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 that
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CLEVER HANDS CELEBRATING THE PAST When Stanley Wennock 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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Tulip bulbs just do not thrive in my garden. However, I can enjoy similar blooms in spring thanks to the Liriodendron trees, which are actually related to the magnolias. Their cup shaped flowers have led to the common name of Tulip Tree. Liriodendrons are notoriously slow to
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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
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AUTUMN LEAVES AND HISTORY No matter what time of year, the walk up to my local Blue Mountains village of Blackheath is a delight. I always have my little point and shoot camera in my pocket. Without fail there is something worth snapping, and it’s an
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The building, at 2a Harley Avenue Mount Victoria, dates from 1934. It was originally a cinema known as Mount Victoria Pictures. In September 1935 The Katoomba Daily provided an idea of what patrons might expect. This was the days of double features, and news reels. GOLBY’S THEATRE
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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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My husband Rob arrived home in Blackheath with a new car recently and I was slightly taken aback when he said; ‘We could go for a Sunday drive tomorrow if you like.’ I hadn’t heard the expression since my distant childhood. I grew up in rural
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EARLY HISTORY OF BLACKHEATH DUCK POND When the Great Western Railway crossed the Blue Mountains in the 1860s a reliable water source was required for the steam engines. In the village of Blackheath a catchment area to the north and east of Gardners Crescent and below
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Recently I posted the story of the Glenbrook railway tunnel during WWII. The disused tunnel was secretly used as an RAAF storage depot, for chemicals such as mustard gas and phosogene. The decision to stockpile the chemicals was due to fear of a Japanese invasion. Japan had
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