Monday, November 30, 2015

Where in Melbourne puzzle December 2015

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

RECENT UPDATES:

 01 12 2015 - the first clue and a part of the puzzle picture have been revealed.
 07 12 2015 - the second clue and a bit more of the puzzle picture have been revealed.
 14 12 2015 - the third clue and a bit more of the puzzle picture have been revealed.
 11 01 2016 - due to other commitments, this blog was not updated during the latter part of December.
 11 01 2016 - Puzzle revealed.
 11 01 2016 - Brief history of Princes Bridge added.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome, this is the Osca Monthly Where in Melbourne Puzzle page.



   Melbourne is a fascinating place. Full of history and interesting people. Each month, we find somewhere historically significant, curious, unusual or downright amazing and send our intrepid photographer to take a picture to use for the puzzle.

The picture is obscured at first, but every Monday of the month a piece of it is revealed.

In the beginning, the puzzle is hard but not impossible to solve.
To make it a little easier, there is also an additional handy clue with each picture.

For the astute observer, there are sufficient hints from the very 1st clue.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 THIS PUZZLE HAS BEEN REVEALED

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY




 First Clue


The cover picture is a busy Melbourne spot circa 1930.

Trams and cars have been jostling for space in Melbourne for a long time,
 If you can work out where the cover picture was taken,
the location is a clue to this months Where In Melbourne Puzzle.
. . .

Second Clue

As more jigsaw pieces are added, a clearer picture is emerging.

These cars and trams are heading to a famous Melbourne meeting place.
. . .

Third Clue

11 more jigsaw pieces added.

The Argus newspaper published a lengthy article on 18th March 1882
explaining how the 'proposed new project' was too lavish and would
add 'immensely' to costs. 

Specifically, it felt the planned width of 99 feet was unnecessary
because 'the most noted examples in Paris, Rome 
and other great European capitals'  were only 60 to 70 feet wide.
. . .

Fourth clue

This bridge was built in 1888, but two others stood in its place earlier.
. . .

Fifth clue

'A Royal Card Game'
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

PUZZLE REVEAL

The picture is of the Princes Bridge
spanning the Yarra River
joining Swanston Street and St.Kilda Road.


The photo used for this month's puzzle is by David Illif. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0

Here is the location compliments of a GoogleEarth map.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________

BRIEF HISTORY OF PRINCES BRIDGE

When Melbourne was founded in 1835 there was no permanent crossing point of the Yarra River.

As Melbourne grew, and more people settled the township, various punt and ferry operators set up business to ferry people and other traffic across the river.

The colonial government in Sydney was not exactly forthcoming in providing infrastructure funds for Victoria. Let alone a construction of a fancy new bridge. Most of Melbourne’s early infrastructure was therefore provided by private enterprise. Now we have a federal government in Canberra and Melbourne's infrastructure woes seem awfully familiar.

 A private company was formed in April 1840 to construct a bridge across the Yarra. Both the Elizabeth Street traders and their counterparts in Swanston Street wanted the crossing hoping for the through traffic that would be generated by a bridge.

Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe favoured an Elizabeth Street crossing, but despite such official pressure the private company favoured the construction conditions at Swanston Street, which had become regarded as the growing town's main street. It was on that street in 1840 that they opened their wooden toll bridge.


In 1844, a wooden trestle 'toll bridge' bridge was built across the Yarra river.

The foundation stone for a new bridge was laid in 1846 and the bridge was opened in 1851.



The bridge had a single span of 150 ft (46 m). At the time, one of the longest, flattest stone arch bridges in the world, it was named the Prince's Bridge after the prince of Wales, later Edward VII.


A paddle steamer with Prince's bridge in the background, on the way to Cremorne Pleasure Gardens (now known as amusement parks) situated on the banks of the Yarra in Richmond

Within a year of the opening, gold was discovered in country Victoria and Melbourne swelled with a massive increase in population. The Yarra river had to be widened downstream from the bridge to provide for the increased shipping traffic and modified upstream to mitigate major floods that we common in the early years. The bridge had to be widened to cope with the increased use.

In 1885, seven municipalities south of the Yarra river agreed to contribute to the cost of building a new bridge. South Melbourne, Prahran, St Kilda, Malvern, Brighton, Caulfield and Moorabbin,


The decorated cast iron spandrels feature coats of arms, including those of the State of Victoria, the City of Melbourne, the Royal Arms and six of the seven municipalities that contributed to the cost of the bridge. For no apparent reason, that of the Shire of Malvern was omitted.

The new bridge was designed by John Grainger and built by David Munro using ironwork fabricated by Langlands foundry in Melbourne.



