along the streets of downtown Melbourne there are little gold coins embedded in the sidewalk. If you follow these coins you pass by some of the most important architecture in the city. We purchased a guide book specifically for this walking tour called Melbourne's Golden Mile. The trail is long so we decided to break it up into two days. We also started on Sunday when alot of the bank and office buildings on the first half of the walk are closed. Matt and I started our walk at the Block Arcade built in 1893. The Block is located on the corner of Collins Street and Elizabeth Street which was a creek before a street that used to be a dividing line in Melbourne. The business section of town was split from the retail centre, considered the most fashionable area of town for many years. The Block Arcade is the largest arc
ade in Australia full of domed ceilings and mosaic floors. There are little side alleys reminiscent of Europe filled with coffee houses and restaurants. We stopped for breakfast at one of these places and I must say I had one of the best breakfasts of my life. I LOVE eggs benedict!!! Love, love, love!!! Caffe Cortile made a variation with smoked salmon that was better than any I have ever eaten. Everything from the coffee to the service was perfect. If you live here or ever come visit you have to check this place out. http://www.cortile.com.au/ The Bloc
k Arcade also houses one of Australia's best chocolatiers, Haigh's Chocolates. Not only is their chocolate fabulous but they are part of the campaign to save the bilby. The bilby is a native marsupial that has been pushed almost to extinction due to development and the introduction, by the English, of rabbits and foxes. In 1993 The Easter Bilby was introduced by Haigh's to take the place of the Easter Bunny in Australia. The popularity of the Easter Bilby has risen and so has the population of the living bilby. There is even an Australian Bilby Appreciation Society.
k Arcade also houses one of Australia's best chocolatiers, Haigh's Chocolates. Not only is their chocolate fabulous but they are part of the campaign to save the bilby. The bilby is a native marsupial that has been pushed almost to extinction due to development and the introduction, by the English, of rabbits and foxes. In 1993 The Easter Bilby was introduced by Haigh's to take the place of the Easter Bunny in Australia. The popularity of the Easter Bilby has risen and so has the population of the living bilby. There is even an Australian Bilby Appreciation Society.Just as a side note The English are rarely referred to as "English" here but more common
ly as POMS. There are a few explanations for this nickname. According to the Te Ara Encyclopedia "After the Second World War, New Zealanders began to describe English immigrants as Poms, Pommies, or occasionally Pommy bastards. The word was not an acronym of the term Prisoners of Mother England, nor a version of the French word for potatoes (pommes de terre), which English soldiers ate during the war; it was rhyming slang originally used in Australia. The word ‘immigrant’ produced ‘pomegranate’, which was shortened to ‘Pom’ or ‘Pommy’."
ly as POMS. There are a few explanations for this nickname. According to the Te Ara Encyclopedia "After the Second World War, New Zealanders began to describe English immigrants as Poms, Pommies, or occasionally Pommy bastards. The word was not an acronym of the term Prisoners of Mother England, nor a version of the French word for potatoes (pommes de terre), which English soldiers ate during the war; it was rhyming slang originally used in Australia. The word ‘immigrant’ produced ‘pomegranate’, which was shortened to ‘Pom’ or ‘Pommy’."Our next stop on the walking tour was the Royal Arcade which is vigilantly guarded
by two giants, Gog and Magog. These two giants occur widely in religion and mythology from Revelations in the Christian Bible to the Qur'an to Hinduism. These Australian giants are based on the British tradition. The giants are considered guardians of the city of London and images of them have been carried in the Lord Mayor's Show since the days of King Henry V. They supposedly descended from one of the 33 wicked daughters of Roman Emperor Diocletian. The daughters killed their husbands and were banished to the sea. They drifted aimlessly until landing on what is now modern day Britain. The daughters coupled with demons and gave birth to giants including Gog and Magog. The giants were supposedly later slain by Corienus who fled the Trojan war along with Brutus, who according to folklore settled Britain. Here in Melbourne Gog and Magog simply keep time and have been doing so since 1892.
