SPREADING THE TRUTH ABOUT OZ

 

Promising  architect  and gifted  illustrator  Peter Burleigh  was the subject of  this  1969  drawing  in Broadside , edited by Pete Steedman,  which broke the shock news  he was  leaving Melbourne and  going  to  Britain as  a forelock- tugging , unpaid  ambassador  for  Australia,  with a  food  parcel  for  undernourished  Prince  Charles in  his swag , which could have  been purloined  from the Department of  Defence .  

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Looking like Barry McKenzie , Burleigh  is shown  wearing a  slouch hat ,  waving a   flag , in a  typical Australian setting  , the Sydney Opera House in  the background , a  tree chopped down .

It  quotes   him as saying he  wants  to dispel the belief in the Mother Country  that  Australia is a land of kangaroos and  meat pies . It was also his intention to inform  Pommie Customs  officers  closely  examining his luggage  at  London  airport  that  Barry Humphries  is  a twisted  intellectual .

Australia , he said ,  was   a  nation of thoughtful  people, depicted  in a  drawing  showing  marchers  with  empty thought bubbles ; a  member of the   RSL  carrying a banner  reading  BAN THE BUMS (not bombs) ; another  goofy marcher  with  BAN THE WHORS  on his T-shirt .

Burleigh also had a  glowing (in the dark ) reference  from the Victorian  hanging  Premier ,  Henry  Bolte , to  help  swing open  many  pub  doors and corridors of  power  in  the  Old  Dart  . 

 

WARNING : More to come .

AUSTRALIA REBRANDED IN STRANGE , FLY BLOWN PARALLEL UNIVERSE

By Peter Burleigh who is out of this world. More AI tampered with  Burleigh gems coming  from  another  galaxy.

 

PLAYING POSSUM

Caught galloping along a fence , these  bleary-eyed  Possums  explain why  there are  strange  thumping  noises  on   the  roof  during  the night . Sara  photo.  

MAGNETIC ISLAND SNIPPETS : HUNGRY BIRDLIFE , HERMIT TROVE

Due to the dry conditions on Magnetic  Island, seen in the distance from Townsville  , there is  very  little food  available  for  the island's  birdlife .  And  whenever the  Queen of the Jungle  ventures  outside  to feed  " her  birds " it   is  like   a scene  from  Alfred   Hitchcock's  natural  horror movie ,  The  Birds .

Flocks of   noisy  Cockatoos  are   on  the  hunt  for tucker   as  are  Lorikeets and   Curlews.  A few  Torres  Strait  Pigeons have  also   flown  in from  way up  north. 

OYSTER  FARMING  PIONEER  

The Magnetic Museum is collating   a great  collection of  material, including many letters and  cuttings , about  the  late  island resident  , Keith Bryson  ,  described  as a hermit  who lived in a shack at White Lady Bay , got  about in his  underwear , and  scared  off  strangers with a wooden shotgun .

From Sydney , where he was involved in the fishing industry, he  became  secretary of the Townsville branch of the Queensland Commercial Fishermen's  Association .

For more than 20 years he conducted oyster  farming   experiments  on  Magnetic Island  and  also nearby Palm Island .  A   l977  journal  article  he wrote  about  tropical   oyster  farming   mentioned    the   Northern   Territory  where a  government  trial  had  been  cut  short  by  Cyclone Tracy in  l974. 

Bryson also campaigned strongly to protect the Great Barrier Reef. 

DESERT TRANSPORT

 

 Blown  in  Desert  Rose  seed   caught  on  top ,left , of  Gazanias. Photo by  Vallis  on  desert  safari.  

FROM JAPAN WITH LOVE AND PEARLS

In  l965, standing on  the  spot where the  atomic bomb  exploded above  Nagasaki on  August 9 , l945, destroying a third of the city and  killing  or injuring 150,000 people , an   Australian tourist , who  described himself as  "Uncle at Large" wrote his  thoughts  about  the momentous event on the back of  a  Peace  Statue  postcard, one of  many he bought  and sent home .

 He said it was a  queer sensation to stand  there and try and  imagine  the  horrendous  blast.  

