Goulburn with some sheep for Mr. Blomfield; came to Goulburn on Tuesday night; witness was at the saleyards on Wednesday with Mr. Blomfield; about half-past five on Wednesday evening witness was at the Cooma Hotel, and Mr. Blomfield came to the hotel; he dismounted from his horse, and had some conversation with witness and another man; he gave witness instructions as to what work he was to do when he went back; witness saw that the horse he was riding was rather fresh, and advised him not to ride him; Mr. Blomfield however insisted on riding the horse; witness took hold of the horse's head to try to steady him until deceased had mounted; the horse became restive, and before Mr. Blomfield had his leg across, some one called out to witness to let the horse go, and he did so; the horse then swerved round, and Mr. Blomfield fell from the off side of the horse; he appeared to fall on the back of his head; witness and others immediately picked him up, and carried him into the hotel, and sent for the doctor; Dr. Morton came in about half-an-hour afterwards; deceased was unconscious when picked up; deceased fell on the hard metal road in front of the hotel.

To the police: Two or three others besides witness were present when the accident took place.

Philip Primmer, labourer in the employ of the late Mr. Blomfield, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness.

The Police Magistrate found that the deceased, Arthur Blomfield, met his death by accidentally falling from his horse.

1887 'FATAL FALL FROM A HORSE.', Goulburn Herald (NSW : 1881 - 1907), 5 February, p. 4.

BUCKLEY'S CROSSING.
THE BLOMFIELD MEMORIAL
(From our own Correspondent.)
A meeting of gentlemen interested in the proposed memorial to the late Mr. Arthur Blomfield was held at Mr. J. H. Quill's Dalgety Store on Saturday last, the 28th May. It had been previously decided that a tablet, suitably inscribed, should be erected in Boloco Church, as a fitting tribute of the esteem in which the deceased gentleman was held by persons of all stations and denominations in the district. The meeting of the 28th May was called to make final arrangements as to cost and choice of the proposed memento, and after Mr. H. C. Merritt had been elected chairman, the hon. secretary (Mr. W. Crisp) stated that upwards of £35 had been subscribed, and that promises of some few pounds more had been made. Mr. Paul Garratt, of Matinumbla, who has shown the greatest interest in the movement, then produced designs, &c, And after considerable inspection and discussion the gentlemen present decided to procure from Sydney a very handsome tablet, at a cost of between £35 and £40. A suitable inscription having been chosen, Messrs. Garratt, J. Crisp, and G. F. Litchfield were elected a sub-committee to carry into effect the wishes of the subscribers, and arrange all the details of the matter. The meeting then terminated in the usual manner.

1887 'BUCKLEY'S CROSSING.', The Manaro Mercury, and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser (NSW : 1862 - 1931), 1 June, p. 3.

After weeks off the bike, I finally had my plaster removed and completed my first physiotherapy session. Needless to say, I was itching to get back out for a ride. I didn't want to tackle anything too technical while my thumb was still recovering, but I was keen to get some kilometres under the tyres.

It also gave me the perfect excuse to explore one of New South Wales' hidden gems—Swallow Tail Pass, near Bannaby.

This adventure bike-friendly route winds its way through some of the Southern Tablelands' most picturesque countryside, linking the charming towns of Gundaroo, Collector, Towrang, Big Hill, Taralga, Crookwell and Gunning before looping back to the ACT.

With a mix of scenic backroads, easy gravel, and spectacular rural landscapes, it promised to be the ideal ride to ease myself back into the saddle while discovering another fantastic route close to home.

Watch my Swallow Tail Pass video on YouTube.

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The goal of this adventure is to visit several historic churches (all over 100 years old). The churches visited are:
Day 1.
* St. Andrew's, Adaminaby
* St. John's, Adaminaby
* Round Plain Uniting, Rocky Plain
* All Saints, Berridale
* St. Joseph's, Berridale

You can watch the four-part Southern Churches, Adventure Ride mini-series by following this link: Southern Churches, Adventure Ride. Ride

I had my eye on Bungonia for a while — more specifically, Christ Church, the old Anglican church perched on the edge of town. The forecast wasn’t exactly promising: cold, windy, and a slight chance of rain. But with the camera packed and a small window of time after school drop-off, I took a chance and hit the road.

