Chippendale, stack

This chimney stack at the former Kent Brewery in the inner city suburb of Chippendale dominates the skyline. The old brewery had also been known as the Carlton and United brewery, the Irving Street brewery and the Tooth brewery. The stack and these heritage buildings have been retained to be incorporated in the new Central Park redevelopment. This shot was taken late in the afternoon, in the golden glow of the setting sun.

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Chippendale, Local Memory

A temporary public art project called "Artists In Residence" occupies the heritage brewery buildings during redevelopment of the Central Park site, in the inner city suburb of Chippendale. "Local Memory" by Brook Andrew comprises of a series of portraits of people who worked in or were associated with the brewery's history between 1909 and 1998. The 18 portraits are almost 3 metres high each and fit neatly into the exposed grid of floors and walls on the northern exterior wall of the old Irving Street Brewery building. Each portrait is illuminated by a neon frame which flahes on and off in a series of programmed sequences. I missed out on photographing this artwork the previous week due to poor light but unfortunately when I returned last week workmen had just erected a billboard advertising beer. One workman can be seen here climbing down a rope, securing power cable conduits to the wall.

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Chippendale, brewery (Theme Day: Under Construction)

The former Carlton and United brewery in the inner city suburb of Chippendale has partly been demolished and a redevelopment is currently under construction. Some of the heritage buildings and the stack have been retained and will be incorporated in the mixed purpose development. The 5.8 hectare Central Park site will contain a mix of residential, commercial and public spaces. A temporary artwork has been erected on one of these buildings, featuring the faces of former brewery workers and residents.
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Surry Hills, stack

This chimney stack rises above a former industrial building in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills. It dominates the skyline behind Shannon Reserve and is much taller than the chimney stacks on the residential terrace houses beside it. Surry Hills is a suburb that once contained a lot of heavy industry and manufacturing but has gone through gentrificaton, with many of the old buildings redeveloped. This stack is redundant now since the building is used for residential and commercial purposes.

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Hyde Park Obelisk

The Hyde Park Obelisk is an obelisk located on the western edge of Hyde Park. This monument, which was unveiled in 1857 by the Lord Mayor, George Thornton. It was originally used as a sewerage vent, so was jokingly referred to as Thorton's Scent Bottle. It was built at the junction of Elizabeth Street and Bathurst Street because the sewage system was at its highest point here, although it is no longer used as a vent to avoid the risks of contamination. The monument is 22 metres high, including the 6.5 metre high square sandstone base and a filigreed bronze pyramid vent at the top. This obelisk was modelled on Cleopatra's Needle, on the banks of London's Thames River.

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North Bondi, sewer vent

This sewer vent in the middle of a golf course, dominates the skyline in the eastern suburb of North Bondi. It was built at the end of the 19th century for the Bondi Ocean Outfall Sewer. By the late 1800s, the five outfall sewers which drained into Sydney Harbour had grossly polluted it. As replacements, the Southern Outfall Sewer was constructed in 1886 including an experimental sewage farm, followed by the Bondi Ocean Outfall Sewer in 1889 and the Western Suburbs Outfall Sewer in 1898. Sewer vents introduce a flow of fresh air through sewers to reduce the production of noxious and corrosive gases by enabling their release. The similar vent for the Southern Outfall Sewer can be seen here.

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Shelley Street, art

This curious public artwork sits on the corner of Shelley Street and Lime Street, near King Street Wharf. These large vessels are actually sculptured ventilation shafts for the underground car park and the bus interchange in the Macquarie Bank office building.

Cockatoo Island, stack and tower

The chimney stack and the water tower from the industrial past of Cockatoo Islandstill dominate the skyline. The coal fired powerhouse and brick chimney stack were built in 1918, to provide electricity for the island. The concrete tower is the tallest of three that provided water to the island. For a distant view of how they dominate the skyline of the island, there's a shot here from across the harbour.

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