Day two of my stay in Melbourne was full of largely administrative chores like opening a bank account (I chose Commonwealth Bank, which has more ATM outlets around the city), getting an Australian mobile line (Opted for 3, which is the most affordable option here), and purchasing other household items like detergent and food containers. I also took the opportunity to walk around the campus of the University of Melbourne to understand what's available there and where the various buildings are located.
Sprawled across a vast compound at Parkville, which is just slightly north of the Melbourne CBD area, the University of Melbourne is Australia's second oldest university which is established way back in 1852. It is considered one of the top universities in Australia for certain fields like law, arts, humanities and engineering. Because of its rich history, the buildings within the campus are an eclectic mix of old period architecture with distinctly European influence interspersed with newer more contemporary buildings.
Here's a short photo journey of what I took as I strolled through the campus in a (fairly) serendipitious manner...
Some of the buildings were pretty old and have been around since the 19th century, like this one here.
Yet another old-style building, this time covered in red bricks.
And yet another...
Unfortunately, some of the buildings weren't that inspiring, like this one holding the faculty of the Arts (where I would be spending more of my time).
The Union House is an important first stop for many students, whether to stock up supplies for school or to fuel their tummies.
So is this Post Shop located at the faculty of architecture.
There were also "industrial" looking ones, like this building which houses the Chemical Engineering department. No prizes for guessing what those pipes and chimneys are for.
There were also modern and contemporary buildings, like this one here.
As well as this (sorry for the paucity in information as I haven't been orientated yet...).
What I liked most were the nice scenic spaces in between full of shady trees and benches.
Space obviously wasn't a major problem here, and the campus greens were nicely laid out and perfect for picnics or serious intellectual discussions.
Naturally, I had to pay homage to a museum. Here's the Ian Potter Museum of Art, with a contemporary facade. I don't think he is related to Harry though...
A closer shot of the wall relief at the museum, which seemed inspired by classical Greek influences.Labels: melbourne university, personal musings