Today’s corner required a little eXtra thinking outside the boX – so we are looking at the letter X as a cross.
This crossroad corner is in the centre of town in Beechworth, Victoria. As shown, to the North lies Yackandandah, Chiltern, and Wodonga. To the South, Wangaratta. And to the East, Stanley and Myrtleford.
What is interesting to me is that there is nothing in this crossroad sign pointing to the West… so does this mean that the street is a road to nowhere?
Not at all.
In fact, to the West lies Beechworth Historic Park (which in my opinion, is well worth the visit).
Gold was found near Beechworth in 1852, drawing a rush of miners to the area. Within five years, the fields were yielding so much gold that Melbourne received shipments of half a tonne every two weeks.
Today, you can explore Beechworth’s gold mining past by walking through Beechworth Historic Park. It offers a 12km network of tracks that wind through the Gorge with various points of interest like Spring and Reid’s Creeks, the Powder Magazine, and lakes Sambell and Kerferd.
The park’s arid environment sustains unique plant life including stringybarks, native Cypress Pines, and various wildflowers. You can also spot a range of Australian native animals too,
So don’t cross (X) the road to the west off your trip! Go with an ‘X marks the spot‘ instead and check out this little corner of the world… if you are ever in the area.
This corner is from along the way on the Bullawah Trail, in Wangaratta, Victoria.
The traditional owners of this land are the Pangerang (Bangerang) people. In Pangeramg language, ‘bulla’ means two and ‘wah’ means water. The word Bullawah signifies the joining of two rivers in this area and the coming together of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
The Bullawah Trail is a self-guided walk where you can explore ancient Aboriginal stories, culture, sculptures, anda Bush Tucker Garden.
The irony here is twofold. Firstly, this image is pure graffiti – and not part of the trail at all! Yet, its prominence certainly draws and distracts the eye as you meander the river.
Secondly, in Australia, foxes are an introduced species. They have wreaked havoc on our native animals and local environment. Foxes are considered a pest with government ‘management’ programs in place to control their impact.
A most vexatious vixen indeed!
You can see more of the Bullawah Cultural Trail here.
This diabolical spiral staircase was spotted tucked away in a corner of The Strand Arcade in Sydney.
Though locked from public access, the mind boggles at how on earth this set of stairs was ever practicable… and to where does it lead?
The Strand Arcade, is nestled in Sydney’s bustling Central Business District, and is a Victorian-inspired shopping centre boasting specialty stores. It features premium Australian designer brands alongside a dining establishment.
Named in honor of London’s West End thoroughfare, The Strand Arcade was envisioned in the mid-1890s by English architect John Spencer and welcomed its first visitors in 1892. It was the fifth and final shopping arcade constructed in Sydney during the Victorian period and is the sole survivor in its original architectural state.
Round and round the staircase goes. Where it leads, no one knows...
This is my third and final corner brought to you by MONA. Located in the grounds, outside the main gallery, is this installation called the Spectrums Chamber.
The chamber is a steel cube with 12 large prisms mounted into the walls, and one in the ceiling. Sunlight striking the prisms then diffuses, projecting a solar spectrum onto the pristine white interior surfaces.
As the sun and earth’s position in relation to each other is in a constant state of change, the spectra evolve minute by minute, hour by hour, across the days and years.
I was fortunate indeed to capture these spectra in the corner… they really are quite beautiful.
These lovely prisms up high, diffuse the beaming sunlight. To create rainbow dreams, on surfaces that gleam But actually, it's really all white!
This is quite possibly, my favourite corner so far.
Last Saturday, we wiled away the afternoon at Slow Lane Brewing in Sydney, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The beer was rather good (especially the Hazy Pale Ale) and they had a range of games on offer too.
A mate pulled out the chess board and assuming I was a player (I’ll choose to take that as a compliment), challenged me to a game. However, I have actually never played in my life.
So he taught me the basics and I played my first ever game of chess.
What I love about this corner, is it was completely unplanned. Earlier in the day, I had been puzzling over what I would do for the upcoming, trickier letters of Q and X. As I sat there pondering my next chess move, I suddenly realised, my queen was in the corner!
I shrieked with excitement startling my opponent who thought I had just uncovered a winning move 😂. When I replied, ‘Oh sorry! I just worked out my Q post for my A-Z Challenge,’ it only elicited more strange looks.
