matouenpeluche

Bees Here Now

Lots of Spring flowers in the Sydney bush at the moment and lots of accompanying bee interest. Below are photos that I managed to take of these busy creatures: the quite spectacular glossy green native bee beauty - the peacock carpenter bee, European honey bees and the mini stingless native bees.  

A stroll down Macquarie Street into Hyde Park

Another pre-pandemic city field recording taken at approximately 9:00am Monday morning in mid February. The recording begins at the corner of Martin Place just as a bus trundles past. From there I walked up the super historic street that contains important old sandstone buildings such as the Sydney Hospital (1811), the NSW Parliament House (1810), the Historic Houses' headquarters (1854 - formerly the Sydney Mint building), the elegant St James' Church (1824) and Hyde Park Barracks (1811) just to name a few. I pass lively cafes and morning bustle, stopping for a minute at a popular cafe that was doing a roaring trade. From there I walked to the end of the street past the statue of Queen Victoria gazing at the law courts on the right which is in turn being gazed at by a statue of her Consort, Prince Albert on the opposite corner to the left. I then crossed the road and walked into Hyde Park. I walk up to the splashy sound of the Archibald fountain which is accompanied by the cheery sound of rainbow lorikeets calling to each other in the large fig tree canopy overhead.      

Macquarie Street walk

 

The Martin Place of Before

Before the pandemic, when it was some distant "something" happening "somewhere else" i.e. two months ago, I had started getting interested in field recordings. One morning in early March I woke up bright and early, caught the express bus into town, got off at Wynyard station and got my recorder out to witness the loveliness of the GPO/ Westin hotel bell chime for nine O'clock. That was the last time I have been on a bus, and more or less the last time I went into town. 

So, here for three minutes of listening pleasure is the nine O'clock GPO/ Westin clock chime (approximately 1 minute in), a tram dinging along George street, nearby construction of the Sydney metro line, morning workers hustling to work, a passing hot rod, and a very vocal Australian raven amongst other things. 

Martin_Place_GPO_Clock

 

Creatures of Sydney - January 2020

Above: A lace monitor, a pelican, a darter, a cormorant, and a masked lapwing. 

Above: a back swan, a little grey egret, a duckling, a very large grey moth, (perhaps?) two eastern saw shelled turtles, a mother duck and ducklings, and a pigeon.

Hengrove Hall

This frothy beauty on historic Macquarie Street has caught my eye on several occasions. As a result, I have had finding out about its style and background on my "to do" list for some time. Fortunately, this building is heritage listed, so there is a substantial spiel about it on the  Office of Environment and Heritage website. Built in 1929 - 1930, the style of this nine storey commercial building is officially described as Interwar Old English. I was quite surprised to learn that it was designed at the height of art deco and not during the Victorian era as I had thought! However, I was also interested to learn that the architect Henry Eli White was also responsible for The State Theatre which has a similar interior decor theme (although much grander) with Hengrove Hall's Tudor doorway, puti, crowns and the like as seen above. The Office of Environment and Heritage also notes that the English Tudor manor house Hengrove House in Suffolk was the inspiration behind the Tudor doorway and the other elements of the exterior.

Merry Christmas etc!

I send my good wishes to one and all with my gif that features: two (native Australian) Peacock Carpenter bees (that I was very fortunate to see in person on one of my bush walks!), a posey of flannel flowers, two sprays of gum blossoms and a coastal banksia. 

Sydney Flora and Fauna

From top right clockwise: Gum Blossoms, a Black Swan, Native Fuchsia, A Pelican, Red Spider Flower, A Little Cormorant, Tea Tree Blossoms, another Pelican, and Flannel Flowers in the centre.

Flannel Flowers

My drawing of one of Sydney's (and New South Wales' for that matter) prettiest bush flowers: the Flannel Flower.

State Savings Bank

What has Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Columns and is pink all over? The State Savings Bank of course - another of my favourite buildings in Sydney. It is a Beaux-Arts Revivalist wonder right in the heart of Sydney city!

Built between 1925 and 1928, the exterior features a red granite base with pink terracotta tiles covering the upper outer levels. Four imposing Ionic columns stand at the front while the sides are decorated with handsome Doric columns. Inside it is as equally striking with enormous green pillars in the foyer and a white marble vault that features a massive bronze door with a wheel. Elegant hanging brass light fittings and complicated floral mosaic tiling are also details of the interior areas. As with the Grace Building that I wrote about in a previous post, I was lucky enough to go on a behind the scenes guided tour of this colossal beauty as part of an Open Sydney weekend held a few years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the interior, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it is quite the marvel inside!  Fortunately, it is also heritage listed as of 2000. More information can be found here which gives quite a detailed description of the building's significance and history. 

What's on in Sydney...

Mother ducks teaching their ducklings how to forage, Kangaroo Paws, Spoonbills, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Flannel Flowers.