Ceratopetalum gummiferum, is a small tree commonly known as the New South Wales Christmas Bush. Its sepals turn bright red/pink in December. In Victorian times, native foliage such as Christmas bush was very popular as a festive decoration in Sydney. It was growing in the heart of
Read more →
So much has been written about William Dobell’s controversial portrait of his friend and fellow artist Joshua Smith. It was awarded the prestigious Archibald Prize in 1943, but branded by many as a caricature due to Smith’s exaggerated features. A law suit followed, brought by two unsuccessful
Read more →
Rations and ‘comfort parcels’ for Scottish relatives were part of Jean Nicholson’s childhood memories in wartime Sydney, when her family were living at Eastwood. This is an extract from her brief memoir of those years. Food was rationed from 1942. Mum had coupons that were exchanged for
Read more →
In a lengthy interview in 1899, the famous Tasmanian soprano Amy Sherwin spoke of how the family’s precious piano escaped a bush fire during her childhood. ‘…it was to the piano we devoted all our energies at this domestic crisis. It was covered with wet blankets and
Read more →
My sincere thanks to Angela Griffiths, a descendant of the Calvert family, for sending me the letter from Amy Sherwin that inspired this piece. In 1928 the Orient shipping line celebrated their jubilee. To mark the occasion, the company organized a competition for export apples at Sydney’s
Read more →
When I was a child we had a table-top horse racing game featuring Melbourne Cup winners such as Peter Pan, Pharlap and…..CARBINE. I seem to remember that Carbine was the pale green one, second from right. The famous, bay stallion was born in New Zealand, but let’s
Read more →
Now I do like wearing a hat. I think this trait was inherited from both my mother and my paternal grandmother, particularly the latter. Buying a new one (even a basic sun hat) is the only ‘apparel shopping’ I enjoy. No need to struggle out of your
Read more →
In 1954 Queen Elizabeth made her Coronation Tour of Australia. To celebrate the visit it was decided to present her with a very special gift; something uniquely Australian. And what better choice could there be than the country’s native flora represented in a spray of precious gems?
Read more →
Florence Rodway was born in Hobart, on November 11 1881. Her father had hoped she would become a doctor, but after showing an early aptitude for drawing, she studied at the Hobart Technical School. At 21 she became only the second pupil in Australia to be awarded
Read more →
Always a progressive, two world trips convinced Tasmanian Labor Premier Mr A.G. Ogilvie that Australia was a land of ‘wowsers’. He expressed his views in Sydney in 1937, after attending the coronation of George VI in London. He had called in at the harbour city on his
Read more →