GOONDIWINDI GREY RACES AGAIN

Travelling " down the track" - the name given to  the  Northern Territory's north-south  Stuart Highway - one of our  keen  correspondents , who collects   gramophone  records ,  made the above  find  in   Katherine , 317 km  from   Darwin .

Having once had  a share in  a racehorse, he  was delighted  to discover   the  rousing    tribute  to  the   famous  Gunsynd, known  as the  Goondiwindi Grey ,  sung  by  Tex Morton ,which included  its  illustrated sleeve .    At  one  stage   Gunsynd  was  the  biggest  prize money  winning horse  in  Australian  racing  history, honoured  by  a  monument .

Bought  at auction for  $1300  by  a  Goondiwindi ,Queensland, syndicate  , thus  being named  Gunsynd,  the   grey colt  ran third in the  Melbourne  Cup  carrying    a  punishing  handicap of  60.5  kilograms  and  was named  Horse of  the Year in  l972. 

JAPANESE ATTACK , INVASION PLANS

 [PLANNED JAPANESE INVASION OF AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND] 濠洲寫眞帳 : 附・新西蘭. [Gōshū shashinchō: tsuketari, Nyū Jīrando.]

Wow . The above interesting volume  is one of  many  in the  June  acquisitions  list   issued  by  Douglas  Stewart  Fine  Books , Melbourne. Not  surprising  to  see   it  sold quickly .  Details  provided  were  as  follows :

A rare and important album relating to the Japanese Imperial Army’s plan to invade Australia and New Zealand during World War Two.The front cover of this album has the printed words  “Top Secret” in Japanese.

 The album was compiled and published in Jakarta by Japanese 16th Army military intelligence during the first months of the Japanese occupation of Java in 1942, and was published in Java in December that year.

 It was intended for the use of Imperial Japanese Army and Air Service personnel as an aid to identifying targets of strategic importance in Australia and New Zealand. These targets could potentially be destroyed either through bombing raids or in an invasion by Japanese ground forces.

The album comprises photographs of promotional materials, travel guides, and magazines collected at the time the  Australian Trade Mission office was seized. The strategic targets are located in every state and territory of Australia, as well as New Zealand, and include a large number of regional centres and infrastructure such as aerodromes, power stations and reservoirs, in addition to the major cities, towns and ports.

One of the most highly targeted areas was Mornington and its environs, south of Melbourne, which is illustrated in great detail by a series of 51 aerial shots; there are also numerous aerial views of Darwin and Broome, which were both bombed by the Japanese. A printed note following the title page states that this album is a revised edition of the same title, earlier produced in two volumes and now enlarged with newly acquired materials.

The Online Computer Library Centre locates only four copies (National Library of Australia; Library & Archives NT ; Library of Congress ; National Diet Library , Tokyo)

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LUCKY HORSESHOE BAY

 

Photos by beachcomber Vallis 

ENTRANCE TO MYSTERY CAVE

Vallis photograph .

KILLER VIRUS ON ISLAND

There is growing concern on Magnetic Island  about a virus which is killing rock wallabies which are one of the Jewel in the Crown's  attractions  .  The  virus is believed  to  be  spread  by  cats . A wildlife  carer says  at least 30 wallabies  have  died  .  Several  cats  have  been  seen  roaming  about   streets  .  The   Townsville  City  Council  has   been  alerted.  Mainland  media  has  not  picked  up  this  story.

SKY TELEVISION IS SICK

 Fair minded Australians  were  appalled  at  Sky's  treatment of the unravelling   Covid-19  outbreak in  Melbourne, started  by   a   failure of   hotel  quarantine in  Adelaide.   Referring  to  Victoria  as  a socialist republic  and   Goldilocks   setting  the   health  rules  rates  as  nothing higher  than  shit  shock  jockery  .  It is a  dire situation in  Victoria , a more  infectious   Indian  form  of  the  virus  emerging with ramifications for the whole nation .

 Carpet strollers at  Sky  and  NewsCorp need to overhaul  the obvious  ingrained  sickness  in  their organisations  which   spew  out   bilious, obsessive   attacks   on   ALP  state  premiers , the  ABC  , climate change    activists , including   schoolkids  who  march and  express concern about  the  future .

Democracy  and  the  health of the nation are  suffering as a  result of  these mindless  attacks  by  organisations which  are  showing clear signs of losing   the   plot . 

PORTER TO BECOME YANKEE LEGAL EAGLE ?

 CANBERRA : Award  winning political reporter Argus Tuft  today  stunned the Coalition by claiming  that  former Attorney-General  Christian  Porter , who surprisingly  discontinued   his  defamation  case  against  the ABC, somehow  claiming it  was a victory for him  ,  has  been  asked  to  join  a  legal  firm  in  Philadelphia  . Philadelphian  lawyers  are  highly regarded  in  the  US of A.  A leading   Philadelphian  lawyer , Willie   J. Shrewd , the Third  , today  refused  to  confirm  or   deny  that   Porter  has   been  approached .  However, he  admitted  closely  following  the  ABC  defamation  case  along  with  theatrical   Black  Hair  Matters   lawyer  ,  Rudy  Juliano , one  of  Donald  Trump's  blithering   supporters .