One historical event I really wish I could have attended is London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. Those inventive, enthusiastic Victorians put on a display that dazzled the world. It was housed in a building so innovative it scarcely seemed real; the remarkable Crystal Palace. Of course eventually
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I am an Aussie who voted for a republic, but despite this I have a nostalgic affection for Empire Day. It was celebrated during my 1950’s Tasmanian childhood on May 24th, Queen Victoria’s birthday. A bag of boiled lollies was distributed to each of us after we
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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE TRAVEL SECTION OF THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN My partner and I are driving through Nice when a group of local youths begin jeering at a cavalcade of stereo blasting Ferraris. With complete disregard for following traffic, all three drivers screech
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AUSSIE HISTORY ALONG THE THAMES For Australians exploring the River Thames there are places of particular interest. When my partner Rob and I walked the Path we found lots of Aussie associations. On the upper reaches of the river is the village of Buscot, and the National Trust owned Buscot
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Hello, I’m Editor Des. I spend most my life buried away in the boring old Blue Mountains…and I don’t even eat gum leaves! However, Pauline Conolly, (she’s my guardian and employer) took me on a little tour of Sydney recently. We only went for a couple of
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A ROYAL REPLICA Early last century John Norton, firebrand editor of Sydney’s Truth newspaper, described Queen Victoria rather unkindly as; ‘..the podgy figured, sulky faced little German woman whose ugly statue at the top of King Street sagaciously keeps one eye on the Mint while with
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In my non-fiction book, The Water Doctor’s Daughters, Queen Victoria is an important figure. BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT- QUEEN VICTORIA AND HER FRENCH DRESSER Early in 1842, Victoria employed a well educated young Frenchwoman as one of her wardrobe mistresses. Célestine Doudet was born in Rouen on June
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