My Articles

Sydney’s WWII Home Front

Sydney's  WWII Home Front

It’s easy to forget just how concerned  ordinary Australians were for their safety during World War II. This was not without reason, given the bombing of Darwin and the arrival of Japanese midget submarines in Sydney Harbour.   A giant metal boom was suspended across the harbour 

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EDITOR DES ABOARD THE INDIAN PACIFIC

EDITOR DES ABOARD THE INDIAN PACIFIC

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING OK, all packed for our trip across the Nullarbor on the Indian Pacific,  It’s a VERY long train. Had to catch the train to Sydney first.  For heavens sake…..why couldn’t it pick us up on the way????   Pretty poor service considering my status.

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NULLARBOR – A HISTORY LOVER’S JOURNEY

NULLARBOR  - A HISTORY LOVER'S JOURNEY

Nullarbor, from Latin meaning ‘no trees’, but that’s a bit of a misnomer. STORY CONTINUED FROM…….WESTWARD HO! Chatting to fellow passengers and gazing at the passing landscape  takes up a good deal of time aboard the Indian Pacific.   I always imagined the scenery  across the Nullarbor

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INDIAN-PACIFIC – BROKEN HILL TO ADELAIDE

INDIAN-PACIFIC - BROKEN HILL  TO ADELAIDE

CONTINUED FROM – Westward Ho!-on the Indian Pacific TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING…. Up in time to see the sunrise as the Indian-Pacific approaches the outback mining town of  Broken Hill at 6.00am.  Indian Pacific passengers have a choice of excursions here and Rob and I are going to

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WESTWARD HO! – ON THE INDIAN-PACIFIC

WESTWARD HO! - ON THE INDIAN-PACIFIC

As someone who frequently writes on crime, a tale of death on the Indian Pacific Railway came to mind when my partner Rob and I booked our trip from Sydney to Perth. I even checked Dr Google to see if anyone had written a murder mystery inspired

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FROM PLUM PORRIDGE TO THE ULTIMATE AUSSIE CHRISTMAS PUDDING!

FROM PLUM PORRIDGE TO THE ULTIMATE AUSSIE CHRISTMAS PUDDING!

BIRTH OF THE PUDDING The English have long been maligned for the uninspired stodginess of their cooking, particularly by their gourmet neighbours, the French. Nevertheless, it was a Frenchman, Misson de Valbourg who, upon visiting England in 1690, was moved to exclaim: ‘What an excellent thing is

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CHRISTMAS IN BLACKHEATH

CHRISTMAS IN BLACKHEATH

  CHRISTMAS IS NIGH As Christmas approaches I love looking back at seasonal celebrations in my  Blue Mountains village of Blackheath. The following is from The Lithgow Mercury in 1909; There was very little stir here during Christmas, and everything passed off quietly. On Boxing Night a

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THE LITHGOW PRAM PUSHERS

THE LITHGOW PRAM PUSHERS

Dave McSorley was a  local barber in Lithgow. He was also a heavy-weight boxer, and consummate showman. He once wagered that he could clean shave  1,000 men without a break. In the end he ran out of  bristling chins, but still managed 420 shaves in 54½ hours,

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The Story Of the Editor Des Rose, by Himself.

The Story Of the Editor Des Rose, by Himself.

SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR LATEST UPDATE! My guardian Pauline Conolly grew a special rose called Hot Chocolate. ‘Come and smell it Des’ she said. So I did, just to make her happy. I took a deep breath of the perfume and then…wham!! A  *#@!*!*# bee stung me

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Captain Blakney – a hero of WWI

HAPPY TO SERVE Cyril Blakney  enlisted in the 12th Infantry Battalion as soon as war was declared in 1914.  He was a compositor from Hobart, and also an accomplished  musician and amateur actor. Such a fine looking young man. After the Gallipoli campaign Cyril  served on the Western

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