Melbourne Daily Photo

Hello, I created this blog because Melbourne is my city and I want people to see what a beautiful place it is. So come with me on a journey of discovery as we traverse the dining precincts, the culture, the laneways and hidden gems that make Melbourne marvellous.




Waltzing Australia

Friday 10 June 2011

La Guillotine électriques...?

Above: La Guillotine
This pylon does look a little like the (in)famous La Guillotine of the French Revolution only with a modern twist - powered by electricity!

Did you know
The guillotine was still in use in the 1930's! The last public guillotining was of Eugen Weidmann, who was convicted of six murders. He was beheaded on 17 June 1939, outside the prison Saint-Pierre rue Georges Clemenceau 5 at Versailles.

Click here to see other skies around the world


Today's quote: There is only one cure for gray hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine ~ P. G. Wodehouse.

Thursday 9 June 2011

The Statue

 
Aphrodite washes her hair

Whereabouts is this - Greece? Italy? You could be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere in the warmth of the Mediterranean, with the warm hues and the statue of the goddess with the shapely limbs as she washes her hair..But no, you are not in the Mediterranean, for this photo was taken right here in Melbourne.

This classical artwork is the centrepiece of Milano serviced apartments in the heart of Melbourne's CBD in Franklin Street.

Today's quote: For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it ~ Ivan Panin

Wednesday 8 June 2011

The Wire

The lines of modern living



Today's quote: The difference between utility and utility plus beauty is the difference between telephone wires and the spider web ~ Edwin Way Teale

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Federation Square - Urban Garden Amphitheatre

Above: Urban Garden Amphitheatre

A sign reads,
"Hi there, you're in the Urban Garden Amphitheatre.
Enjoy it. It's yours.
Stretch out on the grass.
Or pull up a seat."

Federation Square’s most intimate outdoor space - The Amphitheatre. Encircled by zinc-clad walls with views across Flinders Street onto St Paul’s Cathedral, this unique venue lets you get close to the action at events like the Comedy Festival, the Melbourne International Arts Festival and festivals celebrating the colourful and vibrant culture of those who have come from other lands.

Walking down the steps is the "Urban Garden"

Today's quote: No two gardens are the same, no two days are the same in one garden ~ Hugh Johnson

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Theme Day - Under Construction

Above: Redevelopment Project
Virtually everything here was destroyed or damaged when the Black Saturday bushfires of 7 February 2009 swept through and hit the falls reserve with such ferocity. The Steavenson Falls Recovery and Redevelopment estimated to cost around $3 million, has started. It is a massive job, and the only salvageable piece of infrastructure was the hydro-electric generator that powered the lighting system that lit up the falls at night. Before the fires, the reserve attracted up to 150,000 visitors a year and was a major regional tourist attraction.

Hazardous trees impacted by the fire are being removed as part of the recovery program - many of the trees are dead but could remain standing for several years as they decompose and eventually fall and if left unmanaged, the trees and limbs present a substantial risk to visitors and workers within the reserve.

Stage one of the redevelopment included reconstruction of Falls Road to allow visitor access, a new car park and bus parking area, a new viewing platform at the base of the falls, as well as significant underground drainage and service infrastructure.

The next stage of works will involve construction of toilet and visitor facilities, walking tracks and a spectacular viewing platform of the falls and is expected to be completed by winter 2011.


Above: Steavenson Falls Before Black Saturday
I took this photo a few short weeks before the fire swept through. Note the metal object on a pole on the left hand side in the foreground.

Above: Steavenson Falls After Black Saturday
This photo was taken November, 2010 - 21 months after the fire in almost the same place as the previous photo. The Falls were re-opened to the public eight weeks earlier.

Theme Day: Click here to view thumbnails for all participants


Today's quote: Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.

Friday 20 May 2011

Skywatch Friday

Above: Sun on Water
Taken just after 5.00pm as the sun was slowly sinking.

Click here to see other skies around the world.

