‘La Donna’ was a journalist for many years at The Advocate, a Tasmanian newspaper known affectionally as ‘The Spud Digger’. In 1935 she wrote a fascinating, lengthy article on Mary Shadbolt, widow of my relative Linden Shadbolt. I always wondered about La Donna’s real identity, and have
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Sydney Town Hall; just imagine all the protests, political rallies, meetings and celebrations associated with this historic building. One thing I wasn’t aware of was its role during the 1913 smallpox epidemic, especially as the main vaccination centre. The disease had been introduced to the city by
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When the Launceston epidemic of 1903 began, so too did rumours of who had introduced the dread disease of smallpox to the city. Human nature being what it is, an ‘ outsider’ was suspected. Just as with the conspiracy theories we are familiar with today (including
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The Studio was home for myself and my partner Rob while we built our new house at Blackheath, in the beautiful Blue Mountains. After moving out we decided to let the detached property to birdwatchers, bushwalkers and nature lovers on a short stay basis. Acer Corner is
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In late May 1903, two cases of smallpox were confirmed after the steamer Gracchus had arrived in Melbourne from India on May 2. The first victim was Mr William Walker, a horse dealer who embarked at Singapore. The other was a Mrs Dwan from Ballarat. Mrs Dwan
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In 1881, Patrick Kirby purchased a small undertaker’s business at 84 Hunter Street, in central Sydney. Two years later he sold a half share in the business to Elizabeth Barby, who ran a tobacconist’s shop at no. 66 in the same street. Elizabeth was an astute business
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In 1917 John George ‘Jack’ Nelson established a stylish cafe at 152 Brisbane Street in Launceston. The premises were actually owned by his mother. The Majestic Cafe included a tea room, where Jack’s wife Kate was a charming hostess. The furniture was of Tasmanian oak covered in
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Pieris japonica grows best in a cool climate, with mildly acidic soil. It loves dappled shade. For this reason, gardens in the upper Blue Mountains suit it perfectly. It has racemes of pearly white or pink flowers that resemble lily-of-the-valley. Here is my white flowering shrub, growing
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In 1932 Dorothy Thorne was living in this rather modest home in Brierly Street Mosman, on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. It must be the only home in the upmarket suburb not to have been remodeled or enlarged in the succeeding 90 plus years! Mind you, it’s still
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Tasmania’s Dame Enid Lyons and Western Australia’s Dorothy Tangney were the first two women to be elected to Australia’s federal parliament. In 1943 Tangney won a seat in the Senate and that same year Dame Enid was elected to the House of Representatives. It was decided by
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