My Articles

THE CHERRY PLUM…AND JUNKET!

Let me introduce The Cherry Plum  (Prunus cerasifera). Tasmania might have been known as the Apple Isle, but I swear there were as many cherry plum trees as apple trees when I was growing up in the 1950s.. The fruit is only the size of a tombowler

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NORTH MOTTON V ULVERSTONE 1925 🏉

NORTH MOTTON V ULVERSTONE 1925 🏉

In 1925, the North Motton football team (which had topped the ladder), met the Ulverstone Juniors in the Leven Association’s Premiership. North Motton was captained by J. Hearps and Ulverstone by W. McMahon.  There have been some controversial footy finals in Tasmania over the years, and this

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DOUGLAS JARDINE INSULTS THE APPLE ISLE!

DOUGLAS JARDINE INSULTS THE APPLE ISLE!

  Douglas Jardine is surely the greatest villain in  cricket’s  age old  battle for The Ashes between Australia and England. Tensions were high after the first test in Sydney early in December, but with Christmas coming the cartoonist Alex Gurney had some fun; The tourists  arrived in

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SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

All dressed up for the Methodist Sunday School Anniversary in Ulverstone, circa 1959. From left; myself, my brother Laurie and my sister Robyn. Look at that shine on my brother’s shoes. My mother made the dresses on her treadle Singer sewing machine. This was such a credit

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CRICKET….A STICKY WICKET

CRICKET....A STICKY WICKET

Miss Joan Stump of Blackheath has tickets to the third Ashes test at Headingly. She decided to use her hat to smuggle in an item of self protection, but her friend the yellow robin was horrified. ‘OMG, Joan, you will never get that blade past gate inspection.’

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REEDY MARSH; LOVE AND LOSS

REEDY MARSH; LOVE AND LOSS

In 1900, Australian troops were serving in the Boer war. At a tiny school at Reedy Marsh in northern Tasmania, pupils were raising money for The Children’s Patriotic Fund. Nora May Upston was my maternal grandmother. Charles Arthur Upston was my great uncle, and Minnie my great

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THE WIDOW WONGA

THE WIDOW WONGA

Widow Wonga is a bird very close to my heart….and is loved just as much by my husband Rob. She and her partner have been living and rearing chicks in our Blackheath garden over a very long period, sometimes producing several sets of twins a year. I

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MUDGEE MAIL TRAIN – A TERRIBLE JOURNEY

MUDGEE MAIL TRAIN - A TERRIBLE JOURNEY

Charles Spring died at Mudgee hospital just before midnight on Friday, August 27 1938. He was 72, and had been in failing health for some time. Mr Spring had requested that he be cremated at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney. Next day his grieving widow Georgina boarded the

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A TOWN HALL SAGA AT ULVERSTONE

A TOWN HALL SAGA  AT ULVERSTONE

In the old days, a Town Hall was as much the heart of a community as the pubs or the parish church. But building a new one requires co-operation and consensus. My Tasmanian home town of Ulverstone drew tourists from very early times, due to its lovely

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THE HAIRPIN BANKSIA

THE HAIRPIN BANKSIA

I’ve only ever worn plain white tee-shirts, but I’m tempted to buy this one with a ‘hairpin’ banksia on it. The correct name is Banksia spinulosa. ‘Spinulosa’ refers to the spiny leaf tips, which are thankfully fairly soft, What a great plant; able to cope with heavy

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