Tuesday 28 February 2012

Centennial Park, Frog Hollow

Frog Hollow is a formal garden area in Centennial Park. Originally the site of an open drain, Frog Hollow was established around the turn of the 20th century in the triangle formed by Grand Drive, Dickens Drive and Parkes Drive. It features nine circular garden displays planted with coloured and patterned plants such as this display of Canna Lilies.

Monday 27 February 2012

Centennial Park, Column Garden, Sunrise

The Column Garden in Centennial Park is named after two Corinthian sandstone columns. The nine metre high columns once flanked the original front entrance of the Australian Museum, known as the Lewis Wing, on William Street. When the museum was extended and a new entrance created, the columns were dismantled and moved to Centennial Park where they were then used as the base for two statues. The statues were manufactured in 1888 by Villeroy and Boch. "Sunrise" is a standing female figure with a baby boy on a half orb. The other statue is "Sunset", which is a female figure draped in a cloak from head to feet.

Sunday 26 February 2012

Centennial Park, Frog Hollow Bridge

Frog Hollow Bridge is a stone bridge with timber pergola in Centennial Park. The bridge arches over the stormwater channel in Frog Hollow, a triangle formed by Grand Drive, Dickens Drive and Parkes Drive. It was constructed in the 1890s by the New South Wales Public Works Department.

Saturday 25 February 2012

Friday 24 February 2012

Centennial Park, Ranger's Residence

The Ranger's Residence in Centennial Park sits on the crest of a small hill near the Robertson Road Gates. The house was built in 1899 and designed by Walter Vernon in the in the Federation Arts and Crafts architectural style. It had been used continuously as accommodation for park staff and rangers until 2008. The Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust restored it and built the picket fence around it in 2010. It is currently is the head office of Conservation Volunteers Australia.

Thursday 23 February 2012

Centennial Park, Griffin

This is one of two mythical Griffin sculptures located in Centennial Park, in the eastern suburbs. The griffins guard each side of Parkes Drive, the main entry road leading down from Paddington Gates. The original statues, installed in the 1890s, were manufactured by Villeroy and Boch and made of ceramic. They had eroded and were missing details by the time they were removed in 1971. The restored sculptures were reinstated in 2005 on the same on sandstone plinths. Although referred to as griffins, these sculptures are actually a "gryphonic" hybrid because true griffins have the face, beak, talons and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The other Griffin can be seen here.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Centennial Park, boardwalk

This boardwalk stands over Duck Pond in Centennial Park, in the eastern suburbs. I'm not sure what the structure in front of it is exactly, because I can't find any information about it, but I think it might be some sort of contemporary sculpture. It could possibly be a giant squid with a belly full of fish or a fisherman's trap net with the catch of the day.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Bronte, Waverley Cemetery

Waverley Cemetery is located in St Thomas Street, in the eastern suburb of Bronte. This is one of the more prominent monuments close to the cliff, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The first interment took place here in 1877.
Linked to: Taphophile TragicsOur World Tuesday

Monday 20 February 2012

Waterloo, mural

This mural has been painted on the back of a former industrial building facing Broome Street, that fronts South Dowling Street, in the inner city suburb of Waterloo. This part of the suburb has been gentrified in recent years with high rise apartments, shops, restaurants, cares and landscaped public spaces replacing many industrial and warehouse buildings. The mural was painted by Michiel Dolk and Jeff Stewart in 1980, on this building that was part of the former ACI Glassworks. Along with the old industrial equipment in the courtyard, they pay homage to the industrial past of the suburb.

Sunday 19 February 2012

Anzac Bridge, twilight

The Anzac Bridge is seen here reflected in Rozelle Bay at twilight. This view is from the edge of Blackwattle Bay Park in the inner west suburb of Glebe. In the distance are the Sydney Harbour  Bridge and the Sydney skyline including Sydney Tower.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Blackwattle Bay

The Sydney skyline at night behind the inner city suburb of Pyrmont is seen here reflected in Blackwattle Bay. This view was from Blackwattle Bay Park in the inner west suburb of Glebe.

Friday 17 February 2012

Rozelle Bay

This view across Rozelle Bay towards the inner west suburb of Rozelle is from the edge of Blackwattle Bay Park in Glebe. The sunset colours, boats in the bay and cranes on shore provide some wonderful reflections.

Thursday 16 February 2012

Centennial Park, cannon

This is one of two Crimean War Cannons located in Centennial Park, in the eastern suburbsThey are a memorial for the Crimean War in 1854 and were donated to Centennial Park by the Royal Botanic Gardens. They were placed there in 1920 to revitalise an area which had been neglected.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Centennial Park, Duck Pond

These boardwalks stand over Duck Pond in Centennial Park, in the eastern suburbs. The 189 hectare park was dedicated in 1888 to celebrate the centenary of European settlement in Australia. This grand park in the Victorian period tradition features formal gardens, ponds, grand avenues, statues, historic buildings and sporting fields.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Centennial Park, Charles Dickens


This marble statue of English novelist Charles Dickens is located close to the junction of Dickens Drive and Loch Avenue in Centennial Park. It is one of eleven statues acquired as decoration for the new park created in 1988 and was installed in 1891. Most of the remaining statues in the park, including this statue, were removed in 1972 and placed in storage. It had gone missing and in the process had lost its head and other parts due to vandalism. When finally found, the head, finger, scroll and quill had to be reconstructed using old photos and the statue. The restored statue was unveiled for the 199th birthday of Dickens last year and was again honoured last week with 200th birthday celebrations. It is one of only two known life-size representations of Charles Dickens in the world due to an injunction in his will requesting that no public memorials be erected in his honour.

