Ecologically Sustainable Annandale

In recent years, the Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery has reintroduced Callicoma serratifolia "Black Wattle" to creek banks in Annandale.

'Gaea 7' is part of my Gaea series, which is about the environmental impact of our way of life:

It picks up on our dependency on energy and on finding reliable energy sources as existing (non-renewable) sources dwindle. It may appear to some to look like a turbine used in generators run on fossil fuels. Alternatively, it may be seen by others as a windmill and a source of renewable energy. The ambiguity is deliberate.

It reflects the harm caused to the environment by our existing use of fossil fuels—the material from which this work is principally constructed, plastic, is a petroleum by-product. It is discarded recyclable plastic. In this respect, the work emphasises the need to reuse and recycle rather than dispose.

The translucent character of the material captures and reflects sunlight, which is the ultimate source of life energy on this planet. The nature of the plastic is strong, light, versatile and can be aesthetically pleasing. Finally, the use by dates I have left on the plastic are themselves a source of irony as the material is not biodegradable. Instead, the dates may be seen as the premature expiry dates we are imprinting on earth itself.

Annandale resident, Leichhardt Municipal Council and Annandale Borough Mayor John Young, introduced electricity to Australia, when he imported a generator to provide electric light to construct the Garden Palace for the Sydney International Exhibition of 1879

The Beale Piano factory, in Annandale, had its own electricity generators, when Prime Minister Barton opened it in 1901.

In 1910, the city council extended its network, beyond its boundaries to Annandale.

Marghanita da Cruz

About the paintings

Suzy King

Thick black coal dust and the 24 hour clangour of heavy was the signature of White Bay Power Station, gateway to Balmain’s busy industrial waterfront, in 1930. An impressive landmark of the Industrial Age.

This was state of the art technology, in 1913 when construction began. White Bay was the longest serving power station in Sydney, providing traction current for Sydney’s tramways, railways & their related workshops, as well as part of the city’s lighting and other governmental energy needs.

In sharp contrast today, White Bay stands quiet, stripped, abandoned and in rapid decay, only it’s giant physical stature remains intact. This awesome structure captures the light, revealing its rich textures, patterns and colours. Still an impressive landmark, but in a different way in a different time.

[Cover note for Brochures, DCP17 and Newspaper clipping] Marghanita, Some significant historical stuff on energy in Leichhardt DCP 17 for all new houses and major renovations 5 leaflets were produced by me as part of FOE [ Friends of the Earth] This all ?? in 1994 all ready stuff Ted [Floyd, 2012]

About the prints:

I was delighted with the elegance of the new wind turbine at Johnston's Creek, Glebe. Then I noticed another small roof-top windmill in the city and I began to think how easily they fitted into an urban landscape. I decided to do a print series of everyday life in our suburb where windmills are present - not as they currently are, but as they might be.These two prints are the first in the series.

Susan Toohey, October 2012

Finding the right Light

Luke Graham got hooked on LED Lighting, while looking for the right light for his salt water Coral Aquarium.

Luke's Coral Aquarium now sits in his Environmental Led Lighting Shop in Parramatta Road Annandale

"The long lifespan and low energy use of LED lighting makes a compelling case, to at least consider, LED direct replacements for Halogen, Incandescent, CFL and T5/T8 Fluorescent Tubes. Innovative use of LEDs has lead to new kinds of lighting, mobile and promotional products. "...LED Downlights LED Lighting becomes main stream