'EVELYN' ROSE

Rosa "Evelyn" from David Austin was bred from Tamora x Graham Thomas. The rose has the typical Austin cupped /rosette form. Evelyn is known for the beauty of the blooms, for their fragrance and for a marvellous display at flowering time. The plant has a neat vase shape at the base, then reaches both up and out.

It grows to about two metres tall with some canes spreading about the same width. Basals are produced readily, and throw candelabras of bloom - bearing huge, lush, drooping panicles of soft pink blossoms. Older canes tend to bloom with single buds, or in twos and threes.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

D for DAREBIN

Darebin is the Aboriginal word for the Australian swallows (Hirundo neoxena).  An alternate spelling is darabin. Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor-General of New South Wales, sent Robert Hoddle down to the new colony at Port Phillip to survey the new land.   He instructed Hoddle to use the local Aboriginal place names wherever possible.Hoddle and his assisted Thomas Henry Nutt were surveying the Yarra River and Merri Creek in early 1837, Nutt completing the Merri Creek by April of that year.

By the end of 1839 Darebin Creek was appearing on maps of the area and by 1841 we start getting the first births listed along the Darebin Creek.   At this stage there were very few towns or villages and the creeks were the only way of describing the locality.

On 26 August 1870 a number of Local Road Boards were amalgamated to form the Shire of Darebin. This huge shire stretched from Northcote, to Merriang, Whittlesea and Woodstock. With few roads, and with horse and carriage the only forms of transport the amount and time required for travelling for the Councillors was prohibitive.  It was no surprise that just over a year later the Shire of Darebin was broken up. Whittlesea retained the Shire of Darebin whilst Northcote and Preston became the Shire of Jika Jika. In 1994 the cities of Northcote and Preston amalgamated to become the City of Darebin.

The Darebin Parklands straddle Alphington and Ivanhoe, approximately 10 kilometres northeast of the City of Melbourne, and they are a district park covering an area of 33 hectares. Darebin Creek flows through the Parklands, to join the Yarra River, at Alphington.

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.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

THE CITY

 Melbourne City Centre (sometimes referred to as "Central City", and colloquially known as simply "The City") is an area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the area in which Melbourne was established in 1835, by founders John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, and its boundaries are defined by the Government of Victoria's Melbourne Planning Scheme. Today it comprises the two oldest areas of Melbourne; the Hoddle Grid and Queen Victoria Market, as well as sections of the redeveloped areas of Docklands and Southbank/Wharf. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne.

It is the core central activities district (CAD) of Melbourne's inner suburbs and the major central business district (CBD) of Greater Melbourne's metropolitan area, and is a major financial centre in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. The Hoddle Grid in the City Centre is home to Melbourne's famed alleyways and arcades and is renowned for its distinct blend of contemporary and Victorian architecture as well as expansive parks and gardens which surround its edges. The City Centre is home to five of the six tallest buildings in Australia. In recent times, it has been placed alongside New York City and Berlin as one of the world's great street art meccas, and designated a "City of Literature" by UNESCO in its Creative Cities Network.

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.

HEATWAVE

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

ODD

An odd finding in a stretch of natural bushland? Slightly incongruous? Well, not really, considering this is urban parkland, about 5 km from the City centre. 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. The manhole provides access to the drainage works that run through the park.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

A BROOD OF DUCKLINGS

The Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa) is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the grey duck in New Zealand, where it is also known by its Maori name, pārera.

This brood of ducklings was seen in the Darebin Parklands where the Pacific black duck is a common bird in the various ponds there.

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,

and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

SUMMER HEAT

We had a very hot Summer's day today in Melbourne, with the temperature climbing up to 43˚C (that's 109.4°F). The electricity consumption went through the roof and the electric company pre-emptively blacked out several suburbs for three hours at a time. It was time to go and seek cool spots, with the park seeming an attractive option, but it was too hot also. We ended up in our public library where we spent three hours in lovely air-conditioned comfort. The only consolation was a cool change which came this afternoon with the temperature dropping to 25˚C within a couple of hours...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,

and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

BLOOMING IN THE GARDEN...

Pandorea jasminoides is a species of woody climbing vine in the family Bignoniaceae. It is native to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. It forms large pointed pods filled with papery seeds. It is easy to germinate, having two-lobed dicotyledons. It grows in USDA zones 9 and 10.

