Corroboree Preparations

Continuing on with the Sovereign Embassy story... it's still there, just in a different part of Musgrave Park. They have 3 tents: one for men, one for women and a kitchen tent. The controversy seems to have died down and on Sunday there was a Corroboree to help celebrate National Sorry Day. It was a beautiful autumn day - warm in the sun but chilly in the shade. I hung out for about an hour or so but things were taking their time getting off the ground. I was especially looking forward to seeing some dancing but I had to leave before it all started. The BBQ food was all donated by the local church and elders ate first.

Stand-off at Musgrave Park

I couldn't really see much as the police had cordoned off the area with fences and blocked off the footpaths but the Sovereign Embassy in Musgrave Park this morning was not the happy peaceful place it was a couple of weeks ago when I visited. Scroll down to my May 1 post for shots of what it looks like.

Over the weekend, the residents were asked by the Mayor to vacate the site. The council has offered them another piece of land but the residents say that this is in fact their land with their sacred fire and they have no intention of leaving.

Today, over 200 police have surrounded the camp site in the north-western corner of the park. This is to make way for Panyiri this weekend which is the annual Greek festival held on the site (and the rest of Musgrave Park). Organisers of the festival have reportedly said they have no problem with the campers being there but Brisbane City Council haven't been swayed.

Mirjam's exhibition

There were lots of red dots dotted around the Arts Factory a couple of weeks ago for the opening of the Connectivity exhibition. Well done, Mirjam!

The Lost Boys

Posters outside the old Skate Arena in Red Hill.

Brisbane's Sovereign Embassy

Brisbane's Soveriegn Embassy is an indigenous protest site set up in Musgrave Park in South Brisbane and has been open for just over a month. Read about the politics here.

Some of the coals from Canberra's sacred fire in the original Tent Embassy were carried to Brisbane to start a fire here. The residents of the camp have kept the fire burning despite prolonged rain over the past few days. 

Sovereignty of sacred land (like Musgrave Park where the camp is), an end to the disproportionally high number of black deaths in custody and a change to the intervention laws currently in place in the Northern Territory are all mentioned on the various signs around the site.

The signs are hard-hitting but the mood around seems pretty light. I've heard there is a playgroup being held there and of course there is some great art going on...

Signs around the place strictly forbid drugs and alcohol but it looks like the cups of tea are going down a treat.

Romeo

Romeo the Jack Russell trying really hard to peep at his humans having a drink on the other side of the ledge.

Taken yesterday while walking past Lock n Load on Boundary Street, West End.

Naaaaaybeeeers! Everybody needs good....

Wednesday was Anzac day in Australia - a public holiday and for us a chance to catch up with the locals (and some not so locals), have a few beers and play some music together.

There was a range of instruments to come to the party. We had 3 types of drums, 2 guitars, a banjo, a banjolin, a fiddle, a harmonica and about 8 ukuleles. And lots of singing voices.

Applying The Brakes

It's been a hard decision for me to make but I've decided to stop posting daily.

A big thank-you to everyone who has visited here over the years and to all your words of encouragement. Without them I would have stopped all this blogging lark ages ago.

The blog will remain active, though, and I'll post every now and then.... so feel free to swing by from time to time.

Goodwill in black and white

 

Lines and shadows on the Goodwill Bridge.

Part of Shadow Shot Sunday.

Passionfruit Squiggly Bits

Kids' Painted Eggs

 

 While we were away camping, one of our talented friends set up an "art camp" for all the kids. One of the activities was painting hard boiled eggs with food colouring. That dark red one with the green circle was my favourite. Painted by Darcy.

Postcard From Lamington

Easter Egg hunting in Lamington on Sunday morning.

111 Eagle St

The architectural design of 111 Eagle Street (the green glass building with the wiggly bits) is "Inspired by an algorythm based on the way plants grow towards the light" - at least that's what the website for this building says.

At the law courts on a sunny Sunday morning...

Bullhorn @ Beetle Bar

Here's another shot from my trip to the Beetle Bar last weekend. This band is called Blowhorn. It consists of a drummer up front leading the whole thing. He is then backed by a baritone saxophone and a sousaphone, two trombones, another saxophonist (switching between different sized instruments), and two trumpeters (also switching to include a french horn and a cornet). There was a bit of funk and some soul, which got people dancing, and some more mellow stuff including cracking instrumental versions of Groove Armada's At The River and Stevie Wonder's Ebony Eyes.

