Tuesday Treasures

Living in a city, even a small one like Ipswich, requires a few spaces being left to nature or planned as parklands. My favourite local park has been around for almost as long as the town. Queens Park has it all- open spaces, playgrounds for children, a great cafe and a nature park complete with bilbies and Australian native animals and birds- free of charge for all visitors.

There is also the Japanese- style Nerima Garden with an authentic Japanese Tea House. I love to take my visitors there as it is a combination of heritage spaces such as the greenhouse and fernery dating back to the 1920's-30's and the more modern Queens Park cafe (replacing the much older kiosk) and environment centre.

My grand-daughter loves the animals and over the years we have watched swans breeding (one day we were there when a cygnet hatched!) and the introduction of the bilbies and quolls. There is also a little section for farm animals and there are always calves, piglets and chickens to pat.

In the park also is one of the few buildings left standing that were designed by Walter Burley Griffin (the designer of Canberra). It started its life as an incinerator to burn the city's rubbish, but has long had a second life as the home of the Ipswich little theatre group.

A real treasure for the people of Ipswich to enjoy.

Pop on over to Melody's to see who else is sharing today. You'll have to click the link on the right as I'm still having problems with Blogger.