Today's quote: A person should go out on the water on a fine day to a small distance from a beautiful coast, if he would see Nature really smile. Never does she look so delightful, as when the sun is brightly reflected by the water, ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Monday 25 April 2011

ANZAC Day



Today, the 25th of April is Anzac Day. Ninety-six years ago today, Australian troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula.... It was dawn, Sunday the 25th April 1915 when they rushed from the beach up to Plugge's Plateau and into Australian military history, suffering many casualties on the way.
Troops from New Zealand landed at Gallipoli just after midday... Together the Australians and New Zealanders gave birth to the Anzac legend.


ANZAC TRIBUTE
I have put together a collection of original photoshots from the First World War, in honour of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who gave their yesterday for our tomorrow. Brave men who fought with courage, deternination and gave birth to the legend of the ANZACS. From them came the meaning of mateship and standing by your mates.

This tribute includes the first Anzac Day - the landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday 25th April 1915. Also included are shots of Passchendaele, Ypres, Voormezeele - names steeped in history - marches and photos taken by the soldiers.





The events on this first day set the course of the whole battle, and led to the evacuation of the Anzac troops in December 1915.

Our Diggers
The nickname "Digger" is said to be attributed to the number of ex-gold diggers in the early army units and to the trench digging activities of the Australian soldiers during World War I. The actual origin of the name has been lost in time but the Australian soldier is known affectionately around the world as the Digger.

Above: Anzacs

The legend of ANZAC was born on 25 April 1915, and was reaffirmed in eight months’ fighting on Gallipoli. Although there was no military victory, the Australians displayed great courage, endurance, initiative, discipline, and mateship. Such qualities came to be seen as the ANZAC spirit.

Many saw the ANZAC spirit as having been born of egalitarianism and mutual support. According to the stereotype, the ANZAC rejected unnecessary restrictions, possessed a sardonic sense of humour, was contemptuous of danger, and proved himself the equal of anyone on the battlefield.

Australians still invoke the ANZAC spirit in times of conflict, danger and hardship.


Above: The Last Anzac
Alexander William Campbell, known as Alec was our last surviving Anzac and our last living link with the Anzac landing at Gallipoli and the Aussies who began the Anzac legend. He died on 16th May, 2002 at the grand age of 103 years.

Alec, born in Launceston, Tassie on 26 February 1899, lied about his age when he was 16, so he could join the army without his parents permission. He was so young and hadn't even started shaving and the other men in his battalion knicknamed him "The Kid"





Today's quote: One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one ~ Agathe Christie

Sunday 24 April 2011

Easter Sunday

May this Easter bring you happiness, joy and love, and may you find new meaning in the world around you.

Above: The Resurrection
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Alleluia.


Above: Antique Easter cards

The History of the Easter Card
We send cards for different celebrations, but do you know when the first Easter card appeared? The tradition began in the 19th century. In 1898, the first Easter cards were postcards - mail requirements for postcards stated one side was for an address and the other side was for a greeting which left little space for a long message. Mail requirements eventually changed to the familiar postcard design we see today.
Rabbits, lambs, flowers and bunnies were some of the first images to appear on Easter cards. Today, these postcards are now larger and folded in half with a picture appearing on the front and a greeting on the inside with room for the sender to write a message.


Above: The Easter egg
The egg is a symbol of the start of new life, just as new life emerges from an egg when the chicken hatches out. And so we give an "Easter" egg at Easter. The Easter eggs of old which were hard-boiled eggs painted with coloured paints and decorated have now been replaced with chocolate eggs.






Myspace Layouts, Myspace graphics



Today's quote: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances ~ Robert Flatt

Sunday 17 April 2011

Reflection in a Mirror

Above: Floral Fantasy
On a recent trip, I wanted to photograph this floral arrangement at my accommodation place and received an unexpected result - me. I'd forgotten about the mirror.

Click here to see other weekend reflections.


Today's quote: I love mirrors, they let one pass through the surface of things ~ Claude Chabrol

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Frogmore Road

Above: Frogmore Road

This oil ochre artwork on linen was created by Australian artist Mandy Martin in 2005 and hangs in the rooms of the RACV Club in Melbourne. It is composed of three panels and measures 183 x 406 cm.


About the artist:
Mandy was born in Adelaide in 1952 and studied at the SA School of Art from 1972 - 1975. A lecturer at the School of Art, Australian National University from 1978 to 2003, she was a Fellow of Australian National University from 2003 to 2007.

