The Myer’s Christmas window tradition in Melbourne is in its 55th year. These window animations are always breathtaking in their skill and imagination. As I viewed them I wonder how they did it? How they kept the standard so high year after year? I am glad they do. The pleasure they to give locals…
Read More
The Johnston Collection in Melbourne is secret. Well, not really. Although I heard about it only recently and was surprised no one had mentioned it to me before. It is worth mentioning because the Johnston Collection is unique. Because of its location in suburban Melbourne the address is a sort of secret. This is…
Read More
Last week I had lunch at the buffet in the Melba Room at the Langham Hotel, Southbank, for the second time. It proved to be as good as my first visit about nine months ago. The grand staircase leading to the Melba Room. On this cold, bleak, winter Friday the dining room was almost…
Read More
The camellia collection at the Royal Botanical Gardens Melbourne is planted in an imaginative way. The area is a sort of square with a twisting path that wanders between the plantings giving a touch of magic – almost as if you were in a private room of camellias. Turn right after this beautiful tree…
Read More
This is an exhibition of frocks from 1855 to 1960. It is interesting to see how design and fashion has changed over those 100 years. Especially when you think it reflects enormous social and lifestyle changes for women. Day dress 1865-1870 sold in Geelong The exhibition focused on where the dress was made and…
Read More
The Sticky Institute was a great Melbourne Place to find. I came across it one day when I was hurrying through the underpass from Degraves Street to Flinders Street Station. I ducked into the subway under Flinders Street to speed up the journey and came face to face with the sign. I pulled up…
Read More
Rupert Bunny is an Australian Artist who having been born here in Melbourne left for the cosmopolitan world of London and Paris. You can imagine how different life in Europe was at the beginning of the 20th century to life in Melbourne or any Australian city. His paintings depict it. Rupert had grown up…
Read More
Guilfoyle’s Volcano sits on top of the highest corner of the Royal Botanic Gardens and from here you can look over the rest of the gardens and to Melbourne’s CBD. For years this strange wonder was hidden under an uncared for wilderness. It was built in 1876 by William Guilfolye, who is quoted as…
Read More
Mary and Max! Did you see the movie ‘Mary and Max’? It is an animation classic that tells the story of two unlikely pen pals. Mary from Mt Waverley Melbourne is 8 when she writes her first letter to Max. He is a chubby 48 year old Jewish man with Asperger’s Syndrome living in…
Read More
A summer’s day and the heat is up. You pant a bit then fan yourself with your hand, a light wind wafts around. It is refreshing and with it comes an instant love of this movement of air. It is easy to worship the wind on such a day. In the Royal Botanic Gardens…
Read More