Construction on the new bridge began in 1886 and it was opened on 4 October 1888, in time for the second International Exhibition to be held in Melbourne. As with many historic Melbournian buildings and bridges, the bridge is built on solid bluestone bulwarks with plenty of cast iron.


In 1924,the bridge was reinforced to take the weight of the electric trams which were soon to replace the previous cable trams along St Kilda Road. The name of the bridge was then changed to Princes Bridge.

Princes Bridge is 30 metres (99 ft) wide and 120 metres (400 ft) long, with Harcourt granite squat half columns resting on the bluestone piers that support the three iron girder arch spans. The design bears a close resemblance to the earlier Blackfriars Bridge over the Thames River in London, which was completed in 1869.

Princes Bridge is wider, 99 ft compared with 80 ft, but with 3 spans of 100 ft and an overall length of 400 ft it is much shorter that Blackfriars Bridge's 5 spans with its central span of 185 ft. Both are excellent surviving examples of Arch Bridge design in the late 19th century.

Research and further information links:

wikipedia

rarepostcard

search slv vic gov

onmydoorstep

emelbourne biogs

walkingmelbourne

ciaofamiglia

resources2 news

google earth



Collated by:
Rubblesby aka Osca Armstrong

This page has been updated on the 11th of January 2016.

The next Where in Melbourne Puzzle will be posted on the 1st of February 2016.



"Thank you for coming by."

Monday, November 2, 2015

Where in Melbourne puzzle - November 2015

- most recently updated November 30th 2015.
- the Puzzle has been revealed - See below.
___________________________________________________________________________________



 THIS PUZZLE HAS BEEN REVEALED

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY




 First Clue


Clue 1 - Something fishy about this clue.
. . .

Clue 2


Clue 2 - Melbourne has its seasons, sometimes all in one day,
but inside this building you can find real ice and real snow all year around.
. . .

Clue 3


Clue 3 - Can you find an elephant under water?
. . .

Clue 4


Clue 4 - Face to face with fearsome fish, there is no danger of getting wet - or eaten for that matter.
. . .

NOVEMBER 2015 
WHERE IN MELBOURNE PUZZLE
SOLUTION

The picture is of the Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium
Melbourne Sealife Aquarium
located on the corner of King Street & Flinders St, Melbourne.


A LITTLE ABOUT THE AQUARIUM

The Melbourne SeaLife Aquarium is a multilevel building, holding some ten thousand animals including sharks and salt water crocodiles.

Built between February 1998 and December 1999 and designed by Peddle Thorp architects to resemble a ship moored to the river, the aquarium opened in January 2000.

Melbourne Aquarium tunnel
The building extends 7 meters below ground level, housing a 2.2 million litre 'oceanarium in the round' where the visitors and the inhabitants can get up-close and personal.

In 2008 Melbourne Aquarium officially re-opened after a significant expansion (also designed by Peddle Thorp) and now extends from the Yarra River to Flinders Street. 

The new expansion features penguin exhibits with real ice and snow to simulate Antarctic conditions.

The aquarium was rebranded as a Sea Life Centre and relaunched in September 2013.

The Royal Exhibition Building Aquarium entrance.
The original Melbourne Aquarium was located in the eastern annex of the Royal Exhibition Building and housed a collection of fish and birds as well as 'performing' seals.


Performing Seals outside the Melbourne AquariumArgus Newspaper 1933
Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the original Aquarium in 1953.

1953 fire at the Royal Exhibition Building Aquarium
 Inscriptions
Aquarium fire Wednesday January 28th 1953./ Fire took place between 6pm and 7pm. A change of wind direction/ really saved extension of blaze to Great Hall. Most seals survived but many/ valuable fish and birds were destroyed./ From Nicholson Street fountain towards present position of entrance to/ convention centre.

research, original, and additional content links:

Peddle Thorp

flickr/photos

museumvictoria collections

This post was last updated on the 30th November 2015.

Author: Rubblesby

Monday, October 5, 2015

Where in Melbourne Puzzle - October 2015

Welcome, this is the Osca Monthly Where in Melbourne Puzzle page.


 THIS PUZZLE HAS BEEN REVEALED

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY


 First Clue


The background looks a lot like a football,
but this may not be the place one would immediately think off given a recent event in Melbourne.

Clue 2


Construction started in 1997 and was completed in 2000,
only to be surrounded by tall buildings and controversy since.

Clue 3


This location has been controversial since its first construction and there has been a significant amount of criticism directed toward the facility, particularly from its major tenant, who increasingly regard the location owner (who owns the naming rights) as a hostile landlord.

Clue 4


AFL


REVEAL


The correct answer for the October Where in Melbourne puzzle is

Docklands (Etihad) Stadium, Docklands

Brief history:

Docklands Stadium also known by its former sponsored names of Colonial Stadium and Telstra Dome as well as its current sponsorship name of Etihad Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct. 

Construction started in October 1997 under the working name, "Victoria Stadium" and was completed in 2000 at a cost of A$460 million.

Previously a dormant wasteland of Melbourne, the Docklands was seen as the perfect location for Etihad Stadium, as the area presented ready-made access to existing public transport and roads, as well as significant space for car parking.

'Victoria Stadium' construction

The Victorian Government initially conveyed its support to the development of the new stadium by building bridges to the city and committing to the redevelopment of Spencer Street train station, now known as Southern Cross station. The Docklands continues to expand with the continued development of apartments, shopping centres, restaurants and bars, as well as tram and train access.

Originally built as a replacement for Waverley Park, the stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football and is the headquarters of the Australian Football League (AFL) which, as part of the construction deal, assumes ownership of the ground in 2025.

The stadium has been controversial since its first construction and there has been a significant amount of criticism directed toward the facility, particularly from its major tenant, the AFL. The AFL have increasingly regarded the stadium owner as a hostile landlord, engaging in numerous lawsuits against the current owners and threatening to build a rival stadium as close as a kilometre away in the short-term.

Since the opening of Etihad Stadium on March 9, 2000 more than 32 million patrons have witnessed an arena event.

The venue has also hosted many concert spectaculars featuring international acts such as Bon Jovi, Eminem, U2, Andre Rieu, Robbie Williams, Taylor Swift, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and many others.

Etihad Stadium has five AFL tenant clubs (Essendon, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, North Melbourne and Carlton), one Big Bash League club (Melbourne Renegades) and one A-League club (Melbourne Victory).

Etihad Stadim - Google Earth

Naming Rights: 

On March 1, 2009 the venue officially became known as Etihad Stadium.


Venue Attendances: 

Largest attendance at Etihad Stadium:

Single event - Jehovah's Witness Convention (Day 3): 70,059 (October 19, 2014)

Biggest aggregate for one event - Jehovah's Witness Convention: 201,039 (October 17, 18 & 19, 2014).


Largest entertainment event attendance at Etihad Stadium:

Robbie Williams: 64,619 (December 18, 2006)


Series of Concerts:

AC/DC: 181,495 (February 11, 13 & 15 2010)


Largest sporting event attendance at Etihad Stadium:

Wallabies v British & Irish Lions: 56,771 (June 29, 2013)

Largest AFL attendance at Etihad Stadium

St Kilda v Geelong, Round 14: 54,444 (July 5, 2009)


Largest soccer attendance at Etihad Stadium:

Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United Grand Final: 55,436 (February 18, 2007)


Largest cricket attendance at Etihad Stadium:

BBL Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars: 42,837 (January 4, 2014)

Etihad Stadium location


Image used for puzzle background

. . .

article research and image links:

etihadstadium

austadiums

wikipedia

google earth



recommended reading:

urban melbourne development


This post was last updated on the 2nd November 2015.

Author: Rubblesby


Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Where in Melbourne Puzzle - September 2015

  
Welcome, this is the Osca Monthly Where in Melbourne Puzzle page.



  


 HAS BEEN REVEALED

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY


 Clue 1


Clue 1 - This location used to be a cemetery.

. . .

Clue 2


Clue 2

I went to some lengths to clean this image up by cloning out the unsightly tram lines and posts and rather than smudge out the faces (for privacy) I cloned the people out as well so we have an uninterrupted view.

So here is your second clue: This place is on a tram line and there are always a lot of people around.

. . .

Clue 3


Clue 3 - This location has a colourful (and criminal) history,
from mafia killings and extortion rackets to piracy crackdowns.

one more clue to come

Clue 4



Clue 4

This location is a famous Melbourne Market.

REVEAL



The answer to this month's puzzle :

This is a picture of the front entrance to Queen Victoria Market
on the corner of Elizabeth & Victoria Streets, Melbourne

Also known affectionately as ‘Vic Market’ or ‘Queen Vic’,
the Queen Victoria Market has been the heart and soul of Melbourne for more than a century.

A historic landmark spread over two city blocks, it’s a vibrant and bustling inner-city Market
where you can shop for everything from Australian fruit and vegetables
and local and imported gourmet foods, to cosmetics, clothing and souvenirs.

has been modified for the purpose of the WIM Puzzle


. . .

QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET
HAS A FASCINATING HISTORY

The Queen Victoria Market, named after Queen Victoria who ruled the British Empire from 1837 to 1901 is a major Melbourne landmark, At around seven hectares, it is is considered to be the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere and it is the only surviving 19th century market in the Melbourne central business district.

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne.

