AN AUSTRALIAN VISIT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3803, 2 September 1936, Page 7

AN AUSTRALIAN VISIT

IMPRESSIONS AND EXPERIENCES.

At last meeting of the local Women’s Division members were entertained by Mrs F. H. Barnett, of Ngahape, with a racy account of impressions and experiences during her recent trip to Australia. Mrs Barnet said one’s first impressions of Sydney are very bewildering to a visitor, for as far as the eye could see buildings of all descriptions flank each side of the lovely harbour. One gets a wonderful view of the bridge, the length of which, with the approaches, is two miles, 33 chains, and the length of steel work 3770 feet. Headway for shipping at high water is 170 feet, and the height of the top chord of the crown is 440 feet, above mean sea level. The weight of steel in the arch is 37,000 tons, and in the whole bridge 53,000 tons. The pylons are composed of reinforced concrete faced with Moringa granite. The total cost of the bridge and approaches was approximately £lO,000,000. Most interesting is the provision for traffic. There are four electric railway or tram tracks, the width of the double track being 26 feet. A central roadway for vehicular traffic is 57 feet clear, with two overhanging footways each 10 feet wide. Incidentally, the painting of the vast structure has recently been commenced, 40 men being empolyej, and they will, under favourable conditions, take six years to complete the task, the cost being £25,000 and as soon as completed the men will commence repainting again! The plyon at the bridge is one of Sydney’s most attractive sights. One by one various floors, which are reached by stairways, make the visitor pause to study the displays that have been installed. These latter are chiefly Australian, and one is an immense map of the world, showing

the location of the great cities, and each city is represented by a clock giving the local time. In all, the collection points to the wise spending of some thousands of pounds. To crown all, when the top of the plyon is reached there are fixed telescopes that cover one of the finest views in the whole world Sydney Harbour with its scores of ferry boats, sculling craft, warships, picturesque inlets, and, away beyond the harbour, the suburbs.

The one-day harbour trip is an intensely interesting one, and many tourists take advantage of these excursions. The Balmain coal-mine is still being worked, and its ramifications extend under the harbour, even under the bridge. Sydney Harbour is famed as being one of the most commodious and beautiful in the world, and comprises the north, middle and main arms, with a coast line of approximately 200 miles, and an area of 22 square miles.

The principal streets of Sydney, and imposing public buildings, are in keeping with the commercial growth of the city. The population of greater Sydney is 1,250,000. The dry docks at Woolwich are a source of great interest to harbour excursionists. The docks are 850 feet in length, and capable of handling the largest ocean liners that visit Australia. It can be emptied at the rate of 4,000,000 gallons per hour. Longworth is a charming spot, and was the home of Australia’s famous aviator, the late Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith. A most imposing and enormous structure at the head of Lane Cove is St. Ignatius Catholic College. The bay (inside Hedley Point is backed by the grounds and buildings of Gladesville mental hostipal—(the largest institution of its kind in N.S.W. The stately edifice at the head of the Paramatta is the Walker Hospital for convalescents. There is no charge upon either patients or public for services by this institution. Dame Walker’s own home, adjoining, is a beautiful place:

is right in front of that- building, no words can describe the beauty of its century-old gardens, which are periodically thrown open to the public. Dame Walker pays for the upkeep of the hospital. Garden Island was taken over by the Government 'for the establishment of naval stores. W'oolloomooloo, is noted for its accomodation for overseas shipping. Wentworth House, at the head of Vancluse Bay, was the former home of William Charles Wentworth, to whom the country is indebted for the foundations of Australia’s Constitution. Manly is very attractive, with its ocean beach and shark-proof bathing place. Taronga Park and Zoo is world-famous, and many other countries have accepted its plan of allowing wild animals the utmost liberty consistent with safety, and of exhibiting them in their natural surroundings. The recent addition of an aquarium, at a cost of £lB,OOO, widens the appeal of this place. The cloral clock is very fine, and the views of the harbour and its bridge are many and beautiful. Comparing with the beauties of the harbour are the many beaches, which in the summer season are wonderfully well patronised. Manly Beach is the favourite. Bondi has a new concrete promenade, with an elaborate pavilion, which cost £2,000,000. The pavilion has a cafe, tearooms and an upstairs ball-room while at beach level there is access to dressing sheds. Coogee also has a shark-proof enclosure. La Perouse is the landing place of a French captain in the early days, and on one side of Botany Bay is the spot where Captain Cooklanded. Aborigines congregate at La Perouse and sell their wares, such as boomerangs, etc. There are many parks in and near Sydney, and Centennial Park runs to 3000 acres, while National Park is 30,000 acres. Hyde Park, in the centre of the city, is beautifully laid out. The G.P.O. is a very busy place, and the Cenotaph

