9 July 2010

NCA trumps Arboretum with Giant Rock Garden

| johnboy
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Rock Garden

The National Capital Authority has unveiled astonishing plans and detailed design drawings for a giant celebration of Australia’s rocks to be known as the Australian Geological Heritage Gardens on the best dog walking country in the world on the northern shore of Yarramundi Reach:

An agreement has been reached with the Geological Society of Australia for an Australian Geological Heritage Garden to be established adjacent to the Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum, sharing infrastructure such as roads and amenities and providing a complementary tourist and educational destination.

The gardens will display the richness and diversity of Australian geology with substantial iconic rock specimens from each state and territory.

Have a look at the drawings, it’s going to be huge!

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I have an RC rock Crawler, can I drive on the rocks?

Significant rocks?

Tell that to the miners and see how far the 1st Nations get with that arguement.

Don’t get excited folks. The removal of a single boulder in WA led to a massive shenanigans, apology, and restoration at a cost of thousands to the Aboriginal community on whose land the boulder had stood.

No mention so far of consultation with Indigenous Australians about carting significant rocks around.

Won’t happen.

Dogs will love and sniff and piss on the rocks.

Also it will in 4000 years time be known as our own version of Stonehenge.

This has the potential to be unique in the world if designed properly. It could look great from an airplane & be a good 2013 centenary present. I trust the artistic director can win over the bureaucrats and prevail over a shrinking budget. Critics will be under the rocks. The logistics of delivering and placing 20 ton rocks will test the will & budget of the NCA and Minister for Territories.
Think of the vestibule of Parliament House all Australian rock. Think of the serenity of the temples of Kyoto, Japan, with moss covered rocks so carefully placed and surrounded with an ocean of wave rippling pebbles. Consider the mysticism of Stone hedge & Easter Island. Consider the majesty of Uluru and all the unique geological formations in Australia. Think opals and the magical rose quartz lake on the road from Melbourne to Adelaide.
Congratulations on the NCA for considering the concept and good luck bringing it into fruition.

Felix the Cat8:42 pm 09 Jul 10

Fiona said :

It’ll survive the drought.

Damn, you beat me to it!

Should be low/no maintenance as well.

DeadlySchnauzer said :

If this was in commonwealth park… awesome. But seriously who is going to drive out to the middle of nowhere to look at some rocks.

I will.

Pommy bastard5:01 pm 09 Jul 10

It’s not only kids that would want to climb on them, if they use their heads they could create part of it an open air bouldering venue.

that would bring in the visitors, and make it popular. I’d be using it!

Noezis said :

“Middle of nowhere”!!!!….the Arboretum will become one of the main parks in Canberra to visit on a weekend and will probably take the better part of a day to wander through.

Because there will be SO MANY trees to look at!!!

Well, we do have the biggest concentration of geology nerds outside of Perth in this city, what with Geoscience Australia being located here.

It’ll survive the drought.

Gold!

colourful sydney racing identity3:43 pm 09 Jul 10

Helen said :

A park for rocks excites me a lot more than a park for trees.

true dat.

It’ll survive the drought.

I am really excited about this! I may be slightly biased (having done a geology degree) but I would (and have!) go a LOT further than Lake BG to look at “some rocks”. It’s hardly the middle of nowhere!

A park for rocks excites me a lot more than a park for trees.

Thoroughly Smashed2:14 pm 09 Jul 10

jadie360 said :

WTF??

Has my living away from Canberra for over a year altered my view or have you people finally lost it completely? A park for rocks????

Some of us are interested in Australia’s natural history.

troll-sniffer1:48 pm 09 Jul 10

Only the most diminutive of minds can fail to appreciate the inherent beauty of a pink granite, a crystalline limestone, a marble, gneiss, even a fine specimen of Hamersley iron ore has a certain majesty in the right setting.

Sounds like a winner if done right.

@#7 – A park for rocks? Definitely. I take it you’ve never seen the devil’s marbles, the sculptures at Coober Pedy (or was it Aice?), or simply visited the Deakin anticline and gone “Woah! Geology!” Have you travelled along the bight, and seen the limestone clifs? Or gone to the rock and seen the largest single lump of granite anywhere? (to tell the truth, it’s a little anticlimactic).

Hell yeah – rocks. We have animal and vegetable, why not a little mineral?

Woody Mann-Caruso1:01 pm 09 Jul 10

Hope they are happy for kids to climb all over them.

Will they be big kids or little kids, these kids who climb on rocks?
Fat kids, skinny kids, or even kids with chicken pox?

Gungahlin Al12:59 pm 09 Jul 10

*unit d’oh

Gungahlin Al12:59 pm 09 Jul 10

I love art that people can physically engage with. I love art that tells a story that lay people can understand. I love that under-utilised end of the lake. Also happen top be a little keen on geology.

So this is a hit with me.

A single until of geology as part of my science degree really piqued my interest and helped me realise so much about what happens around me in terms of the local environment, ecology, climate and even better understanding how to garden for local conditions.

I think sharing a little bit of that sort of knowledge is an admirable aim.

At the very least it gives families a great places where kids ( and big ones too) can run and climb and have fun.

WTF??

Has my living away from Canberra for over a year altered my view or have you people finally lost it completely? A park for rocks????

National Capital Authority chief executive Gary Rake said the garden would be different to Canberra’s most popular tourist attractions…..
yep, he got that right!

Trunking symbols12:44 pm 09 Jul 10

Gee, you could hold a good rock festival there (groan!).

la mente torbida12:27 pm 09 Jul 10

Paper beats rock!

Hope they are happy for kids to climb all over them.

“Middle of nowhere”!!!!….the Arboretum will become one of the main parks in Canberra to visit on a weekend and will probably take the better part of a day to wander through.

This is an excellent initiative, I’m certainly looking forward to it.

colourful sydney racing identity11:20 am 09 Jul 10

DeadlySchnauzer said :

If this was in commonwealth park… awesome. But seriously who is going to drive out to the middle of nowhere to look at some rocks.

I definately would – it would be a great place to take the kids, or at the very least, taking the kids would be a great excuse for me to go.

DeadlySchnauzer11:14 am 09 Jul 10

If this was in commonwealth park… awesome. But seriously who is going to drive out to the middle of nowhere to look at some rocks.

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