Development – or?

The neighbourhood in Rose Bay is changing. And so are all the other parts of the eastern subs, and presumably the change doesn’t stop there. One by one all the old, most of the time small houses, some of them in very pleasant colonial style are being replaced by new, much bigger houses. Every time we come back to Sydney another old house has disappeared. Often the new house fills the plot completely. Gardens disappear. Colours: preferably white, gray and beige, or a mixture of them,  and lots of glass. Form: two stories (probably also with a cellar), square boxes, straight lines, many balconies. 

   
    
 

With the old houses the gardens also change (or disappear completely). Old gardens have huge trees, providing nice shade, and lots of different kinds of flowering bushes and plants. Many of them are exquisite and very charming.

New gardens are often neat, properly planned, particularly when they are new. And they come with plants that survive in this hot climate without too much watering or extra care. A sensible consideration. Particularly as one can assume the people who can afford to buy them do not have time to care for the gardens themselves.

   

So what is the verdict? Well, there are pros and cons wit this development. Although the best of the old gardens are indeed charming, that does not go for all of them. Nor are all old houses worth keeping. 

As one can expect some of the new buildings are not very nice, but some are. They fit well into the neighbourhood, they are well planned and probably much more practical then the old ones. And they are bigger, and have nicer views. The gardens have pros also. Many of the front gardens are well planned and include native plants and trees, which is another positive development.

   
    
 

What is not so nice is when the old trees are cut down, and this seems to be more or less the rule. Gardens can be planned and planted quickly, and plants and bushes grow quickly, but it takes time for the trees. Fortunately many old trees are not privately owned, but grow along the streets and belong to the council. So some of the shade is preserved, as are the havens for city wildlife. Birds thrive, and so do possums and other animals. Lovely parrots are one example, very difficult to catch as they blend into the bushes perfectly.