GROTESQUE MERMAID TWIST

 

Further disfigurement-decapitation-has  been  carried  out on the mermaid  that  suddenly appeared at the entrance to Magnetic Island months ago, without any  explanation,  without any mainland media  coverage or   follow up  that  you  would expect .

Little Darwin's Shipping Reporter  recently revealed the  arms had been  torn off the mermaid. A follow up check resulted in the  above photograph-clearly showing  that her head  is now missing ; also visible is a  hole left  by one of  the arms being torn off .  

A red brassiere appears to have been painted on the breasts .

The following photo shows the complete mermaid figure, without the trident she once held .   

 

Attention news editors : There is surely  a  story here-send the news tip  reward  to our Shipping Reporter for his sinking/drinking fund  at  Molly Malone's Irish  Pub, Townsville .  

QUEENSLAND ELECTION DAY TWINS

 Early on election day a nesting Curlew showed signs that  something  was  hatching . Soon after , a  chick  appeared , looking  out  at the world from the mother's tail feathers .  

Soon after, the  adventurous youngster  was  photographed looking at the other egg from which another  baby  popped. 

The second chick was taken into the protective custody of the male parent which proceeded to eat the eggshell ,below .

Vallis photographs .

CAIRNS SLIDESHOW BY ABRA

 

DOCTOR STRANGELOVE INVENTION IN QUEENSLAND ELECTION SPRING CLEAN

The above nuclear-powered ingenious top secret Australian robotic device  designed to scoop up large  mineral samples from distant galaxies will be used to sanitise  polling booths after the Queensland  election, according to  award winning  political reporter  Argus Tuft . A spokesman for the Queensland Electoral Commission revealed   the state is normally  knee deep in canetoads but due to all the bullshit  spread  about during the  election campaign, especially by one party ,  the populace is  up to  its nostrils in detritus .  

MERMAID SHOCK HORROR

 

In breaking news , our Shipping Reporter  has been informed that  the mysterious  mermaid at  the entrance to Magnetic Island  is now missing its arms . According to the informant who was out walking a dog, he spotted a green turtle  and  the  armless  mermaid  .  The mermaid , he added,  was  a pathetic sight , just a  bare  torso . He had to closely examine the remaining pieces to be sure it was the mutilated mermaid , not  a giant  tropical painted  crayfish .

It is not sure if the island's  animal  vet  or a  doctor from the new medical  centre will attend   the   mermaid  and provide  first aid  . A Victorian doctor with  experience  in  fibreglass  skin grafts  has been  contacted . Readers of  this  alert blog  will recall  we  exclusively reported the arrival of the mermaid on the island , the  sleepy  mainland  media not  noticing .  At one  stage  the mermaid   brandished  a  trident , but  it   was  stolen . If she loses more parts of her anatomy she  could end up literally The  Little Mermaid  of  Danish  fame .

BEWARE THE HORDES OF MARCH,CAESAR !

 People visiting Townsville's jewel in the crown -Magnetic Island- for the first time, especially those  intending to   tramp along the tracks ,  should be made aware that  March Flies  are out  in  force. One resident   who has  just made a return trip by car  to West Point   said that he was  attacked by at least 40 of  the critters when he alighted  .  Little Darwin understands the male flies  like human sweat , causing a stinging sensation as they suck away , and are not  deterred  by being brushed away .Recent rain is thought to have brought  them out in such numbers. 

    

NEW LAND OF THE STARS AND GRIPES

Tired and  emotional political reporter Argus Tuft files his latest dispatch on the  Queensland election which he says resembles the American U.S. presidential election in many ways.

Townsville, centre of three ALP seats ,is a major battleground , the American  similarities  evident -God help Australia . 

A  man  claiming   to  be  from Jehovah's Witnesses  has  been ringing   around  wanting  to  discuss a  number of  local  issues .

An ant-abortion leaflet has been slipped into letterboxes and there is an anti-ALP newspaper advertisement on the subject. 

A   veteran journalist , a  former editor of the Townsville Bulletin ,discussing his recently published memoir ,mentioned the Ku Klux Klan had been very strong in the region,against Aboriginal land rights,claiming to have influence in high places ,including  federal parliament .

In the closing days of the Queensland  election , while not  wearing  white hoods in Question Time in the  House of Reps, various ministers  have sounded   like   a  noisy  lynching party  when   answering  Dorothy  Dixers that  enable  attacks on   the   Queensland  premier  and   the  ALP in general.

The  theatrical   Katter's Australian Party , strongly   funded  by   recreational  shooters  , pro-gun lobby groups  and arms and ammunition businesses , which  sees itself as  the "kingmaker"after the election, says it will push for a new state north of  Rockhampton.  

Surely  fake news  is  the  wild  claim  that  Donald Trump  will move to this new state   when he loses  the  election , open a golf course ,  build  new hotels.

Babbling  Pauline Hanson of One Nation,  agin the ABC ,   was  interviewed by  the  satanic forces of SKY , also out to skin the  ABC, at  a  location said to be the scenic rim . It should   become  the end of  the road  for  the party , seeing  its support  has  at  long last imploded, which will cause problems for A Current Affair and other  commercial TV stations who  pay so much  attention  to   her . 

You cannot help feel you are in the Aussie  Everglades  when the Townsville Bulletin runs an  editorial about  them thar alligators  threatening local swamp  people, following  the  sighting  of  ONE  in  a  freshwater  weir . 

BARRAMUNDI BOB

As part of the recent National Barramundi Day,these l979 photographs of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke in budgie smugglers , with a catch  at the Mary River, Northern Territory , appeared on the  ABC  Darwin website, provided by David  Mitchell  via  the  ABC Tales  from a  Tinny. 

LIES, DAMNED LIES , BULLSHIT ,TWISTED SISTERS AND WELCOME MEXICANS

Ace   political  reporter  Argus  Tuft  continues his fair and   balanced coverage  of  the  Big  Banana State  election   where  scary  threats  and  mountains of green  and  black  moolah  are  being used in a massive concerted campaign to  bring down the  Annastacia   Palaszczuk  Government .

ALP Death Tax in  person.

The state is being bombarded by Clive Palmer's United Australia Party newspaper  and  television advertisements   warning  that  Labor could sink its fangs into the necks  and  pockets of  the  dear departed with a $120 billion   DEATH TAX- obviously designed to scare the daylights out of  tax dodging retired   zombies  who  abound  in  Queensland, especially in the Sunshine Coast area , and vote for the LNP and  Donald Trump through Australia  Post  .

 The  threat  of  a 20 percent  bogus   Labor  Death Tax is  resurrected from  the  grave at every  election  in  Queensland, state  and federal . This time , however, it is a whopper  campaign in which even  Mrs  Palmer , the deputy leader and  a candidate , plays  a  major part .  

 Orchestrated  social  trolls  have  taken up the  latest   death tax  reincarnation.  This caused the ALP  to send Clive and his  social media backers  a rude message   from  the other side.

The ABC's Media Watch recognised the embalmed  death tax  threat as a load of old codswallop  . And the Queensland Minister for Tourism Kate Jones, soon to  go on a holiday,  went so far as to brand it "bullshit". 

  

The  angry ALP  says  Palmer is lying to Queensland  and  has organised a  petition in  which it  says  Palmer , who recently bought an $80million  luxury yacht , is using  his  billions  to bankroll a massive campaign of  death tax lies to elect  Deb  Frecklington  and  the LNP.

The Freckle denied  this; said she had not even met him  and had no desire to do so .   However, the $300 registration  rebate she is promising motorists by Christmas if elected to government will help  defray the  cost  of  wear and  tear  and   salwater  corrosion  on  Palmer's  Rolls-Royce.

In addition , he  has a vehicle collection numbering  150, said to be worth $20million  and   include a rare zombie van .

Challenged  by the media to justify  the claim  that Queensland is going to bring insuch a mortifying  tax ,  Palmer claimed  a public servant had told him that the death tax had been discussed. 

 It started to sound like a Randy Rainbow   choir singing  liar, liar, your pants are on fire ! In a Sydney court , where Palmer was   charged  with breaching the copyright of  a song by American heavy metal group, Twisted Sisters  for a political jingle

The Twisted Sisters said his version of the song was "awful"and misrepresented the  message. 

During the hearing , a media report  said Palmer was repeatedly accused of  lying  by  claiming  he penned the lyrics . He strongly  denied he would say anything if he thought it would help his political cause. 

