Sunday 31 July 2011

Birchgrove, Ballast Point Park, artefacts

Ballast Point Park at Birchgrove is located on the site of a former oil refinery. Artefacts from the demolished buildings and those discovered during redevelopmen of the site are displayed in the centre of the park in these marble and glass display cases.
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Birchgrove, Ballast Point Park

Ballast Point Park in the inner west suburb of Birchgrove is configured in terraced sections with gambion retaining walls, leading down to Sydney Harbour which provide scenic views including this one of the Sydney city skyline.

Friday 29 July 2011

Birchgrove, Ballast Point Park

This contemporary sun shelter over these benches is located in Ballast Point Park at Birchgrove. It's designed to provide shade when the sun is at its harshest, in the middle of the day, yet still provides views of the sky. The benches provide spectacular views over Mort Bay and Sydney Harbour, with Goat Island and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance.

Thursday 28 July 2011

Birchgrove, Ballast Point Park, The Tank Farm


"The Tank Farm" is the name of this structure in Ballast Point Park, in the inner west suburb of Birchgrove. The tanks depict how Ballast Point was once used by industry as a working harbourfront and grease manufacturing site. The three remaining riveted horizontal tanks date back to the 1920s and were formerly used to store solvents. They are in their original form, making them a visual landmark from land, air and the harbour.

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Birchgrove, Lady Wakehurst

The Lady Wakehurst is a former Sydney ferry that is normally moored at Snails Bay at Birchgrove.This 144 foot motor vessel was launched in 1974 and remained in service until 1996, but has been used occasionally when other ferries were out of service. It can now be chartered for cruises on Sydney Harbour for up to 650 passengers. The ferry is named after Lady Margaret Wakehurst, wife of Baron John De Vere Loder Wakehurst, former Governor of New South Wales.

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Petersham, fire station

This historic building is the former Stanmore fire station is located on Stanmore Road, at the corner of Albert Street, in the inner west suburb of Petersham. It was restored in 2003 and is now a residential building.

Monday 25 July 2011

Petersham Railway Station

The former Petersham railway station building is located in Terminus Street in the inner west suburb of Petersham. This heritage listed building, completed in 1885, was designed by George Cowdery in the Victorian Italianate architectural style. It is the only major 'First Class' station building known to have been built in Sydney in the 19th century. The main block features a central tower, sandstone steps onto a veranda, supported on cast iron columns with decorative lacework. The railway platform behind it features an awning supported by cast iron columns with decorative cast iron lace work.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Pyrmont, Jones Bay Wharf

A view of Jones Bay Wharf, in the inner city suburb of Pyrmont, with Barangaroo and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance. Jones Bay Wharf consists of Piers 19-21 of Pyrmont Wharves. This marina on Jones Bay sits beside Pier 21. The wharf and warehouse buildings were originally built in 1919, as part of Sydney's port facilities. After those port facilities were relocated to Port Botany, the buildings were redeveloped in 2003 into commercial space.  

Saturday 23 July 2011

Balmain East, Mort Bay

This view across Mort Bay to Balmain East and the Sydney city skyline in the background is from Ballast Point at Birchgrove. The Borrowdale is a First Fleet Class ferry, which is part of the Sydney Ferries fleet. It's seen here travelling past Simmons Point Reserve and a private marina, heading towards the Balmain ferry wharf.

Friday 22 July 2011

Birchgrove, sunset

This sunset is over the inner west suburb of Birchgrove, with Balmain East to the left and Goat Island to the right. The view across Port Jackson (or Sydney Harbour) is from Clyne Reserve at Millers Point.
 Click here to view all participants of Skywatch Friday

Thursday 21 July 2011

Balmain, cafe

This cafe, deli and dessert shop is located on Darling Street, in the inner west suburb of Balmain. The old awning and balcony, which were characteristic features of many shopfronts in this suburb, were retained when this building was restored in 2000, when it then opened as a bakery cafe.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Birchgrove, wharf

Birchgrove Wharf is in the inner west suburb of Birchgrove. It is also known as the Yurulbin Point Wharf or Louisa Road Wharf and had been known as Longnose Point wharf, in the past. The wharf with this covered passenger waiting area is located on the Parramatta River as it enters Sydney Harbour. It is serviced by Sydney Ferries on the Inner Harbour Services between Circular Quay and Woolwich.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Birchgrove, shop

This corner shop is located in Rowntree Street, in the inner west suburb of Birchgrove. The building has recently been restored and has reopened as Rowntree Corner Store with grocery goods, fresh fruit and vegetables and a delicatessen.

Monday 18 July 2011

Balmain, post office

The Balmain Post Office is a heritage building on Darling Street, in the inner west suburb of Balmain. The post office with the magnificent clock tower is part of a large public building completed in 1887, which also includes the court house and police station. The building was designed by James Barnet and contains elements of Victorian Academic Classical, Victorian Free Classical and Victorian Italianate architectural styles.

Sunday 17 July 2011

Goat Island

Goat Island is located in Sydney Harbour, at the junction of Darling Harbour and close to the suburb of Balmain East. The island has been has served as a sandstone quarry, convict stockade, explosives store, police station, fire station, boatyard and film set. This view is from Ballast Point at Birchgrove. The Sydney Harbour Bridge can be seen in the background, behind the island. It was known as Memill by indigenous people and there is considerable debate about how the name Goat Island was derived. One interpretation is that early settlers thought, if viewed from the air, it may appear to look like a goat.

