View across Yarra, south bank to north bank: "Deserted save for the gulls"
The Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- )1934
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Total copies: 1
DESERTED SAVE FOR THE SEAGULLS.
Flying upstream from the sea, these seagulls were the only sign of life yesterday along the picturesque river bank. Their wings, gleaming white in the sunshine, may be seen in the picture outlined against the Cathedral “with its dreaming spires.”
Title:
View across Yarra, south bank to north bank: "Deserted save for the gulls"
Collector:
Date of work:
1934
Reference number:
MCK105
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materials
Part of:
Sub-sub-collection: McKenzie Collection of glass plate negatives (SC_MCKENZIE)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access
Use restrictions:
Refer to individual item records for Use Restrictions.Please contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images. High resolution files may be available on request. Users must acknowledge City of Melbourne Libraries when reproducing images.
General notes:
Photographer notations on slide: "Deserted save for the gulls Age B9"Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Wednesday 3 January 1934, page 9Published title: DESERTED SAVE FOR THE SEAGULLS.Published caption: Flying upstream from the sea, these seagulls were the only sign of life yesterday along the picturesque river bank. Their wings, gleaming white in the sunshine, may be seen in the picture outlined against the Cathedral “with its dreaming spires.”Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203371864.Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie:It is never wise to underestimate a photograph taken by Hugh Bull. It will have a story and a purpose, even if it is not readily clear to us as researchers in 2024!.This photo, taken from a low angle to capture the dynamic flight of seagulls, with the spires of St Paul’s Cathedral in the background, perhaps reflects a moment of nostalgia for British-born Hugh – who had only been living in Australia since 1927. The words … “with its dreaming spires,” are a slight, and universal, misquote from a poem written in 1865 by British poet, essayist and social critic Matthew Arnold (1822-88), entitled – Thyrsis: A Monody, to Commemorate the Author’s Friend, His friend was fellow poet Arthur Hugh Clough, who died at Florence, 1861, aged only 42..The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature describes the poem as …”a pastoral elegy lamenting Clough as Thyrsis, recalling his ‘golden prime’ in the days when he and Arnold wandered through the Oxfordshire countryside, their youthful rivalry as poets, and Clough's departure for a more troubled world. It invokes the Scholar‐Gipsy as an image of hope and perpetual quest..Professor Nicholas Shrimpton in an article in The New Criterion in June 2024 puts forward several interesting theories as to the poet’s intention in using the phrase “dreaming spires”, which are more abrasive. But generally , since its creation, Arnold's poem is remembered for its lines describing the view of Oxford from Boars Hill:“…And that sweet city with her dreaming spires,She needs not June for beauty's heightening…".Word Histories advises that the term “dreaming spires” is used allusively to refer to the city or university of Oxford, and has been used in that way from 1879. In general usage it is certainly quoted with a sense of pride for both the city of Oxford and the University of Oxford. Portions of Thyrsis also appear in An Oxford Elegy by Ralph Vaughan Williams, so it was a well known quote that would have resonated with many British migrants..Returning to Hugh’s photo, it could have been taken when walking in a westerly direction beside the Yarra River, heading towards Melbourne’s CBD. On 2 January 1934, the day this photo may have been taken, was the date the third Tennis Test between England and Australia at Kooyong had been played “in delightful weather”. Australia won 9 to 3, but the popular English team member Fred Perry was victorious in his game against Australian Adrian Quist..We know from other of Hugh’s photographs (see 'Visiting tennis champions 1934') that he regularly covered key tennis tournaments, and may well have been covering thisTest..Perhaps this random photo was taken as he returned to the office and felt a moment of pride for his new home, whilst also feeling pride in the country of his birth. Or was it just a charming “filler” with words created by the sub-editor??!!..References:DESERTED SAVE FOR THE SEAGULLS. (1934, January 3). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved August 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203371864THE THIRD TENNIS TEST. (1934, January 3). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved August 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203371873NEWS OF THE DAY. (1934, January 3). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved August 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203371925‘Thyrsis, A Monody, to commemorate the author's friend, Arthur Hugh Clough, who died at Florence, 1861’, Oxford Reference, https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803104545145#:~:text=The%20poem%20is%20a%20pastoral,of%20hope%20and%20perpetual%20quest'Origin and meanings of 'dreaming spires'', Word Histories, https://wordhistories.net/2018/09/12/dreaming-spires-origin/'Monody', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monody'Thyrsis (poem), Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyrsis_(poem)'An Oxford Elegy', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Oxford_Elegy
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Record types:
Images, maps and artefacts
Record number:
1534530
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy | MCK105.jpg | 1 JPG | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |