We begun our day of taking in what Roma had to offer with a rather unusual attraction; that being the Roma Saleyards. It is the largest cattle selling centre in Australia, selling 300,000 - 400,000 head of cattle annually. Sales are held each Tuesday and on Thursdays depending on demand. Volunteer guides conduct tours commencing at 8:30am each Tuesday. Our tour began in the "bull ring" where the special bull auctions are held and our tour guide gave us an introduction to the facility and the cattle auction process. 

It was interesting to note that a new bull ring was currently under construction which would replace the existing facility along with new administration facilities.

Around 7000 head of cattle were to be auctioned today and the auctioneer would move from pen to pen along an elevated walkway selling the lots to buyers who were at ground level on the other side the pens. Cattle in the pens are sold as a whole and in cents/kilogram, with bids increasing in 2 cent increments. Click here to see the auctioneer and his crew in action. 

After each pen was sold, the cattle would be directed through a maze-like structure with hydraulic driven gates to be weighed so the final sale price could be determined. There are handlers throughout the facility with long poles which have large plastic bags tapped to the end which they use to coerce the cattle in through the gates. Interesting all of the cattle have a National Livestock Identification Scheme tag (like an e-tag) fitted so they can be traced from birth to slaughter and the meat beyond.

It was a very unusual "tourist attraction", but we found it very interesting and educational.

From there we went to The Big Rig where we did a self-guided tour of The Oil Patch, an outdoor museum which takes you through how oil/gas reserves are formed and the history of oil/gas exploration around Roma. 

Out front of The Big Rig is a statue entitled The Driller and is based on a well-remembered character from the early days of oil-search in the area, John Machado. Along with Clarence Evans, the two Americans came to Roma in 1923 and were largely responsible for training the first Australian drilling teams.

We headed back into town via Roma's Largest Bottle Tree and intent on visiting Ace Drapers. It appears to have shifted location and we're not sure if much has changed with that, but it was just amazing what range of fabric and other assorted items they had in stock as can be seen in the photo. But that was just one of the two fabric aisles in the shop!

By now we were a little hungry and we chose the Bakearoma bakery & coffee lounge for lunch. And we'd certainly recommend it to anyone passing through.

After lunch we walked to the Cultural Centre. Here there is an 18 square metre clay mural created by local artists, John and Maureen Morrison as a Bi-Centennial project. It contains 17 local elements which are interpreted by means of an audio and moving light presentation, giving a concise and interesting overview of the history, industry and culture of Roma and its district.

Returning to the car which took us along part of the heritage listed Avenue of Heroes, featuring over 140 bottle trees, each with a plaque listing names of those from the district who lost their lives in WWI, we passed St Paul's church. The church features some magnificent leadlight and stained glass windows. There are over 39 windows, with 11 windows dating back to 1876 when the original church on the site was built. The present church, built using cement blocks made by hand on site, was opened in 1915. 

Last on our itinerary was the 100m long Bassett Park Mural which depicts flora, fauna and landscapes of the Roma district. Completed in 2018, it was the first piece of mural art in the district.

A stop at Woolworths for some groceries and diesel for the Territory completed our day out.

Dinner was cracked pepper and Worcestershire sausages (beef, lamb, pork, rice, flour, salt, sugar & potato) cooked on the Weber with basil & pesto pasta, which we ate while watching the Boomers get a win over Senegal at the FIBA World Cup. Banana with rice pudding and a cup of tea with a piece of slice rounded out the meal.