Perth. Australia, Downtown

Large screen installed for the visit of Queen Elisabeth in Nov. 2011

It is amazing to see how bright the screen was at mid day

St George's Cathedral is the principal Anglican church in the city of Perth, Western Australia and the mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of Perth. It is located in St Georges Terrace in the centre of the city

The central business district of Perth is bounded by the Swan River to the south and east, with Kings Park on the western end, while the railway lines form a northern border. This will change in the next few years as a State and Federally funded project named 'The Link' ensures the sinking of a section of the divisive railway line, in addition to the sinking of an existing above-ground bus terminal, will give street-level access from the CBD to Northbridge for the first time in over 100 years  (Text from Wikipedia)

The Bell Tower located on Riverside Drive overlooking the picturesque Swan River is one of Perth's most unique and must see tourist attractions. Filled with fascinating historic content and boasting a unique and distinctive design - resulting from a major architectural competition - it has become an icon for Perth and Western Australia.

 

The tower was designed by the local architects Hames Sharley. The 18 bells have a combined weight of about nine tonnes and, when rung, exert considerable forces on the support structure. To achieve the required stiffness, the six-storey bell chamber was made with reinforced concrete cast in situ. The bell chamber was designed by the structural engineering firm Arup.    

 

Soundproof louvres and doors are used to muffle the sound or direct the noise towards the city or the river as required. 

 

The glass-clad spire is designed using spokes which radiate horizontally from a centrally positioned axle, declining in width as it rises to a point. The solid-steel columns of the spire are rectangular and the concrete bell chamber is enveloped in 30 metres (98 ft) high copper sails and glass. (Text from Wimped)

I attended a couple of sessions of the Supreme Court of Western Australia State. 

In one case the judge delivered the sentence for an holdup at gunpoint committed by a young man caught on the spot. The judge spent 25 min. explaining a list of negative factors in the life of the accused, justifying not sending him to jail. They young man was sentenced to comply with a number of restrictions, but was not jailed.

Murals in a back alley of downtown Perth

 

In the photo above, we can clearly see that the front of this tall new building has an architectural stile quite different from the one we see on the back.

In downtown Perth the facades of some old historical buildings are saved, intact. The old building is demolished, and right on the back of the old facade, the new building is constructed. This practice has been applied a few times during the last couple of decades.

 

A storekeeper in downtown Perth told me that in one case, the old building was demolished and the facade was saved as explained before. However many people in town did not like that specific facade, and strongly suggested its demolition. A major controversy developed and endless as well as inconclusive debates took place at City Hall. Also many articles pro and con appeared on the local press. As this debate was going on, one night something very strange happened. 

 

The following story was told by an old Greek immigrant living across the street.  "Last night I woke up, feeling strange. I looked out the window and I saw a huge, tall, serpentine "figure" with three heads, (those of a man, a bull, and a lion). It was standing in front of the remaining of the old building. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then without any noise the structure imploded and fell to the ground" 

The following morning a pile of dust was found where the facade stood. 

 

Apparently  Chronos, the Greek God of time, took side on the controversy going on in Perth, and settled the issue according to his God-like perspective and power. 

Then again: was it a reminder to mankind?

 

 Old facade, contemporary building

 

 

Leo, from Holland, making music in downtown Perth.

 

 

Australian aboriginal trio, making music in downtown Perth.