TOWNSVILLE WEATHER WATCH

 

  Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra  photos .

(Weather, Tropics, Abra.)

CHRISTMAS NUTS WARNING

 Do not, repeat  do not  be  tempted to eat  cycad nuts over the  festive season, or any other time for that matter . Darwin agronomist  Robert Wesley-Smith  issued  this   warning  after   reading  Little Darwin's  recent  illustrated  post about  Townsville  cycads . 

He informed  us  that  his memoirs , upon which he has been working  of  late,  will  contain   information  about  the  time  he  corresponded with a professor in  Okinawa  about  Japanese who  had long  suffered  from     eating   cycad   nuts .

In  1973 Wesley-Smith  wrote a  paper ,  Cycads and  Cattle in the Northern Territory, for the Animal Industry and Agriculture  Branch , which  pointed  out  the  danger of  toxins  in the  leaves  for  cattle , plus the threat to humans  eating   the  nuts.

As a result ,  he was  contacted by  the  professor  who pointed out  the history of  cycad  poisoning  in  Japan.  

It seems the Japanese cycad (Cycas revoluta Thunb) stores  starch  in seeds and  trunk , producing a  toxin  which  causes  liver  damage , internal bleeding  and   death  if  eaten .   

Wesley-Smith  pointed out  the  l948 American-Australian Scientific  Expedition  into  Arnhem Land   discovered  Aborigines had  developed  a way to  leach  out  the  cycad   toxin   eons  ago. 

  (Nuts, Wesley, Cycads. )  

AFTER THE DELUGE

Fishermen  after  barramundi  on  rain  swollen Ross River , Townsville ,  which   swept   great  clusters  of   water  hyacinth  downstream .

(River , Baramundi, Townsville.) 

VALE MICHAEL LEUNIG

When  political activist   Pete Steedman  edited  the Melbourne based  national magazine  Broadside  in l969  he  encouraged   up and coming   cartoonist   Michael Leunig  by  running   a  wide range  of  his inspired   works , at  times spread  across  two pages , covering  many  subjects, including   the  Vietnam  war ,  ASIO , politics ,state and  religious schools.

While police were frequently charging people with offensive behaviour and resisting arrest, especially at anti-war and anti-conscription demos,  Leunig revealed how a solitary police officer playing around with his guitar composed a bestseller: OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR AND RESISTING ARREST.

The tune became so popular in police circles officers were shown singing along in chorus, dancing to it ,emerging from the grim Russell Street police headquarters with batons and even menacing a baby in a pram with the catchy words, alarmed citizenry fleeing in various directions .

Another of Leunig’s drawings illustrating an article which told how Aboriginal Marcia Langton , a 17-year-old arts/law student , now Professor Langton, obtained a miner’s right, staked out a mining claim in Queen’s Park, Brisbane , and held a vigil in support of land rights for Aborigines at Gove Peninsula, NT, where Nabalco had  a lease to mine bauxite . 

Bulldozers had damaged a sacred site there and Mathaman Marika said he had cried when he saw what had been done. Ms Langton maintained her vigil ,was picked up by the police and carried to another spot. Leunig’s associated cartoon showed a  suited miner in a hard hat , saying : “ Sacred Ground...? Of course...! I can think of nothing more sacred than a valuable bauxite deposit ...”

Leunig went on  to become  a renowned   cartoonist, poet and writer . His brilliant  drawings  included  The Adventures  of  Vasco Pyjama  and Mr Curly  who had  a  close association  with  ducks, one  in  particular .

A  large  proboscis  was a  feature  of people  he  drew .  Something   else  on the  big  size  was  emphasised  in  an  election cartoon, below,  from  the late Pete  Steedman's   Leunig   collection.

The  Leunig  Studio   announcement   of  his  death  on  December  19,  at 79,  said  he had been  in the company of family members , sunflowers  and  dear friends  Johann Sebastian  Bach and Ludwig van  Beethoven .

It said the  pen  had dried and the ink no longer flowed, yet Mr Curly and his ducks  would  remain etched in  our  hearts , cherished  and  eternal .  

