The coming of the dust
Sep 23, 2009
Impossible to avoid thoughts of either JG Ballard or various apocalyptic horror and science fiction scenarios when looking at these photos of Sydney, Australia, taken a few hours ago. A cloud of red dust passed over the city in the early morning and the depopulated views only add to the eerie atmosphere. These are from a Red Dust Flickr gallery. The Other Andrew writes about the inundation on his blog. I’m looking forward now to the reaction of another Sydney Melbourne resident, Simon Sellars, who runs Ballardian.
Update: The Red Sydney Project—Dust Storm Days
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Apocalypse now
7 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by mr.kenneth
Sep 23rd, 2009
and its been pretty dusty here in Brisbane today too … lovely orange haze around lunchtime but now moving towards sunset, we’re moving to shades of salmon pink …
#2 posted by lord cornelius plum
Sep 23rd, 2009
One day all the world will look like this.
#3 posted by Simon
Sep 23rd, 2009
Ah, looks amazing, John — and I wish I could comment further, but I actually live in Melbourne, not Sydney as you state!
#4 posted by mr.kenneth
Sep 23rd, 2009
my home town getting the dusty treatment :
http://tinyurl.com/nlw9nj
#5 posted by peacay
Sep 23rd, 2009
It really was freaky waking just after dawn to that martian outlook. I expected to see flames and palls of smoke on the horizon from an early bushfire season. We are all Broken Hill now.
#6 posted by John
Sep 23rd, 2009
Ha, I should have double-checked, Simon!
Brisbane looks strangely murky, like a David Fincher film. Any future apocalypse will be lovingly documented before it consumes the world.
#7 posted by Anne S
Sep 25th, 2009
Great photos! I almost wish I’d been in Sydney for the show – but then again, thinking back to the time Melbourne got inundated with dust back in the 80s, I’m glad I wasn’t. I do recall how eerie and end of the worldish it was at that time.