Gladesville Mental Hospital

During my childhood days my family frequently drove past Gladesville Hospital (once known unfortunately as the Lunatic Asylum) on the way to my cousins’ home at Eastwood. For some unaccountable reason I was always intrigued by the notion of asylums and Gladesville’s appearance and somewhat clandestine history always appealed to my wild imagination.

It claims some architectural and historical significance, being the first purpose built lunatic asylum in the colony. It was constructed between 1880 and 1884, and received its first patients in October 1884. Originally named Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum in January 1869 Manning had it renamed the Gladesville Hospital for the Insane. The grounds cover a substantial area and contain a variety of incredible ruins from the 1870s. One which seems more derelict than the rest is a grey stone structure surrounded by a cyclone wire fence and totally overgrown with lantana. It is approached up a set of stone steps. The hospital was in effect decommissioned in 1997 when all in-patient services were transferred to Macquarie Hospital, North Ryde.

 Peter Colthorpe (Coordinator of the Friends of Gladesville Hospital) claims it began as a folly, an extravagant garden structure often built by the wealthy. It had been used as a staging post, where officers of the Colony could stay overnight on their way from Parramatta or back, and also as part of Frederick Norton Manning's (Superintendent of the Gladesville Hospital in the mid eighteen hundreds - a pioneer in the more humane treatment of the mentally ill) intent to use nature to help treat mental health patients. They had no drugs at the time. Today, the building is officially declared a 'garden remnant'. It was difficult to obtain a clear shot due to the wire fence and I was conscious that climbing amongst the lantana was probably not the most sensible of actions given my recently broken ankle. It would be a magical location for some light painting :-)

Biennale 2012

Held every two years, the Biennale of Sydney is Australia's largest contemporary visual arts event, showcasing bold and innovative contemporary art from around the world. The free exhibition is presented over 12 weeks in the heart of Sydney at leading contemporary art spaces and on world heritage-listed Cockatoo Island. The 18th Biennale of Sydney (27 June – 16 September 2012) was based on a collaborative framework and dynamic new exhibition model bringing together international artists to collaborate and create artworks, exploring new ideas from unexpected voices around the world.
A major disadvantage of being so far behind with my reviews of photography locations is the inability to document the titles of the artworks and artists. Hopefully I'll be better prepared next time.

The 19th Biennale will be held from 21 March – 9 June 2014. Inspired by a sense of ‘happy anarchy’, Cockatoo Island will feature numerous new site-specific projects, producing an atmosphere of joyful energy. In the Industrial Precinct, Danish artist duo Randi & Katrine will create an anthropomorphised wonderland in the style of a typical Danish village. Surrounded by a city wall with a forest at one end, and with buildings designed to have human features – rooftops as hair, windows as eyes, and doors for mouths – The Village (2014) promises to be a magical environment for visitors of all ages. Inside the cavernous Turbine Hall, Danish artist Eva Koch will present a towering life-sized, projection of Gljufrabui, the Icelandic waterfall, accompanied by a roaring soundtrack.
source: http://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/events/biennale-2014.html

Callan Park Mental Hospital

In keeping with my fascination for abandoned buildings, orphanages and asylums I visited the Callan Park location.

 "............... The facility formerly known as Callan Park Hospital for the Insane (1878 to 1914) is located in the grounds of Callan Park, an area on the shores of Iron Cove in the Sydney suburb of Lilyfield in Australia. In 1915 the facility was renamed Callan Park Mental Hospital and again in 1976 to Callan Park Hospital. Since 1994, the facility has been formally known as Rozelle Hospital. In April 2008, all Rozelle Hospital services and patients were transferred to Concord Hospital. The Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002 restricts future uses to health and education but the New South Wales Government has not revealed its intentions for the site. The former facility is now occupied by Sydney College of the Arts, the fine arts campus of Sydney University........." Gary Burton

My thanks to Garry Burton from Gary Burton Photography who provided great information and images on the following site

View Callan Park Tour by Garry Burton in a larger map

The Balloons That Never Launched

Decided to head to Canberra to see the balloons take off over Lake Burley Griffin and discovered the historic town of Collector along the way. 

When horse and bullock were the main means of transportation the town prospered as it was a day's journey from Goulburn. When Canberra was chosen as the national capital the town benefited as the Barton Highway passed through the town . Today the Federal Highway by-passes the town but it is still worth visiting for the historic Bushranger Hotel and the memorabilia associated with Ben Hall's bushranger gang.

On 26 January 1865 the bushranger Ben Hall and his gang held up the publican and made so much noise  that they attracted the attention of the town's constable,  38-year-old Samuel Nelson. One of the gang, when confronted by the constable shot him dead . 

The grave of Constable Samuel Nelson is located in the Church of England cemetery at the back.

Collector is also famous for the controversial sculpture Dreamers Gate by Tony Phantastes, built between 1993 and 1997 to commemorate his father's life. A Gothic structure of cement and chicken wire, the artist and the Gunning Shire Council have been in constant battle regarding the structure since 1999.

Information supplied by the SMH

Collector still attracts its fair share of visitors each year in May for their Pumpkin Festival.

The annual Pumpkin Festival celebrates the arrival of another harvest season. Funds raised go towards improving local facilities. There was still much evidence of the festival with the schoolyard littered with pumpkin people and large pumpkins placed strategically throughout the village.