Destination's Journey

Category: Military Memorial

  • Legerwood Memorial Trees

    Legerwood Memorial Trees

    Legerwood Memorial Trees

    Created to honour fallen soldiers in World War One, the Legerwood Memorial Trees are a brilliant way to ensure their legacy remains remembered.

    Following the end of World War One, many towns and cities in Australia chose to honour their fallen soldiers by planting trees to form avenues of remembrance. Planted during elaborate ceremonies, the families of dead soldiers placed trees as a permanent reminder of the sacrifice of their loved ones.

    However, with time, the trees aged and became a hazard to people passing by. The thought of removing them and losing a link to the past was too much for the local community, so they came up with a unique solution. They engaged chainsaw artist Eddie Freeman to transform the trees into permanent memorials. Using historical photos of the soldiers, he sculpted the trees into wonderful artworks.

    Not only do the sculptures show soldiers, but also depicts them in their civilian jobs, or with wives and fiancés. There are nine trees, in the park. They represent the seven men from the town killed in the conflict, one to remember the ANZACS and one to remember the sacrifice made at Gallipoli.

    There is a plaque giving the history of the men at the base of each tree.

    Getting There

    Located just over an hour from Launceston along the Tasman Highway, Legerwood is easy to get to. Marked, appropriately by a sculpture, the turn-off is hard to miss. On street parking is available in the park, which also has toilet facilities and a barbeque area.

    This way to Legerwood
    This way to Legerwood

    The Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees

    We spent a lot of time walking around the memorials, reading the histories of the soldiers. The sculptures are great and it was wonderful that the artist used photos of the men to create each piece of art, because each one looks individual.

    • Legerwood Memorial Trees
      Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees
    • A soldier on the Beach at Gallipoli Carrying an Ammunition Box and Billy Can Legerwood Memorial Trees
      A soldier on the Beach at Gallipoli Carrying an Ammunition Box and Billy Can
    • A Bugler at Lone Pine Legerwood Memorial Trees
      A Bugler at Lone Pine
    • Private John Henry McDougall
      Private John Henry McDougall
    • Private Robert James Jenkins Legerwood Memorial Trees
      The Memorial to Private Robert James Jenkins
    • Private Robert James Jenkins
      Private Robert James Jenkins
    • Private Thomas Edward Edwards, Goodbye With His Wife
      Private Thomas Edward Edwards, Goodbye With His Wife
    • Private Thomas Edward Edwards
      Part of the Private Thomas Edward Edwards Memorial
    • Private William Henry Hyde
      Private William Henry Hyde

    What Did We Think?

    This was a great stop and a wonderful way to remember those who fought and died in the First World War. We loved walking around reading the men’s histories and admiring the sculptures.

    To read other posts about Tasmania, click here.

    Our photos are available for purchase on

  • Nyngan and the Big Bogan

    Nyngan and the Big Bogan

    Nyngan

    Located in the Orana Region of central New South Wales, Nyngan is the home of the Big Bogan, a helicopter memorial and several interesting museums. This was our second stop on a road trip out west and our first overnight stop.

    Like many outback towns. there is a nice sign welcoming you to town, along with a rest stop. Here, you will find a “small” Big Bogan, but don’t be put off by its size, because the real one is in the town centre.

    Driving around town we noticed some street art, as well as some nice buildings, especially the town hall.

    • Welcome To Nyngan
      Welcome To Nyngan
    • Old Level Crossing Gates at the Heritage Garden
      Old Level Crossing Gates at the Heritage Garden
    • Centenary Fountain
      Centenary Fountain
    • Nyngan Town Hall
      Nyngan Town Hall
    • Street Art at the Museum Car Park
      Street Art at the Museum Car Park
    • Street Art at the Museum Car Park
      Street Art at the Museum Car Park
    • Nyngan Main Street at Night
      Nyngan Main Street at Night

    Nyngan Museum

    Our first stop was at the Railway Station which is now the town museum and also acts as a tourist information centre. Passenger trains no longer stop here, although the line is still used for freight, so the platform is blocked off to stop people wandering onto the tracks.

    The museum’s displays cover all of Nyngan’s history, from pre-colonial to recent, including World War One and railway heritage.

    • Nyngan Museum
      View of the Nyngan Museum From the Rail Overpass
    • Nyngan Museum Railway Platform
      Nyngan Museum Railway Platform
    • Old Waiting Room at the Railway Station
      Old Waiting Room at the Railway Station
    • Old Switch Board
      Old Switch Board
    • World War One Honour Roll
      Kitchen Display
    • World War One Honour Roll
      Old Kitchen Display
    • World War One Honour Roll
      World War One Honour Roll
    • Wilcox and Gibbs 1871 Sewing Machine
      Wilcox and Gibbs 1871 Sewing Machine

    Shearing Shed

    Located across the rail line from the museum, the Shearing Shed captures the history of the wool industry that once dominated Australia. The original pulleys that powered the shears are still in place, making a great and authentic backdrop to the museum. Covering the walls are photos of past shearers, competition winners and champion sheep. We found this all very interesting, even more so when the volunteer working there turned out to be an old shearer. He told us all about life as a shearer and what the items on display were used for.

