As far as I can work out from its website, outside the rare ‘Open Day’ the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) Legislative Assembly (local government – see footnote below) building is only open to school groups.
Dear Reader, let that not unduly concern you as, I my humble opinion, the building is downright ugly and jaded, entirely befitting its cohort of Honourable Members. Continue reading “Ethos Statue Worth A Look – Forget the Assembly”
“As the falling drapery disclosed the marble representation of the poet enthusiastic cheers were given, and the band poured forth the strains of ‘Auld Lang Syne.‘“ (South Australian Register – 7 May 1884). Continue reading “Robert Burns – For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear”
Captain James Cook is most often credited as being the person who discovered Australia, in 1770. In actual fact, Cook claimed the eastern part of the continent for Britain in that year and it was Dutch man, Willem Janszoon, who first landed on the continent on the Cape York Peninsula (in Queensland) and met with Aboriginal people in 1606. It wasn’t until 1803, almost 200 years after this initial European discovery, that someone proved that Australia was an island continent. Continue reading “Captain Matthew Flinders”
When unveiled (no pun intended) in 1892 this Carrara marble statue of a startled Venus stepping from her bathtub caused quite a bit of controversy in conservative Adelaide. Remember that saucy seaside postcards hadn’t even hit Britain at the time, let alone making it to the antipodes. Continue reading “Adelaide’s Venere di Canova”
On a walk between the Citadel and the train station I came across this statue of the Capitoline wolf feeding Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome. One face value the existence of this statue here appears somewhat odd. Continue reading “Romulus And Remus – In Transylvania”
I came across this rather grand bronze statue when making my way back to the Old City from the must visit Corner House (former KGB Building).
Prince Michael Barclay de Tolly (1761-1818) was a Russian Field Marshal (in command of the 1st Army of the West, the largest of the Russian armies facing Napoleon) and Minister of War during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and during later campaigns of the Russian army in Europe. Continue reading “Prince Michael Barclay de Tolly”
The first decade or so of the 20th century was a very prosperous period for Riga. It was a major trading and manufacturing hub and the third largest city in the Russian Empire, of which is was part at the time. Continue reading “An Englishman in Riga”
The Australian Capital Territory Government has, of late, taken the view that the citizenry of Canberra needs more art and culture. This has, to a large degree, manifested itself in a plethora of new statutory most of which is lacking in any sort of taste, art or culture or whatsoever. The shot-gun approach however does mean that a least a few of the new statues will hit the mark. The subject of this review, Sir Robert Menzies’ statue, is one of those which certainly hits the mark for me. Continue reading “Sir Robert Menzies Goes For a Walk”
There are not many statues of Queen Elizabeth II around the world. If Wikipedia is to be believed (2015) – nine, and two of these are in Australia. One is in Brisbane and is rather unique in that it is the only statue in the world of the Queen holding a handbag. The other one is here in Parliament House or rather on a Terrace outside the main building (accessed from within the building). Continue reading “The Queen in Parliament – Well a Sort Of!”
Less than an hour out of North Korea and I wondered, was I never going to be able to get away from bronze statues of leaders in squares? Continue reading “Chairman Mao Zedong”
The Rambling Wombat 