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Last summer’s bushfires cut a swathe of destruction through northern Kosciuszko National Park. The resulting post-blaze landscape looks very different to this time last year. Now devoid of vegetation, rocky knolls, hilltops, and previously hidden heritage features, both Aboriginal and European, are now clearly visible. It’s akin to when Lake Eucumbene fell to record low levels during the Millennium Drought, revealing the river’s ancient course along with relics of the old Adaminaby township which had been submerged for decades. In recent months, as park authorities reopen parts of Kosciuszko closed since the fires, adventurous readers of this column have reported sites unseen for years that are visible once again in the landscape. These include the old Kiandra ski runs and Kiandra gold diggings. However, to date, the most intriguing of these discoveries is a small concrete memorial found amongst a particularly bad burnt patch of bush near the confluence of the Eucumbene River and Alpine Creek. The memorial measures 300mm by 200mm and is complete with a cross. While it was keen fisherman Tristan O’Leary of Ainslie who stumbled upon the out-of-place memorial a couple of months ago, it’s been his mum, Sue O’Leary of Campbell, a self-confessed history snoop (aren’t we all), who has returned to the site on several occasions to try and solve the mystery of its origins. “Before the devastating bushfires raced through the area in January it probably lay hidden in the scrub for many years,” reports Sue. “Unfortunately the plaque positioned above the cross appears to have melted in the fierce heat of the fire, rendering the name or epitaph unreadable. “This is a sad consequence for whoever the memorial commemorates or for whoever’s ashes may lay beneath or were scattered in the area,” says Sue. That’s, of course, if it is a memorial for a person. At first, Sue’s husband Tony thought it may be a memorial or grave for a pet. “He thought he could see the word ‘Sox’ on the plaque,” reports Sue, adding that it would have been a lot of effort and expense for a pet. Unable to dig up any records of the memorial and after much deliberation, Sue believes the most likely scenario is that “it is a memorial for a Snowy Hydro scheme worker memorialising an immigrant worker who was a strong Christian, but not a member of a local congregation”. But she can’t be sure. The memorial even has Adaminaby Store owner Steve Brayshaw baffled. And that’s not easy; Steve knows this part of the park better than anyone. “I’ve put some feelers out amongst the community and its got everyone puzzled,” he says. “It’s not far from a fishing hole, so it could be a memorial for a fisherman,” explains Steve. “But then again I could be totally wrong, who knows, it could even be someone who lost their big toe and buried it there.” Canberra history enthusiast Tony Maple has also weighed in on the monument’s possible origins. “We have been unable to discover what the memorial represents, though it seems most likely to be a person. But who that person was, and when it was put in place and why remains unknown at present,” he says. “It would be great if someone out there had some answers,” says Sue. The mystery memorial isn’t the only item discovered by the O’Learys along the Eucumbene River. “We’ve already taken out two big garbage bags of bottles and cans that were dumped there before the fires,” says Sue. “I’m sure all the broken glass that’s lying around could become a fire hazard – until once again it’s covered with undergrowth.” They’ve also photographed an old steam engine near a former timber mill site. Although any artefacts (unless rubbish, of course) found in a national park cannot be removed by law, it appears that hasn’t stopped someone from fleecing the burnt-out shell of a circa 1950s truck, which, before the fires was hidden by thick undergrowth near the side of the Snowy Mountains Highway near Kiandra. If anyone knows where it has ended up, Steve Brayshaw would love to know; so too would park authorities. Note: Private plaques or memorials are not allowed in Kosciuszko National Park. While it may seem a pretty hard-nosed policy, a park insider argues “if such memorials were permitted can you imagine just how many of them would be dotted across the Main Range”. If the mystery memorial is a dog’s grave, it wouldn’t be the first hidden amongst scrub in the high country. Near the banks of the Goodradigbee River at Brindabella, just to the west of Canberra, is the grave of ‘Buddy’, the long-time four-legged companion of hermit Bob Reid who lived in a secluded hut in the valley after sustaining a head injury in World War I. In his book, Recollections of Growing Up in the Thrilling Thirties (Narrabeen, 2005), Ian MacDonald explains how he arranged the brass plaque for the grave back in 1937. “Bob wore a metal plate bolted to his cranium, as he explained, ‘to keep his few brains from falling out’. He discouraged visitors, but we became friends after I had taken his mail to him a couple of times. “He confessed to me during one of my visits that he had been devastated by the recent death of his best mate, an old dog of indeterminate ancestry. He had been bitten by a black snake and had died in agony despite the old chap’s ministrations. He told me he had applied a tourniquet, cut the flesh around the bite and sucked the poison from the wound. Greater love hath no dog. He built an imposing headstone of concrete and I ordered a brass plaque when I returned to Sydney.” Heck, what a tale. Last week’s exposé on the Hall Cemetery (Pushing Up Daisies at Hall Cemetery) prompted much correspondence on more lively aspects of Canberra’s quaint northern village. Arguably the most further afield missive arrived from former Canberran Garth Parry via his home in the “very remote solar-powered New Caledonian bush”. Love it. “Your mention of Hall brought back fabulous memories of when I lived in Spence and after work I would jog out to the Wood Duck Inn, embarrass the locals by drinking white wine in front of the fire, then get my wife to come and pick me up,” recalls Garth. “Hall is a wonderfully beautiful blend of rural calm and city proximity.” Indeed it is. And of course the Wood Duck Inn is now home to the 1882 Bar & Grill, which is a great spot for a feed after an early evening stroll along the Canberra Centenary Trail to nearby One Tree Hill. Several readers were also quick to point out that Hall isn’t the only rural cemetery to offer a refuge for remnant native species which have suffered loss or extinction in other environments which have been damaged by stock and wildlife. Mowing regimes in some graveyards at Captains Flat and Yass are also scheduled at times to stimulate the flowering and growth of native grasses along with fragile plant species such as herbs, lilies and orchids. Heartening to hear. Just when you though the saga of the concrete block in the un-named park in Suttor Street, Ainslie, had surely come to an end (The Curious Case of the Concrete Block, November 1), comes one final (I promise!) revelation. It turns out that 82-year-old John Webb, now of McKellar, but of Ainslie until 1988, was actually there the very moment the counter-weight for a small crane owned by Paddy Kinane was dumped in the park 70 years ago. “It was a Saturday afternoon in 1950, about 2pm, when Paddy dumped it in the park, reveals John, adding “we cursed him as he dropped it right where we played our games.” Clue: Who’s up for a dance? Degree of difficulty: Easy Last week: Congratulations to Julie Nimmo of Kambah who was first to correctly identify the location of last week’s photo as a ‘ghost sign’ on Pudman Street in Boorowa. Julie, who just beat Pip Chan of Curtin and Mal Campbell of Chisholm to the prize, reports “the original menswear store also incorporated a TAB, and the smell of cigarette smoke permeated through all the new clothes hanging in the store … it was awful. Thankfully the TAB relocated to the hotel on the corner.” For the record, to qualify as a ghost sign it must be more than 50 years old and advertise a product that is now obsolete. The photo was taken by Georgia Curry of Higgins who earlier this year issued a challenge for readers to seek out as many of the hand-painted relics as possible. Georgia rates this find as her best yet. “It probably dates from the early 1900s when Pelaco shirts were first around,” she reports. How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and suburb to [email protected]. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday November 14, 2020, wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema. Inside an old book entitled Gold from the Sea which he’d purchased at a recent Lifeline Bookfair, Michael Hermes of Ainslie found this photo. “Written on the other side of the photo is ‘John 1st Birthday 19/9/63, Watson ACT’,” explains Michael, who’d love to reunite the previous owner of the book with the photo. “Photos are a dime a dozen these days, but from the early 1960s they are precious,” says Michael. According to one book written on the topic (Forgotten Bookmarks by M Popek, Penguin, 2011) people mistakenly leave all sorts of items between the pages, including receipts, draft love letters and even toenail clippings. Geez! CONTACT TIM: Email: [email protected] or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick
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The mystery memorial in Kosciuszko National Park. Picture: Sue O’Leary
Last summer’s bushfires cut a swathe of destruction through northern Kosciuszko National Park. The resulting post-blaze landscape looks very different to this time last year. Now devoid of vegetation, rocky knolls, hilltops, and previously hidden heritage features, both Aboriginal and European, are now clearly visible.
