FAIRFIELD BOATHOUSE

Fairfield Boathouse was established in 1908 by John St Clair as a picnic, camping and refreshment room area. John St Clair was a piano tuner from Smith St, Fitzroy, with a vision. He firstly wrote a letter to the Premier suggesting that he open a refreshment room and boat shed area, with motor boats at Fairfield Park.

The Premier had to seek the approval form Yarra Bend Hospital of the Insane because the proposal for the boat shed was actually on the hospital grounds. The Premier gave his permission for the boat shed project to go ahead. Mr St Clair built the boat shed and six years later Fairfield Park was set aside from the same grounds. However Mr St Clair had seven troubled years with Crown Bailiffs over building permits.

Eventually in 1915 the Heidelberg council bought him out. In 1923 the boathouse was raised by 12 feet to help minimise flood damage, a frequent threat to boathouses along the Yarra. Boat and canoe carnivals and open air carnivals were common sights at Fairfield until the 1950’s. Boating popularity declined until finally the Fairfield boathouse was closed in 1980 as it was declared unfit for human habitation.

In 1985 the boathouse was restored and re-opened. The derelict building had recently housed squatters and possums. The project took 30,000 hours of restoration work. Meticulous work and an eye for detail was required for rebuilding. Even the gardens have been restored to encourage native birds. It now enjoys renewed popularity and is a pleasure to visit.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

YARRA RIVER

At the Fairfield Boathouse on the Yarra River in Fairfield one fine Spring day. Yarra Bend Park surrounds the River as it comes to the City (≈4 km from the CBD) and is a beautiful and extensive nature reserve.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

YARRA SUNRISE

Sunrise on the River Yarra in the City. Rowing on the river is the thing to do for College and University students associated with the old school Rowing Clubs on the crack of dawn.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

SEAGULL

The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (Larus pacificus), which also lives in Australia.

The silver gull should not be confused with the herring gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific name Larus argentatus, German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, Dutch zilvermeeuw), but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

FUN IN THE SUN

In Mornington, making the most of the sunny, warm, fine day.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

MORNINGTON BEACH

The Mornington Peninsula's rainbow-coloured bathing boxes have provided a colourful backdrop to countless swims and lazy beach days all along the coast of Port Phillip Bay. While technically no more than a shed, with no water or electricity, many of the historic bathing boxes have been passed down through generations and remain in high demand. Found on beaches from Mount Eliza and Dromana to Rosebud and Portsea, these iconic bathing boxes are the peninsula's symbol of summer and have become a tourist attraction in their own right.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SUNRISE ON THE YARRA

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ON THE BAY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

SUMMER IN THE CITY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

SUNRISE

On the Yarra River in the City, looking towards the East (of course!).

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

MORNINGTON

Mornington is a seaside town on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, located 57 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. It is in the local government area of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula.Mornington is known for its "village" atmosphere and its beautiful beaches. Mornington is a popular tourist destination with Melburnians who often make day trips to visit the area's bay beaches and wineries.

The town centre runs into the foreshore area and local beach.  Mornington is an attractive destination for shopping and features some excellent restaurants and cafes. The north of Mornington is also home to several horse breeders and stables. It has a modern library, cinema and numerous parks, gardens and historical buildings, many of which are open to the public. It holds several annual festivals, and holds a market day in the main street every Wednesday, which attracts hundreds of people.  

Mornington has an active Yacht club (Mornington Yacht Club), located at Schnapper Point, catering for sailors of all levels and abilities, from beginners - “Tackers”, through to those competing at ocean racing level. The club hosts many state, National, & International regattas, as it provides a good location in sheltered, pristine waters. 2014 saw the successful running of the largest single class Yachting regatta ever held in the Southern Hemisphere - the Optimist National Championships. The Optimist is a youth class and drew over 2000 people to the Club and Mornington shire.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme

OPHELIA

"Ophelia" is Deborah Halpern’s sculpture inspired by Ophelia from Hamlet and is synonymous with Melbourne. So much so that in 1996 it was picked by Tourism Victoria as the official “face of Melbourne” and appeared all over marketing campaigns for several years. The colourful, Picasso-esque mosaic has been a favourite at Southbank since it was installed in the early ‘90s and, after a major restoration in 2012, was moved to a more prominent position just outside Southgate shopping centre’s riverside entrance.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

LIFE IN THE CITY

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme

NAUTICAL

As the weather improves and we march towards Summer, the sailors and boatmen are getting ready their craft for fun in the sun on the Bay. The landlubbers can enjoy the view sitting inside the coolness of a seaside hotel sipping refreshing drinks...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

PORT PHILLIP BAY

View of Port Phillip Bay from Southbank, looking towards the Southwest, across South Melbourne. Winter sunshine and some keen sailors braving the chilly sea breezes.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

ON THE BAY

Looking out onto Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne's play-pond, where all sorts of activities and amusements can be found: Sailing, swimming, paddle-boarding, kite-boarding, water-skiing, snorkelling, scuba diving, jet-skiing, etc, etc...

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

CRISP SUNRISE

As the weather gets cooler, only the brave are on the water at sunrise!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

SERENITY

At the Studley Park Boathouse in Kew, one may rent a rowboat and enjoy a leisurely boat ride on the quiet waters of the Yarra River. A serene spot of scenic beauty in suburban Melbourne, with nature reserves on either bank. Feeling grateful for living in a country where I can enjoy such activities, rather than being forced to become a refugee by an invading foreign army that wants to take over our lands...

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme,

GEELONG

The Geelong metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of Victoria and the largest non-capital city. Located 75 kilometres south-west of the state capital, Melbourne, the port city is situated around Corio Bay and the Barwon River. The metropolitan area runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with the bay to the east and hills to the west, an area with an estimated population of 160,891 people.

It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality which covers the urban and surrounding areas and is home to over 181,000 people. An inhabitant of Geelong has been known as a Geelongite, or a Pivotonian, in the past. Geelong was named in 1827, with the name derived from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong, thought to mean "land" or "cliffs".

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

ON THE WATER

A perfect Summer day in Melbourne today and many people ventured out to be on the water on the Yarra River. In Alphington, the river was idyllic and the boating party looked timeless from afar...

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Best meme.