Mandy Martin is a practicing artist who has held numerous exhibitions in Australia, Mexico and the USA. She has exhibited widely in curated exhibitions in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, USA, and Italy. Her works are in many public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia and major state galleries and collections. In the USA she is represented in the Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and many private collections. She lives in the Cowra region, New South Wales, Australia.

You can find out more about Mandy here.

Today's quote: I dream of painting and then I paint my dream ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Sunday 3 April 2011

Mirrored Reflections

Above: The Maribyrnong
Another shot of the Afton Street pedestrian bridge over the Maribyrnong River.

Today's quote: Rivers are roads which move, and which carry us whither we desire to go ~Blaise Pascal



Go to San Fransisco Bay Daily Photo to see other Sunday Bridges around the world

Go to Newtown Area Photo to see other weekend reflections around the world

Saturday 2 April 2011

The Birds

Above: The Birds
You could be forgiven for thinking you have just stepped into an Alfred Hitchcock movie -
remember ..... "The Birds"?

What Is It?
This is actually part of the Scar Project which is located at Enterprize Park. Indigenous people would traditionally take pieces of bark from some trees to make canoes, shields or baby cradles and these 'scar trees' would serve as a signpost for other clans to let them know they had entered the land of another community. The "Scar Project" is representative of these scar trees and was constructed by Indigenous artists who used original wharf poles from Queens Bridge.


The Weekend In Black and White


Today's quote: Can I bring the lovebirds, Mitch? They haven't harmed anyone ~ Cathy Brenner.

Friday 1 April 2011

Southern Cross Station, (Theme Day: Edges)

Above: Southern Cross Railway Station
I've chosen this photo because I like the wavy edges of the roofline. I was standing on the edge of the road when I took this shot. The station is in Spencer Street from the corner of Collins Street to Little Collins Street to Bourke Street - that's a lotta station and a lotta roofline.



Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Today's quote: A border, the perimeter of a single massive or stretched-out use of territory forms the edge of an area of 'ordinary' city. Often borders are thought of as passive objects, or matter-of-factly just as edges. However, a border exerts an active influence ~ Jane Jacobs

Wednesday 30 March 2011

Pigeon loft - Batman Park

Walking along the northern side of the Yarra towards Spencer Street, I came upon this interesting structure. On taking a closer look, it turns out it is a pigeon loft, created to entice the pigeons away from the CBD.

This pigeon loft was placed here in Batman Park as part of the City of Melbourne's pigeon management programe and is intended as an alternative home for the city's pigeons especially those around the Town Hall, City Square and Bourke Street Mall.

Pigeons in the city have been a nuisance for decades and their droppings cause uncleanliness generally and also damage to city's buildings. Sitting in Federation Square you're surrounded by them.

The loft is painted with light coloured corrosion resistant to reflect the heat and minimise internal over-heating. It houses two hundred nesting boxes for pigeon breeding. Eggs laid will be replaced with artificial eggs intended as a humane way to control and reduce pigeon numbers.

Bird feeding around the loft base is permitted to attract birds out of the CBD to this area. Bird feeding is not permitted in any other area around the CBD.

I wonder if people had a problem in the old days when pigeons were used to carry messages? Perhaps governments could re-introduce this practise - think of the savings you'd make not having to buy postage stamps!

Today's quote: I don't mind being a symbol but I don't want to become a monument. There are monuments all over the Parliament Buildings and I've seen what the pigeons do to them ~ Tommy Douglas.

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Gents Dress Instructions - Ruby Tuesday

Gentlemen please...

Bistro signage
Gentlemen you have been warned! When attending please ensure that your dress is appropriate...'Twould be an interesting exercise to find out just what is considered appropriate attire for gents.

I love this sign don't you? It's in the bar of one of my favourite drinking places in the Melbourne CBD - the Mitre Tavern, which I posted about HERE.


Ladies Loo Limericks
And in the ladies loo, the walls are festooned with limericks. They have all been...laundered. Still, it's out of the ordinary, I mean to say - how many toilets do you know that have limericks written on the wall? And with pictures too!

