The Brisbane Customs House

The Customs House, Brisbane.


The Customs House, Brisbane. Eagle Street and Queen Street corner.


From the river.

The Dome is above the left front only, and the curved circular section is also only on the left (looking from Queen Street).

Looking from the river, the wall hides the bottom floor (warehouse), but right at the river level there is a derelict section, with barred and broken windows, which served as the latrines (so said the girl at the desk). (The latrine was not captured in this photo.)

The coats of arms are pre-federation "Australian" coats of arms. They feature the kangaroo and the emu and the words beneath are "Advance Australia" "1899". One of the 5 pre-federation customs houses in Queensland.(Clearly illustrating the importance of trade/free trade/customs: one of the very few issues dealt with explicitly by our wonderful constitution.)

(Currently owned by the University of Queensland, who use it as a function centre and restaurant. And a very FAQ restaurant it is, sadly.)

This link gives some excellent detail about its history.

Flume

I couldn't resist this. It's the last paragraph which is so extraordinary.

From Wikipedia:
"A flume is an open artificial water channel, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow, often an elevated box structure (typically wood) that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic mining, for the transportation of logs in the logging industry, electric power generation and to power various mill operations by the use of a waterwheel.

"A flume can be used to measure the rate of flow, see Parshall flume.

"In competitive swimming, specialized flumes with transparent sides are often employed by coaches to analyze a swimmer's technique. The speed of the flow is variable to accommodate the full spectrum of swimming styles and ability. Recently, flumes became available in the retail market for the use of lower-level swimmers. These down-scaled flumes are ideal for a swimmer trying to improve but without access to a pool, as they easily fit inside any moderately-sized room."

I think I'll get one for college.


One of the lakes at the University of Queensland

(It was in walking round this lake that I encountered the word.)

Formal dinner

Ficus lyrata, with figs

(This photo retains its sharpness viewed large and then you can really see the figs.)

Well, last night was the first formal dinner. And it was not a night for the squeamish. The food was not too bad and quite well presented. But, the end. I have never seen anything like it. The meal had been attractively presented with the vegetables on one dish, the meat on another and these dishes passed around so that we could help ourselves.

When everyone had finished, the girls, most senior in college, insisted that the food scraps be scraped from the plates into these common dishes which had held food for the eating and still did, and the plates be stacked at table with knives and forks on the topmost plate.

Finally at the end the table linen was thrown into two bundles on the floor, kitchen staff supervising.

Naval Offices, 1900.

Naval Offices, 1900.

Naval Offices, Brisbane. Pre-Federation, in a time when Queensland was the equal of any other Australian colony, a sovereign state. (The date under the anchor clearly indicates 1900.) Despite the link below, the building was started prior to 1901 and was built because of Queenslands needs which were also seen as national needs. (The commonwealth in taking it over and in having to justify it on the commonwealth register, has, I suspect, slightly subverted its history - Queensland would go it alone, if necessary, but of course all the states were persuaded of the need for defence, a major reason for federating. This seems to me to be yet another example of the confidence and belief in the future of those 19th century colonials. Think, for example, of the beautiful Rockhampton Customs building, and the Townsville Customs building. Both wonderful, confident, 19th century buildings.)

Yet another wonderful Brisbane building.

See the link to the commonwealth heritage register.

On reflection this building is not in the same class as the Rockhampton Customs House. The link below is quite good, particularly when it talks about the building, but again, while built at a time close to Federation, the building looks more like it was staking a claim for the city's importance post federation, than creating something for the commonwealth to take over!!
Check out the building and the associated details.

Nor as good as the Townsville Customs House which is on the register of the National Estate, but was ruled ineligible for the Commonwealth Heritage List.

(And now I clearly need to see the other three customs houses which Queensland so generously donated to the new commonwealth!)

Tying up the ferry

Mangroves from the pontoon. QUT, Gardens Point ferry stop

When you catch the ferry, even if you haven't noticed which way the river is flowing, you can always tell by the choice of the end from which to disembark. They only use one rope to tie up to the pontoon(not two as for the Sydney ferries) and arrange it so that the water's flow puts a strain on the rope.

Even with all the rain, the river flows quite strongly upstream when the tide is coming in. You can see the water eddying around the piles.

O-week, plastic spoons and nursing homes

O-week, The Women's College

I went down to breakfast this morning, expecting breakfast as usual. I went to get cereal and was confronted with plastic plates, flimsy, always difficult to disengage from the one below. Then went to the kitchen to find a spoon. To find – plastic cutlery. I looked round in despair and saw that the stainless steel cutlery was hidden under a napkin. Started to pull a spoon out. And was told I could not. At which point I dashed the plate of cereal to the bench and gave up on breakfast.

I always expect things to continue in their accustomed ways and when things go badly against my expectation, I find it quite difficult. But more to the point, I displayed my anger to the kitchen staff: unforgivable… And as I went my way, considering the ways in which I make life hard for myself, I know I want to be dead than ever in nursing home, where if one is not nice (and I am not) then the staff feel no obligation to humour you, spare you humiliation..

(The photo is from yesterday. A lovely day. Our girls had had the John's freshers over for breakfast - double the number of people for breakfast, double the washing up. This morning for a repeat exercise with another college, the staff were presumably adamant there would be no washing up and on offer were the flimsiest plastic spoons available. I will not be using them, but quite what I will do the next time I am confronted with a plastic spoon here, I am unsure.)

Amazing that a plastic spoon can curdle my day.

Regal Statues

Statue of Queen Victoria, Queens Square, Brisbane.

