THE TREE OF MAN

One of  our  correspondents, Petros , came  face to face with this human looking   tree  trunk  while  jogging  in  the Redcliffe  area  of  Queensland . 

(Tree. Human. Face.)

NATURE NOTES

 

Vallis pix. 

(Nature. Townsville. Vallis.)

STATUE OF LIBERTY LIBERATES AMERICA , FIRES TRUMP !

One  of  many  inspired cartoons  and  a  protest  march  sign.    

(Trump. Sacked. Protest.) 

EXCLUSIVE : COALITION'S SECRET CRAPPY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PLAN REVEALED

The  seven nuclear power  plants that the  Coalion plans to  build  in Australia if elected will have cooling  towers designed to  look  like  friendly,  giant  dung  beetles  to  lull  surrounding communities  into  a sense  of  security  ,  according  to   multi - award  winning  journalist ,  Argus  Tuft.

Tuft   bases  this   scoop on a  radio-active leak from the  Peter Dutton  accident prone  , lead-lined  campaign  bunker                      

                                               

He says he was informed  the unusual  whopper  towers - 20 storeys high- were  inspired  by the  popular  Doug  the  Dung  Beetle sculpture , above,  made from recycled parts including  old  water sprinklers ,  in  Townsville, created   by  Cameron  Rushton. 

The  attractive  piece of  public art , in   Anderson Botanic Gardens , is  the centre  of  a  display and walkway  which urges  people to save  water and  the  environment  , which  would  be  part  of   the   nuclear  reactor   water  tower  proposal.

The Coalition has had a  long connection  with  dung and  beetles. A  former  Liberal Prime Minister, the late  Malcolm Fraser, nicknamed  The Crazy Grazier,  tried  to  establish  a  dung beetle  colony on his  family farm , Nareen .

And it  is even  whispered  the real reason National MP  Barnaby  Joyce landed on  his back  in   Canberra  was  due to the fact  that  he slipped over  while  stomping  on  a  colony of  hungry  dung  beetles  feeding on  scraps  from the  parliament  house members' dining room , not  because  of  his  medication  and  jungle  juice.  

It  was  thought  politically unwise for the Coalition to  reveal  he had  danced  on  cute , patriotic , hard- working   dung  beetles .

It  is very significant  that  the Coalition  has  not  held an election   campaign  rally  at  any of  the  seven  proposed  nuclear  plant   sights   to see  what  the   local  feeling  is  about   them. 

A Peter Dutton  press conference in New South Wales was  nuked  by an  anti-nuclear power  demonstration , captured on  television , forcing  him and  campaign   advancer   Fred  Chernobyl  to  flee  to  another  site.  

The attitude to nuclear power is clear in the  Northern  Territory .

There is a  vast  dung beetle population in  America, especially in Republican states .  Animal  welfare  groups there reported   dung  beetles were reduced to  a state of  total exhaustion  during  Trump's first term as  president.

It was even said the beetles were kept so  busy  burying  Donald's dung  , they   developed  muscles   like   Arnie Schwarzenegger  in  his  prime .

Now  the  poor  little critters  are once again  flat  out  24 seven .   

  

NOTE :  Argus Tuft declares  this is  definitely  not  a  fake  news  report produced  with   the  aid  of  his  limited  or  artificial  intelligence.  

(Coalition. Nuclear. Dung.)

TROPICAL WONDERLAND

 

Cairns special by Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra.

(Cairns. Sky. Abra.)

MING THE MERCILESS BRANDISHES ROYAL WEED , MACE IN COALITION CAMPAIGN

A signed , presentation  photograph, not  the above,  of  the Australian  Liberal Party  founder, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, prime  minister  for nearly 19 years , is  for sale in a velvet  lined case  at  $2400  by  Douglas  Stewart  Fine  Books , Melbourne.

It  was  presented  to  the Labour  British  Prime Minister, Harold  Wilson , probably during the  time  Menzies was  Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle  , from  l965 to l978 , having been appointed to the post by Queen Elizabeth ll, a  position  he  took over  after  the death of  Winston  Churchill .

