ART COLONY

Montsalvat was originally established as a true artists’ colony in over 12 acres situated in Eltham, an outer suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It was founded by architect and artist Justus Jörgensen (1893-1975) in 1934. It is home to a small hamlet of various buildings, houses and halls set amongst extensive established gardens. The colony of Montsalvat reflects very much the life of Justus Jörgensen and his friends and family.

Architecturally, Montsalvat has much in common with a simple French village in Provence revealing a mix of rustic architectural styles. There is very much a European village feel to the place! The picturesque buildings are surrounded by lawns and gardens.

The Great Hall of Montsalvat is like a European Manor House. Today it is used for exhibitions, receptions and concerts. Much of the art of Jorgensen is exhibited here, as well as the art of his contemporaries.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,

and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

AT THE PARKLANDS 2

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

AT THE PARKLANDS

At the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne.

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme,
and also part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

MELBOURNE STREET TREES 192 - CRABAPPLE

Malus is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple (M. pumila syn. M. domestica ) – also known as the eating apple, cooking apple, or culinary apple. The other species are generally known as crabapples, crab apples or wild apples.

Malus 'Prairifire' wIts showy, dark pink to red flowers are what draw most people to the prairifire flowering crabapple. And for good reason. The stunning, long-lasting spring blossoms are a sight to behold. But this variety also offer year-round beauty with its changing leaf colour. Glossy maroon or purplish-red in spring, the leaves become dark green with purplish-red veins in the summer then a beautiful bronze colour in autumn. And to add to its visual appeal, the Prairifire flowering crabapple is disease-resistant and able to adapt to many different site conditions.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

LETTER 4

"Culture is the way for a country to know itself." - Peter Carey

Peter Philip Carey AO (born 7 May 1943, in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria) is an Australian novelist. Carey has won the Miles Franklin Award three times and is frequently named as Australia's next contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Carey is one of only four writers to have won the Booker Prize twice—the others being J. G. Farrell, J. M. Coetzee and Hilary Mantel. Carey won his first Booker Prize in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda, and won for the second time in 2001 with True History of the Kelly Gang.

In May 2008 he was nominated for the Best of the Booker Prize. In addition to writing fiction, he collaborated on the screenplay of the film Until the End of the World with Wim Wenders and is executive director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Hunter College, part of the City University of New York.

The State Library of Victoria is the central library of the state of Victoria, located in the Melbourne CBD. It is on the block bounded by Swanston, La Trobe, Russell, and Little Lonsdale streets, in the northern centre of the central business district. The library holds over 2 million books and 16,000 serials, including the diaries of the city's founders, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, and the folios of Captain James Cook. It also houses the original armour of Ned Kelly.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

SEAFARERS BRIDGE

The Seafarers Bridge is a footbridge over the Yarra River between Docklands and South Wharf in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The bridge connects the north and south banks of the river while providing a formal entrance to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The bridge main span is supported by steel ties connected to elliptical arches, with three arches on the north side and four arches on the south side. The bridge was named in homage to the ‘Mission to Seafarers’ centre located nearby on the northern bank of the Yarra River and to represent Melbourne’s rich maritime history.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

PARKLANDS I.D.

Darebin Parklands is one of Darebin Council’s premier conservation parks sited along the Darebin Creek. The park is managed by the Darebin Creek Management Committee which the Cities of Darebin and Banyule are members. Darebin Parklands is a wonderful setting for walks and escaping into the natural environment, and is located only 5 km from Melbourne's CBD. The park has a full time Ranger coordinating the Education Centre which details the parks rich history and commitment to conservation and environmental sustainability.

The Darebin Creek Trail runs through the centre of the park and provides shared trail access through to Bundoora Park 10km to the north. Darebin Parklands comprises an area of approximately 40 hectares of urban bushland, between the suburbs of Ivanhoe and Alphington. The park is highly accessible being both on a bus route and adjacent to the Hurstbridge railway line. We always enjoy visiting this as it is only about 10 minutes walk from our house.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

WEED

Stellaria media, chickweed, in the family Caryophyllaceae, is a cool-season annual plant native to Europe, which is often eaten by chickens. It is sometimes called common chickweed to distinguish it from other plants called chickweed. Other common names include chickenwort, craches, maruns, winterweed. The plant germinates in autumn or late winter, then forms large mats of foliage. Flowers are very tiny and white, followed quickly by the seed pods. This plant flowers and sets seed at the same time. Our garden is currently full of this weed, a sure sign of Spring's arrival (and the need to do some serious weeding)...

