In 1903 tuberculosis was rife in Australia, as it was in much of the world. The Queen Victoria Sanatorium was established at a remote area near Wentworth Falls, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The property on Burragarong Road (now Tablelands Road) had been
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On the afternoon of August 18 1937, Mrs Dorothy Bunyan of Lithgow attended a funeral. It was a particularly sad occasion; the child of Mr Brown, of one of the local school teachers, had died. She hurried home because her nine year old son Donald was due home from primary school.
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Hello, Editor Des here. Well today I went to my favourite restaurant in the whole of the Blue Mountains. I took along my camera to show you what it’s like; Do you know what? It’s in an old church, so I think it might be specially blessed. I
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FOR THE FIRST PART OF THIS STORY CLICK HERE. On May 25, 1934, Professor Henry Chapman was suddenly taken ill while at work in the Physics Building at Sydney University. He was rushed to hospital, but could not be revived. Initially it was assumed he had suffered a
Read more →HENRY CHAPMAN, STAR STUDENT Professor Henry George Chapman was born in England, in 1879. When his family migrated to Australia, Henry attended Melbourne University on a scholarship. He studied medicine, graduating with first – class honours and excelling in anatomy, physiology and pathology. He was described as being
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Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, April 8 1930, what has been described as the most daring robbery in the history of Australia took place. The heist was conceived by Roy Wilkinson, a 24 year old railway porter. Wilkinson had been serving as escort on the mail train from Sydney to Mudgee, which
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My great grandfather William Larcombe arrived in Launceston, Tasmania in December 1856 aboard the ship Alice Walton. William was then aged 25. He was accompanied by his 20 year old wife Sarah (nee Parker) and their two small children; Leah and Thomas. The family were from Devon,
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CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS BY COACH AND HORSES In the 1850’s the journey across the Blue Mountains of New South Wales was truly daunting. On Sunday, November 27 1853, Thomas Simons was driving the Bathurst mail coach from Sydney when he came to the top of Mount Victoria. Ahead was
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The familiar Redheads matches were first made in Australia in 1909 by Bryant & May, in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. However, another brand came to the fore during World War II. There was scarcely an aspect of life in this country not affected by rationing, and
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FOR PART ONE OF THIS STORY, CLICK HERE. When the Methodist minister’s young wife died unexpectedly at Omeo on January 3rd 1928, shock was quickly followed by disquiet. Locals reflected on (and gossiped about) the Rev. Griggs’ ‘friendship’ with Lotti Condon, the pretty young daughter of a wealthy grazier.
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