Sunday, November 3, 2024

ODD NORTHERN TERRITORY FOOTING

 
Tattooed ouline of  the Northern Territory on  an  unwashed foot in Townsville.  Another  tattoo  promoting  NT  tourism  on  the  ankle . 

Saturday, November 2, 2024

SEARCH FOR REPORTER'S GRAVE

A move is  afoot to  try and locate  the  grave  of  Australian journalist  Roger East who was  killed when  Indonesia invaded  the  Portuguese Timor  capital , Dili , in  l975.   Furthermore, it  has  been suggested  a monument   should  be  raised  honouring  East  on  or  before next  year's  50th anniversary of  the invasion. 

There  is already a  small Roger East plaque  which was  arranged  by his family in  2000.


Nearby is another memorial to  that  fateful day  in 1975, marking the start  of  the  attack on   Dili ,  shown  below . 

The  wide  ranging   discussions  on  the  subject  have  included  the    suggestion  that  Australian actor  Anthony LaPaglia  be asked to play a leading  part  in  the  campaign .

He  played  East in the  film, Balibo,  about the five  members of  the Australian  news team  killed  on October  16 , l975 ,  at  the start of  the  incursion , based  on  Cover  Up, the book by Shirley Shackleton , whose  television  reporter  husband,  Greg, was one of  those murdered.

In the attempt to  find the exact spot where  East  was  supposedly buried  after being shot and thrown into the sea on December 8, l975,  it  has even been  suggested  that  a  US Department of  Defence  organisation , based  in Hawaii , which looks for the missing in  action graves  of  80,000  Americans,  might become involved  in a roundabout  way . 

This is  because  there is a site in  Dili, not far from where East  was possibly  interred , which might  contain the remains of  Japanese,  Australian  and   American  airmen .  Ground probing radar  could  be used in the  hunt  for East's remains.  

One  of  those  discussing   the proposal  is Darwin agronomist Robert Wesley-Smith , deeply involved in the East Timor   struggle , who  re- enacted Roger East  being  shot and  thrown into  the sea , below , on the 20th anniversary -

 

Wes , 82, has just produced  a  44pp , illustrated   booklet ,Timor Tales,  about the  long , bloody struggle , which includes articles he wrote over the years , some poems  by Timorese ,  1942  photos of Dili , a  map  used  by  Australian  commandoes  during   WWll and even a photo of the brave  universal  declaration  of   independence  in  Dili ,  Roger  East  visible  with  a  camera  at  the historic event .  Wes  produced  an  earlier  E-book,   117 Days  in  Timor .

Hot  off  the press  Timor  Tales .
Wesley-Smith has passed on information about the likely grave site he  has gleaned  from  various sources . He  firmly  believes the Australian Embassy in  Timor - Leste should become  involved in  the  search .

Recently Melbourne  activist, John Waddingham ,   keeper of  the East Timor clearing house archive , came to Darwin, went to Timor- Leste . He is due back in Darwin in the coming  week and  will stay with  Wesley-Smith .

Human rights  advocate  and author ,  Pat  Walsh , who wrote  The Day Hope and History Rhymed in East Timor  , plus other  pieces on  East Timor, went to Timor Leste  this year and  made  inquiries , especially in relation to a possible  burial  site  near a  major government  building .

A former priest , he lived  in East Timor for  10  years  and with the suport of the  United Nations helped set up and run the ground breaking reconciliation commission . 

It is hoped that   Timor- Leste  president  ,  Jose  Ramos- Horta , a Nobel Peace Laureate ,  will   become  involved  in  the  Roger  East  proposal. The Australian Journalists' Association  has  been informed .

A veteran  reporter  with experience in several overseas troublespots , Roger East  came to  Darwin after Cyclone Tracy  and  met  up with old reporter friend , Peter  Blake ,they both having worked on the Hong Kong Star , a Darwin independent  newspaper named after The  Star .

East went to Timor to  investigate what happened to the Balibo 5. His despatches  about the   worsening situation   were flown   back to  Darwin  by  plane , where they were picked up  by a  woman  at the airport , photocopied , and distributed to news outlets, including Australian  Associated  Press .

In a lighthearted  covering note to one  , he  described himself as his mother's favourite son , who was  being shot  at  from many  angles. 

