Wonthaggi State Coal Mine visit

 Wonthaggi State Coal  Mine Historic Site

Wonthaggi State Coal Mine Visitor Centre under renovation since last time I was there

My first work trip since returning to work at Parks Victoria was to the Wonthaggi State Coal Mine The State Coal Mine is in the town of Wonthaggi, 130 km south-east of Melbourne. A historic mine site managed by Parks Victoria with the help of local volunteers. I tagged along for a visit to the mine with my heritage branch colleague Catherine, as last time I was here on my way to Phillip Island I stopped for a visit but it was a cold rainy day so we didn't take a tour.

Well, it rained again this day but I still had a great personal tour from a volunteer who was amazing as he had grown up in Wonthaggi and lived in the tent city before a community was built for the miners.  I felt really lucky to receive this tour while Catherine was teaching volunteers how to wrap artefacts for storage. The mine site's collection is kept on site, a best practice with regard to collections in Australia based on the principles of the Burra Charter.


The authentic mine site gives visitors the opportunity to experience the primitive conditions of black coal mining in Victoria during the 1900's. The mine remains just as it was in its working days. Tools and equipment are still in place, as if the miners have just walked away. Seams of 130 million year old coal glisten under dim lighting, while empty skips stand idle to rust in the silent tunnels.

Unfortunately I did not get to go underground due to the heavy rains and safety risk but the tour, and interpration panels and objects gave me a really good sense of what life was like underground for the boys and men that worked there and what life was like for the women who kept things running and in order above ground.



 



Frank - volunteer tour guide from the Friends of the State Coal Mine. He was a wonderful tour guide full of knowledge and anectdotes as he worked in the mines as a child and his father was a miner. I learned many great things about coal mining and life in Wonthaggi when it was a properous mining town and community. He told me many great stories and was a fascinating story teller.




 Map showing the extent of the underground works in Wonthaggi.

 

 

Coal in its varying stages.



Lamp that the miners carried with them.



click here for the Parks Victoria Park Notes about the Mine Site

This whistle is still blown in town today, in fact at noon I heard it, it goes off everyday!!



Become a friend of the State Coal Mine on Facebook

Watch this great video about the mine!

Keeping Wonthaggi's mining history alive - ABC Gippsland Vic - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Life at The Chevron - 539 St. Kilda Road

We moved into the landmark Chevron Building at St. Kilda road on Nov. 27, exactly 10 days after arriving in Melbourne. After viewing a lot of apartment we chose this one for its great location about 5 minutes away from the beach and 15 minutes away from the city by tram. Also, we needed to find a furnished apartment and the furnishing that came with this flat were modern and it was nicely decorated. Having a storage cage in the basement also was a pro on our list.


The building is located on the site and adjacent to the former Chevron Hotel which was known in Melbourne as a ritzy hotel and nightclub that once hosted the likes of Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. Rumor has it that Danni Minogue the sister of pop star Kylie Minogue has a penthouse suite in the building, but I've yet to run into any celebreties!


The nightclub, known by locals as "The Chevy" closed its doors in 2001 and many who I run into say they used to frequent the popular watering hole. The original building a four storey Palazzo style with a brick and stucco facade with prominent roofline and corner tower was built in the Interwar Period and has been turned into apartments. We live in the new development on the site that faces the rear of the orignal building and has 9 stories. We live on the 6th floor of the wing that has 7 stories and have a lovely view of Fawkner Park with the lights of the Melbourne Crickets Grounds off in the distance.



View of the rear of the original 1934 Chevron Building from our balcony.



The courtyard is bordered by ponds with lilypads, Koi and Goldfish. It also features gym, swimming pool and outdoor barbeque area.



We are on the 6th floor second from the top to the left of the lightpole.

 

Fawkner park across from our building. Right next door to where I am standing when taking this pic is the Alfred Hospital and trauma centre with a helipad which is about 10meters away from our building. The noise of the ambulances and helicopter taking off has taken getting used to but now its just background noise. The helicopter pad is so close that when it takes off we can see the pilot from our balcony as he flies overhead!

View of Fawkner Park from our balcony. This park has been around since the early 1900's with little change. This land was first reserved in 1862 and contains two art-deco brick pavilions, circa 1930s; paths lined with Moreton Bay fig, elm, poplar and oak trees; a tennis club with café; the South Yarra Senior Citizens Centre; the Fawkner Park Children's Centre; playgrounds and sports grounds. We have been going on regular walks every evening and witness the sights and sounds of large fruit bats in the trees, cockatoos, magpies and possums running around.

  



A very large beetle that came across our path on one of our evening walks. It was almost as long as this king size cigarette that we placed next to it to show its size!

A rainbow I spotted as I got of the tram one day and was walking to our building. The Chevron is on the right.



Sculpture in front of an office building on St. Kilda Road













Back at work at Parks Victoria

I started back in the City Office on Bourke Street at Parks Victoria on November 29th, 2010. It is nice to be back to the same desk and now familiar faces on the 9th floor. I really like my workspace here at PV in the open concept space with no cubicle walls. The bonus for me is that I have a great big window at my desk that gives lots of daylight. A huge contrast from my tiny cubicle space with a big column and no window light back home.
Being back at the office has been exciting with so many upcoming changes. A new State Government was elected days after we arrived, a new CEO starts January10th and Parks Victoria is under a review period and a time of change. It is motivating and a great time to continue to work on the heritage management strategy and also has presented some challenges to our timeline and initial approach, but nothing we can't work through.



My desk is exactly as I had left it 6months ago! An amazing occurence that is awesome is that monarch butterflies have been flying up to my window!! I love butterflies and knew of the abundance of them this year in the city but did not think they would fly this high up!!! At least once a day I see once outside the window. My desk is to the right of the sculpture in front of the window.



A big part of any strategy or plan review at Parks Victoria is internal and external consultation. I just completed the Communication and Engagement Strategy for our review which will be interesting to implement as we follow a new method of engaging both staff and the public that has been applied recently in management planning and strategy reviews. The internet will be a key component with a WePlan site and blog for consultation. Currently I am working on some discussion papers to post for feedback. Specific to internal consultation I also just completed drafting a staff survey to seek opinion and create awareness on heritage issues and are hoping to circulate as soon as we get approval. We will also be working with staff and senior management to develop a long-term vision for heritage management across the organization.



I am back working with Chris Smith who has just finished his second rotation in Canada where he was working in the Eastern Ontario field unit at the Rideau Canal as a heritage planner. It is great to be back and to be part of the branch and division again and catching up on Parks Victoria news and with colleagues.

Yarra Mud Man sculpture from the Parks Victoria Art Collection and keeping his eye on us in the office! Sculpture is made from mud obtained from the Yarra River by artist Francois Mezapelle during an artist and residency with Parks Victoria.



Our lunch room on the 9th Floor




Morning Tea - this lovely event occurs every Wednesday with each branch taking turns to organize tea and treats! It is such a good way to meet people who work on the floor find out what others are working on and there is always great fresh fruit!!!!



View from a bench I was sitting on in the food court across from our work building. It is fabulous with great take-away food, sit down restaurants and coffee shops.

My favorite litte cupcake shop - once a week I treat myself to a mini cupcake and coffee from here..they are soooo good!

Arriving in Melbourne!

We landed safe and sound to a rainy day in Melbourne after a long 16hour flight with V Australia. Left LA at 8pm on Nov. 16th and arrived in MEL at 8am on the 19th. Caught up on a lot of missed episodes of TV shows and watched a few movies...my favorite was Inception. One thing we noticed when looking out of the window during landing was how green the landscape looked. Last time it was more brown and dry looking, but all the rain in Australia over the last few months really changed the landscape.

Over the next few weeks we would learn of lakes and rivers overflowing, some lakes had been dry for decades and now filled to the brim. With this rain brought lots of flooding to many parts of the country and people's homes and crops were in jeopardy.


Once at the airport and successfully going through customs and immigration, we grabbed a taxi and headed to St. Kilda, where we decided to stay while looking for a place to live. Virtually every hotel in Melbourne was booked due to the Metallica concert in town. The first night we stayed at the Cosmopolitan on Carlisle street and then moved over to the Quest on Eildon and Acland as it was more affordable and came with a kitchette in the room.

View of the Palais Theatre from our room at the Cosmopolitan

View of Sunset

It was nice staying in St. Kilda. Virtually everyday from day 1 we were on the internet and phone trying to arrange viewing of apartments and going to see them. It was nice to do this and be able to take breaks and go for strolls on the beach, or take the laptop to a local cafe to use the free wireless! At cafes, we met many travellers from all over the world. Some of whom, like us were working temporarily in Melbourne.

