Landscape Details, the photography of Gordon Marriott: 2011

Werribee Gorge Sunrise

Werribee Gorge. September 2011. I got up at 5.30 and hiked to find a good spot, i waited my sweet old time for the sun to actually come up, and despite the icy cold it was a lovely greeting to the day. It is remarkable this is so close to Melbourne and begs a good further investigation. Any takers??

Fantastic Silhouettes

Mount Beckworth, August 2011. A frustrating series of work days led me to want to head off for a day and explore. From a distance I can see a mountain with a strange lolly pop tree on top, off I go. Its near Clunes, and was quite a walk to get to the top, and boy was i surprised to see how big this lolly pop pine tree actually is when you stand underneath. In the bright light the canopy was silhouetted nicely, revealing all the tiny branches and needle leaves. Contrast this to the native Eucalypyt branches, though dead through drought, they dont have a confined structure like the pine, their branches simply spread out and reach ever toward the sky.

Castlemaine Pump Foundry

September 2011. Amongst other subjects that get me excited when i find them is the sawtooth roofed factory. I am mad on geometry, lines and industrial material, so finding this huge factory was a buzz. I couldnt get in, and didnt really try, outside was good enough. The day was gloomy, but had enough light emerging through some building storm clouds to get some moody shots of the building, probably built back in the 1930's.

Castlemain Architectural Discovery

August 2010. A bit of a discovery day in historic Castlemain last week. I could live there very easily. Its uber nice. Anyway, some interesting perspectives of the high brick walls of the former Jail being reclaimed by the elements, and one of the unique stone finishing of the bank.

Central Victorian Paddocks

September 2011. I think everyone (who likes going on country drives!) has seen a bright yellow Canola field in flower, and the market is at saturation point with photos of them, but it really is a captivating seasonal experience, arriving suddenly in spring. I thought this was a worthwhile perspective nonetheless.
Throughout the goldfields region are relics of a long history of small settlements from the 1800's. This small home was still standing proud, made with carefully stacked stones. The roof, long gone, has given light to the growth of an immense blackberry plant growing in its centre. From atop the walls a fantastic stream of light shone through where the doors and window once were.

Sombre, Still Pine Forests

Creswick, Victoria. August 2011. They call Creswick the home of forestry; there are a lot of hillsides covered in pine plantations. As much as they are a monotonous blot on the landscape from the outside, on the inside it is a surreal experience; unnaturally quiet and dark, forming an eerie experiential space much unlike a native forest. Which is almost the appeal - stepping into a forest completely removes you from familiarity.

Mining era relics.

Mostly lying around the north of Broomfield and Creswick (north of Ballarat), are prominent reminders of the 1800's gold-rush and settlement of the region. I am not sure how, using 1800's technology, they moved so much rock and earth. Some of these mullock heaps are have many hundreds of thousands of tonnes of material, which all came from below ground in a vertical shaft. Today erosion is slowly making off with the piles but are still an amazing sight on the landscape. And I am pretty happy with how these all turned out, all handheld, and yet another win for having a CPL in the kit.

Dangerous, but attractive old bridge.

Between Creswick and Clunes in Western Vic lies a region hugely influenced by the discovery of gold in the mid 1800's. Searching for more old mines I discovered this old bridge. To be honest i don't know how people are even allowed to go near it, but alas you can still drive across it....... despite huge cracks and buckled concrete pillars. It was built in 1900...... Before cars were ever invented to cross it....