Palmer told court he he did not want to pay to use the song because it was not original and a version of the Christmas carol, O Come All Ye Faithful.

 In his  affidavit ,Palmer was described as someone with a “keen interest in the publication of original poetic works” who “regularly publishes poetic works”.

His legal team  argued he did not reproduce a “substantial part” of the song and made “material changes” to the lyrics.The words of Mr Palmer’s song included “Australia ain’t gonna cop it”. Case continuing. 

NOW FOR SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT IN THIS  SING ALONG : 

It will be ironic indeed if  the  AFL  grand  final   between two Victorian teams  played at the Gabba in Brisbane , instead of the  MCG,  Melbourne, because of COVID-19 , helps   Annastacia   to   retain power.

 For  our overseas readers, Queenslanders  have  long  referred to  Victorians  rather  disparagingly  as  Mexicans,  they being from across  the border, its capital often wet, windy and cold .   Hence  the  use  of   Mexicans  in  the  heading  lyrics  .  

NEXT : The  battle for Townsville  becomes  increasingly  like  the  U.S. presidential  election .

GUIDE TO THE FORGOTTEN CITY

For all those Melburnians about to emerge after  being  locked down for 112 days   , so long   that  they have forgotten  the  layout of  the  city  , Douglas   Stewart   Fine  Books  is  kindly offering  this  illustrated  1934 map for $2500.

The bookshop thanks all friends and customers around the world who supported  it during the difficult winter months.It went on to say :

Without you we wouldn’t be here. Every book ordered online has made a difference; every parcel we packed or that was collected from our doorway has reminded us of how much these books reflecting our history and culture are valued by you, and how - during the darkest of days - they can brighten our lives.

We can now welcome our Melbourne customers back to our shop, and look forward to reconnecting with our local community. For our friends farther afield: we are still here for you, shipping rare books and other curious treasures daily to every corner of the globe.

To celebrate the reopening of our beautiful city, we share with you the Wonder Map of Melbourne, designed by O. J. Dale at John Power Studios for our Centenary in 1934. This stunning pictorial map manages to convey something of the vibrant life and culture of Melbourne, the city with its famous laneways, clattering trams and leafy parks and gardens that we call home. If you look closely you might even spot our shop here in Armadale!

Aside from our bookshop, there are fifteen other members of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers who have been locked down over the past months, as well as countless other small bookshops, art galleries and antique markets. Wherever you might be, we encourage you to reach out to these small businesses and see what wonderful things they have discovered recently. Stay well and keep safe.

QUEEN CITY OF NORTH QUEENSLAND GOES APE , DEVOURED BY REEF SCOURGE !!!

Declaration : Dear Readers , the following report   about the  Queensland  state election campaign from award winning  Canberra  based political reporter Argus Tuft had to be censored because it  included a photograph of a  candidate outrageously  described by uncouth CFMEU members and political  opponents  as  having  a  face  resembling   a   monkey's  arse!!! 

Instead of running  the monstrous and offensive mug shot  identifying  the unfortunate  person , we  publish the  following  snap  of  his swinging rich  uncle. 

While in Townsville , Queen city of the North , Argus Tuft  was surprised to learn that  despite all the talk about saving the Great Barrier  Reef , the RAAF  still bombs and  strafes  Rattlesnake  Island, not far from Townsville ,which it did only weeks ago, apparently with  little or no  media coverage .  

Quail Island ,near Darwin , in the Northern Territory, which figured in Dreamtime legends and was a green turtle breeding ground , used to be bombed by the RAAF and our Allies . However, the great Northern Territory News  crusading  editor, Jim Bowditch , currently revolving in his grave as is   Abraham Lincoln, campaigned  strongly against the exercises and they  stopped ,soon after a rocket dropped near the airport . 

Bombing now takes place on the mainland.

 Seems nobody  at the Townsville Bulletin ever thought to raise stopping  the Rattlesnake Island bombing as an issue for debate , especially in recent times with so much concern about the  reef.

 Former Queensland  premier Joh  Bjelke-Petersen , who did not mind if the reef was drilled for oil , laughingly pointed out Australia loved the Great Barrier Reef so much it used  it  as  a  bombing range. 

