Hello Rhi,
An interesting comment from Michael Lindsay on the naming of Cranky Rock in 332 of The Phoenix. In the early 1960’s I worked with Jack Hocking, Bill Cain and Eric O’Brien at the Canowindra Central West County Council depot in Canowindra. This group had dug for gold in the Cargo area after WWII and discussed various locations, one of them Cranky Rock. They said that the area was so named because of the convoluted nature of the rock created in its volcanic molten state which, in mining terms, was called “cranky rock” because there was no linear conformity as it ‘bubbled’ and cooled in place. I have just checked with a geo friend, and he thinks the term came from the hard-rock mines in Cornwall where the miners had to work with hammer-and-tong to drive into the ‘twisted’ underground rock to set explosives. (We also used hammer and bar to set explosives (gelignite) for placing power poles through granite areas to the east of the Cargo Road and the Mogong/Toogong areas. Even bloody hard work standing up.)
I hope that helps the discussion.
Regards
Bob Sherwood
Perth Western Australia