Canberra's Historic Landmarks Under Threat from Light Rail Expansion
The recent revelation that a solitary cypress tree in the heart of Yarra Glen faces potential removal due to Stage 2B of Canberra's light rail project has stirred deep memories among local residents. These recollections stretch back nearly seven decades, to a time before the suburbs of Woden even existed on the map.
Memories of a Changing Landscape
In the late 1950s, Max McGregor and his father-in-law would regularly journey from O'Connor to the Curtin Sheep Paddocks to collect manure for their suburban gardens. "During that period, there were no houses in the emerging suburb of Curtin," Max recalls. "To access the area, we had to drive to Hughes, travel along Groom Street, and then cross Yarralumla Creek at the exact shallow point where that lone tree stood as a silent sentinel."
Max developed such an affinity for the area that he has lived in Curtin with his wife at the same address since 1965. His garden remains a point of pride, which he describes as "the most colourful in the street," though he now purchases manure from stores rather than collecting it himself.
Preserving Floral Heritage
Meanwhile, Lorrence Salter remembers helping her mother rescue purple and white violets from around the remnants of the original Yarra Glen homestead before road construction began. "We knew they wouldn't survive the development, so we carefully transplanted them to our family garden in Hughes," she explains. "They thrived beautifully, and I hope they continue to flourish there today."
For young Lorrence and other local children, life involved more than just gardening. They would often catch yabbies in Yarralumla Creek, which later became the stormwater drain alongside Yarra Glen. "Before Curtin existed, the creek remained pristine," she reminisces. "We'd keep the yabbies overnight and return them the next day so we could catch them again another time. Those were simpler days indeed."
The Homestead's Hidden History
Curtis Campbell, who grew up in the since-demolished Yarra Glen homestead near where the lone tree now stands, shares another piece of local history. His father attempted to build an air-raid shelter during World War II but encountered solid rock about ten feet down, forcing him to abandon the project.
The Grader Operator's Legacy
Barry Snelson of Calwell fondly remembers Lance Bowler, the grader operator who saved the cypress tree in the 1960s by refusing to knock it down because it provided shade for his lunch breaks. "Lance was a wonderful person," Barry recalls. "One day while riding his bus from Civic, he proudly told me, 'Bazz, I saved that old tree.'"
Barry expresses strong opposition to current plans to remove the historic tree. "While I understand that all living things eventually reach their end, if they try to move this tree while it still has life, they'll have to contend with the ghost of Lance Bowler," he warns.
An Unexpected Geological Discovery
Lance Bowler's contributions extended beyond tree preservation. While grading near State Circle, he uncovered an internationally significant geological formation—an angular unconformity where older folded rocks meet younger horizontal layers. Dr Steve Hill, Geoscience Australia's chief scientist, praises the discovery as "a pretty exciting grader cut" that reveals multiple periods of geological transformation from sea floor to mountains.
Surveyors' Simple Pleasures
Russell Wenholz of Holt recalls working with surveyors in paddocks that would become Hughes in the early 1960s. A particular cluster of trees provided both shade and sticks for boiling the billy for tea, becoming a regular lunch spot. Town planners later designed a park around these trees at the intersection of Kitchener and McNicoll Streets.
Russell still possesses the billy he used during those survey days and maintains the tradition of calling out "water is bumbling" when his kitchen kettle boils—a phrase borrowed from his colleague Roman Wnek, for whom English was a second language.
Changing Times and Fire Safety
Russell reflects on how different fire safety attitudes were in the 1960s. "We weren't as bushfire conscious back then," he admits. "We'd toast sandwiches over open fires using twig forks, often ending up with soot on our food. It wasn't until later that field parties received portable gas cylinders for boiling water safely."
Today, the park where Russell and his colleagues once enjoyed open fires sits tinder-dry surrounded by tall pine trees—a stark reminder of how environmental awareness has evolved alongside Canberra's urban development.