Monday 13 February 2012

Ultimo, Aspire

Aspire” is a permanent artwork created by Warren Langley in the inner city suburb of Ultimo. The glowing golden forest of trees illuminates an ugly site beneath the Western Distributor freeway flyovers, near the corner of Bulwarra Road and Fig Street.

Saturday 11 February 2012

Surry Hills, Davoren Lane

This warehouse building is located in Davoren Lane, off Foveaux Street, in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills. The imaginative graffiti has appeared recently on the side wall, incorporting the external fire escape stairs. It depicts burglars dressed in black with balaclavas on their heads, carrying their loot down the stairs into an awaiting van.

Friday 10 February 2012

Millers Point, Gas Lane

This view is from Gas Lane, off Kent Street, in the inner city suburb of Millers Point. The heritage sandstone building along Jenkins Street is the former Australian Gaslight Company. The laneway name comes from the former Millers Point Gas Works which once stood along the shore of Darling Harbour which can be seen here stretching to the inner west suburb of Balmain.

Thursday 9 February 2012

Surry Hills, Children's Court

The former Children's Court on the corner of Albion Street and Commonwealth Street, in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills. It was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon in the Federation Academic Classical architectural style and built in 1911. The first separate Children's Court was held in Ormond House at Paddington from 1905 until 1911, when it moved to this specifically built court building. It has ben heritage listed for its impact on girls and boys affected by the juvenile justice system between 1911 and 1983. The building has since been used by the Sydney City Mission and a range of community organisations.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Waterloo, stairs and fountain

This cascading fountain is in the centre of a stairway that leads up from Potter Street to Crown Park, in the inner city suburb of Waterloo. This part of the suburb has been gentrified in recent years with high rise apartments, shops, restaurants, cafes and landscaped public spaces replacing many industrial and warehouse buildings.

Monday 6 February 2012

Skittle Lane, peri(pheral)scopes

Skittle Lane is a city lane that features "peri(pheral)scopes: looking over the over-looked" for Laneway Art, as part of the Art and About Sydney festival. The artwork, designed by Heidi Axelsen, Hugo Moline and Adriano Pupilli, consists of rogue ductwork grafted onto the drainpipes and walls of buildings. The four peri(pheral)scopes are optical devices that show recorded views of Sydney's western suburbs. The name of Skittle Lane came from its history, located between two pubs. It was where wharfies and soldiers once enjoyed beer and skittles, a form of bowling. This is my last look at this year's laneway artworks.

Sunday 5 February 2012

Anzac Bridge, night

The Anzac Bridge at night, viewed from the edge of Blackwattle Bay Park in the inner west suburb of Glebe, with lights reflected in Rozelle Bay. The Sydney Harbour Bridge can also be seen in the distance.

Saturday 4 February 2012

Bulletin Place, Bubbleway

Bulletin Place is a city lane that hosts "Bubbleway", which is a modular, inflatable social furniture system designed by Rebar for Laneway Art, as part of the Art and About Sydney festival. It asks us to rethink our notions of public space and discover new forms of informal social interactions, creativity and play in a heavily encoded cosmopolitan centre.

Friday 3 February 2012

Tank Stream Way, street art

Tank Stream Way is a city laneway that features this temporary Laneway Art as part of the annual Art and About Sydney festivalThe side of the Thai Airways International building has been used as a canvas for this "tag wall" or street art by Barry McGee. It has stirred up controversy after the artist was given permission to paint graffiti art on a certain wall along Tank Stream Way but also painted graffiti tags on this wall. The City of Sydney council, which produced this event, has been accused of encouraging vandalism. The shadows and light reflected from the office building opposite add some texture to this shot.

Thursday 2 February 2012

Market Row, Deconstructing Ways


The intersection of Market Row and Mullins Street features temporary Laneway Art as part of the Art and About Sydney festival. "Deconstructing Ways" by Isidro Blasco gives an impression of another laneway, providing an alternative option.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Queen Victoria Building, Lunar New Year (Theme Day: Animals)

This giant dragon decoration and Chinese lanterns hang in the Queen Victoria Building to celebrate Chinese New Year, which this year is the Year of the Dragon. Celebrations for the Lunar New Year seem to be getting bigger every year in Sydney with more shopping centres and businesses getting involved with decorations. 
Linked to: Theme Day
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