MATTHEW FLINDERS..........

Famed Adventurer Died A Pauper After Years At Sea.........

  Explorer Matthew Flinders Paid The Ultimate Price For His Historic Voyages.......

In Constant Pain From Kidney Stones And Bladder Inflammation, Probably AS  A Consequence Of Constant Repeated Dehydration &Scurvy During His Years At Sea, Matthew Flinders Was Also Plagued By Financial As He Proofed Complex Navigation Charts For Books Chronicling His Voyages Around Terra Australis. 

Nine Days Before His Death, The Invalid Explorer Made His Final Diary Entry, Noting He Did Not Rise Before Two. Weeks Earlier His a wife Ann Wrote  to Friends That "So Dreadfully Was He Altered, He Looked Cull 70 Years Of Age & Was Worn To A Skeleton."

The Navigator, Hydrographer And Scientist Died On July 19, 1814, At His Rented Home At 14 London Street, Fitzroy Square In London, Where He Settled With His Wife & Two Year Ild Daughter Ann Five Months Earlier, Weeks Before His 40th Bitthday. 

Despite His Success As A Navigator And Cartographer, Established In Charting Tasmania, The NSW Coat And Circumnavigating Australia, Flinders Reaped Limited Financial Reward.

He Was Born At Donnington In Lincolnshire On March 16, 1774, The Eldest Som Of Surgeon Matthew Flinders, And His Wife Sussanah, Who Doed In 1783 After The Birth Of Their Youngest Son Sanuel. Educated at A Free Parosh School &From 12 As A Grammar School Boarder, Flinders Resisted His Fathers Plans For Him To Train As A Surgeon. 

Growing Up Near The English Channel, Flinders Witnessed Ships Arrive And Depart From The Napoleonic Wars And America, And Enjoyed Stories Told By Cousin John Franklin, A Royal Navy Midshipman. Flinder's  Later Explanation Was "Induced To Go To Sea Against The Awuahes  Of Frends From Reading Robinson Cruesoe."

On The  Advice Of His Cousin, Flinder's Studied Geometry, Trigonometry & Navigation To Improve His Pospects For Promotion In The Navy. franklin Also Had Him Illegally Recruited As An Officer's Servant On The HMAS Alert, Then In The West Indies, In October 1789, Although Finder's Did not Board A Ship Until May 1790. 

He Sailed On The HMAS Scipio As A MidShipMan Under a the Command Of A Family Acquaintance Thomas Pasley, Soon Moving With Pasley As An Able Bodied Seaman Patrolling Seas Around England K. HMAS Bellerophon.

The Centennial Park Eel

The Centennial Park Eel 

THE CENTENNIAL PARK EEL

In the Ponds Of Centennial Park Lives The Eastern (???? ) Eel. And To The Normal Park Goer They Look Like An Ugly Animal Swimming Around In The Murky Waters Of The Parklands. 

But The Centennial Park Eels Hold A Remarkable Story For Those In The Know. 

Male Eels Mature Around 10- 30 years and Female Eels Mature Around 8 Years. When They Reach Adult Stage & Feel The Need Spawn & AmazingThing Happens.

The eels Hop From Pond To Pond and then crawl Through a drain Underneath Alison Road and into Randwick Racecourse. They then follow the Natural Watercourse Through To The Moore Park Golf Course and then Follow it Through To Botany Bay Coming Out Where The Third Sydney Runway Comes Out at Kingsford Smith Airport.  

While Making This Journey some Amazing Changes Happen To Their Bodies...... 

- their Dorsal Fin Becomes bigger  So They Are Able To Swim Better In Ocean Currents. 

- their  stomach shrinks

- Their Eyes Also Change SizeThat They Can See In The Seawater

- their anus Restricts and Any Orifice To Reduce Water Loss

- Their Gills 

 From Freshwater To Saltwater. They Can Also Out In Fresh Air, And If There Is No Watercourse For Them To Make It To Botany Bay They Can travel Across Land for short distances. 

The Eels Then Make A 3,500 Mile Journey through The Ocean To Somewhere Near New Caledonia, where They Spawn Their Young & Die. 

