| THE CHERRY TREE WALK MONUMENT
The original Monument of the CHERRY TREE WALK was built in 1999 and a dedication Parade was held at that time. During the following years the products used on that Monument all failed in a number of ways. In 2003 a decision was made by the WALK TRUST to rebuild the Monument completely. The five Monaliths were then all stripped back to bare cement by local Vietnam Veterans and Tom Lyons a Malaya Veteran from 8RAR once a new style of granite was sourced from South Africa. At the same time, 8RAR had its own Monument; which is part of an 8RAR Grove of 20 Cherry Trees, was damaged by vandals. The story reported in the local press reached the state government; who offered to pay for its repair. The date was set for the Next Parade 28th of February 2004. This is "Long Hai Day" commemorated by 8RAR Association for its Diggers killed in Vietnam. In particular, the eight killed on the one day in the Long Hai Mountains by land mines. Much work had to be done to fix the Monument with the new granite as well as the 8RAR Monument. All went well with the Governor General; Major General Michel Jeffery who lead the Parade and opened the refurbished Monument. INVITATION 2007 To all those who are visiting this site from an Invitation sent via email have either helped the WALK in a past battle or thought of by a Veteran or a Friend of the Walk to be interested in helping save the Walk. If this is NOT the case? Then by simply responding to this request via this email:- vwmctwwebm@gmail.com You will be removed from the 'Friends of the Walk' email listing. PRESENT SITUATION 2007 In 2007 the WALK is subject to what is known as a Plan Of Management by the local Council; which is the Wingecarribee Shire Council, on the Southern Highlands, NSW Australia. When the site is better developed a full list of Councilors and their contact information will be listed, for you to make your interest known to them. WHAT IS WRONG WITH A PLAN OF MANAGEMENT? In these days of our over regulated society you could assume that its just a method by which the Council and its staff responsible for land on which the WALK stands, to direct the use of that land? Fair Enough? Well if that was all the aim was perhaps an observer could say yes? However that is not the full picture and to understand the present situation it is perhaps pertinent that this site examine a number of issues. Before moving to the section "Start of Project" it is again pertinent to examine what has changed in the relationship between the WALK workers and the local Council. That very simply is a local group of GREEN NAZIS who some time after 2000 had a look at this now clean and open parkland and decided that they wanted it to plant Gum Trees among other natives, in direct competition to the Cherry Trees already planted and future areas of plantings? Now this would be a good idea in other areas of the Rivulet as there are as these two images demonstrate clearly. There is (about) a Kilometer in length, in an area higher than the WALK, that does not even have a weed planted? Any normal and reasonable person would ask why don't the Green Nazis, if they really have no designs on the Council approved Walk areas, move their work to where the Walk is not effected?
Next we will go back to the very start of the Project and see what occurred and why the present situation is so unfair. START OF PROJECT: The year is 1995 a Highlands based Garden Committee looked at the process of building a special Memorial to promote 'healing' for those who served in Viet Nam and to Commemorate those who fell. The project was designed with a number of elements. The whole project was enthusiastically approved by the Council. NOTE that the Council issued a Bulletin in May 1996 about this project. Go to page 7 which has a copy of the BULLETIN and all the information know about the project in that year. The site selected and handed over by the Council was an area know as Mittagong Rivulet. The project involved clearing the Rivulet and the overgrown parkland. This area meanders through the old town ship of BOWRAL in Southern NSW. Due to the fact it 'traverses' different areas the 'WALK', moves across a number of roads. These will be listed as the site develops. If possible a number of mud maps will be posted to enable visitors to see not only the beauty of the area, but the difficulties faced by the Committee in their planning and its scope of vision in what was possible for a War Memorial that was very different from what a visitor would expect. THE RIVULET AREA: The area had a number of advantages to the Committee. It boarded a small water way (Rivulet) that gave a pleasing vista. The area had a walking/cycle path that ran from Bowral Road at the Bowral Swimming Pool, the start point of the WALK, all the way towards Old South Road, the planned finish point. It must be understood that this walk and Cycle way had in places a poor surface; those areas would need to be fixed at some time in the future. However as the area was very neglected and unwanted by anyone, the Committee was given permission by Council to proceed. It was this permission by Council which brought the project in 1996 to my attention and as a Viet Nam Veteran I thought I could offer personal assistance and a link to the Ex-Service Community. I was formally (by Letter) accepted by Council to assist that Committee. In those early days the Rivulet was overgrown and full of Willow Trees which many of you would know, are a weed in Australia. With the assistance of different helpers the Committee was able to have them removed to improve the vista and flow of the Rivulet. Again I will point out that in the early years after the official start of the project that it was the effort of the Committee, its members and its funds that cleaned up the Rivulet area so that the Cherry Trees could be planted. Some of the efforts made by the Committee which then became a official 'Trust', called the Viet Nam War Memorial Incorporated Trust, are as follows. These are tasks undertaken by the Trust at no cost to the Council or the Community of the Southern Highlands.
The next page are shots of the area from around the site of the Monument which demonstrates the size of the problem and the state of the Rivulet before the Garden Committee started to build the Dream. THIS PAGE IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ARE DIRECTIONS TO:-
CHECKED & UPDATED OCTOBER 2007 - PAGE 2 |
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