The  above  cartoon  could  now be  seen as  relating to  the climate change  threat.

Leunig  had a  long association with  the  Melbourne   Age  newspaper  , the above  example  inspired by Prime Minister  Tony Abbott  saying he would  shirtfront  Russian president Vladimir  Putin , at the Brisbane  summit meeting  of  the  G20  , over  the shooting  down  over  Ukraine  in 2015  of the airliner  MH17,   which killed  278  people, 38 Australians . 

 The   above  decorated   caravan   and  associated van  , highlighting a  1939 Thursday Island pearling lugger  ,  carried  messages  to save the Great Barrier Reef and local birdlife,  driven about  Cairns and on Magnetic Island , included a  Mr Curly  and   his  famous  duck   panel .  

Displayed inside the  van  was a poem   about   Scuppers  the Seagoose  , born in  Toulouse , who  spoke a little French  , and  lived aboard   a   sailboat named  after  the  lugger . 

Getting layabout grannies back into the workforce may have  inspired the   following  Leunig  special . 

(Leunig, Cartoons, Steedman.)

CONTROVERSIAL LITERARY PUBLICATION RUN BY BAREBACK AUSSIE RIDERS

The unusual  literary periodical , The London Aphrodite , 1928-29,   published  by  Fanfrolico Press , was  founded  by  two talented Australians - writer, book  publisher  and political activist  Jack   Lindsay  and   fiery   debater , author  and   publisher   Percy "Inky" Stephensen , who also edited a  small  greyhound  racing  newspaper and  contributed to a volume  about the Russian  prima  ballerina  Anna  Pavlova . 

The  above prancing illustration, consisting  of six volumes  , the  first edition on the  far right,  a total of 496 printed pages , is  in  the  last  list  for  2024  from   Douglas  Stewart   Fine  Books , Melbourne , $125 .

The  bimonthly   publication   was  only  intended to  run  for six issues, only   complete  sets  of  six  issues  could  be ordered for  nine  shillings .

Lindsay , who  ran  some  Norman Lindsay  ( his  father ) illustrations  and  decorations  in  its  pages,  declared  the  publication  was  not  for profit ,  but  for  fun . 

In  the  joint  editorial manifesto  Lindsay  and  Stephensen cocked a snoot at the  literary and  artistic establishment .  Their  motto  :  We stand  for a  point of  view  which  equally outrages the modernist and the  reactionary . 

Jack  Lindsay  had  been one  of  the  editors of  another  short lived  literary quarterly, Vision,  started  in Sydney in l923, designed  to  invigorate  the Australian  culture  which  it  claimed  was  stifled  by regressive provincialism  and  the  influence of  The  Bulletin . 

 Born  in l901 at Maryborough Hospital  , Stephensen was a brilliant  student ,  renounced religion in his teens, associated with leading revolutionaries   and reformers in Brisbane , became a member of the Communist Party of Australia. 

At Queensland University  he became editor of  its magazine , which  he renamed  Galmara , Aboriginal for messenger . While  there he  met  Jack Lindsay  and helped  him  launch his  literary career in the magazine  by running  a  three-page spread of  poetry , some of it erotic, which upset the  university authorities , who had it  withdrawn , for which they received a four page  blast  attacking  the  academic institution.  

Stephensen helped  select poems for a 1920-22 anthology of Australian university verse . After graduating  in arts,  he  taught school   at  Ipswich Boys ' Grammar ,  got involved with industrial workers, and  wrote freelance pieces   for the Brisbane Labor paper, the Daily Standard,one being  the  first  substantial  review of  the  D.H. Lawrence's novel, Kangaroo . 

Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, he  studied  at  Oxford ,where  he quickly became known as a  troublesome  colonial , took part in the l926  General Strike  ,  sporting a  sandwich board  which supported,  Gandi of India  .   He was  the subject of questions  in the House of Commons  , even accused  of  wanting  to  break up  the British  Empire .  At times  he  wrote  for the  Communist  Sunday Worker .

 

While in  London he  teamed up  with  Jack Lindsay . Another Australian  there  was   Jack Kirtley , an amateur  publisher of  limited editions  and  keen book collector  , who  ran Fanfrolico Press. Feeling homesick , Kirtley  handed   Fanfrolico  Press   over  to  Lindsay  and Stephensen ,  and set off  for  Australia via  America  .  

Lindsay , who supported the  l917 Russian Revolution, and  Stephensen  then   launched  The London Aphrodite . 

Stephenson also became involved with  Jewish bookseller  Edward Goldston  to  form   Mandrake Press  and  they  published  a collection  of  D.H. Lawrence's paintings, some of which showed  pubic hair,  attracting much public  comment.

Inky  Stephensen  also helped secretly  publish in  a London basement  what he  termed  the first "unmutilated " English edition of  Lawrence's  Lady Chatterley's Lover , which   declared it  was  printed in  Italy.

While Lawrence  said Stephensen was a worker , he described him as a bit  of a windbag  and slow with payments.  On another occasion he said  Stephensen was " another sort of mushroom which grew too fast" in the publishing world  and  established  publishers would squash him in  time . 

Back in Australia , Stephensen was involved in the  book publishing side of The Bulletin , Sydney,  started his own  book publishing company , wrote The  Foundation of Culture in Australia, An Essay  Towards National Self Respect  ( l936 ), was adviser to  the  Indigenous committee for the  l938  Day of  Mourning , tried unsuccessfully to get  Xavier Herbert's eventual 1938 Sesqui-Centenary Award  winning   novel  Capricornia  published .

Regarded as a security risk during WWll, he was interned  in January l942  until the end of hostilities  due  to his expressed views and involvement   with  the  Australia  First Movement , the   eventual  editor  of   its   journal, The  Publicist . During  his imprisonment he  ghosted  eight  books for  author , travel writer   and  accountant  Frank Clune .  

(Aphrodite, Stephensen, Lawrence .) 

  

BLACK (FRIDAY ) COCKATOO FEAST

Red-tailed  Black  Cockatoos  gourmandising  on  tasty  Christmas nuts  and  flowers   blown   down  during  recent  weeks in  Townsville . Vallis  and  young  sharpshooter pix.

( Cockatoos, Nuts , Townsville.)

THE LOST WORLD OF CYCADS

Townsville. Vallis .

THE SHADOWY WORLD OF SANTA

Printed in Sydney by S. T. Leigh and Company, circa 1892, this  scarce  66pp   collection  of  Christmas stories  for children by  Beatrice May Hudspeth, of  Hobart, Tasmania, is  listed  for sale  at  $400  by Douglas Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne . 

The bookshop refers to  a review in the Launceston newspaper ,The Tasmanian ,  November  28 ,1891 :

Miss B. M. Hudspeth, of Hobart, a lady who has already favourably established her name as an acceptable contributor to current Australian literature. The work contains fifteen short stories, into each of which the  authoress has imparted a vigour which claims the attention of the readers young and old. 

Miss Hudspeth is at her best in passages embodying a vein of that homely pathos which never fails to touch the heart, for the impress of the natural is stamped upon it.

She also possesses the somewhat rare faculty in a writer of telling a story effectively without a preponderance of that descriptive element which, as a rule, tends towards  the  wearisome .

The 1888-1889  annual report of the  Tasmanian Council of  Education stated Hudspeth  gained a place in  the first  division  of  a test for entry to the  London  University.  

Santa CLaus and the Shadow is included in the  Marcia Muir collection of Australian children's books  at  the  National  Library , which also has a  Research  Paper by  J. L. Skilton  on  archives of  Beatrice  May  Hudspeth   (1867-1932).

(Santa,  Tasmania, Books.)

VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

Vallis  expedition  along  Ross River ,Townsville. 

ALL SHOOK UP AND WET

An  Elvis  Presley  impersonator,  busking  in  Cairns , coping with rain,  listening  to his  guitar being strummed  by  a  youngster  nearby .  Abra  snap.  

BUZZING ABOUT

Vallis.

ROSS RIVER XMAS SPIRIT OVERFLOWS

After an overnight  storm , the overflow at  Aplin's  Weir , Mundingburra, Townsville, delights swallows which live under the footbridge and  fishermen  who   gather  on   the  banks . 

Below the weir , a  tree stands out  looking  like a  battered decorated  Christmas   tree- clumps  of   weed  caught up  in  the  branches by  earlier much  higher   and  faster  overflow.  

(River, Townsville, Rain.)

DON BRADMAN BOWLED OUT UP NORTH

A  surprising number of  books about  the  great  Australian  cricketer  Donald Bradman  have  turned  up recently  in  North  Queensland  op  shops, says our  Shipping  Reporter  who  is  always  cruising  about  looking  for  treasures . He  has  had  to  restrain  himself  from  buying  all  of  the  Bradman  volumes  for  sale .

However,  he  did  get  the desirable  boxed  two  volume Don Bradman Albums,  a 1995 Lansdowne Publishing reprint , and  the  2019 ABC  Books Tea and Scotch  with Bradman  discovering the  man  behind  the legend, by  acclaimed  author , Roland Perry.    

Tucked away in  the Shipping Reporter's jumbled   sea chest   are   some  old  Don  Badman oddities , including   a  l931  article  which  appeared in the  Cummins and Campbell's  Monthly Magazine   about   the   time  he came   to   Townsville  for an  Easter carnival   with  what  was  termed  the  Visiting   Southern  Cricketers .

It appears this  was  the  Alan Kippax  Xl  which  played  against  North Queenland  in Townsville.

Buchanan's  Hotel  featured  the " renowned "  Bradman  and the  Southern Cricketers  , below,  in  its  advertisment   which   appeared  in  the   magazine. 

The   carnival  involved the  Palm  Island  Aboriginal settlement  , where a   big  welcoming ceremony  was  arranged by "the natives " ,  including a corroboree , although it seems  Bradman and  some  other  team members   did not  get  there  ,  as   the  following extract  reveals , perhaps  due to  the  weather and   a   rough   trip on  the Hayles  Barrier  Reef tourist  ferry , Malita.

In the l960s , this vessel  took  supplies from  Darwin  to  an  American oil drilling company  on  Portuguese Timor . Its skipper , Bert Cummings , later ran  the  Lion's Den Hotel , named  after  a  tin mine , at  Helensvale ,  near  Cooktown , Queensland , also  wrote  about   his  experiences in Confessions of a Mudskipper ,  edited  by  Glenville  Pike, and The Lion's Den  A Pub Yarn, Angus and  Robertson.    

When  the  Malita was in Darwin , the  English remittance man  Donald Charles Duncan, also known as  Drunken  Duncan .and Dapper Donald , who was the cleaner at the Northern  Territory News  , went looking for Cummings on the waterfront , hoping to get a job aboard the  boat . Duncan   fell  into the  harbour , made national  news  after  surviving   drifting  about  all  night , eventually  naked , in   crocodile and  shark  infested   waters. 

Duncan recovering in Darwin Hospital,  watched by children who spotted him floating in  the  harbour , only  wearing  a sock,  and  raised  the  alarm .

Also tucked away in the Shipping Reporter's  kitbag  is   a  pamphlet for   the l936 melodrama  film , The Flying Doctors, in which  The Don made cameo appearances, in cricket  clobber, battlng for South Australia  at  the Sydney Cricket  Ground  .  

                

The  movie was said to be   Australia's first   feature length  movie  based  on aviation ; lost for a  decade , it  was  rescued  from  a  tip . Bradman also recorded  a  song , Every  Day  is  a  Rainbow  Day  for  Me.

*** On  September   16, 2020  , James Cook University  Library News ran an illustrated  article by author , historian and  writer Trish Fielding , about  Cummins and Campbell Limited and  its  unusual magazine . The  company  was founded  in  1899  as a partnership between John Cummins and  Aylmer Campbell.

They were  wine, spirits and general merchants , had their head office in Flinders Street, Townsville , which  by the mid-1920s  had branch offices in Cairns, Charters Towers, Innisfail, Ingham and Bowen. Agencies were located in  Ayr, Hughenden  Yungaburra and Cloncurry.

Filled with a wealth of interesting  articles , photos and advertisements , at times running to 100 pages, the  magazine  first  appeared  in  1925 and  lasted  until  l957.

(Bradman , Finds, Duncan.)  

COMPETING TROPICAL DESTINATIONS

Several moons ago , our  drifting  Shipping Reporter  spotted this  unusual   illustration in   yet another  great  display  by  the  Special Collections  team  in  the  Eddie  Koiki  Mabo Library, James  Cook  University, Townsville . 

It  highlights  the  competing  attractions of  Townsville  and   nearby Magnetic  Island .

On the left , it portrays  a rather   busty  rendition  of sports mad  Townsville's  Castle  Hill  and  its  Saint  up  which  many people clamber   each day  for a   magnificent  view  out   to  the  island  and  the  Coral Sea .  

The  island  attractions  included a  toothy , curvaceous  bathing beauty carrying what  looks  like a  whip - surely not  Madame Lash ?,  a classy  canine  bellhop , Koalas  and  Mini Mokes.

The  library display contained  a  wide range of  pamphlets , leaflets  and advertisements  covering  the  North . 

  (University, Lash,  Townsville.) 

MOTHER AND CHILD IN THE SHALLOWS

Vallis.

 

MOZZIES IN THE MANGER THREAT

 Our  Shipping Reporter  is   deeply concerned about the possible  mosquito threat to people  attending popular  Townsville  Christmas  celebrations  such as the  imitation town of  Bethlehem  and   Carols  by  Candlelight  at  the  Riverway  Oval.   

Why ? - Because   during the week  , armed with two cameras, he ventured into a leafy Townsville  botanical  park   intending to  capture   the pleasant  scene after  rain   and  was  forced to  retreat , slapping  wildly  at  mosquitoes  which  attacked  him , not  wanting  to catch Ross River , Dengue  , Zika , Barmah  Forest,  etc . 

Since then , he has   been  told  of several places about town   where  the mozzies  are  bad  .  

As the  annual  Riverway events  , attended by  tens of  thousands of people , are near  lagoons  , our waterfront roundsman   fears  the   mozzies   could  be out in  large numbers . The festivities  kick off   December  18    and include  The Stable  in  which  little Jesus was born .  This year, He might  have  to be   placed  under  netting   if  the  mozzies  are in  droves.

The Townsville  City Council  website  for the  Riverway  Yuletide  events quotes the controversial mayor , Troy Thompson , the subject of some stinging  comments , as saying   Carols  by  Candlelight  bring  the  community together  .  It  might  also  bring  them  close  to  mozzies  , so  they  should  take  protective  measures  if  they  attend .

During the  week ,  ferocious  , blood sucking  March Flies  , also known as  Love Bugs and  Honeymoon Flies,   were   a  problem on   Magnetic  Island . A whip snake  was also  spotted  there sliding  across   the  track on  the   Pope's  Land .

The Shipping Reporter  says  mozzies have been active  in Darwin  after  heavy  rain  and  humid  weather .The mozzies  were so  bad down in the  rural  area that  Rural Rebel Rob  retreated inside for three days and resumed writing his memoirs . So  it  seems  the  Great  Australian  Christmas  Bite  is  underway  across  the   nation  in  a  variety  of  forms . 

(Mozzies, Manger, Honeymoon.)

SIP INN

Magpie Geese. Vallis.

TIDDLERS IN THE SWIM

Vallis.

 

ATLAS LIKE , BUTTERFLY HOLDS UP CLIMATE CHANGE AND OZONE HOLE THREAT

Vallis.

 

SANTA DELIVERING TRICYCLES BUT APPARENTLY NO CHAMBER POTS UP NORTH

 A  flimsy and  torn  December   l911   invoice  has  been found that was sent  from  the   Sydney  firm of    Feldheim, Gotthelf  Limited,   general  merchants  and importers of  British, Continental  and  American  merchandise , to  a prominent  North Queensland company , Hollimans Limited, Ravenswood , into furniture, hardware ,  mining and  farming  supplies, groceries  and   household  goods.  

It   shows  that  an  order  for  tricycles  had  been  shipped   aboard  SS Aramac   for  S.  Allen  and  Sons  , Townsville .   A  copy of  the  invoice  had  also  been  sent  to  the  mining  centre of  Charters Towers , one of  three towns where  Hollimans  was  in  business , Townsville the other, still  delivering   a   diversified   range  of   services  in   the   region. 

The   Australian Postal History and Social Philately   website   says the  name of Feldheim, Gotthelf & Co. has been linked at several Powerhouse Museum sites.

In the decades that followed Australia’s Federation in 1901, a number of ceramics decorated with Australian motifs were produced in Britain. Wedgwood, Doulton and Worcester in particular designed and made series of wares mostly  destined for  the  Australian  market.

These tablewares, it continues, were sold by local retailers, for example Sydney’s Flavelle Bros, Feldheim Gotthelf and Company and Anthony Hordern's, so the firm was in very good company. 

In addition to tableware , they sold an earthenware chamber pot with a ‘Wattle’ pattern, produced by Doulton & Company and a 1905 Bismark ‘Rosette’ embossed opal glass lamp produced in Germany for the company. 

The finding of a 1902 postal  cover addressed to Noumea, New Caledonia, in a Spink philatelic auction, proved that the company also catered for clients outside  Australia.

The   company  also  produced  trophies , one being  for  the  inaugural  l895  Head of the River  Regatta , won by the   Sydney Church of  England Grammar School. Made  from sterling silver in  Europe ,  it depicted  a  youth  holding  an  oar in  his right  hand , on a  wooden pedestal .

Moritz  Gotthelf  , born in Germany in l840, arrived  in  Melbourne  in l860 , then moved to Sydney, becoming a  successful  businessman , a prominent member of the  Jewish community , involved in   many   community  organisations . A  president , vice-president and treasurer of the Great Synagogue , he  was  elected  a  life  member of  the  board  of  management. 

 (Tricycles, Trophies, Townsville.)

WET ROCK SPLASH PATTERN

 

(Rock,Wet , Art.)

THE WELCOME GREENING OF A TROPICAL CITY AT TIMES CALLED BROWNSVILLE

Townsville  after  good  rain.  Vallis  pix.

(Rain, Townsville, Vallis.)

THE GREENING OF DARWIN AND HEAVEN WITH EPISTLES FROM A DYNAMIC DUO

 This  old  death  notice  referred  to  Darwin identities- Kerry Byrnes  and  George  Brown- both deeply involved in the  local gardening scene . In  the case   of  Byrnes  , he  and his  wife Sandra   also  ran the  lively   Darwin newspaper  , The  Star  ,  named after  the  Hong Kong paper of  the same name  , before  opening  Arnhem Nursery , Humpty Doo ; Kerry  also delivered  a  gardening  talk over  the  ABC  and  Sandra  was  a  keen  potter .

Brown,  a former  curator of the     Darwin Botanical  Gardens  , later named after him , and  the city's lord mayor  from 1992-2002 , brought  back  Penang  Peach seedlings  from  Singapore  many moons   ago   and had   plants  named  after  him , including  the  Dwarf  George Brown Frangipani .  He was  renowned  for  using  colourful  language , as  was Kerry .  

On receipt of  the above  notice  tuther day  , Little Darwin  retrieved    a  cutting  from its  dessicated   files    about   Kerry and  Sandra   Byrnes  , The Star  and its  talented staff , which  included   George  the  oppressed  frog in  the ladies toilet , recently  mentioned  in  this  blog,   written  after  Kerry's  death. 

(Byrnes , Nursery , Darwin .)