Susannah Place Museum, Sydney
Susannah Place Museum, The Rocks, Sydney
Although I was a little uncertain at first, I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Susannah Place Museum in The Rocks district of inner Sydney. we went there on the advice of our daughter who was with us on this holiday. A teaching colleague of hers had previously been there and had recommended a visit.
Basic laundry at Susannah Place, The Rocks, Sydney
We went on an hour long guided tour of these old historic terrace houses and shop. The houses were generally occupied from 1844 until relatively recently, one of them until only a few yars ago.
The houses are furnished and decorated in keeping with various eras in the life of this building. Some of the facilities, like the outdoor laundry tub and water heating fireplace and copper tub shown above, seem primitive when compared with what we have today.
Furniture in Susannah Place Museum, The Rocks, Sydney
Susannah Place Museum, Sydney
Susannah Place Museum, The Rocks, Sydney
Late last year we travelled to Sydney with our daughter. One of the places she was really keen to visit was the Susannah Place Museum in The Rocks district of inner Sydney. I was a little dubious at first but after going on the guided tour of this old historic shop and terraced houses I had radically changed my mind.
Susannah Place Museum, The Rocks, Sydney
The tour of this museum illustrates so graphically how people lived in this area in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Some of the houses are furnished as they would have been in that era. Other houses have a more modern feel with furnishings from the early twentieth century.
Susannah Place Museum, The Rocks, Sydney
Historic Strathalbyn, South Australia
Old church in Strathalbyn, South Australia
Last year I spent several weeks working in and around Strathalbyn, South Australia. This historic town south east of Adelaide is about a half hour drive from my home.
I was there to relieve one of the local courier drivers. The deliveries in the town and district rarely took all day, so I had some time around my lunch break to enjoy the beautiful buildings and parks of the town.
Old building in Strathalbyn, South Australia
Reedy Lake Ibis Rookery, Kerang, Victoria
Kerang Bird Hide, Victoria
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
From Gisborne we travelled north to Bendigo. This is a beautiful city in the gold fields region of Victoria. There are many historic buildings and places in this rural city, but we had only enough time to visit a native plant nursery – my wife’s passion – and to have lunch in one of the parks.
The historic heritage of this city and the natural beauty of the area deserve more than just a quick drive through. It deserves a week or two of exploration, camera in hand. We did have an extended holiday there many years ago. I must have some photographic slides of the city that will be worth digging out and showing here sometime.
As we drove north from Bendigo we were stunned by how the drought had affected the northern parts of the state. A few kilometres out of Bendigo it was as if someone had drawn a line across the road. The rain stopped at that line. Vegetation in the paddocks north of there were bare of feed for the sheep and cattle, despite it being the middle of spring. The fields should have been lush with pasture.
Just out of the town of Kerang we stopped for a half hour to visit the Reedy Lake Ibis Rookery. Every time we use this road I make a point of stopping here for a cuppa and a spot of birding.
Reedy Lake Ibis Rookery, Kerang, Victoria
Mt Macedon War Memorial, Victoria
Mt Macedon War Memorial
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
Yesterday I wrote about our visit to Mt Macedon in Victoria. This prominent mountain about an hour’s drive north of Melbourne is covered in natural bushland near the top. The foothills are largely occupied by large expensive houses.
On reaching the car park at the summit visitors can take a short five minute stroll to the War Memorial (shown in the photo above). This memorial pays tribute to the many Australians who fought and died in the First World War. Every ANZAC Day a dawn service is held at this cross.