Today is World Environment Day.
Chullora (an Aboriginal word meaning 'flour', apparently) is a mostly industrial suburb.
Just off Rookwood Rd, in Muir Rd, is the Chullora Waste and Recycling Centre. You can't miss the entrance, with this huge bicycle sculpture, presumably made of waste materials.
The suburb of Chullora was originally part of the area known as Liberty Plains, which was land given to the first free settlers who arrived in Sydney Cove on the 6th January 1793. Chullora was the name used for one of the estates in this area. It used to house large railway workshops.
Whilst still industrial, it is home to a host of new factories and warehouses, including brand new Tip Top bakery, and the printing works of the two major Sydney newspaper groups, Fairfax (publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun-Herald) and Rupert Murdoch's News Limited (publishers of the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs and The Australian)
Great post, I love the first photo!
ReplyDeleteExcellent info as usual, I learn so much from you.
Sally,
ReplyDeletegreat to see such interest in the environment, the top picture has immediate impact.
That's very interesting. (Now, I feel bad I didn't know about today....whoops)
ReplyDeletewow, I did not know that it was such a huge bike until I read on and also look at the rest of the picture.
ReplyDeleteNice shot. What were you doing at the recycling plant? hehe...
That's some bike! All made of recyclable materials? Impressive...
ReplyDeleteGreat bike and interesting information.
ReplyDeletenice bike!
ReplyDeleteThat's a mean looking bike. :)
ReplyDeleteRecycling - great publicity, Great cause.
ReplyDeleteToday is World Environment Day? Nice news!
ReplyDeleteI love the first photo. The perspective looking through the barbed wire is really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThey mistyped the name: this is (re)CYCLING Center :)
ReplyDeleteIt is so well done that I thought it was a "new" model with some weird new wheel and spoke design. I like it and the story with it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the environmental push now underway goes I will only say I hope it works as the planet is running out of time. We tried this push to 'green' back in the early 1970s but the movement faded.
Back then the people stepped on way too many corporate toes and they fought back and bought more politicians and we are now worse than we were originally.
The recycling concept in one with pollution control is the only way to grant future to next generations.
ReplyDeletela journee de l'environement a ete faite Samedi à Evry (voir mon blog du jour). Superbe ce velo, tres bonne idee. tres bonne photo
ReplyDeletethe day of environement was made Saturday with Evry (see my blog day). Superb this bicycle, very good idea. very good photograph
Beautifully captured shots & perfect for the day.
ReplyDeleteIf I didn't see the third picture, I might think the size of bicycle is average. I haven't seen bicycle that huge.
ReplyDeletein 3 weeks departure of the turn of France
ReplyDeleteif they take these bicycles it still will have puncture
;-)
Brilliant first photo! How creative those people are!
ReplyDeleteYou might consider suggesting to your history teacher friends that during W.W. II, the Railway ANNEXE played an amazing role in ensuring our troops in the Pacific were better equipped than were the Japanese. It's difficult nowadays to comprehend the scale and, more importantly, technical sophistication of what was achieved. You'll find audiences, even History students, can become quite enthusiastic about such (for them) startling revelations as the Australian innovation which pproduced the only Allied AFV during the Normandy Bridgehead, which was able to deal effectively with the German's heavy armour.
ReplyDeleteWho'd now imagine a Railway Annexe in 1943, could have produced what was then the most potent tank cannon in the Western Alliance?
Assuming always, of course, that such things are still relevant to progressive history?
At the time it was the largest dynamic sculpture in the world, and weighed over 4 tons.
ReplyDeleteIt measures 8 meters long by 5 high
It is still standing at the Recycling pack in Chellora, Sydney, and it was made entirely of re-cycled materials. The wheels turn with the touch of a finger incorporate an ultra slow ‘dynohub’ three phase permanent magnet alternator starting at 8rpm which powers the lights and the motor which turns the crank, chain wheel and rear wheel. The front wheel acts like a ‘Southern Cross’ windmill, slow turning but with good torque.
I built an analogue computer, but the restrictions of using recycled materials proved a bit daunting in this area.
The plant is no longer open to the public and the sculpture has to be seen from the main road. To give you an idea of the scale, the luggage rack is a double bed, and the bell is over 2 feet in diameter. The rope on the handlebars is 3" diameter.
The chief architect of dreams on this project was Andrzej Liguz, famous for his sculptures made from recycled objects. He drew together a team of artists from Eastern Australia who worked insanely hard to complete the project in time for the opening.
WE fabricated the beast in a disused railway shed and worked all hours for about 6 weeks.
Great to see that 16 years later it’s still standing. Well done with the paintwork Phil!
Thanks so much for that wonderful information, Harry.
ReplyDelete