Red Hill ridge separates the central Canberra valley from the Woden Valley to the south and affords excellent views of both Canberra and Woden (the city’s first ‘new town’). Most likely named after the red soil in the area (or perhaps the autumn tree colours), the summit is 734 metres high. Like Mount Ainslie and Black Mountain Reserve there are numerous walking/cycling tracks on Red Hill. Continue reading “Red Hill Lookout – Why so called?”
Outside the Adelaide Botanic Garden and the Adelaide Himeji (Japanese) Garden I have never been overly impressed with Adelaide city’s parks and gardens. The city’s hot dry summers are not conducive to luscious green lawns. The park most often proffered as the place to relax is Elder Park by the Torrens River behind the Festival Centre.
I actually find Elder Park, while very convenient in the city centre, rather average and not at all restful. For a more relaxing break from sightseeing, etc I recommend Rymill Park (sometimes referred to by its other rather non-endearing name – Park 14) Continue reading “Alice in (Rymill Park) Wonderland”
Being a capital city, albeit a small one of only 400,000 people, Canberra is host to nearly 80 Embassies and High Commissions in addition to numerous other international organisations, foundations, philanthropic organisations and the like.
The one thing all these erstwhile institutions have in common is that they like to bestow gifts on their hosts, all with good and noble intent, naturally. Many of these gifts take the form of statues and works of art which have to be displayed somewhere. Continue reading “Where can we put that, without causing offence?”
Canberra, with due cause, is often referred to as the Bush Capital. Parks, leafy suburbs and gardens abound. Most of these contain native Australia flora, with an overlay of European or more exotic species here and there. Continue reading “Glebe Park – Ye Olde English Park in Civic”
On 12 March, 1913 Lady Denman, wife of Governor General, Lord Denman, formally announced that Australia’s Capital city would be called Canberra. She did so standing on top of the Foundation Stone of a planned Commencement Column on Capital Hill, where Parliament House is located today. The planned column was never added to the Foundation Stone which is now located on the lawn in front of Parliament House, it having been moved a short distance, in the 1980s, to allow for the building of the Parliament building. Continue reading “Canberra Centenary Column”
Most Canberrans know City Hill, not by name, but rather as mound or, less fetchingly, a carbuncle, on the landscape that you have to drive around at the lower end of Northbourne Avenue, before crossing Lake Burley Griffin via Commonwealth Bridge. Continue reading “City Hill – For A Very Different View”
At 890m, Mt Majura is the highest peak in suburban Canberra. It is thought that it was named by Robert Campbell, an early European settler, after a place he had visited in India. It is a popular walk with locals and a nice change from the more popular and nearby Mt Ainslie Walk. Continue reading “Walk up Mt Majura”
I woke up one morning and could tell it was going to be one of those absolutely beautiful Canberra spring days – a chilly start (freezing) with a beautiful clear blue sky. I knew it would be gorgeous in the sun by 9am. A day made for walking and not working, so I decided to take a days leave from work and enjoy it. Continue reading “Dixon Wetlands”
Hordern Park is named after Mr A J Hordern, whom the Sydney Morning Herald referred to as ‘ one of her {Sydney’s} most competent and kindly tree and flower lovers’ on his death in 1932. It is a small park located at the southern end of Palm Beach providing access between the beach and Florida Road – about half way up the headland where you can admire some of the grandest residences in Sydney, particularly if you continue on up (via a set of very steep steps located across Florida Road from the Park) to Pacific Road, atop the headland. Continue reading “Horden Park -How The Headland Used To Be”
Victoria Park is a small, nine hectare, triangular park nestled between the busy Parramatta and City Roads and the University of Sydney. Given its small size and the constant traffic on the adjacent roads I imagined it might be noisy and not at all peaceful. This is not so, probably because it is set at a level slightly lower than the roads, though I am no expert on acoustics. Continue reading “Victoria Park”
The Rambling Wombat 