These Young Eels Then Male Their Way The 3,500 Miles Back To Centennial Park Where They Live In The Ponds Until They Mature 

Queen Victoria Building - George Street, York Street, Market Street

The Queen Victoria Building 

The Queen Victoria Building Was Designed By City Architect George McRae, As Sydney's Central Markets, & Was Constructed Between 1893 And 1898. Being Planned &
erected At The Height Of The Reign Of Queen Victoria and It Was Named In Her Honour & In Celebration If Her Golden Jubilee In 1887 & Diamond Jubilee In 1897
The Site Is Bound By George Street, Market, York & Druitt Streets


The Plan Of The Building Was Direct & Simple; A Long Rectangle at a Which An Entry Was Provided At Each End & At The Centre  Of Each Long Side. The Markets Occupied The Basement & Were Serviced By Stairs & A Hydraulic Lift. There Were Shops & Apartments On The Ground & a First Floors, Warehouses, Showrooms & An Art Gallery On The Second, & Further Apartments & A Photo Gallery on
The Third Floor. 
At The Northern End Of The Building, Extending Through Several Storeys, Was A Large Hall Used For Concerts & Balls. 

In 1910 The City Markets Were Transferred Southwards To An Area Still Referred As The Haymarket, & The Queen
Victoria Building Was Subjected To An Unfortunate Successions Of Alterations Which
drastically Changed Its Architectural Character. 
Major Transformation Of The Interior If The Building were Made Between 1917
And 1930. The Original Gallery Was Destroyed & The Building
was Robbed Of Its Splendid Interior. The Glass Roof, No Longer Used For Light, Was Replaced By Galvanised Iron. 
In The 1950's, The City Council Contemplated Demolishing It & There Was Little Evidence Of Public Opposition.

By  
The Architectural style Chosen By George McCrae For His
markets Building Became Known As American Romanesque
The design & Erection Of The Queen Victoria Building a Was A Major Architectural Achievement, The More So When Considered In relation To The Depressed State Of the Australian Economy. 





By Good Fortune The Queen Victoria Building is Grouped With Its  Victorian Fellows - The Sydney Town Hall - & St Andrews Cathedral.

Romanesque, Neo Classic And Gothic Styles Merge Under The Influence

Fine Craftsmanship In Stone, Has Rarely Been More Lavishly
employed In Australia for This Late Victorian Building


Another Example Of The Work George McCrae Is This Red Brick
Building  In Hay Street Sydney. 
A Third Building Built By
McCrae, The Eastern Market Stood In Forbes Street Woolloomooloo, But Has Since Been Demolished. 
Such a Multiplicity Of Copper Domes, The Green  their Patina Varying In Intensity With Changing Moisture Or Light. The Building Can Boast Some Twenty Domes. 

The External Surface Of The Sandstone Shell Is Elaborately Decorated. Despite The Variety Of Elements Which Make The Expansive Facades - Windows & Door Openings In A Great Range Of Sizes & Groupings, Intricate & Ornate Mouldings, Projecting Bays & Recesses, Curbed & Square Wall Surfaces - There Is Consistency Of a Decoration Which Contributes To Rather Than Detracts From The Visual
unity As A Whole

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB) is a majestic and historic shopping center located in the heart of Sydney, Australia. It stands as a testament to the city's rich architectural heritage and has a fascinating history. Here's an overview of the history of the Queen Victoria Building:

Construction and Purpose:

• The Queen Victoria Building was constructed in the late 19th century, between 1893 and 1898.
• It was designed by architect George McRae in the Romanesque Revival style, reflecting the architectural trends of the time.

Named in Honor of Queen Victoria:

• The building was named in honor of Queen Victoria, who ruled the British Empire for over six decades.
• Its design incorporated various elements and symbols associated with the Victorian era.

Market and Shops:

• The QVB was originally built as a market hall and housed a wide range of shops, vendors, and traders.
• The central dome area, known as the "Domes," was particularly grand and impressive, with a glass roof allowing natural light to illuminate the interior.

Transformation and Decline:

• In the early 20th century, the QVB underwent various changes and renovations, including modifications to the interior layout.
• Over time, the market's popularity declined, and the building faced challenges due to changing shopping trends and economic shifts.

