BANK BOMBED / FABULOUS CHARACTERS

 

The   above  front  cover illustration   on   the December  2022   edition of   Progenitor, journal of the  Genealogical Society  of  the Northern Territory  , is   a   1942   photograph  of   the  English, Scottish and  Australian  bank, with  details  of  the   day   Darwin  was  attacked  by  the Japanese . 

It  quotes  a  young bank employee, John  Coverdale : "As we were about  to open  the doors , the air raid  sirens  began  to wail, and  the  bombs began to  drop  simultaneously ."   

The   patched  up   building ,  known as the  old Tin Bank , became  the  Smith Street  office  of  the   Northern Territory  News  , which  leaked   during  the Wet,  ,  was    bought   by   Rupert  Murdoch ,  eventually demolished .  

 The journal , as  usual ,  is full of  interesting information about  colourful   Territory characters   and   events .  One such   person worthy of a  film  or  documentary , the amazing  Agnes Buntine, who  in  1838  came to    Australia   from  Scotland where  she  had worked as  a  dairy maid  for  the  poet  Robbie   Burns .

Deeply involved in the  Victorian  gold  mining  period, she at one stage employed  a pirate on the run as  a  pub cook ,  dined  with bushrangers  , had  10  children ,one   becoming a Presbyterian minister .

There is an illustrated article  on New Zealand  born "  Harry "  Peckham , who in 1902   became  a Northern Territory  outback  mailman   and  inspired   the character  ,The Fizzer, in Aeneas Gunn's novel, We of the Never Never.

Another  person of  great interest  is   Kiwi  born  William Masterton,   the  Hermit  of  Red Bank  copper  mine , who  lived  in  a cave  near the  Northern Terriory / Queensland border , now part of  a  heritage  area,