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EDITOR DES AND THE CHEEKY ROBOT LIBRARIAN

EDITOR DES AND THE  CHEEKY ROBOT LIBRARIAN

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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THE NEWTOWN BANK BUST

THE NEWTOWN BANK BUST

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 NEW IVANHOE HOTEL – A BLACKHEATH TIME-WARP

THE NEW IVANHOE HOTEL - A BLACKHEATH TIME-WARP

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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THE OLD SYDNEY AVIARY

THE OLD SYDNEY AVIARY

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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ODE TO GOLDEN SYRUP!

ODE TO GOLDEN SYRUP!

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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EDITOR DES AT KAKADU AND BEYOND.

EDITOR DES AT KAKADU AND BEYOND.

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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GHAN TRIP – THE DINGO PROOF FENCE

GHAN TRIP - THE DINGO PROOF FENCE

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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ALICE SPRINGS TO QUORN GOLD THEFT.

ALICE SPRINGS TO QUORN GOLD THEFT.

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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GHAN – DAY ONE FROM DARWIN

GHAN - DAY ONE FROM DARWIN

My first trip on The Ghan was in 1966, from Port Pirie to Alice Springs. My friend Desma and I were 15, and on a school trip from Tasmania. What do I remember? Well our teachers caught the flu and some of us took full advantage of

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CATCHING THE GHAN AT ALL COST!

CATCHING THE GHAN AT ALL COST!

In days gone by you could turn up a week late to catch The Ghan and still be in plenty of time. The Aussie outback train was often delayed by wash-outs, sand-drifts or mechanical failures. I love this poem from 1952 about a car speeding along the

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