I had hoped/planned on getting out during the morning of St. Patty’s day to see a bit of Perth, but after the long bus ride, and a final wine with my British friends Irene and Valerie the day before I simply got myself organized for my travel back to Melbourne. With the 3 hour time difference (but only a 3 1/2 hour flight) it’s a bit like a NY-LA trip, so arriving on the plus side of the time difference gave me the ability to remember the skybus and tram plan from the airport to the CBD.
I’m staying at the very posh Westin right near the City Hall, central to everything, and by using points I don’t need to feel guilty for living it up a little. Seriously, when I walked into the room I literally let out an audible “Ahhhh”… I do love a heavenly bed!
Today I took advantage of the continuing summer and took the tram to St. Kilda beach because it was in the mid-80’s, and it was there! The beach was a bit crowded, and I’m still surprised by how calm the waters are — it is St. Kilda Bay with the Mornington Peninsula at the south mouth, protecting it from the waves and winds off of Antartica. The beach at Phillip Island was more reflective of the Southern Ocean, as was the various beaches I saw throughout Southern and Western Australia. Most of the beach goers were young people in various amounts of swim gear (this is an area where it appears that tops for women are optional), and some undertaking some specialized skills with what I would call “cheerleader props”.
Once back in town I walked past the Alexandria Gardens (next to the Yarra River), the Queen Victoria Gardens (across from the Arts District), and the Kings Domain Gardens, heading towards the Shrine of Remembrance. The Shrine of Remembrance was created to meet the needs of a grieving community after the extensive loss of lives in the First World War (1914 –18). The design for the Shrine of Remembrance was selected by competition among Australian artists and architects. Eighty-three designs were submitted and the winning design was by two Melbourne returned-soldier architects, Philip Hudson and James Wardrop. The inspiration for the external outline came from one of the seven wonders of the ancient world—the mausoleum at Halicarnassus to Mausolus, King of Caria in South West Asia Minor. Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester and son of King George V, officially opened the Shrine before a crowd of 300,000 people in November 1934. Since then, other memorials have been added to the site to mark the service of successive generations, such as the Second World War Forecourt and the Post 1945 Memorial. There were references to those lost in the Vietnam War, which Australia participated in at the request of the U.S. because of the American support for Australia at the Battle at the Coral Sea in 1942.
Also along this walk was a monument to Colonel Sir Edward Ernest ‘Weary’ Dunlop (1907–1993) was an extraordinary Australian whose actions embody the compassionate face of war. He became well known for his medical work and leadership during the Second World War. After being imprisoned in Singapore, in January 1943 the Japanese sent Weary to Thailand. For the rest of the war he was a medical officer on the Thai–Burma Railway. This 450 km of railway was built in one year, from October 1942 to October 1943. It ran from close to Bangkok to Thanbyuzayat by the Andaman Sea in Burma (now Myanmar). Its purpose was to supply the Japanese forces in Burma, which had become more vulnerable after the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. The railway was intended to help the Japanese attack the British in India and block Allied supply lines to China via the Himalayas.
Because the Japanese conquered South East Asia so rapidly, they had an enormous number of prisoners who they could compel to work. The Japanese placed about 200,000 Asians in forced labour on the construction of the Burma Railway. These included Burmese, Javanese, Malays, Tamils and Chinese. More than 60,000 Allied prisoners of war worked on the railway, including troops from the British Empire and the Netherlands East Indies, and a smaller number from the United States. About 13,000 were Australian. There were many instances of Weary risking his own life for others, defying cruelty against himself and others, and acting with compassion in extreme situations.
The streets became more crowded with people out for the Saturday night festivities — everything from a Massive Dance competition to shows and concerts underway. And Adele is in town (it appears I’ve been following her — she was in Perth a few days ago), and it’s Formula 1 racing weekend. And there some comedy festival. So it’s a lively time to be out and about in Melbourne.
