Anti-Pulp Mill Rally, Hobart

[xenith]

The focus of the rally was next week's Federal election: Vote against the pulp mill! Don't get discouraged by the election results, because we will continue to fight! Despite the rain, which set in quite hard but we are not going to complain about rain in mid-November, there was a good turn out. ABC says the police estimated it as 10-12,000; news.com.au got a bit more enthusiastic with 15,000. So it's a bit more than 'good'. Possibly it's the biggest rally I've been too. The big peace march, part of the coordinated international marches a few years back, drew 10,000 in Hobart. 15,000 is close to the capacity of the (AFL) Aurora Stadium in Launceston.

I have no idea where they all stood, Franklin Square isn't that big. In the roads around the square, I guess. (Franklin watching from the middle of the fountain, it's quite a different place to the town he knew.)

The other focus of the rally was the ANZ and Perpetual, two of the financiers of the pulp mill, with pledge cards to sign

The rain stopped before the march started. (That's Edward, "Reg et Imp")

The march started in Macquarie St, outside Franklin St, which is one block down from the Elizabeth Mall, the heart of the CBD. (Apparently the government attacked the Wilderness Society for arranging the protest on that Saturday, because it would "draw shoppers away from the CBD". You can insert your own comments there, I'm sure.)

Looking back up Macquarie St, towards St Davids Cathedral. This block is mostly finance, insurance and similar offices.

Bottom end of Argyle St. The low white building on the left is the Mercury's printing place. Again, it's mostly offices down here.

Further up Argyle St is the Royal Hobart Hospital. (That's a current political hot topic. I think Hobart's hospital has been on the same site since ... since they first built a hospital, and the state government understandably wants to rebuild it on site not quite so close to the heart of the city, but the Launceston General Hospital is badly underfunded to the point where they're closing down "essential" services so there's resentment there at the government spending health money down south, and the Mersey hospital on the North West Coast was closed, until the Federal Government announced they were taking over it, which brings up the usual Federal vs State control debate; tis a political mess.)

Around into Liverpool St. There are a lot of small shops at this end, cafes & small businesses.

This end of Liverpool is mostly "original buildings', probably early 20th Century at the latest, except for that big bank building.

Approaching the mall, which is a close off section of Elizabeth St. Halfway along on the left is a two-storey grey building, with an ornate corner. That's on the opposite corner of mall/Elizabeth St. There's still a lot of people in the city, watching that is. It feels a little odd having so many people watching.

Past the mall now. There's a cream building to the left, then a big gap between it and the dark grey brick wall.

That's where Myer was. Looking towards the Cat & Fiddle Arcade.

Turning into Murray St now. Most of these buildings are newer, at least the facades are, often there is an older building behind them. There are a lot of national chain stores. Dick Adams is the Labor member for Lyons, who came out in support of the mill.

Murray St is a bit dark for photos. The remaining half of Myer is on the left, along with the Cat & Fiddle Arcade, which runs down to the Mall, and on the right is the entrance to Centrepoint. This would be the busiest street for foot traffic in the city.

Back the other way, the entrance to Centrepoint is on the left (there's a curve over the entrance & a purple sign). Most of the buildings are from the middle of the 20th Century, facades at least, the insides are usually much newer. The footpaths here and the adjoining streets were refurbishes not that long ago, you can see the red lamp posts. There are also seats set back from the main walkway, with flowers around them. The posts at the crossings have little write-ups on the history the nearby buildings, so you have something to read while you're waiting to cross the road. Quite well done.

Just past Collins St now, and heading out of the main shopping area. If you look back down the crowd in the street, you can see where the mass of people seems to end, that's where they're turning from Liverpool St. Beyond that, the road goes up the hill, past the library, to North Hobart.

Outside Hadley's Hotel. We stayed there on a school trip in 1979, but it's gone upmarket now, although you could get a room in there for $200 a night when it's slow.

Coming up to St Davids from behind.

And around the corner back into Macquarie St.

As they come into Macquarie St, the crowd is spreading out. Again, mostly financial & legal offices. The big grey place was Dept of Environment & Land Management when I worked there, now it's Primary Industry, Water & Environment.

And here we are back at the beginning. I was a little concerned that the start of the march might ran into the end of the march, and keep going around and around for days, but it didn't.

Back at the Square, and Crowther has picked up a banner.