    • Railway Overpass Connecting to the Museum
      Railway Overpass Connecting to the Museum
    • Entrance to the Shearing Shed
      Entrance to the Shearing Shed

    The Displays

    • The Old Kitchen
      The Old Kitchen
    • Old Shearing Machinery
      Old Shearing Machinery
    • Photos of the Shearing Industry
      Photos of the Shearing Industry
    • Inside the Shed
      Inside the Shed

    Shearing

    A photo on the wall shows how the shed used to look when operating. Many others showed champion sheep like Gothic and Dudley from Mullengudgery Stud.

    • How the Shearing Shed Used to Look
      How the Shearing Shed Used to Look
    • Champion Sheep Gothic From Mullengudgery Stud
      Champion Sheep Gothic From Mullengudgery Stud
    • Champion Sheep Dudley From Mullengudgery Stud
      Champion Sheep Dudley From Mullengudgery Stud

    Helicopter Flood Memorial

    A stunning sight in the middle of town is a helicopter displayed on a pole Not something you expect to see on the main street, but relevant to Nyngan, because of the role they played during a flood.

    In April 1990, unusually heavy rains caused major flooding in the town, despite a massive effort by local people to raise the levee walls using sandbags. With the town almost completely flooded, all the residents had to be evacuated by helicopter from the railway station, the highest point of the town, which was not flooded. Air Force helicopters, TV news helicopters and private helicopters all co-operated in the airlift.

    Bell UH-1 Iroquois Helicopter Nyngan
    Bell UH-1 Iroquois Helicopter

    Nyngan Coach House

    Sitting next to the Big Bogan, the Coach House is hard to miss. A large car park makes access easy, so you don’t have to park on the street. The two coaches on display are under cover but behind wire mesh. This doesn’t restrict viewing, because the mesh is wide spaced and allows the carriages to be seen from three sides.

    Make sure you plan to see them before 5:00PM, because the roller doors are shut and locked to protect the displays overnight.

    • Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
      Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
    • Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
      Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
    • Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
      Rear of the Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
    • Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
      Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
    • Wagon at the Nyngan Coach House
      Wagon at the Nyngan Coach House

    The Big Bogan

    Adjacent to the Coach House, the Big Bogan is another “Big” thing we came across during this trip. Another one to cross of the list if you’re into seeing them all. For those who don’t know, a bogan is a derogatory word for an uncouth, unsophisticated person (like the American ‘trailer trash’).

    The local shire council (The Bogan Shire) has made the most of having their name used this way and used it to attract tourists with the Big Bogan.

    The Big Bogan Nyngan
    The Big Bogan

    Early Settler Memorial

    On the edge of town, a memorial pays tribute to the early European settlers in the area, who established the agricultural industry. It features a grazier, with his sheep dog and a flock of sheep.

    • Early Settler Memorial Nyngan
      Early Settler Memorial
    • Early Settler Memorial Nyngan
      Early Settler Memorial

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

    Our photos are available for purchase on

  • Ballast Point Park Sydney Harbour

    Ballast Point Park Sydney Harbour

    Ballast Point Park

    Getting There

    Located near Balmain Ferry Wharf, the easiest way to get to Ballast Point Park, is ferry. When you arrive, check out the old ferry wharf building, which is now a community library. Originally a fuel storage area, Ballast Point is now a beautifully rehabilitated public space on Sydney Harbour. Intended for sale to developers but saved by a community action group, which resulted in its current use as a public park.

    Balmain Ferry Wharf
    Balmain Ferry Wharf

    Mort’s Dock

    Walking from the ferry to the park, we walked past a memorial to one of Sydney’s ship building docks. Now filled in, Mort’s Dock was the first dry dock in Australia, operating from 1855 until its closure in 1959. Between 1940 and 1945, Mort’s Dock constructed fourteen of the sixty Bathurst-class corvettes built in Australia during the war, as well as four of the twelve River-class frigates. The memorial commemorates their construction and service in the Royal Australian Navy.

    • Mort's Dock
      Mort’s Dock
    • Mort's Dock Plaque
      Mort’s Dock Plaque
    • View of Mort Bay
      View of Mort Bay
    • Sandstone Wall on Mort Bay
      Sandstone Wall on Mort Bay

    Ballast Point Park

    Deriving its name from colonial times, when ships returning to England empty would source ballast here, Ballast Point Park is now a beautiful park overlooking Sydney Harbour. Previous owned by Texaco, it was planned to develop the area for housing, but a local action group convinced the State Government to retain it for public use.

    The site required decontamination because of its industrial past. Retaining walls in the park re-used rubble from the demolished buildings. Several old fuel tanks remain, as a reminder of the area’s past use, along with information boards describing the fuel depot. Scattered throughout the park, shade structures, provide great places to sit and relax, while admiring the views over the harbour.

    We enjoyed walking around here, especially the old tanks and the conversion of tank 101 into a huge piece of artwork.

    • View of Sydney Harbour From Ballast Point
      View of Sydney Harbour From Ballast Point
    • Ballast Point Park Tank 101 which symbolises the site's working harbour history
      Tank 101 which symbolises the site’s working harbour history
    • How Ballast Point Looked as an Industrial Site
      How Ballast Point Looked as an Industrial Site
    • Ballast Point Park Remaining Fuel Tanks
      Remaining Fuel Tanks