It was a beautiful day in Melbourne and we started it off with a quick trip to Brighton Beach to check out the Bathing Boxes
Bathing Boxes on Dendy Street Beach: the first of these iconic bathing boxes was built in 1862 and by the turn of the century, many more were built as their popularity increased. Numbering more than 200 in 1930, many were lost due to neglect and storm damage. During the 1970s, the State Government attempted to have all the boxes demolished and cleared away. Many groups and residents combined to oppose this threat and were eventually so successful that the boxes are now protected by a Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay. There are 82 boxes remaining.
Many wedding portraits are done here…we saw several brides during our short visit!
Having a bit of fun!
We had so much fun at the Bathing Boxes, but then headed back to our apartment for some lunch.
We had heard great things about the Melbourne Museum, so we decided to check it out….it did not disappoint! The only disappointing thing was not having enough time to see it all!
The Royal Exhibition Building next door: The Victorian gold rush of the 1850s led to Melbourne rapidly developing from a scattering of wooden houses to a marvelous modern city. This period of wealth and optimism was short lived, as a major economic depression hit in the 1890s. Between 1815 & 1915, about 70 international exhibitions were held around the world, 2 at this building. Today, the Royal Exhibition Building continues to support trade shows, fairs, exhibitions, cultural and community events.
Checking out the forest gallery in the museum
This tree from northern Queensland was 619 years old when it was felled in 1939. It was estimated to stand 164 feet tall.
Inside the Aboriginal Cultural Center
This was such an informative area and the girls were quite interested in learning about the Aboriginals.
A boomerang, wooden shield, bone nose ornament,and wooden fighting club
They had a lot of great interactive things for the kids…of course Kyla found the one that Aboriginal children passing gas!
In this area, you could see the life of different Aboriginals and read their stories.
This was quite an emotional room.
The Empty Coolamons: In Memoriam to the Stolen Generations-The coolamon is a wooden vessel used by Aboriginal women throughout Australia to collect fruit, nuts and grain. It was also used to cradle newborn babies. These empty coolamons stand in witness to the pain of loss suffered by the Aboriginals when the official government policy from 1909-1969 was to force removal of their children from their families. It is estimated that 100,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and raised in orphanages or adopted by white families. Most were under 5 years of age. These children became known as the Stolen Generations.
The skeleton of a whale on our way to the Children’s Gallery
The funhouse mirrors are always a hoot!
Fun in the Children’s Garden
Exploring the Science and Life Gallery
Saurpod Dinosaur Eggs-Fossils discovered in China
The evolution of earth
4.4 billion years ago-Molten Earth 3.8 billion years ago-Ocean Earth 2.2 billion years ago-Snowball Earth
105 million years ago-Green Earth Today-Our Earth 100 million years on-Future Earth
Mom picking out her next piece of bling
Our last stop was the Mind and Body Gallery and we would have loved some time here, but it was just a quick walk through as they were closing down.
WWI vet Albert Ward used this cast-iron coach-wheeled bed for 43 years. He was 24 when he was severely wounded in his back and thighs in 1918.
After the museum, we headed back to our place for dinner before Brian and I ventured out for a night of free comedy during Melbourne’s comedy festival. There was definitely a reason it was free…it wasn’t very good. The first few guys had some funny bits mixed in, but the last guy was rough…on all counts. We enjoyed a beer and night out none the less!
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