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So I took a ferry ride in Sydney over the weekend. This is the back side of Cockatoo Island. I have no idea what the chimney is/was used for? Burning stuff? Im sure one of the Sydney siders might have a better idea.

Desaturated and converted to B+W in RAW.

Playing with them tonight reminded me of the song "Dirty Old Town", by Ewan McColl.
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
Kissed a girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town


[img]http://www.fototime.com/{C480247E-338D-496D-9EC8-CCD35E0FDC94}/picture.JPG[/img]


[img]http://www.fototime.com/{FC04A465-F3F6-488C-82ED-C1AA2AF47811}/picture.JPG[/img]

Was it the Pogues that wrote that??? Anyway, great shots....

Escapism wrote:Was it the Pogues that wrote that??? Anyway, great shots....

That's what I was thinking, guess you learn something new everyday!
Nice use of B&W in these images.

Didn't this island used to be a prison for the worst convicts? I have a vague memory saying so...

Heath Bennett wrote:Didn't this island used to be a prison for the worst convicts? I have a vague memory saying so...

I know that Pinchgut - Ft Denison - was used as a prison... and I suspect that you may be somewhat right about Cockatoo Island as well ...

Paul wrote:

Escapism wrote:Was it the Pogues that wrote that??? Anyway, great shots....

That's what I was thinking, guess you learn something new everyday!
Nice use of B&W in these images.

Ewan McColl wrote it (1985) and the Pogues made a version of it as did Roger Whittaker.

Bob.

Almost forgot, I like these photos in B/W, I'll have to give that technique a try. It really gives them a mournfull look. Great pics.

Certainly, its earliest use seems to have been as a prison.

http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/s ... katoo.html

Thanks for the link Gary. Wow - that is a big dry dock behind the main building. I think there was a big musical festival on the Island earlier in the year. Looks like a cool industrial space to explore.

Thanks to Paul, Moggy and Escapism for feedback.

Good choice for the B&W, suits it well, particularly like the portrait.

Hi Willy,

I really like the symmetry of the cranes in No.2.

Alex

Scott. Really like these. Ive always been a fan of contrasting such as an industrial factory in the middle of a picturesque scene.

gstark wrote:Certainly, its earliest use seems to have been as a prison.

But doesn't that apply to the whole of Australia???

leek wrote:

gstark wrote:Certainly, its earliest use seems to have been as a prison.

But doesn't that apply to the whole of Australia???

Guess you'd have to ask the aboriginals about that John

Thanks for the link...
Some interesting info on the Island:

http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/sitescockatoo.html


1839-1850
A prison is constructed to house convicts withdrawn from Norfolk Island. Convict labour is used to cut silos deep into the rock for storing the colony's grain supply.

Just before the dockyard closed down in 1992, i was fortunate enough to have been able to assist in the removal of numerous naval artifacts from workshops and other areas on the island, including the workman's bar. Some of the items were very old and clearly from WWI and WWII. It was amazing wandering around the place. I could feel the history oozing out of the walls and the ground.

HMAS Success, the last ship to be built there, is still actively in service today.

There is a tour there now and then so it may even be interesting for a few of us to get out there one weekend for a photo shoot.

moggy wrote:

Paul wrote:

Escapism wrote:Was it the Pogues that wrote that??? Anyway, great shots....

That's what I was thinking, guess you learn something new everyday!
Nice use of B&W in these images.

Ewan McColl wrote it (1985) and the Pogues made a version of it as did Roger Whittaker.

Bob.

Almost forgot, I like these photos in B/W, I'll have to give that technique a try. It really gives them a mournfull look. Great pics.

I have an album from the Dubliners and the Fureys with versions of Dirty old Town. Both are also great versions but you have to have a few Guinesses to really appreciate them....what's that black can in my fridge...in fact I've got it now...

Killakoala wrote:Just before the dockyard closed down in 1992, i was fortunate enough to have been able to assist in the removal of numerous naval artifacts from workshops and other areas on the island, including the workman's bar. Some of the items were very old and clearly from WWI and WWII. It was amazing wandering around the place. I could feel the history oozing out of the walls and the ground.

HMAS Success, the last ship to be built there, is still actively in service today.

There is a tour there now and then so it may even be interesting for a few of us to get out there one weekend for a photo shoot.

Hey Steve - Thanks for that interesting extra information. I would like to see the results from a DSLR outing at this location.