Farewell April Theme Posthaste

Deja vu
More post-boxes
Yellow sign warns of a rail
crossing ahead to the right












Be Afraid.

Dalek adversary encounted













Canberra's highest post-box
in Telecom Tower
Style of post-box 1912-1913 for
Australia wide use
Mail posted there is imprinted
with an approprite date stamp.
Nathalie, Sydney Daily, said she likes country post-boxes

Banksia.

There is no doubt we have an unusual collection of plants in this region. I'm sure Banksia originated here and is evergreen and in bloom at this time.
I am stressing the unlikely appearance of the tree rather than any terrific photographic study.
Sir Joe Banks (hence Banksia) was a naturalist around at the start of European interest in Terra Australis.

What's It All About?

Tibetan Monks build a sand Mandala.
Is it just for the moment we live?
(The monks were in residence at a festival)

Trainspotting

Trainspotting. From Overbridge.
On the left, happens to be Jonathanshanegrsch, a local, who is into photos, videos and blogging. Jonathan said to Google him on goochy tin shed productions to see his latest work. He was bowled over by the extent of his success. If you can follow it.

European Enrichment

Croatian Folkloric

In memory of H B Vujeva.
Musician and Music teacher
Exuberant family and community member.
Post-war immigrant. Old Girl from San Clemente School, Mayfield.

Civic Park and Poetry

Bush Poetry and Folk Music and relaxation under the fig trees in Civic Park were hosted by the City Council , Sausage Sizzle included.

One touching poem told about a favourite horse given-up to the army for the Light Horse Brigade in WW1......BTW One hundred and sixty thousand Australian Stock Horses went to the Middle East and worked hard there and only one was bought back home.

BTW ...It can be particularly good when the bush poets take-on the avant-garde poets, they are as different as chalk and cheese.

ANZAC Day

Anzac Day is an occasion for war memorial services. (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) From this country, with a very small population (as with others) a whole generation of young men, from the smallest country town upwards, were marched into battles on the other side of the world. From the Boer War onwards.

The sculptures are central to the war memorial cultural centre in Laman Street, Newcastle.
(At one time they were known as him & her)

Autumn Really

Leaving the City and straying into the countryside to where the seasons are more colourful, in the south, in Bungendore.

Steamfest

The railways around the Hunter were alive with steam power these last few days as part of Steamfest. There were excursions and stunts to see and to relive the past. Last thing was a race from Broadmeadow to Maitland. The train pictured is no longer on any regualr service but is 'getting traction' for the race.

The Imperalism Of English

As elsewhere, an enormous number of overseas students take up higher education in this country and our Institutions have off-shore annexes. On-line study is also undertaken. Parents seek out high school education for their youngsters and english language learning has gone completely over the top.
Here is a snapshot of post Graduation doings at Macquarie University, Sydney and my daughter (with her family) in the role of 'chalkie' or teacher with recently completed further studies. Well done!

East and West.

This store has furniture to die for. The pieces appear to be of Chinese origin and are not necessarily reproductions and are stocked by several stores. Very very appealing and pricey.

Yet it makes me uneasy. How and where were these items obtained? Someone elses heritage shipped out to us? And any new timbers have to be spared.

The East At Our Doorstep

Indoors or out, perhaps these imports are evocative of that holiday to Bali or India or..... on sale in Newcastle.

Pantheon Revisited

Piece de resistance?
2CV
Awarded First Place in Concours of Elegance
Fairly rare cars hereabouts.







Rakish Big 6










!!

The Pantheon

I suspect a Francophile has something to do with this workshop with no less than four classic model Citroens gaining attention there.
The DS Model, the blue Goddess, a pinnacle of design with its ancestors on either side. Perhaps rivalled by the Traction Avant, a Big 6 - partly visible on the right. And a colourful rare vintage model on the left. Would love to have a drive in any of these.

Graduation Day

The bronze graduate in flowing robes was popular on this happy graduation day. Here are some of the crowd that posed with him.

Schools In At Newcastle Beach

Water safety. Outdoors in the UV means hats and sleeves are a must at Newcastle Beach.
"Enjoy, but always swim between the flags. Don't swim alone or at unpatrolled beaches. Don't swim against a rip".. etc... Is that how the lesson goes?

Melanesian Tapa

Melanesian Tapa from Madang, Papua New Guinea, 1984.
These could be found in the markets which were an alternative to Burns Philip, unless you were too posh. Saturday mornings, busy with vendors and PMVs: carvings, bilums, foods, bats, some fish, maybe a live owl.
Generally these were a happy people. Town life was an OK lifestyle, International School, thieves, clubs, dedicated experts doing the impossible in chasing up a cure for Malaria, or into linguistics in a country with umteen languages.

Ceremonial Cloth

Tapa Ceremonial Matting, from Tonga, in place this Easter. Pacific Islander Communities have introduced aspects of their culture into Newcastle. Song is a strong point.
Tapa is from the islands of the Pacific from both Polynesia and Melanesia. Bark of the Paper Mulberry tree, nowdays, is pounded flat and glued into large sheets and decorated with traditional dyes.
Earlier tapa was used as clothing and can be worn now on formal occasions and is prized for its decorative value.

