Maryborough CFA
This weekend – today, in fact – marks 150 years since the Maryborough Fire Brigade came into being. They were one of the first fire brigades in Victoria and were formed when Freemason’s Hotel (the site of the current Albion Hotel) burnt to the ground. Today they’re part of the state-wide Country Fire Authority and vital part of the volunteer emergency service fabric of the state.
Last night the SES Controller and I had the pleasure of attending their formal dinner, and enjoyed good food and excellent company. We got to see and hear a lot of history relating to the brigade – some of which we knew, but a lot of was new to us.
Today the fire station had an open day with a BBQ, so the kids and I wandered down to say hello and have a look over the fire appliances.
Ballarat
Had to kill an hour in Ballarat today so took the camera out. One thing I always love about Ballarat is that there’s such a thin layer of paint over the goldrush era – you don’t need to look hard at all to see cobblestone streets and buildings from the mid 1800’s.
I found a small laneway off the Bridge Mall that I’d never seen before. The walls are totally covered in murals painted by one of the art colleges in Ballarat – quality is a little suspect, but it’s still pretty neat.
A few other random shots that caught my eye…
Tullaroop picnic
Big Girl’s friend was staying with us for the day yesterday and we had a picnic dinner at Tullaroop Reservoir. I knew I’d be shooting in low light but couldn’t find the camera mounting plate for the tripod so I had to push the ISO and shoot handheld. Reasonably happy with some of the shots I got.
Avoca Falls
We visited Lisa’s Dad over in Avoca today and took him for a drive out to Avoca Falls. No water, but it sure is a nice spot.
Fred
Had a visit from Fred today – first time in quite a while. He’s been busy, Lisa and I have been busy, and we just haven’t had a chance to catch up for a while. Good times.
Who said what?