Pyrmont, boardwalk

The boardwalk along the foreshore of Pyrmont Point Park provides scenic views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline. It will soon be officially named Stevedore Walk, to commemorate Pyrmont’s maritime workers and industries which were based on and around the site, from the mid 19th century until the second half of the 20th century.
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Pyrmont, old wharf

The pylons and remnants of an old wharf are seen here reflected in Johnstons Bay at Pyrmont. They have been retained as a 'pole garden', beside the parkland which was previously the site of the water police headquarters. It is now an extension of Pyrmont Point Park which will soon be renamed Pirrama Park, to recognise the original Aboriginal name for the Pyrmont peninsula.
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Anzac Bridge, sunset

The western pylon of Anzac Bridge at Rozelle, viewed at sunset from Waterfront Park at Pyrmont.

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Pyrmont, Waterfront Park

These three enormous rusted steel spheres have been installed in Waterfront Park, in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. This area was once used by CSR Limited for a major sugar mill, sugar refinery and associated industries. Over the years, the company diversified operations into rum distillery, building products and eventually mining. This park is located on the site of the former CSR factory which was used for the production and storage of Caneite fibre board, a by-product from the crushing of sugar cane and Hardboard, made from eucalypt and other hardwood chips. These spheres were Digesters used to produce Hardboard. The wood chips were expanded using high pressure steam, releasing the natural lignins in the wood that turned them into fibre that were pressed into boards for use as building material. The spheres were salvaged from the factory before demolition and used as historical interpretive elements in the park.

Pyrmont, Tied to Tide

"Tied to Tide" is an artwork located on the waterfront of Pyrmont Point Park, in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. It is located along the boardwalk on Sydney Harbour which provides views across Johnstons Bay and towards the city skyline. This installation, which was created by Jennifer Turpin and Michaelie Crawford in 1999, is described as an ‘aquatic instrument’ involving eight identical arms of recycled hardwood beams and red ladders which are ‘played’ by the winds, tides and waves to independently rise, fall, pivot and rotate.

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Pyrmont, Waterfront Park, Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is the name of this sculpture, installed in 2008, that lines the path at Waterfront Park in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. Jacksons Landing is the name of the residential and commercial property redevelopment that has taken place on the former site of a major sugar refinery which was operated by the Colonial Refining Company, later CSR Limited. The rusted steel barrel is a Digester which was used in the manufacture of Hardboard. According to the sculptor, Anton James: The sculpture is based on the simple observation that the transformation taking place at Jacksons Landing landscape. The pieces that make up "Metamorphosis", like the basic elements of the site, remain constant, only their orientation and one's perception of them changes.

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Pyrmont, apartments

A glimpse of one of the pylons of Anzac Bridge between a new apartment block on the edge of Waterfront Park and a sandstone cliff, in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. 

Sydney Opera House, tall ship

The tall ship, Southern Swan, sailing past the Sydney Opera House.

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Sydney Opera House

 Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point is the most recognised Sydney landmark throughout the world. It was designed and mostly built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The Sydney Opera House was opened in 1973 and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. It is a multi-venue performing arts centre. On a bright sunny day the white tiled shells cast a reflection in the blue waters of Sydney Cove, on Sydney Harbour.

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Circular Quay

A view of Circular Quay ferry terminal from the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Circular Quay railway station sits behind with the elevated Cahill Expressway above it, rising to the city skyline.

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Circular Quay, ferries

These Sydney Ferries have just departed Circular Quay Ferry Terminal and are travelling past the Bennelong Apartments at East Circular Quay. The Golden Grove is a First Fleet Class ferry acquired in 1986 and is part of the fleet that operates on the Inner Harbour. It was named Golden Grove, after the one of eleven ships of the First Fleet that sailed to Australia in 1787. The Betty Cuthbert is a Rivercat Class ferry acquired in 1992 and is part of the fleet that cruises up the Parramatta River. It was named after Betty Cuthbert, an Australian athlete and Olympic gold medallist.

Campbells Cove, tall ship, Southern Swan

The Southern Swan is a tall ship in Campbells Cove at The Rocks, seen here preparing for an afternoon sail on Sydney Harbour. You can see another view of it towards the Opera House here and some photos of a theatrical spectacle called Fire Water at Campbells Cove at night, during the Vivid Festival last year here.

