'Orrible 'Ouses
May 19th 2004, 3:41 pm
#31
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Originally posted by Florida_03
I like to think we learn from the past. However, my experience is that Australian politics has entrenched levels of corruption that will see the continued, unabated destruction of the land I love.
I like to think we learn from the past. However, my experience is that Australian politics has entrenched levels of corruption that will see the continued, unabated destruction of the land I love.
May 19th 2004, 4:35 pm
#32
Y Ddraig Goch
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Body is in Brissie. Heart and soul has long flown home.
Posts: 3,722
Re: 'Orrible 'Ouses
Originally posted by Florida_03
I spent my teens living on Bribie Island. There was a creek across the road from our house where I could set a mullet trap and catch some poddy for a bit of flathead fishing. I could walk up the creek which was an outlet from a springfed swamp and wade waistdeep through the reeds. There was another major creek that that was also feed by the same swamp and spring where I could canoe almost to the middle of the island. When the water got so shallow you would touch the muddy bottom with the paddle and every now and then disturb a stingray, that would then rise from the bottom - in protest at being disturbed - with a flap of its wings and swirl the water and stir the mud.
I would paddle into the mangroves and tie up to a tree and just sit there or lie in the bottom of the canoe and listen to the crabs, plovers, the sounds of breathing of a living environment. I loved those places. The council was conservative in their planning and development on Bribie was slow. The developers got sick of the resistance to change and got elected onto council, rammed through their plans, and left.
The swamp was drained, the spring funnelled into drainage pipes, the creek across the road was filled in and houses were built on top of the spot where had I watched the poddys sneek into the trap to eat the bread. My beloved paddling creek was stripped of mangroves, the whole site enclosed in sand parapets so the destruction was hidden from prying eyes. The dredges finished the job. The canal front blocks were snapped up and the concrete seawalls ensured that no silt built up to allow the mangroves a chance of rebirth. You can drive your boat up the canals, where the sound of the outboards drown out the last gasps of that once glorious place.
I spent my teens living on Bribie Island. There was a creek across the road from our house where I could set a mullet trap and catch some poddy for a bit of flathead fishing. I could walk up the creek which was an outlet from a springfed swamp and wade waistdeep through the reeds. There was another major creek that that was also feed by the same swamp and spring where I could canoe almost to the middle of the island. When the water got so shallow you would touch the muddy bottom with the paddle and every now and then disturb a stingray, that would then rise from the bottom - in protest at being disturbed - with a flap of its wings and swirl the water and stir the mud.
I would paddle into the mangroves and tie up to a tree and just sit there or lie in the bottom of the canoe and listen to the crabs, plovers, the sounds of breathing of a living environment. I loved those places. The council was conservative in their planning and development on Bribie was slow. The developers got sick of the resistance to change and got elected onto council, rammed through their plans, and left.
The swamp was drained, the spring funnelled into drainage pipes, the creek across the road was filled in and houses were built on top of the spot where had I watched the poddys sneek into the trap to eat the bread. My beloved paddling creek was stripped of mangroves, the whole site enclosed in sand parapets so the destruction was hidden from prying eyes. The dredges finished the job. The canal front blocks were snapped up and the concrete seawalls ensured that no silt built up to allow the mangroves a chance of rebirth. You can drive your boat up the canals, where the sound of the outboards drown out the last gasps of that once glorious place.
There are a few of the older area near welsby lagoon .. ( can't remember what the beach is called) .
Cheers
Anyway all Aus houses are tacky... duck
Modern ones will not last ( and I'm speaking as someone who has had a house built here).. Qldanders always remind me of the malaysian Kampongs ( or the early Brit army housing) .. what's the diff between a kampong and Qld??.
I long for a real hundreds upon hundreds years old Brit house.. I've got my eye on the King Arthur pub ( Gower).. it would make a lovely house
Last edited by Ceri; May 19th 2004 at 5:35 pm.
May 19th 2004, 4:55 pm
#33
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: Gold Coast- the best place in the world
Posts: 3,196
Mrs DB this is for you.
A picture of my 100 year old Edwardian cast Iron fireplace from my ex-house in England.
