News Sheet: 14 April 2023

Reid Reminisces

Apologies to all who were looking forward to our Heritage event ‘Reid Reminiscences’. Unfortunately, viruses various have caught up with us and the weather looks very inclement. We have an exciting Plan B, so all is not lost!

National Trust (ACT) on Heritage and telco towers

The National Trust’s fine article ‘Reid telco tower proposal runs into heritage opposition’ in the Riot Act has detailed the major heritage issues with the proposed OPTUS telecommunications tower on the Reid Park Sports Ground.

The same-old anti-heritage comments have again surfaced. What’s really surprising, is the general lack of understanding about Canberra’s rich endowment of Heritage right throughout most suburbs and starts with the deep time of our First Nations people who lived here for tens of thousands of years.

Good to check out the ACT Heritage Register to see how, not only Reid, but many other suburbs and parts of the ACT have a terrific array of heritage places, objects and buildings. It’s an enriching experience to check them out.

ACT Heritage Grants

Please note that applications for the 2023 ACT Heritage Grants have opened and submissions are due by 30 April.

Reid Railway Reserve, Eucalypt Avenue, CIT

It’s good to see arborists working to remove invasive bushes in amongst rows of blue gums (Eucalyptus bicostata), red spotted gum (Eucalyptus mannifera), cedar trees (Cedrus deodar) that were planted in the 1940s along the proposed railway route in Reid.

We are hoping they will next move on the Cotoneaster which has infiltrated the Photinia on the Amaroo Street side. See https://weeds.org.au/?s=Cotoneaster for why various species of Cotoneaster are now regarded as a weed.

If you are walking down through the eucalypts, you will notice the bend at the northwestern

end of the rows. We understand that this clearly follows the proposed original 1925 rail route rather than the route of the earlier temporary construction rail route.