Showing posts with label Ridge Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ridge Street. Show all posts

Sunday, 26 May 2013

So, you think you're an icon. Big deal!


Taken from the pedestrian bridge across the Waringah Expressway, which is really an extension of Ridge Street, North Sydney, this view keeps the ego of both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in check.

I will add more info during the day as I stumble upon it.
    A large amount of residential and commercial property, half a golf course, and a cemetery were resumed by the government to build this expressway.



    the above page is one of ten pages that can be viewed here

Monday, 20 May 2013

Digging the dirt on the church


Once again, St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, corner of Ridge and Miller Streets, North Sydney. From the rear. From the front. And the northern elevation. Yesterday's shot was the southern elevation, meaning I had to open the aperture to shoo away the shade on the south side, meaning that the brilliance of the sky was blown out. Today the sky in all its grandeur.


For a history geek such as moi, the grounds of this church are a godsend [oops], with all its signs and photographs. The grounds are in an immaculate condition, the gardens to die for. This plot of land, the signs tell me, was first granted by the powers that was in 1867, and a church established in a tent. Then a slab timber structure was erected, before a 'freestone church with gothic detailing' was commenced in 1867. This church was enlarged, with more adoration in 1896 enabling a congregation of 600 to be seated. In 1937, a total rebuild was commenced enabling the congregation to swell to 900 parked bodies. The good thing about this new building [ hah ... 'new' ... ], which I very much like the shape and feel of, is that it reused some of the stone, slate, marble, and glass from both the 1896 AND the 1868 churches. And nick-nacks ...

I will take you inside tomorrow.


Sunday, 19 May 2013

Sight is physical, vision is mental


Whereas sight might indeed be physical, and yes, vision be mental, they are both controlled by the brain. This blog started life as 'Sydney Eye', indeed its URL is still that. But I moved from the inner-city out to the suburbs, and my life circumstances changed accordingly. So I changed the title of this blog to 'Nestling into the Castlecrag landscape', which is what I was doing, and no longer need to do. I am nestled. But being merely human, I wanted the best of both worlds, cakes and eating.

I had crossed the Rubicon, gone from one side of the city, across the harbour, to the other side of the city, even though I only journeyed seven kilometres, it may as well have been to the moon and back. Quickly, I knew that the nestling was occurring in fertile soil, but loam that was all of the same consistency. What I needed, and wanted to share with you, was a soil that was full of organic waste, that had colour, and texture, and diversity. Hence, the title of this blog changed, again, to 'Sydney's North Shore'. Let's see how long this one lasts.

Let's start with St Mary's Catholic Church on the corner of Miller Street and Ridge Street, North Sydney. A church was first constructed on this site in 1868, with the current church having been constructed in 1937.