The Eiffel Tower – Yes it’s True!

A little diversion especially for my European reader.

While overseas, Australians are fantastic ambassadors for their country and, indeed as some will know, we used to have our very own Cultural Attaché to the Court of St James in London – in the form of Sir Les Patterson (aka Barry Humphries of Dame Edna Everage fame). As an aside, I was aghast when I saw Sir Les referred to as ‘an obese, lecherous, offensive, farting, belching, nose-picking figure of Rabelaisian excess’ on Wikipedia. I can only surmise that this was written by an uncultured European!

Let me tell you a little secret. Notwithstanding this outward image, Australians, particularly those of British and other European heritage, have never let go of their mother and fatherlands back in Europe.

Not happy with our kangaroos, koalas (they are not bears, by the way), the great Australian Outback, Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and so much more we like to prove that anything Europeans can do, we can do too.

So it was that in 2015 Australia became part of Europe and first sang in the Eurovision song contest and in 2016 the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo featuring a full size replica of Edinburgh Castle, the massed pipes and drums of Scotland’s famous Regiments and performers from around the world was held in Melbourne, Australia. I understand Scotland put on some sort of show similar to our Tattoo!

While we can indulge in the good, naturally blame for things which people bemoan in Australia, such as Canberra (my home town) and the Sydney Opera House (close-up), can be attributed to foreigners (Walter Burley Griffin, an American, and Jørn Utzon a Dane respectively for my examples) in the event that we can’t persuade the visitor of the worth of such things.

When in Sydney, should you feel homesick for things European all you need do is position yourself correctly in York Street and look up.

Lo and behold , voilà – the original Eiffel Tower!

Having seen it, I can confirm they have something similar in Paris.

Sydney’s Eiffel Tower, a radio transmission tower, sits atop the AWA (Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Ltd) building in York Street. Unlike its copy in Paris you will need to admire the 48 metres (97 including the building) tower from the ground as a former viewing platform no longer exits. Like the Paris tower the Sydney tower is illuminated at night.

The tower was built in 1939 (and rebuilt in 1994).

The only thing that confuses me is that the copy in Paris was allegedly built in 1889 and Berlin’s Funkturm Tower which also shares certain attributes of the Sydney Tower was allegedly built in 1926. Ah well!

My final picture is courtesy of http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com

Address: 45-45 York Street
Directions: Can been seen from a number of locations around the city centre

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For my next Sydney – City – BRIDGE STREET TO MARTIN PLACE review click HERE.
For other Sydney reviews click HERE.

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