This article is primarily about the 1895 fire at Port Arthur in relation to the Model Prison, although the entire historic site was severely impacted. The Separate, or Model Prison at Tasmania’s Port Arthur closed in 1877. ‘Separate’ meant complete isolation. Inmates wore hoods if others were
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Hello. Did you know that Australia’s dear little koala had a very bad time during the bush fires earlier this year? Well they can’t run very fast, so that was a problem. I was in Sydney the other day and people were protesting about it all. I
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I made my first, post bushfires visit to Lithgow recently. This town has such spirit and resilience. Nowhere is it better expressed than in a laneway off the main street featuring art created from discarded bicycles. How’s this for sheer exuberance? The exhibit at the top of
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You do have to admire the residents of Blackheath. A few weeks ago hundreds turned out on a near 40 degree day to thank firefighters and all the support organizations after the bushfires. How ironic that since then we have suffered a great deal of damage from
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Hello, Editor Des here. Well we had nasty fires up here in the Blue Mountains at Christmas time. It was very scary for my guardian Pauline Conolly. However, Mr Bob Conolly and myself protected everything and were extremely brave…especially me if I may say so. But the
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It’s such a wonderful idea don’t you agree? Set up a community site where residents can seek and give advice, promote local events and businesses, support each other in times of crisis. Fantasic! Thousands of people join, but before long the trolls take over; those who simply
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Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic drink. It is anise flavoured, derived from the plants wormwood, green anise and sweet fennel. It was popular in early 20thC Paris, especially among bohemian artists and writers such as Picasso, Proust, Vincent van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar
Read more →We at Blackheath heaved a collective sigh of relief after the worst of the bushfire threat passed. A community afternoon tea was organized to express appreciation for the Rural Fire Service and all the other service groups who rally during these disasters. Yes, the damage to our
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Who would imagine that dear old hydrangeas would hold up so well during the 2019/20 fires and heatwave conditions in the NSW Blue Mountains? The origin of the name seems to contradict the very notion that they would! ‘First discovered in Japan, the name hydrangea comes from
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I was reluctant to even consider that my partner Rob and I may have to evacuate during the Christmas bush fire at Blackheath. However, in the end there were burnt leaves and bits of charcoal flying everywhere. We were determined to stay and defend our new home,
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