Some time ago, I saw an equestrian statue of Edward VII repeat itself somewhere along St Kilda Road, in Melbourne. My first viewing of it was just outside the Sydney Botanic Gardens. So when I spotted this example of a regal statue, I was curious to see whether she, too, had multiple manifestations. However, it seems that the patriotic people of Australia mostly commissioned (bought) new and different statues of Victoria. However, although I haven't so far found a replica in Australia, this is a later casting of an original in Portsmouth. See an EPA web page for Queens Square.

The Mansions

The "Mansions", George Street, Brisbane.

I've been admiring this utterly splendid building for some while now. According to a somewhat aged plaque, it was built in about 1890 for 3 Queensland parliamentarians, and originally consisted of 6 three storey terrace houses built to a design of the architect G.H.M Addison. The first woman doctor in Queensland, Dr. Lillian V. Cooper, took up residence here in 1892.

It was later used as a school and as a boarding house, before being acquired by the Queensland Government in 1954 for public service use. From 1982 - 1985 it was renovated by the Queensland state works department for commercial use. (And, the plaque says, is maintained by that department, but the plaque is looking somewhat the worse for wear, so whether the building is still in public ownership, is unclear to me.) (I have now found a link to the heritage register which is more detailed and helpful than the plaque.)

Chasing the architect G.H.M.Addison. When I read the plaque, I envisaged the building being built from a plan of some British based architect, but it appears that whatever his origins, Addison was a local. More websites: EPA heritage register for Astrolat, a house, also apparently designed by Addison. And the Hotel Terminus, and the Bulimba ferry house. (There is such a big gap in time between the building of some of these buildings, that exactly who did the the design may not be clear.)

And on another topic. I hadn't anticipated the loss of status in becoming a student once more. The office staff get very short if asked a question: I either should know the answer, should be able to access the website, or should know the right person to ask the question of. All this, with no induction training and a non-functional email system. (It's now 3 weeks that I have been here, and how many calls for help about this one thing alone.)

South Bank, Bridges and more

The Story Bridge, from the citycat.


Rainforest at South Bank.


Rainforest at South Bank.


Streets Beach, South Bank


Yayoi Kusama, Narcissus Garden 1966/2002. Queensland Art Gallery.

Caught the ferry all the way from UQ to Appollo Road. Thought the story would be about the river. And I suppose it is.

For a Melbournian, the striking thing about the bridges across the Brisbane River is that they are all so new. Before I rushed into print about this, I had thought that the oldest bridge across the river was the Story Bridge(opened 1940), and said to be designed by Bradfield (but not really). A lovely bridge. (More elegant than the Sydney Harbour Bridge.) Anyway, from the furthest bridge downstream (The Gateway, 1986) to the last (almost, the Eleanor Schonell, 2006) on the ferry route, the bridges are: the Story (1940), the Goodwill (2001, pedestrians & cyclists only), the Victoria, third of that name (1969), the William Jolly (1932) and the Merivale Rail Bridge (1978). Not a single 19th century bridge. (There are 5 more bridges which I have yet to see.) See Bridges over the Brisbane River in Wikipedia

I needed a coffee and a break, so I got off at South Bank, to go to the Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art. On my way, though, I just had to take photographs of the rainforest and of the beach. It was a hot Sunday, and the beach was well patronised. There it is: a beach in the heart of Brisbane, complete with sand, surf livesavers, lifesaver tower, surf rescue board and everyone from tiny tots, teenagers, mums and dads and grandparents all enjoying themselves. Brilliant conception and superb in its realisation. (And what about the rainforest?)

Onward to Andy Warhol. But what caught my eye was in the Queensland Art Gallery: this lovely garden of polished steel balls moving gently in a current.

The last photo I have included is for my daughter.


Chris Mackinolty, 1976. Queensland Art Gallery.

Socialising, Mt Coot-tha

Pandanus, Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, Brisbane


Kashmir Cypress, Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, Brisbane
(Photographs from Mt Coot-tha taken in the pouring rain, last Sunday. Double-click on the images to view them in the original photostream and click on all sizes and view the large image)

Thought I would do the right thing and be sociable, so I went to the so-called "PostGrads dinner". A lamentable affair. Paid for from school postgraduate funds to the tune of $20 per student, and no-one was prepared (could afford?) to take it further. No grog, and young and full-of-themselves maths boys showing off/out-trumping each other. Now, we stats postgrads do ourselves far better: Fridays we go to one of a number of pubs, buy jars of beer, drink, get chips, buy more beer and get to know each other. A far more satisfactory arrangement.

Propaganda/Art

Hubert Lanzinger, The Flagbearer, 1937, Washington DC, National Museum of the US Army, Army Art Collection.

In Umberto Eco "On Ugliness", 2007
p399. Discussed as kitsch.
A fairly amazing image. One wonders where it hung prior to being a spoil of war for the US Army.

A google search produced this:
"The original of "Der Fahnentrager" was seriously damaged at the end of World War II and is no longer available for public viewing."
While another site stated:
"It is interesting to note that this painting was stabbed in the face with a knife several times by vandals."
but no indication as to where it hung.

In hunting for information on this painting I came across a good article on Leni Riefenstahls "Triumph of the will". I've not seen the film, but nonetheless, the article was interesting in creating a political context and a close analysis of the film. Check it out.

article

Night & home

Bee Hive Ginger (Thailand). Roma Street Parklands.

I am trying to be sociable. Friday night is beer night, apparently, and so it's dark along the river when I come back by ferry. But there's lots of light pollution here. And so there are very few stars to see (almost just the odd planet), in comparison with the magical heavens above Palm Beach, where you can see so many stars so far away. I felt homesick for the first time and wondered when I would next smell the sea.