The summer of 1957 in north west Tasmania was unusually dry. My father was forced to harness up our draught horses Bell and Nugget and use a sled to transport water to our farmhouse from a back paddock dam. He used 44 gallon drums covered with wet chaff bags for
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In 1883, James McGinty and his two prospecting partners found what is still the largest gold nugget ever found in Tasmania. It was discovered at Rocky River, near Corinna on the wild west coast. It weighed 243ozs and was valued at £6,000. Below is an image of the nugget on
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A SMALL PIECE OF WOOD Apparently wooden ‘dolly pegs’ were originally hand made by Gypsies in the UK, who sold them door to door. Sometimes they were carved from hedgerow wood, sometimes they were just a couple of sticks bound together with strips of tin. In Tasmania
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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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How very special Australian native animals are, especially the echidna. The echidna has been known by quite a few names; spiny ant-eater, porcupine, even hedgehog! Its real name is Echidna acubata. Oddly enough it is a cousin to the equally weird platypus. This intriguing creature lays eggs
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WARNING – THERE ARE PICTURES OF SNAKES IN THIS ARTICLE. ALSO, I MUST POINT OUT THAT SNAKES ARE VERY INOFFENSIVE. THEY NORMALLY ONLY BITE WHEN CORNERED, OR WHEN SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KILL THEM. THEY ARE NOW PROTECTED IN AUSTRALIA, AS THEY CERTAINLY SHOULD BE. A BLIGHTED CHILDHOOD Being
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Before Covid19 hit, my partner Rob and I were in Kakadu (Northern Territory). looking at indigenous rock art. For me, the most exciting image was of a thylacine, thought to be over 4,000 years old. How wonderful is that? 😍 A TASSIE TIGER IN PENGUIN TOWN! For
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THE SLOPER, THE DOCTOR, AND THE ATTEMPTED ‘BIG FIX’ AT MOWBRAY. By 1911, three years on from a near win at Flemington’s Grand National Steeplechase, the Tasmanian jumper Ally Sloper was somewhat past his best. He was now owned by the Sheffield GP, and Justice of the
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FROM A STUMP JUMPER TO THE STEEPLECHASE Ally Sloper was a big boned chestnut gelding with three white fetlocks. He had been named after a British cartoon character; a likeable but lazy schemer who sloped down alleys to avoid the debt collector. Although his name and his
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I grew up on a farm on the north west coast of Tasmania. In the late 1950’s a man came to see my father on some business or other. While he was there he produced a sugar bag which he carefully opened to show us what appeared to be the most
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