THE MERINO – AND A PRECIOUS FRENCH CARGO

THE MERINO - AND A PRECIOUS FRENCH CARGO

The Merino – ship of treasures. In July  1949, Tasmanian Premier Robert Cosgrove travelled to Scotland to  launch the freighter Merino. It had been  built on Glasgow’s River Clyde on behalf of Launceston trading company L.W. Smith Pty. Ltd. A bottle of Tasmanian  champagne had been sent

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THE MYSTERY OF MATRON LUCY OSBURN’S COSTUME

THE MYSTERY OF MATRON LUCY OSBURN'S COSTUME

In September 1953 an event celebrating the history of nursing in Sydney was held at the Town Hall. It was organized by  the Australian Trained Nurses Association. One of the major characters represented in the ‘cavalcade’ was Lucy Osburn,  first matron of  the Sydney Infirmary (later known

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HARD TIMES FOR HEADMASTER HUXLEY

HARD TIMES FOR HEADMASTER HUXLEY

Eric Huxley, 19, a student of the Sydney University, living at Clanalpine Street, Mosman, was struck by a motor car as he was crossing Parramatta Road near the University yesterday. He suffered a fractured skull…..he died late last night. (Sydney Morning Herald, June 13 1930) The  young

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ULVERSTONE’S LA DONNA & LORNA DOONE

ULVERSTONE'S LA DONNA & LORNA DOONE

‘La Donna’ was a journalist for many years at The Advocate, a Tasmanian newspaper known affectionally as ‘The Spud Digger’.  In 1935   she wrote a fascinating, lengthy article on Mary Shadbolt, widow of my relative Linden Shadbolt. I always wondered about La Donna’s real identity, and have

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SYDNEY TOWN HALL & THE EPIDEMIC

SYDNEY TOWN HALL & THE EPIDEMIC

Sydney Town Hall; just imagine all the protests, political rallies, meetings and celebrations associated with this  historic building. One thing  I wasn’t aware of was its role during the 1913 smallpox epidemic, especially as the main vaccination centre. The disease had been introduced to the city  by 

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THE LAUNCESTON EPIDEMIC – MISSTEPS & MISINFORMATION

THE LAUNCESTON EPIDEMIC - MISSTEPS & MISINFORMATION

  When the Launceston epidemic of 1903 began, so too did  rumours of who had introduced the dread disease of smallpox to the city. Human nature being what it is,  an ‘ outsider’ was suspected.  Just as with the conspiracy theories we are familiar with today (including

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