Wandering about the waterfront with Little Darwin's limping Shipping Reporter as his guide ,Argus Tuft spotted headquarters of the  Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. He thought he would  drop in and ask   its attitude to the use of Rattlesnake Island as a bombing  range  as well as many other questions about the state of the reef. There was, however, no  sign of life inside the locked  door, not one human at any of the many desks.  Our Shipping Reporter said this situation had existed for ages...the staff seemingly devoured  by  crown of thorns, or sucked up for anal examination by aliens on Planet Zog , like so many Americans who vote for Trump  .  Spooky.

UPCOMING : Irresponsible election  laugh-in  continues at  Townsville  Bulletin , part  of  the  under  attack  , accident- prone  Murdoch empire .   

CHAINSAW MASSACRE FAILS TO GRAB MEDIA ATTENTION ; TOWN HOUSE PLAN FOR PONTIFF'S OVERGROWN HIDEAWAY

 

War  broke  out   recently  on  Magnetic Island when  part of  the above   bamboo clump  was cut   down in an area known as  the Pope's Land.  It is a large parcel of land  at Nelly Bay  , near the shopping centre, bequeathed  to the Catholic Church some years ago.  Those who cut down the bamboo were described on Facebook as  environmental  vandals , causing an eruption of  social  media comments, most in favour of  the  bamboo  being   removed. One person in favour of  the  chop  reportedly resides in  Geelong, Victoria . It has been  pointed  out that bamboo is not native , is a menace to remove .  The  environmental  vandals  claim was removed . 

Days later , more bamboo was being  cut down from another  nearby clump, when a man  arrived on the scene and  demanded  to  know  what  was  going on . He claimed to be in the process  of  buying the Pope's Land  upon which he  plans to build town houses.   If  this be fact, then it will be  of great interest to people living  near the blessed  block. 

Some years  ago  a letter was  written to  the  Catholic Church in Townsville asking them to trim back  bamboo  that was hanging over the roof of a  nearby house. There was  no response. In the past there was talk of  a  retirement  village  being built on the land , but  it  did  not eventuate. 

 . 

CAPE YORK AERIAL SAFARI

 

Abra photographs 

AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR REVEALS ALL , DOWNS CHAMPERS ON NORTHERN TOUR

 

A  multi-skilled ambassador   who  single-handedly  set out on  a  mission  in l969 to  educate  the ignorant  British about  the real  Australia  and  its   sophisticated  descendants of convicts visited the Little Darwin  sanatorium.  He   is  Peter Burleigh, above,  architect , illustrator ,writer , former  advertising agency head who dealt with  top companies like  Ford.

 Burleigh  arrived at our den  in the above   swish  limo  resembling   a  German Batmobile, driven by  his political and  IT- savvy wife , Judy , bearing a  bottle of  French  champers  and  a  large   iced  cake . As they have spent much time over the years  in  France travelling up the waterways  in  their cruiser, dropping off  at  vineyards along the way, champagne  and   cake  is   probably  their   soup  du  jour .  

Anyway, it  helped  establish  entente cordiale.  Burleigh,armed with a magnifying glass,  is shown  examining    Little Darwin's rare bound in run of  the l969 fortnightly publication, Broadside , published in Melbourne , attracting  a  stable of  talented  writers ,  artists, giving voice  to  various  political  figures.  

 Broadside's editor  was  Pete Steedman, a longtime activist whose biography was  run in  serial form in Little Darwin, one part dealing with Broadside receiving 1200 hits .

Burleigh  contributed  many  illustrations  to  Broadside  during  its  short , but  action  packed life ,the last   edition  pulped  by  The Age  management . One of  those  illustrations, part of which is run below,  was  a  zany  strip  about his own departure for  London  to give  the  Poms   the good oil on Australia . It was  headed, Burleigh has gone to the mother country,and skilfully demolished the  myths  and legends  held  by the British  about Orstralians . 

It opens with clean cut Burleigh, indicating he is a loveable Aussie, under the age of 26, wearing a slouch  hat , a Department of Defence bedroll on his back, waving a flag , setting off,a sophisticated ambassador  to  dispel myths about kangaroos and meat  pies . Packed away was a food parcel for Prince Charles.

