Strolling through memories on Google Maps street view

just spent an hour or so walking down Victoria Street in Mackay in 2008, checking out some of the old shopfronts, pubs and just the general look of country town QLD almost 20 years ago. there were so many old Commodores, Falcon wagons, work utes etc and many with the old green plates from before Peter Beattie. Then I flicked between 2008 and 2025 in the most recent view. The general look of Australia has changed a lot in this time - new architecture, colour schemes, the fonts and styles of shop signage etc. Society just seems a lot more focused on being 'upmarket' or somesuch notion. Both Irish pubs have disappeared and the old boys pubs that dotted the main street are now varying shades of beige, or converted into restaurants. All of the cars are dual cab utes and MGs. Parking spaces and footpaths have gone from old bitumen subsiding into dirt/patchy grass and cracked old pavers, to very nice kerbing and guttering and fancy little garden beds.

Before anyone jumps in with a comment about cashed up mining towns, I am aware of that angle. Just seems to be something markedly different in society now and the 'look' that I grew up with seems to be disappearing. Everywhere I go now I see more change.

Not quite sure where I'm heading with this post...just missing something that is hard to encapsulate, yet seems important.