My Articles

ACACIA TREES HERALD SPRING

ACACIA TREES HERALD SPRING

‘…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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ACCEPTABLE THEFT!

ACCEPTABLE THEFT!

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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NELLIE BISHOP – A RELUCTANT PIONEER

NELLIE BISHOP - A RELUCTANT PIONEER

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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Amy Sherwin; the Tasmanian Nightingale

Amy Sherwin; the Tasmanian Nightingale

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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HOTEL ROOM HORRORS & HACKS

HOTEL ROOM HORRORS & HACKS

Perhaps I am becoming more critical as I age, but I find so manyĀ  examples of hotel room horrors these days. SometimesĀ  there is an early sign of trouble when theĀ  designers have been just that little bit too tricksy andĀ  trendy. The pics below were taken

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BLACKHEATH DUCK POND

BLACKHEATH DUCK POND

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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ECHOES OF A MURDER TRIAL – THE HIGGS BOYS

ECHOES OF A MURDER TRIAL - THE HIGGS BOYS

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 theĀ  murder of a wealthy grazier, Ronald Leslie, found in his abandoned car at Blaxland in the Blue

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BRUCE HIGGS – THE UNTOLD STORY

BRUCE HIGGS - THE UNTOLD STORY

This is the third episode in  the Higgs brothers saga. Each part has to stand alone, so apologies for repeating some information. If you want to read the original story click on the following link. Murder in the Blue Mountains. Bruce Doubleday Higgs was a Sydney underworld

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William Guy Higgs – Spoiled Larrikin or Callous Criminal?

William Guy Higgs -  Spoiled Larrikin or Callous Criminal?

On September 9 1922, twenty one year oldĀ  William Guy Higgs married Helena Potter in a society wedding at Hunters Hill. The couple honeymooned in the beautiful Blue mountains. TheĀ  groom was the fourth born of seven sons, and chose his older brother Hubert as best man.

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MURDER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

MURDER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

Forty eight year old Ronald Lachlan Leslie was a wealthy, retired  grazier living in the Sydney suburb of Manly.  He was a happily married family man with two young children. On Wednesday,  October 12 1927  he set out  to drive  to  the central western town of Forbes,

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