Ashgrove Historical Society
The Ashgrove Historical Society monthly speaker program is currently in recess due to the Covid-19 restrictions at Ashgrove Library. For information about Ashgrove’s history or the Society and its publications, please visit our website or contact the secretary, Julie, at email: ahs. secretary@bigpond.com or ph: 3366 4621.
The Three Mile Scrub Part 1 The Three Mile Scrub was 80-100 hectares of rainforest unique and specific to Brisbane on Enoggera Creek from Kelvin Grove to Newmarket. It was considered one of the most beautiful areas of lowland vine forest and wet scheropyll in Brisbane. The forest had towering hoop pine, mahogany, ironbark, cedar and fig trees plus many plants including vines, creepers, orchids, passionflower and black bean. The diverse environment provided a cool haven with the creek and dense canopy and offered indigenous people an ideal habitat to source plant medicines as well as hunt, fish and gather food. It was a site for harvesting, fermenting and processing black-bean paste and macrozamia (cycad) kernels. By the late 19th and early 20th century, it had become popular with the European
settlers for family picnics, overnight camping and other recreational activities. The forest was close to the city and had the advantage of being easily accessible by train, bicycle and later, by tram. The rainforest provided the name for Three Mile Scrub Road, the stretch now known as Ashgrove Avenue, which connects Waterworks Rd, Ashgrove to Enoggera Rd, Newmarket. Three Mile Scrub Road was renamed Serpentine Road in the late 1880s, until the original name was restored in 1904. The road was given its current name – Ashgrove Avenue – about 1925. The Three Mile Scrub was also of particular interest to Frederick Manson (F.M.) Bailey, the second government botanist. From 1881 until his death in 1915, he, and a team of volunteer collectors, conducted scientific exploration of Brisbane and SE Queensland. During this time, F.M. and his team recorded 190 species in the Three Mile Scrub including fungi and mosses which are now housed in the Queensland Herbarium at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Find out what happened to this immensely beautiful area next month. Meanwhile, enjoy the images described in this poem written by ‘Frederick’ in 1851 and published in the Moreton Bay Courier that year.
THE THREE-MILE SCRUB
Frederick, Brisbane, Feb. 18,1851. Moreton Bay Courier, 22 February 1851, p4 I know a dell, where weeds grow rank The noisy strife of babbling men Breaks not the quiet of this glen; Along a streamlet’s shaded bank; Here-far from man’s discordant prate, A lonely, wild, sequestered glen, The wild dove cooeys to his mate. Far from the dinning noise of men. The trees above their branches twine, To this lone spot I oft repair, When torn with town’s distracting care, And tendrils of uncultured vine Clasp the rough bark, in that rude spot, And in its solitude profound, I tread at once on holy ground. With grace which art surpasseth not, In close companionship are seen And dearer far that spot to me The varied shades of nature’s green, Than crowd or gay festivity;And dwarfish shrubs and giant trees With nature holding converse sweet, Together woo the fresh’ning breeze. I love this shady, calm retreat. So dense their foliage, scarce a ray Of summer’s sun can downward stray; Oh! long to me this love be given, Communion high with nature’s heaven! And, while the other world is bright, Here dwells the sombre shade of night. Love of the solemn, calm, and free, Soft notes of spirit melody!
A New Dawn at Ithaca Probus Club September saw a new beginning on two fronts for Ithaca Probus Club. Under very careful safety precautions the club held its first general meeting for the 2020/21 Probus year. It was also the first meeting in our new venue at the Red Hill Community Sports Club in Fulcher Road, Red Hill. It was almost a home-coming since the club began life twenty years ago just across the park at the Broncos Club. Over 80 percent of Club members turned out to resume old friendships, enthusiastically participating in an impromptu round of short personal presentations. Earlier in the month our first full day outing since the long break – the postponed bus trip to Ipswich, was fully booked and a great day out was enjoyed by all who were able to go. Club activities are nearly back to normal, with the cards group and the poetry group, each holding meetings in members’ homes. . Our monthly newsletters have been keeping members connected and are again carrying the usual round of club news. New members are always most welcome. If you would like to give us a try, please phone either of our Club Membership Officers Sue Vivian on 0413 544 202 or Janelle Rhodes on 0412 628 646. For more information about our club please see our web site: www.probussouthpacific.org/microsites/ithaca
Need a lift somewhere? If you need help to get out because of your age, ill-health or a disability, we can help. We provide low cost door-to-door transport for people to get to appointments and activities. The service is available to people who live in the inner north western suburbs of Brisbane. Contact us today The Western Echo October 2020 Page 18
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communify.org.au website: http://www.westernecho.com.au
