bottle

In 1909, a reporter noted the “passing of English beers in the Australian Commonwealth”: "It is pleasing to note that Bulimba beer, Gold Top Ale and Bulimba QB Lager are essentially Australian beverages, being produced from Australian materials. The barley is grown on the Darling Downs and is malted at Toowoomba, the hops come from the hop gardens on the banks of the Huon River in Tasmania, and the sugar is of course, a Queensland product. Even the casks, a very substantial item in a brewery of this size, are made from Australian timber. There is therefore, a strong incentive for loyal Australians to patronise Bulimba beer." Gold Top, known for the short-lived but distinctive gold coloured foil around the top of the bottle and later for the gold crown cap, quickly became a hot commodity. The ingredients for the English pale ale, as of 1900, were sugar, English malt and hops from New Zealand, Kent and Bohemia. There are references to similar beers prior to the turn of the century, back when the sugar was a mix of local and Mauritian (the latter being allegedly the superior), suggesting that Gold Top was a new brand rather than a new beer for Bulimba Brewery. The relatively hoppy reduced strength beer was apparently a remedy for any digestive malady you care to name. Source: drunkenspeculation.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/a-brief-histo...

Beloved bottle trees are risky BOTTLE trees can be found far and wide across the Western Downs, but experts are reminding people to ensure the Queensland icons are in good health. Two bottle trees have had to be removed from Dalby properties in recent weeks after they fell over due to rotting. Toowoomba-based arborist Russell Clark said while the trees are Queensland natives they are not endemic to Dalby and often rot because their trunks are soft and fleshy or their roots don't take to the soil. You'll see them in Chinchilla and other places around the Western Downs but the soil type is different here - they're not native to the area, you won't see them growing in a paddock,” he said. "Normally trees that fall over have some sort of problem with the roots. "If the wind is strong and there is plenty of rain, that's when there is most likely movement in a tree. "They are an amazing tree and an Australian icon and I hate people cutting them down. "If you have a bottle tree in the wrong spot, try and find someone like me to remove it to take it to a tree orphanage.” "They live to a fair age so sometimes they can be rotten on the inside but still standing up,” he said. Interesting story about bottle trees from Courrier Mail. www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/dalby/beloved-bott...

Queensland Bottle Tree, Narrow Leaved Bottle Tree, Bottle Tree, Queensland Barrel Tree, Australian Barrel Tree, Dandygook, Kurrajong, Queensland-Flaschenbaum. The Queensland Bottle Tree was discovered by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848 at Mount Abundance (near present-day Roma), Queensland, Australia. Aboriginal people carved holes into the soft bark to create reservoir-like structures; consumed the seeds, roots, stems, and bark; and the fibers were used to make twine, rope, and nets. The soft, edible pulp is considered to be energy-rich but protein poor. Queensland farmers have been known to fall whole trees to feedstock during drought conditions. Source: www.designertrees.com.au/trees/bottle-trees/