Enoggera Reservoir /Barnes Dedication

— A Well-Deserved Commemoration —

Saturday 15th January was the occasion of a special dedication ceremony here in The Gap. It not only commemorated the man himself but also his devotion to duty.

The occasion was the unveiling of a plaque at what had been the residence of the Caretaker of Enoggera Reservoir to commemorate the life and contribution of James Barnes – Caretaker and Officer in Charge of the reservoir from 1919 to 1950 – a span of 31 years. During that time, he and his wife, Bridget, raised a family of 8 children.

In his role, James was not only responsible for the operation of the reservoir itself but also for maintaining the pipeline carrying the water into the city. It was a 24/7 job – he could be called out at any hour, in all weather conditions, to check on breaks, leaks etc in the pipeline. This often meant walking for miles to find the problem. He spent many hours travelling first by horse and sulky and later by motor car (from about 1925) delivering water samples from the reservoir to the City Hall for quality testing.

Marking the commemoration, the family was well represented by grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. The ceremony

Descendants of James Barnes on the steps of the Caretaker's Cottage - now a Heritage Listed property

James and Bridget Barnes 22 December 1950

was organised by Bruce Barker - CEO of Trek2Health (which now occupies the house) with help from granddaughters, Desleigh and Julie, and grandson Neville, also playing his part. The family expressed their heartfelt thanks to Bruce, without whose efforts this event would not have come to fruition so quickly.

Official guests included Jonty Bush – State Member for Cooper and Steven Toomey – Councillor for The Gap Ward. Jonty Bush and Steven Toomey jointly provided the plaque, Rockworx kindly donated the granite rock on which the plaque is mounted, and Parks and Wildlife assisted in locating the memorial on site. Heritage Queensland kindly permitted the hanging of various photos inside the dwelling.

In their various speeches, family members drew attention largely to recollections of family life in the home and mentioned that several descendants had not moved far from The Gap once they left home. They recalled well-known Gap families including the Fursmans, Twists, Curtis’s, Proctors, Poulters, and several others including Richard Speechley.

The culmination of the ceremony was the unveiling of the plaque, conducted jointly by Jonty Bush and Steven Toomey, with James’

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grandchildren in close attendance.

Morning Tea followed the commemoration.

Truly, a family of which The Gap should be very proud.

Slowing down and gaining weight - is your dog just getting old or is this treatable?

I must confess that this is a cautionary tale, inspired by my complacency as a dog owner.

The family dog, an adorable and dopey Irish Setter, had become more sedate in her demeanour, and less rambunctious in her daily pursuit of a dropped crumb. The kids weren't knocked over quite so often, the barking at passing scrub turkeys had subsided, and the rumbling of paws on the wooden floor didn't end with a thud or crash quite so often.

As time went on, the rumbling was replaced with a steady plodding that ended with a weary head placed in lap. My initial feeling was relief - after eight years, mental maturity had been reached and the days of "turkey tantrums" were over. My wife, however, insisted something was wrong. She refused to believe that ageing could be such a powerful calming force, despite my protestations and assurances that this was a very natural part of the process.

When our dog's weight started to balloon despite a very regular diet, I had to admit that something may be amiss. A blood test was all it took to diagnose hypothyroidism, and within days of treatment the crumb-seeking, kid-knocking dog we all knew and loved was back.

Many dogs diagnosed with hypothyroidism have a similar history.

As the disease results in slow metabolism, the effects are wide-ranging. You may notice weight gain - despite your best efforts to stop this. They may lose hair and have a dull coat, even without a change in their diet or washing regime. They may have a variety of ear, eye and skin issues that were not present before.

Fortunately, the disease is comparatively straightforward to diagnose and treat when compared with other endocrine disorders. A blood test for screening, a blood test for diagnosis and daily tablets for treatment. There is no cure, but management improves their quality of life significantly.

If this story resonated with you even a little, listen to your gut (or your partner) and discuss your (their) concerns with your vet. You too could have "turkey tantrums" make a triumphant and embarrassing return on your morning walk.

Regards, Scott, Rob, Luken and the team Services we offer :-

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