Australia Day 2013

Happy Australia Day, the official national day of Australia commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, New South Wales in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. We get together as families, friends and also as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian.

Indigenouse Australians may view this day as Invasion Day so I would like to show my respect and acknowledge all the traditional custodians of this land, those peoples and elders past and present, in Western Australia the Nyoogar, in Queensland the Murri, in South Australia the Nungah, in Tasmania the Palawa, in the Northern Territory the Yolngu, and in New South Wales and Victoria the Koori, where this celebration takes place. 

The Australian National Flag has the Union Jack (maybe for too long) occupying the upper quarter of it and 5 white stars representing the Southern Cross (CRUX). Crux is a distinctive constellation who's name is Latin means cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped asterism that is commonly known as the Southern Cross. The large white star Commonwealth Star – a 7 pointed star representing the 6 States of Australia and the Territories, Alpha Crucis – a 7 pointed star, Beta Crucis – 7 pointed star, Gamma Crucis – a 7 pointed star, Delta Crucis – 7 pointed star and finaly Epsilon Crucis – a 5 pointed star.

Our Flag

     

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 110mm f8, 1/800 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

The Southern Cross (Crux)

Sourced Image from iPad app Star Walk HD

Australia Day BBQ

iPhone Click on photo for larger image view

iPhone Click on photo for larger image view

Family, Chocolate, Yabbies and Pizza

Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 1600, 105mm f5.6, 1/40 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

 Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 280, 35mm f2.8, 1/80 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

 Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 1600, 35mm f8, 1/80 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 1600, 35mm f8, 1/15 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

 Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200 f3.5-5.6  @ ISO 800, 62mm f4.8, 1/60 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 102mm f2.8, 1/100 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Easter 2012

Bendigo Pottery

I went to the Bendigo Olive Fiesta today held in the grounds of Australia's oldest working pottery factory, for over 150 years Bendigo Pottery has been famous for creating high quality ceramics for both domestic and commercial use. A company letterhead from 1895 reads, “Manufacturers of Bristol, Stone, Cane, Rockingham, White, Majolica, Terra-Cotta, and Fancy Wares also Drain Pipes 3 to 24 inches Diameter.” Around 1915 a style of tableware was developed from local red brown clays known as Langley ware that became quite famous. Copies of Bendigo Langley ware known for its durable leadless glaze, were made by most major Australian potteries in the 1920's and 30's. In the 40's and 50's as cheaper imports and plastics entered the market the pottery developed the production of fundamentally decorative items or 'art pottery' known as Waverley ware. A revival in the 1970's of the pottery craft saw Bendigo Pottery produce the Epsomware range of household ceramics. Bendigo Pottery is now a National Trust property, and operates a tourist museum and ceramics school while still is producing pottery.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/60 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/8000 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/200 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/8000 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/1600 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f2.8, 1/20 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/50 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/25 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/200 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/50 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/125 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/60 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/60 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/200 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/100 sec

Click on photo for larger image view

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day has been celebrated in Ireland since before the 1600s. It was also believed to have served as a one day break during Lent, which would involve drinking alcohol, during the catholic forty day period of fasting.

The Ekka

It's the Ekka and it's South East Queensland's largest annual event. The Ekka's official name is the Royal Queensland Show, but it's known by Queenslaners as 'The Exhibition' and the term ekka is short for exhibition.

It's held in August in Brisbane and along with the shows of Sydney and Melbourne, the Ekka is one of the top three agricultural shows in Australia and draws more than 600,000 visitors each year. Much like the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the New South Wales equivalent, the Ekka is both a festive, carnival style event with sideshows, showbags, thrill rides and food stalls along with a wide range of agricultural exhibitions including arts, crafts, farm animals.

These are some amazing arrangements of preserved fruit and vegetables.

The produce hall was a great splash of colour and a lot of work must always go into these displays.

Real banana benders . . .

Prize Queensland pineapples

Then of course its always fun down sideshow alley

Some interesting mobiles . .

mmm honey energy drink

Quick Weekend Photography Project

Vivid Sydney runs from 26 May to 14 June, Sydney is host to this international music and light festival that showcases stories through light and sound with the use of innovative new ideas. The festival has transformed the city into a living canvas of light at the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Circular Quay and Sydney's city centre. Following this event there’s the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Sydney Design 09.

There are various light installations around 'The Rocks' including one (not shown) in which you have to peddle a bicycle that drives a dynamo that supplies light to some blue LED's that are strung around a tree.

An interesting effect on this wall above, it got a lot of attention from passers by and of the (at least three) wedding parties, while I was there, taking wedding photo's around The Rocks precinct.

The girls from one of the wedding parties lining up against the wall for photo's :-)

Here's and interesting projection onto the roof of a road tunnel under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Sydney Opera house is lit up with projected art on the sails of the building. The artwork is by Brian Eno, the program called 'Luminous' is the lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails. These change every few minutes and are quite spectacular.

I found that this light show set-up in the rotunda on Observatory Hill had failed as the computers running the show had crashed. And yes! you guessed it, the operating system being projected onto the ceiling so the techies could fix this, shown above, was Microsoft Windows. They should have had it running on an Apple Mac, at least then it would 'just work'.

The view from Observatory Hill looking North towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Luna Park on the distant shore of Sydney Harbour.