The Circular Quay precinct, on the south side of Sydney Harbour, about 6 kilometres by car from where I live on the Balmain Peninsula, is my favourite part of Sydney. Situated at the northern end of Sydney’s CBD, bounded by The Royal Botanic Gardens, The Art Gallery of NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art and sparkling Sydney Harbour, it is dotted with bars, shops and cafes, and features the World Heritage listed Opera House and iconic Harbour Bridge, with the historic Rocks nearby to the West and the Domain to the East. It is spectacularly beautiful and filled with places to explore, colour and movement. Quintessential Sydney living; there is nowhere better to be on a sunny day (most days in Sydney). Naturally, it has long been the subject of local painters and its development has been meticulously recorded in this way.
Top: look what we’ve made – Circular Quay today, the Museum of Contemporary Art to left (out of shot), the Art Gallery of NSW and the Botanic Gardens, both also out of shot. We sardonically call the monstrous modernist development in front of the Opera House “The Toaster”. What kickbacks were paid, and to whom, we wonder? Maybe some detective work is in order. I’m pretty certain it was a State Labor Government in power at the time and they’ve recently experienced a corruption scandal. What puzzles me is, how do they feel when they daily look upon the result of their treachery? Because you know all involved now have…Harbour views. Oh the irony!
Paintings 1 & 2: Arthur Streeton 1864 – 1943, Landscape painter of the Heidelberg School art movement, or Australian Impressionism. Images of Sydney Harbour, circa late 19th C.
3 & 4: Margaret Preston 1875 – 1963, Australian Modernism of the 1920s, “Circular Quay” and “The Bridge” 1932.
5. Grace Cossington Smith, 1892 – 1984, 1930s Modernist influences: “The Bridge in Curve” 1930.
“Those who love much do much and are capable of much, and that which is done with love is done well.” – Van Gogh
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