BOTANY BAY AND AREA - 1990-2000S

 

Pulled out the next box full of photos for scanning and cataloguing.

As is normally the case, amongst them I start finding a whole heap of random shots that really don't fit a blog post theme, not of the length of post that I usually like to do.

Thusly, below is a selection of shots taken around, and near, the Botany Bay area. They are from the 1990s, through to the early 2000s, and mostly scenes that are somehow different today.

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April 1999 saw a rather savage hail storm rip through the area.

 While there was damage over a wide area, Kensington really copped a beating, with emergency services all descending on the suburb to help.
Much of the suburb became a sea of tarped houses, a temporary measure until all could be fixed. 

The Sydney Airport railway opened in May 2000, making for a far easier, but painfully expensive, way to access our main airport.

However, in the later stages of construction, various sections were opened to the public for walking through.

We partook in the day that allowed walking from Sydney Airport to Wolli Creek.

Finally we arrived at Wolli Creek.
I think buses were available to take us back, but I am too old and senile to remember for sure.

1998 Patrick wharfie dispute.
This took place at the former level crossing at the railway entrance into Patricks, a location that looks significantly different today.

The area is completely different, with an elevated road, and roundabout, obliterating the crossing above.

Image copyright of Google and used as per their terms and conditions!

I am sure most people will recognise this face.
Jamie Farr, or 'Maxwell Q Klinger' in M*A*S*H, came to Westfield Eastgarden to sign box sets of the series.

It was, and still is, literally the only time I have wanted to go to that ghastly place. I virtually dragged my wife across the centre to be at the front of the line (turned out I got second place in said line).

he was such a lovely guy, really just the sort of person you would expect him to be.

Yep, I still class this moment and a life highlight.

Remember when route 302 went through Mascot and in to Circular Quay. It was far from direct, but I occasionally caught it for something different.
Today it goes from Westfield Feralgardens to Redfern.

Bus 1851 was a member of Sydney's first Mercedes type, commonly referred to as a Mark 1.
This particular bus would later be sold to 'T & I Engines' of Rutherford in NSW. It would later be scrapped.

There are many other changes to this scene.

'Joe's Airport Parking' was a Sydney Airport long term parking company based on O'Riordan Street in Mascot.
The business was eventually sold and, I think, today it is called 'Mascot Airport Parking'.
To the far left is a still existing carwash. It is seen in the colours of the short lived 'Newborn Carwash' chain. This one did not last a week, before the partners all gave up.

It was a former AMPOL service station, and will appear in a future post.

The Joe's minibus suffered an incident on O'Riordan Street.

3430 on the 400 bus route, waiting for a train to pass the former Mascot level crossing.

* The crossing is gone.
* the bus route no longer operates to Burwood, and is expected to soon be removed.
* the area to the left is now the 'Park and Fly' multi-story carpark.
* The bus is now owned by the Sydney Bus Museum at Leichardt.

Air Force 1 at Sydney Airport on November 1996.
During a visit by then president Bill Clinton.

While lucky enough to be able to go in for a look, the craft had secret service agents standing around below it and, so I was told, actual snipers on the hanger roof, so getting out of the security car was not allowed.

We may see these big Airbus beasts back again, but this was in their early days when still a novelty.

While all currently store in the US, one flew to Abu Dhabi in the last few days.

Boeing 747-338 VH-EBU 'Nalanji Dreaming' livery.
Built new for QANTAS, being built in 1984, and accepted in 1985.
Last flown (to Avalon) in February 2005, she remains there to this day, minus engines and livery, and is used as a training aid.

QANTAS Boeing 767-238ER VH-EBU
Accepted by QANTAS in August 1987, delivery flight being two days later.

First revenue flight on September 1st, operating until it's last flight in October 2004.
It went through numerous subsequent ownership, last noted entering the Guernsey Aircraft Register in June 2018.
Current status is unknown.
Today, QANTAS retains only one 767, this being a freighter.

Japan Airlines Boeing 747-300 in special Reso'cha livery.

Apparently Reso'cha means 'Resort Charter'.

Apparently it with Max Air, but in storage like so many other Jumbos.

Virgin Blue 737-400 VH-VGB.

Not only have these colours left our skies, so has this craft. 

Built in 1993, over the 28.2 years of it's existence, it has worked for many different airlines.

However, today it is with Shaheen Air and stored at Karachi Jinnah International Airport.

A little service station that existed on Bunnerong Road in Matraville shops. I can't recall it in use as a service station, but feel it was used as a mechanic, or tyre place, in later years. By this time, it was mostly used for unofficial car parking.

Today, both the servo, and Poppy's Place, have been replaced with a new block of units with shops underneath.

Former Caltex railway sidings on the corner of Beauchamp and Botany Roads in Banksmeadow.

All trace of this has since been eradicated.

Another local fuel terminal was the AMPOL one at Pagewood.

 Seen here during a rather pointless refurbishment of the rail loading facility. It would last only a couple more years until the site was closed and sold off.

Location today.

A lovely sign that was on Gardeners Road for a while.

When finished with, a friend was able to obtain the left third with the train.

Former Email warehouse at East Botany.
Now all redeveloped as units.

Botany Bay sunrise.

Former entrance into the  'Bunnerong Power Station'.