The drive up the Federal Highway started bleak — low clouds, occasional rain, and not much sign of it lifting. I was starting to think I might be photographing mist and mood instead of sandstone and sun. But just past Goulburn, the clouds began to break apart and scatter, and the light started to shift. Things were looking up.
As I turned off onto Mountain Ash Road, I got my first glimpses of blue sky and a few golden breaks in the cloud. It was still misting here and there, but the light was changing — fast.
Driving into Bungonia for the first time, I passed St. Michael’s Catholic Church on the hill. Beautiful location, but not quite right for the time of day or year — I logged it as a "return later" spot. The rest of the town was a surprise. So many of the buildings carry their history proudly — the old 1882 Public School and former Police Station are now homes, but still marked with signs telling their stories. I could easily spend a day here just photographing heritage buildings alone.

At the far end of town, Christ Church finally came into view — a solid sandstone presence, slightly elevated, with views back over the township. The gate was closed but not locked. I slipped through, parked carefully, and took a moment to read the history sign before unpacking the gear.

While setting up the tripod, the break I’d been hoping for arrived — the clouds parted just enough to let a wash of sunlight hit the church façade. Warm light against cold stone. Exactly the contrast I’d come chasing.

I spent a solid hour working the angles — wide shots, close details, and a few different perspectives around the grounds. I even turned the camera toward the car, now wearing its new tyres — the light was too nice to pass up a quick automotive snap or two.
On the way home, I circled back to St. Michael’s. Took a few reference shots and captured the info signs. Based on the sun angle, it’s one for the warmer months — late spring or early summer should be perfect. I’ll be back.
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And here it is — the first images of the church from the shoot and a couple of the car. The light didn’t last long, but it arrived at just the right moment.

I was recently away on a two-week work trip. This trip started with me flying to Brisbane with a work compatriot, catching a taxi to Yamanto to meet up with two others and driving to Tenterfield for the first 5 days of working at Jennings.

As part of my job, I’m fortunate to have time allocated for physical training, which helps me maintain my fitness. With clear blue skies overhead, it was the perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy some exercise.

I'm also lucky to live close to Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve and Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, which means I have easy access to dirt trails right on my doorstep. The route I took winds through both areas and happens to form part of the Canberra Centenary Trail—a loop that encircles the main residential areas, cultural precincts, and rural landscapes of the ACT.

I entered via the Wilay Gate (Wilay, In the Ngunawal language, it means "possum"), and followed the fenceline track running parallel to Horse Park Drive, leading me to the start of the Centenary Trail. Riding along this dirt track meant I could avoid traffic entirely—a definite bonus.

Once on the Centenary Trail, I continued through the nature reserve and into the woodland sanctuary. I was surprised by how many people were out and about—I passed numerous cyclists, runners, and walkers. It felt like Pitt Street in Sydney! I even encountered an ACT Parks worker heading the other way on a tractor.

Along the route, I took a few short breaks to soak in the scenery and snap some photos.

Eventually, I reached the gate of the predator-proof fence at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and passed through to continue along the Centenary Trail. Unlike my last ride, where I turned off onto Old Coach Road, this time I stayed the course. As I rode on, I passed more walkers and paused briefly at the Woolshed, only to find eight prams lined up outside—clearly not the best time to interrupt a mothers' group gathering.

A few hundred metres beyond the Woolshed lies the main gate of the predator-proof fence, which most people use to enter the sanctuary. From there, you can either duck into Forde or continue along the trail up and over the hill for about 500 metres to reach the sanctuary’s car park.

I chose the latter, climbing the hill and joining the shared path, where I passed some impressively large kangaroos lounging beside the trail. Once on the shared path, I followed it into the heart of Forde and continued all the way home. On the return leg, I passed Yerrabi Pond before heading east towards Harrison.

Eventually, I followed the shared path to Gungaderra Homestead, passing between the old farm shed and the main house. On the far side, I noticed something I’d never paid much attention to before—the shed has now been repurposed as "The Recyclery." It's run by volunteers who take in donated bicycles, restore them to a saleable condition, and give them a new lease on life.
From there, I continued along the old Well Station Road—a historic track dating back to the late 1800s that once linked the farms at Well Station and Gungaderra Homestead.
In total, the ride was 20 kilometres—a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend time outdoors, surrounded by nature.

Map of my ride.

Today, in what turned out to be the worst weather of the week, I led a team-building walk through Namadgi National Park.
Despite the conditions, we took on the Settler’s Track—a loop that showcases three historic huts: Brayshaws, Waterhole, and Westermans.
The wild weather added a rugged charm to the experience, and the team powered through with good spirits. A proper taste of the high country and a great way to connect outside the usual work setting.

​Walk map.