Threat of Demolition:

• By the mid-20th century, the QVB was facing the possibility of demolition due to proposals for urban redevelopment.
• However, public outcry and preservation efforts led to the building being saved from destruction.

Restoration and Revival:

• In the 1980s, the QVB underwent a significant restoration effort that aimed to restore its original grandeur while adapting it to modern retail needs.
• The restoration work included repairs to the structure, refurbishing of decorative elements, and updates to ensure safety and accessibility.

Reopening as a Shopping Center:

• In 1986, the Queen Victoria Building reopened as a modern shopping center with a mix of high-end boutiques, specialty stores, cafes, and restaurants.
• It became a popular destination for both locals and tourists, offering a unique shopping experience within a historical setting.

Heritage Status and Recognition:

• The QVB is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register and holds significance as an architectural masterpiece and a reflection of Sydney's history.

Today, the Queen Victoria Building stands as a beautifully restored and thriving shopping center that seamlessly blends historical charm with contemporary retail offerings. It remains an iconic landmark in Sydney, embodying the city's cultural heritage and architectural excellence

The first milestone

Colonial Sydney measured road distances from Francis Greenway’s Obelisk of Distances in Macquarie Place (1818) — the official zero point for public roads to Parramatta, Windsor, Liverpool and beyond. Along those routes, milestones marked each mile. The stone in this post is the one-mile milestone on the eastern side of George Street, slightly south of Liverpool Street, on the rise historically called Brickfield Hill (the old brick-making locality between roughly today’s Town Hall and Central).

After weathering, Sydney Municipal Council in 1903 had the stone removed and the lettering recut with an inscription reading along the lines of “Sydney 1 mile” — wording that puzzled readers because Macquarie Place, not Brickfield Hill, was where “Sydney” distances began. The milestone therefore marks one mile from the Macquarie Place obelisk, not a separate origin point.

The photograph here shows the George Street / Brickfield Hill one-mile marker (or its 1903 recut successor), with the Macquarie Place obelisk as the true zero.

THE FIRST MILESTONE

George Street, Eastern Side, Slightly South Of Liverpool Street

Because the lettering had weathered Since its erection in 1818, the City Council In 1903 had the milestone removed and recut with the inscription Sydney 1 mile this was most confusing. Where did Sydney Begin and where did Sydney end

In December 1793 the spot where the first milestone stands was known as Brickfield Hill. Captain Collins judge advocate in his journal of that year For  describes the building of a home for soldiers at the present day wynyard Square

The milestone Located At Liverpool NSW 

John Frazer Fountain – Hyde Park – Sydney

The Frazer Fountain in Hyde Park South is a Gothic-style Pyrmont sandstone drinking fountain presented to the citizens of Sydney by merchant, philanthropist and MLC John Frazer. City Architect Thomas M. Sapsford designed the canopy; Mittagong sculptor Lawrence Beveridge carved the stonework. It was the first of two Frazer fountains — this Gothic example for Hyde Park (inscriptions and City of Sydney date it to the 1881–82 mayoralty of John Hardie) and an Italian Renaissance twin erected in 1884 on St Mary’s / Prince Albert Road near the Domain.

Originally placed at the south-east of Hyde Park (near today’s Whitlam Square / Emden Gun site), the fountain was moved in 1917 to make way for the Emden Gun and moved again in 1934 to its present position opposite Sydney Grammar School on College Street. During the 1934 relocation the original taps and communal drinking cups were replaced with a bubbler, reflecting changing hygiene standards. Inscriptions record Frazer’s gift and credit Sapsford and Beveridge.

The John Frazer Public Fountain in Sydney’s Hyde Park commemorates John Frazer, an Irish-born businessman and philanthropist. Its Victorian-era design reflects the public drinking fountains installed in Sydney’s parks in the late nineteenth century.

John Frazer Public Fountain - Hyde Park- New South Wales

 

John Fraser Was An Irish Businessman

And Philanthropist

Macquarie Street And Associated Landmarks

            In 1792, Governor Arthur Phillip Proclaimed The Open Space Which Became The Botanical Gardens, Domain, Hyde Park, And Macquarie Street For Government Use.

