WYD08 Events in Bungendore
Days in the Diocese - St Mary’s Parish
Wed 9, Thu 10, Fri 11 July 2008
The theme for the Days in the Diocese program is: “Together under the Southern Cross”
“As the peoples of Oceania came to accept the fullness of redemption in Christ, they found a striking symbol in the night skies, where the Southern Cross stands as a luminous sign of God’s overarching grace and blessing. The present generation of Christians is called and sent now to accomplish a new evangelisation among the peoples of Oceania, a fresh proclamation of the enduring truth evoked by the symbol of the Southern Cross. This call to mission poses great challenges, but it also opens new horizons, full of hope and even a sense of adventure”.
Pope John Paul II (2001) Ecclesia in Oceania
“Together under the Southern Cross”
The Southern Cross is not only religiously significant but also has a place in the psyche of Australians; it spans our flag. It is also a sign of unity in Oceania. In our prayers we ask for the Intercession of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Our Lady Help of Christians, and Blessed Mary McKillop.
St Mary’s Bungendore – Days in the Diocese Program
Time |
Event |
Responsibility |
Remarks |
Monday 7th July |
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1.00am |
Mendi Group arrives in |
Rick Sachse HOP (House of Prayer) |
21 to House of Prayer |
Tuesday 8th July |
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10.00am |
Meet Peter McCullagh at ANU for arranged activities. |
Mendi Group Sponsor |
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Wednesday 9th July |
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9.30am |
Visit tourist locations |
Mendi Group Sponser |
Transport needed. |
Thursday 10th July |
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El Salvador pilgrims arrive - arrival time not known
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Peter McCullagh - |
Friday 11th July |
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| 8.00am 2.30pm 6.30pm |
Depart for Peter McCullagh’s Farm * sheep dog demo * shearing - Father Mark * lunch at farm Return to Bungendore Time off in Bungendore Bush dance commencing with BBQ evening meal |
Host Families Catering ladies |
Travel by combination of bus and hosts 4WD vehicles Three way rotation wit shearing, sheep dog demo and hiking. Lunch = sandwiches + sausage rolls |
Saturday 12th July |
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| 11.00am 11.00am 3.00pm 6.30pm |
Travel to Exhibition Park in Canberra Activities planned by Head Office Vigil Mass -Archbishop Mark Coleridge Activities arranged by host families Dinner at St Mary's Hall for PNG pilgrims and whoever wishes to join us there. |
Host Families | Late start following bush dance Details to be advised on the wydincanberra website |
Sunday 13th July |
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Free day with families |
Host Families |
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Monday 14th July |
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| TBA TBA |
Host families to deliver pilgrims to St Mary's Cafe - hang out and wait for bus to Sydney Move to Sydney to participate in WYD activities |
Host Families | Check with Head Office for details |
MONTE CARLO - THE LANDSCAPE TELLS THE HISTORY
It is possible to enjoy the scenery on a visit to a farming district in any part of the world without knowing anything about the history of the land and its use. On the other hand, the countryside often contains clues to earlier land use and settlement patterns which reflect the social history of much broader regions. Australian cities have very brief histories, poorly preserved when judged by European standards, and in some ways our rural areas can tell their history better.
While Australia has been extensively settled by Aboriginal people for a period estimated at from 40,000 to 60,000 years, the first European settlement did not occur until a little over 200 years ago. However, the impact (frequently damaging) of this secondary settlement on the landscape is much more evident than that of the original inhabitants. Probably the best known pre-European land management practice was that of periodic burning followed by vegetation regrowth over the following years. Little indication of this remains today. In contrast, European immigrants constructed permanent settlements, undertook land clearing for agricultural use (often based on Northern Hemisphere principles), dammed rivers and introduced many new
species of plants and animals.
The district around the villages of Lake Bathurst and Tarago some 80 Km north-east of Canberra illustrates quite a few of the general features of the impact of European settlement on the Australian landscape (juxtaposition in the two villages of an Aboriginal place name with that of the British Colonial Secretary at the time of first European exploration of the district appropriately recalls its early history). The first European penetration of the district occurred in August, 1820. A journal entry at that time described the Aboriginal inhabitants and their camp fires as ‘numerous’. While the surrounding hills were timbered, the intervening land was clear of timber and considered to be ‘fit for any purpose’.
It may be an interesting exercise to retrace the social and economic history of one rural Australian location by walking around paddocks at Lake Bathurst. A visit to the farm Monte Carlo provides an opportunity to discover clues about much of the earlier land use.
In the years following 1820, the last 80 Km of the track from Sydney to the Limestone Plains, on which the city of Canberra was to be built a century later, followed clear grassland between the hills. Not surprisingly the earliest European settlement of the district also followed this route. This is reflected today in the pattern of land titles along this route, in the excessive clearing of the nearest hills and in the presence, close to the route, of a number of large houses which would not be out of place in any Victorian city in either the Australian colonies or England. Reading of the ‘cadastral’ map (on which the boundaries of the individual portions of land are marked) reveals that the portions along the route are generally much larger, and hence fewer, than those in the hills further back from the road. Apart from their much smaller size, the ‘back blocks’ in the district are often distinguished by the retention of areas of the original pre-European vegetation.
