One of my earliest childhood memories is of the arrival and placement near the Lismore City Hall of “The Big Log”. As far as pretty much everyone in Lismore knew, it was red cedar, and it was a wonderful memorial of the “The Big Scrub”. The timber industry was an important industry on the North Coast for many years, resulting in the once great “Big Scrub” becoming smaller parcels of remnant vegetation.
“The Big Log” was a pleasant place for travellers through the region to take a break, and maybe use the accompanying facilities of some park benches for picnics, and maybe use the toilets. “The Big Log” was also, for many years, the well-known central gay meeting place back in the days when it was all very “undercover” in country towns like Lismore.
It’s been a few years since I’ve stopped to wonder at the magnificence of the piece of timber, and so as I wandered past today, I stopped to take a few photographs.
On arriving home, I thought I’d do a little more research about “The Big Log”.
Surprise! Surprise! Because I only come home two or three times a year, it seems I’d missed out on the news it’s not red cedar at all. Further items in The Northern Star also revealed there were plans to re-locate the log to a more prominent position, and to provide further protection (since the roof which protects it is in need of repair). A few weeks later, both decisions were revoked by the City Council.
So as contemplate many memories of “The Big Log”, I wonder also about its future.
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