Saturday 16 July 2011

Friday 15 July 2011

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Circular Quay, Sea Shepherd

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit, marine conservation organisation that uses direct action tactics to protect sealife. Most of the group's recent activities take place in international waters with a strong focus on public relations to spread their message via the media. Sea Shepherd currently operates Neptunes Navy, which includes the vessels MY Steve Irwin, the Bob Barker and the MV Brigitte Bardot. The Bob Barker is seen here, during the recent open day at Circular Quay. In February 2010, while actively protesting against whaling, it collided with the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 3, tearing a gash in the hull.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Waterloo, shops

This wide footpath is located in front of shops along Botany Road, in the inner city suburb of Waterloo. It's typical of a traditional suburban shopping centre with a fruit shop, coffee shop, bakery, supermarket seen here and even a payphone. The suburb of Waterloo took its name from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, when Allied and Prussian forces under the Duke of Wellington and Blücher defeated the French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte.

Monday 11 July 2011

Waterloo, library

Waterloo Library is a heritage listed building in the inner city suburb of Waterloo. The building was originally the Waterloo Town Hall, designed by John Smedley and built in 1881 in the Victorian Italianate style. It is historically significant as evidence of the small inner city council areas which were subsumed into larger municipalities.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Botanic Gardens, bridge

This wooden lattice footbridge over the Twin Ponds is one of many throughout the Royal Botanic Gardens. The water hen was contemplating going down the ramp into the pond.

Friday 8 July 2011

Botanic Gardens, Conservatorium Gate

A brilliant blue winter's sky above the Conservatorium Gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, close to Macquarie Street and beside the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The surrounding bushes in bloom are adding a bit of colour at this time of year.
Linked to: Skywatch Friday

Thursday 7 July 2011

Botanic Gardens, Winter

'Winter' is a Victorian era sculpture located in the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is one of the 'Four Seasons' statues that adorn the Palace Gardens Steps. They were shipped from Italy in 1883 from the studio of Charles Francis Summers, an Australian-born sculptor living in Rome. The statues were originally located here but then were separated and distributed around the gardens where some lost vital body parts and adornments. Australian sculptor Jacek Luszczyk restored them by recreating the missing parts and the restored statues were unveiled in their original location in 2010. 'Spring' and 'Summer' are at the top of the steps, with 'Autumn' and 'Winter' at the bottom.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Botanic Gardens, Venus Fountain

The Venus Fountain statue sits in the Main Pond of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The original  sculpture was erected prior to 1880, leading up to the International Exhibition. The base of the fountain was surrounded by weathered rocks and large clam shells, which were later replaced by a sculpted crocodile. The badly deteriorating statue was removed in August 1990 and cast in bronze. It was installed in the pond in September 1994 but the original was lost in the process.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Botanic Gardens, Yurabirong

This carving, completed in 2011, has been made on the trunk of an old Forest Red Gum which had grown in the Royal Botanic Gardens for over 200 years. "Yurabirong" was carved by Aboriginal artists Glen Timbery and Vic Simms. Yurabirong, which means "People of this Place", acknowledges the Aboriginal ancestors of Australia. The six different patterns on the tree, represent different tribal groups across central, western and north-western New South Wales. A representation of five Aborigines was carved into the lower half of the tree The sulphur-crested cockatoos that live inside the hollows of the tree were undeterred by the work. NAIDOC week, which this year runs from 3rd July to 11th July, is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Australians in various fields.

Monday 4 July 2011

Australian Hall, Elizabeth Street

The Australian Hall on Elizabeth Street is a heritage building built in the Federation Romanesque architectural style. It was erected between 1910 and 1913 as a club for German migrants, known as the Concordia. The Knights of the Southern Cross, a right-wing Catholic fraternal lay group, purchased it in 1920 and constructed the Australian Hall in the building. They sold it in 1979 to the Hellenic Club and Greek Cypriots used it as the Cyprus Hellene Club. This is the site of the first national Aboriginal civil rights gathering convened by the Aborigines Progressive Association and held in 1938, known as the “Day of Mourning”. The building was purchased in 1999 by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Association Incorporated and refurbished, with the hall restored to its 1938 state. It is the first non-Aboriginal structure to be recognised in Australia as an Aboriginal heritage site. NAIDOC week, which this year runs from 3rd July to 11th July, is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Australians in various fields.

Sunday 3 July 2011

The Rocks, Argyle Cut, bridge

This bridge (top), which sits above the Argyle Cut in The Rocks, carries a roadway, railway, walkway and cycleway from the central business district to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Argyle Cut was hewn out of the sandstone ridge of The Rocks to connect Sydney Cove with Darling Harbour and Millers Point. It was started in 1843 by convicts with hammers and chisels but was not completed until 1859 with the use of city council labour and explosives. "Argyle Cut", created by Mark Dyson, was a geometric pattern of lights displayed on the historic arch (bottom) as part of the Vivid Sydney festival.

Saturday 2 July 2011

Circular Quay, Vivid Sydney, bench

This artwork was installed on the Circular Quay foreshore, as part of the Vivid Sydney festival. "C/C" is a futuristic and functional sculpture created by Singapore's Angela Chong. It is made from acrylic sheets fashioned into a public bench, illuminated by night with low energy, colour changing LED lights. The shots from the front have the Sydney Opera House as a backdrop, while those from behind look out towards Circular Quay and the city skyline. I featured a daytime shot of this artwork here.

Friday 1 July 2011

Wolli Creek, Wolli Dancing (Theme Day: The Colour Green)

This green sculpture is located in the middle of a large roundabout at the intersection of Arncliffe Street and Brodie Sparks Drive, in the southern suburb of Wolli Creek. "Wolli Dancing" was created by Australian sculptor Blaze Krstanoski-Blazeski and unveiled in this newly redeveloped area in 2008. The plaque reads: Wolli Dancing relates to the Wolli tradition; a place that represents openness, which expresses joy, such as dancing. It captures the sensation and enthusiasm of the performers.
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