Flowers range from magenta through to white, often with a darker trumpet, and produce a fragrant, jasmine-like scent. Their petals can grow up to 55mm long.  Pandorea is slow growing at first, but will cover a reasonable distance once established.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

C for CREEK

creek | kriːk | noun chiefly British

A narrow, sheltered waterway, especially an inlet in a shoreline or channel in a marsh: a sandy beach in a sheltered creek.

• North American & Australian/NZ

A stream or minor tributary of a river: [In place names]: He drove into Darebin Creek under the influence of alcohol.

Darebin Creek is a creek that runs through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the main watercourse of the Darebin Valley and a major tributary of the Yarra River. For tens of thousands of years it was used as a food and tool source sustainably by the Wurundjeri people, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation alliance, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung language group.

The creek rises on the northern urban fringe of Melbourne north of the suburb of Epping, following a general southerly route and meeting the Yarra at Alphington. The creek forms much of the municipal boundary between the City of Darebin and City of Banyule. Formerly an intermittent stream, increased stormwater runoff with urbanisation of the Darebin Creek catchment has resulted in permanent water flow.

The creek runs through Darebin Parklands, a large nature reserve one or two kilometres northwest of the junction at which the creek meets the Yarra. The Darebin Creek Trail runs along the banks in the lower reaches of the creek. This is the creek at the Darebin Parklands in Fairfield.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

ST KILDA, VICTORIA

St Kilda is an inner suburb of the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Port Phillip. At the 2011 Census, St Kilda had a population of 17,795. St Kilda was named after a schooner, Lady of St Kilda (which moored at the main beach for much of 1841) by Charles La Trobe, and the ship's master and early settler Lieutenant James Ross Lawrence.

During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, St Kilda became a favoured suburb of Melbourne's elite, and many palatial mansions were constructed along its hills and waterfront. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, St Kilda served a similar function for Melburnians as did Coney Island to the residents of New York City and its history draws an interesting parallel.

Densely populated postwar St Kilda became Melbourne's red-light district, home to low-cost rooming houses. Since the late 1960s, St Kilda has become known for its culture of bohemianism and as home to many prominent artists, musicians and subcultures, including punk and LGBT. While some of these groups still maintain a presence in St Kilda, in recent years the district has experienced rapid gentrification pushing many lower socio-economic groups out to other areas.

St Kilda is home to many of Melbourne's famous visitor attractions including Luna Park, the Esplanade Hotel, Acland Street and Fitzroy Street. It is home to St Kilda Beach, Melbourne's most famous beach, several renowned theatres and several of Melbourne's big events and festivals.

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.

HOLIDAYS

Many people here in Melbourne are still on holidays and with our hot weather, beaches are popular holiday destinations. Meanwhile, those of us staying in the City are enjoying the slightly less congested streets and the less crowded public places.

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.

POINTS OF INTEREST

The Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly officially called The Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central Melbourne suburb of Southbank in Victoria, Australia. It was designed by architect Sir Roy Grounds, the masterplan for the complex (along with the National Gallery of Victoria) was approved in 1960 and construction began in 1973 following some delays. The complex opened in stages, with Hamer Hall opening in 1982 and the Theatres Building opening in 1984. The Arts Centre is located by the Yarra River and along St Kilda Road, one of the city's main thoroughfares, and extends into the Melbourne Arts Precinct, with its spire a well-knwon landmark of Melbourne.

The sculptures are by Cole Sopov, who was born in Greece in 1938, and studied fine arts in Europe before immigrating to Australia in 1971. From 1973 to 1974 he attended the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, before being appointed lecturer in Fine Arts at Monash University from 1977 to 1995. Sopov was commissioned by John Truscott in 1983-84 to create two groups of figures, ‘Family of Man I’ and ‘Family of Man II’ for the entrance foyer of the Theatres Building. These two sculpture groups were moved in 2001 to their current prominent location overlooking the lawn area between the Theatres Building and Hamer Hall.

