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Blue Trail Village Scenes No 8

A Sustainable Town Embraces Its Heritage – Portland

In Portland, the cement works closed in 1991 and the last lime quarry was decommissioned in 1998. The town now has about 2,000 residents. It is a potential destination for a trip across the mountains and is being promoted as a worthwhile stop on a tourist trail from Lithgow to Mudgee.

Restored poster advertisements and traditional country town street buildings (Wolgan Street, Portland)

Numerous historic buildings, the presence of a town common on natural woodland, the hilliness of its site and the interspersing of native and exotic flora add to Portland’s attractiveness. The most striking features are near the town centre. These include the tall cement silos now adorned with large murals of men and women who used to work there.

Contemplating the images of workers who made Portland a famous cement town.

Gradually, the dominant industrial sites are being cleaned up and recycled into modern uses and open space. These recall the old Portland but are compatible with the sustainability of the new. Not far from the tall silos, a commercial nursery is taking shape.

Vegetation surrounds an inundated quarry.

The water-filled disused quarries are conspicuous and impressive visual features. There is discussion about how to create more public access.

A pair of brick kilns adorn the outskirts of Portland’s large disused quarry.

The preserved buildings and murals of the business district evoke the mid 20th century. Everywhere, there is an unhurried atmosphere and the aura of industrial pioneering remains, even where tree changers have occupied the old cottages.

© Don Morison

[photos © Christine Davies]

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The Birdbath

© Christine Davies

At my new home near the Blue Mountains National Park, 21 years ago, I put a birdbath in front of a glass door where I could look out and began replacing most of the garden’s exotic plants with local native plants. Magpies, currawongs, rosellas, bowerbirds and others came to drink or bathe. As the native garden matured, little bush birds began to arrive. Continue reading “The Birdbath”

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Blue Trail Village Scenes No 7

Trees of Glenbrook Park

The landscaped spaces of the mountains contain native trees of many ages. The older Eucalypts are especially represented in Glenbrook Park – a major gateway to our region.

There are many reasons to stop at Glenbrook Park. It has one of the best Visitor Information displays. It’s our Australia Day park and hosts other community events. Coming from Sydney, it makes you feel you’re not in the city … and it’s the first rest area, petrol and toilets after the freeway. Within the park is the theatre used by the indefatigable Glenbrook Players dramatic troupe.

A picket fence protects one of the oldest large eucalypts and safeguards members of the public who might stray under dropping branches. (Christine Davies)

In 2016, Council contemplated major changes. The levels of the park surfaces were thought by some to pose a flood risk to surrounding properties. A draft plan canvassed the expendability of many of the older trees and buildings. Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Glenbrook District Historical Society and many others came to the defence of the ambience of Glenbrook Park and its trees. That’s probably why the park still looks as it does.

Signage and sculpture complements natural elements within the village atmosphere. (Neil and Jennifer McGlashan)

In this park, the trees are an opportunity to have a conversation about how the hollows and other features of the older specimens are vital for the welfare of multiple lifeforms. These, of course, include mammals, birds and insects.

The welcoming white bark of native trees. (Christine Davies)

It’s very useful that visitors’ first chance to pause when entering a new region gives them a true sense of place. The subtle changes that have been made to the park and the retention of so many old trees allows Glenbrook Park to do that. It’s one of the few mountains towns to convey a sense of a village green or common. To retain these functions, in coming years, new native trees will need to be planted. Meanwhile, the park is a place that residents and local organisations can take pride in.

© Don Morrison

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AUSTRALIA’S FORGOTTEN SHOWMAN

The Days of Martini’s Buckjumping Show

© Chris Woodland

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Acknowledgements

While seeking details regarding Breheney I have had the generous assistance of author Pat Studdy-Clift of Lismore in New South Wales; Jim McJannett of Cape York, researcher of Dargan’s Grey (the famed buckjumper); Breaker Morant aficionado Ted Robl from Victoria, and from helpful Di Moore of West Wyalong, the granddaughter of the ‘lady bushranger’, Jessie Hickman, who joined a circus while still a child and later joined and toured with Martini’s Buckjumpers.

My good friend and Irish-Australian historian Fr Brian Maher was, as usual, also of great assistance, as was author and historian Peter Smith, long-time friend and associate, and presently President of the Braidwood & District Historical Society.

Also, Tony Harmston, a descendant of the Harmston’s Circus family. Tony’s collection assisted my research with details of his family’s circus movements. Thanks also to Peter Bridge of Hesperian Press for his assistance with two photographs.

Martin Breheney’s story would have only consisted of several pages had not the National Library’s wonderful Trove been available.

 

 

About the author

Chris Woodland has had a life-long interest in Australian folklore. While his hair was still brown he worked on outback cattle and sheep stations and maintains those earlier associations.

For many years he has made field recordings (housed in the National Library of Australia) of many bush personalities, including (Aboriginal and white) drovers, shearers, isolated women, poets, songwriters singers, veteran soldiers etc. Over the years Chris has been an active member of the Sydney Bush Music Club and Monaro Folk Music Society. He has been a presenter over many years on community radio 2XX in Canberra.

He retired to a few acres near Termeil on the South Coast of NSW in 2002 and then a few kilometres away to Bawley Point in 2015. For several years he ran a course called Wallaby Stew at the Milton-Ulladulla University of the Third Age.

Chris produced a book of historic photos with text on the old gold town of Araluen for the Braidwood & District Historical Society, which has sold well. It was published in 2015, followed by another book published in the same year titled Billy the Blackfella from Bourke, relating the fascinating life of his deceased mate.

Chris now spends most of his time with grandchildren and singing and playing with friends. His group is called AusSongs.