Wednesday August 28, 2019

Melbourne may not have the spectacular harbour and sights found in Sydney but, based on one day here, it has proven equally interesting to visit. The city feels very European with many historic buildings, narrow streets absolutely filled with sidewalk cafes and small shops, trams and crowds of people on the streets at all hours.

Centre Place is one of many narrow streets lined with cafes and shops.
Trams seem to run everywhere and are very frequent.

The massive Flinders Street Station dates from 1909 and is the busiest railway station in the country.
Unlike in Sydney I decided to get accommodation in the city centre and have been able to walk everywhere I wanted to go. The map below shows the places I mention with the marker being my hotel.

The day started cloudy with rain predicted to begin in the early afternoon and so, after a tasty breakfast in one of the cafes, I decided to visit the three attractions on my list that were furthest away.

Birrarung Marr (SE of the hotel) provided an opportunity to walk off breakfast while enjoying riverside views, statues and sculptures.

Despite being described as a highlight in the Lonely Planet guide, Chinatown (NNE) seemed a little ordinary with just a couple of arches, some lanterns and multiple Chinese restaurants.

The Immigration Museum (WSW), however, was the highlight of the day.

It is housed in the old Customs House with the main exhibit presenting an historical account of immigration policies and using interactive presentations to help the visitor understand the personal experiences of new immigrants and the perspective of existing Australians over time. One example of this was an interview simulation where you could choose to represent the immigration officer on one of three dates and, based on documentation and the prospective immigrants interview (shown on video), decide if they should be admitted. I had not realized how racist the history of Australian immigration was but, up until 1973, there were laws specifically barring certain countries and groups and, between 1901 and 1973, the Australian government formally implemented the “White Australia Policy”.
Australian cities are now ethnically diverse as immigration has been encouraged in recent decades but the immigration policy stills ranks potential immigrants on a point system based on age, education, occupation, character and English language proficiency and asylum seekers are generally prevented from reaching mainland Australia and must wait in offshore camps for their claims to be processed.

Other exhibits describe how immigrants have assimilated into their communities and examines the nature of personal identity.

I headed back to my car, parked opposite Federation Square (SE), to pick up my umbrella just as the rain started. After a late lunch at another sidewalk cafe I planned to spend the afternoon at two attractions around the square. The first was the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) which I had noted in my plans was “good for a rainy day” but has just closed for renovations. I therefore moved on to the Australia building of the National Gallery of Victoria which is the oldest and most visited art gallery in the country and displays Australian artists from the colonial era to present day.

Federation Square with ACMI on the left and the gallery on the right.
A better view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from Federation Square.

As a final excess I had bangers and mash and a couple of pints at the Charles Dickens Tavern for dinner. It was a good day.

Thursday August 29, 2019

Road video and map – Melbourne to Torquay

Unfortunately, I was arrested for shoplifting this morning – at least the character I was playing at the Old Melbourne Gaol was. Since I wasn’t able to visit the Justice and Police Museum in Sydney I needed to check out this landmark and it was a fun experience. The gaol was opened in 1842, when Melbourne’s population and crime were both growing rapidly, and it was in use until 1929. Its most famous inmate was murderer and bank robber, Ned Kelly, who was held and hanged here in 1880.

The exterior and interior of the gaol.

The gaol was fascinating but the fun was in the building next door, the City Watch House,where newly arrested suspects were brought to be charged and held before their court appearance. This operated from 1909 until 1994 and has been preserved exactly as it was when it closed. Visitors are “arrested” outside and processed by a Charge Sergeant who barked orders at us. We were given charge sheets which listed our name, DOB, address, reason for arrest etc. and the sergeant questioned us on the information as he booked us,  we were then searched and placed in a cell for the night (well 4 minutes in the dark). It turned out the arrests were made in error and so the Charge Sergeant apologized and gave us a tour of the building.

The padded cell where prisoners on suicide watch were held/
Suspect  92638, Mason Davies, seems to be a little taller than me although I can see the similarity.
Tomorrow I am starting my drive along Great Ocean Road which begins in Torquay, about 50 miles south of Melbourne, and so I headed that way this afternoon. Along the way is the National Wool Museum in Geelong, VIC and I stopped for a while to check it out. Australia has been the largest wool producing country for over 100 years and the political influence of sheep farmers and shearers has been significant. The museum covers the history of sheep farming as well as the processing from shearing to final product.

The building was once a wool storage facility and auction house and it saw the world record price for a bale of wool.The small sign:
The museum also has the only working model of an old Axminster carpet weaving loom that was brought to Geelong in 1960. This short video shows it in action.