This is where I go to work every day. It is the building that houses the satellite country campus of a major West Australian university. 'Down here', we wave to the city to notice us occasionally and the rest of the time we happily revel in the beautiful space provided us and hope the city won't cotton on to how good we've got it.
It used to be the customs building, back when the sea walked up to the verandas and all the nation's highways were sea borne. You could liken it to contemporary interstate fruit inspection points on the Nullabor, when the contents of your vessel gets spilled out on the road for scrutiny.
Nowadays, students spill out of the front doors after a tutorial, still buzzing with discussions from their weekly readings. I did my whole degree in this building, apart from a sojourn to Otago in New Zealand. Even though I now work externally from a different university, I managed to hold on to my post grad's desk and 'being in the loop' has proved a life line in my task as a regional PhD student.
Lucky, huh? Sometimes, even when life gets in the way, I have to pinch myself.
love the ROMEO AND jULIET BALCONY!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely for princesses, John.
ReplyDeleteI will have to check with my Mum but I am sure we used to do Brownies there when I was a kid. Such a lovely building, and with mysterious tunnels to the Old Prison...or is that just a rumour? I have been underneath and seen various tunnels, I think there was one to the courthouse as well?
ReplyDeleteYes, I've heard that, too. Or maybe it was a tunnel to the Forts.
ReplyDeleteDon't know how seriously to take it. There is usually an antique rumour about American servicemen, tunnels and tigers when it comes to the old buildings. But if you ever want to show me MF, I'd be up for it!
I went to a couple of sea scouts discos in the Seventies underneath there. It was the girls version of sea scouts, not sure what they were called..
ReplyDeleteSea scouts, perhaps? Were there girls? Did you find any tunnels?
ReplyDeleteThere is a great spiral staircase going from the ground to the tower. My ancient history tutor once told me that it is spiralling in the wrong direction, widdershins, if you like.
ReplyDeleteApparently spiral staircases were designed so that the defenders could launch down the stairs, swinging their swords in their right hands, getting the invaders right in the throat!
I think they built this staircase with left handed defenders in mind.
I think there IS a tunnel to a building and now seem to remember it as the very old but now B & B not far away that was at that time the courthouse.....The structures that I have seen are all blocked off but I think you can see them if you go into the bowels of Spectrum Theatre (if that theatre is still there).
ReplyDeleteA left-handed staircase, excellent! It's amazing how much of the built world doesn't take into account southpaws...
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