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PMI at Parliament House

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  All Aboard the 69 Tram This was the title of a talk (no music at all)  arranged by the Prahran Mechanics Institute Library (PMIL).  The presenter was Professor Janet McCalman .  The invitation from PMIL explains the event For the first time in our history, we’re hosting an event at Parliament House. And not just anywhere in Parliament House. We’ll gather in the magnificent South Library, part of the Parliamentary Library completed in 1861. With its grand historic interiors, solid brass fireplaces and soaring shelves filled with more than 50,000 books and reports, the library is a remarkable working space at the heart of Victoria’s democracy. Above the main entrance hangs Parliament’s first ceremonial mace, used in Victoria from 1857 to 1866 and later by the federal House of Representatives. This extraordinary setting provides the perfect backdrop for a very special Exploring Victorian Voices Patron Lecture, featuring acclaimed historian and new PMI Library Patron, ...
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Albert Park North in September

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 I went for a prowl from MSAC to Mac Rob on 8 September.  Quite productive with 3 species breeding and 24 species in total for a walk on the Northern end.  Here are my snaps, beginning with the route,. The first Swan family V47 and G89 and 6 cygnets, They went for a a walk ... ... and then a swim.  After about 10 minutes the parents bought them back to a spot where they could climb out.   Later on my walk I noticed a couple of spots where soil had been built up in the reed beds and suggest dumping half a trailer load of rocks and/or soil against the wall every 300 m would give the swans and ducklings easy climb out spots. Moving round to the Lakeside Stadium T28 and V11 were adding to the tally . Back at Mud Island a single Great Crested Grebe was being decorative. An Australian White Ibis on Mud Island. Quite a few of them on Gunn Island.   A well posed group on the S end of the Northern Reed beds. Back to Mud Island.  This shows, the white...
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Church of Sts Constantine and Helen

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 I am reasonably sure I have commented in the past about my efforts to visit this church, located just to the North of the Prahran Market.  The difficulty was coinciding with the time of the church being open but without a service in progress.  Today the ducks lined up and the congregation were leaving when I arrived at about 1055hrs.  Here is the exterior of the building: I shall not add much text to the images as I don't know the names (or functions) for most of the items in the furnishings.  This is a view of the interior just inside the door. Google Lens delivers: this is a wooden icon stand ( proskynetarion ) with icons placed upon and behind it. I called this the altar but Google Lens advised it is a n elaborate dark-carved wooden iconostasis (screen of icons separating the sanctuary from the nave) featuring traditional Byzantine painted icons.  It also noted the  Traditional wooden pews/stalls, a center red carpet aisle, and an ornate overhead c...
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Mini-adventures to St KIlda West and Southbank

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 St Kilda West Not having been to St Kilda West for a while I took myself off there on the morning of 18 August.  Getting off the tram on the Esplanade I took the bridge across marvelling at how the contractors are still managing to find things to at the end of the pier.   When in Peru we marvelled at the work the Incas did cutting out huge blocks of sandstone using leather straps and water as the cutting implements.  We imagined a conversation between a child and their grandfather: "What did you do in your life grandpa?" "I finished cutting out the building block my grandfather started." The St Kilda equivalent response, if the ratepayers are lucky, would be replacing  'building block' by 'work on the approaches to St Kilda Pier'. Whatever.  I wandered along the shore seeing few birds (2 Australasian Grebes were the highlight) and out to the water's edge. A couple of other birders were there ... ... causing me severe lens envy.   After a ple...
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August cultural stuff

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  I have used the rather poncy title as I am expecting this to cover the usual musical matters and some other lectures and exhibitions. Piano at Melba Hall This was part of the regular Monday concert series.  It would be nice if I could give the name of the guy who gave the recital but they left it off the program, both the paper version and - as far as I can find - online.  A pity as he was rather good. The first work was Beethoven “Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110” with three movements and the second “César Franck “Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21” which despite the 3 words was played as one movement.  I found it very pleasant music to hear and being in the front row the loudness sufficient to keep me awake in the rather warm venue even though I had taken off my parka. The pianist was very energetic! At some points in the second work I was a little concerned that his hand movements were such that he was going to knock himself out.  It was also the ...
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