Perusing La Perouse
Slideshow at my flickr: La Perouse
Last weekend Sasha and I went for a drive down to La Perouse, or "LaPa" as it was called by the project I used to work on, which was based not far away, in Matraville and Maroubra.
LaPa has a long and interesting history, and it's an absolutely beautiful location. It was especially lovely last weekend. The sky and clouds were spectacular over the sparkling Botany Bay.
I discovered that La Perouse is named after a man who has possibly the longest name in French history, Jean François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse. I knew it was named after him already, but I didn't know his name was actually de Galaup. In further admission of how anglocentric my understanding of Australian history is, I didn't realise that his landing at Botany Bay was the last time his country knew where he was. His ship was wrecked after leaving Australia and he never returned to France. It wasn't until 1826 (!) that some other French explorers pieced together the mystery, after finding some evidence of shipwrecks near the Solomon Islands. I find this so amazing. It was lucky La Perouse had sent his journals and letters back to Europe with a British ship, or else even less would be known about him and his voyages.
Anyway, enough history lesson. Onto some pictures. :)
And we're bound for Botany Bay
The entrance to the bay:
The man himself.
The Barrack Tower, La Perouse
The first building in the area was the round stone tower constructed in 1820-22 as accommodation for a small guard of soldiers stationed there to prevent smuggling, and the tower still stands today. (from wikipedia)
A monument to La Perouse (with industrial Port Botany in the background)
Erected in the name of France
The Museum is located in the historic 1881-1882 Cable Station on the headland at La Perouse. The building originally provided accommodation for Cable Station staff. At different periods it provided a home for nurses and soldiers. From 1944, it was a Salvation Army refuge for women and children. (from mgnsw.org.au)
This beautiful big old building houses the museum:
Last weekend Sasha and I went for a drive down to La Perouse, or "LaPa" as it was called by the project I used to work on, which was based not far away, in Matraville and Maroubra.
LaPa has a long and interesting history, and it's an absolutely beautiful location. It was especially lovely last weekend. The sky and clouds were spectacular over the sparkling Botany Bay.
I discovered that La Perouse is named after a man who has possibly the longest name in French history, Jean François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse. I knew it was named after him already, but I didn't know his name was actually de Galaup. In further admission of how anglocentric my understanding of Australian history is, I didn't realise that his landing at Botany Bay was the last time his country knew where he was. His ship was wrecked after leaving Australia and he never returned to France. It wasn't until 1826 (!) that some other French explorers pieced together the mystery, after finding some evidence of shipwrecks near the Solomon Islands. I find this so amazing. It was lucky La Perouse had sent his journals and letters back to Europe with a British ship, or else even less would be known about him and his voyages.
Anyway, enough history lesson. Onto some pictures. :)
And we're bound for Botany Bay
The entrance to the bay:
The man himself.
The Barrack Tower, La Perouse
The first building in the area was the round stone tower constructed in 1820-22 as accommodation for a small guard of soldiers stationed there to prevent smuggling, and the tower still stands today. (from wikipedia)
A monument to La Perouse (with industrial Port Botany in the background)
Erected in the name of France
The Museum is located in the historic 1881-1882 Cable Station on the headland at La Perouse. The building originally provided accommodation for Cable Station staff. At different periods it provided a home for nurses and soldiers. From 1944, it was a Salvation Army refuge for women and children. (from mgnsw.org.au)
This beautiful big old building houses the museum: