On January 1st 1810, Lachlan Macquarie was sworn in as Governor of New South Wales, replacing the deposed William Bligh. Macquarie had arrived in Port Jackson aboard The Dromedary several days earlier, accompanied by his wife Elizabeth. Her love and unswerving loyalty would sustain the Governor throughout
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On November 4 1811, Governor Lachlan Macquarie left Sydney aboard the Lady Nelson to carry out an inspection tour of Van Diemen’s Land. He was accompanied by his wife Elizabeth. After several weeks based in Hobart, the official party made its way north. By early December they
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Let me say at the outset that my darling mother was the most gentle, kind hearted person you could hope to meet. However, she did have a penchant for filling our heads with the most terrifying information imaginable. We kids were both fascinated and appalled. Her stories
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On September 17 1879, the much anticipated Sydney International Exhibition opened in the vast, purpose built Garden Palace. It was located at the south-western end of the Royal Botanic Gardens. On October 27 The Sydney Morning Herald reported; There are two or three more than ordinarily interesting
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As a city grows, local birds lose their habitat. They are remembered in a special way at Sydney’s Angel Place. When the First Fleet arrived in Sydney in 1788 the bird life in the area was incredibly rich and varied. Before long the artist John Lewin was
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PRIVATE ARTHUR WILLIAM SINGLETON – SERVICE NUMBER 301 Aged 20, Tasmanian born Arthur Singleton enlisted in the 12th Battalion, one of the first raised in Australia. He was a farmer’s son, and had already served in the state’s volunteer military service for several years. Like many young
Read more →A TIME OF CHANGE Recently I found an unusual old wrist watch in a family jewel box. I can only assume it belonged to my husband’s grandfather, Wallace Conolly. The band has vanished, but otherwise it is in reasonable condition. It has a hinged, deep case reminiscent
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FAMILY HEIRLOOMS Throughout my Tasmanian childhood there were two small oil paintings hanging beside the open fire in our farmhouse sitting room. When the wind blew, the hessian backed wallpaper ballooned out, and the pictures nearly fell off their nails. I was always intrigued by them, and when
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AN ENTREPRENEUR Early in 1894, schoolmaster George Ratten arrived in Parkes, New South Wales, from the Victorian coastal town of Port Fairy. He was accompanied by his wife Eliza and the couple’s six children. Mr Ratten set about building a private, co-educational college in Mitchell Street, opposite
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Hello Dear People Well because my vegie growing was so awesome, my guardian Pauline Conolly finally agreed to buy me a little greenhouse. The only trouble was that she took the cheap option (what a surprise….NOT) and it came in at least 100 bits. OMG!!
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