I came close to winning (who knew you had to declare ‘Checkmate’ when you have them pinned?!)
Pages and pages of empty white, fill today’s corner.
Believe it or not, this whole room is actually an art installation called, ‘Untitled‘ by Wilfredo Prieto.
Known colloquially as The White Library, this work is a collection of 6,000 entirely blank books, filling a dedicated space on the second floor at MONA.
This exhibit left me quite speechless. Amid the serenity of the white, library-like surroundings perusing book upon book of emptiness, I felt a strange sense of unease and loss… but also of potential and opportunity.
I wondered, to what end does this artwork serve us. Does it remind that pages should be filled with stories? That it is up to us to tell our tales? Or perhaps, it’s the exact opposite. Is it a commentary on empty words that have no meaning? That we have nothing of any value left to say? (I sincerely hope not)!
The room also reminded me of one of my favourite songs by Mumford and Sons, White Blank Page.
I think the promise of a white blank page is extremely powerful. It signifies new beginnings, a fresh opportunity, a desire to be filled, or at least bear a mark.
And if it doesn’t work out, I guess you can always scrunch it up (or press delete) and try again…
Today’s corner can be found in the Hibernian Hotel in Beechworth, VIC. It is a painting of one of Australia’s most famous and iconic bushrangers, Ned Kelly. This painting depicts his trademark suit of armour and the scene of his ‘last stand.’
So why is a criminal the subject of this painting, let alone relevant enough in these modern times to have pride of place on a wall? Let’s explore this.
Australia’s early colonial era was marked by the presence of murderers, convicts, and criminals on-the-run who opted to brave the unforgiving Australian wilderness rather than endure harsh punishments. Poverty and greed during the Gold Rush period also pushed some individuals into a life of crime.
As far as historical figures go, bushrangers had all the right ingredients for a great saga – drama, betrayal, murder, martyrdom, love and loathing. They generated significant social interest, and offered an air of romance and bravery. Many people sympathised with bushrangers and followed their endeavours via the newspapers, which were saturated with tales of their escapades.
Despite the diligent efforts of law enforcement, bands of bushrangers persisted in terrorising and preying upon civilians and police officers. Consequently, in 1865, the NSW Government implemented an Act granting power to shoot dead any individual deemed an ‘outlaw’ by the courts, without prior warning. Many bushrangers perished in clashes with law enforcement or were apprehended and subsequently executed for their criminal deeds.
The ‘bushranging era’ in Australia is considered to have finished by the 1880s however, bushrangers today, occupy a notable place in Australian history. Their criminal activities and violence have somewhat faded into the background over time and instead, they are remembered for their exceptional horse riding skills, their adeptness at surviving in the harsh Australian bush, and their defiance against injustice. No doubt, our obsession with bushrangers probably stems from a sense of rebellion against authority – the origins of which are firmly rooted in our early colonial history as a convict outpost.
The legacy of bushrangers is indeed, complex. Life in the colonies was undeniably challenging, with many facing unfair treatment under the law. On one hand, bushrangers are celebrated for their daring escapades, embodying the spirit of fighting injustice. There are many accounts of bushrangers displaying acts of politeness or even returning stolen goods. On the other hand, their actions also brought immense fear, misery, and suffering to many.
This leaves us then, with an interesting question: bushranger… hero, villain, or both?
Today, I have another corner brought to you by the Hotel Queanbeyan, in NSW.
This is the view of the foyer upon entering from the front doors. I was immediately struck by the cosiness of this little corner nook; offering plentiful armchairs, and implying there is no standing room in this place!
The ‘top pub’ has been in continuous operation since 1927. I can imagine many a good time has been passed here; the hum of activity, plumes of smoke, clinking glasses – as people connect over their conversations and drinks. (Also, note… the ‘corner-door‘ nestled in under the stairs).
What have these walls heard over the years?
Maybe if I…
Sit awhile. Relax in style, with drink and smile …the seat awaits.
Lounge the chairs, stories shared. Join us friend …you’ve found the place.
‘Just one more drink?’ ‘What, do you think?’ I catch a wink. ‘No worries mate!’
By Sarah 
You must be logged in to post a comment.