Changing Newcastle

Since I came to live in Newcastle NSW (Australia) in 1999, the city has changed... architecture alone has changed the look of Newcastle. As I walked by the old newspaper building , I was a bit sad to see a crane lifting materials for the apartments being built behind the facade of the original building. It wasn't just that the old building is no longer, it is that the local newspaper has changed too - no local office, printed elsewhere electronically. Yet I felt happy that at least the building will become "home" to many people and that its history won't be lost.
Last week, I also captured this shot of an old 1823 building reflected in the new City of Newcastle administration building. While the new building will be spectacular as it is, I really liked the idea of the past being reflected in its shiny glass exterior.

There are some really amazing buildings which have appeared in Newcastle in the last few years. The University of Newcastle , City Campus is a testament to architectural innovations and contemporary design as well as function. It is called NeW Space - a space to collaborate , and it certainly feels like that.

In the same city precinct as NeW Space is perhaps my favourite building in Newcastle, although I never really want to spend time in there. The Law Courts completed in 2015 still resonate with a newness and somehow a distinctive Newcastle feel. It was built in a difficult triangular space, but somehow seems to spread happily into the block . Local artists' work have been featured for the interior design with the foyer installation paying homage to the original indigenous owners of the land.

And soon, this city streetscape will be visible from the new light rail which will trvel along Hunter Street Newcastle.

Sadly for some ( my grandchildren included) the Queen's Wharf Tower, an icon of 'old ' Newcastle will not be visible as it was demolished last year. However, there are many people who have rejoiced over the removal of what was considered a rather embarrassing phallic sculptural icon.

And that is progress...

Image Credits:

Wilma Simmons
https://www.newcastle.edu.au
http://www.coxarchitecture.com.au

Comments

Christmas Countdown 15 : Christmas Tree #11 - Disposable

Plastic cups https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/christmas-stem-ideas-kids/ Advent Blog : Day 11 - Disposable We are all so much more conscious about ridding our landfills and oceans of plastic waste. For Christmas, here is a way to use up some of those disposable items which seem to multiply at holiday parties and celebrations, or perhaps you have just been saving them up for a creative use.... Who would have thought coffee pods would make such stylish Christmas trees ? ... Add caption If you don't have one of those machines, then perhaps you have coffee on the run - Starbucks or Nescafe ? from https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/369858188126737920/ Nescafe cups https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/72761350208620530/ The disposable cups don' t have to be brand names to work well as materials for Christmas trees. Taking an engineering approach to plastic cup trees seems to be the answer for a more ornate result. from https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin

Countdown to Christmas 20 - Fruitcake song!

There are many songs about fruit cakes - not all of them referring to the Christmas cake we know and love.It is really surprising to learn via Google that there are 89 listed songs with references to Christmas cake or fruit cake - not all of them complimentary. Probably one of the most famous folk songs about Christmas cake is Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake (a favourite sung by The Irish Rovers). This first recorded comical Christmas song was written by C Frank Horn in 1883 in Pennsylania, as a variation of an Irish folk song, 'Miss Mulligan's Christmas Cake' . The chorus might give you the hint that Miss Fogarty's cake was not for the faint hearted or those who suffered from a weak stomach. Chorus : There were plums and prunes and cherries, There were citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too There was nutmeg, cloves and berries And a crust that was nailed on with glue There were caraway seeds in abundance Such that work up

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

Search This Blog