In search of a seat

Two years ago a dear friend of ours, Dh, died in her mid forties of cancer following a short illness. It was a quite a shock and in her memory her friends made donations to the Garvan Institute which performs marvellous medical research.

It was always the intention of another friend, Fs, to produce a photographic tribute to Dh and yesterday Fs emailed and asked if I would go to the Auditorium in the Institute, which is near the Hospital where I volunteer, and photograph the seat which has a plaque in Dh's memory.

I did that, this afternoon.



(The foyer of the Institute - pity about the cones!)

I explained to the receptionist what I wanted to do and she spoke to someone else on the phone who okayed my request. The receptionist gave me directions to the Auditorium and I had to pass through security doors to reach it. When I reached the Auditorium I found it in darkness and I felt around the walls but couldn't locate any switches. I wandered around the perimeter of the Auditorium and had a stroke of luck when I came across a sole worker at a computer on the otherwise unoccupied expansive floor. I don't know what he was doing there on his own but I was glad I found him as he was able to show me the light switch.

Then I had the task of locating the seat with Dh's plaque. I suppose the Auditorium contains a couple of hundred seats and working my way from the back row I half crawled my way around row by row. Early on, I unexpectedly found a plaque in honour of one of my fellow volunteers who died last year and then several rows further on I reached Dh's plaque.

The silver grey seats and plaques did not photograph easily in the available light but I got several shots that I hope will suit Fs' tribute album.