WIGWAM FOR A GOOSE'S BRIDLE : TIMELY INAUGURAL AWARDS

The ultimate Australian  goose  to receive   this   coveted  nonsense object  is   Prime  Minister Malcolm Turnbull  due to  his amazing backflip on the call for  a  bank  royal   commission. Donald Trump, naturally , is the International  Goose of  the 21st Century .  

NATION CELEBRATES AUSTRALIA DAY WITH HOT l00 FAGS

Senior Liberals  in Turnbull government  are furious over   ABC's  TripleJ  decision  not to  play the Hottest 100 tunes  on  Australia Day. ---  News  item,   run  with  the  usual  confected  outrage  by  ABC  bashing  Murdoch spin machine  DJs.

The true blue Liberal / Spirit of  Australia was  plain for  all to see  in  this pamphlet for the 1988 Bicentennial  Festival in Sydney , which  ran from January  to  February , including Australia Day .   On   the  front was   this  arty farty  kangaroo  surrounded by   typical Oz  symbols , possibly even  an Aborigine .

But , best of all , was  the two page  advertisement  for  the  adoration of  Benson and Hedges  25s , the packet in  an art gallery setting,  portraying  the  sensitive   spirit  of  a  proud , gasping  nation  in  those days .

On the back was a  plug  for the opening of  Sydney's Darling Harbour in January  where you  could walk on the bottom of the sea, ride through the air , shop in style , climb aboard a clipper, step back 200 years , cross paths with a Chinese dragon  ( could be considered  subversive  today )   and  take  off  for  outer  space.

Outraged  Communications Minister  Mitch Fifield , backed  to the hilt by   Murdoch  cigar and cheroot smokers ,  branded  TripleJ    subversive , unpatriotic , political   for  deciding not to run  its  Hot 100  on  Australia  Day .  It was  pointed out that when the  ABC    first   ran  the Hot 100  there were complaints that  this  was  inappropriate  for  Australia  Day celebrations . 

Nevertheless , Fifield  insists  he   hit  his forehead  with his  palm upon  hearing of  the  decision  to  move  the  play  to  another  day . Mosquitoes  or  reaction to the latest clear indication of  disintegration and  brawling  in  the  Coalition  ?

 

Rest assured there will be  a wholesome   cricket match  going on somewhere  on Australia  Day  , the players indulging in sledging , head butting , glaring  and  sixers  replayed  over  and  over  with  an  advert   for   grog . Australia  has  advanced   a  long  way  since  l988.

UNSUNG UNION WARRIORS

Across  North  Australia  staunch  old  union  activists   have been dying in the past  few years  without  the   media  noticing  or  failing to   do  an  in depth   report.  This in places like  Darwin  and  North  Queensland  with  a  long  and  colourful  history  of   union struggles.

 

 

 Little Darwin  has  become aware of  the  death of  two longtime unionists , full of  great anecdotal information and  experiences, whose colourful  lives  deserved   major  coverage . One  strong   unionist was involved in  the  hanging of  the effigy of  Australia's Governor-General , Sir John Kerr,  from  the back of a  ute in  Townsville, then   dumping  him  into   the sea .  Just one  event in a very interesting  life  committed  to  advancing  the  cause  of   toilers.  

Another unionist , who died  recently after a long illness , had been working on  his memoirs  for  years . This  blog is hopeful   those   memoirs will be  lodged  in Special Collections ,  Eddie  Koiki  Mabo Library , James  Cook University , Townsville ,  which   contains   a  wide   range  of  surprising   information  about  bygone   union  struggles and   prominent  identities   ,  from  the shearers' strike which led to the formation of the  ALP   to  the  life of  Kiwi  author , activist  Jean Devanny ,  who   took  on   many  causes   for   workers   in   North Queensland ,  highly regarded  on  the  international   stage . 

 

This  blog  has  also been  made aware  of  the  personal papers and scrapbook   of  a prominent   Cairns   unionist  who   was  once  jailed  for  his   activities .