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

FORTY WINKS

A neighbour's dog having a snooze and dreaming he's chasing cats...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

FIRST FLIGHT

The common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. It breeds in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

We have blackbirds in our garden and this is the ninth year that they are nesting here and raising young. They are partial to building their nest in tall rosemary bushes, which affords them protection from predators and the elements. Today, the little fledglings took their first flight under the guiding care of their parents. Here the hen bird is perched on a roof and is encouraging the young chick to fly up to her from the fence where it is perching. It made it!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,

and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

WINDOW BOX

Now that we are seeing more and more apartments in Melbourne, the large front and back gardens of individual houses of the past are getting less common. The poor geranium is a very undemanding plant and does well with minimum care in window boxes and pots - even in an apartment balcony or window ledge!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

B for BIRDS

The Darebin Parklands are home to a diverse range of birds that make use of many avian habitats including Grasslands, Wetlands and Grassy Woodlands. These habitats support a variety of bird species. Revegetation works throughout the Catchment have improved the vegetation structure of a previously degraded landscape transforming it into suitable bird habitat. A visit to the Darebin Creek will enable you to observe some of the many birds that have made it their home.

You may see a brochure of the various bird types found in the Parklands by clicking the highlighted link.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

Clockwise from upper left: Rainbow Lorikeets; Butcherbird; Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo;
Purple Swamphen; Pacific Black Duck; Crested Pigeon; Bronzewing Pigeon; Willy Wagtail.

Clockwise from lower left: Coot (white beak); Swamphen (red beak); Pacific Black Duck; Purple Swamphen.

YARRA TRAIL

The Yarra Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The trail follows the river from near its mouth, through the city and suburbs to Westerfolds Park and Eltham. The Capital City Trail uses the same path up to Dights Falls, where it continues up the Merri Creek Trail as part of its loop around the city.

Bicycle Victoria has an ongoing campaign to have the path in Yarra Bend Park improved and the stairs at the east end of Gipps Street effectively removed from the trail by continuing the path on the west side of the river. Other alternatives include installing a ramp or installing a new footbridge near the Abbotsford Convent.

The large expanse of preserved natural forest and parklands along the river is a fantastic way of keeping the city liveable and gives people many opportunities to find beautiful, serene spots away from the hustle and bustle of the huge metropolis.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

SUMMERY PARKLANDS

At the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne. The temperature is in the low 30s˚C for the next few days.

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.

TRAIN

Fairfield is a railway station in Melbourne, Australia, located in the suburb of Fairfield, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Fairfield is classed as a Host Station and is in Metlink. Fairfield is a predominantly residential suburb, with a small north-eastern pocket remaining a light industrial area. Because it is situated on what many regard as the fringes of Melbourne's popular and much-revived 'inner city', gentrification has been strong, and property prices are high. To the south is the Yarra River and surrounding parkland, and the popular Fairfield Boathouse.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

KOOKABURRA

Kookaburras are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus Dacelo native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between 28–42 cm in length. The name is a loanword from  the Wiradjuri guuguubarra, onomatopoeic of its call. The loud distinctive call of the Laughing Kookaburra is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve a bush setting. 

They are found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, as well as in suburban areas with tall trees or near running water. Even though they belong to the larger group known as "kingfishers", kookaburras are not closely associated with water. This laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a large robust bird occupying dry eucalypt forest, woodland, city parks and gardens. Here it is perching on a gum tree in the Darebin Parklands in Melbourne's inner northeastern suburbs.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

SUMMER DAY

A perfect Summer's day today, with warm temperatures, hot sun, a gentle cooling breeze now and then in the shade of the trees.

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

EPIPHYLLUM

Epiphyllum crenatum is a species of cactus and one of the most important parents in creating the Epiphyllum-hybrids commonly cultivated throughout the world. It is cultivated for its beautiful diurnal flowers. It is found naturally from Mexico (Oaxaca & Chiapas) to Honduras. It is epiphytic (grows upon another plant) or lithophytic (grows on rocks) in moist or wet forests, sometimes in oak forests (1.750 m alt. or less).

It is an easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte. Needs compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer. Should not be kept under 12°C in winter. Can be grown in semi-shade or full sun. Extra light in the early spring will stimulate budding. Flowers in late spring or early summer.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

A for ALPHINGTON

Affectionately known as "The Village," or the "Ton," by its residents, Alphington is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area are the Cities of Darebin and Yarra. At the 2016 census, Alphington had a population of 5,080. Alphington shares a postcode with neighbouring suburb Fairfield, and is bounded by the Yarra River in the south and the Darebin Creek in the east.

The Darebin Parklands are situated in Alphington and in this series of ABC Wednesday, I'll feature photos from the Parklands, which are a favourite haunt of mine as they are a delightful pocket of natural green space in the midst of metropolitan Melbourne.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

ON THE YARRA

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 Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.