            The Street Itself Was Proclaimed In 1810 By Governor Lachlan Macquarie. At First It Only Ran From Hyde Park To Bent Street, But In 1845 it was Extended In Both Directions.

CENTRE OF SOCIETY –

CENTRE OF MEDICINE – Being Macquarie Street Specialist Became A Prestigious Title

CENTRE OF CEREMONY - Ceremonial=al Tradition Began With The Waterloo Ball Of 1816 (Commemorating Wellington’s Victory Seven Months Late As The Colony Had Only Just Received The News)

1 Hyde Park – Part Of Governor Phillip’s 1792 Common, Renamed Hyde Park By Governor Macquarie. The Archibald Fountain Was Added In The 1920’a

2. Queens Square – The Centerpiece Of The Macquarie Town Plan Prince Albert’s Statue Arrived In 1866

3. Hyde Park Barracks – It Housed Convict Gangs Overnight. Above The Entrance Is The Oldest Clock In Australia. The Barracks Survived Several Plans For Demolition

4. The Mint – Completed in 1816 – As Part Of the Rum Hospital. Restored In the 1970’s

5. Sydney Hospital – 

Known As the Rum Hospital. The Builders Were Paid With 3 Years/45,000 Gallons Of Rum. I 

I Have Read That Francis Greenway i

Didn't Actually Design "THE RUM HOSPITAL"

And That In Actual Fact It Was Lady Macquarie Behind The Design Of The Original Building. In 1810 - 1815 Lady Macquarie And Elizabeth MacArthur Were About The Only Two Ladies That Would've Been Fully Literate In The New Colony. 

One Of The Main Reasons It Would Not Have Been Public Knowledge That Lady Macquarie Designed The Rum Hospital Building Was Tjat It Was Unacceptable For A Female To Do That Sort Of Thing.   

6. Martin Place – Named After the 19^th Century Premier Sir James MARTIN. Most Significant Is The Reserve Bank And Museum If Australian Currency

7. St Stephen’s Church –

8. Parliament House –

9. The State Library –

10. Wyoming – One Of The Sky Scrapers Of Macquarie Street In 1909, It Was Designed By W. Burcham Clamp -

11. Horbury House – These Are Two Survivors Of A Terrace Of Seven Built In 1845 As Gentleman’s’ Residences. Early Occupants Include Robert Lowe (Later Viscount Sherbrooke), Conrad Martens

12. The Royal Botanical Gardens – The First Farm Was Started Here. Later, Governor Bligh’s Daughter, Mary, Had More Success With Gardening. The Initial Collection Was Restricted But The Enlarged Gardens Were Opened To The Public In 1831, And The Basis Of The Present Gardens Established By Charles Moore From 1848 – 1896. The Garden Palace Was In These Grounds.

-

13. The Royal College Of Physicians – No 145 Was The Home Of John Fairfax.

14. BMA House – The British Medical Association House Was Built In 1929, as Medical Chambers With A Lecture Hall On The Ground Floor.

15. History House (Royal Australian Historical Society) - Another Remnant Of A Gentleman’s Residency. This Was By Architect George Mansfield Housed The 1870’s Reform Club. As The Middle Classes Moved Away From The City It Became A Boarding House And Then Homes And Rooms of Medical Practitioners And Acquired By The RAHS in 1969

16. The Astor – in 1914 John O’Brien Built The Exclusive 13 Storey Astor Apartments Designed With A Basement Restaurant Linked By Service Lifts To Each Apartment, Enabling Dinner Deliveries To Residents. The roof Garden Included A Glasshouse, Fernery And Dance Floor.

17. Chief Secretary’s Building – The Fine Interior Of This French Second Empire Style Government Office Designed By Architect James Barnet .

