STELLA MARKS’ PORTRAIT OF EDITH CAVELL

STELLA MARKS'  PORTRAIT OF EDITH CAVELL

First, a little background. In 1931, art collector George Garnett presented prominent Hobart surgeon Dr. Victor Ratten with a gift, in thanks for saving the life of his 14 year old daughter Myra. Appropriately, the gift was a large oil painting of the British nurse Edith Cavell.

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THE LOST PORTRAIT OF EDITH CAVELL

THE LOST PORTRAIT OF EDITH CAVELL

IN APPRECIATION….. In 1931, Dr Victor Ratten performed life-saving surgery on 14 year old Myra Garnett at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Some weeks later the girl’s grateful father presented Dr Ratten with a generous and most appropriate gift. George Garnett was a British born art connoisseur and

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IODINE DEFICIENCY = NIGHTMARE NECKS!

IODINE DEFICIENCY = NIGHTMARE NECKS!

Broadcaster Simon Marnie got into a bit of strife when advocating ’boutique’ salts on ABC morning radio. His rather cavalier dismissal of thyroid issues due to un-iodised salt resulted in dozens of protesting texts and a call from a health expert. When I was attending the Ulverstone 

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Captain Blakney – a hero of WWI

HAPPY TO SERVE Cyril Blakney  enlisted in the 12th Infantry Battalion as soon as war was declared in 1914.  He was a compositor from Hobart, and also an accomplished  musician and amateur actor. Such a fine looking young man. After the Gallipoli campaign Cyril  served on the Western

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Chicago, where an Australian ‘surgeon’ trained in a bank.

Chicago, where an Australian 'surgeon' trained in a bank.

TO CHICAGO – ON A MEDICAL MISSION On September 3 1906, a wealthy young dentist from Brisbane boarded  the passenger  ship Aorangi. He disembarked in Vancouver,  then entered the United States and  made his way to Chicago by train. His name was Victor Richard Ratten. Soon after he

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ALLY SLOPER AND THE RACING SCANDAL

ALLY SLOPER AND THE RACING SCANDAL

A CONTINUATION OF;  THE SLOPER  AND THE STEEPLECHASE NEW OWNER FOR  THE SLOPER By 1911, three years on from his near win at Flemington’s  Grand National Steeplechase,  the Tasmanian jumper Ally Sloper was  a little past his best. He was now owned by  the Sheffield GP,  and

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THE COURAGE OF SAPPER McRAE

THE COURAGE OF SAPPER McRAE

On April 26 1915, the day after the dawn landing at Gallipoli, Sapper Duncan McRae (2nd Field Co. of Engineers) was shot in the shoulder by a Turkish sniper. He was evacuated to Egypt and from there to a military  hospital in England.   Unfortunately it was

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TWO BRISBANE BEAUTIES, AND A MELBA CONNECTION

TWO BRISBANE BEAUTIES, AND A MELBA CONNECTION

On April 2  1905,   the Brisbane Courier  published an article on two young women. The girls were close  friends, with a lot in common.  They were both  daughters of  Brisbane publicans, both  from Irish Catholic families, and both convent educated. They  also shared a love of

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The Next Big Thing!

 A WORK IN PROGRESS – GHOSTS OF GALLIPOLI A fellow author   invited me to share some information about my current work-in-progress in an author ‘interview’ called The Next Big Thing!  You may expect me to talk about The Water Doctor’s Daughters, or All Along the River; Tales

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