Due to the pandemic , many people try to put their life in some semblance of order by sorting out accumulated possessions . When you are gripped by this mad urge to sort out wardrobes , libraries, files , sheds , camphorwood smelling glory boxes , safes it can result in some disturbing finds which make you realise you are losing your memory .
For what seems like two years , longer actually , this scribbler has been trying to sort out his books, files, ephemera , old notebooks filled with hard to read handwriting , bottle collection . In one hit , 5000 books were once bought in Adelaide .
When the computer was playing up tuther day,it was decided to use the annoying down time to again attempt to bring order into the contents of dusty archival storage bins . SItting on a hairdresser's chair bought at a garage sale , the first bin was opened and revealed jumbled contents.
Briefly, there were numerous items relating to research on such subjects as Cyclone Tracy ; artist James Shaw , who painted early Adelaide ; the Victorian "Larrikin of the Labor Left", Pete Steedman ; the 1911 visit to Sydney by the famous John Sousa Band, which arrived with the American Great White Fleet ; some photographs of monkeys in odd poses ; an article about the operations of the Northern Territory News ; a programme for the Tennant Creek CWA's 33rd Art Award ; a sheet of writing paper from the early 20th century Bertram Flohm School of speech therapy, Sydney; an email from American artist and activist Bucklee Bell in Chiang Mai ; Sir Russell Drysdale's Australian book collection donated to James Cook University , Townsville ; an article about author Ion L. Idriess ; a guide to the Zara Clark Museum Charters Towers ; a list of postcards for sale ; details of the life of author and conservationist Grace Margaret Thorsborne ; the retirement of a long serving editor of the Cairns Post, Reg Sutton.
After inspecting all this material , and more , there was a feeling of lightheadedness , almost exhaustion . Still in disarray, the pile was returned to the archive bin , firmly closed . Time for a Bex , a cup of coffee and a lie down .
For a much longer period, Darwin agronomist, civil liberties activist , trumpeter , Robert Wesley-Smith, oft mentioned in this blog , has been trying to sort out his amazing collection of newspaper cuttings , books, a rare hanging of protest T-shirts , Timor Leste textiles , a few musical instruments , polish his Grace Kelly Award for helping refugees . Wes has visited Magnetic Island several times , photographed below at the ferry terminal , trying to find his way back to Darwin, a book or three in his backpack .
Wes was recently tidying up inside his house and was shocked to find that an artistic mug (below ) depicting the painted silos of Brim, Victoria, from which he has his daily two cups of coffee, had fallen off a shelf and broken. He had bought the mug when he drove through the town years ago.
As part of his driving urge to get everything shipshape , he decided to clear up the rural block of land . This included chopping down a large tree next to his house , likely to damage his abode if it fell . Being of an age when doctors and Bob Hawke brand you a silly old bugger if your clamber up on high, he got out his rickety ladder , climbed up , cut off some low branches with a chainsaw .
Then he tied a rope from the tree to his honourable Honda Jazz sedan.
After strategic cuts were made to the base of the tree he attached the rope to the unsuspecting Honda, converted to a bulldozer, slipped into gear ,slowly drove ahead , wondering if the strain would rip out the chassis .
Timber !!! He rejoiced like a theatrical Canadian lumberjack . Mind you, the tree did not exactly fall where he had hoped, blocked the driveway . Energised , he went to work on the tree like a Ryobi warrior , and had a spectacular burn off as well , which scorched a Banyan and some pawpaws .
