Author: Philip Mallis
From white to grey – a little bit of North Balwyn history
At only 1.6 kilometres, Greythorn Road is one of the shortest main roads in Boroondara. It shares its name with Greythorn, a locality within North Balwyn. There aren’t any fixed boundaries but it’s generally understood by locals to be an area bounded by Balwyn Road, Gordon Barnard Reserve, Belmore Road, Winfield Road and Koonung Creek.…
Why gunzels should want more rail trails
I have been a member of a few rail enthusiast groups on Facebook for several years. Something that happens in these groups almost every fortnight is that someone will post about a dismantled railway somewhere. This will inevitably trigger a wave of comments from many of the resident foamers about: Some try to have a…
How to improve PTV disruption information
Despite some recent changes, I think there is still a lot of work to be done to improve the quality and accessibility of rail disruption information in Melbourne. Consider the main ‘Disruptions’ page on the PTV website, accessible here: https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/disruptions/disruptions-information/ If you are a passenger looking at this screen, you might thing that all is…
What is the shortest road name in Victoria?
The Victorian Government data portal has lots of great information available for anyone to use. One of the more commonly-used datasets is the Vicmap Transport series, especially the one containing information on gazetted roads. It also contains trails, tracks and even ferry routes. This is the second in a series of posts on road names…
What is the longest road name in Victoria?
The Victorian Government data portal has lots of great information available for anyone to use. One of the more commonly-used datasets is the Vicmap Transport series, especially the one containing information on gazetted roads. It also contains trails, tracks and even ferry routes. This is the first in a series of posts on road names…
My advice for people who are new to riding bikes during COVID-19
There has been a huge explosion in the number of people riding bikes during the COVID-19 pandemic – especially during lockdown. Some of the numbers that we’re seeing are pretty incredible. Update on Melbourne cycling counts (data up to Sunday 9 August). Weekend/recreational volumes mostly up on last year, weekday volumes hit new low for…
75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War
15 August 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Japan in Australia. This is considered the end of the Second World War and is referred to here as Victory in the Pacific Day or simply ‘V-P Day’ (the UK, US and New Zealand prefer ‘Victory over Japan Day’). The end of the bloodiest…
The tank that Australia built
The story of Australia’s first locally-designed and manufactured tank is a fascinating one. I think that it’s an overlooked part of our history that deserves more recognition than it currently has. (Post title reference) During the Second World War, tanks and other armoured vehicles became increasingly important. Mechanised warfare played out on a much larger…
Where are the busiest bus stops in Melbourne?
Update 3:25pm 24/07/2020: It’s been brought to my attention that some of the figures below are incorrect due to an error with amalgamating patronage data from multiple stops. I’m working to fix it ASAP and will update here again once it’s complete. Update 7:45pm 24/07/2020: I’ve tried several programs and techniques but nothing seems to…