 One of the reasons why the demise of  these  unionists   go unnoticed  is  due to the fact  that  there  are no  industrial  roundsmen  as such  in  the  media and  local newspapers  really  are  not in  touch  with  the  community they  profess   so  loudly  to  serve .    

TRIFFIDS BACK ON RAMPAGE AT NORTHERN UNIVERSITY

It is full steam ahead  for  the  famous James Cook University "Triffids" now that  the water supply has been reconnected after  a shutdown due to work on the  nearby library building. The unique pieces of  Townsville  statuary  emit mist ,  rattle metallic leaves   and  respond  to  atmospheric   conditions . Nearby  is  a  quiet  spot where  students  can  gaze into  a  wishing  well  and  hope that they  will be able to pay off their Hecs debts  without being forced to  change their names and   flee  to New Zealand  to  seek   work  as   poi  dancers  and paua shell  pickers.   

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OUTRAGED EYE CANDY AUSTRALIAN TURNS UGLY

Thespian Curlew in Little Darwin's neck of the  woods , angry at the  poll to  find  Australia's Bird of the Year  which described  Bush-stone Curlews  as  odd   critters  out  of a  Halloween  Parade , puffed herself  up  and  projected  a  mock   Halloween  weirdo , a pop-eyed person , a kind of feathered    Marty Feldman  ,  Son of Frankenstein .   Offers  from   Hollywood talent  scouts   for starring roles  in  horror movies as  a result of  this  fine act  should be  directed   through  the  Little  Darwin  cluttered  den  or  to the S(h)ipping  Reporter , who can usually be  found  in Molly Malone's  Irish Pub , Townsville .     

RUSSIAN INVASION RUFFLES FEATHERS IN QUEENSLAND

There are so many transient birds  flying into Cairns , some thought to be all the way from  Siberia, that it is hard to  find  standing room  ,  the local Pelicans  forced  to  bunch  up  down one  end  of  the  beach  to  pose  for  photographs .

These snaps by Abra  who also  captured   the  early morning  waterfront  shapes  below. 

 

PRIME MINISTER'S SHOCK RESIGNATION

Libs bring back the biff 

CANBERRA: In a surprise move that will stun the punch drunk nation, our cauliflower-eared Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has taken the long count and  announced his departure  from  the political ring.

In doing so , he named his  replacement , Auntie  Jack, pictured , who will be given  the incredibly  tough  task of knocking the  shambolic  Coalition  into some kind of shape before the  Chinese  New Year.
 

In an exclusive interview with Little Darwin , Auntie Jack  first  loosened her whalebone corsets,  then   took  us for a wild  ride  on  her  Harley. The pugnacious damsel said that after  Malcolm Turnbull  did the astonishing  backflip  on the bank royal commission, he decided that politics is not for  him.

Instead, he intends to compete in a new event, the Cayman Island  high dive  with  tuck  away ,   at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast , confident that he will take out gold  and be acclaimed by the sports  drugged  nation . He has borrowed a  pair of pre-loved  budgie smugglers  from tag team wrestler  Tony Abbott and will go into  solid training in a low dive after Boxing Day .

After  first  ripping the bloody arms  off  all  those  National Party misfits and  and  goose stepping    Liberals  , Auntie Jack  said she will  call on  old  boyfriends   in  the   Painters and Dockers   who  owe her  a favour  to deal with the  deputy premier of  NSW for  saying nasty things about Malcolm on the eve of  Christmas .  

 Then she  will shape the  next election's  campaign  which will have   the sure winning slogan : Don't Talk Back To  Auntie  Jack. Finally, Auntie Jack  said there  is no truth in the rumour that she and  Employment Minister Senator  Michaelia  Cash who,   like  Sergeant  Shultz,  knew absolutely  nothing  about tipping off the media   re  the  AFP raid on  AWU offices,  are identical  twin sisters . "She throws a  lot of  verbal  punches and karate  chops in the Senate  and elsewhere    ," said  Ms Jack . "But that is the only slight  link  between us... as far as I know ."