railway canal

On the weekend Perry and I did a little wander down Moonee Ponds Creek almost to Docklands to check out whether there's any material evidence left of the loading dock for coal from the Railway Canal to the Spencer St railyards. We found this. I mean, really I just don't know. It seems weird to imagine that no-one had ever taken away this jumble of stone from what seems likely to have been the site of the dock, in the century plus since it was decreed redundant. But on the other hand, did they have any reason to take it away, and did anyone really need or want this little bit of the creek bank for anything else? 

The Railway Canal was a big project of the late 19th century which doesn't really seem to have been used at all much after about 1910. It's essentially one of the few canal projects in Melbourne to aid industry/infrastructure, curious that it was implemented to assist railways which had essentially supplanted canals long before this time. But the logistics made a certain amount of sense. But clearly it was pretty quickly revealed as a folly, and contributed to the ruination of the creek. 

To reiterate - I understand this amateur urban archaeology could well be way off. Way off. 

charles schulz was on the money

At least I do recall a Peanuts strip in which Snoopy became unfeasibly relaxed... as Charlie is here. I am still having trouble sleeping, but looking forward very much to the end of the week, year, etc. Did some Christmas shopping which was not soothing at all. JB had a Stones live concert from last year or recently anyway playing full bore at the doorway and it wasn't pleasant. Inside they were playing Prince which was slightly more pleasant (come to think of it, weren't they playing Prince in the cafe at the student union? Yes, yes they were).

I had an awkward conversation with the youngster at the counter re: my pink credit card, which Mia has made me self-conscious about. I was sort of saying I was surprise by it when it came in the mail, suggesting I found it a little de trop, he was sort of praising it I think. But all these conversations are split-seconders not worth analysing, ay.