He intended telling  the Brits that young people in Australia were encouraged to speak their minds and express opinions- illustrated by  a panel in which  a hippie type in a protest march  wanting to make love not war is  monstered by a man in an RSL jacket  carrying a  placard with a call to BAN THE  BUMS (NOT THE  BOMB).

Red blooded Aussies on the loose, it seems, even whistled at nuns!  Aspirational street beggars were  encouraged to  limit payable tax , a bit like  Kerry  Packer. 

Australia , a proudly independent  nation , armed with a spear , declared it  stood alone, was part of Asia, prepared to join a posse , actually flew the American flag.

Barry Humphries had to be regarded as a twisted intellectual, not a salt of the earth Aussie . 

The comic strip ended with Burleigh , below, proudly displaying a  reference from the Victorian Liberal premier, Henry   Bolte.

It was nice of Bolte-later knighted- to provide the reference describing him in glowing Aussie terms as Peter   had  sent   him up  in the following large caricature .

 

(Ronald ) Ryan was the  last man hanged in Australia . 

UPCOMING : More  Burleigh, a  dash of  Steedman, Disney  targets   and  Grey  Nomads. 

SQUATTER MADE REDUNDANT

 

Darwin  agronomist  Robert Wesley-Smith farewells a solidly built  squatter's chair,made from heavy ironwood, which he has had  for 28 years , given to him as a  farewell present when he left the Animal Industry and Agriculture   Branch . It  has gone to a  more muscular, younger person . On  learning  of its departure, one of  Wes's friends said it was sad , recalling  many   TV dinners and  hot chocolate had been  consumed  on  the chair .

A rural reporter once visited Wes and  took a snap of  him in the squatter's chair . 

 At a time when he  could not be blamed for  sitting in a  padded rocking chair ,  Wes  is continuing to  cull out possessions  on  his  rural property . In the process  he recently found an old suitcase filled with interesting items to sort out.

Still  hanging in a spare room is his rare collection of  protest  T-shirts ,many connected with the  East Timor struggle. Recently received was an email  with newspaper  stories connected with East Timor and West Papua , which have been forwarded to interested groups. A large part of his  East Timor collection  is in a Canadian university .

HEADCASE ON A BAD HAIR DAY

 

ROADRUNNERS IN GREAT DANGER

 Barely visible near the end of the motorbike exhaust is a fluffy   baby Plover  which was seen dart backwards and forwards across a busy waterfront road in North Queensland. All over Australia, Plovers  have  been  witnessed  laying  eggs  next  to  roads , many chicks  subsequently killed .  Adult  Plover  below  calling  chicks  across  a  road . Vallis photos .

TOMATO PUREE , BAT POO, BRICKBATS AND LOVE INS ENCOUNTERED ALONG BRUCE HIGHWAY LEADING TO GARDEN OF EDEN FILLED WITH ROTTING FORBIDDEN FRUIT

   Award  winning  political  reporter  Argus Tuft  ventured out of  the refined   Canberra Bubble  on  the rough and tumble of the  Queensland election  campaign trail .  While he is always fair and balanced in his reporting , like Fox News, we  had to   censor   his  first   shocking  snip and paste  dispatch  because of the  unseemly  events  he  witnessed  and  the  secrets  he was  told .  Read on ,  Macduff:

Looking and sounding increasingly like  the Madman of Pennsylvania  Avenue, his  bellowings   making  up  for  all  those  allegedly  struck  dumb  Australians at  the last election ,    Prime Minister  Scott  Morrison   rode  into  the  Banana State  in  a tank , above, sans mask , intent on  driving over  the  Labor  bastards, advice  inherited  from   a  former  NSW  Liberal premier  and   brown  paper  bag  recycler. 

Tomatoes  were  thrown  and red paint  splashed  over  his car  at  Queensland University where he was forced  to run   out  of  a building and be evacuated  in  a  police  paddy wagon . 

After that warm  welcome ,the  PM   went   spruiking  at   a recycling plant, where  he recycled his  Budget  speech .  Ah , Queensland, beautiful  one day- knee deep   most  times  in  garbage  brought in  by convoys of  trucks  from  southern states   and  buried  as  landfill.