Above: Ladies Loo

I love limericks, they're my favourite of all rhymes. Yes, I know they don't have the classiness of prose nor are they in the "blue-stocking" league, but limericks are short, easily remembered and most of all funny. Well, the "unlaundered" ones are!

Above: Limericks

Above: Limerick
As I said, the limericks on the walls have been "laundered"


The limerick packs laughs anatomical
In a spaced which is quite economical
But the good ones I've seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical!


Click here to see all participants of My World Tuesday

This is my contribution for Ruby Tuesday


Today's quote: Laughter is the best medicine ~ old proverb.

Sunday 27 March 2011

Space Lights

Metal in Motion
Above: "Space Lights"
I'm not too sure what this piece of metal artwork is supposed to represent, but to me it appears like something from an outer space or futuristic movie. The upturned sheets remind me of flower petals facing the sun. What do you think?


Above: The other side
This shot taken from around the other side. This artwork is near the RACV Club in Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD.

Edit: I received a return phone call from David at the RACV Club who informed me this piece of sculpture is called "Shadow Form III" and was created by Western Australian artist Robert Juniper.

About the artist
Robert, born in Western Australia in the wheatbelt town of Merredin in 1929 studied industrial design and commercial art at the Beckenham School of Art in England before returning home to WA. He paints, teaches art and has held many exhibitions. In 1992, he designed the coat of arms for the Commonwealth Law Courts in Perth and his artwork is held in numerous collections including the Australian National Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, Parliament House Canberra and art galleries in WA, Queensland and NSW.

In 2011, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the visual arts. You can find out more about Robert Juniper HERE.


Today's quote: At some point we’ve got to stop asking ourselves what is the meaning of everything, maybe it’s not so very important what it means. It’s probably more important what the sense of it is.. they are two very basic and different things ~ Tony Cragg

The Cup

 
Above: Self portrait?
It wasn't until afterwards thatI realised I could see myself reflected in the tea cup.

Click here to see reflections around the world.


Today's quote: O, happy the soul that saw its own faults ~ Mevlana Rumi

Saturday 26 March 2011

Children of Laos, Burma & Thailand

Some have asked me to post some photos of my recent trip to SEA, so I give you today a photo of an Akha family and a video of some of the children I met, which I've set to a famous Chinese song called "Liang Zhu". Seeing temples and other attractions are nice, but I loved seeing the children and "talking" with them. They are so open and friendly although many are very shy. I just squatted down and spent time with them. It was heart-warming seeing their little faces light up when they smiled

 
Above: Akha Mother & Baby
The Akha are a hill tribe people known for their beautiful handcraft and artistry. You can read more about these people here.


The children of Laos, Thailand and Burma (Myanmar)



Some of the children I met live in cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang, but most of these children live in villages. Some villages are very poor and have little in the way of modern conveniences, yet they have a closeness with each other that you can feel when on your first encounter. Temples and "attractions" are nice, but the time I spent with these children means more to me and it is this memory that I hold dear.

Today's quote: Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Friday 25 March 2011

Mekong Sunset

Above: Sunset over the Mekong
This was taken after we'd docked at the slowboat landing and were trudging up the walkway to Luang Prabang.

To see other skies around the world click here.


Today's quote: Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven ~ John Lubbock

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Mitre Tavern - Melbourne's Oldest Building

My favourite pub in the Melbourne CBD is the Mitre Tavern where the beer is good, the barmaids are pretty and the barmen are good-looking! (and flirtable). It has a great atmosphere and you feel like you've stepped back in time and you're in a country pub.


Above: Mitre Tavern
It's the oldest building in Melbourne and when it was first built in 1836 there were gum trees and paddocks all around. The place may be overshadowed by tall buildings and office blocks today, but this little pub remains a favourite and it's not just for the historical significance either.

Above: Timber shutters
As you can see here, there are (solid) timber shutters combined with window plants and brass nameplate. A double storey cement rendered brick building on a bluestone foundation.