I restored it by hand, taking off 100 years of paintwork, plaster effects and plywood. All in all it took me about 6 months to do. It was well worth it in the end as it was a stunner! ( excuse the bin liner I was cleaning out the soot!)
A picture of my 100 year old Edwardian cast Iron fireplace from my ex-house in England.
I restored it by hand, taking off 100 years of paintwork, plaster effects and plywood. All in all it took me about 6 months to do. It was well worth it in the end as it was a stunner! ( excuse the bin liner I was cleaning out the soot!)
May 19th 2004, 4:59 pm
#34
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: Gold Coast- the best place in the world
Posts: 3,196
We love older houses, they are so much sturdier and stronger than the new boxes.
Our last house was fab, we could hammer anything into the walls and they would not fall apart. The high ceilings kept it cool ( a bit of a waste of time in England though) and it had a sense of grandeur and history about it.
However they are a lot of work to maintain and after living in one for 5 years, the easy maintenance aspects of a new house appeal to me more now!
Our last house was fab, we could hammer anything into the walls and they would not fall apart. The high ceilings kept it cool ( a bit of a waste of time in England though) and it had a sense of grandeur and history about it.
However they are a lot of work to maintain and after living in one for 5 years, the easy maintenance aspects of a new house appeal to me more now!
May 19th 2004, 5:41 pm
#35
Y Ddraig Goch
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Body is in Brissie. Heart and soul has long flown home.
Posts: 3,722
Originally posted by tinaj
Mrs DB this is for you.
A picture of my 100 year old Edwardian cast Iron fireplace from my ex-house in England.
I restored it by hand, taking off 100 years of paintwork, plaster effects and plywood. All in all it took me about 6 months to do. It was well worth it in the end as it was a stunner! ( excuse the bin liner I was cleaning out the soot!)
Mrs DB this is for you.
A picture of my 100 year old Edwardian cast Iron fireplace from my ex-house in England.
I restored it by hand, taking off 100 years of paintwork, plaster effects and plywood. All in all it took me about 6 months to do. It was well worth it in the end as it was a stunner! ( excuse the bin liner I was cleaning out the soot!)
May 19th 2004, 6:07 pm
#36
Banned
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,613
My last place in the UK was a flat in Bristol overlooking the Avon Gorge, facing south with lots of sun - first floor flat in a conversion from a big merchant's house. Dated from about 1750 (were Aus and NZ even 'discovered' when that was built?!! 
It had beautiful dimensions, huge ceilings and proper size rooms (these days a double bedroom seems to be one that is big enough for a double bed and enough space to walk around to get in!)
Give me the old stuff anyday.
It had beautiful dimensions, huge ceilings and proper size rooms (these days a double bedroom seems to be one that is big enough for a double bed and enough space to walk around to get in!)
Give me the old stuff anyday.
May 19th 2004, 6:15 pm
#37
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2003
Location: GC
Posts: 3,353
Originally posted by tinaj
Mrs DB this is for you.
A picture of my 100 year old Edwardian cast Iron fireplace from my ex-house in England.
I restored it by hand, taking off 100 years of paintwork, plaster effects and plywood. All in all it took me about 6 months to do. It was well worth it in the end as it was a stunner! ( excuse the bin liner I was cleaning out the soot!)
Mrs DB this is for you.
A picture of my 100 year old Edwardian cast Iron fireplace from my ex-house in England.
I restored it by hand, taking off 100 years of paintwork, plaster effects and plywood. All in all it took me about 6 months to do. It was well worth it in the end as it was a stunner! ( excuse the bin liner I was cleaning out the soot!)
That is really beautiful. It must have taken you ages. Nice for the lucky devils that got it when you came to Aus
May 19th 2004, 7:08 pm
#38
Bitter and twisted
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
This is the house I grew up in in Oxford.
Sadly it was destroyed many years ago to build the ring road
Gives my age away as well
G
Sadly it was destroyed many years ago to build the ring road
Gives my age away as well
G
May 19th 2004, 9:29 pm
#39
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Ascot Berks(06.04) to Cronulla nr Sydney back to Ascot (04.05)
Posts: 246
What a gorgeous house! when we came back from Aus last year (validation) we really appreciated the beautiful housing in...yes Reading! what we had formerly driven past-rows of victorian terraces- looked lovely in comparaison with the endless sprawl of bungalows and flat-roofed cheap architecture in Aus.
