Over breakfast, a route was planned for the day, to avoid as much back tracking as possible. The route depended upon where Dad's 1964 photos were taken, all but one of which have been located.
Dunrossil Drive in Yarralumla, which leads to Government House, which is
the residence of the Governor General, who at this time was Quentin Bryce,
whose term was nearing its end. Amusingly, Dad also had a gray car for
the comparable 1964 photo!
The view across Lake Burley Griffin to the Old Parliament House from the
bottom of Anzac Parade. Of course, in 1964 it was the ONLY Parliament House
in Canberra, and smaller than the one here too, as the extensions had not
been built.
Anzac Parade was under construction in 1964. Unfortunately the location of
Dad's photo is not safe to reach anymore, as it is too close to the roundabout,
the centre of which contains the two fountains visible here. They were not there
in 1964! That's Mt. Ainslie in the background.
From near Parkes Way in Commonwealth Park, looking over Nerang Pool towards
the Commonwealth Avenue twin bridges, though they cannot be seen.
The large flag pole at Regatta Point can be seen behind the trees, though
it's not all that clearly visible, even on the big photo.
I believe these birds are Purple Swamphen (red stripe on head, purple area at base of neck) and Eurasian Coot (black with white beak), enjoying the buffet in Commonwealth Park at autumn.
Many of my visits to Canberra have been windy, but this was a beautifully calm morning, allowing for these reflections on Nerang Pool.
These seagulls (lakegulls?) may not be appreciating the scene quite so much. Food they would appreciate, but I had none!
The large flag pole at Regatta Point showing through.
The park has some evergreen trees too. Not as attractive at this time of the year as their deciduous cousins, though providing a nice contrast.
The National Carillon was a gift from Britain for the 1988 Bicentennial Celebrations. So it was not here in 1964.
The bridges carry Commonwealth Avenue across Lake Burley Griffin, from
Canberra's commercial district (behind camera) to the Parliamentary district.
The metal structure visible in the distance is the very large flag pole
atop the new Parliament House. Well, it was new in 1988.
The Museum of Australia, as seen from near the Commonwealth Avenue bridges. It used to be the site of the Canberra Hospital.
The National Library of Australia, to my mind the nicest looking building in Canberra with its classical lines.
Car parks are not usually that attractive, and this one is no different,
though the autumn tonings soften it a bit. The reason is that Dad took a
photo from here in 1964, with a very different view from the lookout on
London Circuit. The location for this was kindly supplied by the
Canberra Historical Society - I would never have had a satisfactory
confirmation otherwise.
'Twas now time to complete the last stage of the journey by heading towards the Federal Highway and on to Sydney - about 3 hours from here. Two very enjoyable weeks seeing parts of the country that I have not seen in 50 years, and having the time to explore new bits too.
Bairnsdale Catholic Church
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