A very successful and enjoyable excursion to the city was conducted on Sunday 02nd April 2023 where we visited the above 2 sites and ended the day with lunch.
Firstly, we could not have asked for a better day weather-wise with lovely clear skies and a temperature around 19.0C however the city was very busy with the Garden Show, Grand Prix and Comedy Festival so finding a park was on the difficult side.
The day kicked off at 10.00am at the Fire Services Museum with a group of 15 people. We were split into 2 groups under the care of guides Peter and Graham both of whom clearly have a real passion for the work they do. I was with Graham’s group and could feel the obvious enthusiasm that he had along with a wonderful knowledge of the exhibits and museum – Graham was a retired fireman and took extra time explaining about the history of the Fire Services.
Next it was off to the Old Treasury Building where again we were split into 2 groups where our guides were Emilia and Sue – both these ladies are unpaid volunteers who do a marvellous job. I was with Emilia who had a wealth of knowledge about the building and its exhibits and was able to provide us with a lot of information. There were some marvellous painting and photos throughout the building and it is such a pity that more people do not get to see them. We were lucky to be taken to areas that are normally off limits to the public.
Melbourne has some wonderful sites like the 2 we visited but regretfully for some reason we Melburnians just do not make use of them.
After the tours it was off to the Elephant and Wheelbarrow to have lunch and finally sit down and rest our weary legs – not everyone attend the lunch but those who did enjoyed the camaraderie and the conclusion to a wonderful day.
Jim Davis
RAEAV Collection PV 524
Subscribe to have our posts emailed to you automatically
Royal Australian Engineers Association of Victoria Inc. 