Fitzroyalty » Napier St

koalas

brian — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:25:32 +0000

Koalas at the Ktena thermal underwear business on Napier St.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitroy history – school crossing

brian — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:36:37 +0000

I’ve previously published a photo of the former Phoenix chemical factory on Napier St. This photo c1975 shows the same building and a crossing for children going to the Fitzroy prmary school.

Courtesy the Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 21198 / photographer: unknown / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1975

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Kaffeine on Napier St

brian — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:12:46 +0000

One of Kaffeine’s televisions on Napier St near Ici cafe.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Buddha and friend

brian — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:55:39 +0000

Napier St Fitzroy.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – 16 Napier St

brian — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:04:26 +0000

There’s not much in the way of a story to tell about this house on Napier St – I just like the yellow door.

Courtesy of J.T. Collins Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection, SLV / ID: H96.210/73 / photographer: John T. Collins / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1971

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – the artist house at 18 Napier St

brian — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:05:04 +0000

From this 1974 photo I learned that the pebble facade and front wall featuring coloured glass of the ‘artist house’ on Napier St has remained intact for a long time. It looks much better in colour.

Courtesy of J.T. Collins Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection, SLV / ID: H96.210/71 / photographer: John T. Collins / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1974

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – a chemical factory on Napier St

brian — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:12:22 +0000

In 1895 the Phoenix Chemical Company was established on Napier St. I am not sure what function the building now serves, perhaps residential, but it is nestled in the Fitzroy Primary School precinct. The chariots have changed too…

Courtesy the Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 18061 / photographer: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1895

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

autumn eggs at Ici

brian — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:03:16 +0000

I was talking not so long ago with a local acquaintance about the quality of some Fitzroy cafes that have changed ownership, and whether they are as good as they used to be. I thought the quality of the coffee at Newtown SC declined after Cate sold up. He replied by questioning whether Ici was still awesome after its rumoured change of owners in 2010, and I said I have not been there for some time.…

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posted in Breakfasts by brian

Fitzroy history – hotel, milkbar and home

brian — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:03:07 +0000

The Buck’s Head hotel was diagonally opposite the Fitzroy Town Hall. The building remains and is now a private residence, but for a while in between it was a corner shop.

Courtesy the Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 10222 / photographer: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1878

Courtesy the Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 6976 / photographer: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1878

Courtesy of John L.…

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posted in Condell St by brian

blame game

brian — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 01:11:17 +0000

Napier St north of Johnston St. They should instead say ‘sweaty made me do it’.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – Napier St opposite the town hall

brian — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 01:11:25 +0000

This 1964 photo, taken from the stairs at the front of the Town Hall, shows the view opposite along Napier St between Moor St and Condell St. Like some of the other then and now photo posts I’ve done recently, the major changes are to the cars and the street trees.

Courtesy of SLV / ID: H36133/49 / photographer: K. J. Halla / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1964

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

dinner at the Town Hall hotel on Johnston St

brian — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:02:40 +0000

This cynical gen x (dressed entirely in black) met a similarly dressed peer and went to the pub, the new Town Hall hotel on Johnston St (formerly Griff’s wine pub and the Purple Turtle before that). I’d enjoyed several dinners at Griff’s, including these in 2008 and 2009, and was sad that it did not survive. But I was equally prepared to enjoy its replacement.

We had a show to go to and wanted a light meal, not an extended fine dining experience in the rear dining room, so we chose to sit in the front bar (which is not much changed from the Griff’s days) and order from the bar menu.…

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posted in Business by brian

Ghostpatrol and Braddock on Napier St

brian — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 01:12:37 +0000

A new collaboration between Ghostpatrol and Braddock on a laneway wall off Napier St south of Gertrude St.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – looking south on Napier St

brian — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:10:29 +0000

Unfortunately this is not the best of my Fitzroy history posts, because the green trees on Napier Street are so voluminous and green that the view looking south towards Victoria Parade is not what it used to be. One story told by these images is the fundamental change in the demographics of the area, from a poor suburb where few people could afford a car to a (mostly) wealthy area where car ownership is widespread (despite it being the area with the lowest car ownership per capita in Melbourne).…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Amnesty International street art in Fitzroy

brian — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:03:00 +0000

Last month a team including some of Melbourne’s leading street artists, including Civil and Braddock, completed a large mural for Amnesty International along the walls of a building on the corner of Chapel St and Napier St. I particularly like Makatron‘s ‘see no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’ (below).

There’s also a video showing the creation of the wall.

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posted in Chapel St by brian

Fitzroy history – dapper chaps on Napier St

brian — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:07:11 +0000

This 1956 photo by Tony Banda shows two dapper chaps walking from Falconer Terrace at 36-50 Napier St, which was built in 1866-84. I thought of asking Nicole from Circa Vintage on Gertrude St to dress some models for me to recreate it, but I didn’t want to turn a simple post into a big production.

It’s as much about the longevity of the building as it is about the 50s fashion. If anyone has historical photos of Fitzroy and would like to seem them featured here, please contact me.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

the Fitzroy Primary School Garden Club

brian — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:02:59 +0000

This is an invitation to come along to the Fitzroy Primary School Garden Club tomorrow, Saturday 30 October 10am – 1pm, behind the large renovation on the Napier St campus. Join the FPS 1st Garden Club to get your green thumbs dirty, have a yak about the gardens and share some food!

Fitzroy Primary School Kitchen Garden welcomes parents, friends and the Fitzroy Community to come along and get involved with the Garden. Children very welcome.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

surrealism for beginners

brian — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:17:14 +0000

The mural on the Napier St wall of the Acacia Fitzroy creche.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

No Worries festival on tomorrow in Fitzroy

brian — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:07:00 +0000

The copy from the following post is taken from the Fitzroy Learning Network news page. The No Worries Festival is on this Saturday 19 June 2010, 10.00 am -2.00 pm. Please join us to celebrate sport, music and cultural diversity at this free community event.

The No Worries Festival at the Atherton Gardens oval on Napier St, Fitzroy will be a vibrant, eclectic mix of music, soccer, information and food for local youth & community members.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy market on tomorrow

brian — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:09:46 +0000

This month’s Fitzroy Market is on tomorrow, Saturday 1st May, 10am – 2pm (and the first Saturday of every month) at Fitzroy Primary School, corner Napier & Chapel Street Fitzroy. Get your week’s worth of fresh fruit and veg from Cultivating Community and help support low income community gardens projects in the City of Yarra.

This month the market also features the folk and country vocal stylings of Teresa Dixon (from local trio Little Sisters of the Poor) Melbourne-based indie-folk violin and guitar duo Aristotle’s Chimney, playing dynamic traditional and contemporary music infused with celtic, gypsy and roots elements.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

aftermath

brian — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:11:47 +0000

The roundabout on the corner of Napier St and Kerr St opposite Ici cafe after the storm.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

astronauts

brian — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:11:41 +0000

I think this was on Napier St, but I’m not sure. I’ve seen several. Does anyone know the artist?

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy market to open 6 February 2010

brian — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:07:57 +0000

After more than a year of planning, scheduling, council issues, resident complaints and an appearance at VCAT, the organisers of the forthcoming Fitzroy market have finally won their case and will hold the first market on Saturday 6 February 2010 at the Fitzroy Primary School on Napier St, Fitzroy.

The market will then be held on the first Saturday of every month (except April which will be the second Saturday), from 10am – 2pm. For stall holders the costs are $50 per stall or $75 for food stalls.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

coffee at Ici

brian — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:11:54 +0000

It’s been a while between visits but the coffee at Ici on a lazy Saturday afternoon is always good.

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posted in Coffee by brian

I object

brian — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:09:05 +0000

I’m not sure this is what the City of Yarra means when it asks people to submit objections to planning proposals, but it is amusing. The former furniture shop premises on the corner of Johnston St and Napier St (opposite Griff’s) looks like it will open as a furniture shop again according to this planning permit application.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

abandon all hope on the road to nowhere

brian — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:13:59 +0000

‘Abandon all hope’, ‘On the road to nowhere’ and ‘Fight like a girl’. Is this art or advertising? If it is the latter I have no idea what it is for. It’s on the north side of Thonet on Exhibition St just off Napier St.

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posted in Exhibition St by brian

breakfast parma at the Gertrude hotel

brian — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:13:08 +0000

Any meal can become breakfast. Making a meal into a good breakfast, however, requires creativity. At the Red Tongue cafe on Brunswick St they make an excellent breakfast pizza. The kitchen at the Gertrude hotel on Gertrude St has excelled themselves by making a breakfast parma. It’s a chicken parma with the usual napoli tomato sauce and cheese on top. In between the sauce and the cheese are rashers of bacon, and on top of it all sits a fried egg.…

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posted in Breakfasts by brian

traffic signals for cyclists at the corner of Johnston and Napier streets

brian — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:16:40 +0000

The new traffic lights with special signals for cyclists have been installed and running for several weeks now. The intersection seems much safer to me. What do you think?

