The truth about Noosa's roundabouts

The idea for Noosa's bizarre and effective road network came from a visionary councillor and his wife

Noosa has more than 100 roundabouts

WHEN Cecily Fearnley's husband Jim was elected in 1978, other councillors would roll their eyes when he spoke about the environment.

"They'd say, 'here he goes again'," Cecily, now 93, recalls.

But by the end of his three-year stint, all of these councillors had realised that protecting the area's unique natural heritage "was the only way to save Noosa from being swallowed and extended, and polarised", she said.

Cecilyhas been writing the Noosa Nature column for Noosa News since 1973.

Noosa News columnist Cecily Fearnley with original prints. Picture: Michele Sternberg

She and her late husband Jim met on a bushwalk in the Glasshouse Mountains. It was love at first sight.

Jim and Cecily lived at Noosa Heads and Doonan for most of their lives, and both wrote for Noosa News for a short time before Cecily took over after Jim "disagreed with the editor" on political issues.

The pair's love of nature was infectious and the column is much-loved by readers, with Cecily remaining sole author and illustrator until the early 1990s. Her latest column appeared in 2017.

Cecily Fearnley of Noosa Parks Association, and Noosa News columnist. Picture: Darryn Smith

Cecily's inspiration for the column was "all around her" she said, adding that she loved to surprise readers.

"They never knew what was coming next," she said.

She recalls the delight she felt when she first saw a koala wander up her driveway, completely unfazed by her presence.

"He walked past, took no notice of me standing still, and climbed up a tree," she said.

"And I thought, 'thank you'."

Cecily wrote and illustrated hundreds of Noosa Nature columns, on topics from birds and butterflies to spiders and shells.

When Jim was elected to Noosa Shire Council, he received the largest number of votes of any of the region's six councillors, Cecily said.

"He was top of the poll," she said.

While he was known locally as an avid birdwatcher and conservationist, his greatest legacy may have in fact been the idea for a road system based on roundabouts not traffic lights and stop signs.

Cecily remembers when she and Jim were inspired by visiting Albany in South Australia.

"He said, 'that could happen at Noosa. If only they didn't bring in lights," she said.