Picnic at USYD

Welcome, Sissy-Momo, Sassy, Roscoe and Opus! Since we are a little early, Charlie and I are going to show you around a bit before picking up SS and Orable. Tigger, Trixie and Pyewacket may join us later if they can find their way to come. They have to come from Canberra which really is almost next door considering the distance all of you have to negotiate.


Here we are at the Clock Tower entrance to the Main Quad. The Quad is the oldest part of the university. It used to house lecture rooms, the old library, the Great Hall and rooms for the teaching staff. Now, the library has moved across the front lawn into the multi-storey building behind us. The Great Hall remains the place where Graduation ceremonies take place and the old library serves as a place for examinations and social functions. Many of the senior professors still have their offices here and so do the Vice Chancellor and the Arts Faculty. A number of the old lecture rooms are still here and all these have names such as the Latin room, the Greek room, the Oriental room, the History room, thePhilosophy room etc. Some of these lecture rooms have fixed wooden benches and can be quite uncomfortable. Now let's walk through the entrance into Quad:


The lilac flowering jacaranda tree is a famous landmark for generations of students. Whenever it flowers, it's time for the end-of-year exams! We have just come through that ivy covered entrance. Behind the tree is the eastern cloister, where students hang around waiting to go into lecture halls. To the right of the tree is entrance to the museum and the stairways to SS's professor's room; that's where she is now.

This is the view to the western and northern cloisters and the Maclaurin Hall:


Going through the entrance on your left, we arrive at the Nicholson Museum. This is one of the three museums on campus and it is the archaeological museum which houses the finds from the university's arcaheological digs as well as ancient artefacts donated by patrons and gifts from other museums and universities. Among these is a cat mummy. We can go in and have a look but they do not encourage photography:


Then, up these stairs is SS's professor's room and the Maclaurin Hall. We will go up and see if she is ready.

The gargoyle at the top of the stairs is a bit sleazy and its nose is slightly blackened from being rubbed by students. The Maclaurin Hall is quite big and many students have sat here for exams though the years. Ah, here she is! We can now go to collect Orable at the Post Graduate Arts Research Centre, located by the western portal of the Quad:

We are all set! Let's head for our picnic ground over at the Botany Lawn. Grab one of the colourful cushions thoughtfully brought along by Sassy and make ourselves comfortable!


Umm, let's see, there are treats for kitties and doggies, milk, cheese, cold meat and Canadian salmon being brought out....
Let's eat first before we head off for games in the Chancellor's garden











The garden is only small but all the flowers are in full bloom and there are plenty of trees to climb and bushes to play hide and seek. When we get tired, we can curl up and nap on the cushions or the small benches that are scattered around.........


Of course, there's the catnip that Charlie brought along. Don't know where he got it but we suspect he grows it in his secluded grounds.

What does Tigger, the F.B.I cat think? Are those kitties from Canberra here yet? Their mum is at work but if Tigger, Trixie and Pyewacket manage to teleport themselves over they should have no trouble finding us. C'mon, you can do it!

Ohhhh! See what Opus and Roscoe have brought! Thanks guys! Nom, nom, nom, nom!










See what Charlie's found in the garden..