I’d been told this segment was coming up on Coxy’s Big Break, and it finally aired on Sunday: a look at the cash railways at the shop I worked at part-time as a teenager, Hattams in Elsternwick. Apparently these are some of the few still working cash railways in Victoria. They were common in medium ... [More]
Category: Melbourne
Melbourne stuff
In the Apple Store at Southland the other day, I noticed they had all the iDevices maps set to satellite. It wasn’t hard to see why — it took all of a minute or two to find some glaring errors in the street maps. It’s not just that tram lines are completely missing; they’ve put ... [More]
One of the chemists in Bentleigh is renovating, and this old signage has been revealed — soon to be covered up with something new. Apparently they used to sell stuff called “film” from a company called “Kodak”. The windows have also shown up some old ads. Anybody care to estimate how old they might be? ... [More]
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Halloween approaches
Just after I moved to my current address, I noted that some of the local kids went Trick Or Treating for Halloween. It’s been the same in subsequent years, and I fully expect the same next week. I’ve decided that while I’m not into cultural imperialism and the adaption of American traditions to Australia, this ... [More]
From the City of Glen Eira web site: Property owners are responsible for keeping trees and shrubs under control and trimmed back to ensure pedestrian safety and clear sightlines for drivers. … If a Council notice is sent requesting that trees or shrubs be trimmed, the work must be completed within 14 days. … Property ... [More]
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Malawi and Moldova
Something I never noticed until yesterday — in an obscure building in Little Bourke Street are the consulates of Malawi and Moldova. Who knew? I wonder how many visitors they get. Bet the security isn’t as strict as at the US Embassy, where you have to place virtually all your belongings in a locker before ... [More]
Yet again we have public figures extolling the virtues of technology over service in public transport. Underground railways Jeff Kennett thinks underground railways are the panacea: “If I was able to wave a magic wand even now, I would start the planning for an underground rail system,” he told the Australian Property Institute Pan Pacific ... [More]
Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea. (Credit: Marita spotted it first.) Could be a sequel to this: Everything in the entire world except this bus stop sign is at a funny angle.
Pretty funny: Southern Cross Station has departure signs sponsored by Red Rooster. In part because they show less information, they actually have fewer errors than the official signs — but beware — it appears they don’t show trains departing in less than 10 minutes (because they want you to think there’s time to go and ... [More]
My recollection is the back of the building at the corner of Little Bourke Street and Little William Street was an old man barber shop. (Pic from Google Streetview.) Over the past year or so it’s somehow transformed into a trendy cafe called Patricia. The kind of place that appears to be wildly popular despite ... [More]
Can you combine street art, classic video games and a Melbourne street map? Yes! CDH Art: “Using the familiar street art motif of retro gaming, I created a walking guide-map to Melbourne’s street art.”
Categories
Footscray Fire Station: Old and new
Hey trivia buffs, what’s so special about this block of flats? (Apart from the fact that one flat is for lease.) (Note, if you clicked-through from Twitter, and are first with the answer, but instead of simply leaving a comment below you decide to return back to Twitter to tell me, then I’m afraid you ... [More]
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“No … is allowed”
A bit vague, I thought. What does it mean? No swearing is allowed? No Morse code is allowed? No nothing is allowed?
I reckon the better a paving surface looks, the slipperier it is, particularly in the wet. Asphalt: ugly, but grips well, even in the wet. Tiles (as platforms at Flinders Street station have been converted to, but thankfully not ramps) and blue-stone (increasingly common on CBD streets) look nicer, but are more slippery. And some ... [More]
This building looked extra-foreboding last night against the grey sky. It’s the Bank Of New Zealand Australia building, on the corner of Collins and Queen Streets. BNZA is sounds like ANZ backwards, but it’s actually now part of NAB. The building was once known as A.C.Goode House, the original section of which dates back to ... [More]