U3A Ballarat Hikers

U3A Hike No 67 By Anne Ottrey Five hardy souls fronted up for this 14 km walk in Melbourne, despite threats of rain and low temperatures. Weatherwise, it wasn’t too bad – two light showers, some sunny breaks and layers removed as we hit the first incline. The Outer Circle railway was built in 1891 as a steam-era suburban railway line. The engineer in charge was John (later Sir John) Monash. At its longest stage, it ran from Fairfield station to Oakleigh station in the south. As a passenger service, it only operated for a few years, but sections were used on and off for freight services. Part of it is still retained as the Alamein line. The Outer Circle Anniversary Trail, a combined walking and cycle path, was new to most of us. We joined it at East Camberwell, walking northwards through the former stations of Shenley, Deepdene, East Kew and Willsmere. Historical signs and photos along the way explained the history of the area, and showed us how open and undeve

U3A Hike No 66 By Andrew Parker 15 Hikers assembled at Kirks Reservoir on a frosty morning with low lying mist under clear sunny skies. We made our way to Guildford where we re-grouped before paying a visit to ‘The Big Tree’ The Big Tree is a large, well-preserved River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), located at the corner of Fryers Street and Ballarat Street. It is thought to be one of the largest in Victoria, with a height of 34 metres and circumference of 9.35 metres at the base. The tree is estimated to be between 500 and 1000 years old. The Big Tree is listed as a tree of State significance on the National Trust’s Register of Significant Trees of Victoria for its “outstanding size, curious fusion of branches, as an outstanding example of the species and as an important landmark.” The tree was already an ancient giant when the first white settlers arrived in the 1840s, the Big Tree has played an important part in the cultural and social life