Scienceworks etc

 We took ourselves over the Westgate Bridge to visit Scienceworks.  We had sort of seen the building on our boat tour of the port of Melbourne. 

On getting into the building my attention was grabbed by an exhibit which too a photo of me and added a range of cyborg attachments.

This was then animated, which I won't include as the gif is 7.3Mb!  Much fun.  We then went outdoors and checked our watches against this large sundial (they agreed).
Going out a door we could see the Bridge over the Pumping Station
This was what had stood out on the boat trip!
The access ramp was modern and atmospheric!
They were very good with notices.

Two boilers.
Reading this sign I thought about Frank Hardy's book "The Outcasts of Foolgaraugh" in which night-soil men were mentioned as well as the garbos who were the main characters,


This might explain to those of a mechanical mind how the pumps worked!

We then saw a sign about the Great Melbourne Telescope, of which we had never heard.  As we started peering through a window into a very busy workshop a very affable gent came out and gave us a detailed explanation of the telescope.  I was listening so closely to him I didn't take the photos I should have!  Another serendipitous meeting with an expert.  Here is an introduction to the telescope.  The Astronomical Society is the leader of the restoration project which I believe to be very close to completion.  When complete the telescope is planned to be installed at the Observatory in the Royal Botanic Gardens ( who will probably charge like a wounded bull to inspect it.)
I am not sure where it was located at this stage of its life but it shows it fully assembled.
This image, somewhat out of sequence, shows a mirror being cast.  The hoods are nothing to do with the Klan, but asbestos to protect from heat.
We went back into the main building to find it was now full of school groups.  The kids seemed to be having great fun with the exhibits, as intended, but were very noisy.  On enquiring we were advised that more peaceful visits are available after 1430 hours!
We then went out to Apex Park at Altona Beach to look for birds.  This Egret was  initially of interest as I thought it was an Intermediate/Plumed Egret but the bill colour showed it to be a Little Egret.

Many ducks!





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