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Temple Bar
There are several Temple Bars, not just the one in London, which was removed in the 1880s, but the most scenic, oldest and most spectacular is the one in the Northern Flinders Ranges. The others are at Macclesfield which is a quarry and at Alice Springs, Carrieton. There were also several horses by that name, which ran at the Quorn and Port Pirie races in June 1912 and did well. There was also a ship with the same name which, when at Port Broughton, had trouble with its crew as seven sailors deserted and made off for the bush. Finally, there was a Magazine called Temple Bar founded and edited by George Augustus Sala. In the South-East there was a Temple Bar grazing property and in Western Australia there was a gold mine of that name. During June 1882, Captain Samuel White Sweet, on a trip from Quorn to Farina took many pictures of the natural scenery. Among them views of Beltana, Windy Creek, Hookina bridge, Putapa Gap and its bridge. A few years later, in October 1887, even The Australian Sketcher published a picture of Temple Bar. The Bar was described by the Observer of 16 December 1899 as a 'narrow passage between two rocky walls, which were at one time connected by an arch'. Hence the name, when the arch became dangerous it was destroyed. On 22 January 1904 Temple Bar was in the news again. This time it was the Port Augusta Dispatch which reported, THE FAR NORTH. (From our Correspondent.) TUESDAY, January 19. A PATHETIC CASE. On Friday, 8th inst., Mr Charles B Flynn, a stationhand on the Moolooloo Run, reported to MC Birt, at Beltana Police Station, that whilst visiting Temple Bar on that day he found a sick swagman lying in a helpless condition in the hut. The poor fellow had apparently been lying there several days, and was parched for a drink of water, which he was unable to get for himself. The trooper and his tracker left at once in a buggy for Temple Bar, 15 miles distant, and returned late that night with the sick tramp, who gave the name of George Weston. He told the Constable he was suddenly seized with a fit while tramping across from Blinman to Beltana in search of work. He fell down on the road, where he laid for some time, suffering great agony but coming to himself for a while, he managed to reach the hut, when he was again seized with another fit and seemed to lose the use of all his limbs. He laid there quite powerless until the fortunate arrival of Flynn. Weston received every care and attention at the Police Station, and was sent to the Port Augusta Hospital by Monday's train for treatment, the Destitute Board paying the railway fare, as Weston was without means. Occasionally there is some talk about the old Gumtree at Glenelg, which some believe was really Temple Bar. The Register of 9 May 1914 printed the following letter. 'Mrs. Helen B. Birks writes, My father, the late Mr. William Kyffin Thomas, took my sister and myself to Glenelg on the twenty-first anniversary, and pointed out the position of the tree under which the Governor really stood while reading the proclamation. At the same time he showed to us what is now known as the Old Gumtree. On the historic occasion, his family stood during the reading under this tree, which was named 'Temple Bar,' in allusion to Temple Bar, Fleet street, London in the vicinity of which my father was born'.
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