by two giants, Gog and Magog. These two giants occur widely in religion and mythology from Revelations in the Christian Bible to the Qur'an to Hinduism. These Australian giants are based on the British tradition. The giants are considered guardians of the city of London and images of them have been carried in the Lord Mayor's Show since the days of King Henry V. They supposedly descended from one of the 33 wicked daughters of Roman Emperor Diocletian. The daughters killed their husbands and were banished to the sea. They drifted aimlessly until landing on what is now modern day Britain. The daughters coupled with demons and gave birth to giants including Gog and Magog. The giants were supposedly later slain by Corienus who fled the Trojan war along with Brutus, who according to folklore settled Britain. Here in Melbourne Gog and Magog simply keep time and have been doing so since 1892. We continued up Collins Street seeing many beautiful churches including Scots Church
and St. Michaels. The top of Collins Street used to be the most fashionable of addresses and was home to many in the medical profession gaining the name "Doctors Commons". Of all the doctors who lived in the area James Beaney aka Champagne Jimmy was for sure the most colorful. He brushed off the new-fangled idea of antiseptic and often performed surgeries in a old coat dried stiff with other patients blood. His fingers were encrusted with large diamonds and he doled out champagne liberally for medicinal purposes of course. Even though he faced legal troubles for illegal operations he still held a design competition for a new Melbourne surgery center resulting in the Alexander Club which is also along the tour.
and St. Michaels. The top of Collins Street used to be the most fashionable of addresses and was home to many in the medical profession gaining the name "Doctors Commons". Of all the doctors who lived in the area James Beaney aka Champagne Jimmy was for sure the most colorful. He brushed off the new-fangled idea of antiseptic and often performed surgeries in a old coat dried stiff with other patients blood. His fingers were encrusted with large diamonds and he doled out champagne liberally for medicinal purposes of course. Even though he faced legal troubles for illegal operations he still held a design competition for a new Melbourne surgery center resulting in the Alexander Club which is also along the tour.We decided to stop off at the Old Treasury which has been turned into the City Museum.
There was
an exhibit on haunted Melbourne which would have been better if there were more pictures and less plaques with tiny writing to read and there was also an abysmal display of political caricature paintings. However the historical displays were fantastic especially the old vaults. The vaults of the Treasury have been transformed into a small collection of mini movie theatres each discussing a different aspect of gold mining and the effects on Melbourne. For example because of the gold rush Melbourne's population went from 29,000 in 1851 to 123,000 in 1854. The quarters of the treasury keeper and his family have been preserved so you can see what life was like back then. The building itself was designed by 19-year old JJ Clark and is absolutely gorgeous. It is here that I also learned about the argument over who founded Melbourne. There is a debate still today over who is the real "father" of Melbourne, John Batman or John Pascoe Fawkner. You can read a little more about the history here. http://www.vivid.ro/vivid64/pages/postcards64_melbourne.htm
an exhibit on haunted Melbourne which would have been better if there were more pictures and less plaques with tiny writing to read and there was also an abysmal display of political caricature paintings. However the historical displays were fantastic especially the old vaults. The vaults of the Treasury have been transformed into a small collection of mini movie theatres each discussing a different aspect of gold mining and the effects on Melbourne. For example because of the gold rush Melbourne's population went from 29,000 in 1851 to 123,000 in 1854. The quarters of the treasury keeper and his family have been preserved so you can see what life was like back then. The building itself was designed by 19-year old JJ Clark and is absolutely gorgeous. It is here that I also learned about the argument over who founded Melbourne. There is a debate still today over who is the real "father" of Melbourne, John Batman or John Pascoe Fawkner. You can read a little more about the history here. http://www.vivid.ro/vivid64/pages/postcards64_melbourne.htmWe ended our first half of the Melbourne Golden Mile walk at the Exhibition Buildi
ngs in Carlton Gardens. I couldn't get the song Waltzing Matilda out of my head so I got Matt to sing it with me as we walked along...I am so goofy. These buildings were designed for the International Exhibition of 1880 which attracted over 1.5 million visitors to Melbourne. The buildings themselves look very similar to the White City in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair except these building survived. In fact these are the only structures of this type to survive in the world. The walk was fantastic and I am certainly looking forward to going on the secon
d part of the tour!!!
ngs in Carlton Gardens. I couldn't get the song Waltzing Matilda out of my head so I got Matt to sing it with me as we walked along...I am so goofy. These buildings were designed for the International Exhibition of 1880 which attracted over 1.5 million visitors to Melbourne. The buildings themselves look very similar to the White City in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair except these building survived. In fact these are the only structures of this type to survive in the world. The walk was fantastic and I am certainly looking forward to going on the secon
d part of the tour!!!
