The Pink Gates

By Shirley Jurmann

The “Pink Gates” were very much part of Moruya from the time of the early shows on the river bank near the present day Bowling Green. When the show was moved to the Moruya Park in 1914, the gates were also moved to the entrance to the Park. These were double gates for people entering the Park, originally by horse drawn vehicle, with a pedestrian gate at the side so people could come and go on foot without having to enter through the closed big gates. This was particularly useful for people living on the other side of the Park. They were a landmark in the area, many people using it to describe the location when giving directions or reporting where something had occurred or suggesting a place to meet.

If you wanted to get to Bodalla or places further south from Moruya, you would be told to go to the Pink Gates and turn left. If you wanted to go to Gundary or Kiora, go to the Pink Gates and turn right. In 1916 Mr J. Hamilton’s 22h.p. Buick car back-fired and caught fire, with the location described as “near the Pink Gates”. It caused great excitement at the Public School with the kids lining up on the fence. The bell rang and the kids all went inside, except for two little boys who had not long started school- they stayed put. The teacher sent an older child to round them up but they were too cunning – they knew he was just after their choice spot on the fence! They had older brothers who were always trying to trick them and were too savvy to be caught so easily. Roly Louttit (for he was one of those little boys) recalled more than half a century later the excitement of his first day at school, when a car caught fire down by the Pink Gates. During the horse races jockeys and trainers as well as broadcasters, knew that if you were in front by the Pink Gates you had a fair chance of winning the race. In her Memories of Moruya, May Koellner wrote of going through the pedestrian side of the Pink Gates to visit her friend Amy Anderson who lived at the other side of the Park.

The original gates were strongly built in the late 1800s. They were made of solid iron bark posts 14’’x14’’ square, about 5’ high and about 8’ wide. The gates were built with timbers of solid texture and swung with iron “T” hinges.

The Gates became dilapidated and were removed in the 1960s. There was much outcry from Moruya residents but they were not replaced until Michel Nader decided that if the Council would not replace them, he would. Michel and his family had come to Moruya about the mid 1920s and became staunch supporters of everything to do with Moruya and keen to preserve its history. The Gates were rebuilt as much like the original as possible and erected on 17^th March 2010. Special steel hinges were built by Noel Clulee. The carpenter was Greg Murphy and the painter was Tony O’Connor. The whole operation cost Michel many, many thousands of dollars. Local people were very happy to have their Pink Gates back. All was well for about five years until a Canadian in a stolen car, assumed the road went straight ahead, crashed into them and wrecked them. Once again it was Michel who came to the rescue. This time he had the Gates made from steel but they look like wood. The hinges were rescued and used again. Michel lost track of how much the second lot cost him. He is confident they will stand the test of time (and Canadians in stolen cars!).

References

• Showground History – Eurobodalla District Show Society
• Memories of Vulcan St in the twenties – Mary Koellner
• Michel Nader (pers. comm.) – information on the rebuilding of the Pink Gates