One of  the  many  places in  which  he  stayed  was  the  " beaut " Hiroshima Grand Hotel, that  city  also obliterated by an atomic bomb on August 6, l945. 

On the back of a postcard, he  penned  what he  suggested  might be judged  "crazy", wide - ranging  samples  of  the   Japanese   way  of  life.  This  was  in  the form of a  long list  of subjects , with  yes or  no  after  each  one  , seemingly  indicating   each  had  or  had  not  been   tasted,  seen , watched,  sampled ,  experienced.  

It  included  Raw fish (yes), Saki (no) ,Tempura fried fish (yes),  Geishas (no) ,Turkish bath (yes), Strip Show (yes) , FastTrain / Bullet-130mph-(yes), Oyster Girls (yes ) .

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Included  in the  many  views of  temples , scenic countryside and  geothermal  activity was the above  postcard  of " seawoman", presumably the Oyster Girls listed above ,  picking  pearl shell at the Ise-Shima National  Park , which  included  the  birthplace of  the Mikimoto cultured  pearl  business . 

GRASSLAND FORAGERS

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.

Pheasant Coucal.

Hoppers. Vallis pix.

WORLD TOUR WITH LIONS , GRACE KELLY, CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND VEGEMITE .

A  bundle  of  postcards sent  by  Aussies  travelling overseas , spanning almost  half  a century , contains  interesting  observations  and  comments  about   people , local  tucker , tempting  things to buy , the  sights  . 

Found by our ragged , rummaging Shipping Reporter , most of  the postcards  were  sent  back  to  family and  friends  in   North  Queensland from many countries , including  Japan , the Philippines, Fiji , India ,Singapore ,  Spain , Gibraltar, Portugal , Italy, Switzerland ,  Egypt , USA   and   England.

The senders of the above  postcard  , dated   June  28,l962 , wrote that this was the venue for  an  International  Lions Convention ,which they attended , one of them made a  delegate , in  Nice , France.  There they met  some Australians  from  Sydney  and   even  Rusty Rees  from  Cairns  ! 

This  was presumably the prominent  Cairns businessman who started  Rusty's  Market in 1974, still  going  today , a  popular tourist attraction  . He was  also  a  well  known  local  motorcycle  speedway  rider  who in the l940s beat  the  crack Townsville rider, Harry Taylor . 

Another  postcard , a souvenir of  Monte  Carlo,  bears  several   Lions  Convention  stamps . There is reference to a Lions meeting back in Queensland  in  another  postcard . 

 The sender of  a    January  12  ,1980  postcard   informed  Mum and  Dad  that a lot of wattle had been seen in the lush French countryside. A  trip to  Monaco  failed  to  produce a  sighting of  Princess  Grace  Kelly. Mind you, the lasagna had been  tasty in  Italy.  In  nine  parcels  wrapped  to bring home  were  six  containing books . 

 America's low prices  were noted  by   a  sender    who  in March  l988  wrote  from Seattle, Washington, stating that  petrol was  80 cents a gallon ,underlined ; new cars started at  $5500 ; food  was  also cheap .  

From a bayou in lovely Louisiana, USA , 1975 , a postcard , with an Eisenhower  stamp, was sent  to North Queensland  urging   a couple  of apparent  tobacco growers  to  put in a crop and  come  over to  America for a  holiday.

The friendly   Melanesians in the Solomon Islands  impressed  another  Australian   traveller  who  visited  the  Betikama  7th Day Adventist   High  School  , on the outskirts of Honiara ,  to see pupils wood carving  in the native tradition and playing " beautiful" music in  a band  which used  bamboo  instruments. 

 Eating  Vegemite and  toast in  a hostel, looking out on   the grand scenery at  Whistler, Canada , after an overnight  snowfall ,  in October  1993 ,  a  traveller  said  there were  so many other  Australians about  he  wondered  who  was left  at  home . 

 Charlie  Chaplin  ,  Queen Elizabeth, the  Pope  and American   architect  and designer Frank Lloyd Wright  feature  in  the many  postage stamps of  interest in  the  collection. Of  course, Disneyland  was a popular destination, Winnie  the Pooh and  Tigger  shown  mixing with the public in Adventureland . 