Menzies's nickname , Ming, was due to the Scottish pronunciation of  his name,  Ming-ees. A bright  newspaper columnist  turned it  into Ming the Merciless , after  the Emperor  in the Flash Gordon comic. 

 Naturally , an  election slogan  emerged   which  urged voters  to  Fling out Ming, but  this did  not  eventuate .  A  staunch  monarchist , Menzies once said  he  was  British to his bootstraps, was  made  a  Knight of  the  Thistle. 

The photo for sale appears to have once been in the  Harold and Mary  Wilson Collection .

Menzies  inspired   cartoonist  Les Tanner  and  artist, animator and potter  Gus  McLaren  to  make the  above  ceramic  model of  him which is in the  National  Portrait  Gallery .  

In Japan , Tanner and  McLaren  had  both contributed to the  British  Commonwealth  Occupation   Force  newspaper .

The  above illustration of hairy chested  Menzies, with a pot of  thistles and a bejewelled  sceptre for smiting Reds under the bed , as he , like Peter Dutton now , made   security  a  big issue ,  was run in  an  article in  the  Monash University  magazine , Lot's Wife,  after  his  conservative  reign . Under the editorship of  young  ALP activist  Pete Steedman , later the Member for Casey ,  the   salty magazine took  the Menzies Government to task over a range of issues -the  Vietnam War  and  censorship  some . See DISSENT,The Student Press  in l960s Australia , by  Sally  Percival  Wood, Scribe, 2017.  

(Menzies.Election. Coalition. )

COASTAL ADVENTURE

 

Aeronautical Correspondent Abra departing Townsville.

(Queensland .Coast . Abra.).                  

CYCLONE TRACY CONCERTS

Spotted in   a  Darwin  record  shop  by  a Little  Darwin runner  was  the  above  sleeve  for  the  LP  record  of  the January  4, l975  concert   held  in the  Sydney Opera  House  to  raise  funds for  victims of Cyclone Tracy  which devastated the Northern  Territory  capital on  Christmas Eve  l974.

David Frost delivered a eulogy  and monologues  were provided by Dame Joan Hammond, Don Lane , Paul  Hogan and  Rolf Harris who also delivered Song For  Darwin . 

In the files  is a photograph  of Harris, of Tie Me Kangaroo Down ,Sport  fame,  giving a  didjeridoo  performance in Darwin  on  a  length  of  plastic  pipe  with   wrecked   houses  in  the background.   

On January 25 , 1975, Richard Bonynge conducted a  Darwin Relief Concert  at  the Royal Opera House, Covent Gardens, London .  The  idea was that of his wife, soprano Dame Joan Sutherland, who participated  together with a cast of Australian,  New Zealand and  British operatic luminaries,of which a  CD was made. Dame Joan  was photographed  after  the concert   with   Prince  Charles  in  the  Crush  Bar  at  Covent Gardens .

Darwin  marked  the  50th anniversary  of  Cyclone Tracy , Australia's most desructive  natural disaster , which killed   66 , made  41,000 homeless  and destroyed  or severely damaged   more  than  70 percent  of homes ,with a ceremony  attended  by  the Govenor-General, PM Albert  Albanese , the head  of  the  Australian  Defence Force .

(Cyclone. Tracy. Prince.)

BUMPER BOOK , ART AND ANTIQUE FAIR

 One of the many items  of interest  for  sale at  the Australian  Antique and Art Dealers  Association  Fair   in  the Malvern Town Hll , Melbourne , May 1 to 4 , will  be the above  rare  book of  portraits  by  colour- blind  Charles  Nuttall , sketched  for  his  "Magnum opus " oil painting ,The Opening Commonwealth Parliament, which included 344 identifiable faces in the  Royal Exhibition Building , Melbourne, 1901.

Subjects include Earl Hopetoun,Governor-General, Prime Minister Sir Edmund Barton,various premiers, Attorneys-General, government ministers, parliamentarians, as well as artistic figures such as painter John Longstaff, and Marshall-Hall, Director of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

In 1905 Nuttall went to America  , became a staff artist on the New York Herald and contributed to  several  popular  magazines.  

