TRAVEL TUESDAY 375 - SWAN RIVER, PERTH

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” - Heraclitus

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.
There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.
Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

The Swan River is a river in the south west of Western Australia. Its Aboriginal Noongar name is the Derbarl Yerrigan. The river runs through the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia's capital and largest city. This photo is taken from Charles Paterson Park, on the East bank of the river, about 3 km from the CBD.

The river is a significant part of Perth culture, with many water sports such as rowing, sailing, and swimming all occurring in its waters. There have been some north of the river or south of the river distinctions in the Perth metropolitan region over time, especially in the time up to the completion of the Causeway and Narrows bridges, due to the time and distances to cross the river.

The river is the site of the City of Perth Skyworks, a fireworks show held each year on Australia Day, with spectators crowding the foreshore, Kings Park, and on boats on the river to watch the event.

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TRAVEL TUESDAY 259 - PERTH, AUSTRALIA

“More real depravity, more shocking wickedness, more undisguised vice and immorality is to be witnessed at midday in the most public thoroughfares of Perth, with its population of 1500, than in any other city of fifty times its population, either in Europe or America.” ― Simon Adams, The Unforgiving Rope: Murder and Hanging on Australia's Western Frontier

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers shall be removed immediately.

Perth is the capital of Western Australia, which is the nation’s largest state. Its superb position on the banks of the beautiful Swan River and nearby hectares of natural bushland in Kings Park make for a city centred on the great outdoors. The magnificent Swan River that winds its way through the City, is lined by grassy parklands. One can enjoy a picnic or a barbeque and watch the sunset and city come alive with light.

Many visitors hire a kayak, bike or sailboat to explore Swan River’s quiet reaches. A Swan River cruise can be booked from Barrack Square which will take the visitor to the bustling port city of Fremantle or east to the Swan Valley Wine Region. One can also jump on a ferry for a short trip across the river to South Perth. The Swan River also provides for action lovers, with water sports available right in the heart of the city.

Such activities are especially glorious in Perth city, with the shining brilliance of towering city buildings set as a stunning backdrop to the dazzling waters of the Swan. The jewel in the city’s crown is Kings Park, one of the largest inner city parks in the world. Located within a short walk of the city, it is a major draw-card for both visitors to Perth and locals alike. This stunning location overlooks the city and the bright blue waters of the Swan River. From high above, you can see the brilliantly coloured sails of boats on the river, the twinkling lights of the city, the distant Perth Hills and the endless blue skies for which Perth is so renowned.

Views from the DNA Tower in Forrest Drive are similarly breathtaking - on a clear day you can see all the way to the Indian Ocean. The park features both cultivated gardens and untamed bushland and you can picnic on grassy lawns, take a jog through the bushland or attend one of the summer outdoor concerts under the stars. Children are also catered for with a number of excellent playgrounds suitable for children of all ages.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

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TRAVEL TUESDAY 223 - PERTH, AUSTRALIA

“People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” ― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta. 

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers shall be removed immediately.

Government House in Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, is the official residence of the Governor of Western Australia and was built between 1859 and 1864. The buildings and gardens are of exceptional heritage significance, being listed on the Western Australian Register of Heritage Places, classified by the National Trust of Australia (W.A.) and entered on the Register of the National Estate. The gardens are often open to the public, as is the House from time to time. The building is a two storey mansion in the early Stuart or Jacobean Revival style set on 32,000 square metres of English gardens in the centre of the Perth business district, between St. Georges Terrace and the Swan River.

The unique architectural character of the building is characterised by the use of stonework and bonded brickwork, incorporating square mullioned windows, decorated gables and ogival capped turrets. The attenuated gothic arcading at ground floor level derives from another form of Victorian Revival expression Fonthill Gothic. The building has 16 rooms on the ground floor and 25 on the first floor. According to the Western Australian Register of Heritage Places Assessment, Government House is a “unique example of a Victorian Gentleman’s residence” set in landscaped gardens with mature plantings and a number of commemorative trees.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

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TRAVEL TUESDAY #162 - PERTH, AUSTRALIA

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac 

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia, with an estimated population of 1.74 million living in the Perth metropolitan area. The metropolitan area is located in the South West Division of Western Australia, between the Indian Ocean and a low coastal escarpment known as the Darling Range. The central business district and suburbs of Perth are situated on the banks of the Swan River.

