With all that has been happening in the real world of late, it seems almost surreal to be returning to our Queensland adventures of the latter part of 2019 when Australia was such a different place, but here we go!
Over the years we had both by-passed and briefly visited the historic town of Maryborough on many occasions. Impressions had been both good and bad.
Given that we had not, on any of these occasions, visited the centre of town nor the river area, we had nevertheless seem glimpses of several really gracious old buildings and homes. We had also seen several parts of town for which the description 'shabby' would be generous.
This year, as we made our way south from Kurrimine Beach to Caloundra for my upcoming reunion, we decided that it was high time to stop tinkering around Maryborough's edges and spend a few days getting to know much more about this rural city on the Mary River.
'Aussie Towns' notes that although Maryborough is known as the 'Heritage City', and shares this title with both Rockhampton and Charters Towers, "it isn't as grand" (as either of them). This is a view I would heartily endorse, but it does have the distinction, for what it may be worth, of predating its two 'historical competitors' by many years.
I'll have more to say about Maryborough's history in a later blog. Today we are going for a walk through the park. Queens Park has been a town feature for many years, but it has now been joined by another feature which was only completed in 2018 and has become a major attraction in the town.
The Anzac Memorial Walk is the result of a local community initiative prompted by the fact that it was a lad from Maryborough who is widely recognized as the first Aussie digger to hit the beaches of Gallipoli on that fateful day in April 1915.
This incredible memorial takes the form of a walkway......'From Gallipoli to Armistice' ........and apart from honouring the short life of Duncan Chapman it features the stories of many of the local lads who trooped off to The Great War at the beginning of the 20th Century.
An open area at the northern end of the park, with replica beach landing craft ablaze with flowers and a magnificent stand of jacaranda trees in full bloom behind it, features a bronze, full size statue of Chapman,
Given that we had not, on any of these occasions, visited the centre of town nor the river area, we had nevertheless seem glimpses of several really gracious old buildings and homes. We had also seen several parts of town for which the description 'shabby' would be generous.
This year, as we made our way south from Kurrimine Beach to Caloundra for my upcoming reunion, we decided that it was high time to stop tinkering around Maryborough's edges and spend a few days getting to know much more about this rural city on the Mary River.
'Aussie Towns' notes that although Maryborough is known as the 'Heritage City', and shares this title with both Rockhampton and Charters Towers, "it isn't as grand" (as either of them). This is a view I would heartily endorse, but it does have the distinction, for what it may be worth, of predating its two 'historical competitors' by many years.
I'll have more to say about Maryborough's history in a later blog. Today we are going for a walk through the park. Queens Park has been a town feature for many years, but it has now been joined by another feature which was only completed in 2018 and has become a major attraction in the town.
The Anzac Memorial Walk is the result of a local community initiative prompted by the fact that it was a lad from Maryborough who is widely recognized as the first Aussie digger to hit the beaches of Gallipoli on that fateful day in April 1915.
This incredible memorial takes the form of a walkway......'From Gallipoli to Armistice' ........and apart from honouring the short life of Duncan Chapman it features the stories of many of the local lads who trooped off to The Great War at the beginning of the 20th Century.
An open area at the northern end of the park, with replica beach landing craft ablaze with flowers and a magnificent stand of jacaranda trees in full bloom behind it, features a bronze, full size statue of Chapman,
who embarked as a young Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion, survived the danger and privation of Gallipoli and was promoted to Major, only to be killed by an exploding shell on a ridge during the bloodbath which was the attack on Pozieres in August 1916.
The next feature of this extraordinary memorial comes in the form of these weathered steel columns, designed to represent the cliffs above Anzac Cove,
many of which carry stories and photos of various aspects of that campaign.
Beyond the 'cliffs', the pathway to 'The Armistice' parallels Sussex Street under the spread of another stand of the marvellous jacaranda trees which are a real highlight of Maryborough (and one of my favourites when in bloom like this!).
Off to our left was the sweeping expanse of the the Queens Park lawns and trees
whilst on the path itself we came across a series of strips such as this which denoted the significant battles of WW1 in chronological order.
Looking back from this point along the path presented yet another view of the 'cliffs' and gardens of this end of the walk.