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Customs House Square, advertisement

This Volkswagen kombi is being used for a promotion at Quay Bar, an outdoor bar in Customs House Square, near the tigers featured yesterday. The kombi van became a major counterculture symbol during the hippie era. Many featured hand-painted or air-brushed murals that made a statement about the era with their brilliant art work. At first, I thought this was an inspired art creation to celebrate Chinese New Year, in the Year of the Tiger based on an idea borrowed from an idyllic time, but then I realised this was actually just another way for a corporation to advertise a product, in his case a brand of beer.

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Customs House Square, Lunar New Year, Tiger

These 'Giant Digital Origami Tigers' celebrate Chinese New Year in Customs House Square, in front of Customs House at Circular Quay. This art installation was commissioned to raise awareness about the endangered status of tigers, in the Year of the Tiger. The installation is inspired by traditional Chinese lantern-making methods and zhezhi, the art of paper folding, more popularly known by the Japanese name origami. They are made from an aluminium wire frame with a stretched barrisol membrane and are illuminated at night by pulsating lights. The tigers were designed by LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture) an international design firm that also designed 'Void' during the Vivid Sydney festival last year. The designers also added some humour with the tigers playing soccer, to kick off the FIFA world cup starting later this year.

Summer Hill, temple

This temple is located on the corner of Kensington Road and Liverpool Road, in a building that was a Masonic temple in the 1920s. The building was converted to house the Taoist deity of Wong Tai Sin on the lower floor and the Buddhist Bodhisattva of Kwan Yin on the upper floor.

Summer Hill houses

Euroka and Merilbah are two heritage listed houses on Smith Street, in the inner west suburb of Summer Hill. They were both built in the Victorian Free Classical architecture style in the late 1890s.

Summer Hill, St Andrews Anglican Church

St Andrew's Anglican Church, located on the corner of Smith Street and Henson Street, dominates the skyline of Summer Hill. This sandstone and brick church was designed by Alexander Leckie Elphinstone Junior with the foundation stone laid in 1883 and the spire completed in 1906. I was lucky enough to get a bit of blue sky in this shot because those clouds rolled in so quickly that it was completely overcast within minutes.
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Summer Hill, shops

The inner west suburb of Summer Hill has many heritage listed buildings. The former post office (top) building which opened in 1900 was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, in the Federation Free style. It is located on the corner of Smith Street and Moonbie Street. Further along Smith Street are these four shopfronts and residences (bottom) erected in 1913 and designed by architect J. Spencer-Stansfield with Art Nouveau styling.

Summer Hill, fountain

This fountain and mural on the side of an Italian restaurant give this public plaza a European feel. The small town square is located in the inner west suburb of Summer Hill, on the corner of Lackey Street and Hardie Avenue.
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Homebush, Horse and Jockey Hotel

The Horse and Jockey Hotel is located on the corner of Parramatta Road and Knight Street in the inner west suburb of Homebush. Originally, this was the site of a magnificent hotel, known as the Half Way House Hotel, which burnt down and was replaced by this art deco pub in the 1920s. It was called the Half Way House Hotel because it was about half way between Sydney and Parramatta on the coach track, now Parramatta Road. The new name of the pub was chosen as a reminder that the old hotel overlooked a racecourse, now long gone.

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Berala, pub

The Berala Hotel is located on Woodburn Road in the western suburb of Berala. This pub, built around 1960, may not be that remarkable but they've painted the exterior in colours that are rather eye-catching and suited to the era it was built in. The name Berala is derived from an Aboriginal word taken to mean 'swamp duck' or 'musk duck', both referring to the birds of the nearby swampy Haslams Creek.

Carramar railway station

This is a view of the railway station in the western suburb of Carramar. In my quest to photograph every suburb in Sydney, sometimes it's not an easy task to find a beautiful or interesting subject in some suburbs. Carramar is definitely one suburb which has been neglected and some could say that parts of it look quite derelict. However, I did manage to find a way to photograph the railway station platform nestled among the flowering bushes that does actually make this place look rather attractive. The name Carramar is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'shade of trees'.

