Today I had some time up my sleeve before picking up my daughter from a party in the west, so I headed to Newport, Altona and Brooklyn with my bike in the back. Loved it out there in these desolate back lots, ex-quarries and factories, the kinds of places I used to explore for years before I'd ever heard of ghost signs:
 |
| Yarraville, on the way |
 |
| Newport, on the way |
 |
Newport
Newport 60s shopping strip (or, yes, circle, as it surrounds a roundabout). Now full of awesome Middle Eastern shops. |
 |
Same shopping centre - Lebanese grocery.
Not ghost signs but the best shop display I've ever seen (next two as well) |
 |
| Altona |
 |
| Altona - only the "O" remains |
Those are also from the backblocks of industrial North Altona:
Now, the industrial backblocks of Melbourne's very own Brooklyn. it's not exactly Williamsburg or Crown Heights, but has its own special charm:
 |
| This site is misleading. Despite the abandoned look, it's now home to a hip construction company making modular eco-housing. Gentrification is coming Brooklyn's way - a few lots for sale on the way have been rezoned for residential development. |
 |
| Nice traditional ghost sign to finish off with. In the bit of Yarraville next to Brooklyn. |
Nice Bushell's signage. On the topic of tea, a friend told me about a sign on the corner of Michael Street and Park Parade in Fitzroy North (just off Queens Parade). She didn't say what the sign was but it turned out to be a pretty good Robur sign. I haven't posted my pics yet, but thought you'd be interested (if you haven't seen it already, that is!).
ReplyDeleteHi Jayne.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the note. I think I know the sign you mean - I found it via another blog. It's snapped here: http://findingtheradiobook.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/ghost-sign-intensive-few-days-of-riding.html
You might also like this site if you haven't seen it: http://johnhunter2008.jalbum.net/ The difference with John's work is that he's been photographing Melbourne ghost signs since the late 1970s and there are some absolute pearlers included that would now be long gone.