Stuart Piano

In the Conservatorium Recital Hall, imagine Chopin's preludes cascading from this fine piano which has been handcrafted in Newcastle by Stuart & Sons.
Wayne Stuart, piano maker, believes that if a piano is to remain a vital musical instrument it must continue to evolve and, quoting from his brochure, has introduced means that encourage the strings to vibrate in a more controlled manner for an outstanding dynamic range, longer sustain and greater clarity. An expanded keyboard and additional soft pedal are also surprising features.
The recital by the postgrad from Newcastle Conservatorium had finished on a high note and the piano was closed before I could reach it to take a photo.

Birthday

Today is the birthday of Queen Margrethe II Queen of Denmark.
Scandinavian folk dancers.

The Royal Hotel

Australiana: Royal Hotel in small heritage village of Bungendore, dating back to the 1830's which is quite early hereabouts.
MUDCHOOKS: (Chooks aka chickens) After 100 years the town has a Rugby team once again and just reached the grand final only to be beaten.
In another match, this weekend, they challenged a revived Wallaby team, the Silver Foxes, with some of the Wallaby legends. Chooks v foxes!
Word gets around because Canterbury International (NZ) is supporting the Mudchooks, naturally enough.

Otherwise, the Newcastle League Great, legend Andrew (Joey) Johns, has finished his career due to injury. Our team, The Knights will have to move on.

Sailboard? Change of Direction

Sundays

Sunday afternoon
and kicking-back on the shores of Lake Macquarie. Outdoors at the cultural centre is a sailboard left high and dry or whatever you imagine but I'm only grasping abstract thought at this stage and a winged seed pod or a governor out of a carby or golf related ideas come to mind.

Pedagogy On The Beach

How much can a van hold? Thirteen surf boards and then some. School kids do surfing like any other sport so its waiting for the grommets near Nobbys Beach. I hope they discover a long-term fun thing to do and enjoy the exercise.

71 Coal Ships wait off port. Politicans posture about delays and point to the inadequacy of the port while avoiding the major issues surrounding the use of coal and global warming. Even with its so-called deficiencies, the resource is plundered at a rate never before known, yet the rhetoric is to endlessly increase coal loading capacity. There must be a happy medium.

City Hall

At interval the City Hall ceiling 'caught my eye'

Many thanks to Gerald of Hyde Daily Photo for publishing my photos this week.
Gerald is a true-blue supporter of CDP.

Russian Folk. Festival VIIII

Natalia was with the Belorussian State Dance Company and with Oleksiy are professional dancers and exponents of national dance.

Wicked Campers.III. set of 2

Meeting of the Waters

Julia is away at present, so I've been posting picture for her in her absence.

The nearest I've ever been to anywhere in Australia, let alone Newcastle, is New Zealand.

This picture was taken at the very North of the North Island and shows the meeting of the waters of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Newcastle Triathlon Club. Set of 2

Robotics. Festival VIII

On a very dark night. Brave encounter. Making acquaintances.

Relics or Retro?

This trio was seen at Futuro (no less) Motors, Islington. Memories!
1. Blue, either Austin or Morris, badge engineering, 1100, mid sixties. (Morris merged with the Austin company, in 1951, to form BMC, home of Mini-Minor/ Cooper S.)
2. "Sporty" white, VW Golf convertible or Cabriolet, Mark 1, circa 1980. 1600cc.
3. Green "fun machine" Triumph Vitesse Convertible (Coventry, GB) 6 cylinder, 1596cc, mid sixties.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Famous landmark with daughter haming it up.
I've never visited the rock. Have you?
(This is clearly not from my camera!)

Artistic Forms

At the portal of the Art Gallery is a squiggly mass of things usually found in the swimming pool

Not Another Mail Box

Another milk can mail box! Just out of town. Like the post box, the sign is old, we have had eight digit phone numbers for years now.

Rapt in Traditions

Timeless imagery and symbolism for the senses is found in some faith traditions; language and song aplenty.
And purple drapes wrap the season - which, really, outdoes December 25th.
Church Street, Newcastle - where else?

The Macquarie

The Macquarie Dictionary is a good read......of Australian English, not just a work of reference on the way in which Australians use the English language....but of their contribution to the conversation of humanity...... Recommended.
It's a namesake of Macquarie University, which appears to be a centre for language learning, yet has parted company with the dictionary so as to keep more to its core agenda and teaching, or so the papers say. Another university has adopted the dictionary. Budgeting would be a factor, I imagine.

Old Mail Box

Sad and rusty mailboxes hang disused. Steel milk cans frequently act as roadside mail boxes by out-of-town folk. At Blackhill. Which is slightly out of town. Never the less, this property was a Jersey cow stud.

Beaches beautiful one day....

The Solomon Islands had an 8.1 destructive earthquake in the last 12 hours. The tropical islands are to our north, close to the east coast of Papua New Guinea. Aid and assistance will be sent.
As a precaution, a tsunami warning is in place and our beaches are closed. Ferry services are halted. Unusual currents and changes may arise. The 66 ships (waiting for coal) told to move further out to sea away from our coast.

Mail Boxes

Nothing subtle about this photo! More Mail boxes, these in Hunter Street, Newcastle. Will postal services continue much longer? Other means are taking over.

Mail Box

There's a mail box here. It could be historical because it is in the early style as seen at Sydney Central. I doubt one of these would be left in Newcastle.