It’s akin to when Lake Eucumbene fell to record low levels during the Millennium Drought, revealing the river’s ancient course along with relics of the old Adaminaby township which had been submerged for decades.
In recent months, as park authorities reopen parts of Kosciuszko closed since the fires, adventurous readers of this column have reported sites unseen for years that are visible once again in the landscape. These include the old Kiandra ski runs and Kiandra gold diggings. However, to date, the most intriguing of these discoveries is a small concrete memorial found amongst a particularly bad burnt patch of bush near the confluence of the Eucumbene River and Alpine Creek. The memorial measures 300mm by 200mm and is complete with a cross.
While it was keen fisherman Tristan O’Leary of Ainslie who stumbled upon the out-of-place memorial a couple of months ago, it’s been his mum, Sue O’Leary of Campbell, a self-confessed history snoop (aren’t we all), who has returned to the site on several occasions to try and solve the mystery of its origins.
“Before the devastating bushfires raced through the area in January it probably lay hidden in the scrub for many years,” reports Sue. “Unfortunately the plaque positioned above the cross appears to have melted in the fierce heat of the fire, rendering the name or epitaph unreadable.
Picture: Sue O’Leary
“This is a sad consequence for whoever the memorial commemorates or for whoever’s ashes may lay beneath or were scattered in the area,” says Sue.
That’s, of course, if it is a memorial for a person.
At first, Sue’s husband Tony thought it may be a memorial or grave for a pet. “He thought he could see the word ‘Sox’ on the plaque,” reports Sue, adding that it would have been a lot of effort and expense for a pet.
Unable to dig up any records of the memorial and after much deliberation, Sue believes the most likely scenario is that “it is a memorial for a Snowy Hydro scheme worker memorialising an immigrant worker who was a strong Christian, but not a member of a local congregation”. But she can’t be sure.
The memorial even has Adaminaby Store owner Steve Brayshaw baffled. And that’s not easy; Steve knows this part of the park better than anyone.
“I’ve put some feelers out amongst the community and its got everyone puzzled,” he says.
“It’s not far from a fishing hole, so it could be a memorial for a fisherman,” explains Steve. “But then again I could be totally wrong, who knows, it could even be someone who lost their big toe and buried it there.”
Canberra history enthusiast Tony Maple has also weighed in on the monument’s possible origins. “We have been unable to discover what the memorial represents, though it seems most likely to be a person. But who that person was, and when it was put in place and why remains unknown at present,” he says.
“It would be great if someone out there had some answers,” says Sue.
The mystery memorial isn’t the only item discovered by the O’Learys along the Eucumbene River. “We’ve already taken out two big garbage bags of bottles and cans that were dumped there before the fires,” says Sue. “I’m sure all the broken glass that’s lying around could become a fire hazard – until once again it’s covered with undergrowth.” They’ve also photographed an old steam engine near a former timber mill site.
An old steam engine near the site of a former timber mill near Adaminaby. Picture: Sue O’Leary
Although any artefacts (unless rubbish, of course) found in a national park cannot be removed by law, it appears that hasn’t stopped someone from fleecing the burnt-out shell of a circa 1950s truck, which, before the fires was hidden by thick undergrowth near the side of the Snowy Mountains Highway near Kiandra. If anyone knows where it has ended up, Steve Brayshaw would love to know; so too would park authorities.
The old truck near Alpine Creek, thought to have been recently pilfered. Picture: Supplied
Note: Private plaques or memorials are not allowed in Kosciuszko National Park. While it may seem a pretty hard-nosed policy, a park insider argues “if such memorials were permitted can you imagine just how many of them would be dotted across the Main Range”.
If the mystery memorial is a dog’s grave, it wouldn’t be the first hidden amongst scrub in the high country. Near the banks of the Goodradigbee River at Brindabella, just to the west of Canberra, is the grave of ‘Buddy’, the long-time four-legged companion of hermit Bob Reid who lived in a secluded hut in the valley after sustaining a head injury in World War I.
