Monday 26 March 2012

BROWNS RESERVE MURAL, ABBOTSFORD

As well as having large parks and gardens all around Melbourne, there are a number of smaller reserves scattered throughout the suburbs. These are generally the size of a house lot or two and have been gifted to the community by former owners of the land. These reserves are looked after by the local councils and they may have BBQ facilities, children's playgrounds, park benches and flower beds, or in some cases art works.

This is Browns Reserve on Nicholson St in Abbotford (an inner suburb to the East of the CBD), a typical example of such a reserve. A mural adorns one of the adjoining house walls and considering it was painted in 1988, it is doing quite well in terms of resisting the effects of the weather and of defacement. The theme is native flora and fauna, and it was designed by Carol Ruff.

This post is part of the Monday Murals meme,
and part of the Mellow Yellow Monday meme.




The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), also known as the banded anteater, or walpurti, is a marsupial found in Western Australia. Its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. Once widespread across southern Australia, the range is now restricted to several small colonies and it is listed as an endangered species. The numbat is an emblem of Western Australia and protected by conservation programs
The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small white heron.In Australia, its status varies from state to state. It is listed as 'Threatened' on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). Under this Act, an Action Statement for the recovery and future management of this species has been prepared. On the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria, the Little Egret is listed as endangered. On the right The magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a common bird, seen in parks and suburban gardens across many parts of Australia. It is easily recognised and has the following features: Its head, belly and tail tip are all black there are splashes of white on its wings, its lower back and tail, and the back of its head its beak is blue-grey in colour its legs are black its eyes are brown. The magpie's lack of shyness has made it popular with suburban gardeners and farmers both for its carolling song and its appetite for insect pests.
The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), Greek for "dog-headed pouched one", was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger (because of its striped back) or the Tasmanian wolf. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It was the last extant member of its family, Thylacinidae, although several related species have been found in the fossil record dating back to the early Miocene. The thylacine had become extremely rare or extinct on the Australian mainland before European settlement of the continent, but it survived on the island of Tasmania along with several other endemic species, including the Tasmanian devil. Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction, but other contributing factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat. Despite its official classification as extinct, sightings are still reported, though none proven. 


30 comments:

  1. What a marvelous, colorful park, Nick! Your photos are superb as always! I love the mural and it is amazing that it has resisted weather and defacement for this long! Have a good week!

    Sylvia

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  2. Beautiful colors -- a wonderful Park. I'd be comfortable there!

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  3. That is quite a reserve. I love all the research you have put into the murals.

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  4. What a joyful mural! Love the frame with different footprints, Nick.

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  5. les peintures murales sont magnifiques

    Publicity ;o) Every Friday (and the Weekend), The Challenge "Walk In The Street Photography"

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  6. Fantastic murals. Great to see a Tassie Tiger depicted.

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  7. Such a disarming side of your big city. So many facets.

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  8. You do find interesting murals Nick. My favourite in this one is the anteater.

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  9. Not often do you see a Tassie Tiger depicted with a cub! Intriguing mural near a children's playground! And love all the details in your post!

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  10. Wow! There is so much to see and absorb both from the mural and from your information on the animals depicted! Thank you for the superb job you have done of presenting that along with the photos! I will have to spend some time looking at these!

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  11. Nice post! A lot of yellow!
    Happy MYM!

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  12. A delightful and educational mural. Perhaps I need to find myself a numbat as pet for the old house we live in; plenty of food for one there! ;-) What a generous thing for people to do, to leave their properties for common use. Nice post, Nick.

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  13. Great shots! Have a fabulous week.

    Liz @ MLC

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  14. Sweet murals!

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  15. Beautiful place for kids to play.

    The Pot

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  16. very nice colorful mural, really great addition to this outside space!
    thanks for sharing.

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  17. Well done mural and nice info that you gave us!

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  18. What a great post, Nick. Full of educational information (are you a biologist?), charming illustrations, and an old mural that has been well cared for. I'm impressed by the practice of small reserves donated to and cared for by the city. Lawn and trees replacing a building is a pleasing concept. Thank you for participating in this week's Monday Mural.

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  19. Great mural! Love all the bright colors and your info on the animals. We might need some of those termite eaters down in the southern US. :)

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  20. Such a pretty place... wonderfully captured!!

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  21. Lovely murals. I am amazed to see the date. They are still so vibrant.
    Dyanna
    www.berkeleytoday.wordpress.com

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  22. How fantastically generous when people leave land like this for public use. Beautifully shown Nick, the murals have aged beautifully.

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  23. A nice neighbourhood park for the children to play and also learn a few things just by observation. I congratulate the community for maintaining it well.

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  24. I would love to play there!

    Please come and see my mellow yellow entry. Thank you!

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  25. Lovely mural. Australian fauna fascinates me. Unfortunately I will never see a thylacine, other than on an old movie of the last one or one of the last ones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V-v_SGtnb0

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