Friday 30 June 2006
Bus shelter and kiosk
On Monday I showed you one of the newer JC Decaux bus shelters. Here is one of the more traditional shelters and kiosks (selling newspapers and snack foods) , a hundred metres or so along the same street. It is at the corner of Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets in the corner of Hyde Park.
It dates from the early 20th century and is an example of the "Federation" style of architecture, so named because it was popular at the time of Australian Federation (1901), when all the former colonies were federated as a single country. The architectural style, sometimes also called Edwardian, was a version of the Queen Anne style from England. It is an extremely popular style and Federation houses command high prices.
Thursday 29 June 2006
The Shell Garage - Vanishing Icon Number 2 ?
In homage to Ham's London photo from a couple of days ago, I offer up this shell garage, in the front of the Catholic church presbytery in Homebush. Apparently it featured in a TV ad for a bank some years ago. In the front yard there is an equally gorgeously festooned fountain, with a madonna on top, which, apparently glows at night. It seems like a night time trip may be in order some time soon....
There's another picture of the garage, and one of the fountain here.
Wednesday 28 June 2006
Your Rights At Work march and rally
Since the federal government introduced its new Industrial Relations laws earlier this year, there has been much disgust and dissent about how far they screw workers and favour bosses. Today rallies were held around Australia. In Sydney it was in Blacktown, a western suburb. The orange bus is the Unions NSW bus, which has been touring the country spreading the message. Here at the rally you could stock up on t-shirts for the campaign.
There 's more info about the Sydney rally here, and about the campaign against the laws in general here.
For some more photos visit my spillover blog : Sydney Daily Photo Extra - here and here.
Tuesday 27 June 2006
Vanishing (?) icons Part One
I set out to photograph a few icons of Sydney which I tip will be swallowed up in the progress of time (ie property development) before too long. The reason this one may disappear is that this end of the city (Surry Hills) is rapidly being gentrified with new apartments and warehouse conversions. These sorts of urban areas in any city fascinate me.
This sign is clearly visible from the elevated suburban train line out of central. I used to love watching it as a kid as the golfer 'hit' the ball and a coloured light showed its progress all the way over to the hole. It is a fine example (last remaining in Sydney) of an animated neon sign.
It is listed on the State Heritage Register - which does not guarantee its survival. The only thing I can compare it to is the old 'Skipping Girl' vinegar factory sign in Melbourne, which has gone.
You can read all about its history and significance here.
Monday 26 June 2006
The French Connection
Sydney City's "street furniture" is provided by French company, JC Decaux. This includes bus shelters (which some people complain don't shelter you from the sun in summer, or rain!), power poles, rubbish bins, toilets, telephone booths.
Here's an example in Elizabeth St in the city. You can see Hyde Park through the glass.
There's some pics of a Decaux toilet on my other site, Sydney Daily Photo Extra. Just quietly, they appear better maintained than the free toilets you find around Paris these days.
Sunday 25 June 2006
Wrought iron and sandstone
In Sydney there are many buildings where there is a marriage between two building materials which I think go so well together - wrought iron and sandstone.
Here is a magnificent example at the front of the Great Synagogue in Elizabeth Street. The foundation stone for this synagogue was laid in 1875, and it was consecrated on 4 March, 1878. Regular Jewish services had begun in Sydney in the 1820s, and there were about 16 Jews amongst the 751 convicts in the First Fleet.
You can read more about the Great Synagogue here.
There are a couple more photos of the Great Synagogue here, at Sydney Daily Photo Extra.
Saturday 24 June 2006
Fog
Here in Sydney we don't have too many foggy days - maybe one or two a year. Yesterday was one. Here's the effect in my local park as I walked by on the way to work. The avenue of oak trees looked especially enticing, especially behind the evergreen gum tree in the foreground. There's another photo at Sydney Daily Photo Extra, as well as a couple of shots of the central city.
Friday 23 June 2006
Two men, an important announcement
Today I was wandering along Martin Place in the city when I came upon a smallish media pack and these two blokes getting quite excited about a joint annoucement they had to make.
No, they weren't challenging the Howard government's legislated ban on gay marriage.
Given they are the Premiers of New South Wales, Morris Iemma (left) and South Australia, Mike Rann (right), you might be forgiven for thinking it could possibly be some project of major significance like, ooooh, restoring the health of the Murray-Darling River system, joining forces to oppose the Howard government's regressive educational policies . . ., but no.
These two elected representatives are telling us that NSW and SA are "leading the bid" to host the 2018 World Cup.
Morris, I'd like you first to put back the money into public schools and public hospitals that was ripped out to pay for the 2000 Olympics, thanks very much.
There are a couple more photos at Sydney Daily Photo Extra.
Thursday 22 June 2006
George St Pissoir
You can read all about it here.
And there's some additional photos here.
Wednesday 21 June 2006
Sydney Airport
Despite what some people think, flights to The Apple Isle (Tasmania) do not leave from this terminal - Tasmania is a state of Australia and flights are domestic! (On a certain travel site I frequent, there are often requests for help from people announcing they are going to visit "Australia and Tasmania")
Tuesday 20 June 2006
Monday 19 June 2006
Sunday 18 June 2006
World Cup
Last World Cup, Australia weren't in it. This wonderfully multicultural country had supporters for every team. It was so much fun, you could switch allegience as teams got knocked out.
This time, all those supporters (well, most of them) are behind Australia. If - !!!!- (when??) Australia gets knocked out, we can all support our 'second string' teams, but until then ...these flags are very popular around where I live!
Saturday 17 June 2006
Opera House and Ferry
I took this shot from the walkway of the Harbour Bridge.
Friday 16 June 2006
Carousel
Last time I was down in Darling Harbour I went for a ride on it. Great fun!
Thursday 15 June 2006
A new broom
Wednesday 14 June 2006
Free BBQs
Tuesday 13 June 2006
Macedonian wedding
Monday 12 June 2006
Islamic garden gnome
Sunday 11 June 2006
Keeping out the winter chill
Maximum temperature in Sydney today was 13 degrees. A good excuse to break out the daggiest footwear in the business - the Ugh boot. People in some parts of the world seem to regard these as high fashion items. To my mind they're great for the trip to the clothesline in the backyard, and keeping your tootsies warm at night!
But I buy the cheaper knockoff varieties! Better still, I'd rather a pair of warm slippers for Mother's Day than the electronic gadgets the retailers push. Fortunately, Mother's Day is in May, perfect timing for slippers!
Saturday 10 June 2006
Friday 9 June 2006
Red Cross Blood Service
Thursday 8 June 2006
Window cleaning
Wednesday 7 June 2006
After the rain
After years of drought, we need much more rain - it would help if more fell in the dam catchments, but longer term it would help even more if there were schemes to harvest Sydney's rainfall runoff, which all ends up running out to see via the stormwater drains.
Tuesday 6 June 2006
Monday 5 June 2006
Paperbark trees
Sunday 4 June 2006
Winter cricket
It's just a pity someone has flicked the switch to "brrrrrrr" cold this weekend, and being a parent on the sidelines is a bracing experience!
Saturday 3 June 2006
Friday 2 June 2006
Museum of Sydney
"From the edge of the trees the Cadigal people watched as the strangers of
the First Fleet struggled ashore in 1788. We can only imagine what their
thoughts would have been. This sculptural installation by artists Janet
Laurence and Fiona Foley symbolises that first encounter. Richly embedded with
materials and language, the sculpture evokes layers of memory, people and
place."http://www.hht.net.au/collections/museum_of_sydney
You can walk among the massive pillars - some inscribed with the names and words of those who arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 or Eora people, others with glass panels through which you can see human hair, ash, feathers or other organic matter suggesting the physical traces of the past - and listen to the haunting, evocative sounds of Eora speech.
Thursday 1 June 2006
Back sheds
There's a great tradition of backyard sheds in suburban Australia, and Sydney is no exception. In days gone by one may have been a "chook shed" (a chook is a chicken), but they're pretty much extinct now, what with smaller backyards and council health regulations. Some people kept racing pigeons. But the most commmon shed would be for tools and gardenning things.
I fancy the shed on the left may have been a chook shed - I put my eye up to a gap in the fence palings and saw it had an open front, and chicken wire on the sides. It's now a greenhouse / fernery.
I also loved the contrasting textures of the wooden fence palings, the chicken wire and corrugated iron. The only thing missing is a choko vine.