City walls and recycled buildings in Geelong

from w
I have been interested to paint an old wall at the back of the National Wool Museum, but someone else beat me to making a picture of it! I saw this photograph on flickr and there it was - exactly the spot with the textures and patterns left after another building had been pulled down. The wall has looked like this for many years and there's a huge hole in the block in front while people work out what to do with the space.



Geelong's waterfront has changed over the past fifteen years with the old wool stores recycled as part of Deakin University, new high rise apartments, a flash hotel - Sheraton I think, and so on - sometimes blocking the view of the sea for others.

I really like the Deakin campus though, recycling these old buildings by keeping their fine wood and spaces and even smells that remind me of the wool bales that used to be sold there. (My father owned shearing sheds and there is a sentimental reminder of my childhood when I go into these kind of spaces.)

Also the plan to put a bridge over Yarra Street is going ahead (despite our protests)- Westfield - big business of the capitalists seems to dominate these days. Meanwhile they will close the only large supermarket left in the city for six months while they renovate. Good - we will go elsewhere!