Australia Day - Answers and some History

An Aussie Sunset!

So, you've all had a go at the Australia Day Quiz? If you haven't, there's still time - before you continue reading this post, checkout the quiz page, and then drop by and leave a comment to let everyone know how you went.

For those who've completed the quiz (whether you're from Australia, America, or elsewhere) - How did you go? I have to admit - the first time someone asked me these questions, I pretty much failed! It's amazing how so many of us Australians have so little knowledge about our history. Yes, I did throw a few hard ones in there. But I hope none of you chose "Jack Sparrow" as the Captain in command!

Well, without further ado, here is a full listing of each question, along with the correct answer. Enjoy! =)

1. What do we remember on Australia day?
   Correct Answer: The raising of the British flag
   The raising of the flag was the official symbol proclaiming British sovereignty over the Eastern coast of Australia. We celebrate this occasion on January 26th every year.
   

2. Where did this happen?
   Correct Answer: Port Jackson
   When the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay, the intended settlement location, they found it unsuitable for living. They travelled a short distance to Port Jackson, where the flag was raised.
   

3. In what year?
   Correct Answer: 1788
   This is a confusing one! You've just gotta know this. Everyone I know tends to get this confused with 1770, the year when James Cook "discovered" Australia. Just remember all those 7's and 8's and you'll be fine!
   

4. Who was in command?
   Correct Answer: Captain Arthur Phillip
   Captain James Cook was the first European to explore the East coast of Australia, Captain William Lawson is fictionary, and Captain Jack Sparrow has yet to command an entire fleet.

5. How many ships were in the First Fleet?
   Correct Answer: 11
   This is another one you just have to know.

6. Which one of the following ships was NOT in the First Fleet?
   Correct Answer: The Endeavour
   Ok, so everyone got this one, right?
   The Endeavour was Captain Cook's ship during his first voyage. All the other names are actual ships in the First Fleet.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed the chance to test your knowledge, and maybe even gain some on the way. A huge thanks to all those who answered the quiz - and for any new people, please do leave a comment - no matter how short - to let me know how you scored!

More resources: Australia Day, Captain James Cook

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Soft "Peach" Sunset - SWF

Soft "Peach" Sunset
Orange Glow over the hills
Sky Watch Friday

Here's another sunset taken at the Indooroopilly golf club. I particularly like the "peach" colour of the sky here - this picture is the type which I like for a desktop background. How do you like the colours in this picture? Too soft for your taste, or just right?

If you would like to request the full-size image for any of the pictures on my site, just email me and I'll try to arrange it for you. Most of my pictures taken with the Fujifilm camera are available at 9MP resolution (3500x2600 approx.)

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Winter Morning Sunrise - Sky Watch Friday

"Welcome to Winter!"
Sunrise on a cold, clear morning
Sky Watch Friday

We're really into Winter here in Australia. The sun isn't rising now until about 6:20am, which means that I'll often get up when it's still dark. This is great for capturing sunrises, although it's not too conducive to getting out of bed!

Another benefit of capturing sunrises during Winter is that the atmosphere is usually very clear. Often when the sun comes up there will be no clouds or haze in the sky, just a clear, cold morning. Of course, this means that the sunrise will look very different, and it is sometimes harder to get a good sunrise without any clouds. I'm hoping to wake up early enough one of these days to get the sun rising over the valley - landscape shots tend to work best on clear mornings.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Sunset at Brisbane Golf Club - Sky Watch Friday

Sunset at the Brisbane Golf Club
Sky Watch Friday

I was at a baptism in Brisbane this week, and the service ended with refreshments available at the Indooroopilly Golf Club. It was late afternoon by the time we arrived, and in the "Jacaranda room" I had an excellent view out to the west, where the sun was setting over the golf links. Somewhat surprisingly, the best framing I could find for the sunset was to zoom right in to 300mm, excluding the golf links entirely and silhouetting the mountains in the distance.

Mountains in the distance with
the setting sun

The photo above was taken at about 4:30pm, before the sun began to set properly. I was walking through a doorway, and caught a glimpse of the mountains through the leaves of this plant. So, out came the camera for a quick shot! The leaves give an interesting tilt to the image, framing the mountains and drawing your eye along a diagonal path.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Glowing Orange Sunrise (Silhouette) - Sky Watch Friday

"Don't worry about the future...."
Sky glowing orange as the sun rises
Sky Watch Friday

On Wednesday I got up around 6am, just before the sun rose, and was able to capture this shot. Once again, this sunrise is different from all my previous shots. Watching the sun rise helped me to stop and forget all my worries of the future, just take a moment to relax and enjoy the present. I hope you can also take some time one day soon to watch the sun rise. Each one is different, so you'll be guaranteed of a fresh show every day.