Hasn't stopped us wanting to go back to Aus but our expectations are different
Hasn't stopped us wanting to go back to Aus but our expectations are different
May 19th 2004, 11:19 pm
#40
Rocket Scientist
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Dreamland AKA Brisbane which is a different country to the UK
Posts: 6,911
Tina, thats gorgeous. Very very nice indeed, worth every min you spent doing it.
Don, similar, we had an end of terrace cottage in a lovely little village in Hampshire, listed as mid 18th century, possibly older. Originally downstairs was probably stables, very low ceilings (Dagboy had to duck in the kitchen ) & gorgeous old beams everywhere. Problem was that it was far too small, even if we had stayed in the UK, we would have had to sell cos we couldnt live in 4 rooms + bathroom :scared: .
Grayling, beautiful house, Dagboy was brought up in Oxford when he was very young, not sure if it was before or after the ringroad though
.
Don, similar, we had an end of terrace cottage in a lovely little village in Hampshire, listed as mid 18th century, possibly older. Originally downstairs was probably stables, very low ceilings (Dagboy had to duck in the kitchen
) & gorgeous old beams everywhere. Problem was that it was far too small, even if we had stayed in the UK, we would have had to sell cos we couldnt live in 4 rooms + bathroom :scared: .Grayling, beautiful house, Dagboy was brought up in Oxford when he was very young, not sure if it was before or after the ringroad though
.
Last edited by MrsDagboy; May 20th 2004 at 12:27 am.
May 19th 2004, 11:38 pm
#41
Dutch expat/Aus citizen
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: South East, Perth (was Holland)
Posts: 5,789
Originally posted by DianeOZ
I like old, but in Perth you are not going to get anything old unless you have a million or so to live near the city so I am happy enough with our 8 year old box in th burbs.
Thing is though, why is it in decorating mags they have all these character houses with skirting boards, architrave and nooks and crannys
I still hanker after the country cottage thing with an overgrown garden, I think I'm in the wrong country..
I like old, but in Perth you are not going to get anything old unless you have a million or so to live near the city so I am happy enough with our 8 year old box in th burbs.
Thing is though, why is it in decorating mags they have all these character houses with skirting boards, architrave and nooks and crannys
I still hanker after the country cottage thing with an overgrown garden, I think I'm in the wrong country..
Ever think about moving south (Bunbury or either further?). You husband is a tradesperson, right?, so that shouldn't be a problem.... I think...
This was our old cottage in Kalamunda(hills Perth). Not that old I guess, but old enough, and my dad's a builder and enjoyed fixing it up('new' kitchen, extra bedroom with ensuite, new roof, new pool, new shed).
May 19th 2004, 11:41 pm
#42
Dutch expat/Aus citizen
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: South East, Perth (was Holland)
Posts: 5,789
Garden?
May 19th 2004, 11:45 pm
#43
Dutch expat/Aus citizen
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: South East, Perth (was Holland)
Posts: 5,789
Front 'garden' with long driveway and pool.
May 19th 2004, 11:48 pm
#44
Dutch expat/Aus citizen
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: South East, Perth (was Holland)
Posts: 5,789
Dad went straight into renovating the kitchen. Discovered old floor boors under linoleum or something
May 19th 2004, 11:56 pm
#45
Dutch expat/Aus citizen
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: South East, Perth (was Holland)
Posts: 5,789
This was the house of friends of ours in Bickley. The guy was a real estate agent in Kalamunda. Later they moved down to Bridgetown(first house my dad built, second a really old good one like I will be posting later). Now they live in Australind(just above Bunbury). They needed to be closer to Perth for teenage son who's training as a professional tennisser. Daughter got a scholarship(?) and moved to US, still there.
Really nice old house, with huge garden(pool, pond, stream running through)
Really nice old house, with huge garden(pool, pond, stream running through)
