Monday 30 May 2011

Help is available


"The Gap" at Watsons Bay in the Eastern Suburbs is a well-known suicide spot (according to Wikipdia, about 50 annually). It's a high sandstone cliff which drops to a rock platform.

Lifeline and the Black Dog Institute have funded this and other signage to try to assist distressed people to seek help.

Sunday 29 May 2011

Roadside memorial


The first time I became aware of roadside memorials for people killed in accidents was in Italy. They are now reasonably common in Australia.  This telegraph pole on the Princes Highway at Tempe is cvered with plastic flowers. It has been there for at least the past couple of years.

I found a website cataloguing Australian roadside memorials.

Saturday 28 May 2011

Sydney Theatre


Today I went with my lovely friend Lynelle to Sydney Theatre in the Walsh Bay area to see a compendium of 5 short ballets, called Body Torque. It features new choreographers, and younger members of the Australian Ballet.

You can watch a live streaming of it on the net on Sunday (tomorrow) at 3pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. Click here.

Friday 27 May 2011

Number plates


In NSW you can design your own car number plate, subject to certain styles available, and conditions. Check it out here.

Occasionally someone's idea is refused, if it is likely to cause offence. Recently there was a complaint about a plate reading "KIKI" which was a lifelong nickname of a woman of  Greek heritage, a term of endearment. Apparently it means "vagina" in Tagalog, a language of the Philippines. The complaint was dismissed. See here.

I saw this one on my way home, and reckon the owner/s has/have creatively escaped the number plate censors. It made me laugh. I trust they are enjoying their life together!!

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Autumn in Chalmers St, Redfern


Beautiful autumn colour in Chalmers St, Redfern.

Most native to Sydney foliage is evergreen, but these street plantings of deciduous trees add lots of colour and enable winter sun through.

Purists mightn't like them, but I love it!

Any opinions?

Monday 23 May 2011

Late autumn sun


There's nothing like some gorgeous late autumn weather to lift the spirits. The water temperature at Bexley Pool yesterday was 25 degrees, the air temperature hot 23. I took advantage of the benign conditions for a swim. A great way to iron the crinkles out.

Sunday 22 May 2011

The Human Sundial, Sydney Park


If you satnd on the day's date on the figure eight (analemma) , with the sun behind, and face your shadow, the time will be revealed.

I took the photo at 11:53 am.

Saturday 21 May 2011

Walking the dog, Sydney Park


Sydney Park is a popular dog-walking venue.

Nice to see this "built in dog bowl" for poochie refreshments.

The Rolling Stones may be impressed

Friday 20 May 2011

Sydney Park AIDS Memorial Grove


Within Sydney Park are several groves of trees which have been planted as a living memorial to those who have died of HIV/AIDS.

From the SPAIDS website:

"Community groups were encouraged to plant Australian native species of trees, and SPAIDS was supported by Council in 1994 at its first planting on 15 May 1994.

"Individuals who were carers of people with HIV/AIDS felt the need for a living memorial to those who had died from the disease, so Council was approached to set aside a section of this new park project for this purpose. Council agreed. At the time the Council was organizing three plantings a year in order to accelerate growth of trees.

"SPAIDS persisted with Council and plantings, and by 2008, SPAIDS had had 33 plantings and planted over 8000 trees and commemorated over 1200 people."

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills



Sydney Council is doing a major upgrade of this park in inner suburb Surry Hills. I have blogged it before. This area was a bit of a wasteland with some degraded grass; now there's a kids' playground, and picnic and barbecue facilities.

I'm really looking forward to the re-opening of the pool in late 2011.

Monday 16 May 2011

Saturday 14 May 2011

Hawkesbury River, Brooklyn


I was lucky enough to be working up this way yesterday. Beautiful place on the Hawkesbury River on the northern most egde of Sydney.

Thursday 12 May 2011

Old and new


Part of historic Sydney hospital, with modern buildings on the opposite side of Macquarie Street behind.

Thursday 5 May 2011

Railway mural, St Peters

Mural along the railway line at St Peters, depicting nearby Alexandria Canal, buildings, and a Qantas (?) plane coming in to land at the airport.





Tuesday 3 May 2011

Southern Cross sculpture



This glass sculpture of the Southern cross is by Jon Hawley. It is in the vestibule of the Mitchell Wing of the State Library of NSW.

It is based on the earliest depiction of the stars of the Southern Cross, a woodcut engraving of 1516 by Andrea Corsali.

Sunday 1 May 2011

Theme Day: Mailbox

City Daily Photo contributors are posting mail boxes from around the world today.

Here's a modern mailbox...it delivers mail instantaneously from around the world....but it can't quite deliver the hard copy in quite the same way.....which do you prefer?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants