Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Australian Museum & ANZAC

Tuesday, June 23

We are staying at the Pullman Hotel, centrally located in the southeast corner of Hyde Park.  Nearby are the Australian Museum of natural history, the ANZAC war memorial, and the Prosecutor Office.  We visited all of those places today, as seen (and labeled) in the view from the Sydney Tower.  


The Australian Museum had a special exhibition of the top “50 Wildlife Photographs of the Year.”  Some stunning work, one by an 8 year old winner.  You can look at and buy prints on-line.  

Natural Harmony © Minghui Yuan (China) 2014

Eitan poses here amid the large drum statues.  He fits right in, looking very percussionesque.


The Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) roamed Australia and New Guinea for tens of millions of years.  This proud marsupial went extinct on the mainland a few thousand years ago, after man introduced the dingo. 


Penguins may be very cute


but Eitan prefers creepy, crawly things. 


Eitan checks out some funky bones in the Hall of Skeletons.


Australia recently commemorated the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.  The Australia New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) art deco war memorial was built in the 1930’s to honor the soldiers who served in the Great War.  About 10% of the new nation’s population went off to Europe.  In the slaughter that ensued, most were wounded or died.  The disastrous Gallipoli campaign helped forge the national character of the Australian people. 


A slain ANZAC soldier returns as a Spartan would – on his shield – with his arms extended across his sword. 


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