TERRITORY TREASURE TROVE IN TOWNSVILLE ; ASSANGE EVENT

The James Cook University Library Special Collections section contains interesting material including some unusual Territory information. Little Darwin has been on sabbatical leave examining , with gloves, some of the contents as part of a special project which will result in a batch of articles. Special Collections Librarian, Ms Bronwyn McBurnie, mentioned the recent acquisition from Sydney of 300 glass negatives with early views of North Queensland including Thursday Island , mining , rough bush houses . One shot is of two women , each with a cockatoo on a shoulder, sitting at a table. An interior view of a house shows a wide range of possessions . Of particular interest to this writer were two boxes containing the personal papers of the NZ born writer, the late Jean Devanny , who had several links with the NT , including corresponding with author Frank Hardy when he was at Mataranka in the Territory during WW11 .Other sources of Territory stories are being followed up in Townsville and on Magnetic Island . Of interest is the fact that there will be a Julian Assange rally on Magnetic Island this weekend where he spent some time as a young boy .