This Sky Watch Friday photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Purple-red Clouds at Sunset - Sky Watch Friday

Deep purple and red Sunset looking over the city

Last Sky Watch Friday, just after I put my post up, I went out to listen to a presentation on the Australian Navy. When I was walking in the door I noticed this brilliant sunset lighting up the sky. I happened to have my camera with me, so I was able to snap a few shots. I didn't have a tripod with me and I used about 250mm lens so I had to bring up the ISO a bit to get a clear picture.

Purple clouds at sunset

By the time I got home from the presentation last Friday it was too late to post these shots, so I'm sharing them today as the Sky Watch for the week.

This Sky Watch Friday photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Easter Sunday

Life
Sun shining through green tree leaves
Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

Today is Easter Sunday. Easter, also called Pascha, is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.. Many non-religious cultural elements have become part of the holiday, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike.

Easter Eggs are a popular traditional food eaten on Easter Sunday. The egg is a symbol of the Resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

Easter is termed a moveable feast because it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. Easter falls at some point between late March and late April each year, following the cycle of the moon. After several centuries of disagreement, all churches accepted the computation of the Alexandrian Church that Easter is the first Sunday after the first fourteenth day of the moon (the Paschal Full Moon) that is on or after the ecclesiastical vernal equinox.

Easter also refers to the season called Eastertide or the Easter Season, which lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. So don't stop eating chocolate after one day and think the party's over - you've got over 5 weeks of celebration to go!

Information from Wikipedia
This photo taken with the Kodak C330 digital camera.

The Cross - Good Friday (Sky Watch)

The Cross
Good Friday
Sky Watch Friday

Today is Good Friday. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary. In many English speaking countries, hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. This is the first day of the Easter Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday night and ends on the evening of Easter Sunday.

Information from Wikipedia
This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Weird Clouds Hiding the Sun - Sky Watch Friday

Sun shining through a gap in the strange clouds
Sky Watch Friday

This sky actually looked quite bland when seen in real life, but I somehow felt the urge to take a photo of it. Maybe it was the framing with the tops of the houses at the bottom and the tree silhouette, but regardless of the reason I took the photo. This is what it turned out like. By focusing on the sun and adjusting the white balance for it, the clouds are made to look ominous and threatening, when they are far from it in reality!

This was shot with a 28mm (equivalent) lens, making it appear slightly "fish-eyed".

This Sky Watch Friday photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Sunset in the Australian Bush - Sky Watch Friday

Sunset in the Australian Bush
Sky Watch Friday

I've got another Aussie Bush Sunset for you today. This photo is actually quite interesting, as it converges from a wide spanning vista to a single point - the Sun. But the way in which this happens in what really makes this photo unique. Most sunset photos will place the sun in or near the centre of the picture. In this image, however, the sun is thrown to the far right of the landscape, leaving room for the clouds and sky to fill most of the frame.

How do you like it?

This photo taken with the Kodak C330 digital camera.

Sunset at the end of Summer - Sky Watch Friday

Sunset at the End of Summer
Sky Watch Friday

Today is the last day of Summer here in Australia. This sunset is saying "Goodbye" to the Summer, and welcoming the start of Autumn. We've had a very cold Summer this year - only three days got above 30 degrees Celsius - so I'm curious to see what Autumn and Winter turn out to be! Here's wishing you all a great start to the new season, whether you're in Australia entering Autumn, or in America entering Spring.

Update: Apparently the U.S. doesn't enter Spring until the 21st. This'll be an early welcome for some of you!

This photo taken with the Kodak C330 digital camera.

Brilliant Red Sunrise - Sky Watch Friday

Brilliant Red Sunrise - Sky Watch Friday

For my second Sky Watch Friday, I'm posting a sunrise. This is one of the most popular landscapes for photographers and painters alike, but this does not seem to detract from the impressiveness of the scene in every new photo I see. Somehow each sunrise has a unique "flavour" to it which gives it a renewed meaning each time it is interpreted by a different artist.

One of the unique aspects of this sunrise is the silhouette formed by the gum trees in the foreground. This is a typical Australian scene, and anyone who's lived in the country for long gets to know and love this early morning symbol.

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Sun shining through leaves at Sunset - Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Sunset with silhouette of May Bush leaves

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.
Shutter speed: 1/350, F4.1, ISO 200

Urban Landcape - Sunset, Sun-rays, and Clouds

Sunset over Urban Rooftops

Last night I was outside during twilight, and noticed this amazing sunset. The Sun has already disappeared behind the clouds, but rays of light are still shining out and covering the sky. Although the photo above might look touched-up, I have not digitally manipulated this picture. The duotone effect (where the sun and it's rays are black-and-white while the sky near the top of the picture is blue) simply occurred naturally. This is a capture which is not likely to be seen again soon, I was lucky to be out at the right time to see it.

