Items

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  2020-06-30

  Meme: Hotspot Lockdown in Brunswick West, Melbourne

  This meme was posted in my Melbourne friends' Facebook Messenger group chat in the wake of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' announcement that certain 'hotspot' suburbs in Melbourne would return to Stage 3 lockdown at the end of June 2020. From the point of view of people outside of hotspot suburbs, it makes light of other neighbouring suburbs turning a blind eye to people who have to go back to lockdown, creating temporary walls between spaces, people and families. Unfortunately, because I lived in Brunswick West, I was one of the unlucky few in my friendship group who had to go back into lockdown. I watched on social media as all my other friends caught up with each other and took advantage of being able to travel more and go out to bars and cafes. As unlucky as I felt, memes like this one always functioned as a way to laugh at bad situations. My friends and I usually coped with lockdown through memes and jokes, characteristic of gen Z humour. HIST30060.
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  2020

  Planners During a Pandemic

  HIST30060: Making History Stationery businesses are really milking year that was 2020. With lockdowns, quarantines, and cancelled or postponed events, anyone who bought a fresh new planner in anticipation of filling them with exciting appointments knows the disappointment of staring at the blank pages – or even worse, seeing the words, “Zoom Meeting.” Thus, the planners and diaries industry have really seemed to stepped it up a notch with their tactical launch of new products for the upcoming new year. Marketing new 2021 planners from as early as mid-2020, this false sense of acceleration into the future also falsely proposes that crossing that line into a new year somehow means the current global troubles of economy, virus and politics will somehow poof into the past, with no guarantee that our planners won’t be as empty as they were in the past year. With that being said, I totally caved into the marketing and bought a planner anyways.
• 
  2020

  Analysing Dan Andrew’s Outfits During a Pandemic

  HIST30060: Making History Since March 2020, Melbourne has collectively been in lockdown for 112 days – apparently, the longest lockdown in the world. The definition of ‘lockdown’ has gone through a few editions, but it largely meant that people could only leave their homes for (four) essential reasons, most physical stores were not open or were limited to click-and-collect or takeaway, you could not see more than 1-2 people outside the people you live with, and this seemingly perpetual sense of not being able to do anything. A key element of this period was the anticipation (or dread) of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ daily coronavirus update press conferences. The attention on these daily updates intensified to the point of codifying Andrews’ outfits to deduce whether his announcements would be happy or upsetting for Victorians keen to get out of lockdown. If he was in full business suit: bad, restrictions are about to get harsher, if he was wearing a North Face puffer jacket: good, you and your mates might be able to get your beers on again.
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  2020-03-13

  A toilet-paper frenzy

  HIST30060 This is an image captured in a Coles supermarket of a toilet paper aisle empty as Melbournians rushed to make sure they weren't left without during the COVID lockdown
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  2020-11-08

  Masks masks masks

  HIST30060 This photograph is of the variety of the face masks used by myself and my sister throughout this pandemic. I like how it shows the variation in information that was received by "Dan the Man", Premier Daniel Andrews. First, any type of mask was allowed to be used (including some single-layer ones seen here). Then the recommendation was triple-layered masks. And now, face shields are not allowed to be worn. Not that my sister or I ever actually wore the face shield - that was given to us by our grandmother. Actually, all of the masks we have were sewed by our grandmother. For that, I am grateful because it saved us from having to deal with the rush of finding and purchasing masks after were made mandatory. I like to think that if people time travelled to today from even a year ago, they would question such an odd fashion choice. And that is what they have become for a lot of people, a fashion choice. I recall seeing during the Melbourne Cup a lot of co-ordinated masks with outfits, and they have opened an avenue for people to display their interests on their face. A new and unexpected way for people to connect, even as our expressions are being masked. All I can say is that I'm grateful for the majority of Melbournians taking to these masks, and even though we had our fair share of "Bunnings Karen," we are far better off than other countries.
• 
  2020-11-05

