Welcome to Auckland’s original ‘Municipal Destructor’. Everyone, like me, know it as Victoria Park Market – a super popular open air market through the 80's to 2000's – a great place to buy your crystals and tie-dies etc! I've always known that it was originally the city rubbish dump – when the city was waaaay smaller). There is more to the story, of course. It was originally created in reaction to a bubonic plague scare in Sydney. For sanitary reasons it was built to burn Auckland’s rubbish and waste while using the heat generated to provide electricity to power the city. Sounds pretty clever eh, and I guess we were plague free. However, we must have been breathing some seriously toxic smoke fumes! That 38 metre tall chimney must have helped a little but don't forget all the horse manure and night carts, they were definitely smellier times. The municipal destructor is now a gentrified place that's home to restaurants and businesses, like the superb Milenta restau...
The buildings in my neighbourhood are predominantly wooden Victorian houses (with the odd masonry or brick exception). They are what makes the area interesting, but are without a doubt an Urban Sketchers nightmare. What were they thinking making us draw all those corbels, dentils and multi layered cornices?!
My neighbour over the road...
Jervois Road...
I got so caught up with the detail on this one (my local library) that it has totally slumped, I have unfortunately lost it's very vertical proportions. I'll definitely be back though and nail it next time.
My neighbour over the road...
Jervois Road...
I got so caught up with the detail on this one (my local library) that it has totally slumped, I have unfortunately lost it's very vertical proportions. I'll definitely be back though and nail it next time.
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