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An array of single deckers has arrived at Warrington's Own Buses in the last 2 days. Seen at the depot on 23 January 2020 are Metroline Enviro 200s 1803 (YX10 BFL) and 1783 (YX10 BCU), Ensignbus Enviro 708 (SN11 FFL) and Howard's F19 HOW. Also present were Ensignbus SN11 FFJ and panther Travel Enviro YX09 AEV.
An addition to our #UnfoldTheUniverse art social media campaign by Ora Buch.
If you create art inspired by what the James Webb Space Telescope might discover, share it with us! For more information, please visit: go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
Image credit: Ora Buch
An array of single deckers has arrived at Warrington's Own Buses in the last 2 days. Seen at the depot on 23 January 2020 is Lancashire United 1872 (BD12 TDX), Volvo B7RLE/ Wright.
Here is a small addition to my Scorpion from Avatar:
The Mitsubishi MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform or "AMP-Suit" for short.
Just like the Scorpion I built my first AMP-Suit way back in 2009, but it wasn't really good. So I decided to build an entirely new one to expand my Avatar collection.
In contrast to my Titan-builds the AMP Suit is fully articulated.
I also added his gun as well as Colonel Quaritch's knife next to the cockpit.
Another beautiful addtion to the PU/Leather section of my wardrobe.
Not only is this skirt my favourite length, but it also has a lovely flare to it.
In addition to being the nation's first wildlife refuge, Lake Merritt is at the ecotone between uptown and downtown Oakland. The glass building is the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
An addition to our #UnfoldTheUniverse art social media campaign by "Edi Vizitrex." It is called "James Dream."
If you create art inspired by what the James Webb Space Telescope might discover, share it with us! For more information, please visit: go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
Image credit: Edi Vizitrex
University of Washington, Seattle
My wife and I recently toured the University of Washington mainly to see the cherry blossoms. If you would like to read more about our visit and see more photos, check out my post Cherry Blossoms Beckon to the University of Washington at my blog Batteredsuitcase.net
Omoide Yokocho, located in the heart of Shinjuku, Tokyo, is a historic alleyway that captures the essence of post-war Japan. Often referred to as "Memory Lane," this narrow passageway offers a glimpse into Tokyo's past with its tightly packed izakayas (Japanese pubs) and eateries. The alley is a testament to Tokyo's resilience and cultural heritage, featuring wooden facades and traditional lanterns that illuminate the path with a warm, nostalgic glow. As you walk through Omoide Yokocho, you'll notice the intricate architectural details, from weathered wooden beams to carefully crafted signage that harkens back to a bygone era.
Historically, Omoide Yokocho developed in the years following World War II, when it became a bustling hub for black market traders and small eateries. Over the decades, the area has transformed into a popular destination for both locals and tourists seeking an authentic taste of Tokyo's history. The alley's architecture reflects its historical roots, with many of the structures maintaining their original wooden designs. The vibrant autumn decorations in the image add a seasonal touch, enhancing the picturesque quality of this charming location.
The "NO SMOKING" sign visible at the entrance is a modern addition, ensuring that the alley retains its charm while adhering to contemporary health standards. Despite these updates, Omoide Yokocho manages to preserve its nostalgic atmosphere, where the scent of grilled skewers wafts through the air, and the sound of clinking glasses creates a lively ambiance. The area is not just a place to eat and drink; it is a living museum where each corner tells a story of Tokyo's past. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a photography lover, or simply looking for a unique experience, a visit to Omoide Yokocho offers an authentic insight into Tokyo's rich cultural tapestry.
This is a picture of the brand new addition of the Royal Ontario Museum. It is the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal by Daniel Libeskind!!
In addition to farming the Dorze are engaged in weaving,pottery and blacksmithing.Dorze women are responsible for taking care of the child,household works,collecting firewood ,spinning cotton. The male mainly farm,weave,and construct houses.
A new addition to the Nantwich based fleet of Routemaster Buses is this Plaxton Supreme IV 'Express' bodied Leyland Leopard. Latterly the coach has been in the Stagecoach heritage fleet and based on the Isle of Arran, but was delivered new in 1981 to Leicester City Bus as TBC 1X. For some time it's run with a former Routemaster registration, but it appears 'WLT 546' wasn't part of the deal so the random BAH 809X plate has been issued.
The picture was taken in the small Cheshire village of Church Minshull with St. Bartholomew's church as a backdrop whilst returning from the test station. The coach now has a new PSV MoT.
Anemone hupehensis var. japonica (Japanese anemone). Taken with an inexpensive Pentax-M SMC 2.8/100 @2.8.
