Melbourne Open House
by prudence on 01-Aug-2011
We enjoyed this event last year, so in my one day off this weekend, we went back for some more.
Started at the Russell Place substation. Got there early to avoid the queues of last year, and didn't have long to wait at all. "Marvellous Melbourne" was one of the first places in the world to have a public electricity supply, right up there with London and New York. Russell Place is the site of the 1882 Victorian Electric Company central generating station, and was rebuilt in 1929 as an underground "rotary converter" substation (whatever that is). Because I have absolutely no idea how it all works, I just viewed it as art, and took lots of photos.
We then moved on to the Melbourne Athenaeum, "the home of the oldest public institution in Victoria", namely the Mechanics' Institute. There's a theatre and a lovely library, which I wish I'd known about earlier, as it is apparently a great place for a quiet read on a weekday.
After lunch and a quick visit to Hill of Content (which I must get more familiar with, since my regular bookshop, Reader's Feast, has tragically closed), we walked across to Bishopscourt. It was very busy, and there would have been a long wait for a tour, so we took some photos, and then walked right back across town to the Hellenic Museum, formerly the Royal Mint, and billed as "one of the finest Renaissance Revival examples in Australia". It is a nice building, and I enjoyed the displays of old but still beautiful Greek pottery, icons, and memorabilia of Australia's Greek community. The latter were quite moving, with their often quaint descriptions and very human stories. One lady was separated from her husband for 43 years, after he came out to Australia. When she finally joined him, they felt like strangers, and lived in separate houses. When they died, however, they were placed in the same tomb... Wonder was that a good idea... There was also a little photo of a mother and (I think) three little daughters. The caption announced that Greek mothers were in charge of directing education and recreation, and the photo duly showed the little girls reading from weighty-looking books. Mum was knitting, though. I guess having three children kept her pretty much on the go. Read while you can, girls, read while you can...
A good day. I love Melbourne.
Started at the Russell Place substation. Got there early to avoid the queues of last year, and didn't have long to wait at all. "Marvellous Melbourne" was one of the first places in the world to have a public electricity supply, right up there with London and New York. Russell Place is the site of the 1882 Victorian Electric Company central generating station, and was rebuilt in 1929 as an underground "rotary converter" substation (whatever that is). Because I have absolutely no idea how it all works, I just viewed it as art, and took lots of photos.
We then moved on to the Melbourne Athenaeum, "the home of the oldest public institution in Victoria", namely the Mechanics' Institute. There's a theatre and a lovely library, which I wish I'd known about earlier, as it is apparently a great place for a quiet read on a weekday.
After lunch and a quick visit to Hill of Content (which I must get more familiar with, since my regular bookshop, Reader's Feast, has tragically closed), we walked across to Bishopscourt. It was very busy, and there would have been a long wait for a tour, so we took some photos, and then walked right back across town to the Hellenic Museum, formerly the Royal Mint, and billed as "one of the finest Renaissance Revival examples in Australia". It is a nice building, and I enjoyed the displays of old but still beautiful Greek pottery, icons, and memorabilia of Australia's Greek community. The latter were quite moving, with their often quaint descriptions and very human stories. One lady was separated from her husband for 43 years, after he came out to Australia. When she finally joined him, they felt like strangers, and lived in separate houses. When they died, however, they were placed in the same tomb... Wonder was that a good idea... There was also a little photo of a mother and (I think) three little daughters. The caption announced that Greek mothers were in charge of directing education and recreation, and the photo duly showed the little girls reading from weighty-looking books. Mum was knitting, though. I guess having three children kept her pretty much on the go. Read while you can, girls, read while you can...
A good day. I love Melbourne.