Ambergris is one of those rare, mystical materials that have captured the imagination of people for centuries. But what exactly is it? Well, it’s a waxy substance occasionally (very occasionally) found in the intestines of sperm whales, or washed up on beaches after being excreted by them.
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This interesting piece has been contributed by a long term associate of mine, Robin Walsh. Robin is acknowledged as Australia’s foremost expert on the Macquarie era. For many years he was Librarian at Macquarie University. He edited and compiled the book, In Her Own Words; the Writings
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Like most people born and bred in Tasmania, I have a number of treasured Huon pine items in my home (now in the NSW Blue Mountains). I have just finished reading a book by Brenden Ward about a fabulous grand piano made a few years ago from
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NOTE – This is not intended a full history of the Hobart Regatta , merely some stories and facts that intrigued me. My interest in the subject was piqued when I was cleaning some of my partner Rob’s old sailing trophies. One was from the 1964 Hobart
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Mary Ann Harvey, the main subject of this piece, spent her entire adult life in the tiny coastal settlement of Bicheno, on Tasmania’s beautiful east coast. She is mentioned in this brief description of the community published in 1903. BICHENO – Three private homes, a school,
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Recently I came across a wonderful letter from my late father-in-law, Alan Conolly. In the early 1960s he was travelling the world for Silk and Textiles, the Hobart based company he worked for. Silk and Textiles was founded by Claudio Alcorso in Sydney. The factory relocated to
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In 1875 a Tasmanian devil left Hobart aboard the American ship Swatara, bound for San Francisco Bay. I was fascinated, and very moved by the background story. In the 19th century the USS Swatara was involved in transporting scientific parties to the South Pacific, to observe the
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Cremation was being advocated in Tasmania in the 1890s. The following piece is from the Tasmanian Democrat, August 7 1896. A correspondent asserted that traditional burial was very costly, and that cemeteries often became eyesores. ‘For a piece of ground suitable for this purpose you will have
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For some years British born Captain William Waterson had been involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Marion ‘Dorothy’ Jackson. Dorothy, 25 years old, lived with her wealthy, widowed mother Matilda at No. 2 Pillinger Street, Sandy Bay, an upmarket suburb of Tasmania’s Hobart. In 1922 the
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My great grandfather William Larcombe arrived in Launceston, Tasmania in December 1856 aboard the ship Alice Walton. William was then aged 25. He was accompanied by his 20 year old wife Sarah (nee Parker) and their two small children; Leah and Thomas. The family were from Devon,
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