Sunday, June 08, 2008

Australia's National Day

I took some pictures of the parade that celebrated Australia' National Day (26 of January)on King William Road in Adelaide. As known, this great day is cerebrated across the country on 26 of January every year. Here is the information about this day as stated publicly. " Australia Day, celebrated annually on 26 January, is the official national day of Australia, commemorating the establishment of the first British settlement on the continent of Australia. The date is that of the foundation of a British penal colony at Sydney Cove on Port Jackson, New South Wales in 1788, by Captain Arthur Phillip, who was to become the first Governor. Australia Day is an official public holiday in all states and territories of Australia, and has also been known as Anniversary Day& Foundation Day.

On the eve of Australia Day each year, the Prime Minister announces the winner of the Australian of the Year award, presented to an Australian citizen who has shown a "significant contribution to the Australian community and nation", and is an "inspirational role model for the Australian community". Subcategories of the award include "Young" and "Senior Australian of the Year", and an award for "Australia's Local Hero".

Records of the celebration of Australia Day date back to 1808, and in 1818, Governor Lachlan Macquarie held the first official celebration of Australia Day. In 2004, an estimated 7.5 million people attended Australia Day celebrations and functions across the country."






Some more pictures of Adelaide

I took some more pictures of Adelaide which is the capital city of South Astralia. Adelaide is a very beatiful city that is named as " the green city". Here is the general information about the city as stated in Wekipedia. " Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1.1 million. It is a coastal city beside the Southern Ocean, and is situated on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, between the Gulf St. Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges. It is roughly 20 km from the coast to the foothills but sprawls 90 km from Gawler at its northern extent to Sellicks Beach in the south.

Named in honour of Queen Adelaide, the consort of King William IV, the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the River Torrens in an area traditionally inhabited by the Kaurna aboriginal peoples. Light's design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by parkland. Early Adelaide was shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties, which led to world-first reforms. Today Adelaide is known for its many festivals as well as for its wine, arts and sports.

As South Australia's seat of government and commercial centre, Adelaide is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in the city centre along the cultural boulevard of North Terrace, King William Street and in various districts of the metropolitan area."







Places in Adelaide





Saturday, June 07, 2008

View of the memorial garden of City of West Torrens




I took some pictures of the Memorial Garden of City of West Torrens. It is near Hamra Centre Library, where I usually go to read books on the weekends.

In the city


It's me in front of Harris Scarf Shop and Woolworth on a day after a seminar class.

Western Youth Centre


I took this picture on the yard of Western Youth Centre which is near my house in a cold morning. Yes, wearing a hood or a hat is really needed for your health during the winter.

My rent house


I took this picture of myself at the back of my rent house.

Australian Post Box


This is the typical Australian Post box in my living area. Small but looks good. Click the topic and you will learn more about it including its history and how it works.

Adelaide's Police Heritage




I took some pictures of Adelaide's Police Heritage which is just few steps from my university. Have a look and guess how old it is.

Garage Sale



Like America or England, Australian people always display the garage sale on the weekend in front of their houses. Last few weeks, I just went to one on a street near my place. So, take a look at the pictures. You may have some ideas about it. Also read the description of the garage sale as taken from Wikipedia as follows.

" A garage sale, also called a "yard sale", "rummage sale", "tag sale", "attic sale", "moving sale", or "junk sale", is an informal, irregularly scheduled event for the sale of used goods by private individuals, in which "block sales" are allowed, so that sellers are not required to obtain business licenses or collect sales tax.
Yard sale in Spring 2005 in California
Yard sale in Spring 2005 in California
Yard sale in Summer 2005 in California
Yard sale in Summer 2005 in California

Typically the goods in a garage sale are unwanted items from the household with the home owners conducting the sale. The goods are sometimes new, like-new, or just usable, offered for sale because the owner does not want or need the item, to minimize their possessions, or to raise funds. Popular motivations for a garage sale are "Spring cleaning" or the owner's move to a new residence. The seller displays their wares to the passers-by or those responding to signs, flyers, or newspaper ads. Sometimes local television stations will broadcast a sale on the local public channel. The sales venue is typically a garage, driveway, carport, front yard, porch, or occasionally, the interior of a house. Some vendors, known as 'squatters', will set up in a highly trafficked area not on their own property.

Staples of garage sales include old clothing, books, toys, household knickknacks, and board games. Larger items like furniture and occasionally appliances are also sold. Garage sales occur most frequently in suburban areas on good-weather weekends, and usually have designated hours for the sale. Buyers who arrive before the hours of the sale to review the items are known as "Early Birds"; they often are professional restorers or resellers. Such sales also attract people who are searching for bargains or for rare and unusual items. Bargaining also known as haggling on prices is routine, and items may or may not have price labels affixed. Some people buy goods from these sales to restore them for resale.

Some cities, such as Beverly Hills, California, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, require that the homeowners apply and pay for a yard sale permit, and even with that homeowners in Beverly Hills can only hold yard sales in the back of their homes. Typically these permits cost only ten dollars or so."

Cowandilla Primary School



I took a picture of myself in front of Hamra Centre Library, City of West Torrens. Another picture is Cowandilla Primary School.

Monday, August 27, 2007

More pictures again!



More pictures at the party





Party at Elyas's house (25/08/07)






We,PhD students and Master degree students in the Department of Linguistics, Adelaide University were having an afternoon party at Elyas's house, one of our nice friends. Everyone brought his/her own ethnic foods to the party. All were delicious! I and Phi Simmy (Thai students) also brought some Thai delicious foods to the party too. Our friends said " Yummyyyyyy".

Monday, August 20, 2007

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

A bin on Rundle Mall street



This bin is on Rundle Mall street, the city center. You see? It looks good. Inside the stainless box, there is a plastic bin attached. I was surprised by this when I first saw it and found later that the idea is not bad. You can see this style of fixed bin in some major areas in the city. I think it is not bad if we would take this idea to be applied for the development of the bin system in our country, where much garbage is not properly managed. Anyway, we should make sure that the collection system is also practical and well managed. Next post I will show you how the bin collection system works in my living area!

Wednesday, August 08, 2007