MILITARY BADGE MYSTERY

 A  member  of   the   Darwin  Detectorists'  Club , armed with a special  underwater  metal detector , looking  for  treasure in    Townsville  , has  found   an  Infantry  Combat  Badge  in  the  Ross  River at  Sherriff  Park . The badge is awarded to members of the Australian Army for  service  in  warlike  operations.

SUNBIRDS HANGING ABOUT IN QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE'S SWINGING ESTATE

 

            

Vallis  photos .

MELBOURNE AND THE NEVER - NEVER LAND

With  fanfare , we  present  a  battered    paperback ,   recently   found   at  a  Darwin  garage sale  by  one  of  our  treasure  hunters ,  written by  Mrs Aeneas Gunn  ,  published  by Robertson and Mullens , Melbourne ,  in 1947,  adapted for  use  in schools.  It  includes a  preface about Mrs Gunn and her husband, an  outline of  the  Northern Territory's  history .

There  is  also  a  1905   newspaper   appreciation of  the  book  by  the  British evolutionary  biologist ,anthropologist  and ethnologist ,  Professor Baldwin Spencer ,of  Melbourne University  , who  said  he  knew of  nothing   comparable  to  the  book  in  any  writings  on  Australian  Aborigines .

He went on  to  refer to  Aborigines  in  what  would  not  be  regarded  as  politically  correct  terms  today - repeated  in  the 1947  edition adapted  for  use  in  schools.

The  Little  Black Princes : a True Tale of We of the Never-Never Land was first published in London and  Australia in  1905  and received much  praise 

The cover  illustration  of   the  above  1947  book was  a  drawing of   the  actual  photograph  of  Aboriginal  girl  Bett-Bett , with  a dingo- looking dog, Sue .

In the Little Darwin files  is  a newspaper clipping  from  the  Melbourne Argus of  April 24,1907 , about  Bett-Bett   coming   south  and   meeting  Mrs Gunn  .

   

 Mrs Gunn (1870-1961)  wrote  the  equally popular autobiographical  novel   We of  the Never - Never   about  life  on  a cattle station  in the  Northern  Territory  where she went with her husband  in 1902,  he    dying  from  malarial dysentery  soon  after .

The  petite  author, nee Jeannie Taylor ,  brought  up  in  Melbourne  ,where she  taught  gymnastics and elocution ,  married  Aeneas Gunn ,  the  librarian  at  the  Prahran Free  Library . He had  explored parts  of North  Australia  while helping  to  set  up  sheep  and cattle stations. In 1901 , just before their marriage , he  was  appointed  manager of  the   Elsey cattle station on the Roper River in the NT, in  the so- called  Land  of   the  Never- Never.

We of the Never was  made into a film in 1982  starring Angela Punch McGregor , Arthur Dignam , John Jarratt  and Anthony Barry . 

Early  this  year  Mrs Gunn    was  one of  the   authors highlighted in a display  at  the  Northern  Territory  Legislative   Assembly    Library  .

The Dictionary of Australian Biography  states  Mrs Gunn  was active in welfare  work  for  soldiers and  their  families  during  both  world  wars and was  awarded  the  OBE .

In  the   display of  notable  Territorians   in  Darwin is  a   tile  for  Henry Peckham , the  postman in  We of  the Never Never , given the name ,  The Fizzer.

STORMY SAILING WEATHER

Shipping Reporter photos.

DOCTOR WHO'S ANNUAL PICNIC FOR TWISTED FIGMENTS 0F IMAGINATION

 

ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED

 Running about  the  kitchen  bench  area  early in  the morning is  this  hungry baby Gecko . It comes at  a  busy  time when  Curlews are knocking  on the  back door wanting  breakfast  and  there are other Curlews out  the front  to  be  fed. 

Vallis photos.

RACE TO LOOKOUT

Townsville and  Magnetic Island . Abra photos. 

COLLISEUM IN THE TROPICS

Striking    view   of   Townsville's  stadium  in  middle  distance  by  aerial  artist  Abra .

TANK-O-RAMA

Abra photo

 

COALITION CAN DO CAN CAN CON

 

BERT NEWTON, PETE STEEDMAN AND EARLY DAYS OF TV RESURRECTED

 A  lively  discussion  touching  on  many subjects  was  had  when  this blog  phoned  Pete  Steedman   in   Melbourne  the  day  of   Bert  Newton's funeral. 

 Steedman  had   fond    memories   of   the  King  of  Showbiz  and  is shown, on  the left,   being   interviewed  by  Bert  on  Channel  10 .

            

The  subject of the interview was Ausmusic , a not for profit organisation founded by Steedman in 1989 , of which  he was  executive director at the  time . It  boosted and promoted  the music industry ,  particularly  in young people , schools ,  and  launched  the  highly  successful   week  of   playing    Aussie  music  throughout   the   nation .

While Newton  jokingly  opened up  by  saying   he  hoped Steedman , former ALP Member for Casey  ,  would not  not   say   anything  political ,  Bert ended  the  jovial  session  by  cheekily  asking    him  how   the  Liberals  could  overcome  their   problems . 

