Sunday 10 May 2020

Chapter 247: The Domain


I admit it. I can’t deny it.

I confess. I love the Domain. 

                                            https://www.thedomainhobart.com/

The Domain is an area of native bush in the middle of Hobart.
The native bush is not perfect native bush. It has degenerated. Many original native species have been replaced by foreign species. Many of these introduced species like their new environment. They have become naturalised. They have become part of the local environment.

If you have botanical knowledge you will know the Domain houses many unusual species.  Many native plants on the Domain are rare, endangered threatened or just surviving. The only threatened birds and animals still present on the Domain are probably some snails and a skink. It is possible that the threatened tussock skink hangs on and lives very close to an empty cage in Beaumaris Zoo. The cage once housed a much photographed thylacine. 

If you wander on the Domain you will see amongst the native bush evidence of humans. Hobartians past and present have left their mark on the Domain. The Cenotaph, The TCA and Government house are the grand structures. The Powder Magazine and Mawson’s radio masts are less grand. Every edifice houses a story.

Sports fields are scattered over the Domain.  Very few Hobartians have not played or watched a sporting event on the Domain. Every sports field can tell two stories. One about famous people who have played there. The other story is about all the locals playing and improving their health. Physical, mental and social.

I helped give birth to the Domain website and I hope it lives a long and successful life.  
I hope it learn from its mistakes and grows. Most mistakes I will become aware of when somebody takes the trouble of telling me. 

I anticipate that in the future when I receive correct facts I will adjust and update the website. Mistakes, errors and wrong posts followed by corrections will prove the website is alive. 

The Domain is more than a few scattered sports fields and neglected buildings.  It is an integral part of Hobart.

Since 1804 the Domain has confronted many issues:

Conflict between the people living there originally and newly arrived European settlers.

What environment is best. Should it involve preserving purely natural flora and fauna?

What community ceremonies are appropriate? The statues remain but with time the ceremonies have changed. Time for a new ceremony to remember people on the front line in the war against Corona.

Governance. Initially managed by local aborigines. Then controlled by the Queen. In 1858 she gave the land to Hobart City Council. 

Cars.  Is the car helping people access the Domain or helping destroy it? Many people begin their visit to the Domain by driving and parking there. Car parks are devouring and destroying valuable native bush on the Domain. At the same time Highways are isolating and separating the Domain from local pedestrians. A new pedestrian bridge has just been constructed for commuters who park their cars on the Domain. Is driving, parking then walking a good result for the Domain.

One issue the Domain faced uniquely was in 1975. Destruction of the Tasman Bridge altered traffic flow around the Domain in both the short and long term.  

Many people around the world will see similarities between their home city and Hobart. I welcome this. 
Us Hobartians have not done anything dramatically better or worse than anywhere else. We have faced similar issues as elsewhere. Maybe our solutions are worse or better than elsewhere. What matters is that we and you talk about the issues. 

I also want to thank many other people who made the Domain Website possible:

Convicts, with no descendants, who live on in the buildings they built. The Powder Magazine; the Powder Jetty; Government House and Arthurs Wall at the Botanical gardens,
Workers; at the aquatic centre; the Botanical gardens and mowing the grass.   
Volunteers at Tasmanian Masters Athletics; the parkrun; the soccer; the cricket and dog training.
Mountain bikers; dog walkers and joggers who greet me.
The annual parading Anzacs.
Freezing parents huddling and watching their child become a soccer champion.
Tennis players running and hitting tennis balls on some very good courts.
Cricket players calling, “Catch it.”
The three local designers of the railway roundabout.
The crowd who grabbed their opportunity and saw AC DC.
Men who built the diversion tunnel with sweat.
Douglas Mawson and the radio masts he erected to communicate with himself in Antarctica. 

And anybody who has ever been or may ever go to the Domain.

The Domain is a part of my life. If you read on you will see a lot of posts which don’t mention the Domain. This blog is not a single issue blog. A blog where every post comes back to the same issue. Like everybody else who visits the Domain I have a life outside the Domain. My life outside the Domain is made better and stronger because of the Domain.


                                                               https://www.thedomainhobart.com/




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