ANOTHER STATUE FOR ALP WARRIOR ?

Seriously , Australia  needs  a   centre  where   activists such as  the late Pete Steedman  are  commemorated  with  statues, plaques, videos , light shows  , regular  festivals.

The  above  startling  image  shows  a  statue  of  Steedman , he  with a  raised  finger  to fascists  and  power mad  regimes ,   armed with a knife  , being  pulled down in Morocco . The great  illustration was almost certainly inspired by the  American comedy film Road to Morocco , starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour .

Steedman is clad in a leather jacket, jeans and boots , his regular attire when an ALP member of parliament and  judged  Australian  Politician of the Year by  the Canberra Times.  

The  distinctive   drawing  was   the work of  architect, author ,  activist    and  longtime  friend , Peter  Burleigh , who penned and  illustrated a  marvellous , madcap  travelogue  about  the  time he  and  Steedman  made   a  dangerous overland  trip in a dodgy van  from  London  to  Afghanistan.

 

Along the way , they rendezvoused   with Steedman's   girlfriend ,  model Julie Reiter, later his first  wife , and  the trip became something like the  Very Rocky Road to Morocco. Steedman  was involved in a dangerous   misunderstanding  by a  man  over payment  of an accommodation account   in  India  , resulting in Pete  brandished  a flick knife and  telling  Julie to defend herself  with a tomahawk  carried  in  a  suitcase , if  attacked  by  a  wild  mob .

There was another  episode on  the trip  where   Steedman saved their bacon  by  jumping  out  with a weapon when men came  pounding on  the  van door  late  at  night  demanding  money . 

It is  fact that  Steedman also brandished a  knife  when  American  singer-songwriter  Bob Dylan -The Times They Are A-Changin'- unexpectedly knocked  on  his  door in  Melbourne  at  night . 

During his life  Pete  received  death threats and  much abuse   because of his fearless  stance on many  issues , including  opposition  to  the Vietnam War,  

The  writer of this post knows of a  Darwin incident  in which a man threatened  to  kill  Steedman  with a  knife.    

This  month's  well  attended   celebration  in  the Melbourne  Trades Hall of Steedman's extraordinary  life even  attracted the attention of  a  serial  gatecrasher  , who  was  given  the bum's rush. 

  Australia's first female  prime minister , Julia Gillard  , sent a  video message in  which she told  of her  early contact with the notably bad mouthed Steedman  , describing  him  as  unique in  the true sense of  the  word . 

Former distinguished  politician Gareth  Evans,  who knew Steedman  from university student days in Melbourne in  the l960s, delivered  an entertaining   speech, a small part follows , in  which he  said  Steedman was an extraordinary combination .   

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"On the one hand, potty-mouthed student enfant terrible, potty-mouthed middle-aged enfant terrible, legendary campus lothario, bikie hoon, wild-eyed political radical and provocateur, and keeper of the nation’s largest and most meticulously catalogued dirt files (as comprehensive, I suspect as ASIO’s, although with a rather different cast of characters).

"But also a brilliantly innovative journalist and editor, shrewdly pragmatic political professional, highly disciplined grassroots political campaigner, hugely capable publishing and music industry administrator, effective and respected trade union official, loving partner, father, and grandfather and – perhaps most implausible of all to those who only knew him at a distance (but I’ll explain), sweet-natured gentleman."

During those university years ,he said Steedman had been the heart and  soul of protest  against  long neglected social issues – including censorship, abortion, capital punishment, Indigenous  disadvantage and  White Australia  racism , apartheid  and  opposition  to the Vietnam War .

He recalled  an episode in  a Vietnam War  debate in which fanatically anti-communist  Dr Frank Knopfelmacher  said : " My only objection to you ,Steedman, is  that  you exist .The gas chamber is too good for you. You are filth and vermin."

The following is not  from  the Gareth Evans speech but is inspired by the above  abuse  hurled at  Steedman  by  Dr Knopfelmacher . 

