As I keep writing, one of the perks of retirement is being able to visit
popular places and events during the weekday when crowds are at a minimum. And let’s
face it. Nothing is better than a stroll in the park on a warm late Summer day.
Originally part of the Gembrook Nursery, Emerald Lake park still carries
traces of its beginnings through the huge amount of mature deciduous and other
non-native trees. This is a legacy of the nursery's ornamental garden that
dates back to the beginning of the last century.
It is truly amazing how the area
incorporating the road from the main entrance passed the lake is still
strikingly similar to what it was in a Rose series photograph taken in the
1940s.
Taking paths that lead west from the car park leads you through shady
groves that follow the small creek with trees that have matured over the
hundred-plus years they’ve been left to thrive with the tall ferns and gums.
This eventually will lead you to the Emerald Museum & Nobelius Heritage Park. The museum
is an immaculately kept
building and is a treasure trove of historical artifacts from the area and its
past. The surrounding garden, which also teems with history includes a
120-year-old Kiwi fruit that was introduced by the nursery's founder Carl
Nobelius and still bears fruit today. Just above that is the original
packing-shed siding for the nursery that Puffing Billy still passes by
today.
Heading back to the eastern side of the car
park below the main sloping lawns with its three amphitheatres is the main body
of water Lake Treganowen, surrounded by walking paths with its paddleboats and
protected wading area it all gives off the feel of a British period television
show. You know you’re walking around the Dandenongs when you encounter stone pillar
shelters with wooden picnic trestle tables. Another thing I found fascinating, while
I’ll admit others will not, is the toilet block architecture which is like
a history lesson of park amenity construction through the century. From the
original block between the lake and the main road used as a toilet/ changing
room for swimmers when the park officially opened in 1941, to the more besser
brick building and patterned brick supported by round wooden poles construction
in the Café and Bandstand area respectively that date between the 1950s and
1970s which also double as changing rooms. Though these days for the wading
pool only, as swimming in the main lake is forbidden. And last, the more modern
Nobelius block which is newer but made to look more in sync with the
environment with its wooden structure and grey colours.
While the park has its mid-century charm,
it’s the new area that has been built to enhance the Puffing Billy experience
that really surprises. The Lakeside Visitors centre has been built to blend
in with its surroundings. Next to the lakeside station and below the model
railway shed (which, sadly, was closed the day of my visit), It is a vast area
that services the multitude of visitors who disembark off the train waiting for
the return journey. The building is open and airy, giving the impression of a
large railway goods shed, which I’m pretty sure was their full intention.
Walking from the station, the expansive opening invites you in and the design
of the building promotes a natural traffic flow that takes you passed the
ticket /information box and gift shop toward the huge café that is more than
capable of dealing with the massive weekend Puffing Billy crowds. All along the
way are quirky artworks by local artists.
However, what I found the most fascinating
was Lakeside Hall. A museum
dedicated to the history of Puffing Billy and its multitude of volunteers.
Like most retired gents my age, I’m a sucker
for old trains, but this even held my wife’s attention. The main feature, to
me, besides the wonderful set pieces of train artifacts was the interactive
display featuring a video narrated by Shane Jacobson and featured the partially
restored but animated remains of one of the original trains used on the line
the famous “3A”. A truly fun experience.
I have made a mental note to come back later
in Autumn to catch the changing of the colour when the trees are shedding their
leaves. I’d come for that even if there wasn’t a model railway exhibition to
catch up on.
Originally published BBCN March 2024 Issue 330
