Hi everyone! I’m looking for some feedback on a potential nomination. This spot is located near a historic Old Road in the town Batlow, NSW and overlooks a beautiful local dam.
My description for this spot: A set of chairs and an anchored desk nestled under the willow trees at a natural turnaround point for walkers.
My justification;
*Social/Gathering: This is a major “social hub” for locals. I frequently have conversations here with other residents, and it’s where I bring visitors to show them the views of the surrounding orchards.
Exercise/Exploration: It can serve as a primary rest stop and “destination” for a long-distance trail through the South West Slopes.
History: The “Old Road” itself dates back to the town’s 19th-century gold rush and apple-growing heritage.
My Challenges (Looking for your help here!):
Permanence: The desk is actually nailed/anchored into the ground, but it looks like domestic furniture. How do I best prove “Permanence” to a reviewer so it isn’t tagged as “Temporary/Seasonal”?
Natural Feature vs. Man-Made: Since the draw is the view of the dam, but natural features aren’t eligible, should I focus the nomination entirely on the “Rest Area/Overlook” aspect?
Pedestrian Access: It’s a wide, safe grassy verge off the old road. Is a wide-angle supporting photo showing the “social path” enough to satisfy the safety criteria?
I’d love to hear from any experienced reviewers on how to orient this. Is it better to nominate it as a “Scenic Overlook or a"Community Rest Point”?
Honestly, IMO, it will probably be a very tough sell here to prove permanence. It may be my eyes but even on a 32” computer monitor, I can’t see how that table is bolted down. The table top also looks like it s a few storms away from starting to fall apart. Based on what I see here, I would reject it.
If you want to try to make this work, see if you can find any information or new stories online that would support this being a permanent installation. Who placed it and when? Is it in a park? Who owns the land where this is?
Scenic overlooks and “community rest points” are difficult to substantiate in my experience and area without signage or proof that the “thing” you are nominating is permanent and on public land.
You’re right, while I know the table has survived many intense seasonal storms here (and still standing strong lol), proving that permanence through a photo is nearly impossible without official signage or a foundation. There is also no online resource I can provide so far, so it’s definitely a case of local knowledge versus visual evidence.
I think I’ll take your advice and give up on this specific nomination for now. It really is a great social spot, so maybe I’ll reach out to the local council and see if they’d ever consider recognizing it with a proper plaque or a permanent bench!
Just jumping in to say natural features aren’t ineligible per se—as long as you have an anchor they could be eligible. Not entirely helpful in this situation but just wanted to make sure you know
The biggest problem is to prove that its permanent and not some table and chair, someone put there. Personally i also cant see how its bolted to the ground.
If you can prove this, i think it could be eligible