The site, established in 1837 and bounded by Queen Street to the east, Peel Street to the west, Franklin Street to the south, and Fulton Street (which no longer exists) to the north, was originally the location of the first Melbourne cemetery, now referred to as the Old Melbourne cemetery.

The new settlement of Melbourne needed a cemetery. At the time, Robert Hoddle, who was the surveyor of Port Phillip District (Victoria) and incidentally, also the creator of the Hoddle Grid (the street grid system on which inner city Melbourne is based) made provision for the cemetery just north of the city, on a government reserve that was essentially bush.

The Hoddle Grid and location of today's Queen Victoria Market.

Map of Old Melbourne cemetery.

Hoddle was progressive for his time, dividing the cemetery into different denominations. Church of England (Anglican) 2 acres, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) 2 acres, Roman Catholic 2 acres, Independent (Congregational) 1 acre, Jews 1 acre, Society of Friends (Quakers) 1 acre and Wesleyan (Methodist) 1 acre.

Half of the Society of Friends' section was later set aside for Aboriginal people.

In 1837, John Smith, a shepherd, was the first buried in the cemetery, and it would be the resting place for the men, women and children who were the first white settlers. Among them was John Batman, the founder of Victoria. 

It is said that Batman haunted the cemetery, making appearances before his rival and enemy John Pascoe Fawkner. Fawkner laughed it off, saying that Batman would ''not be such a fool to play me such a trick''.

Although Batman declared 'this would be a good place for a village', it was Fawkner who established the first settlement on the Yarra while Batman was absent, negotiating a treaty in Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). John Batman's remains were re-interred in 1922 to the Fawkner Cemetery, Fawkner.

As the colony expanded, it soon became clear that the cemetery was not big enough, and was too close to the city. In 1854, it was decided there should be a new cemetery at Carlton.

There is no complete record of who was buried in the cemetery, with records destroyed in a fire at the cemetery lodge in 1864. Estimates put the number at 10,000, although there were probably illicit burials and possibly mass graves from migrant ships on which people had died of disease.

The Old Melbourne Cemetery was closed in 1854. Briefly re-opened in 1864 for the sale of new plots, re-closed in 1867, with the final burial taking place in 1917. 

Old Melbourne cemetery.

A Crown grant had been passed providing land for a nearby general market on 4th March 1867. 

When the QV Market first expanded into the cemetery in 1878, it was the northern part, the Quaker/Aborigine area near Fulton Street which it acquired first.

Two grants that provided more land for the market, were dated 1878 and 1880 (Queen Victoria Market Lands Act 1996 – Act No. 78/1996)

In the 1880's legislation was passed requiring all bodies in the Old Cemetery to be exhumed. However, the cemetery was in a terrible state of neglect, with very long grass and large trees with many headstones crumbling and others made of red gum wheathered away or taken to be used as firewood.

From 1920 to 1922, 914 graves with identifying monuments were re-interred at Fawkner, Kew, St.Kilda, Cheltenham and the Melbourne General Cemetery.

As there were about 10,000 burials on the site, there still remain approximately 9,000 people buried under the sheds and car park of the Queen Victoria Market. When any work is carried out at the market, bones are often disturbed. In 1922 a Market Bill was rushed though parliament to overcome protests by groups formed to protect the heritage of the site.

Today the old cemetery wall remains as part of 'F' shed.

In 1996, the previous Crown grants were revoked and the Queen Victoria Market Lands Act 1996 came into being allowing for future development for the site.

The human remains of  an estimated 9000 people still lie as little as 1.5 meters below the Queen Victoria Market car park and adjacent market stalls. Hundreds of vehicles park on top of their bodies every day. How this happened is just extraordinary and a sad lesson in how human greed triumphs over decency.

In January 2010, the Herald Sun reported that city planners wanted to transform the market into a "gourmet hub" by introducing upmarket food stalls.Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said he brought up the idea after visiting London's Borough Market, which has a "boutique" feel that could work in Melbourne.

In 2011, the Melbourne City Council announces it is considering a proposal to convert the site into a supermarket with a huge underground car park. This would effectively destroy or remove any remains of the 9000 early settlers.

In May 2015 the City of Melbourne draft 2015-2016 budget allocated $80.64 million for investment in the Queen Victoria Market.

However, on June 12, 2015 Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and Environment Minister Greg Hunt announced the beginning of the process to place the Market on the UNESCO world heritage site.

It is unclear what the future holds for the Queen Victoria Market and the remains of thousands of early Melbourne settlers buried underneath, but next time you are looking for that irresistible bargain, give a thought to the price we pay for progress.

. . .



RESEARCH LINKS:







WHERE IN MELBOURNE PUZZLE
OCTOBER 2015

1st clue to be posted on Thursday 1st of October.