Pagan date: Litha
Litha, also known as midsummer, is the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere.And it’s also a great date for planning and transition, a good day to ponder the year ahead. Continue reading Pagan date: Litha
Tag: australian history
Secrets of the Mornington Peninsula: Mushroom Reef Sanctuary, Flinders.
Following on from my previous post about Tyabb Packing Centre, here is another little known wonder from the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne where I return to … Continue reading Secrets of the Mornington Peninsula: Mushroom Reef Sanctuary, Flinders.
The Jigsaw Puzzle of Pangea: What It Tells Us About Our Fragile Human Lives
Around 200 million years ago the world’s landmass was contained in one giant supercontinent called Pangea surrounded by a mega ocean. I know that this isn’t … Continue reading The Jigsaw Puzzle of Pangea: What It Tells Us About Our Fragile Human Lives
Every Picture Tells A Story: William Stanley Moore (1925)
William Stanley Moore according to his official police record was an “opium dealer/ Operates with large quantities of faked opium and cocaine./ A wharf labourer; associates with water front thieves and drug traders.” Mugshot by New South Wales Police Department (1925) Source: Historic Houses Trust Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: William Stanley Moore (1925)
Theatre Review: Jack Charles V The Crown at Auckland Arts Fest
Last night I went to see Jack Charles V The Crown at the Auckland Arts Festival. Jack Charles is an Australian legend. He has traveled from movie sets to state prisons in Australia and run the full gamut of life … Continue reading Theatre Review: Jack Charles V The Crown at Auckland Arts Fest
Secrets of the Mornington Peninsula: Tyabb Packing House
The Mornington Peninsula (where I hail from originally) is located in the S.E tip of Port Phillip Bay, about 1 hour’s drive outside of Melbourne. It’s … Continue reading Secrets of the Mornington Peninsula: Tyabb Packing House
Train and tram-spotting in Melbourne back in the olden days
Here are two handsome maps of Melbourne’s public transport from the previous century. In equal parts loved and loathed by locals, public transport in Melbourne is slow, expensive and unreliable and yet anyone who has ever lived in Melbourne (and … Continue reading Train and tram-spotting in Melbourne back in the olden days
Documentary: Australia in the year 2020 (as envisaged in 1990)
This documentary from the late 80’s/early 90’s Australia offers fascinating insights into what the pre-internet world thought the new century i.e. right now would be like. As a child I remember watching this TV show and pondering about what 202o would be … Continue reading Documentary: Australia in the year 2020 (as envisaged in 1990)
The Iconic & Subversive Oz Magazine – In all its Psychadelic Glory
OZ magazine was published in Australia and London between 1963 and 1973 and under the stewardship of Richard Neville and later also Jim Anderson and Felix Dennis. This magazine left the door wide open for everything wild, illegal, outrageous, radical and until then largely unimaginable. OZ magazine is reproduced by permission of Richard Neville in its full original glory on the University of Woollongong’s website. The satirical Australian Oz was a magazine published between 1963 and 1969, while the British incarnation was a “psychedelic hippy” magazine which appeared from 1967 to 1973. As a part of the Underground press, Oz was … Continue reading The Iconic & Subversive Oz Magazine – In all its Psychadelic Glory
Every Picture Tells A Story: An Elephant in the Tea Room (1939)
At Robur Tea Room in Sydney in 1939, an elephant made a visit and majestically trumpeted in front of photographer Sam Hood and his friends. Thanks to … Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: An Elephant in the Tea Room (1939)
Every Picture Tells A Story: Stout Dogs on Antarctic Expedition (1911)
Photographer Frank Hurley snaps his whimsical and wise looking Greenland esquimaux dogs named Basilisk and Ginger-bitch during an Antarctic expedition between 1911-1914. Thanks to the State Library of New South Wales. See original. Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: Stout Dogs on Antarctic Expedition (1911)
Every Picture Tells A Story: Cracking Open a Keg on Cockatoo Island, 1925.
Here’s the auspicious launching of the HMAS Warrego II a Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney Harbour circa 1925. Trainspotters here will remember that I did a post … Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: Cracking Open a Keg on Cockatoo Island, 1925.
The quirky origins of Australia’s native animal names
Although I thought that the cockatoo was an Aboriginal word, it’s not! Its a relic of the first Europeans visiting the spice isles of Maluku (now … Continue reading The quirky origins of Australia’s native animal names
Every Picture Tells A Story: Nest Of The Lemon-Breasted Flycatcher
Shot by Archibald James Campbell(1853-1929) now a treasure of the National Library of Australia. Beautiful, delicate, a treasure frozen in history that I found here. Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: Nest Of The Lemon-Breasted Flycatcher
Every Picture Tells A Story: Dancing Friends in Bendigo, Australia
What’s Your Favourite Smell? Mine Is Petrichor
So basically, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in Australia have invented a truckload of good things. Insect repellent was one – out of … Continue reading What’s Your Favourite Smell? Mine Is Petrichor
Treasures to Love and Adore: Smith Journal
In the magazine publishing world nowadays, it takes a good deal of creativity and originality to be able to stand out and make revenue. This Australian magazine is built upon solid foundations of authenticity. From cover to cover it’s high … Continue reading Treasures to Love and Adore: Smith Journal
A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts: Cheeky Fruit and Veg Boxes by Australian Farmers
A word of warning: fruit and vegetable packaging in Australia is bright, risque, cheeky and just plain weird. Some feature cheeky innuendo like the upturned erect bananas on Dicko’s Bananas or a box of melons with a buxom 50’s babe … Continue reading A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts: Cheeky Fruit and Veg Boxes by Australian Farmers
Impossibly Beautiful Marine Life in Sydney Harbour – Part 4
So far I have lovingly described a lot of Sydney natives who live under the sea. In our final of the series I look at the … Continue reading Impossibly Beautiful Marine Life in Sydney Harbour – Part 4
Impossibly Beautiful Marine Life in Sydney Harbour – Part 3
As promised, here are more amazing creatures both big and small who call Sydney Harbour home. Although if you are planning on a snorkelling or diving … Continue reading Impossibly Beautiful Marine Life in Sydney Harbour – Part 3