Note from Editor Des’ guardian Pauline Conolly…..As you will see at the bottom of the story, fire has swept through the area he wrote about. He is very sad, as we all are. A Double Bunger Day Out, by Editor Des Hello down there! Here’s my first
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A DICTIONARY IS BORN IN ‘STRAYA’ In 1812 the convict James Hardy Vaux (pictured ) produced what is credited as being the first Australian dictionary: A New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the Flash Language. It was essentially a compilation of slang used by the ‘flash’ criminal element
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This brief article is a tribute to a very special Frenchman; Dr Auguste Ambroise Tardieu, who was born in Paris in 1818. Dr Tardieu headed the team of French doctors who performed a post-mortem on the disinterred body of English schoolgirl Marian Marsden in 1854.
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Who would have thought that whale watching would be a genuine tourist draw in the Blue Mountains, two hours west of Sydney? Unlike coastal whales the species, known as hedgeritum greenius magnum is very slow moving and easy to spot. At certain times of year a prime
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My friends, authors and historians Cora Weaver and Bruce Osborne , recently published a well researched, richly illustrated book called Celebrated Springs of the Malvern Hills. Here is small extract; These pure springs inspired the water-cure clinics at Malvern, lining the pockets of physicians such as Dr
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BRUSH WITH FAME I once worked in an office where the favourite tea break amusement was Brush with Fame. It was difficult for new members of staff to get the hang of, because it was no use simply boasting that you had slept with a Rolling Stone
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My first visit to the United States was in the 1980s, about thirty years too late. If only I could have arrived as a ten year old, when I was obsessed with Yankee comic books. For years I lusted after Hershey bars , fudge brownies, double malts
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It would be difficult to calculate the number of meat pies eaten at sporting events in Australia….especially at AFL matches.. There is an eatery in my Blue Mountains village of Blackheath regarded as a bit of an institution when it comes to a meal in a pastry
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WHY BLACKHEATH? It was primarily my passion for birds and gardens that prompted my move from Sydney to the beautiful Blue Mountains. As a writer, I also wanted a place of peace and inspiration. The birds here are truly amazing. I don’t mind sharing my flowers with
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During an extended stay at our holiday home near Marlow, my partner Rob and I were joined by Brisbane friends Margie and Lance, who were making their first visit to the UK. The prospect of this extremely laid-back couple spending six weeks with a manic history
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