22 August 2007
Today Spirit of Tasmania will host the launch of the
City of Port Phillip's two audio tours exploring the history of
Port Melbourne and St Kilda's foreshore.
Both audio tours include narration, dramatisation, sound effects
and ambient sound. They can be downloaded onto an iPod or MP3
player from the council's website - a feat believed to be a first
for local government in Australia.
Mayor Janet Bolitho will do the honours but her speech is likely
to be interrupted by actor and singer/songwriter Alyce Platt
reprising her role as Dulcie Markham from another of St Kilda's
walking tours.
According to Cr Bolitho, both audio tours capture the feel and
sound of yesteryear St Kilda and Port Melbourne.
"A Sense of Place was written and produced by Gerald
Mair, and takes listeners on an hour long audio tour of the Port
Melbourne foreshore. It also includes an interview with Captain Con
Eliades from Spirit of Tasmania.
"Port Melbourne's history has been dominated by shipping and
rail from the moment in 1839 when its first white settler,
Wilbraham Liardet, build a ti-tree jetty and started a ferry
service to William's Town.
"Starting the tour at Station Pier, where so many of Australia's
six million post-war immigrants arrived, you discover the
transformation wreaked by the gold rushes in the early 1850's.
Railway Pier was built to cope with the resultant explosion in
shipping and in 1854 boasted Australia's first railway line. The
more modern Station Pier replaced it in 1930.
"Only the old hands now remember the Centenary Bridge which once
arched over Station Pier. The sole remaining pillar was restored in
2002. Form there, the audio tour takes people to the beach, the
Swallow and Ariel Steam Biscuit Manufactory, now converted to
apartments, and down Bay Street.
"Along the way you get to hear about the amazing history of
wharfie militancy, the strike of 1928 and how ordinary
working-class folk survived the Great Depression. Once, when times
were particularly tough, the local quoits club disappeared the
night before it was due for demolition. Apparently, many a Port
home was warmed by the fine quality of its firewood..."
"The tour also takes in Graham Street to Esplanade West, once a
stinking lagoon which would bubble up with rotting seaweed, before
it was filled in completely over 1929. After a walk down Rouse
Street, the tour finishes up at the Port Melbourne Yacht Club and
the Pier Hotel, originally build by the Liardet family.
Cr Bolitho said that the podcasts were a great way of imparting
history. "The audio tours take only three minutes to download and
then you can take the tour whenever you feel like it," she
said.
"You can do the tour as many times as you like and don't have to
rely on the St Kilda Historical and Preservation Society running
the tour you want when you want. At the same time, you get to know
the area and you don't have to be a resident to gain some
satisfaction from that.
"The other plus is that the audio tours gets everyone walking -
and that's doubly pleasurable when you know the interesting stories
associated with a particular place of building."
Melindy Green, Director Passenger Sales, Marketing &
Communication, said Spirit of Tasmania is delighted to be
involved in the City of Port Phillip's audio tour program aimed at
increasing tourism and generating more public interest in the
region.
"Spirit of Tasmania constantly strives to provide new
and exciting entertainment and recreational activities for our
guests. And the new podcast audio tours enable guests to partake in
interesting local activities when they arrive at Station Pier
either before or after sailing with us.
"It is yet another way to make our guests association with
Spirit of Tasmania and Station Pier an immensely enjoyable
and memorable experience."
-ends-
Released by:
Carolyn Neill
Corporate Communications Coordinator
Tel: 03 9206 6220 / 0438 393 898
cjn@spiritoftasmania.com.au
