Bex and similar over- the-counter drugs were at the height of their popularity in Australia during the 1950s and 60s. Claimed as a cure for all manner of complaints, they became a ‘pick-me-up’ for bored, frustrated housewives before the Women’s Liberation movement and the contraceptive pill changed
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This is what the bower of a satin bowerbird looks like (below right), with its collection of predominantly blue ‘treasures ‘, assembled to impress the ladies. I’m afraid the birds mostly use human trash these day, especially bottle tops. Bowers were full of plastic straws in my
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As 1930 drew to a close, coal miner Arthur Mellor made a disconcerting discovery at Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains of NSW. In the ground behind the great cliff known as Dogface Rock he came across a deep fissure measuring eight feet across. When a surveyor was
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‘…in spring, the most delicate feathery yellow of plumes and plumes and plumes and trees and bushes of wattle, as if angels had flown right down out of the softest gold regions of heaven to settle here, in the Australian bush. D.H. Lawrence, Kangaroo I do
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Remember British artist and designer William Morris and his famous Strawberry Thief design? Those thrushes ended up in homes around the world. I’m sure Mr Morris forgave them for raiding his garden by the stripling Thames. I don’t grow strawberries, but I do have lots of feathered
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Queensland was the first Australian State to initiate women serving on juries. The relevant bill was passed in 1924, although those interested had to formally indicate their desire to participate and were not actively encouraged to do so. However, in 1942 an appeal went out in Brisbane
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An update.😊 In 1978 the ABC made a film about Amy Sherwin. If you scroll down to the comments, you will see a message from Dianne Smith, who has kindly provided contact details for those who expressed an interest in seeing this some time ago. Dianne’s young
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Perhaps I am becoming more critical as I age, but I find so many examples of hotel room horrors these days. Sometimes there is an early sign of trouble when the designers have been just that little bit too tricksy and trendy. The pics below were taken
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Blackheath duck pond is close enough to my garden to be my personal water feature. Hardly a day goes by without me wandering past it. The traction engine below was used to excavate the original dams, which evolved into the pond. The dams were used to hold
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Old Sins Cast Long Shadows…… Fourth and final part of the Blue Mountains murder story. In 1927 Sydney born William Higgs (26) and his brother Hubert (30) stood trial over the murder of a wealthy grazier, Ronald Leslie, found in his abandoned car at Blaxland in the Blue
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