Back in 1900 someone wrote to The Telegraph (Brisbane) with a story demonstrating the reasoning powers of crows. A family had a pet crow plus a pet cat, and the two barely tolerated each other. One morning the cat was given a tasty treat, which the crow
Read more →American comics, especially Archie comics, were as much a part of my Tasmanian childhood as books were. How I loved those high school pals and rivals…. Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and Reggie. In pre-television days it was ‘Yankee’ comic books that introduced me to the wonder of
Read more →I have a single English blackbird in my Australian garden. But oh dear, what a mess he makes of my paths with his incessant scratching around for worms and insects. 😨 I have been tempted to pop him in pie. OK, let’s begin with some words
Read more →Christmas cake is best eaten when you are very hungry…. with a good, strong cup of tea. 🍵 🎄 Now this may be controversial, but I hate the addition of any sort of icing, especially that thick royal icing. You can just stud the top with almonds,
Read more →Well, I have to say that the 2005 novel The Oxford Murders may be the most irritating book I have ever read. I found it in our wonderful little Blackheath (Blue Mountains) community library in Wentworth Street. The title appealed to me because I love
Read more →Around the world, Hollywood was a magical place in the eyes of those struggling during the Great Depression. Tasmania was no different. In 1933 the following article appeared in a Hobart publication. Starstruck young people sent in their photographs and vital statistics and dared to dream.
Read more →Mutton Birds, what an odd, seasonal delicacy they were in my 1950s Tasmanian childhood. Oily, salty and yes, with a very strong aroma. 😎 I’m not sure whether I actually liked them, or whether I just enjoyed the novelty of something so different. I had no idea
Read more →A portrait of Senator Jacinta Price almost cost the Library of NSW its CEO. Here is some background. John Vallance was appointed State Librarian of New South Wales in August 2017. His mission was, in his own words to, ‘Turn the Library inside out.’ By this
Read more →In June 1906 the liner Omrah sailed from Australia to Great Britain. Arriving in Plymouth it unloaded what was then called a Tasmanian wolf (A Thylacine) and a Tasmanian devil. It’s a miracle the devil disembarked, as it had escaped its enclosure soon after the ship left
Read more →I have been fascinated by satin bowerbirds for many years, particularly the way the collections of blue ornaments by the adult males reflects our social history. Long gone are the days when blue berries and bird feathers were the favoured items. Most of the treasure these days
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