SUNNY DAYS - BRISBANE IN MARCH

Although we are nearly at the end of March the weather has been very warm.

Most days have been close to 30 degrees which promises a nice Easter break ahead.

 

Tony has a new wide-angle lens for his camera bought in anticipation of fantastic photo opportunities on our holiday.

But first he needed a trial run to see how he will be able to use it so we decided a few cityscapes were in order.

 

The pedestrian mall was bright and cheerful after a month of rain in February

 

 

and Brisbane is looking more like a sub-tropical city now we have had some rain

 

with colourful plants brightening up the gardens.

We walked down to this lovely square.

 

 

This is ANZAC Square- a small oasis of green right in the heart of the city set aside as a War Memorial.

At lunchtime during the week it is crowded with workers eating their lunches .

 

This statue stands guard at the entrance to the garden with the path behind it leading to the Cenotaph and the eternal flame.

 

The soldier is  Major General Sir William Glascow, a Queenslander born in Tiaro just north of Brisbane.

I didn't know anything about him so I did a little research and this is what I found:

 

 

"In March 1916 when the 4th and 5th Divisions were formed, Glasgow was promoted temporary brigadier and given the task of raising and commanding the 13th Infantry Brigade. He led his men in many important actions including those at Pozières, Messines, Passchendaele, Mouquet Farm and Dernancourt. He was appointed C.M.G. in June 1916 and C.B. in December 1917.

On 25 April 1918 the 13th Brigade, together with Harold Elliott's 15th Brigade, recaptured the town of Villers-Bretonneux after the Germans had overrun the 8th British Division under General Heneker.
 It was a feat subsequently described by Lieutenant-General Sir John Monash as the turning-point of the war.
Before the counter-attack Glasgow, having reconnoitred the position, demurred at British orders to attack across the enemy's front. 'Tell us what you want us to do Sir', he said to Heneker, 'but you must let us do it our own way'. He refused to attack at 8 p.m.: 'If it was God Almighty who gave the order, we couldn't do it in day-light'. They attacked successfully at 10 p.m.

He was appointed K.C.B. in recognition of his outstanding war service and was nine times mentioned in dispatches; the French government awarded him the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre; he also won a Belgian Croix de Guerre.

For twenty years he led the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane as general officer commanding the parade."

So there he stands and I'm sure that very few know anything about this fine soldier but I'm glad he has been recognised and honoured in this way.

 

Have you noticed the trees in this park?

Aren't they unusual?

 

They're  Queensland Bottle Trees

 

The bottle tree has one of the most visually interesting shapes. It's botanically known as Brachychiton rupestris, and is also commonly known as the Queensland bottle tree.

 

The common name derives from the tree's shape, which becomes bottle like as it ages at between five and eight years of age. Some people believe the tree is hollow but the swelling is due to the water held in its trunk. The bottle tree is semi-deciduous and reaches 18 to 20 metres.

 

 It is an icon of the Outback and can also withstand temperatures of -8 degrees up to +50 degrees celsius.

 

 

It is so nice to see them featured here.

 

 

The path leads from the statue to the Shrine of Remembrance which is on a higher level

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It is the centre of all ANZAC Day ceremonies.

 

(*  images from the Internet)

 

 

From there we walked down towards the river past more lovely trees.

 

 

I love the way they have been left in their own traffic island amongst all the new skyscrapers.

They are Curtain Figs .

 

The wide angled lens was getting plenty of work and providing some interesting shots.

 

By now we were at the river.

 

Look at the colour of it!!

 

No lovely clear water for us.

The river is normally brown and murky but after all the rain and releases from the dam it is flowing very strongly and it is very very muddy!

These riverside bars and eateries have been cleaned up once again after recently being flooded and are back open for business.

 

 



 

 

You certainly have to be resilient to keep going in these businesses but luckily they are very well patronised in their lovely position in the heart of our river city.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers.