O'Connor Boathouse
The O’Connor boathouse stood on North Quay all through my childhood. It was designed by the architect Richard Gailey and built in 1910. It was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the construction of the freeways.
It has often occurred to me that we seem now not capable, or willing at least, to build a building so graceful and useful on the river. I know of none to have even come close, since the boathouse was demolished.
Dances were held upstairs and you entered easily down steps from North Quay. The rowing shells were kept on the floor below with a ramp down to a pontoon in the river. Stumps kept this level above the river for all but flooding waters when the rowing shells could be taken elsewhere for safekeeping.
I wanted to show the building in full flush, being used at both levels, so chose sunset as the time when this could happen.
Hand coloured 500x300mm
Edition of 40 $590
It has often occurred to me that we seem now not capable, or willing at least, to build a building so graceful and useful on the river. I know of none to have even come close, since the boathouse was demolished.
Dances were held upstairs and you entered easily down steps from North Quay. The rowing shells were kept on the floor below with a ramp down to a pontoon in the river. Stumps kept this level above the river for all but flooding waters when the rowing shells could be taken elsewhere for safekeeping.
I wanted to show the building in full flush, being used at both levels, so chose sunset as the time when this could happen.
Hand coloured 500x300mm
Edition of 40 $590