September and October 2014

September and October 2014 saw RealTime CEO travel to Sydney NSW, Melbourne VIC and Darwin NT.

Sydney

I don’t think Nick managed to visit this but like London, nineteenth century Sydney had a ghostly railway service in operation whereby funeral trains would transport coffins and their associated mourners from the fittingly named Mortuary Station, near what is today Central Station, to Rookwood Cemetery. This was the case from 1867 onwards, when the city’s cemeteries became increasingly full, requiring transportation to burial plots further afield.

Melbourne

Did you know that the famous Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne is built on the site of Melbourne’s original cemetery. When the market was being extended in 1917, some 900 of the named and ‘celebrity’ graves were relocated to Fawkner and the General Cemeteries, but many more were in unmarked graves, and it is thought some 9000 souls remain below the car park. There’s a great self-guided history tour of the market you can download here.

Darwin

Darwin City is the tropical capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, which comprises one sixth of the continent. It has a population density of only 0.1 person per square kilometre. Now compare that to New York with a population density of 2,050 people per square kilometre, or Mumbai with a population density of 29,650 ppl/km2!!  Make sure you say g’day to any locals you see in Darwin – it may be a while before you see another one!   🙂

October 2014 also saw Nick have some time off to go camping at Southend in South Australia with his family and friends.

Beautiful sunset at Southend SA