A simple grave

In Arlington, Virginia.


On June 8, 1968, Robert Kennedy was buried alongside his brother. Because of a delay, the funeral service had to be postponed until late at night, so 1500 candles were distributed to the mourners. This is the only time a funeral service has taken place at night at Arlington National Cemetery.

Part of Taphophile Tragic's to view the others click here.

People at the Sydney Opera House

Popular spot for runners.





Popular spot for photographers.

Avalon Pool Morning

A swimmer taking an early morning swim even though it is rough.




Colour or B&W, which do you prefer?

Phone Boxes

Twin phone boxes on The Corso at Manly. When did you last use a payphone?
Death of the payphone began here:'On April 3, 1973 Motorola manager Martin Cooper placed a cellular phone call (in front of reporters) to Dr. Joel S. Engel, head of research at AT&T's Bell Labs. This began the era of the handheld cellular mobile phone."

Sorry, yesterday's puzzle will continue next week.

Detail

The year was 1836 and the Governor of NSW was Richard Bourke. This convict built building is testimony to the skill of these wretches.
"Appalled by the excessive punishments doled out to convicts, Bourke initiated 'The Magistrates Act', which simplified existing regulations and limited the sentence a magistrate could pass to fifty lashes (previously there was no such limit)."
Only 50!
Where is this building in Sydney? Answer tomorrow.

Australia Day

Outside the Manly Pacific Hotel, raising the Australian flag, next to the New South Wales flag.

Australia Day celebrates the founding of the colony in Sydney Cove, Port Jackson in 1788.

Day in Day out

A view from the steps.
The new public artwork titled 'Day In, Day Out', created by Australian artist James Angus at the entrance to No 1 Bligh Street.

Original Sydney Burial Site

The first burials of Europeans after 1788 in Sydney took place near the shore presumably near the hospital in George Street. It is only conjecture but Ruth Park makes a good case for the area shown in the photo.

Looking from Campbell’s Cove.
“Pause a moment and look towards the west. Somewhere here, between Metcalfe Bond and Gloucester Walk is the probable site of Sydney’s first graveyard. This place at the Rocks in all likelihood was Sydney’s first graveyard, where some of the sick of the First Fleet, for whose care Captain Phillip hurried up his portable canvas hospital, found their lonely resting place. Others say that the first dead were buried up close to the ridge, where Harrington Street now is, but it seems unlikely that graves were dug in so rocky and so precipitous a place. Here, in a patch of sandy earth, in this bay so like hundreds of others still around Sydney, a cranny of glistening cutty-grass and sparkling sea, a bay convenient to the hospital and yet some distance from the marine and convict camps - here they surely laid the forty-one exiles, including ten children , who died in the settlement’s first five months.”
Ruth Park


Part of Taphophile Tragic's to view the others click here.

Doodles

Surf Life saving boat "Doodles' at Bilgola Beach.
Click to see other Mellow Yellow posts.

Store Door

An old store door in a railway yard. Ring for?

Spash!

Palm Beach pool. This time of year is humid and hot. There is nothing better than diving into an ocean pool to refresh. This is me entering the water (not taken by me of course)

Caffe Sicilia

On Crown Street.
Recommended.

Manly Municipal Council Building

Built in 1937 this council building is at the start of The Corso behind an impressive stand of figs.

Earthly Delights on Crown Street

A wall mural on Crown St Surry Hills.

Mona Vale Cemetery 2

This small plaque was attached to a rock on the edge of the cemetery. Some cicada shells attached.

This is part of a new blog project. Julie's Taphophile Tragic's Have a look here.

Parking Gate Pitt Street

Sacred Ibis

Almost got him as he dipped his beak, seconds to late.

Palm Beach photographer

This woman was taking photographs of herself and her friend by jumping off the rocks with a camera in her hands pointed towards themselves. He friend has the camera underwater.

Picasso at the Art Gallery

Having fun

The front of the Art Gallery was busy on Festival First Night

From the Art Gallery Cafe

The Domain Sydney Festival

A relaxed crowd waiting in the warm afternoon sun for the music to start.
Finally on comes the awaited star.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is a blind Indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language. He plays the guitar upside down. Recommended listening.

Sydney Festival First Night

After Hyde Park's exertions we strolled over to the Art Gallery and caught a chic French singer with band.


Picasso exhibition still showing.


Next stop The Domain.

Mona Vale Cemetery

Original gateposts


Monumental grave with new housing development in background

Located off the busy Mona Vale Road this once tranquil resting place is now surrounded by a new housing development. It is over 90% full and I was surprised to learn that it has over 6000 plots and 1000 wall niches.

"The land was dedicated as the 'Turimetta General Cemetery' on 18 October 1905, as that was the name for the village of Mona Vale at that time. The oldest surviving headstone in the Cemetery is for Percy Johnston who died in 1914 aged two years." (Pittwater Council)

This is part of a new blog project. Julie's Taphophile Tragic's Have a look here.

