Wednesday, August 24, 2011

South Westward to Camperdown

On territory originally belonging to the Djargurd Wurrung Aboriginal people, Camperdown, in Victoria's south-western 'Lakes and Craters' region, was first settled by Europeans in the 1830s.
One of the most historically intact towns in Victoria, it's also one of the most handsome, with many fine buildings, such as the bluestone Post Office, built in 1863, above.
I've just recently enjoyed a few days there, staying with my very good friend, Ian...despite dog unused to car = trauma.
The town is built up against two wonderful extinct volcanic craters, one of which, Mount Leura, you can see in the background above.
It's noted for its gothic 'Manifold Clock Tower', built in 1897, donated to the town by its pioneering  landowning family.
It's easy to believe you've stepped back in time - a quality, along with its civility, which I treasure. 
Above is the Anglican church, erected by the Manifold family in 1894.
I liked this image of a garden, with what was once the local dairy behind it.
In another part of town sits this wonderful urn, completely safe outside beside the pavement.
I'm very fond of this old fence, built from local basalt, guarding its bluestone house.
Above is the splendid Uniting Church.
Here, a group of eucalypts in a park, that caught my eye.
Above, the Georgian Court House, built 1886-1887. It's time now, of course, to get stuck into gardening...

18 comments:

  1. thanks for a lovely trip to Camperdown! i love the old fence and i have never heard of bluestone before... the sound of the word is just ... very poetic : )

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  2. Faisal,
    I don't know what to think about Australia. It's so big and unknown (to me). These reports give some pegs to hang my imaginings on.

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  3. Hi Demie,
    you don't see bluestone used so much any more ( and it often looks more grey than blue! ) - probably because it's expensive, but many of our 19th century buildings have it. Yes, I hadn't thought before, that the word is poetic.

    Hi James, like America, we've got vastly varying landscapes...it has probably been more normal for us to know more about you than you've known about us.

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  4. Hello Faisal:
    This all looks to be very splendid and exactly the kind of place which we should much enjoy - attractive and full of interest. We particularly like Victorian architecture of which there appears to be many fine examples in Camperdown.

    And it is such a happy picture of you with the dog's ears!!

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  5. the style of buildinga and fencing etc is so typically southern hemisphere

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  6. Hello Jane and Lance,
    when I'm perched on Ian's verandah, as I often am, people walking past - total strangers - actually say hello. And I can cross Camperdown's wide streets without having to look out for traffic, though I do anyway. Since my first visit, about four years' ago, I've always felt perfectly at home.

    John, hi,
    that's interesting, that you notice that...the quality of architecture in the past was so fine compared to much of what's been slapped together since.

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  7. Cool pictures of a unique buildings. But we need more than just brown furry ears! I want to see more pictures of the dog.

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  8. I moved to Campers in the early 70s on the strength of the elms and the buildings..sadly the elms have been grossly mismanaged (since the mid 70s)and so too some great Oak avenues were cut down or badly butchered. i will try to enhance the towns greenlife shortly though!

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  9. F, I could drop off the comp and monitor to Ian next week?

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  10. Such solid, well-constructed buildings... those first settlers must have had an truly optimistic faith in their future in Camperdown. Have a great weekend.

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  11. William, Camperdown needs you! I'll email you about the computer - if the one I'm using now will stay on long enough!

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  12. Thomas - new dog photos are being prepared...

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  13. lovely stone buildings but I'm wondering what happened in the car? Did Sara (I think that's her name?) think she was a cat?

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  14. Catmint, you cannot imagine the absolute horror of travelling for two and a half hours, via St Kilda, with a dog almost on the point of some sort of breakdown, in the darkness, her owner, trying to appear normal. I'm not sure who or what is to blame, but she hates cars, and I don't blame her...it would take many letters to the editor to explain the whole scenario.

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  15. Getting lost in art and finding your way again
    Getting lost in art and finding your way again
    Getting lost in art and finding your way again
    Getting lost in art and finding your way again
    just like life

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  16. Finding yourself lost
    gives you reason to find your way

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