Every day at 2 p.m. fresh wreaths are placed on the Cenotaph. The commercial buildings are very fine, towering skyward with quite an American style. Some of the most imposing are the T. & G., British Medical Association, Anthony Hordern’s, Farmers’, and David Jones’ emporiums. All are very spacious. Jones’ is the busiest shopping place; they have wonderful tearooms. Farmer’s “ Blaxtona ” ballroom is a marvellous place.

A visit to one of the professors at the Conservatorium, who is a New Zealander (Mr Frank Hutchens), revealed the busy hours that are spent there. The underground electric train and tram service is very busy, and Wynyard Station exceptionally so, besides being a busy shopping centre for suburbanites. The main Central station is tremendously active, and as many as six trains come in and go out at once. There are twenty different sets of lines. Business people think nothing of coming in each day a distance of thirty miles, and the industrialists’ residential quarter is quite U-hour’s journey from the heart of the city. Sydney is a veritable bee-hive* for flats and everywhere there are these places of abode. King’s Cross is a very favoured locality and very cosmopolitan—in fact, it has been described as "Sydney’s Paris.” The State theatre is immense, and prices range from 2s 6d to 7s 6d per seat. A visit paid to the radio station 2GB, to meet the New Zealanders, Messrs Albert Russell and Reg. Morgan, was full of interest. Seventyfive folk are employed at the station and as much as £l2O per week is paid by one firm to advertise through that station alone. Both New Zealanders are doing wonderful work, and their efforts are much appreciated by the thousands of listeners. A visit to Hawkesbury Agricultural College, the largest south of the equator, was very interesting and educative. The laboratory there is very large and well equipped. Officers were testing plants for the eradication of weeds and insects, and also fungi. The pedigree stock and dairy factory all proved that the best is produced there. ( There are eight hangers at Richmond aerodrome, and there is a constant hum of machines as pilots are | being trained all the time. Mascot j aerodrome is also a very busy place, and frequent flights are made. The journey to Jenolan Caves is exceedingly interesting, and one obtains wonderful views amid the Blue Mountains. The Caves at Jenolan, though wonderful, do not compare in beauty with the Waitomo Caves. The trip to Melbourne, South of Albury, is made through similar country to that of N.S.W. Melbourne is different from Sydney, and very much resembles Christchurch. Visits te the Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery and Museum, Parliament House, the Royal Mint, the Shrine of Remembrance, all are very much worth while. The museum is supposed to be the best south of the Line. The antiques are wonderfully placed in huge glass cases, and some very valuable pieces are contained therein. The famous New Zealand-bred ■ racehorse, Phar Lap, looks quite natural, and the mechanical section is a real study. The Flinders Street station has the distinction of being at 5 p.m., the busiest station in the world. Victoria Palace (where we stayed) caters for 950 guests, and besides the main dining room there is a huge cafeteria with three serveries, extending from street to street. They have a resident doctor, a pharmacy and dispensary, hairdressing parlours, tourist bureau, bookstall, and very spacious and well-appointed lounge rooms, with a post office, and telephone installed in every room. The boulevard drive of ten miles around the banks of the River Yarra and the drive to St Kilda, deserve special mention. Victoria is noted for its very valuable opal fields, and we saw some lovely specimens. Attendance at the conference of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria was especially interesting, as the work is very similar to that of the Women’s Division in this Dominion. All kinds of State problems come under the purview of the C.W. A., and its interest in national and world affairs is very marked. The welfare work is also a feature.