In the latter years of WWII it was feared that Australia might be bombed, and because of this all kindergartens were closed. In their place a wonderful institution was born….Kindergarten of the Air. The programme was launched on the ABC in 1943 by Lady Zara Gowrie, wife
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In September 1948, within the space of a few days, two seventeen year old youths committed murder in New South Wales. Stranger still, they had been good friends before their otherwise unrelated crimes. They had played ice hockey together, and were both snappy dressers who enjoyed the
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On September 26 1948, wealthy pastoralist James Lyon Walker Barton (aged 54) and his unmarried sister Lue Loveday Barton (45) were shot dead at their grand home, Barton Park, at Wallerawang (New South Wales). They were buried in the Barton Park private cemetery. The couple’s killer was
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THE CONCLUSION OF THE VERA WATT POISONING CASE. FOR THE FIRST PART, CLICK HERE. When the Coronial Inquest into the death by poisoning of Mrs Vera Watt ended in January 1942. her ex-lover Conald Pagett was committed for trial and remanded in Long Bay Gaol. However, on
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THE A.P.C. OF MURDER ….… click here for previous episode. The coronial inquest into the death of 36 year old Mrs Vera Doris Watt on December 1 1941 opened on December 29. She had died from strychnine, placed
Read more →In the 1940s and 50s A.P.C pills and powders were one of the most popular ‘over the counter ‘ drugs in Australia. They were sold under the brand names of Vincent’s or Bex. The highly successful advertising slogan for Bex was ‘ Stressed? All you need
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Bex and similar over- the-counter drugs were at the height of their popularity in Australia during the 1950s and 60s. Claimed as a cure for all manner of complaints, they became a ‘pick-me-up’ for bored, frustrated housewives before the Women’s Liberation movement and the contraceptive pill changed
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As 1930 drew to a close, coal miner Arthur Mellor made a disconcerting discovery at Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains of NSW. In the ground behind the great cliff known as Dogface Rock he came across a deep fissure measuring eight feet across. When a surveyor was
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Queensland was the first Australian State to initiate women serving on juries. The relevant bill was passed in 1924, although those interested had to formally indicate their desire to participate and were not actively encouraged to do so. However, in 1942 an appeal went out in Brisbane
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Frances Amy Sherwin (1855-1935) was one of five children, born and raised in Tasmania’s Huon Valley. Even as a child she had a lovely voice, and dreamed of becoming a famous singer. This seemed highly unlikely, as the family struggled to make a living on a remote
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