Mackay... or, The Real Australia

[sumwonyuno]

Heh, not repetative at all!  Each shot was marvelous!

[djvandrake]

Wonderful rural scenes.  Great work! 

[Nanami]

Nothing to say except: Great!

[Tomas Neto]

Really nice update!!! Great work!!! 

[dobdriver]

They're a couple of fine updates Adrian.

Is that pegs ppond water? The creek's not repetitive at all, a nice mix of all sorts.

[adroman]

Today, a little picture I took after seeing a fantastic shot in another MD...

SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
I couldn't resist, I'm such a child

Click for full size!


I'll do some replies when I get back... with another update!

[Tomas Neto]

Fantastic image!!! 

[M.M.Malwin]

Your creations are original and I love the effects on the last picture!   

[djvandrake]

I bet the cows were scared!  F-18's are LOUD.

[canyonjumper]

Great pic, Adrian! That's a great shot!

             -Jordan

[thingfishs]

very nice shot Adrian

[Battlecat]

Great job with the effects on this shot!  Looks very cool!

[calibanX]

I love the jets! Nice work. Those kinds of shots bring some character to a MD.

Geoff

[planetechef]

  this shot is fantastic, how many second did you have for took the shot 

[ecoba]

A very cool aviation-themed shot, Adrian. Hope to see some more Mackay soon.

Ethan

[Nanami]

Great shot!

[i_love_lamp]

well, now if i can ever afford to go to Austrialia i know wut to expect. Good job mate! (oyea, i just went there)

[adroman]

Welcome back, sorry about the gross inactivity on my part around here, I've been busy lately with school work and life in general 
It should be a big fortnight or so around here, I have a very, very large update in the works already.

Without further ado, replies:

Tomas Neto ~ Thank you, Tomas! I'm glad you liked it 

M.M.Malwin ~ Thank you very much, I try to be original!

djvandrake ~ I bet they were too! 

Jordan (canyonjumper) ~ Thank you, Jordan! Thank you for the compliment 

thingfishs ~ Thanks, thingfishs! 

Battlecat ~ Thank you, Battlecat... it took a very long time to get right 

Geoff (calibanX) ~ Thanks, Geoff! I'm glad to hear that my MD has character 

planetechef ~ Many thanks, it was a difficult shot to capture

Ethan (ecoba) ~ Thank you, Ethan  I'll be taking a break from Mackay for a little, but I hope not to dissapoint 

976 ~ Thank you, my friend!

i_love_lamp ~ Thank you, i_love_lamp! I hope to show you all my pocket of Australia  I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Now, I will be taking this MD away from Mackay for a few weeks, so we can look at a different (fictitious) township. We will be looking at "Stuart", which will be made entirely out of my imagination.

Stuart is a township based 50 kilometres from the Coral Sea on the Queensland coast. The township thrives on the sugar and manufacturing industries. The Town's position on the Bruce Highway makes it a popular rest stop on the long highway. The township has a population of around 4,000 people. The population is sustained by the Cane, Limited Manufacturing and the nearby RAAF Base.
So, let's have a look at the town's history. All pictures belong to Wikimedia Commons, or have entered Public Domain in Australia.

The Township was founded when the Stuart family settled in the area:


Settlers pause to take a historic photograph!

The Stuart family begun farming Cattle, but as Sugar Cane was trialled in Queensland the Stuarts decided to move into the burgeoning Sugar industry:


Working to clear the land for plantation

Before long, a small deposit of Gold was found in the area, and a minor gold rush ensued:

Tent-town in the 1840's


The township in 1853


A Prospector examining gold from a Sluice Box

Unfortunately, it seemed that the newly expanding settlement had encroached on the Local Aboriginal Population:


Ambush! 1861

Fortunately, the Aboriginals and the European settlers reached a territorial agreement, that meant the Aboriginals could stay in a reservation that was setup.


An Army Parade, circa 1876.


Cutting cane, 1897.

When war broke out in Europe in 1914, hundereds of young men signed up for the war effort. A recruitment party marched through the Main Street:

Many young men answered the call...


Soldiers of the AIF in 1918.

The newly formed Australian Flying Corps set up a training base in the Stuart area, which attracted many young Aviation fans:

Newly trained pilots before shipping out to the European theatre.

After the war ended, the Great Depression struck the township, with the Stuart family (now in the 2nd Generation) having to lay off many of their workers.


The Sugar Mill, circa 1935.

Before long, World War II broke out and for the first time the Australian Mainland was directly threatened. Nearby RAAF Stuart was re-equipped with Fighters to fight the Air war in the Pacific, once again, many of the Young Men answered the call:




P-51 Mustang fighters from RAAF Stuart.


The local Airfield Defence Guards training in town in the (then) likely case of invasion.

After the war finished, many of the Local volunteers made it back to the township:

P.O.W.s being returned home in late 1945

During the 1960's the Rail link to Stuart was decommissioned, due to the advent of faster car travel and the new Airlink to the township.
The local economy remained strong on the Sugar industry until the automation of much of the industry, when the township declined.


The Sugar Mill as it is today.


I certainly hope you've enjoyed this "history" Lesson, I'll leave you with some preview shots of the Township...

The town centre, as it is today.


Wealthier housing, closer to the town centre.


The last remnants of the Town's once great Manufacturing industry.


A large farm behind the town cemetery.

That's all for today, I hope you're enjoying my new-ish style.

Tell me what you think,
Adrian.

[joelyboy911]

Well, what a nice update. It looks like it would have taken hours to gather all those photos from the vast reaches of the interweb. A very nice look into Aviation history of the region. I'm looking forward to what's to come!

[Tomas Neto]

Wow, awesome update!!! Great work my friend!!!