Thursday, September 18, 2008

A Weekend Down Memory Lane

My weekend began as a boarded a JetStar flight for Hobart. Sister Zannie Symmons picked me up at the airport. We drove to her home which is 10 minutes from the Hobart airport, unloaded my luggage, then went on a tour of Hobart and the place we lived, where I worked for a short time and the Saturday Market.
We drove around the harbor and the city, then went to the Chapel where they were having an open house for the 50th year celebration of the dedication of the building. They had displays set up in the chapel, with pictures of the ground breaking, the construction in various stages and newspaper articles reporting on the progress of the building. There were pictures of my family and a lot of people that I met going into the building commented, "We have seen your picture." Actually any resemblance of the person in that picture and me is purely a coincidence.
After touring the building we returned to the Symmons' home for a rest before leaving for the evening program.
I had been asked to speak during the half hour program before the activities. The bishop gave a short introduction, then Murray Docking spoke of my father and how, on the first day of construction he arrived and said to the workers who were milling around, "Com'on guys, no parties." That became the theme for the next 8 months. It took 8 months to complete the building which was a miracle with volunteer labor. I spoke, then the member of the city council of Clarence, Alderman Jones, spoke. He said that the church had always been a light on the hill to the residents who lived in the area. It is located on a hill overlooking Hobart and the bay. The Stake President, President Prebble was the concluding speaker. The program lasted 35 minutes and the rest of the evening was devoted to dancing and a talent show with light refreshments at the end.
The next morning I attended church there with the Symmmons and later on in the afternoon I flew back to Sydney. It was a great weekend for me.
Zannie Symmons at the market in Hobart.
Symmons' home in Hobart.
Gormanston Street, Moonah where we lived.
Typical house on Gormanston Street in Moonah
Office building where I worked at Social Services.
Hobart, Tasmania.
Boats in the harbor in Hobart
View from the Relief Society Room windows.
Another view of Hobart from Rosny Hill Chapel.
Back of Rosny Hill Chapel.
Rosny Hill Church.
Front of the Rosny Hill Church.
The Allen Family.
Arthur Allen, ground breaking of Rosny Hill Chapel.
Arthur Allen looks on at laying of corner stone by President Simonsen, the mission president.
Larry makes the newspaper.

L-R: President Prebble, Alderman Jones, Bishop Read, Sister Oldroyd, Sister Lee, President Lee, Melbourne West Mission President.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Taronga Zoo Videos

Taronga Zoo Videos



Taronga Zoo

A day at the Zoo. And what a day! It was a beautiful but cool day for the zoo so we dressed in layers. The ferry ride to the city was uneventful but we never tire of the scenery. We switched ferrys at Circular Quay and in 12-15 minutes we were at the zoo. The setting is on the harbour with beautiful vistas of the city, the bridge and the opera house at every point as we made our way upwards to the top. The animals are displayed in tasteful pens and the zoo itself is built on a hillside so you can either take the Sky Rail to the top and walk down, or walk to the lower entrance and walk up. The Sky Rail was not running when we first arrived so we did the lower entrance and made our way to the top. The seal exhibit and performing arena is new. We enjoyed the seal show and the elephant show.
Sydney from the ferry Saturday morning.
Sydney Harbour Bridge from the ferry on the way to Taronga Zoo.
Lazy seal.
Here I am.

Working for a living.
Beautiful waterfall.
Sydney from the seal pen.

Sleepy bear.
Baby and Mama Koala.
Koala pose.
Giraffes with Sydney skyline in background.
Wild turkey .
Seven presidents of seventies
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.
Wise old grandpa.
Lions. Male is asleep. What else is new?
Tigers.
Jay and his new pet.
Stick insects make great pets, I am told.
Scary.
What a cutie.
I'll eat you for lunch.
Elephant show
Clever beasts.
Komodo dragon. A face only a mother could love.
Don't mess with me.
Komodo dragon looking for lunch.
Sky Rail with Sydney skyline in background.
Taronaga ferry picking us up.
The Sydney Opera House in the late afternoon.
Circular Quay. The old and the new. Notice the old church dwarfed by the skyscrapers.