31 January 2011

Rond Terrace rumble heats up

| johnboy
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The Canberra Times has a piece on a “group of prominent Canberrans” teaming up to talk to the Canberra Times about their objection to proposed large memorials to the 20th century’s world wars on Rond Terrace.

On the one hand I object to the notion that history is complete and now we’re just arranging memorial furniture. Empty commemorative spaces for future conflicts can, in their way, speak more eloquently than other memorials.

On the other hand any group bonging on about “Walter Burley Griffins’ vision” are either historically ignorant, or fraudulent charlatans. (To say nothing of the self-congratulatory nature of “Prominent Canberrans”)

So it’s hard to decide which side to stand with on this one.

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from the photo I’ve seen the so called monuments look like 2 city office buildings.

The cat did it11:10 pm 19 Feb 11

Mr Evil- what’s Peter Stanley done that warrants your displeasure?

If Peter Stanley is against it, then I’m all for it.

Not much point objecting to the monuments wrecking the view when Anzac Parade itself is in a disgraceful state. The hebe beds are either empty or have tall weeds growing out of them. Strangely, those shrubs are long-lived – yet they’ve been replaced at least twice in the last ten years.

I’m more concerned about the traffic lights about to go up in the middle of the parade, than the monuments at the bottom (they will never happen, so don’t waste your energy protesting). Lights will wreck that vista. Interestingly, the NCA kyboshed the lights at the top of Anzac Parade about five years ago, but this time around the ACT Govt appears to have snuck them in.

We should have a national levy to pay for it!!!

When you’re talking about $21m for a few slabs of granite beside a sludgy pond I’d say the argument is pretty cut-and-dried. I’m certainly not against memorials per-se, but this seems like a collossal WOFTAM.

amaroovian said :

Isn’t that the point of that little building at the end of Anzac Parade called the Australian War Memorial? Does anyone really think that if one of these “prominent Canberrans” visited the AWM they would somehow manage to miss the WW1 and WW2 galleries and emerge only with knowledge of the post-45 conflicts and wars because they are the ones with statues on a roadside? Seriously?

errr… that’s their point.

Isn’t that the point of that little building at the end of Anzac Parade called the Australian War Memorial? Does anyone really think that if one of these “prominent Canberrans” visited the AWM they would somehow manage to miss the WW1 and WW2 galleries and emerge only with knowledge of the post-45 conflicts and wars because they are the ones with statues on a roadside? Seriously?

amarooresident311:51 am 31 Jan 11

If self styled “prominent Canberrans” are objecting, then I tend to take the opposite view, just because.

Holden Caulfield11:28 am 31 Jan 11

For some background, here’s a piece from ACT Stateline which was broadcast late last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8DRfmDA2rE

DeadlySchnauzer11:15 am 31 Jan 11

I am all for those memorials, purely from the POV that they are actually pretty cool looking.

Having them there might also finally force the NCA to fix up public access to the Rond Terrace area. It’s one of the nicest spots around the lake, highly visible from the war memorial…. yet it has no road access from anzac parade, and no pedestrian access from anzac parade (unless you like running across parkes way).

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