On Sat, 4 Jun 2022 17:27:44 +1000, Mal Rowe wrote:

>As an Australian, I find it a bit hard to get enthused about a distant

>monarch, but the achievement of QE II to last 70 years in the job is

>remarkable.


Naah, as loyal subjects of the Queen of Australia, we colonials celebrated the 70th Jubilee yesterday along with the mother country.
I do have to say that the concert in the mall with its performers, light show and graphics projected on the palace and overhead drone display was an absolute cracker.

A couple of significant buildings in Melbourne were bathed in royal purple to join in the commemoration of this historic achievement.

I headed into town last night after the concert to see what was on show. I parked in Collins at the Town Hall which looked a bit meh in just a bit of red inside its porticos. I walked down to Flinders Street station which was spectacularly bathed in royal purple. Here's B2.2070 outbound on a route 75 Vermont South service passing the iconic station - at this time of night very few cars and no Ubereats e-cyclists to photobomb my photos:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2022/2026_flinders_st_sta_a7r3_21392.jpg
(2,400 x 1,500 pxl; 1.83MB).

A short time later, indigenous art tram D1.3532 rolled past Flinders Street station, a commemoration of first peoples' land rolling past a commemoration of a historic political domination of country - an uncomfortable juxtaposition:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2022-2023_art_trams//3532_flinders_st_sta_a7r3_21430.jpg
(2,400 x 1,500 pxl; 1.93MB).

I ambled back up Swanston Street to where I'd left my car as B2.2104 crept up behind me. Waiting at Flinders Lane, one can see that the streets are deserted on this chilly winter's evening. The large grey building houses Metro Tunnel building activity associated with the Town Hall station under construction and its underground walkway connections to Flinders Street station.
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2022/2104_swanston_flinders_la_a7r3_21467.jpg
(2,400 x 1,500 pxl; 2.06MB).

As B2.2104 paused at the Flinders/Collins Street stop, I was able to capture it with the gothic architecture of the tower of Manchester Unity building on the corner in the background:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2022/2104_swanston_a7r3_21499.jpg
(2,400 x 1,500 pxl; 2.06MB).

Back into my parked car, I looked in the mirror to see an E looming up behind me in Collins Street. I raced up the Collins Street hill at a breathtaking 40km/ wondering if the tram gods were on duty on a Sunday evening.

Bingo.... one (legal) car park free right at top of Collins; A rather tired and emotional passenger who seemed to be having trouble stepping into the tram caused the E to miss a cycle of lights. The tram gods were thus definitely on duty as the delay meant that I was able to capture C1.3032 inbound on a route 48 service as it curved past E1.6025 heading for West Preston - pleasantly surprised to get two trams in shot at 11:15pm on a Sunday, the old Treasury building in Spring Street at the top of Collins Street a little more restrained in its use of the royal purple:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2022/6025_3032_collins_spring_a7r3_21519.jpg
(2,400 x 1,500 pxl; 1.61MB).

Enjoy.

Yuri.
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Gallery at https://tinyurl.com/trams4me
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