Back to Hyde Park again and this is the ANZAC War Memorial behind the "Lake of Reflections" or "Pool of Remembrance". The memorial was completed in 1934 and it is the main commemorative military monument in Sydney.
This morning I had the pleasure of attending a service at Christ Church St. Laurence where I have two friends who are choristers. The church was consecrated in 1845, but has remained a "work in progress" for most of its life. In contrast to the conservative Evangelical character of most of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney Christ Church has long been a church within the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, with a focus on social justice issues and liturgical worship, together with an emphasis on the sacraments. It is also well known for adopting a much more liberal and theologically diverse stance than the diocese on certain issues, particularly sexuality. The tower contains a peal of ten bells hung for change ringing. The church is especially noted for its choir. The Choir of Christ Church St Laurence is one of the oldest continuing choral groups and was founded shortly after the consecration of the church in 1845. It is also regarded as one of the finest liturgical choirs in Australia. The choir performs an extensive repertoire from the 8th to the 21st century, with special emphasis on the polyphonic school of the 16th century. Apart from the commitment to liturgical worship the choir regularly gives concerts, is frequently heard on national radio and has recorded a number of CDs. The CCSL choir tours frequently and tours have included being the resident choir at London's Westminster Abbey for several periods, as well as singing in churches and cathedrals in Germany, France and Italy. The choir has recorded for a number of CDs, one of them having been nominated in the Australian Record Industries (ARIA) awards for the year as the best classical recording in Australia. Along with the rectory, school and hall, the church is listed on the Register of the National Estate as well as having a New South Wales state heritage listing.
This afternoon I took advantage of a few minutes without any rain and I went back down to Circular Quay. Circular Quay is the hub of Sydney Harbour, situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove, the founding site for Sydney and Australia. It is a stepping-off point for most attractions based around the harbour and an exciting place to be on a warm summer's day... and even on a not so pleasant weather day too. The quay is a vibrant, bustling place with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbour. It is pretty much the main "tourist" area in Sydney Harbour, and the area where you can see both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. As you can see, there's a different cruise ship in port today - this time it's the Queen Victoria.
On the way home I walked through Hyde Park again, and this time I went to an area in the park where a festival called "Sydney Cellar Door" was happening. It was a celebration of the state's 14 wine regions and fine local produce. There were more than 90 wineries present at the event, and I know it will come as no surprise to anyone reading this who knows me that this was definitely somewhere I enjoyed spending some time... and very different from home in that it was held completely outdoors in a public park! And let me tell you, there was definitely lots of wine tasting happening.
Ideally I'd like a bit of sunshine for the next few days, but even if not sunny days, fingers crossed that the rain eases a bit so I can more enjoyably spend some time outside and be able to show you more of Sydney.
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