A little bit of history
The Tavern was altered in 1868 and the first publican was Henry Thompson. Around 1900-1910, it was altered quite a bit more ~ Queen Anne style additions were constructed using Marseille pattern terra cotta tiles on a gable roof with half timbered gable ends. On the western side of the Tavern, a brick building was added and the windows have been altered. The Queen Anne style was very popular around the time of Federation. (Federation was 1901)

There are three bars and staff rooms on the ground floor and two dining rooms and service rooms upstairs on the first floor.
The Mitre Tavern is classified by the National Trust and is on the Victorian Heritage Register and is protected by state law.

Above: Al Fresco
These cane chairs not only look good, they're comfortable too. Just the spot for a quiet drink or tête-à-tête.

A Bit of Trivia
It is said that Sir Rupert Clarke's mistress Connie Waugh hung herself in the Mitre and her ghost haunts the halls and rooms of the tavern. Indeed, the last time I was at the Mitre (it was a Saturday) as night fell, a Ghost tour group came our way (we were sitting in the beer garden) and the guide proceeded to fill in all the grizzly details.

Above: Drinker's Corner
One thing about Melbourne - we know how to do things in style. This is the area I have dubbed "Drinker's Corner" - there's some serious drinking done here where suits rub shoulders with labourers and blokes from all walks of life stand and have a beer. Note the 'table' - a beer barrel.


Above: Beer Garden
This is the largest beer garden in the CBD and surrounded on three sides by buildings, it's sheltered by the wind. A good choice in winter and for the summer, you get a bit of a breeze from the laneway.

Mitre Tavern is located in one of Melbourne's laneways - Bank Place which runs between Collins and Little Collins Street. The beer garden is in Mitre Place which is off Bank Place. The Tavern is still in use today as it was originally - a Club/Hotel/Coffee Palace. So next time you're in Melbourne, make sure to pop in to the Mitre where you'll have a rip-roaring time where the beer flows, conversation keeps going and the pub grub is hearty and there are 34 different beers.


Today's quote: Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy ~ Benjamin Franklin

Monday 21 March 2011

An Op-Art Roof?

Above: Domed Waves
The warm colours of the retail area coupled with a futuristic light-filled roof and trees growing in the centre make this a joy to shop. This is the "Paris end" of Chadstone Shopping Centre, aka Chaddy where you will find goods and fashion from the lower end of the scale to the very top. Think - Louis Vuitton, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany... and you'll get an idea of just what lies under this gorgeous roofline.

Oh, and did I also say that "Chaddy" is the largest shopping centre in Australia!


Today's quote: If men liked shopping, they'd call it research ~ Cynthia Nelms

Sunday 20 March 2011

Bridge over the River Kwai

Above: River Kwai Bridge
This black iron bridge was brought from Java by the Japanese supervision by Allied prisoner-of-war labour as part of the Death Railway linking Thailand with Burma.

The bridge is still in use today and was the target of frequent Allied bombing raids during World War II and was rebuild after war ended. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. A daily train still follows the historical route from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok Station. Over 13,000 POW's died building the track work.

If you're interested in reading about the building of the train line and the most infamous cutting, Click here to read about it on my other blog.

Today's quote: There are no bridges in folk songs because the peasants died building them ~ Eugene Chadbourne

Monday 7 February 2011

Thorn

Above: "Thorn" by Richard Kloester

"Thorn" was born from the Earth in Chillagoe, Queensland, from a rather unusual looking marble boulder which took the shape of a thorn. Thousands of years of water passing over this marble boulder have sculpted it into what looked man-made. Hence, Thorn was carved to look back up into the sky from where its original sculptor came - rain.
This unique sculpture is made of Chillagoe marble and steel.

About the artist
"My background in scupture began at the age of 12, when I acquired my first set of carving tools. Since then I have pursued many different mediums such as wood, stone, clay and most recently bronze. Over the years I have improved on my skills by completing a degree in industrial design with distinction where I was placed on the Dean's list. I deviated from my art education into computer animation and three-dimensional modelling when I worked within television and flight simulation projects, and where attention to detail had to be flawless. I then came full circle back to sculpture in its true tangible form where raw emotion is transformed into sculpture that you can touch."
These are the words of the artist, Richard Kloester.

I never tire of looking at this it is so magnificent - just looking at that face and those eyes - eyes which are soulful with a hint of sadness in them. As if they have seen too much.The lines around the mouth and the lips themselves look as though they have known pain and suffering.


