Still more spring flowers

Replenishing the planter boxes that have been set up around the city.

Evening

Evening lights, Central Station.

BYO

Because of the damage done by the World Youth Day pilgrims, large areas of Hyde Park have been returfed and currently are off limits, including seats. This chap had the right idea - he brought his own.

Ours no More

Unfortunately Dairy Farmers (originally a cooperative of dairy farmers) is no longer Australia's milk. It was recently taken over by National Foods, a unit of Japanese brewing giant Kirin.

Sky Watch Friday

This is an old one but I didn't manage to take any sky shots last week.

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Heaven

My willpower weakened and I went in to the Lindt chocolate shop. I came away with a bar of dark chocolate with chilli - Heaven!

Makes you Think

Last week, Medicins Sans Frontieres' "Refugee Camp in You City" was in Martin Place. The recreation of a refugee camp aimed to introduce people to the work of MSF and to give an idea of how refugees live, with examples of tents, toilets, health care and the rations they receive.

The Power of Un

These billboards have appeared at a couple of the railway stations that I regularly use. I think they are quite clever. There is no indication of what they are advertising. The text reads as follows:

With un you can unworry, unravel, unshackle, unload, unbabble or
take off your underpants because nobody wears derpants.
With un there is no stress. Just unstress.
No hassle. Just unhassle. No annoying bits. Just unannoying bits.
Most of all, with un you can undo what you did.
You can undrive through the car wash with the window down.
Or unbreak-dance in front of your teenage sone. And his mates.
Or unflood the downstairs laundry that now doubles as the pool room.
Un makes life relaxing and unreal.
So I say to those inquisitive enough to enquire
"Un your life. Be happy and live for now. Don't worry. Unworry.
And go you good thung."

(Full page ads in the Sunday papers contained the logo of a well known insurance company.)

Fresh is Best

Farmers' market in the city, conveniently close to where I work.

Beware

If you don't use their products, you could end up looking like this. Another, somewhat different, display in David Jones.

More spring flowers

More from the David Jones' spring floral display.

Sky Watch Friday

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St Mary's Cathedral

I've featured St Mary's, Sydney's Catholic Cathedral, in several posts - mainly for Sky Watch, and always the exterior. Here are some shots of the interior.

Spring flowers

Every year David Jones, one of the major department stores, holds a floral display on the ground floor of its city flagship store.

Multiculturalism

This is a sign at the local primary school where yesterday's photos were taken. I know we have a high proportion of Lebanese and Macedonian residents in the local area but wasn't aware that there are still enough Greeks to warrant signs in that language as well.

Civic Duty

Last Saturday we went to the polls to vote in the councillors who will run our local governments for the next few years. My polling place is the local primary school. Because there is so much dissatisfaction with the major parties at the moment it is likely that indpendent candidates will do well. Voting is compulsory in Australia for all three levels of government - Federal, State and Local. If I don't vote I get fined.

Look Up

Sometimes if you look up instead of straight ahead, you'll see something you've never really noticed before.

Sydney's Harley Street

Harley Street in London is the home of medical specialists who will charge you an arm and a leg for the benefit of their opinion. Sydney's equivalent is Macquarie Street. This lovely building, Hengrove Hall, houses several specialists, each of whom has a brass plate beside the door.

Sky Watch Friday

In keeping with this week's skyscrapers, here is an early morning, winter blue sky over the towers in the Town Hall area of the city.

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Forbidden

These are the photos I wasn't supposed to take. They are of the lift well in yesterday's skyscraper - Deutsche Bank Place. The lifts run on the outside of the metal framework which stretches way, way up into the distance and is backed by glass. You can see two of them to the left of the top photo. I'd taken one shot when the security guard approached me and told me it wasn't allowed. I expressed disappointment and told him how impressive I thought it was and he grinned and said "if I turn my back, I won't see you, will I" and I quickly took another shot.

Deutsche Bank Place

This is one of the few modern buildings in the city that I really like. It boasts a massive open foyer with fountains, flowers and cafes and a stunning lift lobby. Like Chifley Square (yesterday's post) it lives in the big end of town - the area that houses lawyers, bankers and politicians. It also has a planted and grassed area, visible through the windows above the cafes (below), which is presumably for staff as it does not seem to be accessible from the street.

The Winner

This is one of the photos in the winning portfolio of the Canon/Australian Professional Photographer of the Year competition. The competition was won by Victorian photographer Mercury Megaloudis.

The exhibition was held in the foyer/shopping arcade of one of the big office blocks in the "big end of town". Although some of the portfolios were stunning the way they were exhibited was a disappointment, they were lost in and overshadowed by the vast space surrounding them.

Waiting for News

Cameramen setting up outside the Reserve Bank last week waiting for the latest announcement on interest rates (which were lowered 0.25%, a start but not enough to help most people).

Botanical Gardens (2)

Botanical Gardens

Sky Watch Friday

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Aurora Place

This ultra modern tower sits diagonally opposite the old sandstone State Library building. It is called Aurora Place and was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano to counterpoint the sails of the Opera House.

Trim

The best and most illustrious of his race

The most affectionate of friends,

faithful of servants,

and best of creatures

He made the tour of the globe,

and a voyage to Australia,

which he circumnavigated,

and was ever the delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers

Written by Matthew Flinders in memory of his cat

This statue of Trim sits on a ledge on the facade of the State Library, directly behind the statue of his owner, Matthew Flinders. Trim was Flinders' ships cat and accompanied him on his circumnavigation of Australia.

I can never speak of cats without a sentiment of regret for my poor Trim, the favourite of all our ship's company on the Spyall. This good-natured purring animal was born on board His Majesty's ship the Roundabout in 1799 during a passage from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay; and saving the rights and titles of the parish of Stepney, was consequently an Indian by birth. The signs of superior intelligence which marked his infancy, procured for him an education beyond what is usually bestowed upon the individuals of his tribe; and being brought up amongst sailors, his manners acquired a peculiarity of cant which rendered them as different from those of other cats, as the actions of a fearless seaman are from those of a lounging, shame-faced ploughboy; it was, however, from his gentleness and the innate goodness of his heart, that I gave him the name of my uncle Toby's honest, kind-hearted, humble companion. In playing with his little brothers and sisters upon deck by moonlight, when the ship was lying tranquilly in harbour, the energy and elasticity of his movements sometimes carried him so far beyond his mark, that he fell overboard; but this was far from being a misfortune; he learned to swim and to have no dread of the water; and when a rope was thrown over to him, he took hold of it like a man, and ran up it like a cat:

Read Flinders' full biographical tribute to his beloved cat.

Spring is Sprung

Spring is sprung and new life is making its presence felt.

This funny little bird is a masked lapwing (what would we do without google). She and her mate had four tiny, tiny chicks in tow.