Drifter; development 2008 to 2016, realization 2017
In addition to early designs, the exhibition features new, previously unseen work by the Dutch duo Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta – the founders of Studio Drift. Specially for the presentation at the Stedelijk, Studio Drift will create the largest-ever installation of Fragile Future. At the core of the installation will be Fragile Future Chandelier 3.5 (2012) acquired by the museum in 2015. Another highlight is Drifter, a floating concrete monolith measuring four by two by two meters. After making its world première at New York’s Armory Show in 2017, this magical installation will be on display in the IMC Gallery at the Stedelijk. The film Drifters (2016) and the installation Materialism (2018) go on view for the first time. In total, the presentation comprises eight of Studio Drift’s room-filling installations, together with a selection of films.
The work of Studio Drift occupies a unique place at the interface between tech art, performance, and biodesign. As a museum that has always placed great importance on both art and design, and performance, the Stedelijk Museum is the perfect venue to display this transdisciplinary work. Gordijn and Nauta engage with contemporary topics such as sustainability, the meaning of natural processes for today’s environment, and issues raised by the use of augmented reality. Their work focuses attention on a society in flux, shaped by the impact of fast-paced innovations, without judging.
Last of their line?
With the addition of more electric buses into the First Glasgow fleet, it means the withdrawal of older types that have served the city well. It also means that Volvo, once the dominant marque in the First Glasgow fleet is now down to less than a hundred vehicles.
Gone now are all the Citybuses and B10M single deckers, Ailsas, Olympians, B10BLEs and B7Ls (thankfully in the case of the last one). The only active B7RLE single-deckers now are in the driver training fleet and First used the opportunity of the sale of First Scotland East to McGill’s to offload most of its remaining B7TLs as part of that fleet. Any left within Glasgow are now withdrawn and being used for spare parts as new Enviro 400EVs arrive. This leaves its remaining B9TLs as its remaining active passenger carrying Volvo buses. These are likely to be the last vehicles to bear that marque in the fleet for sometime.
Of course the B9TLs remaining have been upgraded with new Euro VI exhausts but with the newest now coming up for fourteen years old next year (2023), they’re definitely approaching the twilight of their years. Here is 37751 (SF09LFB), still resplendent in Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive (GGPTE) livery it received in 2019.
Of course having purchased Leyland Bus back in the latter part of the 1980s, Volvo could claim a history back as far as the 1920s of providing buses to Glasgow. However I’m going to disregard that as those buses were Leyland designed and built. So technically, the first pure Volvo bus dates back to 1973 and the latter days of the Glasgow Corporation Transport (GCT) fleet. GCT received a Volvo B9R demonstration vehicle and tried it on two routes. This bus, registered VEB566L, had two doors and was fitted with Marshall Cammair bodywork and was the first non-fully British bus to run for GCT. Volvo had started to see some success with coaches in United Kingdom (UK) and felt it could extend it to buses. With Leyland introducing its integral National model, it tested the water with this vehicle with several operators as it no doubt felt that bus companies may be put off by Leyland’s fancy new bus. No orders were placed, hardly a surprise in the double-deck dominated GCT fleet, but this demonstrator bus was supplied by the new Ailsa Bus company.
Alisa Bus was an offshoot of Ailsa Trucks which was based in Ayrshire, within sight of the Ailsa Craig off the west of Scotland. It was the UK importer of Volvo commercial vehicles, which at that stage was mainly trucks, where to be fair Volvo was enjoying some considerable success. It hoped to extend this to buses.
As GCT morphed into GGPTE, it became concerned over Leyland’s dominance of the double-decker market. With operators stepping up orders to get Government Grants for buses suitable for driver-only operations, Leyland could dictate the delivery time and specifications of buses. Assurances of priority deliveries one day became worthless if another aggrieved operator got similar assurances the next day. What was needed was an alternative option rather than wait for outstanding orders for the Atlantean. Whilst GGPTE and GCT before it were satisfied with the Atlantean, it wasn’t immune to its limitations. By looking at alternative designs, it would also be a shot across the bows of Leyland to not take Glasgow’s business for granted.
That option appeared to be the Metropolitan built by Metro-Cammell Weyman (MCW) in Birmingham. It was a semi-integral design which used Scania running units in a rear-engined layout. GCT had ordered 20 off the drawing board. However it also placed an order for three of the new Volvo Ailsa. The Volvo Ailsa, later designated the Volvo B55 when Volvo assumed full control of the project, had been developed on the behest of the Scottish Bus Group. However it was a bit different compared to other double-deckers on the market. It had a front engined layout but used Volvo’s incredibly compact - for a bus engine at least - 6.7 litre turbocharged engine to give enough space at the front for a passenger entrance and a conventional passenger layout. It was not as sophisticated as the Metropolitan by any standard but it was robust and importantly, reliable. Ailsa worked with Alexanders to design a very smart body for it with peaked domes, very in the style at the time.
