Crabs, Fish, Frogs, and More

Creature from the Black Lagoon

Seahorse

Coral
Sea Dragon

Ray

Starfish and friends
Hermit Crab

Lionfish

I couldn't resist going back to the Melbourne Aquarium during mom's visit here. I'm glad we went, because the second time around I saw much more and got better photos. Here are some of the best ones, a few of which mom took. We got to see a dive feed in the oceanarium where two divers feed the big fish, sharks, rays, and turtles, and we also heard a talk about ocean life. I'm not going to try and identify all the creatures in the photos, but I've labeled some of them. You can visit some of the creatures at the aquarium yourself by clicking here and choosing "Animals @ MAQ". There is a great guide to Australian fishes here with a step-by-step guide to identifying them, as well as photos and factual information.

Immigration Museum

Last week we toured the Immigration Museum here in Melbourne. Like many countries, the Australian immigration policy has changed back and forth at different times, depending on the political climate and perceived needs of the country. I found the first cartoon summarized some of the anti-immigration policy really well. The Aboriginal presence here before English settlement is illustrated in the other cartoon. (Very similar issues as the Native Americans in the United States). One way Australians kept people out was to require a dictation test, as you can see above. Although they didn't want to appear outwardly racist against non-Europeans, this test assured most applicants would fail because they hadn't mastered all possible European languages. The museum also includes a Discovery Centre, which is basically a research library focusing on immigration, family history, and cultural research. It seemed like a valuable resource for the community here. The displays did a good job of personalizing the history, by telling various family stories and providing interactive elements, such as a world map showing various flight routes by Australian airlines. You can read a bit more about migration here. The government has some basic information here on relocating to Australia, and what to expect. One of the challenges to immigrants has always been that Australia is so far away from other countries. We have even felt this in the electronic age, and I've made an extra effort since we've been here to stay in touch with our American friends and family. At times, the physical distance has translated into emotional distance as well. It would make me hesitant to relocate here permanently, even though I've really enjoyed the country and culture so far.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Organ


Mosaic floor

St. Catherine
St. Francis

Mom and I visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic-style church in Melbourne. The design is based on old English cathedrals, and it was built in stages- completed by 1939. It has sculptures of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena outside, and stunning stained glass, gold, mosaic tile, and an impressive pipe organ inside. It was very cool and dark when we entered and there were just a few others there. It took us quite awhile to walk around. I was in awe of its large size (as if it could house giants) and of course, its beauty.

Finding a Furry Friend

These ultra-cute koalas were just inside the Koala Conservation Center at Phillip Island. We saw plenty of the real thing, so I'll be posting more photos later. Tonight is mom's last night in Australia- we're all wishing she had a longer time to visit. There is so much to experience here, just around Melbourne. More photos of mom's visit to come...

Touring Around Melbourne

Parliament Ceiling

Inside Parliament Parliament Tour- Legislative Council Room
Inside- Gold Detail
Inside- Legislative Assembly Room

Entrance to Parliament
Vestibule
Vestibule Tile

Front View-Parliament

Mom with flowers
Aussie Poppies
Sculpture outside Conservatory

Australian Coat of Arms at Treasury Bldg.
Conservatory at Fitzroy Gardens

English Coat of Arms at Treasury Bldg.
Treasury Bldg: Australian Flags

City Circle Tram
Melbourne Palm Tree
Statue of Sir William John Clarke