While  Scomo  was mouthing  showman  slogans  ad nauseam  at the recycling plant , word came through about the bombshell revelations  at the ICAC  inquiry in Sydney  involving  the  NSW Liberal  premier,  Gladys  Berejiklian  and disgraced  Liberal  politician  Daryl Maguire.

Scomo  told  reporters  he  and  Gladys were  good  friends . 

It seems  Ms  Berejiklian  was  as  cuddly  as  those troublesome NSW koalas that caused the  National leader in  that  state to  fall  out of  a tree at  Taronga  Zoo  and  be revived by a therapeutic  body  massage with  alcoholic , strawberry   flavoured  eucalyptus . 

 

.Soon after   the  recycling  photo opportunity ,   in  Sydney Daily Telegraph style, the  Queensland media were running  what could only be   interpreted  as    double entendre bulletins saying  Scomo  was  in   Queensland " holding  the  hand" of  LNP  leader Deb  Frecklington   on  the campaign  trail.

Frecklington  ,of course, hastily  denied this  outrageous suggestion,    saying she was  capable of holding  her  own mitt.   Anyway,  there  were  ample photographs  showing   she  and the  PM  had  only  bumped elbows , nothing  else .

 Nevertheless , despite  this  safe   distancing ,   she  is known  to have  later vigorously   dipped   her  elbow  in  creosote    to make  sure she  had  not picked up a biblical  plague from across the  border with NSW  worse  than   having  your  top   paddock   full  of   Egyptian locusts .    

Scomo bumped elbows left right and  centre in  Townsville while closely supporting  she who is known as The Freckle, for short , especially by  members of her own party , who  are on record as saying she  does not cut the mustard with  many of  the  bib and  brace  wearing  LNP  hotdog  munching  types  out  there   in  voter  land .

 There was even talk of  dumping her before the election and electing  a    failed gabby yokel  who  got a  good run on  the  after  dark  television  station by  a  presenter   who   loves   Donald Trump.

A  scurrilous suggestion  was made by   National Party luminary Barnaby Joyce, who said there had been  political hanky panky between  Scomo's Government and    Pauline Hanson's One Nation  Party .     Barnaby  spat  chips over   Mrs  Hanson , a  former  battered  sav   chef before entering politics  , announcing   a  $23million federal  grant   for  the  16,000 seat stadium at  Rockhampton,  Queensland .  

In a  photo opportunity, she was snapped handing over a   giant cheque on which there was a large  close up of   her kisser . Now there is a call for an investigation   into  the  grant  with the claim  that it  is  another   sports rort episode , similar to the one  pulled by the Coalition before the federal election , which the  Coalition won by  a  miracle . (Wink,Wink. ) 

Virtually frothing at the mouth , Barnaby colourfully  described One Nation as bat poo crazy! There had to be some  deal between it and  the Coalition for it to allow  Hanson make the announcement and hand over the dough, he charged . 

 UPCOMING : Monkeying  around  in   North  Queensland ,the battle for Townsville, early signs of  Mango Madness and  fibs.  

CAPE YORK FRANGIPANI DISPLAY

 

Hot  weather has caused  this  large  frangipani ,believed to be  70 years old ,to  burst into flower  at  the Aurukun Uniting Church , on the west coast of the  cape.There  are other  Frangipani displays in North Queensland, especially on Magnetic Island ,in Townsville and  in  the Cairns area . 

FOUNTAIN OF TRUTH EXPLODES ON QUEENSLAND ELECTION TRAIL

 

With  PM Scott Morrison taking every opportunity to attack the Queensland government over its  border  control   with   New South Wales , there was  an extraordinary  event in Townsville ,not picked up by the  media . Down in the   waterfront Anzac Memorial Park , the fountain  marking  Queensland's  separation  from colonial  New South Wales,  erupted, above,  like  Mount Vesuvius . This  has been interpreted  as a miraculous  sign that  the  Gods of  the nether  regions were so  angered by Scomo's  base   campaigning for the LNP  that  they threw up .   

GHOST FLEET , SNOOZING MEDIA AND COVID-19 OUTBREAKS ON SHIPS

 Back on  deck , the  hornpipe dancing Shipping Reporter files another scoop.

If  there was any real  knowledge  by  local  media   of  what transpires in the Townsville docks ,  last month's report  that there  had been an outbreak of 17 cases of   COVID-19 aboard  the   bulk carrier  Patricia  Oldendorff   in  Western  Australia  waters,  reporters would  have  chased  up  obvious  local  angles . 

