BACK FROM AUSTRALIA

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 17 July 1929, Page 8

BACK FROM AUSTRALIA

IMPRESSIONS OF 810 CITIES THE ‘ ‘AUSSIE ’ ’ FOOTBALL CROWDS. ; REBUILDING OPERATIONS IN SYDNEY. A well-known South Taranaki farmer, who recently returned from a trip to Sydney and Melbourne, contributes the following interesting outline of his impressions of the big sister Dominion. Leaving Wellington on Friday afternoon in perfect weather and sea. as calm as a mill pond, the prospects of a pleasant voyage were good. On •Saturday morning, however, the sea was not in such a good mood, and by midday the prospects of a good, voyage were shattered, as we ran into a • cyclone which lasted until within a few hours of reaching Sydney, which we did at 12.30 ,p.m. on Tuesday, after one of the roughest trips the Marnnia '.had experienced for yeans, according to her officers. Only a few hours were spent in Sydney, as wo joined the exproses for Melbourne at 7.10 o’clock the isiimc night. Nothing of flic country could lie seen until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, when the I rain reached Albury, the boundary lic(ween New South Wales and Victoria. Here we had to change trains, as the gauge is wider in Victoria. The Victorian trains are much, superior to the New South Wales in every way. Breakfast was served in the dining car on leaving Allniry. From here to Melbourne, which is a. 61 hours’ run, it is all open country, with a few small towns. There arc some nice-looking farms, although very little stock was seen, and not much agricultural farming. Idle good land is' evidently further inland, and where the train runs is mostly gum land', and not very large guns either. In a lot of places the trees are not very thick, and grass is growing among them. At Banalla an elderly lady joined the train, en route to Melbourne. She no in ted out the farm on which Ned Kelly, the bushranger, was born and reared, and gave us bis history, and informed' us she was a relative of his. She also pointed out where the Kelly gang pulled up the line on a bridge to wreck the train that was bringing frontiers from Melbourne to effect Ned's capture. The train was saved hv a school masl or. who, at the risk of his life, stunned the train just, before if re i bed tbe bridge. TRAFFIC' IN MELBOURNE. Melbourne is a very nice city, all laid out on the block system, and very easy to find one’s way about. Between I p.m. and 6 p.m. the traffic is very congested, esperially at Prince’s Bridge and Flinders Street station. At all the busy intersections five policemen regulate the traffic, one in the centre

and one at each corner. At Flinders Street- station electric trains leave during peak hours every few seconds, and trams cross Prince’s Bridge in one continuous line; also there is an endless procession of motor ears.

The Brighton Road, which starts at Prince’s’ Bridge over the River Yarrow, is said to be one of the best in the world. It runs for miles, and there are two tram lines and room for 10 to 12 motor cars abreast. At peak hours all the room on the road is needed.

VICTORIA SCHOOLS' BOAT RACE.

Mel bourne lias some very fine buildings. and is also well off for paries and playing grounds. The Yarra River, which is not a large river, was the scene of the annual schools’ boat race whilst the writer was there. The heats were rowed during the week and the final on Saturday, when three schools competed, viz.. Xavier ('Catholic College from Geelong), Scots College. and Grammar School. Fully 160,000 people lined the banks of the river. Where the race is held the river flows through the Domain, and the banks are tree lined, and the huge crowd waving and cheering as the three boats raced along made an impression not easily forgotten. Xavier finally won bv a .short length from Coll pcrO.

MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CROWDS

The Melbourne people take their football very seriously, and* it must require a man with plenty of courage to act as umpire (as the referee is called tberc). At a. match between St. Ivilda and Geelong, witnessed by 50,000 people, tbe umpire was in very bad odour when Geelong won on St. Hilda’s ground, and it took 10 policemen and two troopers to escort him to the dressing shod at the conclusion of the match. Hundreds of the excited crowd seemed determined to wreak their vengeance on the umpire, apparently for allowing Geelong to win. and had not the 12 representatives of the law been there he (the umpire) would undoubted! v have had a rough time. Stones and bottles were thrown, and only by the police using great tact was tbe "moire saved and the crowd quieted, ft is apparently the usual thing, or tbe 12 police would not have been ready on the ground. The week previous at a match between South Melbourne and Fit.zrov to neople were treated for minn-- injuries after the mat eh. and i f these were women. BACK TO SYDNEY. A fortnight was spent in Melbourne, and then we returned to Sydney, leaving Melbourne at 5 p.m. and reaching Albury at 11.30 p.m. After an hour’s wait we left for Sydney, which was reached at. midday.

Sydney, with its 1.250.000 inhabitants, is to a New Zealander a huge city. Central Station, with its 26 platforms, is a huge building, but everything is very plain to a stranger. There is no need lo ask questions, as • here is- a list of stations on all the different- lines, a clock above to show the time the train leaves and the number of the platform from which it leaves.

The business part of the city is being rebuilt, all old and low buildings are being pulled down, and 12 to 14 storeyed buildings' taking their place. Wherever one looks electric cranes on top of buildings may be seen. Sydney has some beautiful buildings, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral (where the' Eucharistic Congress was held) being one of the finest. David Jones’ shop with its nine floors, each floor being over an acre in extent, was impressive. The restaurant on the seventh floor seats 1200 people at once, and we saw 1200 people dining, with ISO waitresses serving them, which is an everyday occurrence, and when one learns the dining hours are from 12 to 2. and the room is practically full all the time, one may realise the number of people dining there. There are many restaurants in the city of n large size, notably Anthony Hordern's. “Farmers’.” Civil Service Stores. and the Railway Dining Rooms. and the Railway Dining Rooms at Central Station, besides scores of smaller ones.

The Tost Office is a fine building, stretehimr a full block. The Commonwealth Rani,- building and the Savinas Rank are also two notable buildings. The oitv is very noisy with trams, nneuinatic riveters on the new buildings. and the blasting on the underground railwav. Work on the latter n-ever sterns to stop night or day. At ben flic -if y traffic censes somewhere about 2 a.m. large motor vacuum cleaners run round the street arid make fh" night hideous until f. a.m.. when c;,fi v traffic starts again. ux nrr o r o un n r. a t i,w a y .

Ibe underground railway .starts uL Central Station and goes ' under the city as far as St. James’ Station. Hyde T ark. to which point electric trams now run. The line is being continued right on under the main part of ilio city. and will emerge alvovo ground at Observatory Hill.' where it will go over the bridge now being constructed over the harbour, ’when underground and bridge are completed electric trains will run from one end <>l Sydney to the other, where now ■one Inis to take electric train, tram ferry, and electric tram on the other side of the harbour. The bridge is an outstanding ensnieermg feat. At present it is completed on either side, and a start lias pisj bee,, made with the central span, "hi h is 7600 feet, or iu.st over' 24 chains. The contractor lias started at • „ 'ides, and it is estimated thev ” 1,1 meet in the middle in about two veers. Tt is a stupendous undertaking when one realises that 12 chains of steel have got. to hang out over the V ' r , meet. and the ton of i w/.'.'' T. V ' •P., lsf> , feoi 'the , , The Width of the bridge is '•'■ent three chums. ‘•OUR HARBOUR.” Sydneyites are very proud of their harbour, and one of the first questions asked of a. stranger is “What do vou think of our harbour.” It is very beautiful, and when seen at night with lighted ferry boats darting in every direction it is like a fairy scene. One I could write pages on Sydney, but no 1 doubt your space is limited, so I shall not trespass much longer.

The return journey across the Tasman was made on board the s.s. Niagara, and a much more enjoyable trip was experienced. Australia .is a very nice place for a holiday, hut- New Zealand is, to my mind, the place to live.

One thing worthy of mention is the motor car traffic. A bridge about eight miles out of Sydney over the George River was opened in May. Previously there liad been a joint in use there. On the opening day a toll of Is per car was made, and 6000 cars passed over.