A number of the visitors to my galleries hail from Ireland, so it would have been churlish of me not to do anything to recognise St Patrick's Day. So I thought "Hey, easy, I'll just get in a little early and I'll bet I'll find a stack of places, particularly pubs in The Rocks, done out in their best Irish green!"

Nope. Not a sausage.

The closest I found was a pub at lunch time which had some Guinness hats hanging over the bar with "Happy St Patrick's Day" written on them, but even they were in black (which, admittedly, Guinness is, but still...) I did see one or two Guinness' being consumed, but no "traditional" (?!) green beer of which I have heard. And admittedly I did see one or two people who were assiduously attired in green.

I recall more having been made of St Patrick's day in the past, but upon reflection we're talking over a decade ago; I hadn't really been paying attention until today but it seems that over the years there has been less attention given to overseas national days of any kind in these parts. Whether it's that people are busier, whether it's the "melting pot" effect of changing demographics in Australia, it's impossible to say.

I believe that St Patrick's Day was first celebrated in Australia, mostly for the benefit of Irish convicts, by Governor Macquarie in 1810. The Opera House was going to be lit up with green lights tonight at 7:30, but alas I had other things to do and couldn't stay in the city to capture it.

And so, while it's not green beer with a 4 leaf clover garnish or anything quite as clichéd... at least it's in a beer stein!