Shortly after the establishment of the port settlement of Fremantle, Perth was founded on 12 June 1829 by Captain James Stirling as the political centre of the Swan River Colony. As the business and administration centre for the resource-rich state, Perth has grown consistently. Perth became known worldwide as the “City of Light” when city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7 in 1962. The city repeated the act as Glenn passed overhead on the Space Shuttle in 1998.

Perth is tied for eighth place in The Economist’s 2011 list of the world's most liveable cities. Perth’s residents have traditionally enjoyed the highest standard of living of any of Australia’s big cities. Until recently, the reason for this has been that, for most occupations, wages were only a little less than could be found in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne while house prices in Perth were considerably lower than the other cities.

Western Australia has huge deposits of metal ores and coal. Booming Asian economies, particularly China, have sourced many of their raw materials from Western Australia, resulting in high economic growth for the state and its capital, Perth. Many large mining and mineral concerns have their headquarters in Perth. Mining itself is carried on outside Perth but the city is home to many support industries employing engineers and scientists. There is a large oil refinery at Kwinana, 25 km south of Perth, with associated engineering and chemicals jobs. With the worldwide economic downturn, Perth is now seeing reduced growth.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme. 

TRAVEL TUESDAY #123 - PERTH AUSTRALIA

“A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams.” - Herb Caen 

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.   

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia (WA). It is the fourth most populous city in Australia, with an estimated population of 1.97 million (on 30 June 2013) living in Greater Perth. Part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, the majority of the metropolitan area of Perth is located on the Swan Coastal Plain, a narrow strip between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp, a low coastal escarpment. The first areas settled were on the Swan River, with the city’s central business district and port (Fremantle) both located on its shores.

Perth is formally divided into a number of local government areas, which themselves consist of a large number of suburbs, extending from Two Rocks in the north to Rockingham in the south, and east inland to The Lakes. Perth was originally founded by Captain James Stirling in 1829 as the administrative centre of the Swan River Colony, and gained city status in 1856 (currently vested in the smaller City of Perth). The city is named for Perth, Scotland, by influence of Sir George Murray, then British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

The city’s population increased substantially as a result of the Western Australian gold rushes in the late 19th century, largely as a result of emigration from the eastern colonies of Australia. During Australia's involvement in World War II, Fremantle served as a base for submarines operating in the Pacific Theatre, and a US Navy Catalina flying boat fleet was based at Matilda Bay. An influx of immigrants after the war, predominantly from Britain, Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia, led to rapid population growth. This was followed by a surge in economic activity flowing from several mining booms in the late 20th and early 21st centuries that saw Perth become the regional headquarters for a number of large mining operations located around the state.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

ART SUNDAY - ELISE BLUMANN

“The huge problem in our society is the enormous ignorance of the ideas that underlie modern art.” - Thom Mayne

Elise Blumann (16 January 1897 Parchim, Germany – 29 January 1990, Nedlands, Western Australia) was a German born artist who achieved recognition as an Australian Expressionist painter. Blumann studied at the Royal Art School in Berlin between 1917 and 1919, whilst also maintaining friendships and associations with artists at the Academy of Arts (the former Prussian Academy) - notably, Blumann recounted sitting for a portrait for artist Max Liebermann and also described his teaching methods although no verifiable evidence is available to confirm Liebermann as her tutor.

After this, Blumann taught in various schools in Germany from 1920 to 1923, when she married Arnold Blumann. She fled Nazi Germany with her husband in 1934, arriving at the port of Fremantle, Western Australia on the passenger liner Ormonde on January 4, 1938. In the decade following her arrival in Western Australia, Blumann produced a significant body of painting, taking as her subject the Western Australian landscape, her family and her new circle of friends. These works investigate the unique light and colour of the Western Australian landscape in a style informed by her knowledge of German Expressionism. Among these were “Summer Nude”, 1939, which in caused a scandal when exhibited in Western Australia in 1944 due to both its depiction of nudity and its bold, simple shapes and lines.

With the then Curator of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Robert Campbell, she helped found the Art Group, a discussion group through which she promoted modernist ideas and attitudes in art and art education. However, in the 1950s Blumann became disillusioned with the possibilities of art in Western Australia and only painted sporadically. Her work first received national attention in the late 1970s some fifteen years before she died in 1990, aged 93. She has since been acknowledged as a significant contributor to Australian modernist painting, prefiguring the development of the similarly landscape-based modernism in Western Australia associated with painters Guy Grey-Smith and Howard Taylor.

