I've got a confession to make.
But first, I must reiterate that no one loves Canberra's brutalist bus shelters more than I do. I've visited every single one, both within and outside of the ACT, from the dusty back streets of Dubbo (really!) to the two transformed into public toilets on the Gold Coast and everywhere in between. I've devoted more column inches on these pages to them than any other local icon - okay, except maybe for Lake George.
But here comes the revelation... they aren't my favourite Canberra bus shelters.
That title fairly and squarely lies with our heritage timber bus shelters.
Yes, long before Clem Cummings designed our now iconic concrete bunker-style shelters and they started popping up on our streets in 1974, we already boasted a stock of timber bus shelters. Not only do they contain more seating, but they look great too.
Sure, while these heritage timber bus shelters are nowhere near as ubiquitous as the concrete bunkers, in some older parts of Canberra you can still visit (and maybe even catch a bus from) them.
For me, the smell of the timber and their heritage-coloured yellows and greens remind me of a bygone era - a bit like old railway waiting rooms. And what's more, without being bookended by gaping holes where windows once were, they actually provide shelter.
Who'd have thought? What a concept. Pity those who designed the new Woden Interchange didn't consider adequate shelter in their design.
Although the exact number of heritage timber shelters has been lost in the sands of time, this week I made a pilgrimage to all 12 still standing. A quest which took me from the leafy streets of Forrest to the, er, leafy streets of Reid. For due to their age, these remnant shelters are only found in the older suburbs which invariably have more mature trees.
Some of the first were installed in the 1920s, long before cars were even commonplace and early public servants had little choice but to cycle, walk or catch the bus to work.
According to Historic Timber Bus Shelters of the ACT, an ACT Heritage Council report from June 2016, "they were once prolific aspects of Canberra's moveable streetscape architecture, and with only 12 extant examples as of 2015, they now represent a rare element of the ACT's cultural history".
Actually, there are 13 if you count the one in Hazel Street, Oaks Estate, which was one of several larger, "double-sized" shelters, once positioned outside major public places and buildings to accommodate peak hour crowds. This proximity of Hazel Street to Queanbeyan Railway Station no doubt played a factor too. But it doesn't make the official list because it lacks any original fabric, having replaced the original that was blown to smithereens by firecrackers in 2003.
However, the original Oaks Estate double-banger is not the only one to be destroyed by vandals. The plight of the historic timber shelter in Schlich Street, Yarralumla, which was destroyed by fire in 1993, brought the ire of many heritage-minded residents. The loss sparked subsequent community petitions and debates in the ACT Legislative Assembly regarding a broken government promise to rebuild or replace the heritage structure.
In fact, it was this sorry saga that resulted in a push to heritage list the remaining timber shelters, which eventually was done in 2016.
Barry Snelson of Calwell, who was working as a supervisor for ACTION at the time, pushed for the government to replace the Schlich Street shelter. "Sadly, our concerns fell on deaf ears," Barry laments.
In his earlier days as a driver, Barry vividly remembers driving past all the historic shelters, including one on National Circuit in Barton near the Brassey Hotel.
"Our inspector would often hide in the back of the shelter out of obvious view, to check that we adhered to orders to slow down enough and check for waiting passengers when passing each bus stop," Barry recalls. "If any bus driver didn't slow down, he would take your numberplate and you'd be on report."
"Five strikes on not stopping or not wearing your very uncomfortable caps meant you were relegated to washing buses for the next week," Barry says.
Of course, it didn't take long for Barry and his co-drivers to be alert to the devious tactics of their boss, so they devised a warning system.
"Drivers coming from the other direction would give you a sign that he was hiding in the shelter. Normally, it was a simple pat on their head. In other words, put your cap on, Inspector ahead!" he exclaims.
"In the end we'd just always stop at that bus stop whether there was anyone waiting or not - just to be sure" Barry explains. "No one wanted to be on bus wash, especially mid-winter."
According to Barry, the same inspector was also known for squirreling away a bottle of whiskey in a hidey hole at another timber shelter that once stood at the back of Old Parliament House.
"That was until some of the drivers swapped the contents of his bottle for a similarly coloured but far less palatable substitute," Barry reveals. Oh dear.
Which type of shelter do you prefer? The iconic concrete bunkers or the heritage timber shelters? I'll note that artist Trevor Dickinson's range of Canberra souvenirs doesn't include any featuring the timber shelters. Given there's only a dozen left, and there are 12 months in a year, they'd make the perfect calendar. Mmm. Does anyone know Trevor? Hint hint.
Shelter memories: The photo of the heritage timber bus shelter at the corner of Arthur Circle and Moresby Street in Forrest that recently featured in this column's photo quiz brought back happy memories for a lady who has lived in Arthur Circle since birth.
"My mother told a story about the local postie knocking on her front door whilst she was feeding her young daughter [me] to ask if it was her three-year-old son with dark curly hair and striped knitted jumper waiting in the bus shelter for the next bus," laughs my correspondent, who would prefer to remain anonymous. "My late brother was always so good at causing an uproar!"
"Being a 'one car family' in those days, bus travel was our mode of transport to visit 'town' [Civic] so that bus shelter plus the one at Monaro Crescent and Arthur Circle were often used - otherwise it was Shanks' pony [walking] or the trusty bike."
Did You Know? According to Historic Timber Bus Shelters of the ACT, an ACT Heritage Council Report from 2016, "there were five different types of historic timber bus shelters built in the ACT that reflect changing social and economic trends during the Federal Capital Territory and interwar years in the ACT. For example, shelters of the A, B and C classes favour a design reflective of the Federal Capital Architectural style, whereas later classes of shelter favoured a more utilitarian design."
Further, the use of timber as the primary material was mostly due to economy in a time of material shortages in the interwar period, however shelters at more prestigious locations or those built after World War II enjoyed better quality materials, such as tiled floors rather than concrete or compacted gravel, and more provision for light with the introduction of windows.
My favourites remain those Class A shelters, like the ones in Forrest with their timber floors.
Rating: Hard
Clue: A good spot to rest if you have been travelling.
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to tym@iinet.net.au. The first correct email received after 10am on Saturday July 11 wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.
Last week: Congratulations to Jennie Hayward of Wamboin who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as a mural on the mechanical workshop on the corner of Gibraltar Street and Molonglo Street in Bungendore.
"Your article about Klaus Hueneke and high-country huts caused me to reflect on many great memories of cross-country skiing trips in the late 1990s and early 2000s," writes Andrew Freer of Deakin.
"Like Klaus, my favourite back-country hut is Wheelers," Andrew reveals.
"Heading in through the Snakey Plain Fire Trail, through a majestic stand of mountain ash, you arrive to an isolated but historical gem, which commands a beautiful vista of the valley to the east," reports Andrew who admits he also "has a soft spot for both Grey Mare and Round Mountain Hut".
Bill Crawshaw of Fadden agrees. "I have visited Wheelers [Hut] only twice due to its remoteness, but it has great character and a great veranda from where you can look across to Mt Jagungal while you have breakfast." Looks divine.
CONTACT TIM: Email: tym@iinet.net.au or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, GPO Box 606, Civic, ACT, 2601
