Monday, August 29, 2011

Sydney: out and about







Ticket of Leave




Malaya: taster

Kapitan prawns

Kwai du

Eggplant and chilli

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Elliott Johnston QC: 1918 - 2011

Former South Australian Supreme Court judge Elliott Johnston QC has died.

Among his many achievements was heading the royal commission on black deaths in custody. He became its lead commissioner after Jim Muirhead resigned and delivered the inquiry's report in 1991, detailing more than 300 recommendations to improve the lives of Aboriginal Australians.

Colleagues said during his long legal career Elliott Johnston was a champion of equality for all under the law. Chief Justice John Doyle said at a previous Adelaide Festival of Ideas that Elliott Johnston's example had encouraged the best from many lawyers.

"People like Elliott Johnston are few and far between. They leave their mark in what they do. But, more importantly, and certainly in Elliott Johnston's case, they leave their mark by the impact that they have on those whom they may encounter along the way."

"It may be that this is his real gift to us, the influence that his example has had on others, encouraging them to follow in his path," he said.

In her biography of his life, Red Silk, author Penelope Debelle tells of Mr Johnston's life as a communist, activist and working class hero.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Sydney: Built environment

Seagulls and Coke

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Plein madness

Plein air painter Jane Bennett
For 30 years, Jane Bennett has painted Sydney's changing urban landscape, lugging her easel and canvas to big industrial sites from Woolloomooloo to White Bay to record the city's history.

Rain or shine, she paints en plein air, or outdoors, and was expecting to do just that when appointed the inaugural artist in residence for Artfiles, a group involved in a pop-up project being staged by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA).

Although the authority provided her with some space to paint in a former George Street bank, Ms Bennett was working outdoors as usual, finishing a small oil treatment of the Opera House, when two foreshore authority rangers cut short her first full day on the job.

''I was bullied and harassed by the mindless goons operating as SHFA rangers. I was told not to paint in public,'' Bennett fumed on her blog this week.

The rangers were unhappy with a small painting of a spire and another of Punjabi dancers performing in the Rocks that were drying on the back of her easel.

''I was told I had a studio at 47 George Street and I was to get back to my studio and stay inside during the festival,'' she said. ''Obviously, I'm a danger to society and have to be stopped at all costs.

''They'd never seen a plein air artist before and wanted to make sure that they never saw one again. They won't.''

see also http://janebennettartist.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 05, 2011

Frank the Poet concert Illawarra Folk Club

Russell Hannah, John Broomhall, Bob Campbell, Mark Gregory, Alan Musgrave, Bob McInnes

Thursday, August 04, 2011

cross eyes

Toby's machiato

Manning St

Ancient water

McElhone park

magnolia

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Kings Cross 1950


Bridge from Potts Point

The Bridge from Potts Point - Sydney Ure Smith 1937