Hermann Krefft was born in 1879, the youngest child of Gerard Krefft, brilliant naturalist and controversial curator of the Australian Museum. Following disputes with the trustees, Krefft senior had been turfed out of the Museum in 1874, while still seated in his armchair. You can read about
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S.S. Sonoma was a passenger ship plying between Sydney and San Francisco in the 1920s. One hundred people boarding in Sydney in November 1921 were unaware that a very valuable cargo would accompany them to the United States. The Sonoma was loaded with newly minted gold sovereigns,
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Could John Bunyan’s Bible, yes….Bunyan the Puritan preacher and author of Pilgrim’s Progress, have ended up in the fair city of Adelaide? Not just any of his Bibles, but the very one he used while imprisoned all those years ago in Bedford. (Following the restoration of the
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This article is primarily about the 1895 fire at Port Arthur in relation to the Model Prison, although the entire historic site was severely impacted. The Separate, or Model Prison at Tasmania’s Port Arthur closed in 1877. ‘Separate’ meant complete isolation. Inmates wore hoods if others were
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My partner and I were wandering through Sydney’s newly renovated Australian Museum recently, enjoying all the natural history treasures on display. I hardly gave the Victorian armchair pictured below a second glance until I overheard a staff member explaining it’s significance to another visitor. Oh my word,
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In 1887 there was great excitement over a huge gold nugget found at Maitland Bar near Mudgee. The prize was unearthed on June 22, as three miners were working their claim; Jonathan Thorpe, Isaac Holmes and Fred Leeder. After washing two tubs of material Holmes and Leeder
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Potato growing has long been important around Ulverstone, and never more so than in the early twentieth century, when exports of new ‘spuds’ to the Sydney market began. However, a problem with government regulation led to the following letter being sent to the Advocate, the regional newspaper
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Perhaps because I’m a writer, I’ve always had a passion for desks, especially roll top models, and those with secret compartments. Unfortunately I have never owned either type. My passion for history led to me discovering portable desks, also known as campaign desks. Some even had fittings
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I was charmed when I came across this little street library outside the old Presbyterian Church Hall in Wentworth Street, Blackheath. The first time I saw it there were even prayer books inside. I was touched, because the church itself (next door) is struggling with a dwindling
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So our resident Wongas are raising yet another set of twins. They were sitting on eggs all through the March ‘big wet’ here in the Blue Mountains. The chicks need constant care and it’s time for Mr Wonga to take over the afternoon shift. His partner has
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