My Articles

ARTHUR STREETON & A TRAGEDY AT GLENBROOK

ARTHUR STREETON & A TRAGEDY AT GLENBROOK

Artist Arthur Streeton went to live at Glenbrook, in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, for several months in 1891. For a pound a week he had rented four roomed  Daisy Cottage, located by the station master’s house. His original intention was to paint a

Read more →

FRENCH FLAVOUR POPS UP AT THE VICTORY CAFE

FRENCH FLAVOUR  POPS UP  AT THE VICTORY CAFE

Recently my partner Rob and I enjoyed a pop-up, French themed meal at the Victory Theatre Café in Blackheath. We were joined by lots of eager locals. Many of us are sad that chef David doesn’t open regularly for dinner and hope he might change his mind!

Read more →

TYRANNY OF THE TRAVEL DIARY

 KEEP YOUR TRAVEL PLANS TO YOURSELF! When my next door neighbour began to plan a once-in-a-lifetime  world trip she asked if I had any advice. ‘Yes,’ I said firmly; ‘Don’t tell a soul you are going. Leave notes for friends and relatives to be posted once your

Read more →

EDITOR DES AND THE HOPLESS FROG

EDITOR DES AND THE HOPLESS FROG

In 1984 my darling mother Myra was suffering from the ovarian cancer that took her life.  While I  was visiting her in Tasmania I noticed a  cheeky little frog on her bedside table. ‘He cheers me up’, she said.  I could see why; he was adorable. Froggy

Read more →

ALICE BROENIMANN; BLACKHEATH’S ACROBAT

ALICE BROENIMANN; BLACKHEATH'S  ACROBAT

In October 1949, talented young acrobat Alice Broenimann fled her Swiss Stars troupe, who were performing at the Tivoli theatre in Sydney. She had  fallen out  with the group’s manager, Eugene Lambart. The vivacious 18 year old  hired a taxi and travelled to Blackheath, in the Blue

Read more →

THE ACROBAT WHO TOOK REFUGE IN BLACKHEATH

THE ACROBAT WHO TOOK REFUGE IN BLACKHEATH

Following WWII,  Swiss trapese artist Eugene Lambart and his wife Fritzi formed an act with a young Norwegian strongman, Arne Selfors.  They looked about for an acrobat to complete their new show and came across two young sisters in Berne. The girls’  father, Mr Broenimann  was a

Read more →

DEATH AT SEA; ‘I ONLY GAVE HIM PLUMS AND BISCUITS!’

DEATH AT SEA; 'I ONLY GAVE HIM PLUMS AND BISCUITS!'

This case was so bizarre that it was recalled thirty five years later. IN THE BEGINNING… On February 16 1901,  the S.S. Talune was moored at the wharf in the New Zealand city of Wellington.  It was ready to leave for Sydney.  A young woman who had

Read more →

MAD ABOUT MAGPIES – IN A GOOD WAY!

MAD ABOUT MAGPIES - IN A GOOD WAY!

My inspiration for this story on the Aussie magpie was an amazing piece of free-form machine embroidery by Lynda Worthington. For someone like me who struggles to take up a hem, it was mind-blowing. There is enormous affection for magpies in Australia. They are so engaging and

Read more →

AUTUMN CARPETS FROM NATURE AT BLACKHEATH

AUTUMN CARPETS FROM NATURE AT BLACKHEATH

Carpets of autumn leaves are truly the Axminsters of the earth. I know there are wonderful carpets of blossom in spring,  but autumn is definitely the  main period for appreciating Mother Nature’s work. It’s one of the main reasons I moved from Sydney to the Blue Mountains

Read more →

S.S. TALUNE AND A DEADLY CARGO OF FLU VIRUS

S.S. TALUNE AND A DEADLY CARGO OF FLU VIRUS

Struggles around the world with the Covid19 virus have  reminded us of the terrible flu epidemic that began in the final weeks of WWI.  Good grief, as if there hadn’t been enough suffering! Then as now, quarantine measures were of paramount importance. There was one South Pacific

Read more →

Notification of new stories via Email

Enter your email address to receive notification of new stories on this website (your address will not be shown).