18. Treasury Building – Now Included In The Intercontinental Hotel This Was Built IN two stages, Beginning With Te Treasury (The Bridge Street Corner) In 1849 In a Classical Revival Style And Bridge Street By W L Vernon To Include The Premier’s Officer

19. Conservatorium Of Music – Beyond The Equestrian statue Of Edward VII This Stable Could Accommodate 30 Horses Plus Servants

20. Government House – Beyond The Gatehouse And Down the Roadway To The North Of The Former Stables In The Gothic Castle Style Government House. Still Used By The State Governor. The house Is Open To Te Public on Certain Days Designed In England By Edward Blore And Constructed Under Mortimer Lewis’s Supervision 1837-45

21. Transport House (1938) and Sir Stamford Hotel (1896)

22. Royal Automobile Club

23. Bennelong Point -

QUOTE

1857 - by John Askew

"Tiers Of Fine Buildings Seem To Rise Once Above The Other, Like The Seats In An Amphitheatre, And Towering Above Them All Is The Tall Spire Of St James Church"

1857 - by John Askew

"The Best Thing In This Neighbourhoods In All It's Glory Is On A Summer's Evening, About An Hour After Sunset, When The Drawing Rooms Are In A Blaze Of Light. Then The Rich Tones Of A Piano Or Some Other Musical Instrument Are Heard Gushing Fourth From The Open Windows, Accompanied By The Sweet Melody Of Female Voices. Beautiful Ladies, Dressed In White May Be Seen Sitting Upon The Verandahs, or Lounging On Magnificent Couches, Partially Concealed By The Folds Of Rich Crimson Curtains."

The Rebellion If The Army Corp Amd Governor Bligh

It was the 26th January 1808, Exactly 20 Years After Arthur Phillip Had Set Up The Penal Colony Of Sydney In New South Wales. 









It Has Always Been Depicted That Governor Bligh Was Found Cowering
Under His Bed, But In Actual Fact He. was Ready To Fight John MacArthur And the Rum Corp. 

The Sydney Fig Trees

I

The 

In 1873 Charles Moore, Colonial Botanist And Director Of The Botanical Gardens

Charles Moore, Had Been Appointed The Colonial Botanist upon His Arrival Fro

 England. He Was Also The Director Of The Botanical Garden And Designed Them Ready For The International

exhibition In 1879. 

I 

The only Positive Aspects Of The Whole Operations Over The Last Few Months Is That There Has Been Some Real Outrage From The "EASTERN SUBURBS SET"

BUT STANDING AROUND THE TREES HOLDING HANDS SINGING KUM-BY-YAH IS NOT, AND DID NOT SAVE THEM

THE EASTERN SUBURB TREE HUGGING SET 

Had all good intentions when It Came To The Trees, but Thjs State Government Js Well Versed On How To Deal With, And Intimidate These Well Meaning People. 

Everyone keeps Talking About Canopies...

How about We Talk About BETRAYEL.. AND TREASON By The Moore Park And Centennial Park Trust, By Selling Off The Strip Of Land On Alison Road For $7 Million Dollars To Light Rail Operator (Not The State Govt, As People First Thought 

UNDER SECTION 5 SUBSECTION 19 

A) none Of The Original Land Granted By Governor Macquarie on The 10th Oct 1811 Shall Be Resold Or Appropriated by Private Business Or Government Unless Through An Act Of Parliament 

Governor Macquarie Sealed Up The Whole Area Through The 2nd SYDNEY COMMON DEED. Maybe He Could Forsee Money Hungry Governments 

The CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS ACT OF 1887

Was When Work Began On Creating CENTENNIAL PARK. Charles Moore - Head Royal Colonial Botanist For The Sydney Botanical Gardens Started Planting Moreton Bay Figs And Port Jackson Figs Along RAndwick Road (which Became Anzac Parade After WW1) in 1873. The First Sod Of Soil Was Turned On March 22 Of T

PLANT SPECIES 

- Phoenix Canonensis

- Ficus Rubiginosa (Port Jackson Fig)

- Ficus Hillii ( Hill's Fig)

- Washinglonia Robusta (Cotton Palm)

- Ficus Macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig)

- Pinus Radiata (Monteray Pine)

- Araucacia Heterophylla ( Norfolk Island Pine)

- Salix Babylonica (Weeping Willow) 

-

Watching All The Trees Being Chopped Down Around Me Really Inspired Me To Start Painting Again After All These Years