The birthplace of P. L. Travers now has ‘Mary Poppins’-themed crosswalk lights

Fraser Coast Regional Council/Facebook

The other week, in Queensland, Australia, one little city got quite the Disney-like upgrade: Maryborough, the birthplace of “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers, now has Mary Poppins-themed crosswalk lights. That’s right: everybody’s favorite nanny is now letting the public know when it’s safe to cross the street, and people think that’s pretty supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Before she moved to England, Travers called Maryborough home, and that’s something the small Australian city has not forgotten. Every year, Maryborough hosts an entire Mary Poppins Festival to celebrate the Australian author and her much-loved kids’ book. This year, the 10-day event will include storytelling sessions, creative writing classes, a Mary Poppins-themed circus program, a story trail tour and a street party. Another beloved Australian writer, Mem Fox, will be on-site for several children’s read-aloud sessions, as well.

The Fraser Coast Regional Council installed the new Mary Poppins-themed crosswalks just in time for the festival this year. A green Mary Poppins figure strides forward with her umbrella open when pedestrians are allowed to cross, while a red, standing Mary Poppins with her umbrella down indicates that it’s not quite safe to cross the road yet.

The council shared a picture of its very first installation on Facebook, where many social media users lauded the positive effect the crosswalks would have on tourism in the town.

If you’re dying to take a walk down Cherry Tree Lane, it might be a little too late to plan a visit to the Mary Poppins Festival this year—the 10-day event will wrap up on July 2. However, Maryborough’s Mary Poppins pedestrian lights will stay up indefinitely, so if you ever head to Australia, you should add the city to your must-visit list.

There’s also a life-size Mary Poppins statue in town and the chance to stroll by the building where Travers was born, so between those landmarks and some creative crosswalk shots, you should have more than enough opportunities for some Poppins-esque pictures.

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