Blumann remained faithful to the modernity of her vision in creating portraits, figurative studies and many paintings of her beloved West Australian landscape. She believed while painting in Perth that a fresh light should shine into the gloom of European-style classical landscapes and the arts and crafts movement that characterised Perth’s cultural scene at the time. Blumann’s many memorable images of her adopted landscape show no signs of homesickness, but rather hint at a great affection that grew over time. “Only slowly can one draw close to the Australian landscape,” she wrote, “at the beginning it seems not all that absolutely different but the longer one lives with it, the more one recognises how opposite everything is to Europe.”

The painting above is "Riverside Melaleuca" of 1948.

ANOTHER POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one.” – Aristotle
 

The central business district of Perth is bounded by the Swan River to the south and east, with Kings Park on the western end, while the railway reserve formed a northern border. A state and federally funded project named Perth City Link involves the sinking of a section of the railway line, in addition to the sinking of an existing above-ground bus terminal as well as riverside development, known as Elizabeth Quay.
 

St Georges Terrace is the prominent street of the area with 1.3 million m² of office space in the CBD. Hay Street and Murray Street have most of the retail and entertainment facilities. The tallest building in the city is Central Park, which is the seventh tallest building in Australia. The CBD has recently been the centre of a mining-induced boom, with several commercial and residential projects due for completion, including a 244 m office building for Australian/British mining company BHP Billiton.
 

Perth’s growth and relative prosperity, especially since the mid-1960s, has resulted from its role as the main service centre for the state’s resource industries, which produce gold, iron ore, nickel, alumina, diamonds, mineral sands, coal, oil, and natural gas. Whilst most mineral and petroleum production takes place elsewhere in the state, the non-base services provide most of the employment and income to the people of Perth.

POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“No one realises how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” Lin Yutang
 
I am in Perth for a few days for work and things are going quite well. All is complemented by some splendid autumn weather – brilliant, sun-filled days with the temperature hovering around the mid 20s Celsius, while the nights are cool and perfect for a comfortable sleep. Nevertheless, it will be good to return home…
 
Perth is the capital of Western Australia, which is the nation’s largest state. Its superb position on the banks of the beautiful Swan River and nearby hectares of natural bushland in Kings Park make for a city centred on the great outdoors. The magnificent Swan River that winds its way through the City, is lined by grassy parklands. One can enjoy a picnic or a barbeque and watch the sunset and city come alive with light. Many visitors hire a kayak, bike or sailboat to explore the river’s quiet reaches.
 
A Swan River cruise can be booked from Barrack Square which will take the visitor to the bustling port city of Fremantle or east to the Swan Valley Wine Region. One can also jump on a ferry for a short trip across the river to South Perth. The Swan River also provides for action lovers, with water sports available right in the heart of the city. Such activities are especially glorious in Perth city, with the shining brilliance of towering city buildings set as a stunning backdrop to the dazzling waters of the Swan.
 
The jewel in the city’s crown is Kings Park, one of the largest inner city parks in the world. Located within a short walk of the city, it is a major draw-card for both visitors to Perth and locals alike. This stunning location overlooks the city and the bright blue waters of the Swan River. From high above, you can see the brilliantly coloured sails of boats on the river, the twinkling lights of the city, the distant Perth Hills and the endless blue skies for which Perth is so renowned.
 
Views from the DNA Tower in Forrest Drive are similarly breathtaking - on a clear day you can see all the way to the Indian Ocean. The park features both cultivated gardens and untamed bushland and you can picnic on grassy lawns, take a jog through the bushland or attend one of the summer outdoor concerts under the stars. Children are also catered for with a number of excellent playgrounds suitable for children of all ages.

SAD SUNSET

“You know, I love the sunset when I am very sad…” – Antoine de St Exupéry
 

Even though the day in Perth today started out with rain and wind, the afternoon was simply beautiful. I walked along the banks of the Swan River and enjoyed the serenity of it. As the afternoon wore on into the evening, the sun set and the air became cool again. I then felt quite far away and a little lonely…
 

Here is the perfect piece for that wistful feeling as the orange fire of the sunset gives way to the blues and mauves of twilight: The second movement of Marcello’s concerto for oboe and strings.

MANGO PUDDING

“Behave so the aroma of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere.” - Henry David Thoreau
 
I am in Perth for work again and the weather here has been terrible. Wind, rain and cold. So much for the sunny West and the Spring Equinox! To be fair, the weather here is usually warmer and milder, but chance would have it that the weather is terrible when I visit.
 
