From the Lithgow Mercury on October 12 1953; In 1953, the women residents of Park Avenue in the Blue Mountains village of Blackheath decided their street needed a little beautification. Let’s face it, the very word ‘avenue’ suggests a tree lined promenade. Perhaps they also felt a
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EARLY DAYS AT THE BOWER It was mid August when I first spotted a satin bowerbird’s boudoir in Memorial Park, Blackheath. I was very impressed by the location. It was secluded and private, but just a short flight to the village shops and cafes. The bower itself
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JUST LET ME BE! Honestly, the resident pied cormorant at Blackheath duck pond is the crabbiest looking creature imaginable. There is really no cause to be miserable in such delightful surroundings, especially in spring when the cherry blossom is out. I have no idea if this
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THE SWEET SILVEREYES It’s hard to believe that many of these tiny birds migrate annually from Tasmania to as far north as southern Queensland. What an epic journey for them. Back in the mid 19thC a wild storm swept a flock to New Zealand, where they
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WARNING…..INCLUDES CONFRONTING SPIDER PICTURE! It wasn’t until my friend Dianne told me about her battle to get rid of ivy in her new garden that I realized my own ivy problem had become super-serious. Stupidly, I had deliberately spread the variegated variety around. I’d considered it more
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The bush was grey A week today Olive green and brown and grey; But now the spring has come this way, With blossoms for the wattle. By Veronica Mason. One of my favourite trees is Acacia pravissima, also known as The Oven’s wattle. It can withstand the
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A few days of rain and mist followed by two warm, sunny days and voila……it’s SPRING! Impossible to stay inside. Let’s pop up to Blackheath village. Mr and Mrs Wood Duck were taking a stroll as well. Soon they will be looking for a tree hollow to
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SPRING, WHEN A BOWERBIRD’S FANCY TURNS TO …. Well, spring is well and truly here now. I have watched the blossom come out above Mr Bowerbird’s home in Memorial Park at Blackheath. I don’t know what sort it is; some sort of prunus. With a bit of
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THE VICTORY….HEART OF ‘OLD’ BLACKHEATH The Victory Theatre opened in 1921 as The Arcadia. Locals even enjoyed an early form of 3D. It is now a vast antiques centre. The bear (Editor Des) is not for sale, though sometimes I am sorely tempted
Read more →My garden in the chilly Blue Mountains has acid soil, which is why I grow azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas…..and daphnes. At last count I had nine…..sorry, ten. What could be better than a shrub that flowers in mid winter and has one of the most heavenly
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