Today's quote ~ The eyes indicate the antiquity of the soul ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday 6 February 2011

Weekend Reflections - The River

Above: The Maribyrnong

Another shot of the Maribyrnong, taken at 12.30pm. Photo faces east. The left side is a popular route for walkers and cyclists which forms part of the Maribyrnong River Trail.

Click here to see other weekend reflections around the world.


Today's quote: A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself ~ Laura Gilpin

Saturday 5 February 2011

Skywatch Friday

 
Above: Darkening shadows

Taken about 4.00PM facing west - suddenly the sky darkened as clouds appeared seemingly out of nowhere - it had been a brilliant blue most of the day.

To see skies around the world click here


Today's quote: God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars ~ Martin Luther.

Friday 4 February 2011

"Time for Tea"

 
Above: "Time for Tea" ~ Graeme Foote
Graeme has been a sculptor since the 1970's when he started an apprenticeship as a stonemason. He then transferred his career to jewellery and silver-smithing, which he pursued for 15 years. In 1984 he commenced a business as an architectural sculptor working in terra cotta, stoneware and bronze. He has also completed a number of major stonewear fountain installations for private, public and corporate interests. Graeme has exhibited in solo exhibitions as well as in a number of select group exhibitions in Australia and China.

His work is represented in private collections in Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and France.


Said Graeme - I repeatedly heard from my mother that as women get older they become invisible to younger people and I had a strong feeling of injustice that this is not right for older women to be treated that way. As a sculptor I suddenly became aware that there are not many sculptures and tributes to the senior people in our community. This then inspired me to sculpt an older woman doing a favourite pastime - having a cup of tea. Time for Tea inspired me to exhibit "Six Influential Australian Women" which comprised of life size sculptures of Dame Elizabeth Murdoch, Janet Holmes a Court, Jeanne Pratt, Lowitja O'Donahue, Christine Nixon and Stephanie Alexander.

Today's quote: The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible ~Judith Regan

Thursday 3 February 2011

Playing Footsies

 
Above: The Sneaker Stretch

Federation Square is a popular meeting place, and sometimes when you are waiting a long time, it's more comfortable to do the "Sneaker Stretch" - sit on the ground arms stretched out behind and touch your toes with another.

You see people in lots of different poses and positions. This young lass was near me as I too waited for a friend.

Today's quote: This is the Zen approach: nothing is there to be done. There is nothing to do. One has just to be. Have a rest and be ordinary and be natural ~ Osho

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Gayip

The Travellers

Gayip is one of the figures of "The Travellers", an artwork across Sandridge Bridge which tells the story of our original Indigenous inhabitants and the emmigrants who came later. There are ten figures in all and each figures represents a period of migration to Australia.

There are more than 3.7 kms of stainless steel (4,455 pieces) in this artwork and the average weight of each figure is 2,307 kg. The heaviest figure weighs a mighty 7,701 kgs!


The First Figure - Gayip
Above: 1. Gayip – The Aboriginal Period
This amazing piece of sculptured artwork was designed with the assistance of Indigenous artist Mandy Nicholson.

Mandy was born in Healesville in 1975 and is of the Woi wurrrung language group of the Wurundjeri-willam clan of the Kulin Nation of people from Melbourne. When she was in Year 12 she started drawing what she termed "Aboriginal art". Her first solo exhibition was in 2001 and her work "Welcome to Melbourne" was projected around Manchester Stadium during the Closing Ceremony of the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. You can read more about Mandy HERE.

The Aboriginal Period
Aboriginal people settled in Australia at times estimated as 50,000 to 70,000 years ago, although many claim to have always been here. Tasmania separated from the mainland about 12,000 years ago and Torres Strait Islanders came over from Paua about 3,000 years ago. Apart from the TSI who practiced garden agriculture, Aborigines were hunter gatherers. The Aboriginal population in 1788 has been estimated as being between 250,000 and 750,000. There were no permanent settlements but control over traditional lands was recognised.

The Meaning of Gayip
Gayip is the Woiwurrung word for "Corroboree". Corroboree is the English word for the Aboriginal word Caribberie.