I had a wonderful dessert at the hotel tonight and the reason I wanted to try it is because we make it at home and it is delicious and quite light. I was not disappointed with my dessert at the restaurant, however, it was nothing compared to the home-made variety.
 
Mango Pudding
 
Ingredients
4 small bowls
1 large, ripe, sweet mango
1 packet of instant mango jelly (orange will do if you can’t find mango)
A few drops of vanilla essence
Juice of half a lime
250ml of hot water
4 tablespoons of a quality full cream vanilla ice-cream
 
Method

Peel mango and cut one slice, reserving it for decoration.
Remove flesh from the mango and place into a blender, blending on low speed for 30 seconds.
In a 500 ml glass measuring jug, add the packet of mango jelly and 250ml of hot water and stir well until the mixture dissolves completely.
Add 4 tablespoons of full cream vanilla ice-cream to the jelly mixture and stir the mixture until the ice cream melts.
Add the mango pulp and stir through, adding the lime juice and vanilla essence.
Pour the mixture into four bowls, gently tapping on the bench to remove bubbles.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours to set. The mango pudding is set when it is no longer runny and a bit springy.
Serve the mango pudding decorated with slices of mango, a dollop of cream and mint leaves.
 
This post is part od the Food Friday meme,
and also part of the Food Trip Friday meme.

POSTCARD FROM FREMANTLE 2

“A civilisation is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries, elements difficult at times to justify by logic, but justifying themselves as paths when they lead somewhere, since they open up for man his inner distance.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
 
My last day in Fremantle today began with an early morning stroll in the historic centre. Fremantle is renowned for its well-preserved architectural heritage, including convict-built colonial-era buildings, an old jetty and port, and prisons; all these buildings presenting a variety and unity of historic architecture and streetscapes. These edifices were often built in limestone with ornate façades in a succession of architectural styles. Rapid development following the harbour works gave rise to an Edwardian precinct as merchant and shipping companies built in the west end and on reclaimed land.
 
The Round House (shown above) is the oldest remaining intact building in Western Australia, and was built as a gaol between 1830 - 1831. The Round House had eight cells and a gaoler’s residence, which all opened up into a central courtyard. In the 1800s, bay whaling was carried out from Bathers Beach below the Round House. As part of the whaling operations, a tunnel was constructed under the Round House to provide whalers with access to the town from the jetty and beach. The Round House is located in what is now known as Fremantle’s West End: A collection of streets characterised by late Georgian and Victorian-style architecture at the southern end of the port. A process of gentrification in the early 1990s was accelerated by the establishment of the University of Notre Dame Australia, which occupies, and has restored, many of the buildings in the West End.
 
When the first 75 convicts arrived from Britain in 1850 to support the colony’s dwindling population, it became apparent that the Round House was inadequate to house them. The convicts built a new gaol, Fremantle Prison, which was completed in the 1850s and continued to be used as Fremantle’s prison until 1991. Fremantle Prison was once one of the most notorious prisons in the British Empire. It housed British convicts, local prisoners, military prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war. On 1 August 2010, a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Brazil placed Fremantle Prison and 10 other “Australian Convict Sites” on the World Heritage List - making it the first built environment in Western Australia to be bestowed this honour. It continues to be accessible to the public for guided tours and as a venue for artistic and cultural activities.

POSTCARD FROM FREMANTLE

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G. K. Chesterton
 
I am in Perth and Fremantle for work for a few days for work and it has been a very, very busy time for me. However, it was most enjoyable as the work has been going very well, but also the weather has been marvellous! I’ve spent most of my time in Fremantle, which is a very beautiful part of Western Australia.
 
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829. It was declared a city in 1929, and has a population of approximately 25,000. The city is named after Captain Charles Howe Fremantle, the English naval officer who had pronounced possession of Western Australia and who established a camp at the site. The city contains well-preserved 19th-century buildings and other heritage features. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for Fremantle is Freo.
 
The native Australian Noongar people inhabited the area that is now Fremantle, which was known as Walyalup. The area was considered as a site for possible British settlement in 1827, when Captain James Stirling, in HMS Success, explored the coastal areas near the Swan River. As a result of Stirling's report, Captain Charles Howe Fremantle of HMS Challenger, a 603 ton, 28-gun frigate, was instructed to sail to the west coast of Australia to establish a settlement there. On 2 May 1829, Fremantle hoisted the Union Flag in a bay near what is now known as Arthur Head, and in accordance with his instructions, took formal possession “of the whole of the West Coast of New Holland” in the name of George IV of the United Kingdom.

POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” — Mark Twain

I am visiting Perth for work for a few days, so it has been rather hectic. I came to Perth expecting some sunshine and fine weather, but instead the plane flew into a gale with wind, rain, cold and wet conditions that were almost cyclonic. Fortunately, despite the inclemency of the weather, the plane landed without hitch, but the real difficult part was getting a taxi out of the airport. The queue was several lengths and breadths greater than that allowed for by the space allocated to it and it took nearly 30 minutes to get a taxi.

Once out of the airport the traffic lightened up and finally at the hotel I breathed a sigh of relief. Perth has become an expensive city and it was quite a lot of trouble to get a hotel that was reasonably priced. Nevertheless, it is a very nice hotel by the riverside and the well appointed suite promise a comfortable night’s rest.

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia, with an estimated population of 1.74 million living in the Perth metropolitan area. The metropolitan area is located in the South West Division of Western Australia, between the Indian Ocean and a low coastal escarpment known as the Darling Range. The central business district and suburbs of Perth are situated on the banks of the Swan River.

Shortly after the establishment of the port settlement of Fremantle, Perth was founded on 12 June 1829 by Captain James Stirling as the political centre of the Swan River Colony. As the business and administration centre for the resource-rich state, Perth has grown consistently.  Perth became known worldwide as the “City of Light” when city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7 in 1962. The city repeated the act as Glenn passed overhead on the Space Shuttle in 1998. Perth is tied for eighth place in The Economist’s 2011 list of the world's most livable cities.

Perth’s residents have traditionally enjoyed the highest standard of living of any of Australia’s big cities.  Until recently, the reason for this has been that, for most occupations, wages were only a little less than could be found in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne while house prices in Perth were considerably lower than the other cities.

Western Australia has huge deposits of metal ores and coal. Booming Asian economies, particularly China, have sourced many of their raw materials from Western Australia, resulting in high economic growth for the state and its capital, Perth.  Many large mining and mineral concerns have their headquarters in Perth. Mining itself is carried on outside Perth but the city is home to many support industries employing engineers and scientists.  There is a large oil refinery at Kwinana, 25 km south of Perth, with associated engineering and chemicals jobs.

POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

A very busy day at the conference today, with many interesting presentations and lots of attendees. My presentation went well and generated some good discussion. It was particularly gratifying to see some of ex-students from many years back there, now as seasoned practitioners, but still remembering me and coming to say hello and how they still remembered my classes. This is something that is really special for a teacher… To know that what you have taught people has been learned, well used, has been built upon and is now going forward in time, making the world a better place.

The weather today has been beautiful, fine and sunny, although not too warm. While walking back to the hotel this evening it started to become very cool and a little blowy. No doubt, at night the temperature will drop further. It is late autumn, even in Perth! The conference dinner is on tonight and then more talks tomorrow.


The picture above is of St Mary's Cathedral in Perth.

A little keyboard piece by Domenico Cimarosa (17 December 1749, Aversa, Province of Caserta – Venice 11 January 1801), who is best known as an Opera composer. However, this Largo alla siciliana from his Sonata no.4 in A minor is quite elegant and graceful.

DINING AND DRINKING IN PERTH

“To get away from one’s working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one’s self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.” - Charles Horton Cooley

I am in Perth for work and the weather here has been marvellous. Fine, sunny, almost summery temperatures. Certainly a very mild autumn, unlike Melbourne’s gray one. I was here for our graduation ceremony, which was held in Perth Town Hall, a beautiful old building. It was opened in 1870 and is the only convict-built capital city town hall in Australia. The building is a fine example of the Victorian Free Gothic style. It is located at the highest point of the City, at the corner of Hay and Barrack Streets. An award-winning restoration, completed in 2005, made this heritage building a well-equipped venue for performances, banquets, cocktail receptions, forums, weddings and community events and exhibitions.

Our graduation went very well and everyone enjoyed it, most of all of course, the graduates who received their testamurs after a working for so long and so hard for them. There was a cocktail function afterwards and it is always gratifying to talk to the graduates and the families. One hears a host of interesting things about their experiences, the way they sum up their course and also more importantly, what their plans for the future are.

