Friday 27 April 2012

FSO - Town Clocks

Surely there has to be more than one Town Clock in Whangarei.  I know where another two used to be but are no more. If there are more I couldn't think where they might be.

 Time doesn't matter so much in the north anyway and all time related things seem to be in the one spot at the Town Basin, so that's where I headed.

From the carpark the clock peeps over the top of the clock museum but I wasn't tempted to cheat and go inside the museum.  If you have to pay to see them they would hardly count as town clocks. 


Go around the corner of the building and you see the sundial for those who like to tell the time the old fashioned way.


New Zealand standard time is set as 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time but since the longitude of Whangarei is 174 19' 30"E, there is a constant difference of approximately 23 minutes between local and standard time.  This difference has been incorporated into the sundial design.  So what's the time?


Close enough?


Thanks heavens for this clock.  It is so easy to pass time strolling around the Town Basin, next time I look at the clock, it's time to get a move on - the movie starts at 6 pm.


 Last weekend I was in Dargaville where the town clock, which sits on top of the post office building erected in 1914, looks to have been recently refurbished.


Here's my take on time stands still.  A pile of old diaries.  But when I looked through them it hadn't stood still enough - couldn't remember what most of the entries meant. 


The rest of the FSO team will be posting here

Now let's see if I can play with time and schedule this properly as I will be away from home from Thursday till the Sunday of the following week.  Next week's post will come from Taranaki.

18 comments:

  1. I like town clocks - they say something about civic civility. There are quite a few in Victoria - a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like that clock on top of the post office building, very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't believe you guys have a clock museum!! Also I have always really likes sundials. Good shots!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I, for one, would have loved a trip through the clock museum. maybe another time (please!) Yes diaries are a great measure of times past...
    what movie did you go see?

    ReplyDelete
  5. There is something iconic and reassuring about town clocks. The Whangarei one is quit different and imaginative but, for me, there is nothing like a clock in a tower like the Dargaville one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the shot of the sundial. I have already shown every clock in my town so I wanted to gry something a little different. We do not have anything as interesting as yours.
    QMM

    ReplyDelete
  7. So many comments come to mind, given the diversity of your post this week. The clock museum -- what perfect timing -- I'll bet most of the rest of us are drooling with envy. And your discussion of longitude and 23 minute time differences -- leads me to wonder at the fact that my time is a tinybit different from my wife in the next room. Starts me thinking about Einstein. But then I end up wondering about the "Duel of the women on the 6th floor." -- sounds like you have an interesting life.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A clock museum? Wow. That's a find.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nicely done. Enjoy your travels!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Town clocks are amazing these one is beautiful!

    Kim,USA

    ReplyDelete
  11. Clock museum! You shall have to to another Time post!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. A clock museum: are you kidding me? No fair!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What gorgeous clocks you have in your town each looking like a work of art.
    Clock museum sounds good haven't seen one of those but I have been to in my county a concrete museum with a concrete boat as an exhibit (I kid you not).

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can't work out what the notes in my current diary mean let alone past ones, Pauline!

    I loved the clocks but I'd also like you to show us the inside of the clock museum one day. (I hope it's one of those museums that allows photography!)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Interesting post Pauline. I love old clocks.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awesome collection. I love sundials.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great take on the theme, Pauline! Your old diaries look very, very full.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The basin is a long way from my speck on the map but I really enjoyed the images from your speck in time.

    ReplyDelete

I love to know who's visiting. Leave me a sign!