Service Stations in the inner west, Sydney

    

                

This service station was built between the wars and is on a busy road in Canterbury.  It sits right on the sidewalk so not much room to get your car off the road.  I happened to get my car serviced here recently.

                                                                      

I often pass this old service station which is no longer trading but the "bowser" or petrol pump is still there right on the sidewalk. It is rusty and obviously not useful any longer.  I like that it is still there giving us a clue to the building's history.

                 

This is a very nice old petrol station, now a garage, located on the Princes Hwy at St Peters.

Service stations became about between the wars when people started buying cars in greater numbers.  I think in the early days you bought petrol at shops like the chemist or the grocers.  These old buildings are hard to find these days, often torn down for redevelopment.  I hope to find some more for this series.

      

Garage in Newtown

      

                                 

                            

  

This is a service station on King St, corner of Whitehorse St, Newtown which I have always admired .  It  was built in 1928 and is in Spanish Mission style.  Paint is peeling but it still looks great.  A few films have been made here including the Cary film, Bliss.

The building doesn't seem to be used now and there is a sign saying no parking but there were three cars parked there today when I was sketching.

Getting Ready for Christmas

                 

Well, not much time now before Christmas.  Today would have been the biggest trading day for the shops.  I stayed clear of parking lots and the crowds though and spent the afternoon wrapping presents.

                          

                                                                              

I have a little tree and even though there's not a huge amount of hanging space I hang my old favourites, collected or given to me over the years.

Christmas, a time of traditions and a time with family and friends. Lovely!

    

St Thomas's Rest Park

                                                                                   

A fellow sketcher and I enjoyed the afternoon at St Thomas's Rest Park in Crows Nest today.  This was the first cemetery on the north shore of Sydney.  There are over 2000 children buried here due to poor sanitation and no antibiotics.  I enjoyed seeing the gravestones that told a bit about the person, for example one was a yacht and boat builder who had an affectionate wife and children.  it sounds like his 40 years on earth were good.

There were quite a few dog walkers and a family with a kite.  It was a great place to sketch and generally enjoy the day.

                          

White Rabbit Gallery and Gao Rong

    

  

                                                                                

Urban Sketchers had lunch at the White Rabbit Gallery on Saturday after sketching Mortuary Station.  We had Chinese dumplings under the above bird cages in the tea house.

It was great to have a look around the gallery and see  an installation by Gao Rong.  The installation is a room which recreates her grandparent's house in Mongolia.  There is a large bed in which the whole family slept.  At the foot of the bed is a small heating stove and a cooking stove both of which would have kept them warm in the Mongolian winter.  On the other side were some cabinets and a table with photos on the walls .  It was very  interesting to step back in time and place.  It was not until we left the room and read the exhibition notes that we discovered that everything in the room was embroidered fabric.  Of course, back in the room we went to marvel at the embroidered rust on the pipes, the embroidered metal pots and pipes, mildewed walls and even the portraits.

It was touching to find that Gao Rong's grandmother taught her to embroider.  

   

              

                

Mortuary Station

    

                                                                                   

This is Mortuary Station, built in 1869.  This Gothic building was where mourners met and then travelled with the coffin  to Rockwood cemetery.  It is located behind Central station in Sydney and I enjoy seeing it when I travel into the city on the train.

Urban sketchers met here today to sketch this beautiful building.

     

Christmas present tag

                                                                                  

This is a Lino cut owl Christmas gift tag.  I might put a little watercolour on the present under the owl.    I am making some for my colleagues at work and here is the first batch.  I will put a hole in the top and put some nice string or fine coloured twine through it.  Then Into cellophane bags and ready for giving.