Another Walk Around the Block

A week after my first walk around the block I made use of my lunch break to take a walk around the block in a different direction.  The weather was even more pleasant than on my first walk.

On the left of this photo is the State Office Block, which was built in the 1970s.  Quite a contrast to the Uniting Church next to it.  This was formerly the Methodist Church.

On the corner is the Brooke Moore Centre.  The old building was the home and work place of Dr Brooke Moore, one of Bathurst's first doctors. This building now houses offices and a restaurant.  There is a small plaza to the rear with more businesses.

Diagonally opposite is the Cathedral of St Michael and St John, dating from the late 1850s.  This is the oldest catholic cathedral in Australia.  A major restoration has just been completed.  Works started back in 2016, with all standstone repaired or replace, brickwork repointed, extensive landscaping and a new entrance.  They have done a fabulous job and the building should now last for another one hundred and fifty  years.

Over the road is Machattie Park.  This is named after another of Bathurst's early doctors.  It has quite a Victorian feel, with rotunda, fountain, fernery and begonia house.  The trees are huge.

The centrepiece is officially "Lake Spencer", but everyone knows it as "the duck pond".  Until a few years ago there were always black swans living here, but they have now been rehomed to Mayfield Gardens, near Oberon, as it is much safer for them there.

I'm sure every kid who has grown up in Bathurst has fed the ducks here.  The other day, there was a lady feeding these half grown ducklings.  

Over the road from the park is this grand old building.  It is the "Webb Building" and was built as a rather grand department store.  It has had various incarnations over the years and up till the mid 90s housed a very old fashioned store, known as "The Paint Store".  It was hardware in one half and on the other side was homewares.  This is where you went to buy just about anything you needed for the kitchen, particularly if it was a bit obscure or old fashioned. Quite a few items in my kitchen came from there.  It currently houses a rather up market restaurant, Chinese restaurant and coffee shop.  By the way, it is for sale if you wish to purchase it.

I have now come back towards the Court House and see the work being carried out on the dome from a different angle.  There is a flash of orange, right at the top.  That is a workman wearing his high vis jumper.  Mick reckons it would be great working up there, as among other things, he is a scaffolder.

Which brings me back to Kings Parade from the opposite directions.  This is the Evans Memorial, celebrating the surveyor who planned out the first road from Sydney, across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst, thereby opening up inland Australia.

Finally, the other church in the centre of town, All Saints Cathedral.  In contrast to the other churches, this one is quite modern, other than one remaining wing from the previous building.  Due to our clay soil, the first cathedral became unsafe and was demolished.  The new cathedral was opened in 1971 and I can remember being taken in to watch the procession of dignitaries at the official opening.  The bell tower was a much later addition, only being built and opened a bit over ten years ago.  It is rather unique in Australia, as it has a full peal of bells and  group of bell ringers.  You can hear them practising each Wednesday evening.

I was rather surprised at how the blossoms changed in just one week.  All the white blossoms were finished, the cherry trees are in full leaf and flowering peach trees are now in full bloom.  

This was on Wednesday.  The sad thing is that, all things being equal, this was the week that Bathurst should have been full of visitors for the Bathurst 1000 car race and Wednesday would have been the pantec and driver parade.  Wouldn't it have been the perfect day for it.  Having said that, Sunday is forecast to be very wet, which wouldn't have been the best for the day of the big race.  Oh well, it is what it is.  They are going to attempt to hold the race at the beginning of December.  Here's hoping they can bring it off.

I hope you've enjoyed having a wander around just a small area of our beautiful historic city.  There are so many other lovely buildings I walked past as well, but we would be here for ages.  We are just so very lucky to live in such a nice part of the world.