See , in giant letters , Oldendorff  is  often seen  in  Townsville's   Ghost Fleet - see Emma Oldendorff   below which slipped in recently , as  usual, unnoticed  by  the scribes .

 In the case of  the Patricia Oldendorff outbreak  ,West Australian  authorities  were   concerned about a  two-tier  system   of  quarantining crewmembers in the Philippines  before they  set  out  for Australia .  Ordinary crewmembers, it  seems,  quarantined  aboard ; officers, on the other hand , were  allowed  to spend  their  time  home .

Western  Australia has called for a  tightening of  crew  restrictions  in  the  Philippines 

Now another vessel, the Vega Dream ,an iron ore bulk carrier ,is off   WA with COVID -19 in the crew.  The International Transport Federation (ITF)  said the crew must have brought  the virus on  board during a  crew change in the Philippines earlier  this month.

ITF  National coordinator Dean Summers has reportedly lambasted the Federal Government saying it  needed to step up to help sort out the situation and engage all states and Australia's international neighbours to ensure seafarers entering the country's waters had already isolated.

"It's not up to the State Government to work out what went wrong and deal with the government of the Philippines," he added

In light of this,  questions should be asked   of the Townsville Port Authority, the Queensland Government and  the  Feds in the hope that    the virus  is not shipped into the Queen City of the North and  elsewhere due to  what  appears to be  shortcomings in  the Philippines. 

 The Townsville  media  failed to raise this important  issue with  PM Scott Morrison when he dropped in  for a photo opportunity supporting   the  LNP election campaign, wearing his  cool  Hawaiian secret holiday clobber, badmouthing  the  Queensland government over the border closure...just as  the virus is on the rise in New South Wales. 

PINE GAP EXCLUSIVE : DOCTOR DEATH AND THE BAREFOOTED CHRISTIANS

 

The dramatic mid-l970s scene captured here of a demonstration against  the top secret   Pine  Gap base  , near Alice Springs , is  from the   extensive  files  of  Darwin agronomist  Robert Wesley-Smith, foundation member of the Northern Territory Council  For  Civil Liberties . 

In information  provided with the photo , he  pointed  out  Territory and Commonwealth police officers on  the left in the rear  keeping  watch, the radomes in the background .

He said  that when the balloons , with the attached sign and a clanking tail of beer cans  that could be picked up on radar, were released  earlier than  he  had wanted , the swirling mass  blew towards  a  policeman , who ducked  instead of  taking  it into custody .

Wesley-Smith cheekily  suggested  that the gendarme may have been  a  silent supporter of  the demo.

Last month ,the author of Peace Crimes : Pine Gap, National  Security  and  Dissent , Alice Springs journalist  Kieran  Finnane , was interviewed  by Phillip Adams on the  ABC's  Late Night Live . 

The episode in which the  so called  Peace Pilgrims who invaded the  base in 2016 ,   playing musical instruments , to  highlight  its major part in nuclear warfare planning  and drone attacks , was discussed . Outside the Supreme Court,the Christian Peace Pilgrims, appeared  barefooted, saying it kept them in  touch with the poor and the Earth . 

Charged with entering a  Prohibited Area , they appeared before Mr Justice  Reeves, prosecution calling for a  custodial sentence, the maximum seven years ; they were  fined .  

In  the  above l970s  demonstration , in which  Wesley-Smith was  a key player,   Philip Nitschke, later  dubbed Doctor Death  and the Elon Musk of Assisted Suicide, because of his  euthanasia  advocacy, also participated.  

When the  NT government  passed a  euthanasia law  , Canberra annulled it . After  having   myriad   restrictions imposed on him  as a doctor  and denying him the right to speak about euthanasia, he set fire to his medical registration certificate in Darwin, went off to Amsterdam . 

Wesley-Smith  said  Nitschke had supported Aboriginal land rights. Over  the years  he received several  awards : Rainier Foundation Humanitarian Award, 1996 ;Northern Territorian of the Year, 1997; Australian Humanist of the Year, 1998; Charles Southwell Award (NZ Association of Rationalists & Humanists), 2001; eight-time nominee for Australian of the Year .