 Pete Steedman  once told the writer of this post that  he  only had  one  hero - Simon Wiesenthal -  a survivor of  the Nazi  death camps, who set up the Jewish Documentation Centre, Vienna, which documented the crimes of the Holocaust and  hunted down  nearly 1100 Nazi war criminals.  

At the end of World War II, thousands of Nazis who participated in the systematic murder of some 6,000,000 Jews and millions of Gypsies, Poles and other "inferior" peoples, slipped through the Allied net and escaped to countries around the globe, where many  lived in freedom, some in Australia.  

Near the  end of his life , Steedman  expressed   concern about  rising extremist  right  political  parties  in  Europe  and  some of the  extreme groups and  individuals  taking  part  in  demonstrations  in   Australia  .  

MINI DRAGON

Vallis.

 

COMING IN ON A WING , A PRAYER AND YET ANOTHER SET OF TEASPOONS

 Model of a  Second World War RAF Handley Page  Halifax Bomber , with  a  ubiquitous set of  teaspoons in the background, discovered by  the treasure  hunting  Shipping Reporter in a  Townsville op shop .   

A REGAL ARRIVAL

From a lofty vantage point , a recently arrived Torresian Imperial Pigeon surveying Townsville  on  a  windy day. 

ACROBATIC RAINBOW

 Described as  a colourful  aerialist, the  Rainbow Bee-Eater  zooms around   like  a Japanese  Zero  fighter plane chasing  fleeing insects , its body contorted by G-forces in  the  pursuit,  like  the  one  snapped  below  by  Vallis .  

MAN OF MANY TALENTS AND SHAPES

 Due to our Shipping Reporter  rummaging about the  tropics, Little Darwin has  become aware of  the amazing   Austrian  born  artist, architect , radical  thinker , writer  and  environmentalist , Friedrich Stowasser , aka   Friedensreich   Hundertwasser , 1928-2000. 

In a mountain of postcards bought by our waterfront  scavenger, he found the above  1972 German art card Exodus into space, by FH . 

During  his  action packed life ,which ended when he dropped  dead aboard the Queen Elizabeth ll cruise ship in the Pacific ,  he designed  coins, stamps, flags,posters railed against the massive amount of ticky tacky,look alike   accommodation  in  the  world .  

He  particularly deplored  the common use of  straight  lines  in  architecture. 

Something  of  a globetrotter-America, Europe , Africa - he exhibited  far and wide. He  moved to New Zealand in the l970s  and lived there  for  most of  the rest of  his life. Apart from designing  a proposed new  flag   for  New Zealand  based on a  Maori motif  , he also drew  up  one  for Australia  in which Uluru  held up the world  from  down  under.

On one of his  NZ properties  he  built  the  Bottle  House  which had  solar power ,  a waterwheel  and a  water purification  plant.  For a bit of variety, he bought  the  Garden of Eden  in  Venice. 

In l980 , he went to Washington  and supported  activist Ralph Nader  oppose nuclear proliferation. 

In  1999 , he  designed an extraordinary  public  toilet block,  above,  a veritable work of art  both  outside and within, which put the Kiwi town of Kawakawa on the  world tourism map . A  glimpse of  the  tiled interior, which received  rave  write  ups,  gives  the  impression  that  a  lot  of  fluids  of  some  kind were  bottled in  Kiwiland.

New Zealand's  spectacular  Hundertwasser  Art Centre, Whangarei , is shown below .  

TOP END PEARLS OF WISDOM CONTRIBUTION TO AI DEBATE

Darwin  influencer , Richard  Creswick , who is playing a leading part in preparations  for  this  year's  major 50th anniverary of  Cyclone  Tracy, took  time  out from his busy schedule  to  write an   interesting , well- researched  contribution  to  the  growing  discussion  on   artificial  intelligence. 

It  was  run  in  John Menadue's online  Public  Policy Journal , Pearls and   Irritations  , headed  Drafting the first laws to govern AI .  

Richard , a  former   member of   Australia's most intelligent news  service, the Australian Broadcasting  Corporation , is  a  member of  Darwin's  learned  Friday Club ,  swings  a golf club like a robot  and   freely admits  that  a  book   he    found  in  a   cafe  influenced   his  interest  in  the  subject of  AI .

