Sydney Town Hall restoration work

Restoration of this beautiful Victorian sandstone building  is currently under way. The first time I saw that "picture of the building" scaffolding cover was in Italy. 

Another bright blue winter sky...before the front which arrived later and brought a dramatic change.

Click here to see a previous post of the jacarandas in bloom.

And here to see the Town Hall from the diagonally opposite view.

Wolli Creek apartments

Out of former light industrial and warehouse land at Wolli Creek, a whole new city of apartments is arising.

Previously blogged here 

Have a seat!

Pub

Journalism is not a crime

A post in support of the three Al-Jazeerah journalists jailed in Egypt for the "crime" of doing their jobs. 

Moratorium

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, opposition to the war in Vietnam had grown to a huge mass movement.

This piece of remnant graffiti promoting the cause still exists (as of yesterday!) in the railway underpass at Arncliffe in Sydney. I wonder if there is any elsewhere?

The Moratorium against the Vietnam War began in the United States, with the first Moratorium march on 15 October, 1969. This followed anti-war marches on the United Nations and Pentagon in 1967. On 15 November, 1969, 500,000 people marched on Washington DC.

In Australia the first marches took place on 8 and 9 May, 1970. Over 200,000 people took part, 100 000 in Melbourne. It was the largest mass movement against the war to that time. The second was in September 1970 and the third  in July 1971. By this time, public opinion was turning decisively against conscription and Australia's involvement in the war.

Guess who lives here?

Midwinter's Day

Winter solstice in Sydney - warm (20 deg C), sunny, still, quiet. Birds twittering, children playing in neighbouring yards. A blissful day.

Winter sky

Rockdale

A film for photographers

I don't usually post a picture which is not a photo I have taken myself, but I want to draw this to the attention of photographers.

This film, winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and the audience award for best narrative feature at the Sydney Film Festival is one that anyone with an interest in photography should try to see. 

The film-maker, Nuri Bilge Ceylan (director and co-writer) is also a stills photographer. it shows. Every frame is like a photograph, held just long enough to explore, but without it flagging. Portraits, landscapes, interiors, action shots, animals, people, emotions....

Not everyone is going to like a wordy, philosophical, 3-hour + film, but I loved it, especially as it was so visually stunning. Every frame could be framed and hung in a photographic exhibition. It also has a lot to say about the human condition.

It was a late starter in the Sydney Film Festival, not included in the official competition, or program. The two screenings were announced after the festival began, and were sold out.