Curiosity a design fad from the past

This is part of the Sydney Town Hall at the top of George Street, after the long haul up from Circular Quay, and before the slide down Brickfield Hill. The Town Hall was constructed between 1868 and 1889. There was a bevy of architects and designers. They liked this sort of ornamentation in those days, or perhaps each man got some of his ideas through. A perfect example of building by committee.

Pyrmont Bridge - Then & Now - 2

Same bridge as yesterday, different angle. You will note, of course, that Pyrmont Bridge is now motorised-vehicle-free. Even the exceedingly ugly Monorail has been removed. With both my shots, I am facing east. Instead of being predominantly a working harbour, Darling Harbour - which the Pyrmont Bridge spans - is now predominantly a leisure and tourism harbour. The restored pub, the Dundee Arms, is tucked in on the other side of that massive white rectangular building on the further shore.

This 1907 image shows the working habour past, of both Darling Harbour and the Pyrmont Bridge. Pyrmont is immediately to the west of the bridge, ie at my back. It provided much of the sandstone for work in the immediate vicinity, and for the CBD, from quarries with the romantic names Paradise, Purgatory. and Hellhole. In the B&W image, clearly visible on the horizon are (from L to R): the dome of the Queen Victoria Building, the clock tower of the Sydney Town Hall, and the double western buttresses of the Anglican Cathedral, St Andrews. The view ach and every one of these landmarks from the Pyrmont Bridge today, is obliterated by developments since 1907, as one might reasonably expect.

A dwarfed Sydney Town Hall

I was standing at the intersection of York and Market Streets. My faher worked In D & W Murray (Wholesale Haberdasher) on this corner from 1935 (aged 14) until he joined the army in September 1942. (aged 21). I like York Street, as it has retained many of its early buildings. On the left is the massive Queen Victoria Building (QVB) which was built between 1893 and 1898, and has had numerous face-lifts since then. I remember borrowing books from the City Library which used to be housed therein. That was where I was first introduced to Charmaine Clift. Who? I hear you ask. Nevermind.

The masons are in town

There has been a lot of sandstone sprucing-up going on in our fair city over the last 18 months: State Library, Central Station clock tower, QVB, and now the Town Hall. The work is being done by the Traditional Sandstone Company, even though there does not appear to be much tradition in that dentist's drill he is using.

See up high on the clock tower, those little plywood inserts? Ten of the capitals are being recarved - not just being cleaned up, but reproduced. Each capital will take two weeks to carve, even with the power tools. The complete restoration project will take four years and cost $33 million, but all should be spic'n'span in time for the 150th celebrations in 2018.

Do you always look through windows like this to watch experts at work?

Now go off and read The Stone Book Quartet by Alan Garner. Read them in order: The Stone Book; Granny Reardun; The Aimer Gate; and, Tom Fobble's Day. I have them in mind for my grand-daughter when she is seven or eight.

Decking town hall

Sydney Town Hall stands on the intersection of George Street, with Park and Druitt Streets. From about 1793 until 1820, this was the site of the original burial ground for the colony, eventually moved to Devonshire Street (Central Station) and then, by 1906. out to Rookwood. Designs for the Town Hall started flowing from the mid-1860s, construction being completed by about 1889. Were there any bodies left in the soil below, they would be roiling in their 'resting' place at the sight of these garish, yet festive, projections.