Wednesday, November 22, 2023

A Docklands Stroll

For Sale: One large wheel, hardly used, must be moved to a view other than of railway yards, not operating, vacant possession.  


Not for sale: Cow up a Tree, loved by many.


Once a Lady Class Sydney ferry, retired in 1991, refurbished and is now a privately owned showboat. She was named after Lady Cutler, wife of a New South Wales Governor. 


A condemned pier and it has been deemed too expensive to repair. Shed 14 next door was often used for dance parties. I was there a number of times but my memory of the times is very hazy after our arrival.


The studios of commercial television station Channel 7. Behind is our second major sports ground after the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It's had various names so it is best to refer to it as Docklands Stadium.


Among all the smart and shiny boats, this older one had so much more visual appeal.


It's art. You cannot question its merit.


More art.


Our own walkie talkie building behind a building from Dubai. London's walkie talkie is here. It was learnt that measures had to be taken to prevent such a design from concentrating the sun's rays like a magnifying glass and thereby frying objects on the streets below. The measure taken was is faces south, which is like north in the northern hemisphere as far as the sun goes.


Old tram colours with tram like windows but not a tram. A tramboat. 

36 comments:

  1. I enjoyed wandering with you. I always love public art though philistine that I am I do question its merit (and cost). The tramboat made me smile. And yes, spell check objected to tramboat.

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    1. EC, the cost of public art can be astronomical but it is hard for a Phillystein to know the value.

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  2. Love that tramboat.
    I read that London's Shard building very nearly reduced neighbouring premises to ashes from the concentrated rays of the sun relected from its vast array of glass.
    Wouldn't happen here.

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    1. No JayCee, not the Shard but the Walkie Talkie building that burnt things on the street. I posted about it a number of years ago and it was great fun to read the consequences of the sun rays. As we know at our peril, London can get very hot. Not enough sun on IOM.

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  3. The doomed district in Melbourne. Though I love tramboat though

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    1. Yep Roentare, Dickland, Cockland or Divorceland where recently divorced men move to and start a a short life of partying and casual relationships.

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  4. Calling Docklands Stadium after one brand or another means the facility never went into the national identity and stayed there. Imagine if the MCG was called Colgate Toothpaste Footy Ground then 10 years later became Rosella Tomato Sauce Stadium.

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    1. Yep Hels. Colgate Toothpaste Stadium is so funny. MCG and SCG have kept their names but so many have lost the identities to commercialism. Who knows what Hobart's Bellerive Oval is now called, or Geelong's Kardinia Park.

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  5. "It's art. You cannot question its merit..." Who says? Looks like a pile of junk to me! Now report me to The Thought Police! I like the tramboat best of all. Characterful and quirky.

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    1. YP, you need to be a Woke person to appreciate modern art. Isn't that what Tories think?

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  6. Replies
    1. Kirk various great cities in the world have these really large Ferris wheels with great views. Ours had lousy views, simply put there to attract people to the failed Docklands development.

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  7. I love that old boat nestled in beside its sleek cousins!

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    1. I thought it looked pretty cool Bob. I'd love to hear its putt putt engine.

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  8. I never did understand why they put that wheel there. Another lovely wander around a part of Melbourne I haven't been to. The old boats are the best.

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    1. Merlot, the wheel was just to attract people to the shopping centre area. We took a niece on the wheel several years ago. It is interesting and so many forces try to make the area work, but it doesn't.

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  9. In a small City of Spokane Washington. There is apartment building that looks like I believe your calling "walkie Talkie" building.
    Coffee is on

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    1. That's interesting Dora. Do you remember walkie talkies?

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  10. I like the tramboat and the little old fashioned one. The area behind the Lady Cutler looks so crammed with buildings now, there's barely any breathing space between them. I don't like the "art".

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    1. River, we are at one with what the area looks like. There can be low rise development housing many people.

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  11. If they put the ‘The Yellow Peril’ down there it would certainly give them a run for their money.
    You’ve reminded me I have a very old docklands/train post still in drafts. Should get on to it sometime

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    1. Oh Cathy. You've been there. We will find out what you thought when you get off your mule and finish the post.

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  12. That cow up the tree reminds me of the piano up the tree, but the piano is real. Nice shots Andrew.

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    1. Margaret, would I have seen the piano up the tree somewhere when we holidayed on your island?

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  13. interesting place for a walk. i too lke the character of the older boat.

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    1. Diane, as a visitor I don't mind it, but the Docklands development has been a big fail.

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  14. I'm confused about 'cow in the tree'. Enlighten me oh wise guy.

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    1. Quite simple Debby. It looks like a form of a cow stuck up on a tree while being upside down. You just don't get the high end of sculpture.

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  15. That was a lovely wander. The tramboat is quaint. The water looks very placid and inviting. Is it as clean as it looks?

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    1. Quite clean JB. It was all an old wharf area off the Yarra River, perhaps a bit like Liverpool. The area was given over to developers and it has been a terrible failure.

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  16. There is a giant wheel across the river from us at National Harbor, with views up the river to the monuments of DC.

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    1. TP, how sensible to have nice views from a giant wheel. Who would have thought that? Not in my city.

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  17. Everyone always wants to put a ferris wheel somewhere in town. Seems like a waste of money to me.
    I do like seeing the art and the little tram boat is a new thing to me, Andrew.

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    1. Pat, aside for being inoperable for a long period due to faulty workmanship, there just wasn't the demand. So stupid to have a wheel without good views.

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