Priced  at $880 , the book  is in the Douglas Stewart Fine Books  list which includes a complete set of Gould's Birds of Australia,$750,000 ; a 17th century French terrestrial globe, $45,000; a circa l938  Norman Lindsay oil on canvas ,Joy of Summer , $55,000.

Also  on offer  will be more than  1000 high  quality, hardcover monographs on Australian and International art , design, architecture, antiques and historical reference which  have  been acquired from several collections over the past  year.

While many of these reference books are collectable in their own right,  the bookshop says it simply doesn't  have  the  space to store  them: all  will be  marked at  $10  for the  duration  of  the  fair. 

(Rare. Books. Fair.)

ANZAC DAY FAMILY OUTING

Magpie Geese , Townsville.   Vallis photo. 

 (Anzac.  Geese. Townsville. )

MANY WORDS OF WISDOM , SOME QUESTIONABLE , TO HELP YOU SAIL THROUGH LIFE TO PROMISED LAND

 Due to  the  poor eyesight of our Shipping Reporter  , he snapped up the  above  large  book  , with others,  believing it  might  contain   rollicking  yarns  about  the sea.  However,  upon  later   perusal ,  he discovered it  is full  of the  sayings  of 400 prominent people , compiled  by  Reverend  J.B.McClure (l832-1895)  , of  Chicago, where  it  was  published  by the Thomas W. Jackson  Company .   

Mind you , the waterfront roundsman  said there   was   a strong  nautical touch  in  the dramatic,  coloured  frontispiece  which  is  of  a  woman ,   in  a  flowing   gown , arms outstretched , looking up  to the night sky , a  large  anchor  nearby,  in   a   rocky , seaside  setting .

The  title  page explains  the  best   thoughts  of  the  writers  quoted  embrace beautiful  maxims  for the conduct of life  and lucid  expositions  of holy writ across 528  pages, including  a long list of proverbs , with  illustrations from the  great  art  galleries  of   the  world.  

A previous owner's  name , Merna  Hintz  , caused the  Shipping Reporter  to do  some  online  checking , and  it  seems  she  was Merna Anna  Hintz, born  Chicago , Cook County , Illinois,  l942, late of  Home Hill, North Queensland, who  died January  2024 .  Her   married  name  Bitter  

 A  Presbyterian, Reverend  McClure, wrote several  books during his life ,was the associate editor of  The Interior   and joint  founder  with Professor  Daniel Swing  of The Alliance  and a member  a publishing  firm.

He did not live to finish the above  book for which he had been gathering material for many years.  It was passed on to Charles  Carroll Albertson to  turn into  Pearls. 

As is to be expected ,there is much about  the Bible , Christ , "the superiority of the Christian  faith" , all interspersed with the sayings of prominent  writers, politicians and  philosophers , including  Shakespeare, Chaucer ,Longfellow ,  Plutarch .

There is a section  dealing with books  that quotes Bacon and a lengthy poem by  Margaret E. Sangster entitled  The Pleasant  World of  Books.  Elsewhere  John Wesley is quoted as saying a reading people will  always  be a  knowing people . 

Gambling is  depicted  as  terrible as  is  demon grog  . The " new ideas" about the rights  of  dumb animals , the rights of children , the rights of   the " heathen  myriads " must be repeated  until  they  shall  become  a  mode of  modern  thought. 

There  is an extensive section  on  the  importance of the  home  in which there is a quote  which  said  that if a husband spent most of the  night absent from the home  , by choice, not necessity, then he was not  the   head of the household,  but  only  the cashier.

If a wife  passed the care of  the household to servants , and then spent  five nights  of  the week at  the opera  or theatre, she may clothe her children  with  satins  and laces  and   ribbons  that  would   confound a  French milliner , but  they  would only  be  orphans.

