Author: Nathan Tallack (Brisbane, Australia)
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This picture was taken early August, 2003. I live in the outer western suburbs of Brisbane City, Australia.

Our suburb is in the old rural come suburban estates of an old city called Ipswich about 50km west of Brisbane. Brisbane is a fast growing city though, and the suburban sprawl is spreading fast to keep up with the growth.

My Jack Russell terrier is featured in the picture. We would go for almost daily walks in the bushland surrounding our estate. It used to be that you could walk for many hours in any direction and still find nothing but bushland. Junior, thats my dogs name, adored this endless bushland wilderness. When we went for our walks he would run a well learnt path through the bushland, dancing ahead of me, stopping now and then to look back and ensure I am following.

In the space of 2 days, developers of a new housing estate had cleared over a hundred acres of pristine bushland. It was unfortunate the cleared land was right in the place that Junior most enjoyed his walk. A nice creek would have fresh flowing water that he would have a well needed refreshing wade in, and quench his thrist.

But on this day, we came out of the bushland into this devasted clearing. Junior picked his way a few tens of meters into the devesation, and sought a high vantage point to try and figure out where his wilderness had gone.

He can be seen in this picture looking towards the other side of the small valley where he can still see the bulldosers clearing his bushland.

We backtracked that day as we could not go on. He sulked, and slinked sadly at my side for the walk back home. It shocked me to realise that he could somehow be aware of the devestation that progress brings.

We still go on our walks. Only now we walk the other direction. No nice creek that way. And how long until that way is unavaiable too. Poor Junior.

Other submissions by this author: :  Red Rock Pondering  :

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