The contrast between large land portions, likely to be extensively cleared, and small blocks with less clearing is likely to reflect the identity and resources of the first European settlers in the two locations. In the case of the large portions along the road, the people selecting the land are likely to have employed farm workers and, with them, the capacity to undertake extensive land clearing and cultivation. In contrast, those acquiring the smaller ‘back blocks’ are likely to have had to undertake clearing without labouring assistance (many of these small landholders may have themselves been the source of labour for the large landholders). Houses on these blocks were generally much more modest and more typical of ‘battlers’. The consequence of this settlement pattern is that, in the light of twenty-first century attitudes to conservation, the smallholders’ blocks would often be regarded today as more environmentally appropriate than those of their larger neighbours.
Apart from the landholding pattern resulting from the original European settlement phase, three other influences, all reflecting historical changes, are apparent in the Lake Bathurst district. The earliest of these was the ‘soldier settlement’ program which followed the First World War. Its goal was to set up returned servicemen on small farms. In many instances this completely, and perhaps predictably, failed. The parcels of land were too small to become viable farms. The returned servicemen lacked the financial capital and/or specific training to support themselves by farming. Ultimately, these ‘farmlets’ were acquired and amalgamated by neighbouring farmers. Nevertheless, the small parcels of land, commonly drawn up in an office in Sydney with minimal regard for the topography, remain on cadastral maps to this day. Their existence can be recognised on the ground at Lake Bathurst by the persistence of boundary-type fencing (mesh to exclude rabbits as distinct from the less restrictive types of fencing used for subdivision within a property). They are also notable for the rudimentary nature of remaining houses, especially in comparison with the buildings on the large roadside selections.
A second influence on landholding pattern which is very evident at Lake Bathurst has been the influence of large scale industrial activity, in this instance an extractive industry. A large mine (open cut and underground) ‘Woodlawn’ was developed in the 1960s. In order to provide a ‘buffer zone’ around the mine and lessen its impact on neighbours, the operator bought some of the surrounding farms. Once again, the map reveals the existence of a number of farms (still remaining as individual parcels of land) which were swallowed up by the amalgamation. An additional landscape modification was a large plantation of Pinus radiata adjacent to the mine. The intention of the mine’s operator was that clear felling of the plantation at the end of its working life would fund restitution of the site. As it turned out, the operator became insolvent and poor management of the plantation resulted in it not being of sufficient quality to fund anything.
In another twist of fate, radical changes in community attitudes and in the economics of urban sustainability are now leading to a major shift in land use at Woodlawn, and consequently of the landscape, which was completely unpredicted a decade ago. It is now an economic proposition to transport household garbage 200 Km from Sydney to Woodlawn and to deposit it in disused (or differently used) mineshafts to generate methane. By the time of WYD, it is anticipated that this gas will be used to provide base load electricity to complement wind turbines on site.
The two preceding influences on the pattern of land use at Lake Bathurst, namely soldier settlement and renewable energy generation from garbage have not impacted on the majority of districts in New South Wales. A third influence, closer subdivision of farmland for ‘rural residential’ and ‘recreational’ uses is impacting on many regions across the State. As the real estate value of much rural land within reach of a city increasingly exceeds the capacity of that land to deliver a commensurate return from agriculture, there has been a large scale subdivision of farms into many small parcels, frequently much smaller than those created by soldier settlement. Whereas the two influences on land use discussed above have not usually affected maps, small acreage subdivisions are reflected in the appearance of many new portions, not necessarily any more responsive to topography than was soldier settlement. It will be of interest for future generations to decide whether the impact of current subdivision practice is any more positive than soldier settlement has been a century later.
A factor which has significantly influenced the ‘built component’ of the Australian landscape following European colonisation has been the introduction of exotic flora and fauna. Paddocks in the Lake Bathurst/Tarago area require ongoing maintenance to control one of New South Wales’ most resistant noxious weeds, serrated tussock, which was introduced from South America (originally described as ‘Yass River tussock’ reflecting its early appearance close to Canberra).
Another introduced management problem which is evident in the district relates to feral deer. Half a dozen black fallow deer were released in the countryside between Lake George (named in 1820 for the English king) and Lake Bathurst in the 1870s to provide hunting for the settlers. The deer prospered and soon outnumbered the settlers. At different times they have been regarded as a resource and a nuisance. Around 1980, when attempts were made to establish venison as an item on Australian dinner tables, many of the district farmers established deer yards and pens in order to supply the market for breeding stock. High prices were paid for young hinds. A quarter century on and there is no demand for breeding stock and any deer fences constructed now are intended to keep deer out. Practices change with time!
Links
WYD08 Sydney
WYD08 in Canberra