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posted in City of Yarra by brian

Fitzroy markets update

brian — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:16:47 +0000

The Rose St Market will be opening on Sundays from August 2009, and the Fitzroy Market (which has been in development since September 2008) sounds like it will finally go ahead. I’m looking forward to it! Apparently there were resident complaints to council against the market proposal. Given that it is a daytime event, I am surprised that there were complaints, though I suppose there will be traffic, parking and congestion issues. For more information please contact Fiona Newton and Louise Irving at fitzroymarket@hotmail.com.…

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posted in City of Yarra by brian

Fitzroy history – the only official playground

brian — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:04:44 +0000

This photo shows what I think is Condell Park c1935, but I am not really sure. It does not use the name but the description accompanying it states: “The only official play-ground, situated right opposite the Town Hall, bounded on the North by ramshackle cottages.” The slope of the ground suggests a point of view from the south side of Condell St near the corner of Napier St.

Courtesy of F. Oswald Barnett Collection, State Library of Victoria / ID: mp010427 / photographer: Frederick Barnett / copyright: Oswald Barnett Collection, State Library of Victoria / used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1935

Now Condell park looks like this, but I am not sure how old the church spire is in the background, as it is not evident in the photo above.…

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posted in Condell St by brian

anti-graffiti writing on the wall

brian — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:17:23 +0000

Someone with an apparent anti street art agenda has recently defaced some well known works on walls in St David St and Young St. ‘Rejecting sanitised culture‘, one of my favourite works, has been painted over with the word ‘wall’ in white paint, presumably with a roller.

St David St on the corner of Napier St on Sunday 17 May 2009

St David St on the corner of Napier St in November 2006 (detail)

Young St on the corner of Greeves St on Sunday 17 May 2009

Works on Young St near the southern side of Johnston St have also been painted over with white paint, and the Night Cat mural also has some minor damage.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

cheesegrater update – how to dig a hole

brian — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:24:23 +0000

The cheesgrater building site is now a huge hole. I’m going to continue posting irregular photos of the site when there’s something different to see.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Ears and Phibs on Westgarth St

brian — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:16:12 +0000

I’m not sure when this work was done, but it’s fairly recent. I haven’t seen it on Flickr so perhaps it’s only a week or two old? It’s on the corner of Westgarth and Napier streets. Perhaps done to to coincide with Ears’ current exhibition at Unpretentiously Underground?

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

The Death Mook book launch at Dante’s

brian — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:10:15 +0000

At Dante’s on Gertrude St on Thursday 26 February I attended the launch of a new book published by Vignette Press – The Death Mook. It’s a fabulous anthology of writing and visual art about death and you can buy it from the Vignette online store. Publisher Lisa Dempster and the book’s editor, Dion Kagan, spoke at the launch and were followed by a number of the contributing authors giving readings.

I had to run once the main speeches were over to see Adam Hills and Dave Callan at A mic in hand around the corner at Vibe, so I don’t have photos of all the speakers.…

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posted in Books by brian

cycle wars

brian — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:17:01 +0000

I didn’t witness this event so I don’t know the circumstances, but there is something odd about the claims in this sign taped to a post on the corner of Napier and Johnston streets. It seems a cyclist hit the back of a car and cracked one of its taillights. What follows is purely speculation. Was it accidental or deliberate? Did the bicycle hit the car or did the cyclist punch or kick the car? Was the cyclist alone in being at fault, or did the driver contribute to the accident?…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

in the Fitzroy community garden

brian — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:23:47 +0000

I went to the Fitzroy community garden open day on Saturday 21 February. I got there at 3pm, with the event supposedly running from 10am-4pm. I paid $5 entry at the door, which was a surprise as it was not mentioned in the video they released to advertise the day.

I was disappointed because there seemed to be no event as such – no information sheet, no guided walk, no schedule and no real point in being there.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

layer upon layer at the cheesegrater

brian — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:20:20 +0000

Philthy’s commentary about pedestrians on the temporary wall surrounding the cheesegrater artist building lasted about a day before being painted over, but they now seem to have given up painting over the graffiti. Can someone translate the Spanish? It says something about streets and time, but that’s all I know.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy Community Garden open this weekend

brian — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:16:29 +0000

The Fitzroy Community Garden at 125 Napier St, Fitzroy (on the grounds of the Atherton Gardens public housing estate) is holding open days this weekend. You are invited to visit the garden on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February between 10am – 4pm each day. They’ve even produced a video invitation and you can watch it below. I hope to see you there!

The garden received state governement funding last year to make numerous improvements including the installation of a 10,000 litre water tank.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – bogans fighting on Napier St

brian — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:17:52 +0000

This is a fantastic image. It’s a detail of a wood engraving created on 10 March 1877. It is described as being of “two men struggling in Napier Street, Fitzroy, one man having bitten off the other’s ear”. Given how many pubs existed in Fitzroy at the time, I suspect there was some boozing going on. Sadly, some things don’t seem to change. You’ll see the same bogan behaviour on the streets of Fitzroy today.

Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria pictures catalogue / ID: mp016717 / creator: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

construction starts on cheesegrater artist apartments

brian — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:15:39 +0000

Despite years of protest about its excessive size and ugly design, construction of the cheesegrater building on the block covering Young, Kerr, Argyle and Napier streets has begun. They’re now called the Artist apartments. In this 2004 article the high price and design of the proposed apartments are discussed as the problems causing slow off the plan sales. This 2007 article shows the old and new designs side by side. The new design is as crap as the old one.…

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posted in Argyle St by brian

Ghostpatrol on Exhibition St

brian — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:12:21 +0000

This is one of Ghostpatrol’s better known and most photographed murals. It’s on the corner of Napier St and Exhibition St. He posted photos of it in Flickr when it was done in March 2007.

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posted in Exhibition St by brian

Dabs on Greeves St

brian — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:20:23 +0000

This work by Dabs and crew on the corner of Greeves St and Napier St is one of the brightest in Fitzroy.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy tiger

brian — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:24:58 +0000

I’ve seen this tiger stencil before in North Fitzroy, but this example on Westgarth St near the corner of Napier St is better because it’s green.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

bringing colour to a grey world

brian — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:10:40 +0000

I recently published a story about the colourless new bottleshop on Johnston St and how disappointing it was to see the removal of their penguin ice fridge and the grey appearance of the building. I’d written the story days before and when I went out that weekend (20-21 December) I discovered Phibs and Deb and the Everfresh crew working in the Saturday sunshine on a commissioned piece to bring some colour to the dull wall.…

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posted in Business by brian

farewell penguin on ice

brian — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:09:21 +0000

The slick renovated bottleshop that emerged out of the shabby drive-through on the corner of Johnston St and Napier St has sadly removed one of its previously charming features – the penguin ice fridge. I’m glad I took a photo of it a few weeks ago as it is now gone.

I’m also very surprised that the front of the block has not been developed for something more than a carpark. If this an example of Fitzroy becoming too clean and sterile, with more minimalist architecture featuring beige or grey non-colours?…

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posted in Business by brian

Fitzroy history – from Rojo furniture to Thonet furniture

brian — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:17:34 +0000

In the postwar years Fitzroy remained a home of manufacturing and industry. It’s curious to see how some premises have changed. In the case of this building on the corner of Napier and St David St, it has been altered structurally but in in terms of its use, nothing fundamental has changed.

Courtesy of Fitzroy local history photograph collection / ID: 15222 / photographer: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain

In 1948 this was the home of furniture manufacturers C.F.…

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posted in Business by brian

Rose hotel street party

brian — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:21:26 +0000

On Sunday 2 November 2008 the Rose hotel had a street party. The section of Leicester St between Napier St and George St was closed to traffic and was filled with people enjoying the afternoon. I didn’t find out who the band was but they were good.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

dinner at the Napier hotel to celebrate Fitzroy’s 150th anniversary

brian — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:09:57 +0000

On 30 September 2008 I joined a jovial bunch of fellow Fitzroy residents at the Napier hotel to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Fitzroy. Yarra Council’s Socialist Party Councillor Steve Jolly spoke about the official celebration happening across the road at the Town Hall and what an exclusive undemocratic event it was.

The 400 unnamed guests at the Town Hall were provided with food, drink and entertainment worth thousands of dollars paid for by ratepayers.…

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posted in Business by brian

Yarra Council to spend OUR money so THEY can get pissed

brian — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:07:00 +0000

Although it’s not listed in the City of Yarra press release about the 150th anniversary of the founding of Fitzroy as a municipality, the council is planning an exclusive (literally) celebration where they will use our money collected from rates to pay for themselves to get pissed. The Fitzroy public is not invited. No one knows (or is telling) who is on the invite list, and the Age is curious.

Yarra’s Socialist Party Councillor Steve Jolly (Facebook profile) is hosting a protest / alternate celebration across the road at the Napier Hotel.…

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posted in City of Yarra by brian

new market coming soon to Fitzroy

brian — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:08:52 +0000

Update 21 October 2008: the Facebook page now says the market is not starting until 2009.

The Fitzroy Market Facebook profile image

A new market is being planned for Fitzroy and the founders are looking for stall holders. The aim is to provide a space for local artisans, performers and musicians to sell and / or strut their stuff, raise awareness and $$$ for local community groups, and create a place for Fitzroy to hang out on a Saturday morning.…

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posted in Business by brian