SOMETHING OLD

Although we live in a lovely city, Melbourne has some pockets of old houses that have not been maintained well and display the ravages of time. How more so if they have been abandoned and remain uninhabited for a little while... Such was this little pocket and this old house, in a relatively expensive suburb South of the Yarra, too...

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

FARMERS' MARKET

Melbourne Markets are venues for Victorian farmers and producers to sell direct to their customers. Fresh produce is sold by growers and manufacturers who grow their own produce. Such markets are dedicated to Victorian food and its producers, promote regional food cultures, offer seasonal produce to consumers, celebrate biodiversity, support sustainable farming practices and the strengthen the relationship between the consumer and the producer.

This post is part of the Mandarin Orange Monday meme.

MELBOURNE CITY BY NIGHT

Looking North towards the City from Southbank. The skyline looks particularly attractive in late evening light.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Waters meme.

SOUTHBANK'S OPHELIA

Southgate’s resident art sculpture “Ophelia” by artist Deborah Halpern has been re-located to the river promenade. For nearly 20 years “Ophelia”, had watched over the entrance to Southgate from her courtyard position at BearBrass. As part of Southgate’s redevelopment, “Ophelia” was temporarily taken back to the artist’s studio for restoration before being permanently relocated to a prominent riverside location, right out the front of Southgate’s main entrance.

Once known as the face of Melbourne, “Ophelia” was inspired by the character from Hamlet, full of both love and sadness. Halpern says “Ophelia” is the cousin of “Angel”, the sculpture that adorned the moat of the National Gallery of Victoria for nearly 20 years and now lives upstream at Birrarung Marr. Together they bring life and humanity to the river.

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Weekly TopShot meme,

and also part of the Pink Saturday meme.

SUNSET IN THE SUBURBS

Autumn progresses and the days become ever shorter as the sky covers with clouds. As if to compensate for that, we are experiencing some beautiful sunsets in Melbourne presently. They happen just at home time, so it's easy to stop, revel int hem and of course take some photos!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

KANGAROO GROUND WAR MEMORIAL

Today is Anzac Day, which is one of Australia’s most important national commemorative occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. It falls on the 25th of April each year, and this day was officially named Anzac Day in 1916. Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On the 25th of April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula.

We watched the commemorative service on TV and then went out later in the day for a drive. We finally ended up at Kangaroo Ground, a small township 26 km north-east from Melbourne's Central Business District. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2011 Census, Kangaroo Ground had a population of 1,015.

Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park is a war memorial occupying Garden Hill, Kangaroo Ground, the tallest hill for many kilometres around. Its main feature is the 12-metre Tower of Remembrance, opened in 1926. Tall conifers surround the tower, hiding it almost completely; however, from the viewing platform at the top of the tower, which is open to the public and accessible by steep internal stairs, panoramic views are available over the treetops. During summer, the tower is used for fire spotting. A lone memorial wreath was enough to commemorate the fallen at this location.

This post is part of the Signs, Signs Thursday meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

MELBOURNE AIRPORT - AUTUMN

Melbourne Airport (IATA: MEL, ICAO: YMML), also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest airport in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the Melbourne metropolitan area.

The airport is 23 km from the city centre. The airport has its own postcode—Melbourne Airport, Victoria (postcode 3045). This is adjacent to the suburb of Tullamarine.The Melbourne–Sydney air route is the fifth most-travelled passenger air route in the world and the second busiest in the Asia Pacific region. The airport features direct flights to 33 destinations in all states and territories of Australia in addition to numerous destinations in Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

Melbourne is the most common destination for the airports of five of Australia's seven other capital cities.N1 Melbourne serves as a major hub for Qantas and Virgin Australia, while Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways Australia utilise the airport as home base. Melbourne is the busiest airport for international export freight as of August 2011, while second busiest for import freight. Domestically, Melbourne serves as headquarters for Australian air Express and Toll Priority and handles more domestic freight than any other airport in the nation.

Arriving home in Melbourne from a recent flight up North where the weather was quite summery, it was good to see the Autumn rain - we need it! I liked the effect of taking photos through the raindrop-mottled airplane window, so here are two of these shots.

This post is part of the Water World Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme.

ROYAL ARCADE MACARONS

Royal Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria. Originally constructed in 1869, the arcade connects Little Collins Street to the Bourke Street Mall, with a perpendicular passage running to Elizabeth Street in the west. It also connects to the smaller Hub Arcade near the Little Collins Street end.

Originally designed by Charles Webb, the arcade features a high glass roof and windowed stores. At the south end, the arcade features effigies of mythical figures Gog and Magog and a clock which chimes each hour. The arcade was restored between 2002-04 which resulted in additional natural light and consistency of the shopfronts.

It is a significant Victorian era arcade, listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. In addition, Melbourne's Golden Mile heritage walk runs through the arcade. Along with Melbourne's other arcade, the Block Arcade, and Melbourne's lanes, it is a tourist icon of the city. Royal Arcade is famous for its fashion stores as well as specialty stores such as tarot card reading store. Several eateries are also found here, including the macaron specialty stall shown here!

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

COUNCIL HOUSE TAPESTRY

In the foyer of the City of Melbourne Council House One at 200 Little Collins Street, in the City, there is a tapestry by Dean Bowen on view, called "Suburbanology" (1995). It is 2.5 x 5m in dimensions and is rather difficult to photograph as the foyer is rather cramped. It was woven by the Victorian Tapestry Workshop and the weavers are, Merrill Dumbrell, Lisa Stebbing, Rebecca Moulton and Liz Nettleton.

Artist Dean Bowen was commissioned by the City of Melbourne to design this tapestry for the Melbourne Town Hall, celebrating the Workshop as a jewel in Melbourne’s cultural crown. Bowen is known for his evocation of the city-based life of today's Australia. Observations of the everyday experience, childhood memories, books and literature portrayed with gentle humour and irony, are the basis for these urban 'wildlifes’ shown in flattened perspective or cross-section slices. "Suburbanology" is characteristic of Bowen’s witty and playful investigation of urban life, its landscape and symbols.

This post is part of the Monday Murals meme.

ST MICHAEL'S UNITING CHURCH

St Michael's was originally the Collins Street Independent Church, a Congregational Union of Australia church, and later Collins Street Uniting Church. It has become well known as a centre of liberal theology and political radicalism under its outspoken minister since 1971, Dr Francis Macnab, currently Executive Minister. The church became a congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia at its inception in 1977.

The first church on this site was built in 1839, one of the first churches in the Port Phillip District (now the state of Victoria). The original church was demolished in 1866 to make way for the larger church now on the site. The church was designed by Joseph Reed, who also designed the Melbourne Town Hall and the Royal Exhibition Building. The church is classified by the National Trust of Australia.

St Michael's is a unique church in the heart of the city. It is not only unique for its relevant, contemporary preaching, but for its unusual architecture. The church externally is one of Melbourne's landmarks. Internally, everyone is struck by its unusual quiet beauty. The bicentennial windows are a rare expression of visual theology - the largest display of existential-religious stained glass in the Southern Hemisphere.

St Michael's strives to be the best possible model of what the New Faith of the Uniting Church can be: A need to attract and sustain larger numbers of people who see that this expression of church life is the most meaningful and worthwhile experience for them. A belief that faith, spirituality and a meaning to life are vital ingredients for health and well-being and that there is a need to get hold of a more authentic religious understanding and to express it more confidently and diversely.

Psalm 100 

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

This post is part of the Psalm Sunday meme.

BY THE RIVERSIDE

A stroll by the Yarra River in the evening can give one many an opportunity for some photography, as these images show.

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the Pink Saturday meme.

SUNRISE - LOOKING WEST

Looking towards the West, as the sun rises can sometimes be as spectacular as the view to the East.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.