  Lethargic Lockdown

  HIST30060 - In reviewing this 'plague' year, I feel that there can be no simple way of explaining the whirlwind of emotions that seemed to fluctuate just as readily and sporadically as our daily covid- case numbers did back in April and May. My first uploaded image is a photograph I took of a note that was found in our letterbox in Balwyn, which we received on the 7th of April. Later we discovered it was made by two younger girls who lived at the bottom of our street, who had been writing similar letters for all our neighbours too! I felt it was very important in this unprecedented time to cherish the small acts of kindness, particularly given the emotional state of lockdown. Despite their relative insignificance, it is these small communal acts which I will cherish, which keep us connected to those around us, while ironically social distancing at the same time. Similarly, the young sisters who made the card are the same age as my niece, 9 years old. I often look at this card and think of how their youth has been irrevocably changed in this pandemic. My second image is a photo I took of Mills beach in Mornington on the 31st of July. I think it will always remind me of the occasion where I snuck down to the Beach, on the premise of doing some 'maintenance' at a family property, which was what I explained to the police who were patrolling the highway. My father has had his bouts with pneumonia in the past, so the family decided that if he could conduct his work from home, then it would be best to get of Melbourne. So my mum and dad were staying down the in Mornington from late March and came back to Melbourne around the start of November. Although we would routinely call eachother on zoom, this photo in a way commemorates the time where I had to sneak down to the beach in order to see them. Though a beautiful sunset at mills beach, there also is a sense of morbid beauty and unease to the photo. It was the only time I think I have ever seen such beautiful weather and calm water, with no boats or people in sight. The third image is a screenshot from a facebook invitation to a party which was created in early March. The guys that made the group event had originally planned to host a get together by December. I think in a sense this does give some explanation in regards to the expectations of corona, and the hysteria that was surrounding it in early March. I think as explained in the screenshot, although we didn't know what to expect, all we did know was that "the next few months are gonna be very long." Recently they updated the invitation from a party that will maybe happen in March next year. Although it may be some form of normality to look forward to, I think that this year more than any other we have learnt to prepare for the worst. Though it is currently listed to go ahead around March next year, part of me thinks it will be delayed again. My fourth image is a screenshot I took from an instagram page called "melb_lockdown," which was created in early April this year. It is an instagram page that features many artful collections of the Melbourne CBD area in black and white photographs. As one who often indulges in photography myself, I think the artist behind the instagram page is always trying to send a message with his work. I think what strikes me most is naturally seeing images of one of the 'most liveable' cities in the world, which is now devoid of the very things that have have given the city it's -claim-to-fame.' The once frenetic energy and vibrancy of the busy Melbourne CBD is now lifeless, colourless, and painfully mundane. My last image, is a meme that a friend of mine sent me. Similarly it is a an Instagram page called 'Covid 19 Funny Memes.' Though very funny, it also highlights a lot of the communal attitudes that have fluctuated and changed through out the pandemic. In late February/ early March, I believe that because it the pandemic was largely still a distant story that was affecting Europe more readily and Australia, it was something we really engaged in a kind of hysteria with. Because we hadn't experienced it, it was something we couldn't truly understand. Certainly these sought of humorous memes were not being created back then. But now I feel having lived with the pandemic for the last 8-9 months, people's attitudes have altered so much. I think because we are now more prepared to satirise, mock or create humorous memes is not to suggest that we have become apathetic towards the pandemic, but I think it shows that we are 'over it.' I think now living with this shadow over our lives for 8 months has taken its toll, and humour may be one way we can attempt to disassociate ourselves from this monotonous cycle.
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  2020-03-19

  The Glass Den, Save Hospo

  This image represents hospitality venues in Melbourne struggling to make ends meet earlier in the pandemic, before they were closed due to restrictions. The hashtag #savehospo trended on Instagram, being used by hospitality venues to ask for continued support from the public. This image is important to me as I am the worker in the background of the image. For me, the image represents my personal journey during the pandemic, where I lost my job and was unable to apply for Jobkeeper benefits as I got the job three weeks before restrictions were enforced. This photo gives insight into the struggle that a lot of hospitality venues and workers are going through during the pandemic. HIST30060
• 
  2020-10-28

  First Day Free

  HIST30060. The first day out of the second lockdown in Melbourne, Australia, I got invited to a picnic with friends from high school. We went to a park that was local to everyone and no one at the same time, having been going there for parties and gatherings for the past six years. This photo is of a café local to Yarraville in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Alfa Bakehouse backs right out onto the train station where I get off and the only reason I went passed it was to check if a froyo place I loved had yet reopened with other retail and hospitality businesses. To see this many people together was both exhilarating and uncomfortable at the same time. Knowing that freedom was finally in our grasp but the overlying fear that we could easily return to lockdown if we are not careful. I made my way to my friends shortly after this picture was taken and talked and ate for hours, even getting a sun burn, and it reminded me how all that time in lockdown was worth it if people can see one another again and enjoy their time together.
• 
  2020-10-31

  Eagerness to Celebrate

  HIST30060. My first journey to the city after months of staying within 5km of my own home, you begin to take for granted the daily trips to university, the train and tram rides, and being around other people. I got to go to shops I haven't been to before and have discovered during lockdown as well as food that I have missed dearly and was a welcome change after so much monotony and repetition. These places were bouncing back after months of hardship and everyone seemed so keen to participate in society again. It's a first step towards normality, and I believe nothing speaks to that greater than seeing Christmas decorations on Halloween. It was October, and there was a giant Christmas tree in QV. Not many superficial things cause me to seethe, but it was over 50 days until Christmas. However, it's an annoying but nice way to demonstrate that there's a level of hope among everyone with the December holidays being a point in the future that everyone in Victoria holds dear. We hope that we will be able to travel interstate to visit friends and family for Christmas, that we can have gatherings at home around a BBQ celebrating Christmas and the holidays, but also the love we share for one another and the joy at being able to be together again. I believe this year will be the only one where I will not mind as much to see these decorations so early, as they demonstrate hope and a return to everything we know and love.
• 
  2020-07-03

  Filling the time whilst working in fast food

  HIST30060 During this year, I was luck enough to still be able to work in my fast food job due to the JobKeeper program, which saw the government paying the wages of part time and full time staff, as well as certain casuals. I would work 2 to 3 shifts a week in the city, which allowed me time to get out of the house and socialise with my coworkers. Restrictions meant we did not receive many customers, with our main source of income coming from the delivery platforms my boss installed. Despite this work, it did not mean I was able to escape the boredom most faced during the prolonged periods of restrictions, as there is only so much cleaning you can do in the periods where we had no customers. To fill the time, I began recreating famous paintings I could find online in miniature form, using the materials I could find in store, such as white board markers and receipt paper. Pictured here is my attempt at recreating Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ (bottom left), the ‘Great Wave off Kanagawa’ by Hokusai (right), and Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ (top left).
• 
  2020-08-18

  Image of a pigeon in store

  HIST30060 Despite quarantine restrictions, I was still able to work at my fast food job in the CBD. Pictured here is a pigeon who would come into our store looking for food in the quietest parts of the day, which were almost always due to the lack of people in the city. Whilst working in the city, I realised that most urban birds, including pigeons and seagulls, became very confident during the stricter quarantine periods. The lack of activity in the city meant they were not receiving the usual scraps they would receive from those travelling to and from their desk jobs. The birds became bold with their interactions with those who were coming to the city in order to gain the small amount of food they needed to survive. This small pigeon in our store is a good example of this. He would waltz in and munch on the oats that would land on our floor before we had time to clean them. Despite repeated attempts to shoo him outside, he would often walk around our floor before meandering outside again.
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  2020-09-12