That  book , in a  a free  swap rack ,  was  a  collection of   short  stories by science fiction writer Isaac Assimov, which  is mentioned in  his erudite contribution  on  a  most  important  global  subject. 

In part , Creswick refers to Assimov's  Three Laws of  Robotics  :

*A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;

*A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law;

*A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.

Readers  are urged  to  log  onto  John Menadue's  commendable  Pearls and   Irritations   and  read  Creswick's  thought provoking  contribution  in  full . 

(Assimov,Creswick,Robots).

UP SMART CREEKS WITH A VARIETY OF WELL- USED , ENCRUSTED PADDLES

 

Horseshoe Bay,  Magnetic Island. 

Stuffed on Seafood , Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island. 

Darwin reminders of great bygone yachting adventures ,some in Indonesia. Creswick Collection. 

DOWN TO THE SEA IN WRECKED PEGS

Nautical notice  board after striking Great Barrier Reef

  

Mundingburra Market,Townsville. Shipping Reporter.   

TWIGGY WITH GRAND DESIGN FOR A HOME AMONG THE GUMTREES

Vallis.

 

LUCKY SHIPPING REPORTER SURVIVES RAINFOREST CRASH LANDING

 Further proof that our  waterfront  roundsman is losing his facullties  due  to senile  decay and   the  grave  global shortage of  monkey gland injections  is  his   failure  to  instantly  snap up a  highly desirable object   at  the   monthly  market   in  the  leafy  grounds of the  Mundingburra   State    School ,Townsville .

Due to his deteriorating  eyesight , he  thought  it   was a   nondescript     souvenir   of  Melbourne's  Moomba  Festival, so  just took  a  photo  of the object.

With the help of a  magnifying  glass,  he  later  examined the  photo    and let out a  salty  oath as if  being masticated by hungry  Moby Dick  when he discovered it  was a  sandwich tray  for   the   MacRobertson  Trophy  London to Melbourne Air Race ,  described as the world's greatest , part of  Melbourne's  1934 centenary celebrations . 

 Here  is the snap of the  highly desirable  tray, with a small chip,  in all its glory, still  bearing  the  paltry  ten bucks  price  sticker.

On the left  is  an outline   of  the  United Kingdom ; there   are several  planes  depicted  heading  for   Australia  and  the years  1934-l935. 

There were  five compulsory stops along the way- Baghdad, Allahabad, Singapore, Darwin , in the Northern Territory, and Charleville, Queensland  .

The  wealthy Australian  confectionery  manufacturer  Sir  Macpherson  Robertson  put  up  15,000  pounds first prize   for the   18,222 km race , which started in October  1934 , watched by 60,000,   a  gold  medal  given  to  each pilot  who completed  the  flight within 16 days .

First off  was the Comet Black Magic  flown by Scottish pilot  Jim Mollison and his pioneering aviatrix wife,  Amy Johnson . Early leaders, they were forced  to retire in Allahabad due to engine trouble .

How could the Shipping Reporter possibly have  failed  to instantly realise the   importance of  this  link  with  Australia's  aviation history ? 

Belatedly  realising  its desirability ,  he hitched a lift back to the  market  , but all the dealers   had  packed   up  and  gone  home  , gnash,  gnash .

The   big   question   he asked  himself  over and over : Will  it still  be    available  in  a  month ? Of course,  some  other  smarter person may have  snapped it up   soon  after  the  myopic   Shipping  Reporter  took   the  candid  camera  snap.

Imagine his   delight when  he tottered  along to  the  market  after  an anxious   month    and   found   the  tray  still   for  sale !!!    

 Along  the way  he  managed  to  buy a large bundle of postcards , some of which  are a monty to  appear in  this blog ,  two  war  books , one  The Origins of the Second  World War,   by A.J.P. Taylor, with its extensive new Second Thoughts  introduction , and   took several  photos of  interesting other  items , some with a  nautical touch,   on display . 