The photo below is of the same scene taken a few minutes later - you can see the huge difference between the pictures. In the photo below, the sun has set and the rays of light from the first picture are entirely gone, replaced instead by a reddish glow near the horizon.

Sunsets are always very beautiful to watch, and each one is different. As you can see from these photos, the scene changes even from minute to minute, giving you a very entertaining show. So why not step outside tonight, and have a look at this wonderful "theatre" of creation, free for all to see?

These photos taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.
#1: (Sun with Rays Shining) Shutter speed: 1/5999, F8.0, ISO 80
#2 (Sunset over rooftops) Shutter speed: 1/399, F5.7, ISO 100

Amazing Grace - The Splendour of Light [Sun bursting through clouds]

Amazing Grace - Sun Bursting through clouds and trees
Sun bursting through clouds

Recently I watched the movie “Amazing Grace”, an excellent movie about the abolishment of the slave trade in 18th century England. It follows the political work of William Wilberforce, a politician in the House of Commons. This photo reminds me of the theme of the movie – through all evils and tribulations of this world, God and goodness will triumph. The bright Sun, shrouded by cloud, seems to be bursting forth from its corner of the sky, spreading the Light to all corners of the globe.

This photo gains its impressive and triumphant effect mainly because of the parabolic nature of the image – the picture seems to have been taken with a “fish eye” lens, creating an effect of bulging in the centre. Surprisingly, I took this photo with a simple point-and-shoot Kodak C330 digital camera, and didn’t use a fish eye lens at all!

The trees in this photo create a natural frame for the picture. The gum tree (eucalyptus) is slightly offset from the left edge of the photo, so your eye tends to be drawn towards the left hand side of the picture.

On the whole, this picture conveys a sense of suspended movement and the glorious splendour of light. This picture, with its symbolism of light and goodness, is a reminder to us all to have hope for the triumph of good over evil.

This photo taken with the Kodak C330 digital camera.

Related Photos:
Dry Australian Landscape - the Aussie Bliss
Morning Sun
Sunset Vista

The Glory of the Morning [Sun Breaking over Vine Stem]

The Glory of the Morning - The rising Sun shines it's rays over a Vine Stem

Sun shining over balloon vine stem

This indeed is a glorious shot. The rising sun is just peeking it's rays past the shining edge of a Balloon Vine stem, highlighting the fine hairs running along the side of the stem. The rainbow shower of light falling from the contact point shines out over the lavender flowers in the background, and the green leaves at the sides of this magnificent photo complete the image. This image has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

The structure of this image roughly follows the popular "rule of thirds" approach, placing an imaginary grid over the picture to determine the placement of the primary features. The contact point between sun and stem occurs about two-thirds of the way up the picture, and the green leafy frame occupies about a third of the horizontal space on either side. The weighting of this photo is obviously toward the top, with the bright contact point in the center of that region being the main feature of the photo.

This photo taken with the Kodak C330 camera.

Related Photos:
Balloon Vine Flower with Water Droplets
Prickle Resting on a Leaf - A sign of Contradiction

Sun rays shining through spider web

Sun rays shining through spider web

Sun and spider web

Here is a rather abstract photo of the sun shining it's rays through a Garden Orb Spider's web. The strong back lighting produces excellent outlines on the spider web, and the curve of the web draws the eye between the sun and the top right corner of the image (not that there's anything there!).

Related Posts:
Spider web again
Spider!
The Web

P.S. You might want to check out a new blog I have been helping to design: http://onepoint5.blogspot.com
This blog will be an ongoing chronicle of one family's adventures on their 1.5 acre block of land in town.

Sunset vista

Sun setting in the outback

Sunset vista

This is a nice landscape shot of the sun setting in an Australian outback scene. The clouds curve upwards to make a majestic image, and the treeline frames the lower section of the sky nicely.

Photos featuring the sun seem to fit into a category of their own, and I have certainly taken a lot of them! Some of my previous posts related to this topic include:

Morning Sun
Sunset
Sunshine Breaks & Solar Flare
Sun shining through leaves

Sun shining through leaves

Sun shining through tree leaves

I particularly like this kind of photo, with the sun shining it's rays through green branches and leaves overhead. In this picture, there are some leaves in the foreground and tree branches in the background.

Sunshine breaks

This is quite a spectacular photo of the midday sun.