A recently look revealed that these have been removed, possibly as part of the redevelopment for expansion of the cemetery.
Disappointing that they could not have retained this piece of history.

To finish off, a truly depressing reminder of how much we once paid for fuel.
Former AMPOL service station on O'Riordan Strreet in Mascot

Eastlakes Shopping Centre

HARS - Albion Park

Coogee Beach

2009 RANDOM PHILIPPINE PICCIES

 

Given the popularity of the last 'random shot' posting, plus finding I have another heap of same, you now find another collection here for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure even).

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Markets are one part of the Philippines that I greatly enjoy photographing, the night ones especially so.

The first lot of photos show a small(ish) market at Litex (Commonwealth, Quezon City). We would pass through here most nights, while transferring from a Jeepney, or bus, to a trike for our ongoing journey home to Payatas.

Not much that you couldn't buy here.

Another vendor, though now it is daytime and in Luneta Park. 
My years of running a Filipino shop helps me to identify much of what she is selling. Tempura and Lobster Crackers, V-Cut BBQ flavoured chips, and the ever popular cheese Piattos, form the bulk of the chips.

This photo has been badly captioned.
It is obviously not Luneta Park, which was half a Ermita block behind me. However, it is Mabini Street, taken from the 9th floor of Mabini Mansion, our place of choice for many early visits.

You didn't think I was possibly going to do a Manila post without including one of my beloved jeepneys did you?

What better way to travel between Baclaran and Divisoria.

The father-in-law's prize cock seemed a bit concerned by all the camera attention.

Divisoria I have covered in the past. It was a regular haunt on my earlier Philippine trips.

Some of the Asawa's family forest while on a Tagaytay day out.

Classic Philippines - A Kalesa at Ermita.

A Jolly Hotdog and two pieces of Chickenjoy thanks.

I don't make a habit of photographing taxi cabs, but when this one rolled up out front of Robinsons Ermita, I noticed it had the name of a godson.

The taxi driver was quite concerned about the sudden photographic interest.

Time to slip in another jeepney shot.

Because I can ;-)

Love that highly photographable Divisoria. 

Oh lookie, now we are on a jeepney.

These will be greatly missed should ever they go.

Grocery Shopping - More Fun In The Philippines.

During one very wet trip from Tutuban to Fairview, one's generous asawa suggested this spot as a good place to fulfill one's need for more jeepney and bus shots.

That it most certainly was.

Took quite a long time to identify where it was.

This was a much drier day, and we found ourselves on the rear of a jeepney from Ermita to Tutuban.
Here we are on Quintin Paredes Road, having just crossed the well known Jones Bridge (visible in background).

Ship 'Ho Mao' at Manila Port.
A bulk carrier, built in 1985, it was originally named the 'Clipper Maestro'. Later it carried the names Sungreen, hen Patria, before finally becoming the Ho Mao in March 2004.
However, that this name was only to be carried for a little more than a year after I got this shot, with it renamed 'Vimaru Ac' in November 2010.

The mammoth Asian King was in Manila port with a delivery of new, South Korean built, railcars for the Philippine National Railways.

The truck hauled each carriage to Tutuban for unloading.

After some fifteen minutes of rain, really torrential rain, the type Manila does so well, a small friend popped out to say hello.

Actually, the railway yard was quite flooded and there were quite a few coaxed from their hiding spot.

Information on the Philippine Toad.

A random back street situated behind the old Calamba station. While the houses/stores, at left, remain the same, all on the right has been completely changed as that ghastly modernization passed through.

Some fascinating houses, one including a barber shop business, in Magsaysay in San Pedro Laguna.
Probably far less busy nowadays, compared to the heyday of the railway that terminated right behind me. When the Carmona branch opened in the 70s, it had 13 return services a day. This had reduced to just one by the time of closure.
Not because it wasn't used, but mostly due to disinterest in providing a service back then. Oh, and a greedy landowner who started demanding money that nobody was willing to pay him.

Today, the street is just a quite, and largely unknown, backwater.

Of other interest, to me at least, is the small red car. We had them in Australia, where they were called the 'Ford Laser'. They are a rarity around here nowadays.

The Carriedo Fountain in Plaza Santa Cruz.

While it was built in honour of the 18th-century Captain General of Manila, Don Francisco Carriedo y Peredo, it is believed to be a replica of the original (which had already been in two different locations around Manila).

The original appears to still exist at the Balara Filters Park in Quezon City.
It is truly amazing what I am able to learn while doing these blog posts :-)

 The MRT3 Guadalupe Bridge, in beautiful downtown Mandaluyong, is something I often joke about. I like to kid people that it was designed by the same person who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The road we are on is the incredibly busy EDSA, while underneath this road, next to the Pasig River, many people do not realise there was once a railway line.

The EDSA road bridge was built in 1979 and has a length of 114.44 metres between it's two abutments.

The MRT3 arch bridge came later, being part of the MRT3 system that opened in December 1999.

A report done in 2013 found that 220,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day. One can only imagine what that would be in 2021 given the massive increase in vehicle ownership there.

Well there you go, the end of another random selection of Philippine shots of nearly no relating theme.
Have learnt a lot putting this all together, hope you have learnt something while reading it.
If not, better luck next time.