National Library of Australia

It's been a while, and I doubt that I'll go back to posting daily photos, but I am going to start posting more photos of Canberra as I have the opportunity.

On Tuesday I went to the 'Mapping Our World' exhibition at the National Library of Australia. It's a free exhibition, running until March, but you need to book timed entry tickets. It includes the fabulous Fra Mauro mappa mundi (world map), from 15th century Venice, which has never before left its home city. This map alone is worth the effort to get to the exhibition - just beautiful!

The area where the National Library is situated - the Parliamentary Triangle - is full of art, and much of it is outside the galleries and exhibition spaces. Right along from the library is this stunning piece: fire and water (artist: Judy Watson, sound designer: Michael Hewes, cultural advisor: Matilda House).

Canberra Times Fountain

The Canberra Times Fountain by Robert Woodward, at the intersection of Ainslie Avenue and City Walk.

The fountain was commissioned by Federal Capital Press as a gift to the people of Canberra on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of The Canberra Times newspaper. Installed in 1979, and standing nearly 5 metres tall, the fountain is made of tube and rod fabricated stainless steed.

The designer, Bob Woodward, is probably more well known for the El Alamein Memorial Fountain in Kings Cross, Sydney, but he was also an architect and an athlete (he was a hurdler in the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, NZ). He died in February last year.