My father was not really a betting man, so I was surprised to come across mention of a racehorse called Rimfire in his farm diary for 1948; Rimfire was a six year chestnut, with unimpressive form ……. and sore legs after a recent (unsuccessful) outing. His usual
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Everyone wants to be at the Rhododendron Festival. It has been our day on display for such a long time. This gorgeous local was trying to escape through a picket fence in Park Avenue. I was looking forward to seeing my friend Larraine Home in the parade
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Hello, Editor Des here. Well Pauline went to a champagne preview of a dedicated children’s section at the New South Wales State Library recently. This week she asked me if I wanted to go and see it. Well of course, woman! I should have been invited to
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On Sunday, October 6 1929, the Commercial Bank of Australia in Enmore Road, Newtown was broken into and the contents of the safe stolen. The manager was away at the time, and the theft was reported by the caretaker, Bruce Bell. Mr Bell was required to sleep
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The name New Ivanhoe Hotel is a delightful contradiction in terms. Little has changed at this Blue Mountains pub in 70 years. It’s located at 231 Great Western Highway, Blackheath. It has been owned by the Ray family for over four decades. I’ve been working on my
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In 1860 Alfred Denison, brother of the then Governor-General, was leaving the colony and donated his collection of birds to the government. The only condition was that a suitable home be created for them. The site chosen was in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, on the eastern boundary of
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Peter Kotz, a fellow social history buff, took the photo below. The rusting, 70 lb golden syrup drum was found on a rough bush track near Alice Springs. Golden syrup was such an integral part of life in the parched Australian outback. It replaced butter on a
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Before Covid came along my guardian Pauline decided we should visit Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Now travel is not always a pleasure for someone like me. Well I never get a proper seat on the plane, so that means no life vest. Pathetic…..what would
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A bonus on my trip aboard the Ghan (shortly before Covid put a stop to such pleasures) was an excursion to the Dingo Proof Fence. You would not think that a scruffy looking fence in the Australian outback would capture the imagination of so many people, myself
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Early breakfast aboard The Ghan approaching Alice Springs. This was originally meant to be a travel piece, but I was side-tracked by a story of GOLD! This is what happens when you are addicted to research. 😎 Now there has never been a murder aboard The Ghan
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