The other Maryborough

 I grew up in Maryborough QLD, but there is another Maryborough in Victoria. I decided to visit and take the train which takes two and a half hours. The train left about 9:15 and the cost of the return senior's ticket was $5.

Unusual protective fence keeping intruders off the railway lines.

The train splits at Ballarat with the first three carriages going on to Ararat and the remaining three carriages proceeding to Maryborough.

Yes, there are a lot of sheep in Australia, mostly Merino.

The train arrived in Maryborough on time.

An outdoor restaurant on the platform. It was pretty nippy so most patrons were huddling inside.

Mark Twain visited the town and described it as ''a station with a town attached".

In 1895 American writer Mark Twain visited the town and remarked about the station upon his visit.

Don't you overlook that Maryborough station, if you take an interest in governmental curiosities. Why, you can put the whole population of Maryborough into it, and give them a sofa apiece, and have room for more. You haven't fifteen stations in America that are as big, and you probably haven't five that are half as fine. Why, it's perfectly elegant. And the clock! Everybody will show you the clock. There isn't a station in Europe that's got such a clock. It doesn't strike—and that's one mercy. It hasn't any bell; and as you'll have cause to remember, if you keep your reason, all Australia is simply bedamned with bells.

An outdoor auditorium.

The stage.

A school of technology.

It's about a kilometer walk from the station to the town centre so I started my day's exercise. I've ben doing plenty of walking during this trip.

Next door was this wooden house. The temperature inside would be much the same as the temperature outside,

Approaching the business district.

They still have an old picture theater.

Hunger and cold intervened and I demolished this meat pie. The bakery was filled with senior citizens who were also cold and hungry.

There are plenty of fine old buildings,

A distinguished Post Office.

The Court House to the left. There is also a similar vintage Town Hall but it was obscured by a large tree.

Yes, it is a sewing machine.

Impressive pub in the centre of town.

Balconies,

Housing is comparatively cheap.

I went back to the cafe at the station and enjoyed this and a mug of coffee. It's cold enough that I need my cap everywhere I go outside.

Inside the cafe.

If you order tea, this is what it comes in.

Roof of the main room. 

The floor.

It was a lovely day trip except for the return train trip. At Ballarat, our train had a problem joining up to the train returning from Ararat and we had to change to the other train. I was lucky to get a seat and many passengers had to stand.

Domain Street

 One of the activities I particularly enjoy in Melbourne is just to walk along a street in one of the nice old inner suburbs. We walked along Domain St on the way to my sister's place.

We took a tram to the Shrine of Remembrance (top left) and continued along the road which marks the boundary of the Botanic Gardens and then along Domain St. 

The Shrine of Remembrance. It was built to honour the fallen in WWI but has since honoured the fallen in all wars where Australian soldiers have participated.

To the right, you see a curved building between two taller buildings. It used to be known as the BP building and I worked there in 1975-76. At the time it had fabulous views over Port Philip Bay, but new tall buildings have blocked the view. 

It's winter here.

Latrobe's cottage. Latrobe was the first Governor of Victoria and this house was prefabricated in England and shipped to Australia.

The entrance.

Part of the garden.

A beautiful winter's afternoon.

Now we started walking down Domain St. Enjoy the colours highlighted by the afternoon sun.

Coriole is a winery in the McClaren region of South Australia.

Lemon trees are popular.

Faulkner Park. The building 2nd from the right is where my sister lives. I used to walk across this park when I worked at BP and it was the best commute ever.