Row Boats

Despite being in the middle of the city, you often see rowing boats, canoes and jetskis weaving their wa around the CityCats. This little jetty is a means of getting to and from the nearby marina.

Kurilpa in Blue

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Brisbane's landmarks are being lit blue in April to promote autism awareness. These bluey (purpley) things that look like boat masts are the tops of the Kurilpa footbridge. It sweeps around in a circle (behind me as I took this) and you can see it leading to the riverbank on the left.

Montague Arches

I'm off camping over Easter but I'll keep rolling the photos out. Have a safe, happy weekend!

Bon Fromage @ The Joynt

If you like your mid-week grooves with a generous helping of cheese then Bon Fromage is the band for you. They pushed out a bit of Concrete and Clay, some Four Tops and even a bit of Englebert Humperdinck. Songs people of my age shouldn't really know... but do. Things got a bit livelier after this shot was taken. The singer took off his jacket and several people were up strutting their stuff including yours truly.

All strictly tongue-in-cheek, you understand.

Light It Up Blue

As part of Light It Up Blue, an Autism awareness initiative, Brisbane will light up the William Jolly Bridge every night in April with artwork from Tim Sharp who is a 23 year old artist with autism. This is only one of the landmarks in Brisbane taking part. Everything is blue this month: the Treasury Casino, Kurilpa Bridge, the Wheel of Brisbane, the Story Bridge and City Hall.

Some other Australian cities will be taking part. See who and how here.

Those Victorians Knew How To Build A Fancy Roof

This is the roof of Brisbane's Customs House. According to their website, it is a fine example of Victorian Free Classical architecture. I love it.  Nothing wrong with a bit of fancy embellishment in my book.

Playing Catch-up Again

Looks like it was me who was the April fool. This month's theme day was "Cobblestones". I spent all month trying to find an old laneway in the CBD that might be cobbled and in the end gave up. Then yesterday I was cycling down by the river at Riverside and stopped to take a picture of the Story Bridge when I happened to look down...Yikes! They wouldn't be old enough for horses but they look like cobble stones. Which is why I'm late.

Julie from Sydney Eye has kindly organised a back-up portal while the City Daily Photo is out of action. You can check out everyone else's take on the cobblestones theme there.






The portal is back up and running again! Hurray!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Grim Tiller and the Diablo @ Beetle Bar

 

Brisbane's live local music scene is huge. I hardly ever get out to see gigs but I managed it on Friday night and really enjoyed it. Two bands in one night for $10 and they were both great. And being a smaller music venue, they didn't confiscate my camera at the door - how refreshing! The crowd was small but energetic and everyone looked like they were having a ball.

Somewhere under the rainbow

Yesterday's rainbow over Mount Coot-tha taken from the canteen window at work. People actually left their desks and went and had a look. I love that!

I think it's still Friday in some parts of the world so this one is taking part in Skywatch Friday.

Early Lunch

 

I made this one up today: Chilli tuna omelette with cherry tomatoes, red pepper, spinach, cheese and smoked paprika. Delish!

Swimming Carnival!

It's nearing the end of the first school term of the year. Get the bunting out - it must be time for a swimming carnival! Some of these kids are scarily good.

The Sky Over Torbreck This Morning

Enjoy Ice Cold

Autumn Shadows

The clocks changed in England last night and it reminded me about how subtle the change in season is here. Queensland doesn't have daylight saving and if you are used to big seasonal changes you might not even notice the difference between summer and autumn. Generally here in the autumn months the nights get a little bit chilly so that you might need a blanket. The sun is supposed to shine a bit more than the cloudy, wet summer and the overall humidity of the past couple of months lifts. Good news for shadow shots! This one was taken in the local school playground. I like the defined leaves and the "bokeh" leaf shadows too!

Queensland Blues

Queensland voted yesterday with an astonishing swing to the right. The conservative Liberal National Party took 76 seats so far (predicted 78) leaving the ousted Labor Party with just 7! With only 4 seats going to independents, things are going to be very blue around here for a while...

Snag A Vote!

It's State Election time today in Queensland and the competition is fierce between polling stations as far as who is offering the best food. A friend of mine said that he was going to travel around South Brisbane today doing a survey to see which polling station offered the best food! My daughter's school houses our local polling station and capitalised on the opportunity for a fundraiser so we set up some BBQs and a home made cake stall. We even put some of the kids to work, selling breakfast rolls to the queue of voters while they were standing in line... It's great having a captive audience!

On the BBQ menu today...

Sausage in bread: $2
Bacon and egg roll: $5
Rocket, haloumi and roasted tomato roll: $5