A small group of us then went out to dinner at éCucina, a trendy restaurant and bar in Perth’s CBD. This offers an Italian-inspired menu for breakfast, lunch dinner and there are also snacks and stuzzichini (Italian-style tapas) served with drinks at the bar. The service was very good and our food was very nice. The company surely always determines whether a night out is successful and we had a very good small group of compatible people. The surroundings were quiet and conducive to pleasant conversation, witty repartee and lots of dinnertime discussion.

Some of the interesting dishes at the restaurant:

For Entrée: Tea-smoked duck salad with seared scallops, mint, peanuts, green pawpaw, pale sugar, chilli and lemongrass dressing; or perhaps, Hiramasa Kingfish Ceviche with pink grapefruit, lime, chilli and baby shiso, finished with extra virgin olive oil. One could also have the tasting plate of antipasti or the charcuterie plate with pork terrine, chicken liver parfait, homemade Italian sausage with cornichons, mustard fruits and warm baguette. A variety of pasta and risotto dishes are offered, not surprising in an Italian restaurant. However, there are some other interesting Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Oriental touches, such as the addition of harissa, Persian feta, wagyu, chimichurri or green peppercorns.

Main dishes offer a variety of meats – lamb, beef, pork, poultry, with touches of seafood here and there.  The grilled Tasmanian salmon with orange and miso, saffron linguine, fennel and orange salad sounded interesting. Steaks were excellent and sourced from grain fed cattle in WA’s southwest and aged on the premises. Side dishes completed the menu, but at the end of our meal, consumed with a good McLaren Vale Shiraz, we didn’t have any room for desserts or coffee.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Hula Bula Bar (sic!). The place is so kitch that it’s definitely worth visiting. It styles itself as Australia’s only Tiki bar and is decorated garishly using a Hawaiian/Polynesian theme. It is located at 12 Victoria Avenue in Perth’s CBD. The cocktails served are absolutely lethal! The bar was full and noisy, obviously very popular with the locals. The exorbitant prices of the drinks didn’t seem to deter the many people who were intent on drinking themselves under the tables! We had a single drink and went back to the hotel… Just goes to prove that we were a group of old fuddy-duddies!

KING'S PARK IN PERTH

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” - Martin Luther

Yesterday evening, after work I managed to visit King’s park in Perth. This is a magnificent site a stone’s throw away from the city centre and consists of extensive parklands (400 hectares!), botanic gardens, function rooms, a café, a restaurant, a gallery and tourist shops. Although the park is good to visit all year round, it is exquisite in September when the native wildflowers are in bloom. I took the free Red Cat bus from the city centre to the Havelock St stop just near the park entrance, and then walked up the magnificent ghost gum lined driveway to the park’s main tourist area. The panoramic views from there, even from a stationary vantage point, extend across the city, to the hills, and down the river. The city views make for an obligatory photograph from the top of the hill and one can see the numerous tourists lining up and pointing the camera at the panorama.

However, King’s Park offers far more than breathtaking views. Of its 400 hectares, approximately two thirds are bushland, which during the wildflower season (September and October), comes alive with colour. The famous wildflowers of the Western Australian outback are well represented here and even if you cannot make it to the wilds off the beaten track, you can enjoy the wildflowers about 1.5 km from the Perth city centre. The remaining third of King’s Park comprises beautifully landscaped gardens, picnic and barbeque areas and playgrounds.

Because of its extensive size, the park is fully serviced by roads to make it accessible to cars, but also more importantly, there are many paths and trails for the visitors on foot. Although one can explore them oneself, one can also take a free guided walking tour. These start every day at 10 am at the Karri Log. Most of the flowers and trees are identified by their scientific and common names with small plaques, making it easy even for the layperson to know what is growing in the Park.

King’s Park is also a site highlighting certain aspects of Western Australia’s history. In addition to the main war memorial, which contains the names of all soldiers lost during the first and second world wars, the Park’s roads are lined with trees, at the base of which there are plaques laid in memory of individual fallen soldiers. This is a touching reminder of the toll Australia had to pay while fighting wars on distant foreign lands. Standing by one of these trees and reading a name on a plaque that reminds one of a soldier long dead, killed in the prime of youth for an idea, for freedom; and gazing up at the tall green tree is a humbling experience.