As we continued to stroll along this extraordinary memorial, we next came to a reminder of the suffering and sacrifice of those who waited at home in the form of a woman sitting reading 'a letter from the front'.
At first I struggled to understand the significance of the old typewriter so prominently displayed by the edge of the walkway. It soon became clear.....this was a tribute to the famous war correspondent of the time Charles Bean, and this was not the only time he was recognized as I was to learn shortly.
This life-sized 'digger' represented another local lad, as was explained on the pathway strip at his feet.
Private Hunter, from Pialba, a suburb of nearby Hervey Bay, would have much preferred to have his fishing rod in his hand rather than his Lee Enfield 303 rifle, and who could blame him?
As well as all the static displays to be found along the path, the touch of a button on a number of electronic screen towers such as this brought us the recollections and thoughts of a number of the of the soldiers from the district, taken from letters and personal diaries written during the conflict.
I mentioned earlier that Charles Bean featured more than once along this walk. Here at its end we came to this most poignant of reminder of the conflict, and, as it transpired, one of the most significant in terms of what followed.
The empty boots, helmet and binoculars represent a young digger who had been mortally wounded. Bean is remembered by the pipe atop a journal. What is the connection?
The inscription below these items tells of the outcome.
And what an outcome it became.
This marvellously conceived Maryborough memorial has been described as 'Australia's most interactive and educational memorial outside Canberra'.
Having previously wandered at length through the Anzac Memorial building high on Mount Clarence overlooking King George Sound in Albany, I would have to challenge this statement, but not the comment made by Brendan Nelson, the recently retired curator of the Canberra Australian War Memorial, who said, "Every single Australian that is able to should at some stage now make their way to Maryborough to get a sense of who we are, from where we came, who gave us what we have and made us who we are."
"Hear, hear", Dr Nelson.
From the Anzac Memorial walkway we continued our ramble on past the original town War Memorial into the grounds of Queens Park itself.
Even here we were not yet done with history. This modest little drinking fountain attracted my attention as we entered the park (note the magnificent building off to the right...more later). I later discovered that the redoubtable Richard Sheridan Esq. probably deserved something a bit more than this.
This Irish immigrant who arrived in Maryborough in 1859, initially took up the position as the sub-collector of customs, an important role given the level of activity in what was, at that time, colonial Queensland's premier port (believe it or not....and more of this later as well!)
Sheridan, who was noted for his integrity, fairness and humanity, went on to hold many public and private positions of significance in the district, culminating in his election to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1883.
Aside from his 'day jobs', this remarkable man initiated the Botanic Gardens, was involved in the foundation of the School of Arts and the hospital and was first chairman of the building society. He was active in the establishment of public (non-state) schools.
In 1866 he became a partner in the Tinana Creek Sugar Plantation and as if he did not have enough on his plate, he was also an active member of the Queensland Volunteer Force rising to the rank of Lieut-Colonel.
Sheridan's concern for his fellow man was never more evidenced than in his efforts to reform the cruel and oppressive lives led by the many Polynesian labourers who had been brought to Queensland under that most infamous of schemes, 'blackbirding', efforts which won him high praise from the Governor at the time (and I suspect, played a significant part in the reforms which soon followed). We were to be given another reminder of this awful trade as we later strolled along the riverfront area.
As I said earlier, this chap really does deserve a more impressive memorial than exists today.
The Sheridan drinking fountain was not the only quaint little historical memorial to be found in Queens Park.
And again, once I had read the plaques explaining the significance of this odd little cast statue of what looked like a small terrier,
I initially could not help but wonder just on what on earth a son of Maryborough had to achieve to be recognized with a more significant memorial.
A bit more digging taught me that although 'Tubby' Clayton was born in Maryborough, it was to English parents who returned with him to the Old Dart when he was but a babe of two. He is much more grandly recognized in both London and Belgium. So to the good burghers of Maryborough, I must doff my hat apologetically!
But enough of all this history stuff...on with the ramble (of the physical kind!).
Almost on cue in a park of the age of this one (it was established quite early in the town's development) a cast metal fountain came into view, spurting and bubbling into a circular pond whilst off to the right we could see the band rotunda, and, to the left, our first glimpse of the Mary River in this part of town.
