DEMONSTRATION

Members of HACSU (Health and Community Services Union) demonstrating outside the local Member of the House of Representatives of the State Parliament. Peaceful protest is democratic right.

This is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

CURRAWONG

The pied currawong (Strepera graculina) is a medium-sized black passerine bird native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. One of three currawong species in the genus Strepera, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie of the family Artamidae. Six subspecies are recognised.It is a robust crow-like bird averaging around 48 cm in length, black or sooty grey-black in plumage with white undertail and wing patches, yellow irises, and a heavy bill.

The male and female are similar in appearance. Known for its melodious calls, the species' name currawong is believed to be of indigenous origin. Within its range, the pied currawong is generally sedentary, although populations at higher altitudes relocate to lower areas during the cooler months. It is omnivorous, with a diet that includes a wide variety of berries and seeds, invertebrates, bird eggs and juvenile birds.It is a predator which has adapted well to urbanisation and can be found in parks and gardens as well as rural woodland.

The habitat includes all kinds of forested areas, although mature forests are preferred for breeding. Roosting, nesting and the bulk of foraging take place in trees, in contrast with the ground-foraging behaviour of its relative, the Australian magpie. Here it is seen in suburban Melbourne, in the Darebin Parklands in Alphington.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE AT THE PARKLANDS

Darebin Parklands, in Fairfield/Alphington/Ivanhoe, is a pocket of natural bushland that is unique given it is only 7 km from the Melbourne CBD. There are hidden treasures within the park including remnant orchards and crops that were grown on the fringe of a growing city during the mid-1800s. A dairy farm, vineyard, quarry and tip site were all at times active industries within the bounds of the park, and clues of this can still be found if one knows where to look. Sunrise there is quite magical.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

GRASS DAISY

Brachyscome graminea, commonly known as grass daisy, is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Australia. It has mostly mauve-pink or purple daisy-like flowers and a yellow centre. In New South Wales grass daisy is a widespread species growing in coastal districts in wet locations, cliff edges and at higher altitudes in freshwater swamps and streams. In Victoria it grows widespread over much of the State in salt laden coastal marshes in the Glenelg River area to Mallacoota. At higher altitudes in freshwater swamps and streams near Benambra and Omeo.

Many hybrid varieties exist and these are very popular with gardeners. Shown here is the Brachyscome 'Fresco Candy' variety. It is a low maintenance and easy to grow attractive plant. It grows well in most soil types given good drainage.It is water-wise once established but should be given occasional deep watering during extended periods of heat. Regular light trims will encourage repeat flowering and maintain a neat habit. Apply a slow release fertiliser in spring for optimum results, with repeat flowering from mid-spring to late autumn.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

YARRA RIVER

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

GIPPSLAND PASTORAL

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

VISTA

This is an image created from three separate photos of different locations and layered together so as to form a horizontal mosaic of three component parts: Sky; mountains; and flowering field.  I used Photoshop to stitch it all together.

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

MELBOURNE TRAM

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

VANESSA

The Australian painted lady (Vanessa kershawi) is a species of butterfly mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand.

Debate surrounds the taxonomy of this species. Some believe that the Australian painted lady should be a subspecies of the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) due to the similarity in lifestyle and behaviour. Furthermore, the painted lady is found around the globe, but Australia is the only location in which it varies enough to be considered a separate species. However, due to the distinct genitalia of the males, and variation in colouration, many others consider the Australian painted lady to be a separate species.

During spring, adult butterflies migrate south in large numbers from northern states of Queensland and New South Wales. To find mates, male Australian painted ladies exhibit territorial behaviour, which involves a male perching on vegetation in a sunny spot on a hilltop, waiting for females to fly by. Despite urbanization and invasive plants altering its habitat, populations of Australian painted ladies have not been significantly impacted by these changes.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

AFTERNOON SUN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

PINK AND BLUE

Pink statice and blue delphiniums.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DAREBIN CREEK

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

SCIENCE GALLERY

The Science Gallery Melbourne is located in Melbourne Connect, the University of Melbourne's hub for innovation. It is a space that explores the collision of art and science and is part of the International Science Gallery Network, pioneered by Trinity College Dublin and connecting creative thinkers worldwide.

Entry is free and everyone is invited to explore, question, and imagine. The Gallery hosts exhibitions, events, learning initiatives, and research, in a space that challenges ideas, experiments and asks the visitor to look into the future, thinking about what may develop.

The global network of galleries linked to leading universities, bring researchers, academics, and students into conversations with artists, creatives and visitors. Such galleries invite new collaborations that break boundaries and shift how we all see the world.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

DEKOPON

Dekopon, also known by its brand name Sumo Citrus, is a large, seedless, sweet, and easy-to-peel Japanese hybrid citrus fruit that tastes like an intense mandarin orange with low acidity. It is known for its distinctive "topknot," a protruding top from its bumpy skin, and is available seasonally, typically from mid-winter to mid-spring.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WAITING

"They always take so long to make up their mind when they're shopping!'