Stellaria media is edible, delicious and nutritious, and is used as a leaf vegetable, often raw in salads. It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku. The plant has medicinal uses and is a common ingredient in folk medicine. It has been used as a remedy to treat itchy skin conditions and pulmonary diseases. 17th century herbalist John Gerard recommended it as a remedy for mange. Modern herbalists mainly prescribe it for skin diseases, and also for bronchitis, rheumatic pains, arthritis and period pain. A poultice of chickweed can be applied to cuts, burns and bruises. Not all of these uses are supported by scientific evidence.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

ST ANDREWS

St Andrews is a town in Victoria, Australia, which is 36 km north-east from Melbourne's city centre. St Andrews has a population of about 1600 people and is well known for its alternative market which is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It also has a hotel, general store, school, bakery, CFA, a community centre and of course St Andrew's Church. It's always lovely to drive there and the countryside around it is quite beautiful with some nice unspoilt bushland, as well as lush farmland and vineyards.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

In January 1911, the Archbishop of Melbourne, Archbishop Carr appointed Fr Joseph King as founder and first parish priest of the new parish of Our Lady Help of Christians East Brunswick. Fr King celebrated the first Masses in the parish on 22 January 1911, on an altar made up of packing cases, in Excelsior Hall at 767 Nicholson Street. At a parish meeting 10 days later, on 1 February, a decision was taken to build a church-school on a block of land, bounded by Barkly, Dean and Holden Streets, which Archbishop Carr had given as a gift to the new parish. The Sisters of Mercy were appointed to teach at the school and the church-school building was blessed and opened on 5 November 1911.

The Statue of Our Lady, on top of the church tower in East Brunswick was carved by a Sydney artist from Queensland beech wood, covered with copper and then gold leaf. The statue was blessed and installed in October 1918 when Mr W. (Tas) Lennox and assistants hoisted it to the top of the tower with a wooden crane. It was the first statue of its kind in honour of Our Lady Help of Christians to be erected in Australia.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,

and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

PITTOSPORUM

Pittosporum undulatum is a tree growing to 15m tall with wavy (undulating) leaf edges. It is sometimes also known known as Sweet Pittosporum, Native Daphne, Australian Cheesewood, Victorian Box or Mock Orange. It carries conspicuous orange woody fruits about 1 cm in diameter for several months after flowering in spring or early summer. 

Originally Pittosporum undulatum grew in moist areas on the Australian east coast but has increased its range since European settlement. It is a fast grower, and has become a weed in other parts of Australia where it is not indigenous. It is also highly invasive in South Africa, the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Azores and southern BraThe status of P. undulatum around the Sydney area is contentious. Even though it is native to the region, P. undulatum has spread to soils and bushland where it wasn't found before European settlement, often out-competing other plants. It has done especially well in areas where the environment has been altered by humans - for example by habitat fragmentation weakening other natives, by fertiliser runoff from homes increasing soil nutrients and by the suppression of bushfires near suburbs.

During the Australian Spring (September) the tree is covered with a profusion of flowers that are highly fragrant. A sole tree in flower can scent a large area in the neighbourhood, especially during the evening and night. Orange fruits follow the flowers and these then open up to reveal several sticky reddish seeds.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

KEYS 3

In 2007, a survey found that 35% of Australian households contain at least one person who now plays a musical instrument – a statistically similar figure to the 36% found in 2001. This proportion now equates to a rough estimate of 4.25 million people (5+ yrs) who play. Of these, about 1 million people are believed to be taking private lessons.

The most popular instrument now played, according to the survey, is the acoustic guitar (by 31% of current players). The upright piano is played by a statistically equivalent proportion. The electric guitar is currently played by about 16% of players (with some acoustic overlap) and drums by some 12%. In the 2001 study, the piano was marginally ahead – a position perhaps eroded by other digital pianos and keyboards.

Music players continue to have a young profile. It was found that 37% of all players are aged 5-17 yrs and a further 24% are aged 18-34 yrs. That is, over 60% of music players fall within the 5-34 yrs age bracket – compared to about 45% of the total population (5+ yrs). In fact, there is an increasing view towards younger exposure to music – over 40% of people think this should be before the age of one year.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

SUNRISE ON THE RIVER

Early morning chill in the air doesn't deter the early birds (including photographer) from going out and taking it all in by the banks of the Yarra River!

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

SPRINGTIME

I have been reading some translations of Chinese poems lately, so that may explain my preoccupation with things Sinitic!

The views here are from the Yarra Bend Park nature reserve along the Yarra River.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

ATLAS

Atlas once perched proudly on top of the original Atlas Assurance Company building that was constructed in the late 1800s, on the same site where he now resides, on Collins St, just up from Queen St. During the 1950s a new Altas Building was constructed and the statue was moved the front of the new building at ground level to be admired by all who passed. During the 1970s the building was again demolished to make way for the latest structure that occupies 406 Collins Street. This once proud statue now sits high up in a corner, where he is ignored by most rushing past below him...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,

and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

CORELLA

The long-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostris), or slender-billed corella is a cockatoo native to Australia, which is similar in appearance to the little corella and sulphur-crested cockatoo. This species is mostly white, with a reddish-pink face and forehead, and has a long pale beak, which is used to dig for roots and seeds. It has reddish-pink feathers on the breast and belly.

