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THE SIRIUS COVE SOVEREIGNS

THE SIRIUS COVE SOVEREIGNS

  Sirius Cove is a delightful spot on Sydney’s Lower North Shore at Mosman, directly below Taronga Park Zoo. In 1929 a scout group from the inner-city suburb of Leichardt was taken on an outing to Mosman. While the boys were attending some entertainment at a radio

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AN ANT LARVAE ‘AFTERNOON TEA’

AN ANT LARVAE 'AFTERNOON TEA'

Ant larvae for afternoon tea doesn’t sound particularly appealing, well unless you have feathers or fur. 😎 Over the last few years I have been  cutting up an old stump to dry out and make winter tinder. I live in chilly Blackheath in the NSW Blue Mountains,

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VITA-WEAT – NOW WITHOUT ‘WORMS’

VITA-WEAT - NOW WITHOUT  'WORMS'

Vita-Weat biscuits were introduced  in Australia in 1932, by the UK company Peek Frean’s.  For many years the factory was located in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. The factory moved into its striking, art-deco building in 1937.  A clock tower (shown in the above photo) was a

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PAUL LOUBET – THE TRAGIC FINALE

PAUL LOUBET - THE TRAGIC FINALE

  The continuing story of  Paul Rene  Loubet. Dr Loubet accepted a position at the Melbourne Hospital in May 1917. Subsequently  he was required to present himself at Melbourne University,  to be examined for the degree of M.D. As part of the process he presented the Registrar

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THEY FOUND A CAVE

THEY FOUND A CAVE

The well known  children’s novel They Found a Cave was written  by Tasmanian author  Nan Chauncy, and  published in 1948. Some years ago my partner and I visited the writer’s longtime home, Chauncy Vale, near the small town of Bagdad.  The adventure story was inspired by a

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THE TASMANIAN ‘ABDUCTION’ OF KING’S CROSS BOB

THE TASMANIAN 'ABDUCTION' OF KING'S CROSS BOB

The Tasmanian sojourn of the fox terrier known as Kings Cross Bob began early in 1939.   It’s worth noting that by then  the dog had truly entered the mythology of The Cross. By the way, if you haven’t read part one of the story, CLICK HERE. Here

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KING’S CROSS BOB – THE FAMOUS FOX TERRIER

KING'S CROSS BOB - THE FAMOUS FOX TERRIER

This is the story of  King’s Cross Bob,  a dog who brought joy to a community (actually to an entire city) throughout the Great Depression. The Sydney tabloid Smith’s Weekly paid tribute to him in April 1940. Yes, the ‘retired gentleman’ was a famous, aging fox terrier. 

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TIM TAMS – FIRST PAST THE POST

TIM TAMS - FIRST PAST THE POST

I hate to admit this, but Australia’s beloved Tim Tams  were inspired by UK chocolate biscuits called Penguins.   Arnott’s long term Director of Food Technology  was  Mr Ian Norris.  In 1958, while touring the world on the hunt for new ideas, he came across Penguin biscuits

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CARROT CAKE – A TRIBUTE

CARROT CAKE - A TRIBUTE

Food historians believe that the origins of carrot cake date back to the European Middle Ages. Carrots were used in place of  costly sugar to make sweet – (ish) puddings and tarts etc. There was a revival of interest in carrot cake during WWII in the UK,

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BLUEY – AUSTRALIA’S ‘GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY’

BLUEY - AUSTRALIA'S 'GREYFRIAR'S BOBBY'

How appropriate that this country’s  most loyal dog was not a Scottish terrier but Bluey, an Australian cattle dog. In 1927 a ‘Swaggie’ was critically injured when he was hit by a car. He was taken to the St. George Hospital in Kogarah,  but died soon afterwards. 

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