In dealing with  America, it ran a  quote saying that  in its discovery, it was  ordered by Providence that the two great divisions of the American hemisphere  should  have  fallen to the two main races  best fitted  to "conquer  and  colonize  them ". 

The northern  section consigned  to  the Anglo-Saxon race  whose orderly, industrious habits  found  an  ample field  for development   under its colder skies  and  more rugged   soil.

The  southern portion , with its rich  tropical  products  and  treasures of mineral  wealth   was the " bait"  that attracted  the enterprising  Spanish .  It went on to say how different   might  have been the result  if  Columbus  had taken a more  northerly direction and landed his band of adventurers  on the shores of  what   is now  Free  America !  

Words of Wisdom  to the Young is the heading on a section which   opens with a Disraeili pronouncement : The history of heroes is the history of youth.    

The final message  on  the last page  is  to  be  courageous , strive with manly power against  sickly  phantasies ( fantasies )  and enter  more hopefully into active life  so  that  your talents   may be  more  useful  to  others  , and thus  to  yourself. 

Taking all this advice aboard,  the Shipping Reporter, no youngster, decided to  sally forth , get a stronger pair of glasses  so  he  better  knows  what  the  titles on books  relate  to  and  also  to   push  aside  bothersome  scavengers  who  get  in  the way  when  he  is  rummaging  through   boxes  at   garage  sales. 

(Wisdom.  America.  Reporter.)

GOD HELP US !

It  did not take long to pass before a  devilish wit  produced  this ripper  send up  of  Donald Trump  and  the USA  veep   J.D. Vance . It  draws on the fact that Trump, having already created  a global unholy  mess ,  is  suitable for  an even  higher, heavenly  post . Real estate values have  slumped  dramatically in  the  Vatican  since  the  ungodly  lampoon  first   appeared. However, Wall Street boomed when Elon Musk announced he  plans to fly Trump  to  Mars in a  Popemobile replica , built with funds cut from American universities.   

(God. Trump. Pope.)

ADVENTUROUS ARTIST IN TOWNSVILLE UNIVERSITY'S MANY TREASURES

A recent interesting  donation to the  Special Collections  section of  the Eddie Koiki  Mabo  Library, James Cook, University, Townsville, included  three  American  books  by Alice Lounsberry , illustrated  by  pioneering   Australian   botanical   artist,  Ellis  Rowan  (1848-l922). 

The  books  are   from  the estate  of  Townsville  resident   Paul   Tonnoir  who with  his wife, June, ran a fine art gallery and antiquarian book  business   in  Magnetic  House, started in l978.   

                                

He was  also an approved  Australian Government   valuer  of  cultural donations  to public galleries , museums , libraries and archives. His particular areas of interest were Australian paintings and prints after 1800 ; North Queensland  paintings and prints  after  l964 ; European prints after  1700 ; antiquarian  books  after  l500 and  Persian carpets. 

Paul  also    promoted   North Queensland  history and  strongly  backed  moves  for a  local  museum . 

He  was  particularly interested  in   Melbourne  born   Ellis Rowan  who  travelled  about   the north  of Australia , Torres Strait islands  , New  Guinea  , Europe  and   India , painting  flowers,  plants, birds, butterflies and  insects . As a result, it is  possible the   books  may have actually once  been  in  Rowan's  own  collection.  

Some of  her  work appeared in the  l886 Picturesque Atlas of Australasia, by Andrew Garran , published in  parts  in Sydney , which in words, maps  and  pictures  described  Australia, New Zealand  and the  South Pacific. 

The writer of this post  had  a bound in volume of the Picturesque Atlas  of Austrasia  which was  badly damaged in Cyclone Tracy . However, some engravings  were   salvaged , including  the  striking  work  of   Ellis  Rowan .

During her  exploration of  New Guinea  she  painted  47 of  the   52  known species of  Birds of  Paradise , and   collapsed  from  malaria  ,  carried  by  "cannibals " many  miles  to the  coast  .  Dubbed  The Wild Flower  Hunter , her work  was  exhibited  in   Australia,  India  , England , Europe and  the  USA , collected  by  royalty . 

