Walk 37 - Kokoda Memorial Track Walkway

While on the  Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway we wondered who was responsible for this splendid memorial, who designed it, how were those wonderful granite walls achieved.   The following random facts  are now quoted below from sources on the Internet to save you looking them up later.   

We had a leisurely walk following the 800 meters along the Memorial track itself but continued further on the Walkway going past the hospitals located at Concord West.  We found the horse paddocks, the old gardens of Yaralla Estate, the house which is now being renovated.   Please click on this link which is fascinating and very interesting and will answer some of the queries  raised as we wandered around yesterday:

http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/yaralla_estate

then the Memeorial Walkway itself:

"Features of the Memorial Walkway

Designed by DM Taylor Landscape Architects Pty Ltd, the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway has the following features:

Memorial Centrepiece

A striking series of granite walls on which images from the New Guinea Campaign have been sandblasted. Water also forms an integral part of the Centrepiece, with it cascading alongside the granite walls.

Rainforest Area

Includes a watercourse leading into a pond overlooking the Parramatta River.

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a unique tribute to the bravery of Australian troops who fought through atrocious conditions and against vastly superior enemy numbers in the Papua-New Guinea campaign of July 1942-January 1943. With US support the Australians inflicted on the Japanese Imperial Army its first defeat. The fighting on The Kokoda Track was one of the vital elements which saved Australia from invasion in World War II. The Papua campaign, including The Kokoda Track, Milne Bay, Buna, Gona and Sanananda resulted in total Australian and United States casualties of 8546. Casualties from malaria were more than 27,000 and from tropical diseases at least 37,000. More than 2000 Australians and 600 Americans were killed. During the four months of fighting in the Owen Stanley Ranges the Australian infantry lost 607 killed and 1015 wounded. The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway covers more than 800 metres from Rhodes Station to Concord Hospital in Sydney's inner-west, and runs along the mangrove-studded shores of Brays Bay on the Parramatta River. At the centrepiece are magnificent granite walls bearing photographic images of the campaign; there are 22 stations or plaques along the walkway, each describing a significant place or engagement; the walkway has been planted with lush tropical vegetation simulating the conditions of The Kokoda Track. On this site you will see and hear descriptions of the campaign, with photographs, interviews and maps; there are links to Oral Histories andWar Memorial sites; there is an Educational Resource section, aCalendar of annual events taking place at the Walkway, and a link to theFriends of Kokoda. We hope you will enjoy this site and gain an appreciation of the sacrifices and achievements of the young Australians who gave so much in defence of their nation."

Walk 36 Balmoral Middle Head Chowder Bay

Balmoral WalkThere would be agreement I think that this was one of the best walks ever.   We were blest by beautiful  sunny weather under blue skies as we walked close to blue water.   We enjoyed Balmoral, Chowder Bay,  Middle Head in Sydney Harbour National Park with views over to the Eastern suburbs and  views over the ocean framed by South and North Heads, bush,  military heritage  by way  of the  tunnels, fortifications, gun emplacements, 'tiger cage".  We were lucky enough to come across a dedicated Harbour Trust volunteer labouring in the sun removing debris from one of the 'disappearing gun'  sites dated 1890. He pointed to a mound nearby of another site to be excavated.  That one he told us was newer , 1942.  We walked through Headland Park now given over to offices for some lucky workers.  Exceptional views everywhere.

Thank you Linzi for the plan, for all that information and for guiding us on such a worthwhile walk.  Thank you too for  Burnt Orange for coffee :

 

"A boutique cafe and retail operation located in the historic golf clubhouse on Middle Head Peninsula. Burnt Orange is the creation of an Irish company called Avoca that is widely recognised as one of Europe’s most stylish retailers and purveyors of fine foods."

This cafe is definitely worth a re-visit for a good browse around and with a Visa card handy.   It is also the place for delicious chocolate Brownies as we were to discover.   We all shared one and then simply had to order another cut up into six pieces!  