In earlier times Gayip involved an inter-clan gathering of related Aboriginal groups who used this time to advance their own spirituality, peace and unity through such means as:
Initiation ceremonies, storytelling, dancing and singing, the rekindling of friendships and relationships formed, trading goods, arranging marriages, settling disputes and the offering of support in times of sorrow or adversity


Above: Gayip - front view

Gayip stands in Southbank, and you can see Queens Bridge (1889) in the background.


Today's quote: We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home ~ Australian Aboriginal proverb.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Theme Day - Fountains ~ Walker Fountain

Above: Walker Fountain
This lovely fountain is just off St Kilda Road on the corner of Lithgow Avenue next to the Royal Botanic Gardens in King's Domain. It is made of concrete and was created in 1981 by artist Mobelt, Digregorio & Associates.

The fountain was presented to the people of Victoria by former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Ronald Walker and his wife, Barbara. There are 46 underwater lights and 144 seprate streams of water. It really is an awesome site standing here and feeling the coolness of the water as it sprays its lovely bubbles of refreshing frothiness.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Today's quote: Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as the water from a fountain. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass the fountain ~ Lao-Tze, Ancient Chinese Philosopher.

Monday 31 January 2011

Pyjama Party

Above: Bananas in Pyjamas?
I don't think so, these "ladies" are certainly far more interesting than a couple of bananas dressed in blue and white striped peejays!

About Peter Alexander
Peter Alexander is an Australian designer whose signature sleepwear have become a byword for beauty and practicality. Starting out as a one man operation on the living room table, Peter Alexander Sleepwear is now an internationally recognised sleepwear business and brand name. His story really is a rag-to-riches story and you can read more about him here.

This photo was taken at Chadstone Shopping Centre which opened up in 1961. Here you will find top designer labels and the very best on offer. Chadstone is in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs.


Today's quote: Always wear cute pyjamas to bed, you'll never know who you will meet in your dreams ~ Joel Madden

Sunday 30 January 2011

Portsea Pier

Above: Portsea Pier

Part of the Mornington Peninsula, Portsea Pier is about 125 metres long with a right-angle extension of another 80 metres or so. Built from timber, the right side is used by the many charter boats to pick up and drop off their clients. The beginning of the pier crosses over the sand about 15 metres before reaching the water.

Portsea is the hub of Melbourne's scuba diving and the pier is home to the Seahorse and the Weedy Seadragon, which is Victoria's marine faunal emblem. (Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria)

In January, Portsea hosts the Portsea Pro-Am Classic, the Pier to Pub Swim, the Melbourne to Hobart and Melbourne to Davenport Yacht Races and the Portsea Swim Classic.

To see other photos from Scenic Sunday, click here.


Today's quote: The waves of the sea help me get back to me ~ Jill Davis

Saturday 29 January 2011

Resting Place

It has been some time since I was last here. Health problems had been plagueing me and as they started settling down, I have been staying with my daughter. I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for the good wishes and may the New Year bring good times ahead.


Above: A Chair on Swanston
We were on our way to see Mary Poppins when I spotted this lovely seat on the corner of Swanston and Little Lonsdale Streets and thought now there's something worthy of a photo. I was quite taken with the lovely filagree work and the four large sunflowers. Photo was taken on an angle to try and get most of the seat in the picture.

A search finds it was created by Bronwyn Snow in 1994 and is made from steel and jarrah. Below is the only available information I was able to find.

Bronwyn Snow's Resting Place is a sculpture that combines aesthetics and function. Commissioned through the City of Melbourne's Percent for Art Program, this double-sided seat of steel and jarrah offers the urban flâneur a place to rest, take stock and take in the urban environment. The decorative elements of the seat include two serpents-traditionally a symbol of healing, rebirth and female power-towering sunflowers, which watch over the seated, and ivy. Snow claims of the work that it is 'a stopping point, a resting place for the weary spiritual traveller'. Source eMelbourne

Today's quote: A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier. That is why Chippendale is famous ~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Melbourne Daily Photo

Hello, I created this blog because Melbourne is my city and I want people to see what a beautiful place it is. So come with me on a journey of discovery as we traverse the dining precincts, the culture, the laneways and hidden gems that make Melbourne marvellous.