Remember the days of the old schoolyard
We used to laugh a lot, oh don't you
Remember the days of the old schoolyard
When we had imaginings and we had
All kinds of things and we laughed
And needed love... yes, I do
Oh and I remember you.
I walked part-way to work today and captured some images which will always hold special memories for our family. This has been our beat for many, many years. It is an area where the secular school yard rubs up against politics and religion. There's Presbyterian, Uniting and Serbian Orthodox churches, a Jewish Centre, the federal parliament, the bureaucracy, commercial offices, tourist accomodation and an Italian Club. A splendid mix.
For a young city with few historic sites, I am always glad to see the neo-Gothic spires of the Presbyterian Chuch of St Andrew on State Circle. It brings a bit of soft olde worldliness to an otherwise stark modern built environment. The foundation stone was laid by the Governor-General, Rt. Hon Lord Stonehaven in November 1929 and it was officially opened in September 1934, albeit incomplete, due to the Depression.
It was once a towering centrepiece of the Canberra landscape back in the days when sheep roamed the plains. Now it is dwarfed by modern buildings in the name of progress. Not that you can really tell from the old school yard.
Lyrics by Cat Stevens
Photo by me and St Andrew's