Ailsa Bus built ten pre-production models and had hoped the PTE would take the full ten. In the end, the PTE took just the three and the others went to other bus companies. The PTE would later take a further 15 (plus an additional 20 Metropolitan as well) but the 15 were slightly different as they lost the peaked domes in their Alexander bodywork in favour of rounded ones, to make them compatible with the Atlanteans. Unlike the Metropolitans, which were withdrawn by 1982 due to corrosion of their steel frames, these early Ailsas had long lives with the company and lasted well into the 1990s, although their numbers were decimated by the Larkfield depot fire in 1992. Two of these earlier Ailsas are preserved, one of the earlier three and one of the latter 15, both within the collection at the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust.
Had things been different more Ailsas may have came in. But a change of Chief Engineer saw the company look to standardise on the Atlantean and make the best of running a standardised fleet.
However as the 1980s begun, the Atlantean was nearing the end of a glorious production run - mainly due to noise regulations. GGPTE was now Strathclyde PTE and with a new broom in charge, it turned to the Ailsa as its main bus ordering 134 over two years, These were the of the mark three design of the Ailsa and featured higher driving positions, sliding cab doors (instead of hinged) and most had attractive Alexander R-type bodies. It also picked up a couple of interesting one-offs, including two Marshall bodied Ailsas and the only single-deck Ailsa built, again with Marshall bodywork.
However of more interest was the prototype Volvo Citybus. This was a replacement for the Ailsa which used the underfloor B10M coach chassis as a base but with smaller wheels. This meant Volvo could offer the B10M as a coach, single-decker or double decker. Marshall’s designed a very thin floor to keep the vehicle’s height down. Even then, the Citybus (Volvo model B10M-55) was a tall bus and not suitable for all routes. Strathclyde PTE added it to its fleet.
SPTE then ordered a further 5 Citybuses but with Alexander bodies this time. These also featured tip-up seating in the lower deck and a wheelchair lift in the entrance. They were designed to be used on demand-responsive services run as part of the normal services which wheelchair passengers could prebook.
After deregulation, it saw the first Volvo B10M single-deckers arrive with two Plaxton Derwent bodies for a tendered route. It also picked up a few similar B10M buses when Paisley independent operator Graham’s of Paisley closed down, some with Caetano bodywork. These useful class of buses could also double as semi-coaches if needed.
It also ordered more Citybuses. Initially it ordered 55 Citybuses along with 65 MCW Metrobuses, a replacement for the Metropolitan. However issues at MCW meant that the 40 were chopped off the Metrobus order and an equivalent number of Citybuses took their place. These Citybuses, with attractive Alexander RV-type bodies were built to a unique specification and this batch of Volvo buses are generally regarded as the best buses ever to operate in Glasgow.
With Volvo purchasing Leyland Bus in 1987, it began to naturally push people towards the purpose built Leyland Olympian double-decker and although the Citybus remained available, sales withered. Strathclyde’s Buses, as SPTE’s bus arm had become, bought initially three all Leyland Olympians, to cover for warranty work on the Citybuses. It followed this up with 52 further Olympians. Strathclyde specified a particularly unusual gearbox and engine combination on its Olympians which probably explains why these were Leyland models when the revised Volvo Olympian was already on the horizon.
After that time, Strathclyde only ordered Volvo models. Four Volvo Olympians - two with Alexander Royale bodies, the other Northern Counties Palatine 2 bodies, were initially ordered to test engine types. When former Scottish Bus Group fleet Kelvin Central was acquired, Volvo B10M-55/Alexander PS-type single deckers were bought. A large order of Volvo Olympians for 150 was ordered - largely to a Stagecoach spec with Alexander bodies, Stagecoach having a stake in the company at the time.
However only around 50 of these were delivered as Strathclyde’s Buses was sold to Firstbus. Firstbus refined the order, with some being swapped for low-floor single deckers and First spec-Volvo Olympians. Although some Volvo B10Ls arrived with Wright Liberator bodies and Volvo B6BLEs with Alexander ALX200 bodies, it’s first non Volvo buses for a while came, these being Dennis Darts and Scania low-floor single-deckers.But it did receive 60 First spec-long wheelbase Volvo Olympians, ten with Northern Counties and the remainder with Alexander bodies. After its acquisition by Firstbus, the fleet has tended to favour Volvo for buses until the end of the naughties, having received large batches of B7RLEs (123), B7TLs (84) B10BLEs and B7Ls (over a 100) plus 10 unusual B7L tri-axle double-deckers with East Lancs Nordic bodieds. But after it’s last B9TLs came in 2009, no more Volvos have came, apart from six B7TLs cascaded from London. There will soon be no Volvo’s in the First Glasgow fleet. And that day is edging closer.
Target have taken some of the ex London Darts off Plymouth Citybus who decided to dispense with their services before refurbishing them for service.
I believe these will replace the ex Cardiff bus W-EAX MPDs as they were not DDA despite being used up until a few weeks ago!
An addition to our #UnfoldTheUniverse art social media campaign sent in by Valentin Monsalve from Switzerland.
This is a calligraphy they made. This is the back. View the front here: www.flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/53061875851/in/da...
Valentin says, "It was inspired by the beauty of the universe revealed by the James Webb Telescope and by a famous Chinese text called 千字文 "Thousand Characters Text". I used a paper that looks just like the panels of James Webb Telescope and it was made at a special workshop.
I entitled mine as "Thousand Disorders Text". I also wrote a small text in French that was inspired by the calligraphy making:
Des courbes
Des droites
Un hexagone
Une symétrie
Un enogaxeh
Un écart chemine vermillon
Une succession verticale forme une succession horizontale
Dans le chaos on peut voir de multiples logiques
Quand on a essayé 1 2 on en vient naturellement à essayer Ԑ Ⴙ
Nous verrons bien où le chemin nous mène!
The English translation of the French is:
Curves
Straights
a hexagon
A symmetry
A nogaxeh
A gap strolls red
A vertical succession forms a horizontal succession
In chaos multiple logics emerge
After trying 1 2 we naturally come to try Ԑ Ⴙ
Let's see where it goes next!
This "poem" is actually the exact description of what happens in the calligraphy that I made where the text that begins from right top and goes down do. The first line (that goes down) follows a curve and the second one a straight line. Then the alternance of those two patterns make a hexagon etc. To understand this you have to know the text in order to read it in the correct order and see the patterns."
Here is the Thousand Character Essay translation in English: www.camcc.org/_media/reading-group/qianziwen-en.pdf
If you create art inspired by what the James Webb Space Telescope might discover, share it with us! For more information, please visit: go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
Image credit: Valentin Monsalve
Not sure how this got here but on my way to pick up my granddaughter for school I found this setting by the electrical substation. Just had to capture a few shots. The next day the transformer had been moved into the substation and trailer broken up into three sections attached to tractors. Had never seen anything like this before.
An addition to our #UnfoldTheUniverse social media campaign by Lynn Upton.
If you create art inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope, share it with us! For terms and more information, please visit: www.nasa.gov/jwstart
If you create art inspired by what you think Webb will discover, consider our new Unfold the Universe art campaign! go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
Image Credit: Lynn Upton
An addition to our #UnfoldTheUniverse social media campaign by Katrin Aumiller. It is titled ""Monster of the past."
If you create art inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope, share it with us! For terms and more information, please visit: www.nasa.gov/jwstart
If you create art inspired by what you think Webb will discover, consider our new Unfold the Universe art campaign! go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
Image Credit: Katrin Aumiller
Recent addition to Sparrow Recovery is Mercedes Benz Arcos YK14 WPT. This was new to ABN Newstone and has recently been converted to a recovery truck. It is seen on Leeds Park Row earlier this evening recovering a broken 69343.
My latest 1/400 and 1/64 additions. Featuring:
GJ Monarch Britannia
GJ Luxair Q400
Era Car Police Scotland A6
Siku Range Rover Sport x2
MBX Austin FX4 Taxi x2
MBX Land Rover Defender 90
MBX VW Golf GTi Mk1
MBX Panamera
HW Panamera Sports Turismo
HW 944 Turbo
HW Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary
The A6 and the planes were gifts for me from my friend (many thanks) whilst the rest were bought from various locations across Sussex. Photo taken on my phone.
29th August 2020.
© Calum's 999 & Transport Photography. All rights reserved.
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We present our newest addition to our rental property portfolio, The Sandcastle.
Prime location within our Paradise Palms community. Newly renovated landscaping and fully furnished; this home is coastal oasis meets luxury living.
*Teleports here: lavishlivingsl.com/
' :
• Private island home with private beach and boat rezzer
• Fully furnished, avatar and voice private parcel
• Equipped with Casper security
• Mystory compatible*
• Two XTV's
• 2 floors | 3 bedrooms | 1 bathroom
• 200 prims budget with option to purchase more
• Access to all our community amenities (click on the phone dock on the coffee table for navigation hud)
:
• Entertainer's/Kinky den | Balcony | Hot tub | Pool | Outdoor kitchen & dining and more!
• Furniture has been modified with the best animation engines including Cumming Soon, Darkfold Productions, Debauchery, Lalou Erotic, and more top of the line engines used throughout the home.
---------------------------------------------
* MyStory is offered at all our properties upon request. For more information visit: lavishlivingsl.com/mystory/
*Only available properties are listed on the availability tab. If this home is unavailable, please add yourself to our waiting list to be notified when it becomes available again!
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Kenichi has added to his layout, he sent a single photo of the new addition, I broke the photo down into several areas to highlight the great detail he has put into his work.
A great addition to my collection of Coca-cola shots from around the World. Halfway up the High Atlas Mountains, perched on the side of the road, this cafe is a great example of the globalisation that is represented by the spread of brands like this.
More Coke (and other brands) here : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/sets/72157629410277455
Here is Melissa,one of the four latest additions to our menagerie of animals.
Made Explore July 23,2009, #413 page 42. Wow! Thank you.
The former Bank of New South Wales was built in Gill Street, Charters Towers in 1889, replacing a number of earlier timber bank buildings on other sites in both Charters Towers and nearby Millchester. This two-storey masonry building addressing Gill Street also has a number of additions to the rear which demonstrate the evolution of the banking industry in the town over time. It complements other significant bank buildings in nearby Mosman Street, including the former Australian Joint Stock Bank, now the World Theatre and the former Queensland National Bank building which now serves as the City Hall.
Charters Towers' gold was first discovered in December 1871, by an Aboriginal boy named Jupiter who tended the horses for prospectors Hugh Mosman, George Clarke, and John Fraser. A storm frightened the horses into a gap in the hills, and while retrieving them, Jupiter found a rich vein of gold laden quartz. Mosman travelled to Ravenswood in early January 1872 to register the claim which he named Charters Towers, honouring the Gold Commissioner for the Broughton gold fields. By March 1872, Commissioner Charters had issued 25 prospecting area permits in the vicinity of Mosman's claim, and the rush began.
The earliest settlement grew around diggings at the confluence of Buchanan's Gully and Gladstone Creek and was known as Millchester. A few miles west of Millchester, another settlement evolved which became Charters Towers. It included a number of stores, hotels, and a butcher shop along a track that was to become Mosman Street. The population of Charters Towers was reputedly 3000 by August 1872. There was rivalry between the two settlements, particularly after the courthouse was erected at Millchester in 1873.
In the meantime, it had become evident that the procurement of gold from the deep seams of Charter Towers required substantial machinery to crush quartz and sink shafts. This required working capital to finance machinery and to pay the wages of workers employed on these time consuming processes. The Queensland Gold Fields Act 1874 and Gold Mining Companies Act 1875 allowed for combinations of leases, claims, and syndicates in order to work their leases at great depths. The legislation also underpinned the establishment of permanent settlement which would attract capital investment to the field. The influx of money and the resultant yield of gold were reflected in the growth of the township and the establishment of banks, mining companies, and mining agencies and exchanges. Two banking companies, the Australian Joint Stock Bank and the Bank of New Soute Wales (NSW) established offices on the goldfields by July 1872, only six months after the registration of the first claims.
The Bank of New South Wales was the first bank established in Australia (February 1817) but it was restricted to trading in Sydney until 1850. After restructuring, it opened its first branch outside Sydney, in Brisbane, on the 14th of November 1850, also being the first bank established in Queensland. It continued to expand rapidly with the rush of gold discoveries in New South Wales and Victoria. The bank set up agencies and gold-buying agents at every new mining venture in order to spread its network and consolidate its position. Bank officers were urged on by their superiors to be the first to a new location to set up a gold-buying agency. By 1861 the Bank of New South Wales had grown from a single Sydney office to a network of 37 branches in Australia and New Zealand.
The expansion of the Bank of New South Wales into North Queensland was driven by Robert Towns, one of its directors. Bank establishment followed both pastoral development and mineral discoveries. Port Denison, established to serve pastoralists, became the municipality of Bowen in 1863. By 1864 there was Bowen branch of the Bank of NSW, followed by one in Townsville in March 1866, where Towns and his partner John Melton Black had established a boiling down works. Another branch opened on the Ravenswood goldfields in 1870, one at Cardwell, (the terminus for the gold escort) in 1871 and in Charters Towers and Georgetown in 1872. The Cooktown branch, servicing the Palmer River fields opened in 1876, then Thornborough in 1877 on the Hodgkinson goldfields, followed by Cairns and Port Douglas. The Charters Towers Bank of New South Wales had opened only two days after the Australian Joint Stock Bank, which had opened on the 2nd of July 1872. Then in October 1872, both banks relocated to nearby Millchester.
In Millchester, land on the northern corner of Jardine and Macdonald Streets was formally transferred to the Bank of New South Wales in April 1875, but the actual sale is likely to have occurred prior to the title documentation. The Joint Stock Bank owned land opposite in Macdonald Street, and the Queensland National Bank opened in 1873 adjacent. Then in July 1874, a cottage was reported to have been relocated to Mosman Street, Charters Towers, to be used as an agency of the Bank of New South Wales. Presumably, the main branch remained in Millchester. At the time Charters Towers was described as: ‘solidifying rapidly and is giving undeniable proof that it means to stand. New shops and stores are going up. Buildings are being renovated and painted...'
Charters Towers soon dominated. A town survey was undertaken in November 1874, and marked out allotments in a ‘T' formation, with the mines and provision stores of Mosman Street on one axis, and the road to Millchester marked by Gill Street on the other. In January 1876, the Bank of New South Wales was relocated to Charters Towers, with Millchester becoming the agency office. This relocation was touted by the Northern Miner newspaper, as ‘the beginning of the end' for Millchester. Charters Towers was declared a municipality in 1877 encompassing one square mile centred on Mosman Street. It included new churches, the Oddfellows and Good Templar Lodges, and 21 hotels and 57 shops. The Bank of New South Wales moved into new premises in March 1877, described as a five roomed banking house, bringing solidarity to the top end of Mosman Street.
The wealth of the Charters Towers goldfields grew in the following years, particularly following the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London where specimens of Charters Towers Gold were featured. Almost immediately English investors seized the opportunity to be part of the Charters Towers gold riches. Mining companies were formed, managed by Charters Towers' mining agents and share-brokers, and while some shares were held by English interests, many local people prospered through their investments, which then led to an expansion of banking facilities and mining exchanges. Banks and gold buyers purchased the gold, minted it into sovereigns in Australia and England, which were held in the vaults of banks in Melbourne, London, Berlin, and New York and then shipped to pay international debt. According to the Northern Miner newspaper, there were five banks in Gill Street in mid 1887: the Bank of New South Wales, the Bank of Australasia, the London Chartered Bank, and the Union and Royal Banks. The Queensland National and the Australian Joint Stock Bank remained in Mosman Street.
The Bank of New South Wales gradually improved banking facilities during the 1880s when many new branches opened in Queensland. Most directors were keen for bank premises in country towns to emphasise dignity, size, and solidity in the design of their buildings demonstrating the bank's capacity to survive and consolidate. Consequently, well known architects were employed to design bank buildings in New South Wales, and throughout Australia and New Zealand.
This was the case in Charters Towers. The Bank of New South Wales purchased an allotment in February 1887, diagonally opposite the post office in Gill Street, on which to erect a new substantial brick building. Architects Eyre and Munro called for tenders in the local newspaper in April 1888. The firm had offices in Townsville and Charters Towers. The Charters Towers office was run by William Henry Allan Munro, who had been previously employed in Townsville by architects and builders Rooney Brothers. After winning a competition for the design of the Queensland Hotel, he was taken into partnership with Walter Morris Eyre. In 1887 he became the junior partner, managing the Charters Towers office. Eyre, brother-in-law of architect FDG Stanley, had managed Stanley's Maryborough office between 1882 and 1885 before relocating to Townsville, where he supervised the construction of the Bank of New South Wales in Flinders Street. The Eyre and Munro partnership designed many north Queensland buildings including the 1889 Holy Trinity Church of England in Herberton, the 1890 Bank of North Queensland in Cooktown, the 1890 - 1891 Townsville School of Arts, and the 1892 Burns Philp Building, now part of Bartlam's Store in Charters Towers. They also designed the building on the corner of Deane and Gill Streets for auctioneers Ackers, Wilson, Ayton and Ryan, built in 1888 which later housed the Royal Bank of Queensland.
Construction of the new bank was by contractor Mr Kelleher under the supervision of Eyre and Munro. It opened for business on Monday the 13th of May 1889, and was described as ‘handsome and very pleasing, an imposing structure, superior to anything north of Brisbane' and overshadowing the adjacent Bank of Australasia (no longer extant). While the Northern Miner newspaper reported the cost at £9,000, the bank's archives indicated £6,040. The new building was seen as the way forward in both structure and location. The inclusion of a commodious manager's private apartment was usual for regional banks.
On the ground floor the building comprised banking chamber, fitted handsomely in polished cedar, the upper part of the various partitions being in ornamental ground glass...ample room for the public in front of the counter for the transaction of business, and a table... placed there for the accommodation of those who may desire to fill in deposit slips, requisitions for drafts, &c; a counter...14 ft long by 4ft 6 in [4.2 x 1.4m] wide, with the bill department on the right, and the exchange clerks' office on the left; ledger desks...placed at the back of the counter. To the left of the main entrance to the public hall is the manager's room, ...and opening out of that is the accountant's office... which has a raised floor, so that the official, by simply standing up, can get a good view of all that is going on. There is a passage leading from the manager's room to the dining-room, which, with the exception of the kitchen and servants' offices is the only one of the private apartments on the ground floor. At the rear of the ledger-desks are the strong room (fireproof), a lavatory and a stationery-room. Leaving the dining-room, we come to the private hall, which is approached from the passage to the left of the building. The upper floor is reached by a staircase from this hall...and contains a handsome drawing room...communicating by folding doors with another large room...which will be used by Mr Beattie for his own bedroom. There are three other bedrooms and a dressing room, all of large dimensions, with linen closet and a bathroom. The upper part of the building has a balcony running around three sides...and the internal passages are all proportionately spacious. The servants' quarters on the ground floor comprise kitchen, pantry, wash-house and sleeping apartment, and are furnished with the usual appurtenances for cooking and washing. Stabling has yet to be erected. Gas is laid on in every room and provision is made: for the Burdekin water supply when that scheme is complete. In the meantime there are three 1000 gallon [45 litres] tanks all full. The chimney-pieces and other fittings are in cedar, and are in excellent taste. All the rooms are ceiled, with mouldings, &c., of elegant design, and ventilation and drainage have been specially attended to.'
An economic downturn occurred in 1888, during the construction of the bank, due to a decrease in overseas investment and a continuing drought which led to the closure of crushing machines due to lack of water. The slump was short-lived after the development of the Brilliant Reef, which when mined to a depth of 3000 feet (914 m), became the biggest producer in the field.
Charters Towers was at its economic peak in the late 19th century. According to Government Geologist Robert Logan Jack, Charters Towers was the third largest gold producing area in Australia, after Ballarat and Sandhurst (Bendigo). Many new buildings were completed in this period in Charters Towers. The ‘T' junction of Mosman and Gill Streets became the financial district of Charters Towers. For one block to the east, north, and south were eight banks, the post and telegraph office, two assaying offices, and four solicitor's offices. Share-brokers occupied the Royal Arcade, and other offices were located in Mosman and Bow Streets. The Royal Arcade was built in 1888 for Alexander Malcolm and by 1890 the Stock Exchange operated from the building. Other significant buildings of this era include the 1887 - 1892 Masonic Lodge and the 1892 Post Office. Banks of this era include the 1881 (lowset timber) Bank of Australasia, the London Chartered Bank (which purchased the two-storey masonry building from local builder Hugh Ross in 1887), the former Australian Joint Stock Bank and the Queensland National (QN) Bank, both designed by FDG Stanley and both built in 1891. The Union Bank then occupied the former QN Bank premises in Mosman Street. All of these buildings remain, apart from the Bank of Australasia. The Bank of New South Wales was considered the first financial institution to erect premises worthy of the town and the business conducted there. The North Queensland Register claimed it was the largest banking institution in Australasia in the 1890s.
The banking crisis of 1893, when the Queensland National Bank and the Australian Joint Stock Bank, both suspended trading, led to an increase in business for the Bank of New South Wales in Charters Towers, when successful mining companies transferred their accounts. At that time there were eight banking businesses operating in Charters Towers; the Australian Joint Stock Bank, Bank of Australasia, Bank of NSW, Bank of North Queensland, London Chartered Bank, Queensland National Bank, the Royal Bank and the Union Bank, and all were still operating after the crisis had passed.
In 1899, Charters Towers was the second most important city in Queensland with a population of over 26,000, and an internationally noted goldfield. The gold yield for the state rose dramatically following the development of the Brilliant Reef, and in 1891, rose from 123, 000 ounces (3487 kg) to 218 000 ounces (6181 kg). It reached its all time peak of 319, 572 ounces (9059.7 kg), yielding over £2, 000, 000 by 1899. Gold production contributed between 21.61 and 35.53 percent of Queensland's export income during the 1880s and 1890s. These enormous amounts of gold were purchased by banks, which played a vital role in this process of wealth creation and distribution.
Gold production had been the mainstay of the Queensland mining sector in the 1890s, amounting to 85 per cent to 92.8 per cent of mining production during the decade. Apart from a brief spike in production at Mount Morgan in 1888 - 1889, Charters Towers consistently out-produced the other major gold mining areas of Ravenswood, Gympie, and Mount Morgan between 1880 and 1913. While Gympie peaked between 1901 and 1906, generally figures for all centres declined in the early 20th century. Charters Towers' production of 96, 046 oz (2723 kg) in 1912, fell to 42, 777 oz (1213 kg) in 1916 and was reduced to 8095 oz (22.9 kg) by 1919.
Despite Charters Towers being declared a city in 1909, the downturn in mining from 1914 and its virtual cessation by 1917 contributed to a steady decrease in population during this time. A town that had boasted a population of 25, 000 in 1900, when it was the second largest in Queensland, was reduced to just 13, 000 by the end of World War I (WWI). Between 1914 and 1918 more than 900 homes and business premises were removed from Charters Towers. Many were dismantled and transported by train to Townsville or Ayr where they were re-erected. Others were relocated to various places in Western Queensland. Nevertheless, banking institutions remained in town to service the regional rural economy and included the Bank of New South Wales, the Bank of Australasia, the London Chartered Bank, the Queensland National Bank, the Union Bank and the Bank of Commerce in the early 1920s. The Bank of New South Wales took over the Western Australian Bank in 1927, and then absorbed the Australian Bank of Commerce in 1931.
