NELLIE BISHOP – A RELUCTANT PIONEER

NELLIE BISHOP - A RELUCTANT PIONEER

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

Read more

Amy Sherwin; the Tasmanian Nightingale

Amy Sherwin; the Tasmanian Nightingale

An update.😊 In 1978 the ABC made a film about Amy Sherwin. If you scroll down to the comments, you will see a message from Dianne Smith, who has kindly provided contact details for those who expressed an interest in seeing this some time ago. Dianne’s young

Read more

ECHOES OF A MURDER TRIAL – THE HIGGS BOYS

ECHOES OF A MURDER TRIAL - THE HIGGS BOYS

Old Sins Cast Long Shadows…… Fourth and final part of the Blue Mountains murder story. In 1927 Sydney born William Higgs (26) and his brother Hubert (30) stood trial over the  murder of a wealthy grazier, Ronald Leslie, found in his abandoned car at Blaxland in the Blue

Read more

BRUCE HIGGS – THE UNTOLD STORY

BRUCE HIGGS - THE UNTOLD STORY

This is the third episode in  the Higgs brothers saga. Each part has to stand alone, so apologies for repeating some information. If you want to read the original story click on the following link. Murder in the Blue Mountains. Bruce Doubleday Higgs was a Sydney underworld

Read more

William Guy Higgs – Spoiled Larrikin or Callous Criminal?

William Guy Higgs -  Spoiled Larrikin or Callous Criminal?

On September 9 1922, twenty one year old  William Guy Higgs married Helena Potter in a society wedding at Hunters Hill. The couple honeymooned in the beautiful Blue mountains. The  groom was the fourth born of seven sons, and chose his older brother Hubert as best man.

Read more

MURDER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

MURDER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

Forty eight year old Ronald Lachlan Leslie was a wealthy, retired  grazier living in the Sydney suburb of Manly.  He was a happily married family man with two young children. On Wednesday,  October 12 1927  he set out  to drive  to  the central western town of Forbes,

Read more

RONALD ALLEN; MISSING AT POZIERES

RONALD ALLEN; MISSING AT POZIERES

In August 1915 a function was held in the small, rural village of North Motton, in North West Tasmania.  Local people were saying goodbye to seven young men from the district who were leaving to fight in WWI. After the speeches one fellow stepped forward; ‘Mr A.L.

Read more

UP A GUM TREE; THE MOUNT RIVERVIEW LOOK-OUT

UP A GUM TREE; THE MOUNT RIVERVIEW LOOK-OUT

The Cummins family were pioneers of Blaxland, in the lower Blue Mountains of NSW.  Bernard Cummins bought land nearby and called his property Mount Riverview. Its far-reaching views across the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers to Sydney  gave him an idea. He constructed a wooden stairway to the

Read more

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 

Read more