Frederic Joseph Walker Fountain Hyde Park

This usually neglected fountain in Hyde Park, the Frederic Joseph Walker Fountain 1961, was getting a workout during the Sydney Festival First Night.
Part of Madge's Weekly Top Shot project.

Sydney Festival First Night

Last night was the opening night of the Festival of Sydney.
It was a great night to stroll around amongst happy crowds watching entertainment all over the city. I walked through Hyde Park first and caught a DJ on the big bus, people were dancing all around, as you can see young and old. The guy with the dragon tattoo was really groovin'.

Sydney the name!

Sydney Cove was the name given by Captain Artur Phillip in 1788 to the cove where Circular Quay now is, but the name Sydney stuck for the whole city. The settlement was originally going to be called Albion and appears on some early maps. Lord Sydney was the British Home Secretary and Phillip's boss.

Syd-en-nee is the way you sometimes hear it locally pronounced which is close to its original derivation from St Denis. He was the bloke who converted the Parisians from Paganism to Christianity but lost his head as a result. The word Denis came from the Dionysus, the Greek God for having a good time. So perhaps we were well named after all.

An article in today's Sydney Morning Herald by David Astle asked the question: what do you call a person from Sydney? Usually we are known as Sydneysiders,
here are some other names identified by him and my comment:

Sydneian - already taken (you Sydney Grammar boys)
Sydneyite - too uptight
Sydneyard - sounds like a train station
Cads - too obscure (from the aboriginal name for Sydney Cove - Cadi)
Sydwegians - too hard to say
Sydninjas - too hard to spell
Emerald Citizen - appeals to me as my new blog title!
Port Jackaroo - no way bucko
Syd - too short
Syddie - just like Brissie, but coined by Antonio Samaranch when he announced the Sydney Olympics
02s - after our postcode - too numeric
33/151s - our lat and long - too confusing

Weekend reflections

People on the Sydney Opera House steps

Palm Beach Surf Lifesavers

Just off the pool there is a rip current which catches many unsuspecting swimmers. It is not too strong today but here are two pair of 'clubbies' who are supposed to be keeping watch. The females at the other end seem to be more alert.

Johnny Carter Palm Beach Legend

Johnny Carter is an Aussie legend, just like Crocodile Dundee or Ned Kelly. Seen here in his black 'Budgie Smugglers' teaching another generation to swim at the ocean pool at Palm Beach. I have been swimming every morning since summer arrived a week ago to do a few easy laps in the 50m pool. The water temperature is 23 degrees Celsius and a morning swim is the best way to start the day I know.

Carter, aged over 80, has been here for over 50 years teaching children to swim, a brass plaque attests to his dedication. There are several "3-generation" Johnny Carter swimming families here. He starts swimming classes at 7am and finishes around 2 pm He charges $10 a week or whatever you can afford. His daughter Robey is often seen helping as he yells 'stroke correction' at the youngsters.

He started here Carter back in 1947, when he worked as a beach inspector. When the summer ends he heads north to live in a caravan on the beach. He is not wealthy and many of the people he teaches are fairly well-off Eastern Suburb vacationers.

In 1958 Johnny carried out a famous rescue here. In rough seas two young men were swept off the rocks near the pool. Carter jumped off the rocks, dived in and swam 50m to grab the first man. Then, with him under his arm, he swam out a further 500m to the second. He was nominated for the George Cross, the highest civilian award for courage.


The southern end of Palm Beach, the best beach in Sydney!

I almost didn't write this part but sadly he was in the news a few weeks ago in the Manly Daily:
"Manly Court heard today that John “Jack” Carter, 81, had engaged in a serious “act of folly” when police caught him with 200 pairs of sunglasses and accessories on Pittwater Rd, Brookvale in October. The fake designer goods, bearing brand names such as Chanel, Versace and Gucci, were being offered for sale from a white van for between $10 and $25, a fraction of the cost for the genuine articles. The pensioner, who lives alone at Swansea on the Central Coast, told police he made between $50 and $100 a week selling goods, and had done so for many years. Mr Carter today pleaded guilty to 13 counts of possessing goods bearing fake trademarks and his barrister, Chris Branson QC, told the court his client knew it was a serious matter. Magistrate William Brydon said he would not record a conviction against Mr Carter due to his age, good record and contributions to the community."
Still a legend in my book.

Part of Watery Wednesday.

Bush Grave Havilah Anglican Cemetery

This rough grave is David Hunter White's (1930-1990). It is in the grounds of Havilah Anglican Church. He was one of the famous White's who settled in the Mudgee district in the 1870s. Havilah Station is located near Mudgee, on the central western slopes of New South Wales. The property became famous for breeding merino sheep and later prizewinning cattle.



The church was built by Henry Hunter White in 1905 who gifted it to the Anglican Church.



This is part of a new blog project. Julie's Taphophile Tragic's Have a look here.

Our World posts.

Austinmer Beach Showers

About two hours drive south of Sydney in the Illawarra is Austinmer Beach.

The Residence Hyde Park

This used to be the old Police Building on College Street. They kept the frame of the building, then gutted and refitted it to become a swish new apartment building .. 'The Residence'.