With Melbourne’s city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods now photographed, I decided to explore several attractions the following day. The weather on November 26 was warm, partly cloudy, with several periods of bright sunlight.
The first attraction I explored was Melbourne’s Immigration Museum, located in the old Customs House on Flinder’s Street. The museum explores the people who have immigrated to Australia, particularly to Victoria state from as far back as the late 1700s. It also explores how Melbourne grew from a small town into a prosperous multicultural city. The exhibits are located on the second floor and contain memorabilia, short films, and interactive displays.
European exploration of Australia dates back to the 1600s but it wasn’t until the early 1800s when British colonies were established. One of the ‘primary exports’ to Australia from Britain were convicts. This was done to alleviate the pressure on the overcrowded prisons in Britain. Australian penal colonies were established in the late 1700s and until 1868, some 165,000 convicts were transported. As for regular immigration, the numbers are very much higher, especially during the 1851-1871 Gold Rush. Melbourne was founded in 1835 and would later be declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847. In 1851, the city became the capital of what is now the state of Victoria.
The 5 permanent exhibitions are: Leaving Home, Journeys of a Lifetime, Customs Gallery,Immigrant Stories And Timeline, and Getting In. The Leaving Home exhibit answers the question, ‘What makes people leave their homeland and travel to another country?’ From the exhibit, you learn that people leave their homeland for many reasons, such as: war, hunger, poverty, and religious & political persecution. The Journeys of a Lifetime exhibit is located in the largest room of the Old Customs House and contains a 17 metre ship replica that explores the evolution of sea travel between the 1840s & 1950s. All I can say is that I am glad that I live in a time of fast air travel. The Customs Gallery looks at the history of the Old Customs House and how it operated. Custom officers collected import duties, inspected ships, controlled immigration, and prevented the importation of illegal goods.
Every Australian immigrant has a different story to tell of how they arrived and the Immigrant Stories And Timeline exhibit gives visitors the opportunity to see & hear those stories. For some people, immigration was easy because they knew English or had received help. For mostly others, immigration was not easy due to racism, language barriers, and the journey itself. And finally, the Getting In exhibit looks at the many immigration policies that Victoria and Australia implemented and repealed. More than 9 million people have immigrated to Australia but many others have tried and failed. This may have been due to racist immigration policies or failing to tell the truth. There is an interactive booth where you get to play the role of a customs officer and you interview people from different time periods and decide whether to let them in or not. All I can say is that I would not make a good customs official in the 19th century and 21st century because I am not racist, and too compassionate.
There was time to see one of the travelling exhibitions called West Africa: Rhythm & Spirit. The exhibit explores the ‘vibrant and dynamic cultures of West Africa’. There are paintings, carved figures, masks, and short videos showcasing West African drumming and dancing. Being a drummer myself, I have to say that African drumming is very rhythmic and energetic. One day, I’ll travel to West Africa and experience it firsthand.
True to my word, I headed straight to the Eureka Tower after leaving the Immigration Museum. As mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to go up to the observation deck but couldn’t because it was packed with high school students. This time, there was no lineup at all and the skies were clear. As a recap: the 975 foot residential tower was opened in 2006 and is named after the Eureka Stockade Rebellion of 1854. I took the express elevator up to the Skydeck on the 88th floor. The adult ticket cost me $17.50AUD and the ascent only took about 30 seconds. The Skydeck is divided into three parts: the regular 360 degree viewing lounge; The Terrace – an open section where you can take clear pictures and breath in the fresh air; and The Edge – a glass cube that moves you 3 metres out of the building and suspends you 300 metres above the ground. Snacks and drinks are also available for purchase but I suggest keeping your money and eat somewhere else.
Choosing to postpone The Edge experience, I photographed as much of the surrounding area as possible and headed back to the elevator. While waiting I asked the an employee how much it cost to purchase an apartment to which he replied, ‘At least half a million.’ I had also asked him if any daredevils had successfully BASE jumped off the tower but he said none have ever tried because there’s security to prevent that. When I was back on solid ground, I looked around the gift shop for several minutes before deciding to buy a $1 postcard that listed the tallest skyscrapers in the world.
To Be Continued . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment