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The old Banyan Tree

by Peter
(Darwin River)

Born in Darwin in 1965 and have lived here ever since.
My fondness memory of growing up in this period was the carefree and easy going life that was available to us kids back then. What typifies the type of life us kids had was a big old Banyan tree in Hinkler Cres Fannie bay.

Every one in the area would meet and play at this big old tree. The tree was absolutely huge it was amazing we could play hide and seek and not be found for hours. There were plenty of places to build cubby houses and of course the rope swing really topped it off. I started playing with my friends at this tree since I was old enough to crawl and we continued using this tree through our high school days still hiding although not from each other but the teachers sent to find us.

Of course Darwin High School wasn't that far a walk so it made sense that we would make a bee line to our little kingdom via the beach to the Fannie Bay shops play a couple of games of pinball purchase our cigarettes for less than a dollar and head over to the big old Banyan Tree.

How sad to see it gone, so many wonderful memories of my childhood, the friends, the adventures, only if I could revisit that big old tree even if just for a day.