20th November
A 3 hour bus to Cootamundra
& 7 hour train journey to get here yesterday.
Coming off the train - which was delayed as they had engine trouble and were down to one engine......I'm glad it wasn't a plane! - a guy at the tram stop was helpful, re-assuring me I was on the right tram and giving me tips on what to do in Melbourne. I have to say, the Australian people have been generally really friendly and helpful.
Today I did a walking tour of the city with Sam our guide. He was very loud and very informative. Melbourne weather is typically changeable - '4 seasons in one day' - they say.
Melbourne was named after Lord Melbourne in 1837, before it was called Batmania, after John Batman, one of the earliest settlement founders.
History: (Sam's words)
If we go back 40 years to 1797, before the beginning of this modern day colonised history, we know Australia, roughly, on a map as a big mainland,a bit of ocean and Tasmania.
The bit of ocean there is called the bass strait and it's named after George bass. He was an Explorer from Europe, he came down here, he mapped the coastline he didn't really like it and that was the first of 3 unsuccessful attempts to start something. The second attempt was 6 years later in 1803. They were a little bit worried up in Sydney that the French were going to come down here and establish a settlement.
If you know the history with Sydney, the English, the convicts and the landings they were a bit worried that you would have the beginnings of a re-creation of Europe all of these new colonies new settlements popping up on the mainland, so they sent a guy down here Charles Grimes he landed near by Melbourne, he didn't think there was any fresh water, it wouldn't work as a settlement and again he left.
Later on that year they said 'come on the French are coming we have to try and establish something'
They sent another guy, David Collins. He, again, didn't think there was any fresh water instead he sailed to Tasmania and established modern day Hobart so that was the beginning of the main city in Tasmania.
30 years went by so they didn't really have to worry about the French and in 1835 there was a Tasmanian sheep farmer called John Batman or John 'Bat-man'.
He came up here looking for more land for his sheep. He'd run out of land in Tasmania. there's a lot of land in Australia, so he signed a treaty with 8 indigenous elders for 700,000 acres of land in his diary he wrote the words 'this will be the place for a village.'
And that was the start of Melbourne.
In 1850 it became a self governing state, no longer ruled by Sydney and became what is Melbourne today - the original name of Batmania - coming of course from Mr Batman.
Most of Melbourne is only around 200 years old. Of course the indigenous history goes back 40,000 years. They have not left buildings, since they use the land & environment, then move on and allow it to re-grow. The Wurundjeri people are the indigenous owners of the land of Melbourne - 'Wurun' means tree and 'Jeri' means bug. - a population of 20,000 people when the colonisation took place.
Melbourne is a natural protected port, and a good place for a settlement, with the Jarra river through it. This river was sacred to the indigenous people, named 'Yarro Yarro' or 'ever flowing'
In 1851 they first found gold in the river - which sparked the gold rush and future mining.
Here, the Finders street station, the oldest in Australia, with 6 clocks telling the times of the 6 next departing trains - used as a popular meeting place today
Inside St Paul's Cathedral opposite
Area for street art in Melbourne:
Sam, talking about Banksy & street art:
The shopping mall, popular with Victorians, called The Block
After the tour I visited:
The State Library Victoria
and the National Gallery of Victoria.
There were some interesting paintings & sculptures & a fantastic stained glass window
Christian Dior exhibition:
Henri Matisse
Voltaire.......so much in there......I won't bore you anymore......those were some of my favourites.
I went out to visit a shop called Snappy legs where my Nan used to work. Mum sent me this in an email:
"In Melboure ..Mum purchased all her summer dresses there when she worked in Snappy Legs a small shop in Melbourne .. Mum & Dad left their jobs at the airport and flew to Sydney to live but decided to go back to Melbourne again"
"Strange we were watching some slides that my Dad took when in Australia and then I read your email saw your photos of Coles then recalled Mum saying she had shopped there in Melbourne..I Googled Snappy Legs its still there but larger "
"Strange we were watching some slides that my Dad took when in Australia and then I read your email saw your photos of Coles then recalled Mum saying she had shopped there in Melbourne..I Googled Snappy Legs its still there but larger "
I found it but it is permanently closed with a Medicine Centre there & the sign painted over......sad
The buildings above the shops still look older. This was an area called Malvern.
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