David Vincent of Weetangera at the site of Buddy’s grave near Brindabella. Picture: Tim the Yowie Man
In his book, Recollections of Growing Up in the Thrilling Thirties (Narrabeen, 2005), Ian MacDonald explains how he arranged the brass plaque for the grave back in 1937.
“Bob wore a metal plate bolted to his cranium, as he explained, ‘to keep his few brains from falling out’. He discouraged visitors, but we became friends after I had taken his mail to him a couple of times.
“He confessed to me during one of my visits that he had been devastated by the recent death of his best mate, an old dog of indeterminate ancestry. He had been bitten by a black snake and had died in agony despite the old chap’s ministrations. He told me he had applied a tourniquet, cut the flesh around the bite and sucked the poison from the wound. Greater love hath no dog. He built an imposing headstone of concrete and I ordered a brass plaque when I returned to Sydney.”
Hall cemetery more than a dead-end
Arguably the most further afield missive arrived from former Canberran Garth Parry via his home in the “very remote solar-powered New Caledonian bush”. Love it.
“Your mention of Hall brought back fabulous memories of when I lived in Spence and after work I would jog out to the Wood Duck Inn, embarrass the locals by drinking white wine in front of the fire, then get my wife to come and pick me up,” recalls Garth. “Hall is a wonderfully beautiful blend of rural calm and city proximity.” Indeed it is.
And of course the Wood Duck Inn is now home to the 1882 Bar & Grill, which is a great spot for a feed after an early evening stroll along the Canberra Centenary Trail to nearby One Tree Hill.
Several readers were also quick to point out that Hall isn’t the only rural cemetery to offer a refuge for remnant native species which have suffered loss or extinction in other environments which have been damaged by stock and wildlife. Mowing regimes in some graveyards at Captains Flat and Yass are also scheduled at times to stimulate the flowering and growth of native grasses along with fragile plant species such as herbs, lilies and orchids. Heartening to hear.
Just when you though the saga of the concrete block in the un-named park in Suttor Street, Ainslie, had surely come to an end (The Curious Case of the Concrete Block, November 1), comes one final (I promise!) revelation.
It turns out that 82-year-old John Webb, now of McKellar, but of Ainslie until 1988, was actually there the very moment the counter-weight for a small crane owned by Paddy Kinane was dumped in the park 70 years ago.
“It was a Saturday afternoon in 1950, about 2pm, when Paddy dumped it in the park, reveals John, adding “we cursed him as he dropped it right where we played our games.”
Know the location of this tree? Picture: Narelle Gibson
Clue: Who’s up for a dance?
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Last week: Congratulations to Julie Nimmo of Kambah who was first to correctly identify the location of last week’s photo as a ‘ghost sign’ on Pudman Street in Boorowa.
Where in the Region last week. Picture: Georgia Curry
Julie, who just beat Pip Chan of Curtin and Mal Campbell of Chisholm to the prize, reports “the original menswear store also incorporated a TAB, and the smell of cigarette smoke permeated through all the new clothes hanging in the store … it was awful. Thankfully the TAB relocated to the hotel on the corner.”
For the record, to qualify as a ghost sign it must be more than 50 years old and advertise a product that is now obsolete. The photo was taken by Georgia Curry of Higgins who earlier this year issued a challenge for readers to seek out as many of the hand-painted relics as possible. Georgia rates this find as her best yet. “It probably dates from the early 1900s when Pelaco shirts were first around,” she reports.
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and suburb to [email protected]. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday November 14, 2020, wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.
Can you identify this boy?
Inside an old book entitled Gold from the Sea which he’d purchased at a recent Lifeline Bookfair, Michael Hermes of Ainslie found this photo. “Written on the other side of the photo is ‘John 1st Birthday 19/9/63, Watson ACT’,” explains Michael, who’d love to reunite the previous owner of the book with the photo. “Photos are a dime a dozen these days, but from the early 1960s they are precious,” says Michael.
According to one book written on the topic (Forgotten Bookmarks by M Popek, Penguin, 2011) people mistakenly leave all sorts of items between the pages, including receipts, draft love letters and even toenail clippings. Geez!
CONTACT TIM: Email: [email protected]or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick
