ACE PHOTOGRAPHER / AMERICAN WARTIME BASE/ AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HISTORY

It has  been interesting to hear that in parts of  Europe-France  and Germany in particular -bookshops  were included in the gradual opening up of  locked down cities.   One  of  the  joys  of  life  is  wandering  through a  bookshop , so let them eat books in  these revolutionary times .

In Townsville, on Tuesday, this  blogger spotted  three bookshops open , including the admirable  Mary Who , in  the CBD,  the  others in  Stockland.
 

 Rummaging about  the Townsville  outlets ,  found was a  remainder volume  of  personal interest  , The  Golden Age of Press Photography , by Russell McPhedran , a Sydney photographer  I  knew  many moons ago . He , like I,  had  started  as  a  copy boy  on  The Sun newspaper.

He subsequently  went  to the Hong Kong Standard and also worked on the  Daily Express in London . His  dramatic photographs included  one  of  a  hooded  Palestinian  terrorist, in a group  that took 12 Israelis  as hostages at  the l972 Munich Olympic Games . 

With   Britain's  Great Train Robbery investigation  currently  being advertised  on television , it is interesting to note   that  McPhedran  had  a  long running association with  Ronald  Biggs , even  calling  on  him  in  Brazil later in life . It was sad to learn that Russell, who worked  on the  Sydney Morning  Herald, had died  in 2018 , aged 82.
 

 During  the   lockdown , more reading material  turned  up in  the form of the   March edition of the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory journal, Progenitor, with several items of interest , including  a WWll photograph of an American  warplane  at a large  base set up on Mount Bundy Station  at Adelaide River at  the  request  of the  Commander of the 7th Fleet  to  intercept  Japanese radio  messages;  repairs to  bombers were also carried out there .  

A surprise inclusion in Progenitor was  an article about The Australasian Post , first launched on October 1, l864, with 16 pages , the  largest paper in the colonies at the  time , selling for a  whopping sixpence, most people earning  a few shillings  a week . 

The first issue covered the American Civil War, the English Derby, the Victorian goldrush  and the second  Maori War in New Zealand .

 

 Numerous  facts about  life  and events in  Australia in 1864  were included in the article ... Average life expectancy was  47 for men , 50 for women . One in 10 children did not survive  for  their  first birthday ; only 47 per cent of elementary school age children  could read and write .  Large areas of northern NSW and southern Queensland were flooded during the  year . Cholera  and  smallpox  took their  toll . A  huge fire  destroyed  most  buildings  in  central Brisbane .