Rob Hales reflects on the loss of Tailem Bend’s oldest railway house

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When Rob Hales sits in what is left of his quaint walled backyard at Tailem Bend, he sees more than a burnt shell of a home that was destroyed by fire last month.

He sees reflections of 65 years of life, history, and community, all centred around what is believed to be the first railway house built in the town.

Born locally in 1953, Rob Hales’ life has been intertwined with the railways and Tailem Bend itself from the very beginning.

His parents were part of the post-war wave of European immigrants, of Polish and Ukrainian heritage, with his father arriving in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1951.

His mother followed soon after, and the couple met on the docks before making the choice so many immigrants faced at the time: to either work on the Snowy Mountains Scheme in New South Wales, or on the railways anywhere in Australia.

His father chose the latter, settling at Tailem Bend in the early 1950s.

The family’s connection to the railways is more than occupational.

Their home, a modest timber structure with a shaky but fascinating history, was thought to have been the first residence built in Tailem Bend for railway use.

Photographs dating back to 1905 and 1906 show the house standing when the Adelaide to Melbourne line was still young.

At the time, it served as the home of the district engineer responsible for the main line and new branch lines reaching into the Murraylands.

Tragedy touched Mr Hales early in life, with his biological mother dying during childbirth, and his father – a fireman on the railways – being killed in an accident in 1955 when his son was just two and a half.

Friends of the family stepped in, adopting the young Mr Hales into a household with two sisters and a brother.

“They applied for adoption, which was granted, and I came into the family,” he recalled.

The family initially lived in cottages on the other side of town, but in 1960 they moved into the house on Railway Terrace, close to shops and community life.

“It was nothing like it was when we finished renovating,” Mr Hales said.

“Just a flat block with paling fences, a chook yard in the back, and a tin wash tub in the washhouse.

“Mum used the old copper to boil the clothes, and the wringer before hanging them out on the line.”

His adoptive mother Jean, known formally as Dulcy Jean, but never by her first name, became something of a legend at Tailem Bend.

She worked as a cook at both of the town’s hotels, and her cream puffs remain part of local folklore.

His adoptive father, Victor, continued working for the railways and eventually rose to become the station master’s clerk.

Mr Hales’ own schooling began at Tailem Bend Primary before continuing at Murray Bridge High.

Like many students from outlying towns, he took the school train each day.

After completing his matriculation, he joined the railways as a clerk but soon realised office life wasn’t for him.

“I didn’t feel like being enclosed,” he laughed.

Instead, he transferred to the trains, becoming a fireman.

Today, he reflects proudly on a life shaped by resilience, hard work, and the strong sense of community that Tailem Bend instils in its people.

On August 20, tragedy struck again when fire destroyed the house Mr Hales had called home for most of his life.

He had been out delivering lamb shanks he had cooked for some friends when the call came through.

By the time he returned, smoke was billowing from the roof.

“I tried to get inside, but I couldn’t see a thing,” he said.

“One of the volunteers pulled me back and said, ‘You’re not going to save it, just get what you can out.’

“Within minutes it was a foregone conclusion.”

The fire consumed not only walls and furniture, but also irreplaceable family photographs and records.

Yet, as always, the town rallied.

Some images are safe in books compiled by his sister, while others are held by townspeople who have offered to share copies.

Despite the loss, Mr Hales is still philosophical.

“Houses come and go,” he said.

“The important thing is the people around you, and I’ve had incredible support.

“This town looks after its own.”

For Tailem Bend, the fire was a loss for more than one man.

It marked the end of an historic building that had stood since the town’s railway beginnings.

But in Rob Hales — in his resilience, his service, and his stories — the spirit of that home lives on.

“I’ve lived here 65 years,” he said.

“It’s been part of me and part of Tailem Bend.

“Losing it hurts, but the memories and the friendships, you don’t lose those – they’re still here.”