Theme Day - Umbrellas

This was taken a couple of years ago but it could have been last weekend.

Visit the City Daily Photo February Theme Day.

Covered up

Sydney Town Hall is undergoing restoration so presumably no Christmas lights this year.

Town Hall sculpture

These two sculptures are housed inside Sydney Town Hall.

An Ear for Music: From a large piece of Carrara marble, sculptor Peter Schipperheyn created a tribute to Dame Joan Sutherland who first sang in Sydney Town Hall in a student performance of the "Christmas Oratorio" in 1946. She maintained that the opportunity to sing in Sydney's Town Hall represented a pinnacle in her career. The sculpture, which features a large ear, draws analogy to the idea of sound and music. Shipperheyn's design appealed to the committee appointed to commission the work because it did not attempt to create a portrait of Dame Joan, or her operatic characters. According to Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of NSW, the work of Peter Shipperheyn, a self-taught artist, expresses hope, sensitivity, classicism and contemporanity.

Remember Nellie Melba: Recessed into the southern wall of the Main Hall of Sydney Town Hall is a bas relief inscribed "Remembering Nellie Melba", by Arthur Murch. Murch was a former engineer who had changed careers and after studying painting and sculpture became an official war artist during World War II. The tribute was proposed by Lord Lurgan, who as a vocalist toured Australia for the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1939. As a young singer, Lurgan had received encouragement from Melba, and his tribute was intended to record Melba's great contribution to music in a venue where she had performed so often. The tablet depicts a figure in song with instrumental and natural accompaniment. It was unveiled by Her Excellency Lady Gowrie during the interval of the first War Fund Patriotic Concert arranged by the ABC in the Town Hall on 19 May 1941 on the anniversary of Melba's birthday.

Art and About (4)

Another rather odd installation, "friendly" traffic signs dotted around the city, although the one above doesn't seem too friendly.

This one is set up next to the talking dog at Town Hall. That's him on the fountain to the right.

Not so Vivid

Was quite surprised to see this on the way home last week. Something to do with the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule. The building being lit is Hong Kong House at Town Hall. Apologies for the quality (or lack of) of these shots, they are hand held in rapidly fading light with the little C90.

Christmas Lights (3)

Sydney Town Hall, not as good as last year and nowhere near as impressive as St Mary's Cathedral.

Sydney Christmas (2)

Christmas Lights (3)



Art & About - Sydney Statues Project (6)

 Queen Victoria outside the Queen Victoria Building at Town Hall.

Sydney Town Hall - Interior (4)

The lower Town Hall has now been turned into an accessible multipurpose venue, including an exhibition space for the City's treasures and historic artifacts.

The Vault, once a fireproof room for Council's archives and records, is now a meeting room furnished with restored cedar furniture from the original Council chamber.

Sydney Town Hall - Interior (3)

Paintwork has been redone in the Victorian style and when the floor covering of the council chamber was removed they uncovered the original parquet floor, now beautifully restored.

Sydney Town Hall - Interior (2)

I was surprised at the beauty of the stained glass in the building.

Sydney Town Hall - Interior

Sydney Town Hall has recently been refurbished and restored as part of a major fire safety and essential services upgrade. This week's photos were taken during the open weekend a little while back.

Christmas Lights (4)