It took 10 days to find an apartment and move in. During the 10 days, we spent a lot of time walking around St. Kilda, enjoying the food and watching all the partyers who were full force as school had just let out for the summer.

St.Kilda Beach

The Famous Esplannade Hotel - Espy Nightclub home to live

Rock n Roll in Melbourne

St. Kilda is known for its beach culture and nightlife, as well as its streets of restaurants and cake shops. There is a rich history to this part of Melbourne as this area is a place that was and is still known as an escape from the city with its wide laned Esplannade hugging the beach which also boasts the iconic Esplannade Rock Bar and Luna Park, a historic amusement park that still runs and exists today.

The historic amusement park - Luna Park



Catani Clock Tower with Carlos Catani Bust - designed by Carlos Catani who was a young engineer from Florence who ventured to Melbourne and was hired as a land surveyor  and then later in 1886 for the Department of Public works. He planned and designed many of Melbourne's harbours, gardens, jetties and bridges. This tower stands on the Esplannade and is domed in copper.



View along the Esplannade of the Palais Theatre - Home to many concerts. We saw The Cult at the theatre last April and are looking forward to seeing the Doobie Brothers in March at this historic and intimate venue.



St. Kilda Beach - in the distance is the St. Kilda Pier and Boathouse



View of the city from our room at the Quest Hotel in St. Kilda

office bldg. overlooking the beach

A memorial to Captain Cook in St. Kilda's Catani Gardens in Australia. Unveiled in 1914

(excerpt from A History Resource on St. Kilda http://home.vicnet.net.au/~hsosk/downloads/HISTORY_KIT.pdf

The name of St. Kilda is romantically linked with a legendary picnic held in the beautiful ti-tree scrub which surrounded the beach towards theend of 1841, attended by Charles Joseph La Trobe, Superintendent of Port PhillipSettlement and other notable Melbourne residents. Governor La Trobe is reported to have
pointed to the schooner Lady of St Kilda anchored offshore and suggested that the village be named St. Kilda.


St. Kilda soon became popular as an escape from the dirty, dusty, unmade streets of Melbourne town, which had the added disadvantage of sewage collecting in the lower parts of the city. The St.Kilda ‘Hill’ offered good drainage, clean air and attractive views of the sea.By the 1840’s, St.Kildawas a thriving settlement,with excellent hotels catering to the needs of the holiday-makers, and some fine houses side by sidewithmore humble dwellings. The road connecting St. Kilda withMelbourne (St. Kilda Road)was certainly rough and at times dangerous, with the possibility of bushrangers ready to rob and ill-treat travellers. A rough
and sandy track had been worn to Brighton from what is now St. Kilda Junction.


By the 1860’s and 1870’s, St. Kilda had become a sought after area, particularly amongst
merchants and professional men, who built magnificent homes which eventually stretchedacross St. Kilda Road and High Street to the Chapel Street and Alma Road area.




View of the city at night from our room at the Quest Hotel St. Kilda





View of St. Kilda from the Cosmopolitan Hotel on Carlisle Street



Leaving Canada again..quick stop in LA

Quick Stop in Los Angeles, Venice Beach

We left Ottawa at 5pm on Monday, Nov. 15th with a destination of Los Angeles, where we would stopover for the night and fly out to the land down under the next evening. We arrived in LA shortly after 10pm which was really midnight for us with the time difference. We stayed at Venice Beach which is not too far from the airport at the Hotel Erwin, a great hotel right on Venice Beach. We saw it last time when we visited Los Angeles on our way back home and knew we wanted to spend time there.

 The hotel is boutique contemporary and offers the Venice beach culture atmosphere with style. They even offer packages where you can learn how to scratch vinyl with their resident DJ and another package which includes a tattoo from their local resident tattoo artist! Local contemporary art and installations were located througout the hotel.

Our room was decorated with lamps made of weights as a tribute to Muscle Beach, graffiti painted on our closet doors, a display of sunglasses (that you could purchase) on the wall and flourescent green surf themed bath robes. The hallway leading to our room resembled a gallery with black and white portraits of famous body builders who frequented Muscle Beach, including the Schwarchenager himself!

