A recent conversation with, long-time resident of Blaxland, Davina Curnow, revealed information that it was her father - Adrian Melvin Donaldson - who built the little shelter sheds (that still exist) in the park at Blaxland located alongside the railway line. It would seem that instead of war service Mr Donaldson carried out public works. Over the years the little sheds have served a multitude of locals, and visitors, when picnics were usual Sunday family outings.
The park, unfortunately, has reduced in size because of road widening, and the bridge that spans the railway alienated the triangular portion where Harold Campbell's World War One monument stands.
Pamela Smith
Showing posts with label parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parks. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Architecture - The place of the summerhouse in public parks
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| Richmond Park England |
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| A much more extravagant summerhouse in the grounds of Tring House Herefordshire |
A recent post on this site mentioned how‘summerhouses,’ located in Lomatia Park Springwood, were used by tramps during the latter part of the 1930s. This set me to wondering about the history of these small buildings that graced – but have now all but disappeared - many parks. However, locating the history has been no mean fete and this offering is by no means complete.
One article suggested that the modern jargon describes the ‘Gazebo or Summerhouse as a structure built in the garden for rest and recreation.’[1] The structure is regarded as a place of refuge and has taken on different architectural forms which in the extreme include styles like Renaissance, Baroque, Palladian, Chinese, Gothic, Indian, American and so on.[2] Most were modest in size and relatively cheap to construct however, there were exceptions especially structures that were built in private homes.[3] As such, the summerhouse has a long history because it would seem that they gained popularity in England during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries where they were placed in ‘large parks and private estates.’[4]
Another article confirmed the above and suggested that in the 1920s a firm in England began to manufacture revolving ones in order to catch that elusive English sun.[5] It would seem there is a brisk trade at auctions for anyone interested in acquiring a genuine old summerhouse. Pre-war examples by Barnard, Bishop & Barnard from Norwich and the firm of Henry & Julias Caesar sell for thousands of pounds.[6]
However, the ones that were found in public parks in Australia were usually of the modest kind; built out of weatherboard or a combination of wood, brick or sandstone. Examples, although difficult to access because of road widening, exist in Blaxland, but the concrete fabricated ones in the park at Mount Victoria are more easily reached.
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| Jackson Park Faulconbridge |
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| Concrete structures Mount Victoria Park |
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| Pope's Glen Wentworth Falls |
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| War Memorial Park Woodford |
Pamela Smith
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