When  Ausmusic  passed into the hands of education services provider ,  Entertainment World  Limited , the Australian Financial Review   quoted Steedman as  saying it was the best option for Australian music education and  young  people . EWL would spend  $350,000 in the next two years  developing the  Ausmusic copyright  assets  and   expand  the  business. 

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The article speculated  on  the  next  instalment  of  the " turbulent career " of Pete Steedman . By most people's standards , he had  already gone through his fair share of incarnations-campaigner against the Vietnam War, a  federal politician , newspaper columnist , tourism policy consultant .

In 1967 , it continued,  he had  been  the subject of an unsuccessful bid by ASIO  to amend the Treacherous Offences Act to include Vietnam War protesters. He had  decided to leave the country for a while to let things cool off, but ended up in the headlines again in the famous Oz magazine trial in London as the publication's managing editor.

As a result of our telephonic   conversation,  Steedman   obliged  by  not  only sending   Little Darwin   the    video   of   the  Bert Newton   interview but another  in  which  Pete, known as the Black Knight , crossed  swords  with   shock jock  Alan Jones  in  a lively  debate  about   South Africa , in  the  Crossfire series , conducted  by  Clive   Robinson.

 

Steedman  confessed to this blog   he had   personally  found  the early days  of  television in Australia  exciting . Indeed,  being a man of  ideas,  he  had  played   a  quirky  part  or  three  in  it , suggesting  content , items,  stunts  to   contacts  in  the  industry . 

 In  one  stunt  he  was  personally  sent out  to  try  and convince  an  unsuspecting  female  that she  should  come and  dine with  him . If  he was  successful  , he  would  receive  a   portable  television   set.

Giggling somewhat, recalling  the odd  celebrity cooking  event , Steedman  said he  did manage  to  induce  a   girl  in  need  of  nourishment  to   dine  with  him,  and   he  was  given a  television set as a reward, which he  flogged     for   $100.

 

You don't get  high class entertainment  like  this anymore on  Australian television.  

Some of  Pete's words of  wisdom recently got  a  run  at  the head  of  letters to the  editor  in  The  Age .  The subject : branch stacking,very topical . 

BIG GAME HUNT FOR ELUSIVE SUNBIRDS

 

Vallis  series. 

STEPPING OUT IN STYLE

Townsville  overview  from fairly new  Castle Hill walkway  by  Aeronautical  Correspondent    Abra 

AUSSIE FLY IN FLY OUT COCKIES HAVE MORE TALENT THAN AMERICAN EAGLES

Vallis  photos.

CHOPPER ON THE LINE

 

Checking power lines Magnetic Island .

SHIPPING REPORTER PATROL

The following two  shots were  taken of another  Townsville Ghost Fleet vessel , unnoticed by the mainland media ,   the  Milau Bulker  , operated by  the  Danish  shipping    conglomerate ,  J. Lauritzen , a  signatory to  the COP26  Call  to   Action   for  Shipping  Decarbonisation . 

Lauritzen was involved with the Australian National Antarctic Expedition , helping  set  up  and  supply   a   base

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Under tow in Cleveland Bay .

TRIBUTE TO ISLAND ACTVIST

 The Cranky Curlew  Productions film  about   the late  Ann Kearney , an  activist  who fought  several personal  demons , as  well  as  fighting for others , will  be screened  at  the Magnetic Island's Men's Shed on December 12.  It will cover  her  time as  a presenter on  the  Townsville  community  radio  station  4TTT-FM.   

TIMOR EXHIBITION IN THE WEST

A bare-footed Timorese boy dressed up like an Australian  soldier  during  WWll . From Robert Wesley-Smith's East Timor collection . The  exhibition just  happened   to  be   held  in  the  Wesley Arcade , Perth.

CAIRNS TAKE OFF

Series  by  Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra. 

TIDAL TAPESTRY

Vallis photo .

 

MAINLAND FIRE OR VOLCANIC ERUPTION?

 

Vallis  photos .

MUTILATED MERMAID ON THE MOVE

 With  aid  of  seeing eye  dog !

A series of photographs taken by our  Shipping Reporter, the only one north of  Coogee , of the  mysterious Magnetic Island  Mermaid ,reveals that  she appears to  have  a   dog , above,  and  yesterday   had   moved, below . 

IN A DREAM-LIKE STATE

If you potter or pedal  about the Townsville waterfront one of the many vessels  in  the  Ghost Fleet , which receives  very little media coverage ,  often   hoves   into   view . 

Our Shipping Reporter, still wandering at large ,spotted the Panamanian registered bulk carrier Dream Sky, currently tied up in port, its name bringing  back pleasant , vivid dreams for him in which  he  flew  through  the  sky  like  Superman  and  was  regarded  as  a  hero .

On  each occasion he  woke up  with  prickly  heat , punching  holes in  his  pillow . 

 

 On  the same  day , out in Cleveland  Bay , he said  there  was   a   dreamy ,  shimmering  ocean  and  sky  setting, with  a  yacht  bound for  Dreamsville , where  clocks  standstill .