Not much to do so late so we just rested and looked forward to the next day of hanging around Venice Beach until having to make our way back to the airport.





Children's Trashcan's (community art project and public art installation) and Graffiti Murals - Venice



The next morning we headed out to Venice Beach and explored the beach and boardwalk. The boardwalk is as you'd expected to be, lined with shops of t-shirts, memorabilia, headshops, surf shops and  local arts and crafts, street performers and panhandlers. Oh and not to foget the food venues, where a corn dog is a must try despite all the grease and breading!!

Outside Surf Shop - Venice Beach Boardwalk



Almost every 2nd shop was a t-shirt store  full of cheeky saying on shirts and lots of rock t-shirts. Each store had walls of t-shirt displays outside



Mark di Suvero's 60 ft tall steel sculptue, Venice Beach.

Venice Beach boardwalk - Street performer



Venice Beach Boardwalk




Dinner on the roof at High Bar, at Hotel Erwin before leaving for the Airport





Venice Beach -view of Pier


 

It was a little too cool to go in the water.  As you can see the beach was pretty empty!

Healthy Parks Healthy People March 2010



Healthy Park Healthy People Congress Opening Ceremony - Indigenous Dancers

HEALTHY PARKS HEALTHY PEOPLE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

Hon. Peter Garret (aka lead singer Midnight Oil) now Minister of the Environment

Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress Opening



Parks Victoria hosted the Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress in March 2010. Over 1200 people from 37 nations attended. This ground breaking event explored the many ways nature and parks significantly contribute to our health and well being.

Melbourne Exhibition Centre- Location for the HPHP Congress, was a quick 5 minute walk from our home in Docklands.

http://www.healhtyparkshealthypeoplecongress.org/

All of the Parks Canada exchangees were delegates at the congress and I also had the opportunity to plan and facilitate a panel discussion session to explore how heritage fits in to the healthy parks healthy people philosophy.

http://www.healthyparkshealthypeoplecongress.org/proceedings

(click here for more info on the session choose PDF 9)

Parks Canada delegates at the HPHP Congress Dinner.

(from left to right - back row, Rob Prosper, Steve Langdon, Helen Purves, Andrew Campbell, Renee Wissink - front row, Libby Gunn, Kathie Adaire, Barb Macdonald, Janette Gallant, Karen Bright, Anwareen Farouk

Here is an article that I was asked to for Bushy Tales - A Parks Victoria Newsletter

The June 2010 edition was focused on the Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress

Healthy Parks - Healthy Heritage

Anwareen Farouk - Canadian Exchangee

The HPHP Congress was an excellent opportunity for discussion on how protection

of heritage places connects people to nature,tells human stories and provides benefits to individuals and communities.The session, Beyond Bricks and Mortar: the Value of Cultural Heritage to Healthy Communities, explored issues and challenges in managing heritage places in parks. One of these is how to encourage new people to visit historic places and support their protection especially those who don’t share the history of the area. In Canada, Citizenship ceremonies are now being held at some National Historic Sites to reach out to new audiences.From PV staff we heard about Carome Homestead, an historic property located in


Carome Homestead Community Garden

Plenty Gorge Parklands with a fast growing

suburb along its boundaries. Carome is the site

of one of the State's earliest water powered

flour mills. A community garden has been

established on the grounds for those who live

in the nearby housing development, so they can

plant a garden and connect with the history of

the area at the same time.


Another project was the short films and podcast
tours called ‘Living Stories of the Victorian
Goldfields’. These highlight the historic times
of goldmining in the region and include stories
and personal journeys told by descendents of
Chinese gold seekers in the 1850’s.      
                                                                               
I am currently working on a review of PV’s Heritage Management Strategy, and the session provided some excellent information and ideas. One in particular is tapping into the local community to discover their personal stories about historical places. Doing this not only strengthens local ownership of historical places, but helps bring them to life for others.


Beyond Brick and Mortar - The Value of Cultural Heritage to Healthy Communities



My first sailing lesson! At Albert Park Lake, managed by Parks Victoria - We had to choose an activity as part of the Congress experiential tours for delegates.





Closing Ceremony - The Parks Victoria CEO was lying on a park bench next to the podium to show how relaxing a park experience can be...if you look closely you can see him!