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Canley Vale, arts and crafts centre

Westacott Cottage is a heritage building in the western suburb of Canley Vale that is now used as the Fairfield Arts and Crafts Centre. This late Victorian era cottage on Railway Parade was built by William Westacott in 1886 and occupied by the family until the 1970s.

Cabramatta, leisure centre

The Cabravale Leisure Centre which opened in 2007 features some very comtemporary architecture. It's named Cabravale because it sits on the border of two western suburbs, Cabramatta and Canley Vale. Officially, it's in the suburb of Cabramatta but it's actually closer to the commercial centre of Canley Vale. The leisure centre features swimming pools, a gymnasium, wellness areas and function rooms. I prefer the architecture I see in older buildings but this sort of modern design catches my attention and I think all that metal looks good against the blue sky.

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Smithfield, museum and gallery

The Fairfield City Museum is located on The Horsley Drive in the western suburb of Smithfield. The museum was built in 1913 in the Edwardian archictectural style with touches of Victorian style, as the first council chambers of the Municipality of Smithfield and Fairfield, which was incorporated in 1888. The council chambers moved to Fairfield when it had become the commercial centre in the area and this property was sold and converted into a family residence. The local council recognised the historical value of the property so bought it again and opened it as a museum in 1983. Numerous buildings were also moved or erected on this property to create a village atmosphere of the early 1900s. The Stein Gallery was built in 1995 and was designed and positioned to compliment the style of the old council building beside it. This art gallery is named after one of the foundation members.

The Domain, Dual Nature

This artwork sits on the shore of Wolloomooloo Bay, near the Andrew Boy Charlton Pool. Dual Nature, created by Nigel Helyer in 1999, is described as a soundscape installation. It relates to the history of people and shipping in Woolloomooloo Bay with hybrids of marine, industrial and natural forms, transmitting ambient sounds. The semi-submerged shell objects act as natural reverberation chambers endlessly changing tone as the tide gradually fills and empties their interiors. The shell forms resting on the old sandstone structure, which was once the platform for the 'Figtree Baths', feature recordings digitally stored in chips with audio systems powered by solar panels located on top of the cranes.

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The Domain, statue, Henry Lawson

This bronze statue of famous Australian poet and short story writer Henry Lawson stands in the Domain parkland, surrounded by the loop of Mrs Macquaries Road. The sculpture created by George Lambert in 1931 features the poet flanked by Australian icons from his works about the Australian bush: a swagman, a fence post and a dog.

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The Domain, The Architecture of Bathing (Theme Day: Wood)

This mostly wooden artwork on the shore of Woolloomooloo Bay at the Domain is known as the The Architecture of Bathing by Robyn Decker, created in 1999. The monument reflects upon the cultural attitudes towards bathing in Sydney and also signifies tidal movements and the naval presence across the bay. It is located near the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool and opposite the Woolloomooloo wharf and Garden Island dockyards. A bathing machine was part of the attraction of the first ladies' baths which opened in this area in 1833 by Mrs Biggs, who was the wife of Governor Macquarie's coachman. The plaque reads: "The Woolloomooloo Bay shoreline has a long association with bathing. It is reported to have been used by the Cattigal people prior to and after European settlement and it is along this shore that Sydney's first baths were built. The Woolloomooloo baths nurtured some of Australia's greatest national and Olympic swimming champions. Between 1833 and 1955 this area of the Bay was the site of four separate ladies’ bathing establishments - Mrs Biggs’ Ladies Baths, Robertson's Ladies Floating Baths, the Corporation Ladies Baths and finally the Domain Baths for Ladies. This artwork traces the perimeter of the former Domain Baths for Ladies. The elements form a collage ... a floating jetty evokes the memory of the boardwalk and marks tidal changes ... a concrete path defines the poolside deck and changing cubicles ... a bathing machine is evoked by the stair, cage and portal frame to represent the closeted space of expected modesty associated with the early days of bathing...the portal frame of the bathing machine signals across the bay via the obsolete language of Morse code".
The message flashed in morse code and in print on the deck is: "Mrs Biggs even had a bathing machine to attract ladies".

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