My time on the PTUA committee only overlapped with Paul’s by about a year or so. I was newsletter editor in his final year as President. But I remembered him from my days as an “ordinary” member in the 90s, and in my time as Prez and afterwards, I encountered him regularly around the traps. ... [More]
Tag: Melbourne
Some of those of us who hang around the city are truly amazed at the number of motorists who ignore the “No Entry” and turn ban signs and drive along streets they’re not meant to. So it’s nice to know that — just occasionally — they do get pulled over by the police. Unfortunately others ... [More]
This might become a regular series. Following my posting of old photos from when I first got my digital camera, here’s a batch from early and mid-May 2003. This building next to the Orica building in Nicholson Street (near the corner of Lonsdale) looks like it’s two-dimensional, at least from some angles. Worth a look ... [More]
The Phase 2 Report from the High Speed Rail study was released last week — predicting that although HSR would cover its recurrent (running/maintenance) costs, it’d first take some $114 billion and 45 years to build it. As I’ve said before, I think a 3-ish hour trip from Melbourne to Sydney would be time-competitive with ... [More]
Lily Dale Dan Denong Flin der Street Lyn Brook Ben T’Leigh Pat Terson Mal Vern Frank Ston Cam Berwell William Stown Glen Ferrie Victoria Park and Clifton Hill (of course!) Thomas Town Wes Tall Syd Enham Mel Bournecentral Al Tona and his brother Wes Tona Glen Roy Craig Ieburn Edith Vale Ken Sington Merlyn Ston ... [More]
I wonder how many people notice gems like this, high up above our streets. It’s on a building on William Street, between Collins and Bourke.
The Victorian Government is pushing ahead with reform in emergency and disaster management. I can’t say I know a lot about it, but one reform that I’ve long thought they should consider is a re-drawing of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade/Country Fire Authority boundaries. They simply don’t make sense. The CFA covers large areas of outer-suburban ... [More]
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Little Bourke Street
Along Little Bourke Street, in the block between Queen and William Streets, are a couple of stunning buildings. The City West telephone exchange: The Supreme Court (sometimes you’ll see this on the news — I think it’s a nicer entrance than that facing onto William Street): Another section of the Supreme Court towers above the ... [More]
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]
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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]
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]
Dragon: Are You Old Enough (1978) — around Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, including the now-gone behaviour of riding the running board on a tram, and a Silvertop taxi back when they really did have a silver top. John Paul Young: Yesterday’s Hero (1975) — around Swanston Street Paul Kelly: Leaps and Bounds — mostly the Nylex ... [More]
From page 54 (Chapter 2, part 1) of the 1929 Melbourne Plan for General Development, commissioned by the Metropolitan Town Planning Commission. Other highlights include Chapter 2, part 7, which has a bunch of stuff about railways, including a discussion of a railway to Doncaster (page 132) and a strong argument for a combined transport ... [More]
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Hazy shade of autumn
On a recent morning, not unlike today. Bourke Street Little Collins Street
(Little William Street)
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The new bit of Bourke Street
This is the new bit of Bourke Street, in Docklands. I can quite put my finger on why, but I think I prefer the older bit.