The  National Library of  Australia has  a large collection of  Rowan's  art. 

Of  Rowan it was  said  she  was  a  much-loved  botanical  artist , a  woman who made her mark at a time when scientific illustration  was  a  male  domain.

In  America,  she   teamed  up  with  and  travelled  widely on expeditions  with  botanist and author  Alice  Lounsberry  and  illustrated  her  books  about  flowers  and   trees , published  in 1899, 1900 and  l901 , which were big  sellers. 

Lounsberry , on  the  board of  the  New York Botanic Gardens, was a  fan of  Rowan's. They first made contact  after  Lounsberry heard Rowan had  collapsed   due  to  influenza  on  a  visit  to  New York  and  was in  hospital.

Wikipedia  says  Alice  took a  handpicked box of wildflowers to the hospital, alongside a card reading “From  one flower seeker to another - and an admirer of your work”. Rowan was touched by the gesture, and the two became  friends, despite  their  twenty year  age  difference.

                    

There are  unclear  handwitten names  of  Americans  in  those   books in Special Collections : Dr (?) and Mrs  Robert  R. Hartman (?), Jacksonville Illinois, plus a date, Chicago, September 1900 ; Bess Pennell, Christmas,1900.  

There was  no apparent  Ellis Rowan  contribution  in    two  other botanical   related  books  - The  Human  Side of  Plants  and  The Human Side  of  Trees- donated  to  the  university  and  added  to  other  Rowan  material . 

Author  Royal  Dixon , born Texas  l885, was a  highly regarded naturalist  , animal  rights  activist, botanist  and philosopher. He  founded  the  first  Church of  Animal  Rights in 1921. 

The  book on the right , published 1912  by Frederick A. Stokes Publishing, New York, ,  was dedicated   to  Colonel Theodore  Roosevelt,  described  as   America's  foremost  naturalist.

Years ago , Tonnoir  provided Special Collections  with a  rare item related  to  James Morrill, who  lived with  Aborigines for 17 years  after  being  shipwrecked  near Townsville  in 1846 , aged  22  . 

It was  an 1857 Book of Common Prayer , in green suede  with brass  edgings, presented to  James Ross Morrill, his only son, by  godparents  Robert E. and Mary  Pym, of  Bowen , Queensland , where  Captain  Pym  was  the  Harbour  Master.                                          

                                                                

Another indication of  Paul  Tonnoir's  great  finds  was  the  above 1866 book, now in Special Collections, presented to  journalist and author Edmund James  Banfield  by  his  mother.   Banfield's father owned the Ararat, Victoria, newspaper , where  Edmund received  early  training . 

In 1881 he went to  North Queensland, worked on the Townsville  Bulletin , moved to  the  then  uninhabited  Dunk Island   with his wife , where   he  wrote  The Confessions of a  Beachcomber , published  1908,  regarded  as  an  Australian classic . His  grave  on  Dunk  is  on  the  Queensland  Heritage Register .

(University. America. Artist.)

CASTLE HILL WATERFRONT BACKDROP

Townsville .  Vallis pix. 

 

( Waterfront. Hill. Townsville.)

HUMAN ROCK WALLABY

Agile climber atop  granite  formation , Alma  Bay, Magnetc Island . Vallis snap. . 

 (Rocks. Island. Climber .)

HIGH AND DRY

Nesting  Magpie Goose . Vallis  photo .

(Goose. Nest  Townsville.)

FRENCH ARTIST DESIGNED FLASH AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT HOUSE , PROMOTED FLORA AND FAUNA

 

Sentenced to death because of his  involvement in the  1871  Paris  uprising  , painter, sculptor , designer and  teacher,  Lucien  Henry, was reprieved  and  sent   to   New  Caledonia.

A militant socialist and a member of the First International, he had contributed to the newspaper La Resistance. During the Franco-Prussian war and the  siege of Paris (1870-1871) he was a member of the National Guard.

