KnowWhere - Sphinxes of the Domain

KnowWhere - Sphinxes of the Domain

This sphinx located opposite the NSW Art Gallery on Art Gallery road, is part of a pair gifted by Friends of the Royal Botanic Garden. The bronze has a patina and the northern sphinx is much lighter than the southern one. They are a rather majestic addition to the short rise of stairs which access the footpaths leading back to the city.

No alt text provided for this image

A sphinx in Ancient Greek times was a mythical creature which had the head and upper torso of a woman, the body of a lion and apparently the wings of an eagle. The sphinx represented wisdom and strength and its role was of a guardian. The winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, the most famous in legend, was said to have terrorised the people by demanding the answer to a riddle taught her by the Muses.

No alt text provided for this image

 Question: What is it that has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed? —and devouring a man each time the riddle was answered incorrectly. Eventually Oedipus gave the proper answer:

Answer: Man, who crawls on all fours in infancy, walks on two feet when grown, and leans on a staff in old age.


No alt text provided for this image

In terms of Sydney city planning I’ve always wondered if anyone has ever considered the natural extension of Martin Place, through the Sydney Hospital on Macquarie Street and towards the NSW Art Gallery. It seems that a straight strip would almost line up exactly at the gallery. As the city grows, it radiates outwards and this would then link the city even better for pedestrians to the popular inner-city lifestyle spots of Woolloomooloo, Potts Point and Kings Cross. Perhaps this town planning question is best answered by the experts, Mark Grayson or Stephen Gouge of Knight Frank’s Town Planning team or even master planner and architect, Phil Graus at the Greater Sydney Commission.

Just a thought…oh and by the way, perhaps avoid using the stairs and having to pass the sphinxes just in case they ask a question you are unsure how to answer.

 Source – Encyclopaedia Britannica

Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson

Founder at Craig's Table- Recipient Summa Comp Laude 2021-22 Recipient Bloom Making a Difference Award 2023

4 年

Kymbal Dunne as a recent arrival (just 3yrs back) to Sydney, the one thing I love doing is walking around and seeping myself into the history that surrounds me. I found myself sitting in a coffee shop one afternoon with tears rolling down my face totally overwhelmed by the feeling of knowing that where I was sitting had at one time been where our Nations First People had been, and where countless thousands of others had walked or sat. The building was once a shed on a wharf. I felt that if I sat there long enough and still enough that I would be able to touch the history I was in.

Kymbal Dunne

Founder and CEO

4 年

There you go Neil. Mine will be four flat tyres when it is time to say goodbye.

回复
Andrea Brown FRICS

Strategic & Technical Advisor | Building Consultant | Project Manager | Ultra & Trail Runner

4 年

Another statue fun fact for you Kymbal Dunne. Centennial Park, Sydney is home to a rare life-sized statue - one of only three in the world - of the English novelist Charles Dickens.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Kymbal Dunne的更多文章

  • Catching a driverless taxi

    Catching a driverless taxi

    The USA invents like no other country and that’s why I travel there each year so I can learn and speak with confidence…

    12 条评论
  • “A life of service - REI NSW Honours Industry Veteran with Life Fellowship"

    “A life of service - REI NSW Honours Industry Veteran with Life Fellowship"

    In a testament to over four decades of unwavering dedication to the real estate profession, the Real Estate Institute…

    135 条评论
  • The New Retail World Through Charles Darwin's Eyes.

    The New Retail World Through Charles Darwin's Eyes.

    Capturing global discretionary retail spending during the pandemic was like sport. Money flowed freely.

    4 条评论
  • Appreciating Insurance

    Appreciating Insurance

    Introduction Is anything sure about insurance? Well if you don’t pay a premium then you don’t have cover, so…

    2 条评论
  • Being Coached

    Being Coached

    Kim Dunlop and Kymbal Dunne share their insights into a topic which they have extensive experience in, Kim as a…

    9 条评论
  • Home Ownership - Dream or Burden?

    Home Ownership - Dream or Burden?

    Home ownership has gone from the concept of building wealth slowly to a “get rich quick” scheme, simply because the…

    26 条评论
  • Aussie Property 2022 - Omicron Calls The Shots

    Aussie Property 2022 - Omicron Calls The Shots

    Just when our politicians decided that it was their time to lead by pushing our trusted health officials to the side…

    10 条评论
  • Trusted Advisor: The Next Chapter

    Trusted Advisor: The Next Chapter

    After 10 years of working at Knight Frank I have left. It follows the closure of Private Office in Australia.

    166 条评论
  • #3 Flatiron - Through Networked Eyes

    #3 Flatiron - Through Networked Eyes

    Each year I fly to New York, San Francisco, Omaha and a new USA city so that I can see first hand what is happening in…

  • #2 Property and Business

    #2 Property and Business

    Each year I fly to New York, San Francisco, Omaha and a new USA city so that I can see first hand what is happening in…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了