Gold Fields House

Gold Fields House is a commercial office building at 1 Alfred Street, between Pitt Street and George Street, at Circular Quay. This 25 storey building was one of the city's earliest high rise office buildings, constructed in 1966. With spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, approval has been granted for it to be soon redeveloped into apartments. This view is from the walkway beside the Cahill Expressway. 

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Hyde Park, garden

The remnants of a heritage listed underground public toilet is located at Hyde Park, along Park Street close to the corner of Elizabeth Street. Built in 1909, it has now been dicommissioned and filled with sand, which preserves it and allows for reuse in the future. The features above ground such as the the lamp post on a sandstone plinth and wrought iron stairway fences have been incorporated into the garden beds.

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Wareemba, Canada Bay

This view is from the inner west suburb of Wareemba, across Canada Bay to the suburb of Canada Bay. The name Wareemba is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "place where sweet water meets salt water".

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Customs House Square, bar (Theme Day: Fences)

This ornate ironwork fence is located along Young Street outside Quay Bar, an outdoor bar in Customs House Square near Circular Quay.

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Drummoyne, Parramatta River, Old Gladesville Bridge

This sunset on the Parramatta River is viewed from what remains of the abutment of the first Gladesville Bridge at Howley Park in Drummoyne. The bridge replaced a ferry service that ran across the river from Abbotsford Point to Bedlam Point. It opened in 1881 and was a two lane swing span iron bridge, with a swing at this southern end that opened to allow through ferries, sailing boats and steamers with high funnels. By 1910, the electric tramway travelled across this bridge from the city to Ryde. The second Gladesville Bridge with a clearance of 30 metres was built nearby and opened in 1964.

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Government House, bench

This bench on the grounds of Government House overlooks the Royal Botanic Gardens and out towards Mrs Macquarie's Chair and across Sydney Harbour.

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Botanic Gardens, tree

In the Royal Botanic Gardens is a Dragon's Blood Tree or Dracaena Draco, which fell over in May 2008. It won't be lifted up to its former upright position because the trunk was damaged near the base and further movement may cause it to snap off. It has been fenced off to protect the branches of damage and reduce soil compaction around the roots. This tree which is over 100 years old is a native to the Canary Islands, where they can live up to 600 years in the wild. Its common name 'Dragon's Blood Tree' comes from the bright red resin it produces, with many uses such as the production of varnish used by violin makers.

Sydney Harbour

A view of Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House on a stormy afternoon from Dawes Point.

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Darlinghurst, Camp Stonewall

Camp Stonewall is an art installation at Taylor Square, off Oxford Street, in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. The artwork is part of the Taylor Square Plinth Project, which has had three temporary art projects installed from 2009 to 2011 to enliven the square and make people think about art. Camp Stonewall, by Annie Kennedy, celebrates the achievements of the gay rights movement and people who campaigned for change. The name refers to the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, where the gay riots on  28th June, 1969 sparked an international response, including protests in Sydney’s Oxford Street. The lamp post on the plinth in the staircase of a disused underground gentlemen's convenience, reinterprets the original post from the early 1900s, which carried street signage and illuminated the square. The tiles on the wall feature messages and stories written by the contemporary gay and lesbian community of Sydney. This artwork is on the route of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras which is on tonight.

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Banksia, foot bridge

This foot bridge runs along the railway line, immediately north of Banksia railway station. This rusty steel and weathered timber bridge is another structure on the endangered list and will soon be extinct. Signs have been posted here to announce that it will be demolished soon but a new one will not be built in its place. In future, pedestrians will have to walk a short distance away to cross the road at ground level. I suppose it's not architecturally significant or historically important so it's not worth restoring or replacing but it's a shame because this old bridge has some character.  

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Prince Alfred Park, Oh Alfred!

Prince Alfred Park is a park in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills which is currently being reconstructed. A new children's playground, tennis and basketball courts have opened but the new swimming pool is still to be completed. The 'Oh Alfred! Reflections of Prince Alfred Park' was an art project that was part of the Art and About Sydney festival. The Surry Hills community of residents and school children worked with artists to turn the fences around the construction area into artwork.

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Prince Alfred Park, Oh Alfred!

Prince Alfred Park is a park in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills which is currently being redeveloped. The hoardings around the development site have been decorated with artwork by artists and the community. It is part of the Art and About Sydney festival, in a project titled 'Oh Alfred! Reflections of Prince Alfred Park'. This sculpture by John Doe and Lachlan McGuiness celebrates the power of wind as a source of energy and is inspired by new environmental initiatives being installed in the park.

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Darlinghurst, Underworld

 Underworld is an art installation at Taylor Square, in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. The artwork is part of the Taylor Square Plinth Project, which is having three temporary art projects installed from 2009 to 2011 to enliven the square and make people think about art. Underworld, by Dale Miles, is a set of colourful arachnid legs emerging from the staircase of a disused underground gentlemen's convenience. This work of art gives voice to the lost habitat of the notorious and venemous Sydney Funnel Web Spider.

The Rocks, Biggles (Theme Day: Statues)

I've featured many statues of prominent people around Sydney but for this theme day I thought I'd feature something a bit different. This bronze statue of a dog called 'Biggles', created in 1995, is located at the corner of Atherden Street and Playfair Street at The Rocks, outside his owner's home. The Miniature Schnauzer born in 1980, was a loved friend of the community here and his antics such as leaping off balconies to chase cats, made him a minor celebrity. He met with an unfortunate end, last seen leaping off a cliff near Mrs Macquarie's Chair in 1994, rumoured to be chasing a rat. The devastated local community rallied around to organise a statue in his honour.
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Macquarie Place Park

This heritage listed underground toilet is located at the northern end of Macquarie Place Park, in the city. Built in 1908, it has now been dicommissioned and filled with sand, which preserves it and allows reuse in the future. The features above ground have been incorporated into the gardens with the dome, walls, light, fence and decorative iron work used as a frame for climbing plants.

Bicentennial Park entrance

The entrance to Bicentennial Park features a clock tower and a fence of lattice. The trees behind the clock tower are the ones that could be seen in my photo of the lake that I featured here.