Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The old windmill is the oldest landmark in Brisbane. It was reburbished in time for Australia's hundredth anniversary, but in the mid-1800s it was almost demolished because it was built by convict labor during the penal-colony era, which Australia was trying to live down at the time. As a backup to the wind, inmates powered the mill on a treadmill. [1988 and 2006]

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The name of the ferry tells you where it goes. The Spirit of Tasmania crosses the Bass Strait connecting Melbourne with Devonport on the island of Tasmania. To truly appreciate an island, you cannot fly in. You must take a boat, you must watch the mainland disappear beyond the horizon, and you must watch the island slowly take form across the open seas. [2011]

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Exactly forty years ago today, the U.S. Center for Disease Control became the first institution to officially report on a set of symptoms that would soon become known as AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Later that decade, Australia seemed to be taking the pandemic seriously, but you would never have seen a billboard like this in the U.S. [1988]

Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia

Last day of 2020: Alleluia! The year will linger on in memory as an inselberg, a distinctive mountain of memories that will diminish in size only as the years to come push it farther onto the horizon. Inselbergs are symbolic of the isolation we have all felt this past year: We lived our lives in the image of Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock). [1988]

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

People of Melbourne: "If a rhinoceros was heading your way, you'd get out of the way, right? Well, a tram weighs about the same as 30 rhinos." The Yarra Trams that serve Melbourne, including the Queen Victoria Market, want people to be alert around trams, so they have dispatched a crash of rhinos around the city. Get it? Avoid the crash. [2011]

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

People of Melbourne: After you exercise on or along Melbourne's Yarra River, head over to the old Queen Vic and treat yourself and your kids to some happiness. It's only a few blocks away. [2011]

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

People of Melbourne: Most cities are short of open space, but Melbourne has the Yarra River. For some, it is a better open space resource than hectares of parkland. Even in winter (July!), the call to row is irresistible, and shells proliferate. [2011]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Views in every direction from the Sydney Tower are spectacular, including the one across Garden Island to Bradley's Head Lighthouse. The harbor is serrated by a series of peninsulas, and ample blue space tempts tons of sailboats into action. [2006]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Let's set aside a day for every occasion, including National Coming Out Day. It was first proclaimed on this date more than three decades ago by the Human Rights Campaign. Not even two decades ago, could we have imagined a Gay American like Pete Buttigieg running for President and becoming one of the top contenders. We have made progress. [2011]

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Finding maps on the landscape can become an elixer. When you find one, it not only makes you happier, it also re-frames the world: "Australia: No Longer Down Under." This map, in various forms, became a part of Australian pop culture in the late 20th century. [1988]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Purse and puppy.
Back to the cam.
Self-aware yuppie.
Life is so glam.
Eyes on the tower.
She's moving up.
Sydney's her city.
But her love is her pup.
[2011]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

In the wold, the Komodo Dragon is found only in Indonesia's Komodo National Park. But, probably driven by its name, its size, and its ferocity, the Komodo is among the most popular attractions in zoos around the world. In case you are wondering, it is not a dragon at all (or is it?), but a monitor lizard, of which there are dozens of species. [2011]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

In North America, the three months of summer begin tomorrow. In the Antipodes, the three months of winter begin tomorrow. No matter what geographers say about the high- and low-sun seasons beginning with the solstices, the months of June, July, and August hang together as a cabal of their own. "Life. Be in It." [2011]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Why do we turn fountains off in the winter? They should use sleet as their inspiration. Keep the water above freezing while in the ducts, spray it high into the air, and let the droplets freeze on the way down. The sound effects might be just as cool as the visuals. [2011]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Telamons: using their heads, shoulders, and arms. Since they have no legs, you can be assured they will never abandon their posts! Never! Even though both ancient Greece and Rome inspired the birth of modernity, telamons are usually Greek in lineage. More skin = more Greek! [2011]

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Here's a cat that has survived for almost 130 years. Its paw rests on an orb, symbolic of the world and very reminiscent of Britain's reigning monarch. It's role may be nothing more than a powerful temple (or home) guardian, positioned strategically at the corner of the building it is protecting. [2006]

Victoria Park, Western Australia, Australia

Here's a 20th century windmill that was originally built as an advertisement. Its only purpose was attracting attention to a local merchant selling tiles and building materials. Now, it is the single most recognized landmark in suburban Victoria Park. [2006]

Noosa, Queensland, Australia

Happy Earth Science Week! We need to insist that earth science and geography be taught as required subjects in our local schools, whether public or private! There could be no more relevant disciplines in the 21st century world. Now, just for fun, tell us how the wave-cut terrace along Australia's Pacific Coast came into being. [2006]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The dingo has become a symbol of Australia, probably because of its grit and adaptability. It mastered the harsh environment and spread across the continent, probably descending from domesticated dogs from nearby Asia. What it hasn't mastered is the human population of the island continent. It's now a vulnerable species. Taronga Zoo. [2006]

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

If you buy groceries in Australia, you probably shop at Coles. From the original store in Tasmania, their supermarkets have spread all over the island continent. This one is in Adelaide's Central Market, where it competes with dozens of small-scale food vendors like Cactus Quality Fruit. What would tempt you to buy from these merchants? [2011]