My Articles

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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Tasmanian Transparencies. 😎

Tasmanian Transparencies.  😎

Boxes of transparencies taken by my in-laws, Jean and Alan Conolly had not been opened in nearly 60 years.  They were mostly family shots taken around Hobart (Glenorchy and Sandy Bay)  in the 1950s and early 60s.  I might add that my own parents  were still using

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THE SAFE BREAKERS

THE SAFE BREAKERS

A look at safe breaking in Australia back in the day. Picking a padlock or manipulating tumblers on a combination lock was generally confined to a few experts with sensitive fingers and acute hearing. It wasn’t easy, and of course the contents could be disappointing to say

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BLACKHEATH POND; WOOD DUCKS AND RAILS

BLACKHEATH POND; WOOD DUCKS AND RAILS

The other day two strange little, big footed birds came tumbling down the steps outside my kitchen window at Blackheath. When I described them to my partner he said, ‘Oh yes, I’m sure I’ve seen them too, down by the duck pond.‘ We live close by the

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THAI SILK AT BLACKHEATH – A REVIEW

THAI SILK AT BLACKHEATH - A REVIEW

Thai Silk, in the Blue Mountains village of Blackheath, is our closest restaurant. It’s housed in what was once a private residence, at 124 Wentworth Street. My partner Rob and I live just a few minutes walk away. OK, so a bit of a negative first. It

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‘BAD SANTA’ AT BLACKHEATH

'BAD SANTA' AT BLACKHEATH

Revenge on ‘Bad Santa’ by Editor Des. Warning, there is a degree of violence depicted in this story. Every Christmas there is a confrontation at our Blue Mountains home between an elderly, battery powered walking Santa and my young associate Editor Des. Santa marches straight up to

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THE RYAN MURDER AT WYCHEPROOF

THE RYAN MURDER AT WYCHEPROOF

Martin Ryan  owned  a grazing property at Thalia, a few miles from Wycheproof in the region of Victoria known as the Wimmera. Ryan had originally purchased a modest holding at just 30 shillings per acre.  Over the years  he increased  his property to 3,000 acres. By 1928

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Mining for Gold – Damper, Spuds, & Mutton Birds

Mining for Gold  - Damper, Spuds, & Mutton Birds

Mining for gold on Tasmania’s rugged west coast in the 1880s presented extreme  challenges. However, some of the State’s largest nuggets were found  at Rocky River, about 26 miles (over 40 kilometres) from the small town of  Corinna,   In 1906 an ex- miner calling himself Mugil

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FRENCH KNITTING NOSTALGIA

FRENCH KNITTING NOSTALGIA

French knitting is sometimes called spool knitting.  I wonder whether kids still do this?  My sister and I loved it. Tasmanian winters are long and cold and this  fireside occupation was perfect. Little boys enjoyed it too. My cousin Frank grew up in Deloraine and told me

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