Preface to the 2004 Update
This booklet was originally produced in 1988.
My address to the Mandalay Progress Association’s annual
general meeting of 1994 was added to update the booklet for
our 20th anniversary.
Another update was added in 1998.
Both of these additions were included to bring the booklet up
to date without altering the original text that, to my mind,
is itself an important part of local history.
Since this booklet is frequently used for school project work,
it is important to understand that some figures quoted i.e.,
the student and teacher population of Fig Tree Pocket State
School, were accurate in 1988 but have obviously altered
since.
The farm mentioned in section 2 has now been developed and the
4BC radio tower mentioned in section 19 has been removed to
make way for the new estate on the corner of Jesmond Road and
Cubberla Street.
Section 20 states that Lone Pine was sold to Mr Kimihito
Kamori “this year”. The sale was made in 1998.
Section 21 lists the number of residents at Seven Oaks which
while accurate in 1988 is not accurate today.
Issues involving our association and our residents since the
last reprint of this booklet in 1998 have included the
Brisbane City Council push for increased development and small
block development in various areas of Brisbane including Fig
Tree Pocket.
Although a lot of political spin was given to the issue and
public workshops and local committees were set up, it quickly
became obvious that the council never intended to alter their
original plans except for some very minor compromises.
Even these were eroded by the unwillingness of the Council to
prosecute developers who ignored the regulations.
We did again manage to protect the Pony Club land from
development but the eucalypt plantation owned by Lone Pine
will be developed in the not too distant future.
Our central park has been under threat since the original
developer of Mandalay went to the wall and it has been a major
concern for our association since shortly after its
inauguration.
In recent years the lagoon has been cleaned up and developed
and other work has been done by the Council to beautify the
parkland.
A tree planting by the Turrball people was held to acknowledge
their association with the area.
While the Turrball people would like one day to erect a simple
plaque in the area, they acknowledge that there is no
continual cultural link with he park.
Over the years, so many people have been involved in our
efforts to have this park developed that to officially
acknowledge them by name would no doubt result in my
forgetting somebody.
Thanks to all of those people and their efforts the park is
now officially recognised and is safe from alternate use as we
can make it.
This is a closure to the longest battle our association has
been involved with.
It has taken twenty-seven years.
Warren Fletcher
President