On March 11, 1871, he was elected leader of the legion of the 14th arrondissement and became “Colonel Henry”. On April 3, he took part in the exit from Chatillon (Battle of Meudon),where the communards were defeated by the forces of the Third Republic. During this unfortunate offensive he was arrested , and sentenced to death in 1872.

Reprieved, sent to New Caledonia , at the end of  his sentence he went to Sydney .There  he married  a French widow , the very talented  Juliette Rastoul , whose  husband  had  also been  expelled to  New Caledonia.   Henry  became  a  prominent  figure  in  the  colonial  art  world .

The above  extensively illustrated  book, priced  at  $90, in  the Douglas Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne, list , presents the extraordinary and little-known work of  Lucien Henry (1850-1896), whose vision for an Australian school of decorative arts and  design was developed in the period leading up  to  Australian federation.

In 1888 he arranged the New South Wales court at the Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition. At one stage he designed  what was described as a " majestic "  stillborn  parliament  house .

The  Australian Dictionary of Biography states Henry , active as an artist and teacher, worked in many fields, including sculpture, modelling, terracotta work, architecture and  design.

He discovered the  artistic possibilities of the waratah  and advocated the use of Australian colours , fauna and  flora in decorative arts .  In   great demand in  the  colony, he  painted many portraits , produced  busts and  designed  the  stained- glass  windows of  the  Sydney Town  Hall.

On  May  25,1891, Henry returned to France after a farewell banquet. In that year he published in Paris the Legend of the Waratah and dedicated it to Fred Broomfield, prominent in Labor circles in New South Wales. He died soon after from TB  contracted in  New Caledonia . 

Juliette Henry , who got a divorce  from  Lucien,  died  in Sydney and was buried in the Catholic section of Waverley cemetery. Before her death she had lectured on French literature in Tasmania and wrote French plays that were  translated by Lady Hamilton, wife of the governor. The following   tributes  were  published  upon  her death  :

‘There is no personality more colourful in Sydney than Mme Juliette Henry’, whose affability and distinction were praised by The Sun of  February 26, 1897. She was, wrote correspondent ‘Tasma’ in 1898, ‘one of the most large-hearted and intellectual women in Australia […] a tall, handsome, commanding woman, with a charm of manner and wide culture’ who was one of Sydney’s ‘most remarkable sisters’.

It seems she made an impression on the famous  French  writer  and politician Victor Hugo-The Hunchback of Notre Dame  and Les Miserables- when she approached  him for help  in her  first  husband's  case . 

(French. Australia. Art.)

PADDINGTON BEAR DOWN UNDER UP NORTH

 Snapped  poking  about  the  Mundingburra  old , new and interesting    market  at   its  new  Sherriff Park  venue , part of the Ross River Parkway,  Townsville, was   Paddington  Bear , who was  obviously feeling  the  heat. Cameras were a  feature  at  the  stall  below. 

 

Clocks, a crocodile and  Rubik's Cube  some  of  the  offerings.

(Paddington. Market. Crocodile.)

. 

STILL DESPERATELY SEEKING NEMO

 

Darting  tropical fish in tank at Townsville  office of Magnetic Island Ferries .  

(Fish. Barge .Tank.)

FLY IN FLY OUT EASTER

 A  surprise  visitor on Good Friday , while  washing  was  being  resurrected  , was a  friendly young  Magpie which flew  down  onto  the  line   and  seemed  to  want  an  Easter egg.   It  remained there  while  some  bits were hastily pulled from  a  hamburger  bun  in  the   kitchen  and   offered   up.

It   had  a  few   pecks  and  hung  around for  a  long  time, then flew away, with a squawk ,  possibly  someone's  pet  as  it  was  so  tame .  Vallis  pix.

Large flocks of birds have been  sighted flying high over  Townsville in recent days. 

(Easter. Magpie. Washing.)

 .    

BREAKFAST-WITH GREEN ANTS - AT TIFFANY'S

Butterfly,one of many, attracted to grapefruit tree containing  green ant  nests , head  of  one  ant  visible  on  right  border  and  busy  nest  below . Vallis pix. 

(Grapefruit. Buttefly. Ants.)