In the Blue Mountains village of Blackheath the original cottages are slowly disappearing. We are losing something special….beautiful old windows with coloured glass panes or leadlights. Some are very simple; an inexpensive way of adding a little elegance to a humble home. Light is the operative word
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Susan Stephens from Lapstone in the Blue Mountains treasures a hand knitted jumper brought home from WWI by her grandfather, Hedley Stephens. Fighting in France in May 1916, Corporal Stephens went ‘over the top’ with a senior officer to check on their men. The pair were severely
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Sydney’s Mitchell Library recently doubled the size of its exhibition gallery space. In a new initiative, 300 works of art were selected for permanent display. Some have rarely been seen by the general public. As a member of the Library Circle I feel privileged to be sponsoring one
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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED BY THE CIVIL POWER? Australian residents enlisting in World War I were required to answer a series of personal questions. At the time, military authorities had no idea what lay behind recruit Robert Coombes’ answer to No. 6, regarding apprenticeships; ‘Mr Pike,
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A REFUGEE SPARROW FROM THE CITY Some time ago a sparrow living in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens was assaulted by a giant white ibis. A dispute had broken out over crumbs at the café and the little fellow came off second best . He went into hiding, but
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CLEVER HANDS CELEBRATING THE PAST When Stanley Hennock died last year aged 83, he left a special legacy. The retired farmer from Canberra had been able to turn his hand to almost anything. Farmers have to be multi-skilled and Stan certainly was! Over a period of three
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FOR THE FIRST PART OF MY ROUND TRIP TO BLACKEATH VILLAGE CLICK HERE. On the way home from the village I look across at the mural on the wall of the Antiques Centre. It was designed by the well known artist, designer, and local resident Jenny Kee.
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When I lived in Sydney years ago I loved going to the art-deco, Cremorne Orpheum Theatre on the Lower North Shore. It was wonderful to find an equally special theatre right here in the Blue Mountains. The building above, at 2a Harley Avenue Mount Victoria, dates
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Nobody loves our beautiful Australian birds more than I do. I photograph them and write about them daily. BUT, this is a plea not to feed the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos here in the Blue Mountains (or anywhere else for that matter). The population of these birds has
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The Ottery arsenic mine, near Emmaville in northern New South Wales, closed as a commercial venture in the 1930s. Arsenic was once used heavily in rural Australia as sheep and cattle dip, weed killer and for curing animal skins. It was said that stock drinking from
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