  Schofferhofer

  These two photos are of a glass beer bottle from a Belgian Beer Cafe. One of my Dad's mates knows the guy who owns it and although the cafe is in Malvern and the CBD, my Dad's mate has been helping him deliver them around Carlton/Fitzroy. Dad was getting them every week and he bought me one the other week so I could see what it tasted like. It was beautiful, rich and hoppy. We changed to Peronis after and it just wasn't the same. Dad kept bugging me about how much it cost and I told him I'd send him money but he didn't want a bar of me. When I spoke to Mum she said she told him that he wasn't buying me any food any more since I moved out, we aren't catching up for meals or coffee or anything, the least he can do is buy me beer. Dad likes to have everyone in the same place and I think he was flat I eventually moved out, especially when it's so hard to catch up at the moment, but being able to to share this together, even if we are apart, was comforting.
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  2020-04-21

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Alice Diffey

  “Hospitality was one of the first industries to be affected by the pandemic. Outside of financial pressures, what has been challenging is overcoming the hurdle of being stationary. Whether you are a chef or sommelier, we are used to working really long hours, then staying out late going for drinks. I'm not at home for long - ever. Most of us from the company have been stood down, but we have been given the option of JobKeeper. I’m trying to keep mentally stimulated, positive and active during this time. We don't know how long it will be. All my colleagues and I have kept in touch. I love our team, and we love our industry. We are all missing it alot. In hospitality, you form very tight friendships and bonds, you go out with these people, work with these people - they become your family. It’s a massive blow because our whole industry is about bringing people together, creating culture and stories that will last forever. You can’t do that when you’re by yourself at home.” Instagram post on Alice Diffey, restaurant manager, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
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  2020-07-05

  Reverse Culture Shock and Relaxing Restrictions

  HUM402 This article discusses reverse culture shock and the likelihood that many Australians will experience this as restrictions are gradually relaxed. I feel this article will resonate with many people worldwide, and also clearly highlights the turbulence of emotions felt during this period of COVID-19.
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  2020-05-08

  Social distancing sign at a sheepskin products shop

  A handwritten sign at a shop specialising in sheepskin products in Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia indicating that social distancing will be enforced within.
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  2020-04-25

  Social Distancing at the Supermarket

  This photo depicts a supermarket in Tasmania, Australia, where social distancing measures are being enforced. Red tape is used to create a line where customers have to queue prior to entering the store. The staff member to the left of the image is counting the customers as they enter the store to enforce the customer limit.
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  2020-03-28

  James Boag's poignant press ad

  I saw this ad in our local paper on the first Saturday after the toughest social distancing restrictions were announced with gatherings in public of more than two people prohibited. I felt this was a very poignant press ad placed by a well-known, sturdy, enduring, local brand. It empathised with the public as well as encouraging support for the distancing measures.
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  2020-04-19

  Empty shopping centre car park

  Prior to COVID-19 this undercover car park at a local shopping complex would have been full of cars and people, on this day (a Sunday afternoon) it was almost empty. This image shows that people are adhering to social distancing laws and staying home unless they require essential grocery items.
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  2020-04-25

  Queuing to enter the supermarket in times of physical distancing

  Just before Easter our Coles reorganised itself. It closed the entrance via the arcade and made one door and entrance and the other an exit. There are signs on the wall instructing people to stand a supermarket trolley apart. People mostly do this (not like at the Aldi that I also passed today!). Someone stands at the exit door counting the people leaving and they let the person at the entrance know how many people to allow in. The only time there’s been a queue has been the Easter weekend and this Anzac Day weekend. Strangely the smaller Woolworths across the road has no queue.
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  2020-04-15

  Concert cancellations and postponements

  HUM402 A number of concerts, festivals and other forms of entertainment have been cancelled or postponed due to the impact of Covid - 19. This email screenshot from concert organisers, OzTix, shows the cancellation of the Luca Brasi tour, representative of the wider sacrifices made by the entertainment industry during this time of social distancing.
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  2020-04-21

  Notice on front of bottle shop showing that alcohol can still be purchased in bulk quantities.

  Notice shows restriction on how much alcohol can be bought in Australia from liquor outlets. The amount had been reduced from previous week.
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  2020-03-23

  Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne, looking West

  Showing Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne. Sales on in the major department stores but no one around to buy it.