The adult long-billed corella measures from 38 to 41 cm in length, has a wingspan of about 80–90 cm and averages 567 g in weigh] It has a long bone-coloured beak, and a rim of featherless bluish skin around the eyes. The plumage is predominantly white with reddish feathers around the eyes and lores. The underside of the wings and tail feathers are tinged with yellow.

The long-billed corella can be found in the wild around western Victoria and southern New South Wales. Feral populations have sprung up in Sydney, Perth, Hobart and southeast Queensland from the release of captive birds. This has implications in Western Australia where this species may hybridise with the endangered southern race of the western corella. It has extended its range in the past 15 years or so and can now be found (and is common) right through central Victoria including areas around Melbourne. Here they are foraging in the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne.

Breeding generally takes place from July to November. Long-billed corellas form monogamous pairs and both sexes share the task of building the nest, incubating the eggs and caring for the young. Nests are made in decayed debris, the hollows of large old  [3] are laid on a lining of decayed wood. The incubation period is around 24 days and chicks spend about 56 days in the nest.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part fo the Camera Critters meme.

LATE AFTERNOON

Spring sunshine, warmer temperatures, and fluffy clouds as the afternoon wears on in Werribee.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

RHODODENDRON

Rhododendron 'Mrs. Murple's Purple', has large, 5 lobed, ruffled, star-shaped flowers that form a large ball truss that complements the attractive foliage and good growth habit. Each flower is a medium purple with a hint of red and fades to a white centre with a gold blotch on the upper lobe. The reverse of each flower has more of a reddish tint which helps to create a lovely contrast with the white anthers. (produced by crossing 'Purple Splendour' x 'Whitney's Purple').

The National Rhododendron Gardens (The Georgian Rd, Olinda, Victoria 3788, Australia), are host to brilliantly coloured blooms of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, cherries and daffodils. Seasonal changes ensure the gardens are a delight all year around. When not in bloom, you can still soak in the beauty of rich bark textures, seed capsules, foliage shapes and beautiful fragrance as you stroll through the grounds.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

JACK 2

Knucklebones, also known as Tali, Fivestones, or Jacks, is a game of ancient origin, usually played with five small objects, or ten in the case of jacks. Originally the "knucklebones" (actually the astragalus, a bone in the ankle, or hock) were those of a sheep, which were thrown up and caught in various manners. Modern knucklebones consist of six points, or knobs, proceeding from a common base, and are usually made of metal or plastic. The winner is the first player to successfully complete a prescribed series of throws, which, though similar, differ widely in detail.

The simplest throw consists in either tossing up one stone, the jack, or bouncing a ball, and picking up one or more stones or knucklebones from the table while it is in the air. This continues until all five stones or knucklebones have been picked up. Another throw consists in tossing up first one stone, then two, then three and so on, and catching them on the back of the hand. Different throws have received distinctive names, such as "riding the elephant", "peas in the pod", "horses in the stable", and "frogs in the well".

The sheep knucklebones below are from the collection of Museums Victoria and it is understandable how in a sheep-raising country like Australia, Jacks would have been traditionally played with sheep bones.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

FACES

Victorian buildings in Melbourne are often adorned with faces. Took a photo or two and then played around in Photoshop. Here are the results.

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

VICTORIAN TERRACES

Terraced houses in Australia refers almost exclusively to Victorian and Edwardian era terraced houses or replicas, almost always found in the older, inner city areas of the major cities, mainly Sydney and Melbourne. Terraced housing was introduced to Australia in the 19th century. Their architectural work was based on those in London and Paris, which had the style a century earlier. Large numbers of terraced houses were built in the inner suburbs of large Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, mainly between the 1850s and the 1890s. The beginning of this period coincided with a population boom caused by the Victorian and New South Wales Gold Rushes of the 1850s and finished with an economic depression in the early 1890s. Detached housing became the popular style of housing in Australia following Federation in 1901.

The generic Melbourne style of terrace is distinguishable from other regional variations, often reflecting the popularity of Italianate villa architecture in the city.  Many Victorian era Melbourne terraces are built on foundations of bluestone, a solid and porous local rock quarried from the volcanic plains to the north and west of the city, although it is rare to find terraces completely constructed of the material due to the difficulty to mould it.  The majority of designers of Victorian terraces in Melbourne made an effort to deliberately hide roof elements with the use of a decorative parapet, often combined with the use balustrades above a subtle but clearly defined eave cornice and a frieze which was either plain or decorated with a row of brackets (and sometimes additional patterned bas-relief. Chimneys were often tall, visible above the parapet and elaborately Italianate in style.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

CAT

This fine fellow is a neighbour's pet and has a lovely disposition. Pet ownership is high in Melbourne. Dogs are the most common pet, with 39% of households owning a dog. There are estimated to be 4.2 million pet dogs in Australia; 19 dogs for every 100 people. Cats are the second most common pet, with 29% of households owning a cat. There are estimated to be 3.3 million pet cats in Australia; 15 cats for every 100 people.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme.