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Tag: Sydney

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Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum

Sennedjem's outer coffin. An artist, he worked on the tombs of Ramses and his father Seti Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum

Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum

Running until May 19, 2024, The Australian Museum is currently hosting an exhibition centred on the Egyptian Pharoah Ramses II. This was a great opportunity to see some of the most important artifacts from ancient Egypt, without having to leave Australia.

Featuring over 180 artifacts, this is a large exhibition that we found fascinating from beginning to end. Starting with a short video presentation covering Ramses II’s life, it then proceeds through a series of display rooms containing the exhibits. Each section also has videos playing describing the artefacts in more detail.

Additional displays covered other aspects of Ancient Egypt, with one of the most striking being Sennedjem’s outer coffin. An artist, he worked on the tombs of Ramses and his father Seti while working on his own coffin on his days off.

Amazing jewelry, mummies of cats and crocodiles, masks and weapons gave diversity to what was displayed. As usual, the last room was a gift shop, where books and souvenirs could be purchased.

Head of a Colossal Statue of Ramses II Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Head of a Colossal Statue of Ramses II
Upper part of an obelisk
Upper part of an obelisk
Statue of Ramses II as a sphynx Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Statue of Ramses II as a sphynx
Ramses II Massacring his enemies.
Ramses II  showing him capturing enemies: a Nubian, a Libyan and a Syrian.
Queen Tuya Ramses mother
Queen Tuya, Ramses mother
Sennedjem's outer coffin. An artist, he worked on the tombs of Ramses and his father Seti Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Sennedjem’s outer coffin. An artist, he worked on the tombs of Ramses and his father Seti
Gilded wooden mask from the tomb of Amenemope
Gilded wooden mask from the tomb of Amenemope a scribe and sage
Girdle of Princess Merit (bottom) and collar of Princess Neferuptah (top)
Girdle of Princess Merit (bottom) and collar of Princess Neferuptah (top)
Mummified cat Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Mummified cat
Coffin of a cat mummy
Coffin of a cat mummy
Coffin and coffinettes of Sheshonq II
Coffin and coffinettes of Sheshonq II
Gold funerary mask of General Wendjebauendjed Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Gold funerary mask of General Wendjebauendjed
Bust of Merenptah, Ramses successor
Bust of Merenptah, Ramses successor
Outer coffin lid of Pinudjem II's wife Princess Nesikhonsu (left) and inner coffin lid of Pinudjem I
Outer coffin lid of Pinudjem II’s wife Princess Nesikhonsu (left) and inner coffin lid of Pinudjem I
Coffin of Ramses II Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Coffin of Ramses II
Ramses II Ramses the Great at the Australian Museum
Ramses II
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Marulan New South Wales Australia

Old General Store Marulan

Marulan New South Wales Australia

The small town of Marulan can be found on the Hume Highway between Canberra and Sydney. Although the highway bypasses the town, it’s worth a stop to see the historic buildings, have a break and enjoy a coffee at one of several cafes in town.

Historic Buildings

Most of the buildings are on George Street, so after parking we walked along the street to see them. Most of them have information boards outside, providing a history of each building. Re-purposed by their owners, many buildings are now cafes, restaurants or shops. This is great as they can then maintain them for future generations to admire.

Meridian Park

Located in Meridian Park on George St, the Marulan Meridian Arch is a sculpture that forms an arch with a metal sphere on an axis mounted at the top of arch. It is the very centre of the time zone UTC+10:00 and, as such, the sun rises here at approximately 6:00am, then sets at exactly 6:00pm, every equinox.

Marulan Meridian Arch
Marulan Meridian Arch
Marulan Town Clock
Marulan Town Clock
Old Royal Hotel
Old Royal Hotel
Old Royal Hotel
Old Royal Hotel
Great Southern Garage now a Cafe Marulan
Great Southern Garage now a Cafe
Mural inside the cafe
Mural inside the cafe
All Saints Church Marulan
All Saints Church
Old Butchers Shop Marulan
Old Butchers Shop
Old Butchers Shop
Old Butchers Shop
Billy Tea Sign
Billy Tea Sign
Old General Store Marulan
Old General Store

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To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Factory

Entrance to the Torpedo Factory

Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Factory

Opened in September 2023, the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus is an excellent addition to this heritage site. Managed by the Harbour Trust, the old factory was partially demolished and revitalised as an open public space.

Getting There

We used public transport, getting the train to Milsons Point Station and then walking for 10 minutes. If you prefer to drive, there is parking available on site.

History of the Site

Opened in 1942 during World War Two the factory produced torpedoes for Allied forces. Many of the employees were women, due to many men being in the armed forces. Commemorated at the site with murals, it’s a great reminder of their contribution during the war. Post war, the torpedo workshops continued to service the British Navy submarine fleet based at HMAS Penguin and the Royal Australian Navy’s destroyer fleet.

The entire base was closed in 1999 when the Royal Australian Navy moved its Collins-class submarines to Western Australia.

The Site Now

The old factory features several interesting display that explain the site’s history. These range from a Torpedo Mark VIII, information boards and murals with photos and signs from the factory. There is also a car park with electric charging stations.

Our previous blog, which covers the rest of Sub Base Platypus can be found here.

Entrance to the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus
Entrance to the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus
Torpedo Mark VIII Mod 4 on display Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Workshop
Torpedo Mark VIII Mod 4 on display
Rear underside view of the Mark VIII Torpedo
Rear underside view of the Mark VIII Torpedo
Old Signs Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Workshop
Old Signs
Old Signs
Old Signs

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.