Tag Archives: conservation

Flowers at Jasmine Hills

My wife and I are fortunate to have a special place 120 km south-east of Perth where we can relax and take time out to write. Books come from there. We call that place “Jasmine Hills”.

It’s an extra special place because of the amazing wildflowers in the natural “bush”, protected by a conservation covenant. At this challenging time, it helps to appreciate some of the beauty than nature has endowed us with. Maybe that can be a way for all of us to set aside conflicts and do something to help preserve our collective endowment for future generations.

My hobby is photographing the 400+ different varieties of flowers in our bush areas. I am still finding new wonders every time I take my camera, and I thought it is time I shared a few images with you to enjoy at this time of celebration. Feel free to share the link with your friends so they too can enjoy these beautiful creations.

They images should be enough for you to put Western Australia on your bucket list. With around 60% of all the known varieties of flowering plants in the world, nearly all unique to Western Australia, it is truly wonderful place to visit.

Engineering Heritage – Construction of Narrows Bridges 1956 – 2006

As engineers, we often complain that the work of engineers is often overlooked in the history of human development.

Historians then point to the lack of source materials for them to work with. They are not really interested in the technical aspects of artefacts such as tools, bridges, machines, electrical supplies and so on. However, they are really interested in the people who created those artefacts, how they were used and how they influenced the behaviour of people at the time.

This is why recording and preserving our engineering heritage is so important. I started volunteering with the engineering heritage community of Western Australia last year, and the further I get into it, the more fascinating it is becoming.

Here is a recent achievement, even though it is work-in-progress: a detailed account of the construction of the Narrows Bridges in Perth.  

While any large bridge is an impressive artefact, it’s easy to lose sight of the personal stories behind it. Working on a large bridge, particularly one in a prominent location like these ones in front of the city, is an aspirational goal for any civil engineer. However, the high-pressure realities and psychological stresses involved in bridge design and construction can be a rude awakening. Some engineers walk away with psychological scars lasting decades.

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