I spent the day touring the city by myself. I started off catching a train into the downtown area, I got off at the harbor where I found aboriginals playing music, selling CDs and taking photos with people for donations.
musician
sydney harbor
I made my way to the Royal Botanical Gardens, where I saw amazing plants from around the world. The succulent garden and fern garden in particular were amazing. I had a picnic on the lawn of Government House. Checked out a great time line of awful colonization and relations with the Aborigines. Took pictures of plants, bats and birds: ibis, crested cockatiel and flying foxes.
Commemorative sign complete w/guano.
government house
Pemulwuy - Aboriginal Hero, known for: killing Governor Phillips Gamekeeper, surviving multiple gunshots to the body and head, escaping capture while in leg irons, raiding settlements and wearing colors of all Aboriginal tribes -leading him to also be known as The Rainbow Warrior.
crested cockatiel
ibis
Flying Foxes (yes... that's a bat)
flying fox, in flight
tweety bird
statue in the gardens
lovely flowers
ditto
pitcher plant
Went across the street to the New South Wales State Library where I saw the Heritage Society exhibit including pages from "Schindler's list" and an exhibit about Charles Darwin's trip to Australia and New Zealand, which I was lucky to catch as it ends in 2 days.
Library
a page from Schindler's List
Journal from Darwin's shipmate aboard the HMS Beagle.
Platypus drawing from Darwin's exhibition.
Firearm from aboard the Beagle.
Grabbed a coffee (long black, thanks Leif) at the library cafe, and headed to the Mew South Wales Art Museum. It is incredible, hosting pieces from all over the world. I was particularly impressed by the aboriginal art - an exhibit called "the dreamers" and the contemporary stuff, as well as all the classic masters - Monet, Van Gough, Picasso & Rodin. Left as the museum was closing and met a local artist who had lived in Los Angeles for a bit. We had a nice talk while we walked, and he showed me where to catch a train to an anarchist bookshop.
Gallery
Monet
Van Gough
Rodin
Picasso
they had a great Japanese Sword Exhibit.
Aboriginal Artwork
The bookstore was well maintained and hosting a meeting of the collective that runs it. I was glad to see that boring meetings are not exclusive to American anarchists. The collective was discussing a local commie group's proposal to use the space for some event. The collective was concerned but gave it a green light. (I suppose they didn't recall the First International, or the Spanish civil war, the Krondstadt Rebellion or any other instance when the fucking commies turned their guns on anarchists who had helped them.) The collective is decidedly anarcho-syndaclist, but no one is perfect. The place reminded me a lot of Bound Together in The Haight district of SF. They had been in the space for 30+ years and are just about to pay off the mortgage on the building. I stuck around and bs'd for a bit then walked the 4km home in a light rain as none of the anarchists had cars to give me a lift home.
Some homemade pizza topped off the night.
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