Cockatoos (and an ibis)

Arncliffe Park plays hose to a large flock of cockatoos, and ibis. The cockies fly over to the 100 year olf mandarin tree in our backyard, and create an incredible mess, as they dive into the fruit for the seeds, and then drop the fruit all over the back yard...and sometimes out on the street!

Boats

Australian made

There's very little clothing and textile manufacturing left in Australia. It's wonderful to still see this iconic sign at the Koala factory in Arncliffe.

Arncliffe used to be a mix of light manufacturing and working class housing - a working class inner suburb.

Now the factories have all but disappeared as the high rise housing development has encroached. In planning circles they are called "brown fields sites." Once upon a time, the manufacturing workforce could afford to live in these inner-ring suburbs, and their jobs were located nearby, or on public transport corridors.

How long before the small industrial site is swallowed up?

Hats off to the owners of the family business, Koala, for the following statement on their website. It's a really informative website, with a short video(click here)  of their 82 year history, and a photo gallery of the whole process from designing to manufacturing (click here).

Statement by Koala: 

Australian Manufacturing Is Our Future.

We have a single-minded purpose… to keep Australian manufacturing jobs in Australia. This is our primary goal and it’s at the heart of everything we do. We believe that as long as there is a loyal market of Australian customers who value locally-made high-quality products, Koala Clothing will continue to move from strength to strength. We’re proud of the past 80 years and we’re excited about the next 80 years and beyond!

At sunset

The last rays of sun are reflected in the buildings near Central Railway at Centennial Plaza.

Protest - Bust the Budget

Yesterday, Sun 6 July, protest marches were held across Australia in cities and regional towns.
Dubbed "Bust The Budget" rallies, they are in protest at the unfair cuts being made by the federal government. Almost no institution is spared: scientific research, the public broadcaster the ABC, students, schools, hospitals, the disabled, the elderly, the poor, the sick, the homeless, asylum seekers, women suffering violence...

The only groups spared are the very wealthy and the large corporations.

I love this home made sign....someone took the time to show he cares.

(Abbott is the Prime Minister - deeply unpopular, even though only elected last September) and Hockey is the Treasurer. Hockey was photographed with his finance Minister smoking a big fat cigar on the afternoon he delivered the budget in parliament....sort of symbolic of the fat plutocrat....

Circus

The circus is in town. This is a "traditional circus", or as they bill themselves an "Animal Circus"... which is why I wouldn't be going. I love acrobats, and trapeze artists, and burlesque, and even clowns, but not animals other than humans performing tricks.

There's camels, performing monkeys, performing lions "and much more"

Would you go? Have you been to an "animal circus"? How was it? 

Mark Foys

The steps of the long-gone Mark Foys department store. It is now the Downing Centre court complex.

You could be forgiven for thinking it's a scene featuring a very elegant young woman with her child and mother in Rome.

Elegant they are, and very "modern" - they're not wearing gloves for the big trip to "town". 

The year was approx 1955. The elegant young woman (aged about 20)  is my mother-in-law, the older woman her mother, and the boy is my husband. 

I love this photo! 

Here's a blog I published in 2006 about Mark Foys

Sunny winter afternoon

Along the Cooks River at Tempe . A stand of beautiful Port Jackson fig trees.

Detail. Sydney Town Hall

Organ pipes and lighting rig, Sydney Town Hall