These 'Mary Poppins' pedestrian crossing lights are pretty special

The Australian city of Maryborough is a fair way away from London, where Mary Poppins is set.

That's where the author of the children's series, P.L. Travers, was born, before she emigrated to England in 1924.

So to honour the much-celebrated author, the city's council have installed these Mary Poppins-themed pedestrian lights. They've been placed in front of Travers' birthplace on Richmond Street, ahead of the city's Mary Poppins Festival, which starts June 23.

The lights feature the central character with her iconic umbrella. Red has the umbrella down, while green has the umbrella up -- ready to fly.

"There is no doubt that they are quirky, and Maryborough does quirky very well," Maryborough councillor Paul Truscott said in a statement online.

It's certainly proof the love for the series continues, nearly 90 years on.

A sequel to the 1964 film, Mary Poppins Returns, is set to hit screens in 2018, completing one of the longest gaps between sequels in movie history -- although unfortunately Julie Andrews won't be taking part.