EXCLUSIVE : TRUMP'S ILL-FATED STAR MISSING AT FABULOUS ART SHOW

 Hollywood's  Walk  of  Fame  featured in  Artscape 2024 , a  splendiferous   exhibition of  art and film  by students  at  Pimlico State High School, Townsville .

Near a large HOLLYWOOD   sign , imitations of  some of the terrazzo and   brass  stars  of   the  2752  filmstars  inserted   along the  Hollywood   Walk  of Fame were  displayed  about the  school paths.  Guests invited to  the  official opening and awards  were  encouraged to dress to the   theme  : Classic Hollywood ( black , white  and  silver.) 

Our Shipping Reporter , looking   like  something out  of  The  Curse  of  the Mummies, went along  to  the most  impressive   exhibition  of   talent at the school . 

As he lurched about , he  noticed the  stars  of   Bette  Davis, Doris Day, Judy Garland,  Grace Kelly, Ginger Rogers , Jimmy Stewart,  Greta Garbo,  Marilyn Monroe,  Rita Hayworth  , Audrey Hepburn,  Marlon  Brando , Mae  West  and  Buster Keaton.

Our waterfront roundsman said he was disappointed that Donald Trump's star had not  been  included  underfoot , because he would dearly  have  liked the opportunity to   add to  its  long history of  mistreatment , perhaps  draw a moustache  on  it  similar to  the  one  sported  by  Mona Lisa ,  and  throw  a  bucket  of  tar  and  a   bag  of  KFC  feathers  on  top .    

Wikipedia  says Trump's star was included  due to  his  work and  ownership of the Miss Universe pageant. It has been vandalized many times, shown above  under repair in July 2018.   During the 2016 presidential election, a man named James Otis, who claimed to be an heir to the Otis Elevator company fortune, used a sledgehammer and a pickaxe to destroy all of the star's brass inlays. He readily admitted to the vandalism and was arrested and sentenced to three years' probation.

The star was repaired and served as a site of pro-Trump demonstrations until it was destroyed a second time in July 2018 by a man named Austin Clay. Clay later surrendered himself to the police and was bailed out by James Otis. Clay was sentenced to one day in jail, three years of probation, and 20 days of community service. 

He also was ordered to attend psychological counseling and pay restitution of $9,404.46 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce ^] On December 18, 2018, the star was defaced with swastikas and other graffiti drawn in permanent marker, ^[ and it was again vandalized with a pickaxe on October 2, 2020.

(Trump, Missing, Star.)

DUSTY EASY RIDER

Darwin agronomist  Robert Wesley-Smith- aka Rural Rebel Rob- displaying  motorbike  racing trophies  he  won in  the Northern Territory. When the  ABC recently  asked for information about  early motorbike  adventures in  Darwin,  Wes   wrote  an  acount  of  how  in  l969 he was in a group, mainly mounted on 250cc  Yamahs  DT  1's, which made a quick  return trip from  Darwin   to  the  Nourlangie safari camp  , run by The Great White Hunter , Alexander Allan  Stewart, part of celebrations  to mark  100 years of  settlement.

 

His  gripping story  was  read over  the airwaves . It  detailed a  wild  ride  of about  2000 kms  , the dust , poor  air conditioners  and rough roads   took a   toll on  bikes.  A member of  the  party wrote to Yamaha  and   received  five  motors  and   new  air  conditioners  free . 

Wes  got involved in motorbike  scramble races and motorcross events  and  won  the  first  three  NT  championships.

FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER IN PORT

 Postcard view of Circular  Quay   by  pioneering photographer, filmmaker , author and adventurer Captain Frank Hurley, with Orient liner SS Oriana ,known as the Queen of the Sea, alongside , dated  February 1, l962.  Hurley, born  Sydney 1885, ran away from home at 13, bought  a Kodak Box Brownie when he was  17 and started making postcards .

 An  official AIF photographer in  WW1 , with the rank of captain,he made six trips to  Antarctica , flew with Ross Smith , explored the Torres Strait and New Guinea ,served with the AIF in the Middle East , died  l962. National Library has large Hurley photographic collection . Postcard in batch bought by  Shipping  Reporter   at  Townsville's   Mundingburra  monthly  market .

WINSTON CHURCHILL ON DEMON GROG

 Sir Winston Churchill was once asked about his position on whisky. Here's how he  answered:

"If you mean whisky, the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean that evil drink that topples men and women from the pinnacles of righteous and gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness and hopelessness, then, my friend, I am opposed to it with every fibre of my being."

"However, if by whisky you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the elixir of life, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean good cheer, the stimulating sip that puts a little spring in the step of an elderly gentleman on a frosty morning; if you mean that drink that enables man to magnify his joy, and to forget life's great tragedies and heartbreaks and sorrow; if you mean that drink the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of pounds each year, that provides tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitifully aged and infirm, to build the finest highways, hospitals, universities, and community colleges in this nation... then my friend, I am absolutely, unequivocally in favour of it..!!!"

"This is my position, and as always, I refuse to compromise on matters of principle!!!"

The  above outpouring  sent   from  a  resident in  thirsty  Darwin   who  added   a  comment   about  Winston :  His vocabulary and command of the English language is unparalleled!  I only wish we had representatives, politicians  and statesmen of  his calibre  around  today. 

(Churchill,Whisky,Darwin.)

ART APPRECIATION ACROSS THE NATION

While Sydney  is  experiencing  the   start of  the   large international  public art exhibition , Sculpture by the Sea , on the Bondi to Tamarama Walkway, artists from the Townsville  Tafe  College  at   Pimlico  gathered   around  pools  at  Anderson  Botanic  Gardens  to  capture a  new  showing of   lilies, some Lotus,   clusters  of  birdlife  and   many dragonflies. 

The  gardens cover  25 acres. 

Vallis photos.

(Art ,Sydney, Townsville .)

A LONELY LITTLE PINEAPPLE IN A PETUNIA PATCH BRINGS BACK OLD SING SONG

 Modern version of 1940s hit  song  about  a sad  Petunia in  an onion patch .  Followed by a ripped  North  Queensland Pineapple Newsflash, under  a  pile of pineapples, after closure of the lively Charters Towers newspaper , announcing local news is now in the Townsville Bulletin. Photos by obviously  juiced  up   Vallis. 

DUTCH BOOK FEST

Australia  will  be  represented at  this   weekend's  Amsterdam  International  Antiquarian  Book  Fair  by  Douglas  Stewart  Fine Books, Melbourne, its focus on early voyages  and  travel,especially in the Far East and includes rare works printed in China, Japan, Goa  and  the Philippines. 

(Books,Amsterdam,Melbourne.)

TAIPAN MAN IN PIT OF DEATH

An unusual item  unearthed  in Townsville was  the above 45 rpm  Capricorn Record  which  featured Ram Chandra , the  Taipan  Man , autographed by  him  in 1979, and  the massive 1974  Australia  Day  flooding  of  Brisbane caused by  Cyclone Wanda .

Born Edward Royce Ramsamy at Lawrence, near Grafton , NSW, in May 1921, he joined  up in the l940s with Nazim Shah  in the  Carnival of Eastern Wonders  on the show circuit, later changing his name to Ram Chandra , specialising in handling and displaying venomous and non venomous snakes in his Pit of Death .

Through his interest in and knowledge gained about deadly Taipans, he helped the Commonwealth Serum Laboratory develop  an antivenene  for the usually fatal Taipan bite . The antivenene  saved the life of Bruce  Stringer , a Cairns schoolboy,  and Chandra was awarded the British Empire Medal  in  the l975 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Chandra was himself bitten by a  taipan . Married in Mackay, Queensland , his family consisted  of  eight children and  three more that were adopted . He died in Mackay on July 1,l998.

On the record , the vocals  are  both  by  Lyall Sutcliffe  backed by  The Wagon Wheels .  Sutcliffe and  his brother  Geoff  were longtime  buskers  who travelled  far and wide. In 2014  they  performed in a western  Queensland tour , aged  78 and 80 respectively , their  musical  minded  parents  living  to  101 and  99 .

In September 2014 , the popular record shop called  Capricorn Records , at Warrnambool, Victoria , run by Michael Fitzgerald , closed after 35 years of trading . 

(Taipan, Chandra ,Cyclone.)

SAVE THE PLANET, BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES.

 Display  in  the  conservatory at Anderson  Botanic  Gardens . Townsville , offering  leaflets and brochures  on how to nourish  wildlife  and  grow  plants  that  butterflies and moths like ,  at  a  time  when  the  monstrous , genocidal  slaughter  of  men, women and children  continues  in   the  Middle  East  .

(Save ,Gaza,Genocide.)

A SCURRILOUS MEDIA MATTER

Posted in  Little Darwin , January 21,  2022.

Following  the recent  post sparked by the in memoriam  notice  for   journalist  John  Loizou , who  died  nine years  ago ,  a   January  1980  file  emerged   about  the  managing  editor  of  the   Northern  Territory  News, John Hogan , complaining  about  an  item  in Scurrilous, a column for political  aficionados , in   the   independent   Darwin  Star , of  which  Loizou  was  editor  at  the   time .

 Scurrilous  upset  Hogan  by saying  he  had decided  to set  an  example for  his  staff  back at the  factory (newspaper)  by  dropping out of the  Friday Club, a " select team of   Darwin  businessmen and  upper echelon public servants " who  had  a leisurely lunch on that day  when  two  editions of  the paper-the  daily  and  the  weekender- were  being  produced . 

It went on to say :  Thoughtfully , Mr Hogan  has decided that it is not proper for him to be enjoying  the fleshpots while  his workers  gobble takeaways at  their desks  and  slip out  for a  furtive  shot  of  the  old  kickapoo juice ...if lucky.

Another member of the Friday Club , a top public servant, Martyn Finger, was also reported to be  thinking about  foregoing  the  Friday happy hour . 

With such selfless men, Scurrilous said  the Territory's  future was assured. 

Hogan, later to become   editor of the Townsville   Bulletin ,  responded by  writing a letter to the  Australian Press Council complaining about the "insulting and  abusive comment "- disguised  as fact , apparently with the express intention  of  ridiculing  him  and  disrupting  personnel relations  at  the  News.  

He believed the author  was  a member of  the  Australian  Journalists' Association  who had  committed a  serious breach of  the  AJA code of ethics.

The matters  , he  submitted, were  serious enough to warrant  Press Council adjudication. It was  pointed out  to  Hogan  the  Press Council  only dealt with  complaints  against  a  newspaper, not  the  author . 

Loizou was sent a copy of Hogan's  letter... this resulted in  Scurrilous  taking   another  bite  out  of  the   Friday  Club  and  the  NT  News .

It said Scurrilous was busily building a  fallout shelter , convinced there  will be no  peace  in  our  time due  to  Hogan's  response, his letter of complaint run in full .Then it  commented  that  it was amazing  that Mr Hogan  did not know how the  Press Council works. 

Scurrilous could be wrong , it continued ." Is  Mr  Hogan still attending the Friday Club?" Adding more spice to  the luncheon , Scurrilous  said it was    inclined  to write to  the Press  Council  drawing  attention  to "the moral decadence" displayed  at  the  NT  News.

The News , it added,  had been accused of  running sexist advertisements  and not so very long ago , the  newspaper  had  used  bits of  fishing line to lift  the skirt  of a  young  girl  so  that  her  knickers  could  be  photographed. 

Perhaps it was  more a case   for the Festival of Light than  the toothless  Press Council ? It  ended : Ho hum. 

(Media, Loizou, Darwin.)

BLOWN IN THE WIND

Parts of North Queensland are being showered with Kapok seeds blown about   by  the wind . The  tiny seeds , attached to fine  fibres, are dispersed  far and wide  when the  pods open.  They  are  very evident  on  Magnetic Island  and  in  and   around  Townsville .

Vallis.

FROLICKING FISH

 

Vallis.

VETERAN REPORTER PUSHED BOUNDARIES

 Sydney Morning Herald  article , April 12 , 2013.

Memorial services and public tributes in Darwin, Hanoi and Dili marked the death of journalist John Loizou, who had a 54-year career in radio, newspapers and online publishing, ranging across northern Australia and Southeast Asia.

Loizou was buried in Darwin with a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony, while Vietnamese colleagues in Hanoi stopped work in his memory and East Timor's Fretilin Party paid  tribute.

Loizou would have appreciated the diverse acknowledgments; his life's work was shaped around the notion that Australia's Top End was an integral part of Southeast Asia.

During parliamentary debate on a condolence motion, both sides of Territory politics described Loizou's reporting as balanced and fair. Yet he called himself a Marxist and, while never joining a political party, was prepared to cross the line separating journalism from social activism.

 John Brendan Loizou was born in Melbourne on June 20, 1942, to a Greek Cypriot immigrant, Vasilios Loizou and his Tasmanian-born wife, Gladys (nee Jackson). John's education never went beyond Dandenong Technical School but at 17 he was promising enough to win a prized ABC cadetship.

Proficient at shorthand , the ABC sent him to Darwin, where he met Olive Kennedy , a member of the stolen generation, and they married in 1964.

Loizou became a respected member of Olive's extended Walpiri family around Phillip Creek. In an ABC radio documentary long after Olive's death, Loizou recorded the Phillip Creek children's experiences of family fragmentation under government policies of assimilation. 

After a stint back in Melbourne at The Age, Loizou returned to Darwin to work at the Northern Territory News under its crusading editor Jim Bowditch, who championed such unpopular causes as Aboriginal land rights and opposition to the Vietnam War.

(Later , In  Darwin , John  teamed up  with  Christina  Pas , who ran   the popular Restaurant Cri ,  about which it was hoped she would  pen  a book,   a  keen photographer ,  who  wrote  an  essay  on  Xavier  Herbert , author of  award  winning novels  Capricornia  and  Poor Fellow My Country . A  dynamic  couple , they  produced newspapers , including the Southeast Asian Times , which  Cri  continued online  after  John's death.) 

Loizou's sympathetic coverage of  Aboriginal actions such as the occupation of Quail Island, which stopped RAAF practice-bombing of an area containing sacred sites, and the Larrakia people's successful claim to land at Kulaluk in suburban Darwin was crucial in the battle for public opinion, according to anthropologist  Bill Day, an adviser to the Larrakia claim.

UPCOMING : Rerun of  Loizou's Scurrilous  clash  with  an  editor . 

(Reporter,Loizou , Asia.) 

CLOUDY CAIRNS

Photo by Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra .

 

YES ! WE HAVE NO BANANA STAFF TODAY

 Self  serve  banana  trailer  on  the side of  a  busy  road  in  Townsville, which could  inspire  a  hit song . 

 

(Bananas, Road, Townsville.)

GOD DEFEND AMERICA AND GLOBAL GARDENS FROM DONALD GNOME

Ghastly sight in cane toad infested Queensland.

 (Trump,Toad, Gnome .)

BEACHED SHIPPING REPORTER DISCOVERS MYSTERIOUS POISONED WHEAT YARN

 Our scruffy Shipping Reporter  looks like the  wreck of the Hesperus as he  lurches  about  searching  for books, ephemera,  oddities , collectables . Of late, however, his forays  have been limited because  he  has been  actually  feeling  like  the poetic   wreck , wracked  with  pain , little  strength in  his hands.  

This  resulted in  him being  taken  to  Townsville University Hospital on two occasions  and visits  to  GPs, a variety of scans, continuing  to   baffle  medical  science . 

Coming away from  a medical appointment , he managed to slip into  an  op shop  and   found  a  solitary item of  interest , an  entertaining   1975  book, Shop!, written and illustrated by Ted Schurmann .

In  the form of  hilarious   stories  behind  items  sold  in  a shop in  the Victorian town of  Bullawollock in the l930s , it is illustrated  with  receipts  and  cartoons.

One  story , dealing with the  sale of  a  packet of  poisoned  wheat  , grabbed the attenion of  the groaning  Shipping Reporter  because  a  considerate daughter  of  his  had  whipped up a  smart   bag  filled with wheat  which  when  heated in  the microwave   brought  welcome relief  when  applied to  sore  spots , of which there were many . 

Placed  on the  opening   pages   of the    Poisoned  Wheat   chapter in the  book , above, is  the  daughter's  wonderful  wheat  pack . 

The  story tells how a  grumpy town resident , Mrs Sankey,   refused to have  dealings with   several shopkeepers- the baker because  he had delivered  a  loaf of  bread containing  a mouse, the butcher   because his crumbed cutlets had  been dipped in sawdust. She also  disliked a  neighbour and  his   chooks and had  beaten up  his   Rhode Island Red rooster with a  broom. 

When  she came into the  above shop , having publicly stated she would never enter the premises,  she refused   to sign  the   poison book  for a  packet of  poisoned wheat ,  but  agreed  to enter  the fact  that  it  was  for  mice.   

The great  Schurmann   illustration explains how  the  annoying   chook's belonging to Mrs Sankey's neighbour had subsequently been seen  enthusiastically  pecking  at  something on  the road, at  first thought to be the  poisoned wheat  bought  by  Mrs  Sankey.

There was  a curious suggestion that  they  could  have  actually  downed  jelly  crystals or  even  Aspros. If  it  was   poisoned  wheat , their  owner said  they  had  never  been  healthier , cackling  and  crowing  with   great  gusto. 

MEDICAL UPDATE : Placed on steroids by a Kiwi doctor, our  decrepit waterfront roundsman claims  to  be  almost  human , nearly as robust as a Rhode Island Red rooster. 

 And a  young,  arty , thoughtful   great- granddaughter , with  a recent interest in Mona Lisa,  has kindly  presented  the  Shipping Reporter with  another  wrap  around  wheat  pack , above . 

(Poison ,Chooks,Townsville.)

A FRIEND (STREET) IN UNCERTAIN TRADING TIMES

 The  faded  AMP  Society  statuary  above  Flinders Street , Townsville, once  described as the  Wall Street  of  the north during  early  boom years, is typical  of  so  many rundown   former  CBDs across   the  nation .

 The  AMP  founding  Latin motto below the  figurines  translates  as  A certain friend in uncertain times, which was penned in  the third century by Greek philosopher  Ennuis. 

Not far from what used to be the  substantial AMP building  there   are boarded  up and many empty shopfronts , some  no longer  operating  business  signs   visible   on   the   awnings  .  A stand  out  is  the open Mary Who ?  Bookshop .

A short distance along is the busy Cowboys  Rugby League  Club , op shops , cafes,   many  pigeons , to  let signs  .  And you have to be on guard  against  zooming  E-bikes .  

A  Little  Darwin  team recently explored part of  Flinders Street  and was told   that  a struggling  business   could  be  about  to  close  which  will  be  of   considerable   interest  to  the  media . 

 A  New  Zealand  variation of the  AMP statue  above .

AVIAN ACTORS

Torres Strait  Pigeon muster in Mundingburra .

Blue-Faced Honeyeater .

 

 Finches?  Vallis theatrical  pix. 

DUCK AND BOOK SHOOTING SEASON

Bookplate of  John  Lloyd Preece (1895-1969), member of  a highly influential family of  booksellers and publishers , involved  in  art  and  the  book trade  in  Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. His father, Frederick William  , 1857-1928,  involved in printing  and publishing in England before moving to Melbourne, then  Adelaide , was  president of the  Associated Booksellers of  Australia and New Zealand .

John Preece ran  a branch of F.W.Preece and Sons  Limited , Sydney ,  from 1934-l940 , and wrote books about New Guinea and small ships in  WWll .  He died  from  cancer  in  Rome.  

SUNBIRD FANDANGO

Magnetic Island . Vallis  photo.

 

THE LONG CALL TO ARMS IN AUSTRALIA

Australians  on  way to  German  New Guinea in First World War , above, training  on  Palm Island , near Townsville . Surrendered   Germans pictured  below , followed by  smiling  Kangaroo  in  cartoon  dropping  "new  guinea "  donation  in   the   Empire  Bank  Fund. 

 

Second World War  advertisment .

WORLD ON FIRE

Sunbird  in  Flame Tree  and  imprisoned  Peace Dove  plead for  end  to  bloody  wars  in  MIddle East , Ukraine , Myanmar , Haiti  and  many other places   turned   into  a  hellscape  on   the   planet .  

 

BEE HUNTING GROUND

 

Vallis pix. 

SERIOUS BOOKPLATE LOVERS

Bookplate of WWll  Australian Chief Censor, Edmund Garnet Bonney, a  prominent journalist  who , after a send off  party in Canberra,  in  March l948 ,  took  over  directorship  of  the  New York  Bureau  of  News  and  Information to spread  the  word  about  Australia in  America .

It depicts a cloven-hoofed ,satyr-like  figure, perhaps a printer's devil, wearing  an  editor's night shade with  a huge quill behind its  ear, pounding away on a  typewriter . Impaled in  its tail,is a large Who's Who.

A  post   Little  Darwin  ran  about  the  art  treasures, including  some of  the bookplates   in  the   superb   Special Collections  section  at   the  Eddie  Koiki  Mabo  Library , James  Cook University ,  Townsville , was  picked  up  by  The   New  Australian  Bookplate  Society.

 As a  result,  Special Collections  has  been  asked  to  write an  article   about  the   bookplates  in  its  extensive ,  interesting   trove.   

The Society was informally launched at a bookplate exhibition held at Stop Laughing , This is Serious Gallery, Blackheath, in the NSW  Blue Mountains,  in October 2005. The gallery name was inspired by the l933 Stan Cross  drawing - described as Australia's funniest cartoon .

The exhibition  was attended by artists and other lovers of bookplates.  A  meeting was held a year later at the Royal Australasian College of  Physicians, Sydney,  to officially form  the Society .

The purpose of the Society is to raise awareness of the art of bookplates among printmakers, collectors and the general public. At present there are approximately 80 personal and institutional members distributed in almost all Australian states as well as New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

It has a webpage  and  is on  Facebook and Instagram.