Locked Up

One of the most visited attractions in Melbourne is Old Melbourne Jail (or ‘Gaol’) – the final home to many a rogue. The most notorious resident was Ned Kelly – an Australian anti-hero, remembered and written about in much the same way as Billy the Kid or Bonnie & Clyde, Dick Turpin or even Al Capone.
The first part of the tour of the jail was rather unexpected – as it involved all of us actually getting locked up in an old prison cell by a prison guard (portrayed by an actor - who was clearly enjoying his role a little too much). This is not something I would recommend for anyone who gets claustrophobic – and I felt that we were left in the cell just a little too long for comfort. Nevertheless, seeing this historic old prison was fascinating and we were presented with several strange and interesting tales of infamous inhabitants from the 1800s – and most prominent, of course, was the story of Ned Kelly and his gang.
After about 40 minutes of this I suddenly realized that I wanted to be outside in sunny Melbourne again. This had been long enough for me – and I felt fortunate that I was able to do exactly what thousands before me in years gone by always wished that they could do; leave.

As a pleasant contrast to Victorian-era incarceration, I then enjoyed the Italian quarter of the city – and, chiefly, Lygon Street. This is where thousands of Italian families first made their homes in Melbourne, soon after the end of the Second World War. Melbourne quickly benefited from their wonderful cooking and perfect espresso coffee, as it still does today. Lygon Street is lined with countless Italian restaurants, delicatessens and cafes, which were today filled with both locals and visitors enjoying lunch and soaking up the sun on every available sidewalk table. After another stunning cup of coffee, I then took a tram back down to Flinders Street. Melbourne’s trams are superb – they are plentiful, quick and much-loved by all.
Other cities that got rid of their trams too hastily now look with envy at Melbourne and its excellent tram system. It’s certainly the best way to see much of the city as a visitor and it is significantly quicker than a car (helped by the fact that trams always have right of way. If you’re a car and there is a tram coming, you have to move – and fast!)
I crossed the Yarra over to the South Bank – the artistic hub of Melbourne. Here, there are museums, art galleries, concert halls, the convention center, even more cafes and restaurants, skateboarders, street musicians and dancers and plenty of folks simply enjoying sitting on the banks of the river. Other than on the observation deck of the Rialto Tower, this is probably where you get the best view of the city also.

I was also fortunate enough to visit another school today. Thanks to my wonderful local guide and host, Kate, it had been arranged for me to tour Buckley House – the junior school of Ivanhoe Grammar School, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It was a delightful school filled with charming, happy, engaged students, many wonderful facilities and some impressive new buildings. I even had the chance to spend some time in a third grade classroom, during their Writer’s Workshop lesson! Everything was reassuringly familiar and I was pleased to make some great connections and contacts, which will be so useful when we are all studying Australia next year.

Melbourne has a great history, with its Gold Rush, its time as Australia’s capital city and its sustained influx of immigrants who made it such a richly diverse and cosmopolitan city. All around you, so many grand Victorian buildings remain – which, I realized, is unusual and sets this city apart from others. Back in England, so many of these types of buildings are long gone – either destroyed in wartime (1939-1945) or by developers with no aesthetic sense (1965-1975). But here those remnants of a prosperous and dynamic age still stand proudly, alongside the modern buildings that remind us that Melbourne has continued to be a city of exciting growth, change and optimism.
But now, my stay here is over. It's finally time to return to Sydney, where my journey started back on July 7th.

P.S.
Postscript to Saturday’s entry, for those following my cricket news: England DID eventually beat Australia in the cricket today, which completely astounded me! It is the first time in 75 years that England has won at Lord’s Cricket Ground against Australia. That’s a long wait. It’s just so funny that I should be over here – of all places – to witness it. I’m being very respectful to my Australian friends about it all right now – but, just between you and me, I am absolutely ecstatic!