General News
15 July, 2024
Times Gone By
- from Rainbow Archives and Historical Society's Peter Ralph
I’ve recently become quite intrigued by the number of buildings which have been removed from their original locations to then find themselves in the town itself.
And this seems to have been a practice dating from the earliest times.
The first migration I can discover was around World War I, when part of the Kenmare Albion Hotel, built in 1895, was shifted to Rainbow by Mr Wilson and set at the rear of the Eureka Hotel.
Here it remained for many years.
To this day, the three-in-one former bar windows are enjoying their second life just down from the hairdressing salon.
A later relocation took place when the long-closed Pigick School was moved into town and reinvigorated as a classroom at the Rainbow High School.
It then went on a second journey, returning to country life on the Robinson farm in 1964.
Today’s photo from the school magazine Wonga shows the old school in its first new spot at the left behind the second bus.
What used to be the woodwork room is behind the front bus.
We have another photo from Mark Thomas of the Pigick building’s re-siting at Rainbow High School, but taken from a different angle.
And what of relocated homes?
I know of three in Cust Street, and have heard of several others across town, but t would like to find out about any others.
Which houses in town had an earlier life?
Why was a decision made to relocate a particular home?
Were the reasons to do with cost or sentiment?
How were the homes brought in? Tractors, horses, wagons, jinkers?
Did a house require cutting into smaller manageable loads to make the journey?
Who was involved? Were the houses all wooden? Were they set on stumps or a slab?
Were there any mishaps during the journey to town? Were repairs required at the new site?
Was it the tradition to have a house-warming?
And more recently, what about ready-built homes brought direct from the professional manufacturer to Rainbow, either in one piece, or maybe two or three?
Please feed any information you may have in to me so that the Archive can build a file on this interesting side of our development.
And, as ever, relevant photographs would be wonderful.
The Archive will soon be conducting its first fundraiser for the year, with tickets available on Friday August 2 and Saturday August 3 at the usual Federal Street spots.
The Winter Warmer prize winner will be announced at noon on the Saturday.
Your support is appreciated.