If my personal - or emotional - map of Melbourne has a centre, it might well be the Edinburgh Gardens. So many successively layered associations, some piercingly specific and others permeating more generally across events and periods of time, leading to the gardens having long ago become such an important site for me, there even when absent, and not least as totemic symbol of inner northern Melbourne.
Anyway, last night, dinner in Clifton Hill with AM, ZG, CT and partners of those who currently have them; afterwards, walking alone home to Carlton along familiar-feeling side streets (familiar-feeling even though I don't think I've ever been down those particular ones before), sky all shades of black and plum-lilac and deep electric blue, I found myself at the gardens' edge, coming from what I always think of as its back - the non-St Georges Road side. A few steps inwards to the low fence encircling the oval, facing west; before me, a spread-out night sky vista, trees and buildings dark-silhouetted on the near horizon. Listening to Chvrches, I'm not sure how long I stood there looking before stepping through the open gate and walking across to the bright lights and whir of passing traffic of the main road ahead...it was a bit of a moment.
Anyway, last night, dinner in Clifton Hill with AM, ZG, CT and partners of those who currently have them; afterwards, walking alone home to Carlton along familiar-feeling side streets (familiar-feeling even though I don't think I've ever been down those particular ones before), sky all shades of black and plum-lilac and deep electric blue, I found myself at the gardens' edge, coming from what I always think of as its back - the non-St Georges Road side. A few steps inwards to the low fence encircling the oval, facing west; before me, a spread-out night sky vista, trees and buildings dark-silhouetted on the near horizon. Listening to Chvrches, I'm not sure how long I stood there looking before stepping through the open gate and walking across to the bright lights and whir of passing traffic of the main road ahead...it was a bit of a moment.
