Sunday 28 September 2008

Things Past Part 1: Glassons Foundry


I love this fading sign from a former era, and the patchwork of bricks forming the wall. This is in the Wolli Creek / Tempe House development area. The contrast is stark. Geographers call this kind of development "brownfields" (as opposed to "greenfields", where there has been nothing previously.)

I have mixed feelings about it. High rise development brings more traffic, and light industrial areas are forced to move further afield, meaning working class jobs are kept "out of sight" and further and further from the centre of the city. Affordable housing in the immediate area is replaced by apartments for white-collar workers (average prices for these boxes are $400 000 and upwards for 2 bedrooms). Still, more homes are needed for an expanding population, and there must be limits to the sprawl of big cities, surely? This area is close to established public transport as well. Maybe I'm just fuelled by a misplaced sense of nostalgia?

7 comments:

  1. Sally I really can relate to your comment here. The future of urban areas is a huge topic with many aspects to it.

    Now I LOVED your post about Do you want longer lasting "censored" ?
    This is just SOOOOOO interesting!

    Thanks for your comments about photographying inside the art gallery of NSW. As you pointed out, WHY is the question that needs to be discussed. Postcard sales seem the main reason to me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have a lot of those signs, too. . .Just love them. I should go shoot some more! Thanks for the thought!

    You asked about the price of the house. It has about 3200 square feet. . . .hardwood floors downstairs,4 bedrooms, 3 baths, kitchen, dining room, family room, living room, bonus room (which could be another bedroom). $335,000. It should be priced about $40,000-50,000 higher. Thanks to the economic crisis the idiot has put this country in, though. . .

    ReplyDelete
  3. progress. kinda sucks sometimes...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love those signs. We have lots of them in England. particularly old working class arears with old terrace houses still standing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the wall and the patched in bricks make it extra interesting. I understand your comments.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the history and texture of the wall - such a shame these inner areas are changing!!!

    PS I hate to admit we have a house keeper who looks after the animals when we travel!! She also irons, cleans the windows and the oven.

    I am never coming home!!!!

    ReplyDelete