Wednesday 20 January 2010

Aimless Wander - Darlinghurst


Shoe-horned between New South Head Road and Oxford street, it is difficult to know where East Sydney ends and Darlinghurst begins.


The bohemia of the 50s has made way for the squalor of the drug scene and the colour of the gay scene. Bohemia is perhaps an outdated term, being replaced by "alternate", a life-style which has migrated to Newtown.

The very haunts of Henry Lawson. Let's try the opening stanza of "Faces in the Streets".


They lie, the men who tell us for reasons of their own
That want is here a stranger, and misery's unknown;
For where the nearest suburb and the city proper meet
My window-sill is level with the faces on the street -
Drifting past, drifting past,
To the beat of weary feet -
While I sorrow for the owners of the faces in the street.

23 comments:

Olivier said...

beau choix de poésie pour accompagner tes photos. J'aime bien la dernière, elle a un coté mystérieuse cette porte

Yolanda said...

Wonderful street scenes - the first shot is so sweet and delicate. It is nice to visit your streets and towns through your beautiful photographs!

Lois said...

I almost feel like I am there! This is a wonderful post Julie.

brattcat said...

Oh, Julie, you reveal these little gems daily. You help us see the things you pass, the things we might pass with hardly a notice, and through your lens you turn our eyes, make us look, really look at the things that have caught your attention. Thank you.

lizziviggi said...

Beautiful colors, crisp and vibrant. I love the striped stools. And while the term "alternative" may be more modern, "bohemia" is much more romantic!

Anonymous said...

Good images of Sydney, I imagine it with so various differents scenes, from the beach to the dowtown, good views.
Bye
Serge

Sagatun said...

Beautiful pic.
Like the color

PurestGreen said...

There is something very European about these places. Wonderful shots.

Jim said...

A variety of little snippets of the suburb.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Virginia said...

LOVE THE OLD DOOR! I like those cute stripey canvas stools a whole lot too.

Sorry I've not answered your Paris questions yet. Now I've rather forgotten them! Could you email me and I promise to answer right back!

Glad you like the French ladies. I had much better luck with French men than French women.!

Julie said...

And this is a PROBLEM, Virginia??

Anonymous said...

Chapeau !

One can only be glad to be allowed to see your work. Unable to write anything intelligent, let me bow in respect of your writing and photography.
Please have a wonderful Wednesday.

Ann said...

Colours work extremely well in the top one. Again, its that little something I would have walked by and not noticed.

I think the movie Oyster Farmer is on TV this weekend, probably ABC or SBS.

Neil said...

Very apt quote; often think that myself. Aimless wandering often leads to good photos like these.

Nancy C said...

I hope to make it to Sydney someday. I appreciate the sneak peek here. I love the character and color of different neighborhoods, something that you only see when guided by a person "in the know."

myletterstoemily said...

beautiful photos...i love the phrase, "i sorrow for the
owners...:

lovely!

Jilly said...

Adore that last photo, Julie and of course the words. I have two volumes of Henry Lawson - A Fantasy of Man and A Camp-Fire Yarn. I treasure those.

Joan Elizabeth said...

A real variety of shots today, just what old parts of a city are like ... in my opinion much nicer than homogeneous suburbs. I especially like the bottom shot, such a place could be easily passed by as being past it's prime but it's beautiful.

Unknown said...

This is really great stuff, both photos and verse very powerful. As you know some of us have been playing with sepia conversions. Your last picture of the weathered doorway would be ideal, but then I might not appreciate the gilt name over the door and the subtle colors in the chipped and fading bits of paint on the gray stone wall. I love your blog; it never disappoints.

VP said...

I love these post about wandering, they are an interesting way to connect so many different places and objects with no apparent link.

Gena @ Thinking Aloud said...

Hi Julie - lovely post ... gorgeous pics too!!!
I need to contact you, but cannot find an email contact/ link for you on your blog and didn't want to pose my query in a comment .... could you contact me Julie, please on tuxedo610@gmail.com
Gena @ Thinking Aloud
a photoblog
South Africa

TheChieftess said...

I much prefer "bohemian" to "alternate"! Alternate almost sets the stage for conflict, where bohemian just describes a style...who says new is better???

Love the pics!!!!

Tash said...

You wander beautifully. The chairs photo is striking. The doorway is very old world. Marvellous.