Macedon is a town on the Calder Freeway between Melbourne and Bendigo in the Macedon Ranges in central Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Macedon Ranges at the foot of Mount Macedon, a 1,013-metre peak to the north. The Post Office opened on 15 March 1859 and was known as Black Forest until 1870. In February 1983, the Ash Wednesday fires swept through the area, destroying many houses. As of 2009, the town is serviced by the Macedon railway station on the Bendigo railway line. Macedon has a primary school, which was once attended by wartime Prime Minister of Australia, John Curtin.
The town is associated with tourist and sightseeing activities and the popularity of the town has been aided by the area being featured in "Picnic at Hanging Rock", the 1975 mystery movie based on the novel of the same name.
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.
Bottlebrushes are members of the genus Callistemon and belong to the family Myrtaceae. They are closely related to paperbark melaleucas, which also have 'bottlebrush' shaped flower spikes. It is difficult to tell to which genus some species belong. Botanists are currently closely studying these plants to determine how they are best classified.
There are 40 species currently called Callistemon. Most of these occur in the east and south-east of Australia. Two species occur in the south-west of Western Australia and four species in New Caledonia. Bottlebrushes can be found growing from Australia's tropical north to the temperate south. They often grow in damp or wet conditions such as along creek beds or in areas which are prone to floods.
The flower spikes of bottlebrushes form in spring and summer and are made up of a number of individual flowers. The pollen of the flower forms on the tip of a long coloured stalk called a filament. It is these filaments which give the flower spike its colour and distinctive 'bottlebrush' shape. The filaments are usually yellow or red, sometimes the pollen also adds a bright yellow flush to the flower spikes. Each flower produces a small woody fruit containing hundreds of tiny seeds. These fruits form in clusters along the stem, and are usually held on the plant for many years. The seeds are usually not released from the fruits for several years, but in some species the fruits open after about a year. Fire also stimulates the opening of the fruits in some bottlebrushes. The new leaves of many bottlebrushes are very ornamental. The leaves are often coloured and, in some species, they are covered with fine, soft hairs.
Bottlebrushes make excellent garden plants. Plants are all woody shrubs which range from 0.5 m to 4 m tall. The flowers can be spectacular and are irresistible to nectar-feeding birds and insects. Most species are frost tolerant. The popularity of bottlebrushes as garden plants commenced soon after European settlement and Crimson Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus) was introduced to Britain by Joseph Banks in 1789. Many species can tolerate (or thrive in) damp conditions, yet most are very hardy and will tolerate drought and limited maintenance. They grow well in a wide variety of soils, except those which are highly alkaline. Plants grown in full sun produce the best flowers.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
We are very lucky in Melbourne to have numerous places where to go and shop for fresh fruit and vegetables. Whether it is dedicated greengrocer shops in strip shopping centres or malls, weekly farmers' markets, weekend markets or permanent large central markets like the Victoria Market, Footscray Market, Preston Market, Coburg Market, etc, the choice is amazing.
The Fitzroy Gardens Conservatory opened March 30, 1930, and is a vital part of the city's commitment to excellence in horticulture. The building copies the Spanish mission architectural style, measuring 30 x 15 metres and originally costing 4000 pounds. There are five separate floral displays each year. It is used by tourists, schools, families and anyone who wants to view a captured moment of floral beauty.
This post is part of the Water World Wednesday meme,
The Christmans tree at Docklands is made of nautical buoys. Quite apt for a waterside location where lots of pleasure craft and yachts moor.
This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
"The Games Children Play" is a tapestry by Robert Ingpen commissioned by the Royal ChildRoyal Children's Hospital Foundation as a tribute to Dame Elisabeth Murdoch's 75 year relationship with the hospital. There is a well established understanding of the importance between art and hospital environments, and the tapestry is a playful way to provide those using the Children's Hospital facilities with a colourful and amusing distraction while they may be at the hospital for more serious concerns.
Established in 1989 the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation works tirelessly to raise funds for a number of different projects such as state-of-the-art medical equipment, ongoing paediatric research programs and scholarships for medical and allied health professional staff at the Royal Children's Hospital.
Born in 1936, Robert Ingpen's diverse career has encompassed book illustration, stamp design, public mural commissions and sculptural design as well an active fine art practice.
Ingpen has illustrated and/or written over 100 published books, both fiction and non-fiction including illustrating the iconic Storm Boy written by Colin Thiele, published in 1975, and illustrating a 1982 edition of Clancy of the Overflow, by Banjo Patterson. Ingpen has a long standing relationship with the ATW. He was the designing artist for the Melbourne Cricket Ground tapestry, launched in 2004. Robert also designed the monumental bronze MCG doors.
The inspiration for this tapestry design comes from a painting titled Games Children Play by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, painted in 1590. Robert Ingpen, using the format and flat picture plane of this work as a starting point, has re-set and re-cast this work in the twenty first century.
This post is part of the Monday Murals meme,
Newman College was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and was opened in 1918. Building on the Chapel began in 1938 and it was consecrated in 1942. The principal architect of the Chapel was Thomas Payne. The building of the Chapel was made possible by the generosity of Mr Patrick Brennan of Yarram, Victoria, although substantial donations had already been made by Victorian Catholics to the Archbishop Carr Memorial Chapel Fund.
It is a collegiate chapel, designed in the mediaeval style. Its architecture is 'Decorated Gothic', which flourished in fourteenth century Europe. English, French and Spanish influences are evident, and two of the carved gargoyles are of Australian fauna. The stone is from the Barrabool hills and the Hawkesbury district, and the doors are of American oak. Other special features are the high timbered roof and the six wrought iron Gothic lanterns. It has a central aisle, and capacity for 240 people. The Chapel of the Holy Spirit is a Catholic chapel. Only Catholic services may be conducted within it, and only sacred music, whether vocal and instrumental, is permitted...
81:1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
This post is part of the Psalm Sunday meme,
and also part of the Spiritual Sundays meme.
333 Collins Street is possibly the most ambitious of all post-modern projects from the 1990s office boom.The building is the latest reuse of a bank which dates back to 1891. The CBA building was significantly modified in the 1930s with a modern chicagoesque facade. The 333 Collins Street project maintains the original banking chamber dome of the CBA, via a complex feat of engineering. On top of this the building adds a mass of granite and glass in a step back form. The tower culminates in a copper dome reminiscent of Flinder Street station, making an impression on the skyline.
The effect of cascading masses gives a picturesque sillhoutte to the building.The Collins Street facade was again remodelled to a semblance of the original Victorian classical building, and a podiums which are sympathetic to neighbouring buildings. This gives the post-modern ability to be read as either a collection of buildings or the one. The new podium has a smaller version of the main dome, and elaborate ornamentation, with granite stonework and large brass lanterns. Internal corridors are also elaborately vaulted, with renaissance classical inspiration.An impressive post-modern skyscraper which spares no expense in recreating the grandeur of Victorian Melbourne, whilst achieving a timelessness all of its own.
This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme.
Melbourne Docklands is a waterfront development in the heart of Melbourne, located on the spectacular Victoria Harbour with three kilometres of Yarra River frontage. With extensive waterfront promenades, urban art, interesting architecture, historic and contemporary buildings, state-of-the-art marinas, stylish waterfront restaurants, cosy bars and active waterways, Docklands has plenty to offer. Covering 190 hectares of land and water, Docklands precincts offers a dynamic blend of residential, commercial, retail and leisure components.
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.
Smith Street is the junction between Collingwood and Fitzroy, inner suburbs of Melbourne The street is well known for it’s colourful vibrancy and it is an urban melting pot. Often sought after as a film location for its diverse offerings, it is a favorite destination of Melburnians in the know. You will find a variety of retailers, ranging from factory outlets to quirky experiences in unique shops selling items you can get nowhere else. Its bars and nightlife are notorious haunts for trend setters. Its food brings people from all walks of life with a history and longevity of several generations. To get ‘the look’, live ‘the life style’ you will find it all on Smith Street!
This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.
