Cockatoo Island

Convict Precinct Tour - 27 April, 2019

Last Saturday Ken and I caught the ferry from Circular Quay to Cockatoo Island to join up with the Convict Precinct tour at 12 noon.  We caught the ferry at 11.07 am and arrived in plenty of time to walk up from the wharf to the Convict Precinct area.  It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too hot.  The Island has had a long history, firstly with the Aboriginal  people of the Dharug and Cadigal tribes and then when the Europeans arrived it became a penal settlement and we saw the many sandstone buildings, built by the first convicts, as their prison.  They lived under extremely harsh conditions and, whilst building their prison, they were locked in wooden boxes at night until the stone barracks were complete.  The sandstone was quarried on the island and was the foundation upon which the Convict Precinct was built.  Cockatoo Island sandstone was also used to construct buildings in Sydney and other parts of the colony.

Here is a view of the Island as we approached in our ferry.  Fifty years after the arrival of the First Fleet overcrowding in prisons had become a problem and Cockatoo Island was identified as the perfect location for a new gaol.  It is surrounded by deep waters and ideal as a place for exile.

The first convicts arrived in 1839 and were put to work immediately building their own prison.  They were hardened criminals and re-offenders and consisted of murderers, thieves, thugs and drunks.  The convicts also built the Military Guardhouse, granary silos, workshops, official residences and, from 1847 to 1857, the Fitzroy Dock. 

This is the back of the Mess Hall (where the prisoners ate their meals and also attended a church service on Sundays).  There is evidence here that architectural design was implemented and not just convict construction.

This is the Military Guardhouse, a garrison for British Army 'redcoat' guards from which they could observe the prison block and, if necessary, fire their muskets through holes in the sandstone walls.  (The roof to this building has now collapsed).

Looking through bars on a window in the Guardhouse with a view across the water.

Glenbrook

Good Friday at St. Finbar's

On Good Friday I was singing in the choir with the Blue Mountains Chorale at St. Finbar's Catholic Church at Glenbrook.  I felt it was a great honour to be invited to join this choir to sing at the 7.30 pm service of Sacred readings and music by Bach especially chosen for Good Friday.  The choir entered the darkened church singing, whilst holding candles, proceeding then to our seats near the organ.  We sang some Bach chorales  and Robert Ampt played some wonderful Bach music on the organ, including "Triple Fugue in Eb - O God, Our Help in Ages Past (BWV 552)"  The choir's main item was Bach's Sacred Cantata No. 4 "Christ Lay in Death's Dark Prison".  The sopranos and altos sang a duet in this Cantata "O Death, None Could Lay Thee Low" then the basses and tenors joined us for "Christ Lay by Death Enshrouded".  It was a truly uplifting experience.  The Cantata had a challenging alto part with many rhythmic and melodic elaborations culminating in a wonderful "Hallelujah" chorus in a fugue for the four voice parts.

The organ at St. Finbar's originally came from St. Peter's Anglican Church, East Sydney.  It was built by Hele & Co. (Plymouth, UK) and opened at St. Peter's in 1881.  It was moved to Glenbrook in 1990.  The organ now enjoys an excellent acoustic and is often used for concerts.

Designs featured on the pipes are the national floral emblems of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.  The fleur-de-lis of France is also depicted on the pipes because large areas of France were once ruled by the English Kings as descendants of William the Conqueror.

Inside St. Finbar's before the service.  The  Cross is draped in purple indicating that this is the day of Christ's suffering on the Cross.

Outside St. Finbar's.  I arrived for a rehearsal at 5.30 pm prior to the service at 7.30 pm. 

The Blessed Sacrament housed in a little enclosed alcove inside the Church.  I am not a Catholic and I thought it might have been a lady chapel (as found in Anglican Cathedrals) but I am inclined to think this is where the Catholics keep the Sacrament.

Wentworth Falls

The Lake and Jamison Lookout

We drove up to Wentworth Falls last Tuesday to show Diane, Ken's daughter who lives in Queensland,  some of our favourite places in the Blue Mountains.  We had lunch in the bakery then drove around to the lake.  It was a beautiful sunny Autumn day and the Lake was sparkling blue and we enjoyed a leisurely walk around the shoreline.  Afterwards, we drove down Falls Road to the car park at Jamison Lookout and then did  a further walk down the road to the other lookout, overlooking the waterfall at Wentworth Falls.

Plenty of ducks on the water.  As it is school holidays there were lots of schoolchildren there feeding the ducks.  

Autumn by the Lake.  The Autumn leaves are starting to fall and there were some lovely trees by the Lake shedding their leaves.

The clouds are reflected in the blue water of the Lake creating some lovely reflections.

The escarpments at Jamison Lookout looking out into the Jamison Valley.  The sandstone escarpments,  are such an iconic feature of the Blue Mountains.  When the sun is shining on them they look very yellow and are known as "yellow gold". 

Another view of the escarpments at Jamison Lookout.  It was starting to get late in the afternoon and shadows were forming. No time to do the walk down to the waterfall!