THE CITIES OF THE ANTIPODES

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3497, 12 April 1912, Page 7

THE CITIES OF THE ANTIPODES

SOME STRIKING CONTRASTS.

SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, AND HOBART.

(Written specially for the Gisborne Times bv Mel. S. Edwards.)

Contrasts in the cities of the Southern Hemisphere should not exist, according to an English tourist whom I had the amusement to listen to the other day, lie basing his argument on the fact that all springing from a common Home stock in comparatively recent years, had not had time to promulgate species widely different. Judging from a personal observation of all the big cities of Australasia, seen at one period or another, this view is false in many respects. The citizen of Wellington or Auckland takes a quite diffeient view of life to those inhabitants of Sydney or Melbourne who allow themselves the idleness of thinking, while the ways of the sober-minded member of Tasmania’s premier city view matters with quite a different interest—an interest which raises, nothing beyond the common-place. Sydney has barely revived from the throes of a squabble over the' action of the Board of Cricket Control in not accepting an unqualified acceptance of their invitation to visit England from six- of Australia’s most prominent cricketers, and while the matter was at its’ height no greater subject could be. thought of—-and what with public meetings' presided over by Australia’s most prominent statesmen, with three or four columns of vituperation in all the leading papers, and the matter inevitably cropping lip as the most “catching” gag at every music hall, people in this part of the antipodes showed to what a depth public feeling can go in matters affecting the country’s sport, for a “sport” seems to lie the supreme height to which one may aspire, New Zealanders, fortunately, do not rise to such heights in raising embyro heroes out of men who in this instance for the most part have had a surfeit of. English cricket tours, with £4OO apiece' to defray expenses, and even when Mr Webb secured the rowing supremacy of the world, and admiring citizens in their ardour for national recognition called for subscriptions from all parts of the Dominion to adequately recompense the sculler for his efforts, the response was mainly local. Sydney has been suffering from another sore trial for the past few weeks, in the shape of the heat emanating from sthe sun’s rays, which themselves, however, .seldom had an opportunity of breaking through a perpetual haze overhanging the city. The usual exodus to the bays took jilace of the summer girl, whose outstanding feature this year lias been in dress reform, a dress reform which eschewed as quite dowdy and out of form such things as collars, and the most fashionable, was she who could appear in a shirt waist at least inches lower round the neck and displaying really more feminine charm than a neighbour who perchance was content with open-worked sleeves, half-way to the elbow, and an absense of covering'from her chin down that would have shocked Mrs Grundy—hut then that respectable dame generally sees the wisdom of staying behind lowered window blinds at this season of the year. The liebe who pushed the foaming tankard across to the callow youths, who perpetually wiped, with a colored bandana, the sweat of effort from receding foreheads, were on a pinnacle quite their own in this respect, and after languidly pushing the aforesaid tankard with*a “There’s yours, dear,” turned in quite a becoming and contented manner to arrangs a rose where there should have been half a yard of flounced and tuckered muslin. Just about the time 1 visited Hobart, the dreamy quiet of this beautiful Island town Was stirred by the arrival from the Antarctic regions of Amundsen in the “Fram,” and Dr Scott’s vessel, the “Aurora.” With, a becoming modesty, aided by a big cheque, no doubt, from the London “Chronicle,” to whom lie sent his story, the successful explorer kept the little town, as well as the rest of Australia, on the edge of suspense for many weary hours before lie disclosed to them the news, which by this time had been re-transferred from London, that he had been successful in reaching the goal of his ambition. Then the town accorded him a right royal mead of praise. The Fram and the Aurora present many contrasts, and show the grim determination which could impel Amundsen to traverse to the treacherous South. The barquentine Fram is slightly bigger-than the Aurora, and built on what would appear heavy lines, she resembling. much the shape of a large saucer—which fact is attributed to-her success as an icebreaker, but while Scott’s vessel is an auxiliary barquentine, in which steam is. depended on mainly, the Fram is propelled entirely by the winds of heaven. Both vesesls were in a dirt vstate on their arrival, and hut for the crow’s nest perched away up on- the mast of each, might- have but returned from a sealing expedition to some of the southern Islands. Hobart still retains evidences of its early history as Van Dieman’s Land, and perhaps no better indication of its age could he gained than hv an observation of the many oldfashioned hostelries which are to be found in the quaintest corners of the most straggling and quiet streets. The town abounds in these, bearing a nomenclature indicative of minds acquainted with the old English inns famous throughout the world. Tessilated floors, and many of but a single storey, but with bars large and airy, where local laager beer was discussed at two-pence per time, they were ideal places to quench the thirst after a tramp over the hills surrounding the town. How so many exist is a wonder, as in none are there evidences of bustling activity usually associated with a New Zealand country “pub.” However, there they are, and “The Dr Svntax,” “The Anchor, and Hope,” “The Man and the Wheel,”, etc., are landmarks not easily to be forgotten. Another landmark, where many of the pioneers sleep with a rising business . town around them is to be found in one of the earliest graveyards of the antipodes. Here are tombstones fallen into the decay which lias long overtaken the inhabitants of the-plots over which they stood guard for many weary years, but on some are to be traced the years dating back to .1825. The inscriptions on some are decipherable for perhaps a few words, while in' other places but a few bricks remain of what was once put up with loving care, but:— _ - • “For a time it is of thee and me, But the years roll on, and then no more of thee and me.” Some inscriptions are amusing after this 1 arise of time, and one is—“ Sacred to the memory of , who -died of a grievotis illness beloved of everybody in -the year 18—” An entire

absence of capitals or punctuation provides an ambiguity which raised on me a smile. * While Melbourne does not run on and narrow paths, it' has taken an advantage of the flat nature of the country, and a town has been reared, which for architectural symmetry and proad parallel streets will be hard to beat. Apart from this to a casual visitor, especially one who enters from the dreary Port Melbourne on a hot, muggy morning, the town has little that pleases, and, unlike Sydney, one soon finds himself on the horns of a dilemma in trying to fill in the time, for although time flies, it flies sometimes with a slow ness which Melbourne’s cable trams try hard to emulate, and occasionally despair as they breast the few slightrises in the city’s streets.