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DOG WALK

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

NATIVE FRANGIPANI

Hymenosporum is a monotypic genus of trees in the family Pittosporaceae. The sole included species is Hymenosporum flavum, commonly known as native frangipani, found in the rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests of New Guinea, Queensland and New South Wales. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the frangipani, but is related to the widespread genus Pittosporum.

Hymenosporum flavum is a semi-deciduous tree up to 25 m high and a trunk diameter (DBH) to 45 cm. The obovate leaves are simple, alternate, glossy green above and lighter below. They measure up to 13 cm long by 4.5 cm wide, and are clustered towards the ends of the branches in pseudo-whorls.

The very fragrant flowers are quite large, about 40 mm diameter with a floral tube up to 28 mm long. They are initially functionally male, and coloured white with lemon tinges. Over a period of about 5 days the stigma begins to develop and the stamens curl away. At the same time the colour deepens until the fully functioning female flower is golden yellow with red/purple track lines in the throat.

The fruit is a dehiscent, two-chambered capsule, black/brown, densely hairy and about 35 mm wide and long. Seeds are about 7 mm long with a 4 mm  wing. They are numerous, and stacked together to fill each chamber.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SOUTHBANK

Southbank is a vibrant, high-density inner-city precinct in Melbourne known for its arts and cultural venues, a wide array of riverside dining and entertainment, and striking high-rise residential buildings. It is situated on the southern bank of the Yarra River, directly opposite the CBD.

Southbank has rapidly transformed from an industrial area into a dense, high-rise residential neighbourhood. It is a popular choice for young workers, with most dwellings being apartments. The area is very walkable, and public transport (trams and buses) is readily available, though there are no train stations within Southbank itself.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

REMEMBRANCE DAY AT THE SHRINE

Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, at 5:45 am for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at 11:00 am—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918—although, according to Thomas R. Gowenlock, an intelligence officer with the U.S. First Division, shelling from both sides continued for the rest of the day, ending only at nightfall. The armistice initially expired after a period of 36 days and had to be extended several times. A formal peace agreement was reached only when the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year.

The Shrine of Remembrance (commonly referred to as 'The Shrine') is a war memorial in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It was built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I, but now functions as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war. It is a site of annual observances for Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November), and is one of the largest war memorials in Australia.

Designed by architects Phillip Hudson and James Wardrop, both World War I veterans, the Shrine is in classical style, based on the Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus and the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The crowning element at the top of the ziggurat roof references the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Built from Tynong granite, the Shrine originally consisted only of the central sanctuary surrounded by the ambulatory. The sanctuary contains the marble Stone of Remembrance, upon which is engraved the words "Greater love hath no man" (John 15:13); once per year, on 11 November at 11 a.m. (Remembrance Day), a ray of sunlight shines through an aperture in the roof to light up the word "Love" in the inscription. Beneath the sanctuary lies the crypt, which contains a bronze statue of a soldier father and son, and panels listing every unit of the Australian Imperial Force.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

STONY

A friend waits patiently for the good weather so she can go rock-hounding. It's amazing what wonderful semiprecious stones she has found amongst perfectly uninspiring looking rocks...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme.

QUIET SUNDAY

The normally busy Burgundy St shopping precinct in Heidelberg, is quiet and sleepy on a Sunday.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

CAT

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

SPRING SHOWERS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

LILIUM HYBRID

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

REMEMBRANCE PARK, HEIDELBERG

Remembrance Park pond, in this little oasis of green close to Austin Hospital, Heidelberg. It's wedged between busy roads, residential streets and of course the hospital. Always pleasant to walk there and de-stress...

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

HEIDELBERG PANORAMA

View towards the East from Heidelberg, to the skyscrapers of Box Hill. Box Hill is an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 kilometres east of the city's Central Business District (CBD), located within the City of Whitehorse local government area. Box Hill recorded a population of 14,353 at the 2021 census.

Today, Box Hill is notable for its large Chinese community, having the largest percentage of individuals of Chinese heritage in Melbourne (The 2021 Census recorded 46.6 % of the suburbs residents as of Chinese origin), and is home to the city's tallest high-rise buildings outside the CBD.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING FLOWERS

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

Forest lily (Veltheimia bracteata); Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) and Sweet bay (Laurus nobilis)

HOSPITAL

The bottlebrush flowers soften the rather harsh architecture of the utilitarian Austin Hospital and somehow give some hope to all who enter there... 

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

AUSTRALIAN SWALLOW

The welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae that is native to Australia and nearby islands. It has self-introduced into New Zealand in the middle of the twentieth century.

It is very similar to the Pacific swallow with which it is often considered conspecific. This species breeds in southern and eastern Australia in a variety of habitats, mostly in open areas, man-made clearings or urban environments, but not desert or dense forest. Eastern populations are largely migratory, wintering in northern Australia. Western birds and those in New Zealand are mainly sedentary.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme