lands

We should be so grateful to Merrill Denison for donating the land to the People of Ontario! Now, instead of the park, there would probably be an expensive resort! I think that the park should rename some of its campgrounds and name them after Merrill Denison.

Swimming Pool Plans For Ayr A letter from the Ayr Amateur Swimming club requesting the Council to meet delegates from the club to discuss the offer of a piece of land to Queen Street as a site for an Olympic Swimming Pool caused a lively debate at the Ayr Shire Council's monthly meeting. Cr. Hinkson (Home Hill) said that It was a matter for No. 1 Division (Ayr). He stated that he would not favour No. 2 Division contributing, but said he would not object to No. 1 Division proceeding with a scheme to build the pool. Cr. Dean (Ayr) stated: 'You have baths at Home Hill.' The chairman replied to the remark by Cr. Dean by stating that the Home Hill baths were built by volunteer labour. To this, Cr. Dean remarked that the Ayr Shire Council gave 50 pounds a year towards the Home Hill baths. Cr. Hinkson replied that Home Hill tosses back £200 a year towards the cost of the upkeep of the Ayr Baths. Cr. Woods (Home Hill) said that the Council should advise the club that they were only wasting the Council's time and their own In wanting to pay 2,000 pounds for a block of land that was only a stone's throw from the present pool. Cr. Dean stated that the present pool was only a baby. It was not big enough and was so badly cracked that someday someone would go through one of the big cracks. Cr. Dean stated that they must look to a bigger population and build a bigger pool. Cr. Woods: 'It Is a baby all right. The Council has been carrying it ever since It was born." Cr- Dean: 'And the ratepayers say they are carrying some of the councillors." Cr. Clayton suggested that they should meet delegates from the swimming club. He suggested that cheaper land might be obtainable. Cr. Clayton continued that a lot of people were using the baths, but they should endeavour to find out how many people did. In this way, they could ascertain whether an expense of at least 60,000 pounds in building an Olympic pool was warranted. The Council agreed to meet the delegates of the swimming club at the June meeting. Source: Townsville Daily Bulletin; 26 May 1954 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62514304

In the 1850s a pair of settlers, John and Gavin Stewart, obtained forested land near what would become Bundaberg to supply timber to the pastoral industry that had recently been established in the region. A town was surveyed in 1868 on the south bank of the Burnett and was given the name Bundaberg, for the local Aboriginal Australians, the Bunda. It became a municipality in 1880, a town in 1881, and a city in 1913. Bundaberg developed into a centre for large sugar plantations established in the 1870s. It has sugar mills, refineries, and rum distilleries. Other industries include dairying, sawmilling, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of farm machinery. Sugar, golden syrup (treacle), and timber are exported. In December 2010 Bundaberg was flooded by heavy rains that caused the Burnett to rise to its highest level in decades, submerging the city’s eastern district; flood damage also caused the port to be closed for more than two months. Pop. (2006) local government area, 45,802; (2011) statistical local area, 47,946; local government area, 89,810. Source: www.britannica.com/place/Bundaberg