One day Editor Des and I were walking the famous Thames Path near London (as one does) when we stumbled upon the tiniest gnome in the universe. He was standing on a pile of golden sovereigns at Putney. I’m afraid Editor Des quickly scoffed the coins,
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A CONTINUING KOOKABURRA CONNECTION In June or July every year a pair of kookaburras arrive in my garden at Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The rest of the time I only see
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THIS IS THE CONCLUSION TO THE STORY TROUBLES AT THE TARANNA TIMBER MILL. In 1929, like so many other parts of the world, Tasmania was in the grip of the Great Depression. John and Loyce ‘Grace’ Freeman from the rural community of Taranna, on Tasman Peninsula, were
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In the early 20th century the main timber mill at Taranna, on Tasmania’s Tasman Peninsular, was owned by Messrs. Jones and Hay Pty. Ltd. Like most businesses, it was going through hard times during the Great Depression. The workforce had been severely reduced, and the
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As the original cottages of Blackheath slowly disappear we lose something special….beautiful old windows with coloured glass panes or leadlights. Some are very simple; an inexpensive way of adding a little elegance to a humble home. Light is the operative word of course. When the rays of
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Susan Stephens from Lapstone in the Blue Mountains treasures a hand knitted jumper brought home from WWI by her grandfather, Hedley Stephens. Fighting in France in May 1916, Corporal Stephens went ‘over the top’ with a senior officer to check on their men. The pair were severely
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Sydney’s Mitchell Library is in the process of doubling the size of its exhibition gallery space. In a new initiative, 300 works of art have been selected for permanent display. Some have rarely been seen by the general public. As a member of the Library Circle I feel
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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED BY THE CIVIL POWER? Men enlisting in World War I were required to answer a series of personal questions. At the time, military authorities had no idea what lay behind recruit Robert Coombe’s answer to No. 6, regarding apprenticeships; ‘Mr Pike, Crowthorne,
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REFUGEE SPARROW FROM THE CITY Some time ago a sparrow living in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens was assaulted by a giant white ibis. A dispute had broken out over crumbs at the café and the little fellow came off second best . He went into hiding, but that
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CLEVER HANDS CELEBRATING THE PAST When Stanley Wennock died last year aged 83, he left a special legacy. The retired farmer from Canberra had been able to turn his hand to almost anything. Farmers have to be multi-skilled and Stan certainly was! Over a period of three
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