The Bank of New South Wales occupied the building in Gill Street until 1970 and during this time a number of repairs and small modifications were made. Renovations were undertaken in 1910 included plastering, painting, and general repairs, with further unidentified alterations occurring in 1921 and 1940. A post-1900 photograph of the rear of the bank shows rendering to the face-brick walls of the bank core and service wing; lattice panels fixed to the western verandahs of the manager's apartment and service wing; horizontal battens on the wash house and stables and a lavatory in the far south-western corner. It is likely that the female toilets attached to the northern western corner of the bank were built during WWI when women were employed to make up for the shortfall of men. Following the 1931 merger with the Australian Bank of Commerce, the amalgamated business was carried on in the Bank of New South Wales premises in Gill Street. The former Bank of Commerce building (originally the Joint Stock Bank) was used as accommodation for bank officers. It was sold in 1937.
The Charters Towers Bank of New South Wales played an important role in the Pacific Campaign of World War II, as the New Guinean Bank of New South Wales branches in the towns of Wau, Samrai, Rabaul, and Port Moresby were successively evacuated in January and early February 1942, due to bombing or threat of bombing. The transportable business effects including records, cash, and bullion were taken by boat to Townsville, and a custodian branch was set up in Charters Towers, while the reconstruction of the business was undertaken in Brisbane.
The Charters Towers City Council acquired the Queensland National Bank building in 1949 and relocated its administrative operations there. The building was then known as the Town Hall. A library was established in the old town hall building. The Charters Towers City Council acquired the former Bank of Commerce (AJS Bank) in 1992 and converted it into the World Theatre.
In 1967 a property exchange was made with the Charters Towers City Council, whereby the Bank of New South Wales acquired the old town hall site owned by the council. The old timber Town Hall was demolished in August 1968. The bank continued to occupy its original building during the construction of a new building on this site, which opened on the 16th of March 1970. The Bank of New South Wales acquired the Victorian based Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd in 1982 and then changed its name to Westpac, reflecting the Western Pacific region in which it now operated.
From 1982, the former Bank of New South Wales building was used as the council library and child care centre. The property was formally transferred to the Council in 1984. The council erected women's toilets to the rear of the western side of the building sometime prior to 1980. During the 1980s a restaurant occupied the first floor of the building. In the 1990s it housed the offices of Skill West and Skill Share, as well as school support services provided by Education Queensland. The semi-detached building at the rear has undergone a number of renovations over time. The library was relocated in 2003 and the day care centre ceased operation. The former Bank of New South Wales building has had a number of tenants since that time including a real estate agent and a Bendigo Bank Agency. The Australian Association of Distance Education Schools utilised space on the first floor for training purposes in the 2000s. The building was renamed Wherry House in 2006 to honour a former mayor Paul Wherry and his wife Molly who served the city from 1952 to 1964. Plaques commemorating their community work were installed in the building in November 2006.
Source: Queensland Heritage Register.
Decorated by Alexand Vantelli
In addition to the gorgeous pictures Morgan Faith took of Colleen Desmoulins' house, located in The Grove Country Club Estates; Autumn Ashdene has captured some lovely views of the home.
Check out Autumns Ashdene's flikr here: www.flickr.com/photos/bryonychenaux/
ARRR8- bearpawandbearpaw- Jo's quilt
My round for March (leaves and sawtooth/spike rounds)
I don't want to mail it I really have fallen in love with how it turned out :)
The latest addition to Metrobus Croydon Garage's fleet is Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer LDP281 (LX06FAJ). It has transferred from Plough Lane and will be used as a general spare for route 434 in case one of 189-192 requires attention or is unavailable. It was originally needed to cover 191, which had to be sent away for some work to be done on the floor, but that has since returned from quite a lengthy period out of service and I would expect this to remain until August when route 434's contract ends, and if route 434 is retained, it is likely LDP281 will be used as refurb cover.
On its first day running in service from Croydon Garage, LDP281 is seen at West Croydon Bus Station on route 455. Apologies for the slightly blurry picture.
UPDATE: Less than 1 month after it transferred, LDP281 moved on to Orpington as a spare. It then was withdrawn and sold to Avondale Coaches.
I introduce you to one of my newest paper garbage trucks! This is a 2023 Refurb Scorpion ASL. I have shown my small fleet of trucks on YT but not here!
66002 heads north through Carnoustie with 6A30 Mossend to Aberdeen - in addition to the normal BTA pipe carriers, a rake of MODA KFA loaded warfalts is consisted.
Only the addition of fleet number 5599 reveals that this view of W599 GCW was taken after the business of Leon Motors, Finningley, had been acquired by MASS, Anston in February 2005. It is a Dennis Trident with East Lancs Lolyne bodywork, one of a pair new to Leon in 2000.
It would not stay long with MASS and passed to Western Greyhound where it was reregistered 445 ADL.
Adolphsen Real Estate exists within a large stately mansion on an alignment of old US Route 99, and it is connected to Barry's Quality Machine shop. I imagine this used to be a service station with gasoline pumps when Market Street was the old 99. That these are conjoined by such an ersatz-lookin' lean-to makes this one of the most uniquely sprawly commercial additions I've ever seen.
There are three apartments upstairs in the house.