The following is a nice little summary I found:

"This walk is richly endowed with historical references and examples of Mosman’s military heritage, It is also easy, flat and has some fine views. Until the early 1990s much of the land was out of bounds to the general public. When it was finally deemed surplus to defence requirements the site was very nearly subdivided and sold off. After some vigorous lobbying by the community and some help from local politicians, there was a rethink. An organisation called the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust was set up to redevelop and manage the entire site, on the basis that the public would have full access and the heritage value of all buildings was to be preserved. The walk features a cairn made from stones from every county in Scotland, Mosman’s only formal grave, heritage military buildings now used for various commercial purposes including artist studios, outdoor sculptures, a fine example of a grand residence in the Californian Bungalow style, formerly a golf clubhouse and now a café restaurant with retail, artillery emplacements, ordnance tunnels, an award-winning toilet, a naval hospital and underwater training school and two nudist beaches"

Now, why did we not see that award winning toilet Linzi?!!

Walkers: Linzi, Jane, Wendy, Moira, Donna, Carolle

Walk 35 Castlecrag Walk

_New_South_Wales on Edinburgh road

   The Castlecrag Architectural Walk:   It was a lovely day for ambling around the suburb  though the curvy roads and linking lanes which  confused us a bit.  We were aided by Donna's trusty App so one way and another we managed to tour the suburb not only viewing Walter Burlley Griffin's houses but also those of several other notable architects.   I failed to find the only house I knew - an Alex Popov house.  Now my reading research reveals that had we entered that little park we would have seen the side, front as well as back of a most interesting house.   Next time! 

Coffee at that nice cafe on Edinburgh Road which we have visited once before.

There is a lot of information about the suburb and architecture on the Net, a lot too about the Griffins.   I picked the Wiki. link below which covers the history of the area nicely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlecrag,

Walkers : Pippa, Donna, Kate, Carolle

Walk 34 - Fagan Park

Fagan Park - 19th March 2013 

Fagan Park covers an area of abour 55 hectares comprising bushland, the Gardens of Many Nations taking up about 10 hectares, together with Netherby Cottage which was the original Fagan homestead, rural museums, old corrugated sheds sunken into the ground, an eco garden, a large children's playground, vast grassed areas, the original water pump,   The Park was donated to the Crown by the Fagan family and opened in 1988.  We were impressed by the well maintained gardens, walk paths and tracks,  old buildings, neat hedges,  beautifully landscaped vistas all managed by Hornsby Council which obviously does an outstanding job. 

The Friends of Fagan Park clearly give diligent worthwhile  time to work on the premises to support the Council. We were lucky enough to witness two smithys welding  red hot iron into required artefacts for the historic Netherby Cottage while we  won't forget the joy of a 'Friend' who was delightedly planting a donation of original old roses.    

Coffee at Rosie's Cafe nearby, and scones.

Walkers:  Kate, Marie-Claire, Moira, Pippa, Donna, Carolle

 

Walk 33 Annandale Walk

The Quilting shop

Last week -Exploring Annandale

Thank you Kate for leading us around Annandale and providing so much information.   There was much to see and enjoy, beginning with the Abbey followed by the Witches houses, the Beale Piano factory,  the Hunter Baillie Memorial  Church with it's soaring  tower, Oybin a grand old house from around 1880.  Johnson Street is one of the widest streets in Sydney which  at the time of  planning  was intended to  be the finest street in the colony, the Quiltsmith  Shop lodged in a tree lined residential street,  the delightful Toucan shop with all manner of handmade wares from Latin America.  Many of the houses in Annandale are original as there has not been large scale redevelopment as seen in so many suburbs.  There was so much more to see but time ran out unfortunately. 

 

Coffee at "Me too Please"with Ben and Lisa with  interesting wares from around the world in their delightful shop.

Wendy kindly  presented a Pedometer to the group as a little farewell (for the moment) to measure accurately distances walked -   Future stats are in the pipeline!!  Thank you so much dear Wendy  -  Moira is currently studying its use…….and the mechanics of the device.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annandale,_New_South_Wales -  This wiki site covers Annandale comprehensively  providing  the names of architects, aldermen, early pioneers of the suburb and facts about many of the  buildings and houses.  We didn't get to see many of them but I appreciated so much managed in the time available.

Walkers: Jane, Moira, Wendy, Kate,  Donna, Pippa, Marie-Claire, Carolle