We spent the next half an hour or so wandering back north through the open grounds
until we came to its northern boundary at Lennox Street where a tranquil pond provided a home for ducks and water lilies.
Bitumen paths, clearly the subject of some serious water cracking judging by all the daubed repair lines, took us on towards our starting point, but not before my roving companion decided it was time for a quick blow on this odd looking path side seat.
The 'cliffs of Anzac Cove' again came into view as we neared Sussex Street
and yet again I was delighted by another magnificent display of more of the town jacarandas as our planned walk for today came to an end.
We drove back to our camp now more than satisfied with our decision to tarry a while in Maryborough, a town we were quickly learning has much to offer travellers such as we.
From the Anzac Memorial walkway we continued our ramble on past the original town War Memorial into the grounds of Queens Park itself.
Even here we were not yet done with history. This modest little drinking fountain attracted my attention as we entered the park (note the magnificent building off to the right...more later). I later discovered that the redoubtable Richard Sheridan Esq. probably deserved something a bit more than this.
This Irish immigrant who arrived in Maryborough in 1859, initially took up the position as the sub-collector of customs, an important role given the level of activity in what was, at that time, colonial Queensland's premier port (believe it or not....and more of this later as well!)
Sheridan, who was noted for his integrity, fairness and humanity, went on to hold many public and private positions of significance in the district, culminating in his election to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1883.
Aside from his 'day jobs', this remarkable man initiated the Botanic Gardens, was involved in the foundation of the School of Arts and the hospital and was first chairman of the building society. He was active in the establishment of public (non-state) schools.
In 1866 he became a partner in the Tinana Creek Sugar Plantation and as if he did not have enough on his plate, he was also an active member of the Queensland Volunteer Force rising to the rank of Lieut-Colonel.
Sheridan's concern for his fellow man was never more evidenced than in his efforts to reform the cruel and oppressive lives led by the many Polynesian labourers who had been brought to Queensland under that most infamous of schemes, 'blackbirding', efforts which won him high praise from the Governor at the time (and I suspect, played a significant part in the reforms which soon followed). We were to be given another reminder of this awful trade as we later strolled along the riverfront area.
As I said earlier, this chap really does deserve a more impressive memorial than exists today.
The Sheridan drinking fountain was not the only quaint little historical memorial to be found in Queens Park.
And again, once I had read the plaques explaining the significance of this odd little cast statue of what looked like a small terrier,
I initially could not help but wonder just on what on earth a son of Maryborough had to achieve to be recognized with a more significant memorial.
A bit more digging taught me that although 'Tubby' Clayton was born in Maryborough, it was to English parents who returned with him to the Old Dart when he was but a babe of two. He is much more grandly recognized in both London and Belgium. So to the good burghers of Maryborough, I must doff my hat apologetically!
But enough of all this history stuff...on with the ramble (of the physical kind!).
One significant natural feature of Queens Park are its banyan trees, one stand of which shaded a collection of public art which I'm embarrassed to now admit I did not explore further.
Nearby, one of these trees provided its own piece of artwork. How these two trunks actually grew together to form this arch is anyone's guess,
but it is certainly eye-catching even minus the model!
Almost on cue in a park of the age of this one (it was established quite early in the town's development) a cast metal fountain came into view, spurting and bubbling into a circular pond whilst off to the right we could see the band rotunda, and, to the left, our first glimpse of the Mary River in this part of town.We spent the next half an hour or so wandering back north through the open grounds
until we came to its northern boundary at Lennox Street where a tranquil pond provided a home for ducks and water lilies.
Bitumen paths, clearly the subject of some serious water cracking judging by all the daubed repair lines, took us on towards our starting point, but not before my roving companion decided it was time for a quick blow on this odd looking path side seat.
The 'cliffs of Anzac Cove' again came into view as we neared Sussex Street
and yet again I was delighted by another magnificent display of more of the town jacarandas as our planned walk for today came to an end.
We drove back to our camp now more than satisfied with our decision to tarry a while in Maryborough, a town we were quickly learning has much to offer travellers such as we.
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