2019 – HarrisBricks

Tram No. 84

Dale — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 11:07:15 +0000

This build is a LEGO replica of Bendigo Tramways No. 84.

You can find out more about this historic tram here. It was built as part of my Charing Cross display.

Built: 2019, 2020
Theme: Bendigo
Exhibited: Bendigo Bricks 2021, Brick Relief 2022, Bendigo Marketplace Easter Display 2023, LockyBlocks 2024, Bendigo Agricultural Show 2024, Bendigo Treasures: Brick by Brick 2026, Bendigo Bricks 2026, Brick by Brick: 10 Years of Building Bendigo 2026

Former Commercial Bank of Australia

Dale — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:19:11 +0000

This build is a LEGO replica of the facade of the Former Commercial Bank of Australia Building at 11 View Point, Bendigo.

It was built as part of my Charing Cross display.

Built: 2019, 2020
Theme: Architecture, Bendigo
Exhibited: Bendigo Bricks 2021, Brick Relief 2022, Bendigo Marketplace Easter Display 2023, LockyBlocks 2024, Bendigo Agricultural Show 2024, Bendigo Treasures: Brick by Brick 2026, Bendigo Bricks 2026, Brick by Brick: 10 Years of Building Bendigo 2026

Former Royal Bank Building

Dale — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:14:59 +0000

This build is a LEGO replica of the facade of the Former Royal Bank Building at 17 View Point, Bendigo.

It was built as part of my Charing Cross display.

Former Australian Mutual Provident Society Building

Dale — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:09:19 +0000

This build is a LEGO replica of the facade of the Former Australian Mutual Provident Society Building at 21 View Point, Bendigo.

It was built as part of my Charing Cross display.

13-15 View Point

Dale — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:04:15 +0000

This build is a LEGO replica of the facade of the building that stands at 13-15 View Point, Bendigo.

It was built as part of my Charing Cross display.

Charing Cross

Dale — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:52:10 +0000

This build is a LEGO replica of Charing Cross, the very centre of my home town of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

Each year for Bendigo Bricks, Bendigo LEGO User Group’s annual brick show, I like to display something from Bendigo built out of LEGO bricks (in the past I have exhibited my Former Bendigo Fire Station and the Shamrock Hotel) and I decided that for Bendigo Bricks 2020 I was going to tackle a streetscape incorporating multiple facades. There are a number of places in Bendigo I could have chosen but I settled on Charing Cross this time as it has a good mix of different building styles.

Charing Cross is the intersection of View Street and Pall Mall and effectively stands at the centre of the city and is one of Bendigo’s busiest and most prominent intersections, check out the real place on Google StreetView here. In my build I wanted to capture Charing Cross on an average day featuring Bendigonian’s going about their daily lives.

My build includes four distinct facades, starting from left to right they are the Former Commercial Bank of Australia which stands at 11 View Point, 13-15 View Point, the beautiful art nouveau Former Royal Bank Building at 17 View Point and the Former Australian Mutual Provident Society Building at 21 View Point. I have tried to show these buildings as they appear today in their current uses.

Other features include Bendigo’s cenotaph, as well as a couple of elements that I built in the past, namely my Bendigo Bus and my Alexandra Fountain (though I have given it a new base in this build, one that is much more representive of its actual location).

I also wanted to include an iconic Bendigo Tram in this build and settled on No. 84. You can find out more about this historic tram here.

Edward’s Island

Dale — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 17:56:46 +0000

This build is a large Neo Fabuland island.

I have built it to explore something I am calling ‘Neo Fabuland’, the idea of employing Fabuland as a visual style, in much the same way that Neo-Classic Space looks to Classic Space as a set of design conventions. You can find out more about my goals for Neo Fabuland here if you are interested.

This display was built to be displayed at Brickvention 2020 and features a large island, 10 buildings including my previously revealed Edward’s Fishing Hut, Boris’ Post Office, Wilfred’s Lighthouse, Gertrude’s Studio, Hannah’s Greenhouse, Bonnie’s B&B, The Dock, and The Bandstand as well as two previously unrevealed buildings, Bernhard’s Tavern and Dr. Dog’s Office as well as various vehicles, trees, plants and landscaping.

First and foremost I wanted to take the level of detail up above the simplified forms of the original Fabuland sets (those sets were made for young builders after all) and create a fully realised environment for the Fabuland figures to inhabit.

Thank you to Michael Smith for taking the photos labelled ‘michaels_afol’ and for giving me permission to use them here. You can check out more of Michael’s handiwork at his Facebook and Instagram profiles.

Built: 2019, 2020
Theme: Neo Fabuland
Exhibited: Brickvention 2020, Bendigo Bricks 2021, Brixpo 2021. I also presented a talk about this build at Paredes de Coura Fan Weekend 2021.
This build has now been retired.

This build was awarded Exhibitor’s Choice – Second Place at Brickvention 2020 and Best in Show – Second Place at Brixpo 2021.

The Dock

Dale — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 03:37:04 +0000

This build is a Neo Fabuland Dock and Ferry.

My current project is a large display that I will be exhibiting at Brickvention 2020 exploring something I am calling ‘Neo Fabuland’, the idea of employing Fabuland as a visual style, in much the same way that Neo-Classic Space looks to Classic Space as a set of design conventions. You can find out more about my goals for Neo Fabuland here if you are interested.

I have several builds for this display in progress and this is the seventh one that I am revealing.

First and foremost I wanted to take the level of detail up above the simplified forms of the original Fabuland sets (those sets were made for young builders after all). Unlike my first build, Edward’s Fishing Hut, this build is not based on an original Fabuland set but instead imagines a working dock with ticket office, covered seating, stonework dock and steps with a wooden boardwalk. It also includes a ferry.

This building was actually the second one I started building after Edward’s Fishing Hut however it is one of the ones that have taken me the longest to complete.

The build features my take on Neo Fabuland windows, namely brick-built windows with vinyl cut sticker pane details mimicking the style of Fabuland windows.

Let me know what you think!

Built: 2019–2020
Theme: Neo Fabuland
Exhibited: Brickvention 2020, Bendigo Bricks 2021, Brixpo 2021
This build has now been retired.

Bonnie’s B&B

Dale — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 09:48:16 +0000

This build is a three storey Neo Fabuland B&B.

I have several builds for this display in progress and this is the sixth one that I am revealing.

This building (though slightly changed) was actually the first one I designed as a test of my Neo Fabuland idea, and it is by far the biggest Neo Fabuland building I have built so far.

It includes my take on Neo Fabuland windows, namely brick-built windows with vinyl cut sticker pane details mimicking the style of Fabuland windows.

Let me know what you think!

Built: 2019
Theme: Neo Fabuland
Exhibited: Brickvention 2020, Bendigo Bricks 2021, Brixpo 2021
This build has now been retired.

Hannah’s Greenhouse

Dale — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 10:59:16 +0000

This build is a greenhouse for Hannah Hippo.

I have several builds for this display in progress and this is the fifth one that I am revealing.

First and foremost I wanted to take the level of detail up above the simplified forms of the original Fabuland sets (those sets were made for young builders after all). Unlike my first build, Edward’s Fishing Hut, this build is not based on an original Fabuland set but instead imagines something we never saw in the original Fabuland sets, the home of Hannah Hippo.

Hannah Hippo appeared in four original Fabuland sets, 3798 Hannah Hippopotamus on a Picnic, 3787 Hannah Hippopotamus the Public Gardener, 3622 Rowboat with Lionel Lion and Hannah Hippopotamus and 3715 Hannah’s Flower Stand with the common theme being the outdoors and letting us know that Hannah’s profession is that of a gardener. In my reimagining of Fabuland I decided to show Hannah’s house, a combined greenhouse and garden shed where she can indulge in her passion for gardening.

It includes my take on Neo Fabuland windows, namely brick-built windows with vinyl cut sticker pane details mimicking the style of Fabuland windows.

Let me know what you think!

Built: 2019
Theme: Neo Fabuland
Exhibited: Brickvention 2020, Bendigo Bricks 2021, Brixpo 2021
This build has now been retired.