In Summer, King’s Park is a must to visit at night. The drive up the main road in King’s Park lined with ghost gum trees that are spot-lit and look like an otherworldly marching army of sentinel guards. Recently, during Summer, the people of Perth have been treated to cinematic and thespian delights in Kings Park. The Sunset Cinema, which screens outside in the Lakeside Picnic Area shows classic, art-house and cult movies. Also, local and interstate theatre companies often put on a production, usually Shakespeare, in the idyllic surrounds of the Park, including recent productions of “Taming of the Shrew”, and “Romeo and Juliet”.

One of my favourite areas of the park is the Federation Walkway, which rises high up amongst the treetops and not only affords magnificent views of the surrounds, but also makes for a good platform for observing the birdlife and flora. The Walkway extends 620 metres through the Botanic Garden along a combination of on-ground pathways and a spectacular elevated 52 m glass and steel arched bridge suspended amongst a canopy of tall eucalypts.

Another favourite of mine is the water garden, which wends its way through multiple levels and incorporates waterfalls, rock gardens, cascading rills and tranquil pools where ducks dive and swim, providing the visitor with the venue for a tranquil walk and a wonderful soul-raising experience.

Back home tomorrow, with an excellent trip both work-wise and as a change to the routine!

ART SUNDAY IN PERTH

“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.” – Oscar Wilde

The flight to Perth was uneventful and surprisingly short – just under three-and-a-half hours instead of the usual four. On landing in Perth, I set my watch two hours earlier, which gives one an idea of the vastness of Australia. The weather was perfect: Sunny and a balmy 18˚C, which was soon to climb to an equable 22˚C. Tomorrow the temperature will reach a maximum of 23˚C and on Tuesday, 26˚C! I went for a walk and admired the beautiful flowers in bloom everywhere – Spring is truly here in Western Australia! By chance I came across an exhibition in the Perth Town Hall, which I hastened to view. It was the City of Perth Black Swan Prize for portraiture.

In 2010 artists from across Australia vie for the Lester Group Prize of $30,000 and the Perrine People’s Choice Prize of $7,500. All paintings submitted for this competition/exhibition must be of well known or well respected Australians. The exhibition was quite amazing. There were over 40 paintings, with a vast array of styles and techniques, but all of them exceedingly well-crafted and as far as capturing the essence of the person who sat for the portrait goes, most of them were quite successful in presenting a cameo of the persona of the sitter. I liked several of these portraits (and you can view all 42 finalists on the site above), but the one I have posted was definitely one of my favourites. It is a portrait of Robert Juniper by Nigel Hewitt. The painting is rather somber, befitting the subject. Juniper is a Western Australian artist who studied commercial art and industrial design at Beckenham School of Art in England.  He returned to WA in 1949 and taught art. Since 1974, Robert Juniper has devoted himself full-time to painting, sculpting and printmaking. Recognised as an artist of poetic and spontaneous vision, Juniper has established himself as one of Australia's leading painters. He is best known for his evocative depictions of the West Australian landscape. His main influences range from English painters of the early 1900s, Paul Klee, and Japanese work of the 19th century, through to his contemporary, Australian artist, Sam Fullbrook.

Nigel Hewitt is a visual artist based in Perth, Western Australia. His images are most frequently mixed media on canvas, with subjects ranging from contemporary environmental and political issues to the personal and ambiguous notions of discovery and existence. His portrait of “Bob” is intimate and powerful. The artist’s aged face and distant gaze challenges approaching death that is symbolised by the skeletal ram’s head behind him. Although he is supported by a stick, his powerful hands grasp firmly and he looks into the light, like a true visionary. An artist paints another artist with an understanding that may be lacking if the sitter has different profession…

It is interesting that most of the portraits were photorealistic and unfortunately that means for quite a few of them quite lifeless. One or two that strove for originality were rather mundane but one or two were very quirky and hence memorable. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and just right for Art Sunday!

Borders had a sale of CDs, with any four CDs in the store for $30. I couldn’t resist of course and bought quite a few good ones, saving about $150 on the regular prices! It was quite an amazing buy, also considering that many of the ones I bought I wouldn’t have found in Melbourne at that price… I also bought a new shirt and tie for tomorrow as they were also on special (not in Borders)!

I finally went by our campus and inspected the facilities. The cleaners had done a good job, everything was in order for the panel tomorrow. Thus assured, I finally came back to the Hotel and had a lovely bath, soaking in the tub for about 40 minutes. There’s nothing as restful after a long trip and a few hours of walking. I dined at the club rooms and had some excellent little tidbits washed down with champagne, finishing off with some luscious and sweet strawberries that smelt delightfully and tasted even better.

POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse.” - Edward Koch

Greetings from Perth, where I am presently for work. It is a lovely warm and sunny autumn day here with the temperature reaching an equable 27˚C. The difference between the hustle and bustle of Melbourne is quite marked. The pace is slower and more relaxed here and the people are rather more casual and take things easily. Nevertheless, quite a few tourists are around, and also many young people from overseas on working holidays.

I had a very pleasant lunch at the Dôme café-restaurant on St George’s Terrace. Dôme Coffees Australia was founded in Perth in the early 1990s with a promise “to deliver the World’s Finest Coffees to its discerning guests”. From the first café in Cottesloe, to the latest in Bahrain there are now more than 70 cafés in Australia, South East Asia and the Middle East delivering on this promise with more than 10,000 cups a day.

The ambience was casual and relaxed but the menu was very ordinary. One had the immediate impression that one was in a chain restaurant from the type of menu, the ordering and paying arrangements and the ordinary service. In fact the service was poor. I had a Caesar salad which was fresh and well constructed with a freshly cooked poached egg, tender green leaves of Cos lettuce and an added extra of smoked salmon.

The best test of an unknown restaurant is a simple, standard dish (like the Caesar salad), which though deceptively straightforward and seemingly uncomplicated can be botched so easily! Although the meal was surprisingly good (given the poor service), the restaurant could not be recommended without reservations. So much depends on good service when one is dining out!

This evening I officiated at the graduation ceremony of our College’s Perth Campus in the newly renovated Perth Town Hall. The evening went extremely well and there were many happy faces in the auditorium. Not only the graduates, of course, but also the all-important family and friends who supported the students through their academic career. I always enjoy graduation ceremonies as they are the culmination of many years of sacrifices and hard work by the students and families, and they are the ceremony where the fruits of that hard work are harvested and celebrated.

Tomorrow morning I’m off to Adelaide where another graduation ceremony awaits me on Sunday!

POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine." - Caskie Stinnett

I am in Perth a couple of days for work. It has been a very long day as I got up at four in the morning, then left by taxi to get to the airport at five with my flight leaving at six. The flying time from Melbourne to Perth is four hours, and then allowing for the two hour time difference, I was going in to work at 8:30 am, Perth time. I put in a good day’s work with several meetings, resolution of a few issues and also a couple of teleconferences with our Melbourne and Brisbane campuses.

I left work at about 4:00 pm and went for a walk around the City. The weather was quite pleasant, although the people here are complaining of a cold and wet winter. The temperature was an equable 18˚C and apart from a few gray clouds on occasion across the sky, it was fine. Certainly a very mild winter by Melbourne standards. Apparently it was a dreary and gray day in Melbourne today, raining and hailing…

In the City of Perth today it was quite busy and the crowds were lively and cosmopolitan. Many tourists around and especially so, those of the young and backpacker variety. There is still an atmosphere of excitement, growth and a pioneering spirit in this westernmost state capital of Australia. New buildings are still going up and there is a buoyancy in the air despite the economic gloom that still seems to plague the rest of the world. The shops were full and people were out there buying, buying, buying!

I always like to wander down the pedestrian mall and walk through the London Arcade. This is a quaint and “olde-worlde” arcade that is housed in a wonderful pseudo-Tudor confection of a building. Very fake, very touristic and very twee. Still it manages to capture a little of the atmosphere and it is easy to imagine oneself in one of the wonderful old streets of London. Some beautiful shops are right next to the tourist traps and one can admire tacky displays of Australiana right next to elegant and refined, artisan-made merchandise.

I have another full day of work tomorrow and then straight to the airport from work for a 6:00 pm flight to Melbourne which means I won’t get home until after midnight. It’s going to be a long day…

POSTCARD FROM PERTH

“People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.” - Anton Chekhov

I am in Perth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth,_Western_Australia) for a couple of days for work and as the flight was the early morning “red-eye-special”, it’s been a very long day. More so as Perth is two hours behind the East coast. The weather here was beautiful, with temperatures in the high 20s, sunny and balmy. So word Thursday today, the topical:

Indian summer (noun)
A period of unusually dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn.
(fig.) A period of happiness or success occurring late in life.

Indian summer can be in September, October, or early November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April, or early May in the Southern hemisphere. It can persist for a few days or extend to a week or more. This term is not related to the summer season in India.

ORIGIN: American, in reference to the period when Indians used the time to prepare for the winter cold by hunting and gathering.