OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

 

Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra  snaps from  expedition to   Butterfly  Valley , near  Cardwell  , off  Hinchinbrook  Island ,  North   Queensland.

KIND KOOKABURRA

A  woman who has  spent decades  campaigning  to  save  Australian   birds , whom we  nicknamed Queen of the Jungle,   sat on  a back veranda  recently  after  falling over  and  hurting  a knee.  Nearby  were  a  pair of  Kookaburras  who  are  raising  young  ones - yet  again- who regularly call  at  her residence for  food .

One of the  Kookaburras  flew  down onto  her  leg  and  gazed up as if aware she was in  pain ,  feeling  dejected  ,  which  lifted  her  spirits.

(Queen, Kookaburras , Knee.)    

EXPLOSIVE WAR FILM

 An empty   made   in  Australia  dynamite  box   which   once belonged   to a   man deeply involved  in  the   making    of  the   film   Beneath  Hill  60  - about   Australian miners  who tunnelled beneath  German trenches in Word War l and set off what  was  said  to  have been the largest man-made  explosion  in  history  at  the time - sold  in  Townsville   recently .  

On  June 7 1917, at  the Belgian village of  Messines, in the Ypes salient , there were  two massive explosions along  nine kilometres of frontline ,  which killed as many as  10,000 Germans. The  blast  was heard in  England and  as far away as  Dublin.  

 Our   Shipping Reporter  spotted  the   box  at the Mundingburra   monthly market  and  did  some digging himself, resulting in an interesting  follow up   yarn .

 It seems North Queensland  mining engineer and mines inspector  Ross J. Thomas , a history buff, had  owned   the  reinforced   box .  

While  working in North Queensland  at  Charters Towers in the  l980s as inspector of mines , he heard  about  the diaries of  Captain Oliver Woodward  , who had attended the Charters Towers  School of  Mines before the war  , and  had  led the  Australian Tunnellers   at   Hill  60.

Captain Woodward's daughter, Barbara, gave  Thomas  her father's five war diaries .

 Over  20 years  he researched and publicised  the epic story of the Australian Tunnelling  Companies  in  the  war.  

Due to his extensive  research and entrepreneurial  skills , he  helped  secure  the  film, the first  feature  film  ever  shot in  Townsville . Using his  mining skills , he became its  executive director and even  helped  construct   tunnels  for   the   movie  shoots .

 As  part of the  promotion for the 2010 Paramount  film, based on the Will Davies  book, Ross   gave  a talk  in  the   Magnetic Island  RSL Club  on  the  technicalities  of  tunnelling  under  enemy  lines .

The strong local support  and involvement in the   film   production  included  a  workshop   by screen-writer  David Roach  ,  set  up by Barbara Thomas  in  the  School of Creative  Arts, James Cook University.

The Brothers Rugby  Union footbll club provided players for  a match  and  thigh -slapping  singing  scene.

Captain Woodward was played  by  actor  Brendan Cowell . Hugo Weaving had  been  offered the lead  role, but declined because  of claustrophobia, the tunnels  not  to  his   liking . 

(War, Film,Townsville.)

MIRROR , MIRROR ON THE WALLOW , WHO IS THE SCUFFIEST OF THEM ALL?

Vallis.

 

MUSICAL CHAIRS AND RABBITS

You  have  to wonder  what   inspired   this  syncopated postcard  which  features  two  white rabbits-one  sucking  on  a  straw   from  what  appears  to   be  a   glass  of   milk , perhaps  malted  -  and  a  two - volume  encyclopedia   of   great  classic  composers  and   their   music.

It may even have been an upmarket   version of  that song about sipping soda through a  straw  , performed  in  a  warren .

The  rabbits  are simply identifed as  CLEVER BUNNIES  ,  sent  58 years ago   by travellers  in  Saint Helens, Tasmania , said to be the game fishing  capital  of  Tassie, also  noted  for  its  oysters.

Going  on  the handwritten  message  by  a  woman  on  the back of  the  postcard, it  seems   family members   in  North  Queensland  may have  had  a  collection  of   animal cards ,  but  not  one about rabbits .

Saint  Helens  had  four shops in  those days , all inspected ,  and  the  capital,  Hobart,  in  l966  was found to  be  somewhat   like   Adelaide  ,  South   Australian. 

(Tasmania, Rabbits, Adelaide.)

BRAILLE SIGHTING

While  lurching about   Townsville's  beaut   Mundingburra monthly market ,  eagerly looking  for  items of  interest ,  our  Shipping Reporter  was  shown  views  on  a  smart  phone  of  a  recently acquired   large  book  containing  82  American   standard  hymns  in  braille. 

It  included   a  handwritten  1940  inscription   from   Gordon and  Florence , in  Wilkie , a  town  in  Saskatchewan , Canada.  Our waterfront   roundsman  was  also  told  that  two  l728  Bibles , in various languages , from  a  Copenhagen library,   had   been  found  in  Townsville. 

Feeling like a  Mormon after exposure to the religious  news , he came away from the market  with two bundles of  postcards and three books  , two  about  WW2, the other a bumper American  publication  containing the  complete original  illustrated   works  of   Sherlock  Holmes  by   Arthur  Conan  Doyle .  

(Braille, Canada , Bibles.) 

TOWNSVILLE TREASURES #3

Another gem from the Special Collections  section of the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, James  Cook University ,Townsville.

The etcher and bookplate engraver , Gerrard Gayfield Shaw,founder of the Australian Painter Etchers' Society,who took an exhibition by caravan  through  country areas of New South Wales in 1924, is represented by several  examples , one  for  Eirene  Mort (1879-l977).

A descendant of the pioneer merchant, Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, (Goldsborough , Mort) ,  a major player in the wool  and  cattle industry, auctioneering , she became the first  pupil of Italian painter  and teacher , Anthony  Dattulo  Rubbo , who arrived in Sydney in 1897  and set up an art school which  ran  for  43  years. 

 In l899 Mort went to  London to begin  five years of intensive  art training specialising  in  design , black and white illustration and  craftwork.  

On returning to Sydney in l905 with Nora Kate Weston, a woodcarver  and fellow Australian , they established  an  applied art  studio  and teaching centre  which  flourished for more than 30 years.

(Mort, Rubbo , Bookplates.)