 A Balibo Five-Roger East Fellowship, an initiative of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA -was  set up to promote  journalism  in  Timor Leste .

(Timor,East,Hawaii.)

Friday, November 1, 2024

A LIFE IN ART

Cairns Art Gallery exhibition  running through to December  8. 

Margaret Olley: A Life in Art tells the story of Olley’s incredible life and enduring career through her greatest legacy – her art. The exhibition includes artwork from as early as 1938, painted at just 15 years of age, through to 2011, the year of her death.

Olley’s incredible career, enormous capacity for friendship and dedication to the art world, have made her one of Australia’s most loved and celebrated artists.

Extract  : Her journey as an artist can be explored and contextualised through the diverse nature of the works in this exhibition, drawn exclusively from the collection at the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.

In 1964 she purchased 48 Duxford Street, Paddington ,Sydney– the property that became her famous home studio and  now re-created at the Margaret Olley Art Centre in the Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah.

48 Duxford Street became an ecosystem of art and life. The home was filled with furnishings, textiles, vases, jugs, bowls, coffee pots and flowers – all collected as subject matter for  painting. 

The exhibition includes interiors and still lifes from Duxford Street as well as photographs by her artist friend Greg Weight, who photographed her home studio in the days following her  death. 

Thanks to our  arty Aeronautical Correspondent  , Abra , in Cairns, this post is a follow up to the  recent one in Little Darwin which mentioned Olley's connection with Tully , Magnetic Island  and  Townsville .

SPIDERS OF PARADISE

 Cairns  Art  Gallery exhibition  by Maria Fernanda Cardosa .


The  exhibition brings together new works by Maria Fernanda Cardosa, born  1963  at  Bogota , Colombia , in her ongoing photographic series , Spiders of Paradise  (2018-2024), alongside her  acclaimed  video On the Origins of Art -l-ll  ( 2016).

The spiders were collected in various parts of Australia over 10 years by arachnologists  and citizen scientist.  Renowned  scientific imager Geoff Thompson and entomologist Andy Wang  from the Queensland  Museum prepared and photographed speciments using focus stacked  micro-photography.
The Origins of  Art video covers the  tiny ,5mm, Maratus spider , with a bright abdomen displayed in elaborate mating rituals. It has been pointed out  that the spider above right looks like a robot , which  raises the  possibility that  AI is spinning  a  web in the world of arachnology. Report from our  Aeronautical Correspondent, Abra.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

KAPOK BOMBARDMENT CONTINUES


The combination of  warmer  temperatures and  gusty  wind  is causing  more kapok  tree  seed  pods  to  explode  and  shower  far  and  wide .  Large numbers of small  grey  moths have been noticed fluttering about cycad cones. 

EARLY SIGNS OF MANGO MADNESS

Hot and bothered Dinosaur  under  a  tree .

Conditions are becoming increasing  torrid  across a large part of the nation  as  the  build up to the  Wet  is  very evident  and  there  is  another warning  about  the  changing  Australian  climate.

Broome  and  the   Kimberley region  of   Western Australia  have  experienced  heatwaves ,the  troughs   being  drawn down  into  adjoining  states  and  the  Northern  Territory .

In  Darwin ,  the  steamy  weather  of   late  , after  a  quick shower, was described by a  local as like walking into a wall of water. Fans and  airconditioners  are  working  overtime.

Down in  the  rural area  mossies   are  out  and  about, adding to  the  discomfiture . 

In   large  parts  of   North  Queensland  temperatures  are  rising . In  Townsville , our  Shipping Reporter   is   looking  more bug-eyed than usual , showing  clear  signs  of   going  troppo, again . 

This he  blames on a  neurotic bird  which  has  moved in  near  where  he  lives  and  stridently  bleats for  hours , sometimes  starting  at   3am , disrupting the  waterfront  roundsman's much  needed  beauty  sleep and increasing  the  need for cosmetic  surgery to  improve, if possible, his   wrinkled  kisser . 

The Shipping Reporter says he  hopes to find  a  pre-loved  bazooka  at  a garage  sale  or  market  with  which  to   bombard   and   dislodge  the  infuriating   bird .

WATERLILY LANDING PAD

Vallis.