BOMBED AUSSIE NURSE RESURFACES

                                                                             

As part of the ongoing struggle  to  cull and   attempt to get order into Little Darwin's collection of  files , books, oddities  and ephemera , built up  over more than half a  century  , it  was disturbing  to  discover  that  photo  albums  relating  to  a  woman described in a newspaper  article  as  the "most bomb chased  Australian nurse of WWll"  had been  been  attacked  by  borers. 

The albums, bought in an Adelaide antique shop ,compiled over more than 30 years by Marjorie Congreve , pictured above, dating from the early 1930s in Western  Australia, were wrapped  in plastic and sealed, but parts had been riddled.

There are photographs taken in 1934 of the children's ward at Perth Hospital decorated  for Christmas , Miss Congreve  a  nurse there.  The nursery rhyme decorations  included  butterflies, moths  and  insects  for Walk Into  My Parlour , said the  Spider to  the Fly, with a  large cobweb  and spider ; Miss  Muffet , sitting on her  tuffet,  presented  as  a  nurse ; The Old woman Who lived  in  a  Shoe with a  cat .

Nurse Congreve went off to England  and  appears to have nursed the children of well to do people.  One album starts off with numerous professionally taken  snapshots of  various parts of England -Cambridge, Wales , Stratford- on -A von , with  interposed groups  of  people and  scenes , some captioned , Marjorie named ; snowstorm scenes ; Monmouth Oak , Somerset under which the  plans for the Battle of Sedgemoor  were planned , pit for  bear- baiting nearby .

There is extensive coverage of  Middleton Park 1941-1943 where   military patients  were treated, some Polish  airmen , included  several snaps  of Congreve ; two photos of  children evacuated from London hospital  which received a  direct  hit  during the blitz. Extensive coverage of  Norley Bank  for children  during the war ,  with names  of staff , two  full plate   l944 Christmas party , many names , two American doctors visitors .

Invitation , Congreve's name  at  top ,   February 10,1944   from   Earl and Countess   Spencer to  marriage  of their daughter  Anne  to Lieutenant   Christopher  Wake-Walker , Westminister  Abbey , with   newspaper  cuttings  of  princesses  Margaret   and  Elizabeth , one  with pic , who  attended .

Many interior and exterior shots taken of  a  mother craft  centre with names, village scenes  . Crossing the  equator King Neptune  ceremony aboard  ship   on   way home to  Australia in  1945. 

An extensive section at the back of an album covers the  period  l940  to l945 . It   includes  wide ranging views  of   Western Australia , Darwin  : party with flying doctor plane named   Dunbar Hooper ll  , Fitzroy Crossing ; interior of   Servicemen's Club Darwin ; dust storms ; 1942 bomb crater at Broome, Perth-Darwin Air Service truck in background ; Australian Inland Mission premises ; man believed to be colourful Northern Territory  flying doctor   Clyde Fenton ; civilians   looking at  the two-man midget  submarine ( below)  caught in Sydney Harbour in  l943 ; 1945 Peace Parade ; a Perth air raid shelter ; woman  posing  with  beehive .

EXCLUSIVE : DONALD TRUMP'S KOOKY MY KITCHEN RULES COOKERY BOOK

SING SING : In a desperate  bid to soften  his  godawful image  , recycled   felon   Donald  Trump  has whipped up  a  weird   cookbook  which includes  1001 WAYS TO COOK  A  (HOT) DOG , which will be sold on the election  trail .  It is   specifically aimed  at  the squillion of  illegal border crossers who are munching  through  the  pets  of  America .  Fox  (Stews)  News tips  the book  will   have  astronomical sales.   

The book will also  probably sell  well with  some of those fried brain  Republicans  who voted  for Trump in  the  past .  

It  has a  special   section  headed    HOW  TO  COOK  KAMALA'S  GOOSE  without  removing   the   feathers.  One  recipe  is called TWEETIE PIE , in which  Trump, wearing an apron and wielding a  cleaver and  mallet  , looking all the world like Count Yorga, demonstrates  how  to  convert  flocks of canaries  and  Bald Eagles- the  threatened  national emblem of the USA - into  tasty KFC  tucker  for Mexican  tiny  tots.  

(Spoof,Trump, Hotdogs).

 

POTTERING ABOUT THE GARDEN

Strolling  White Ibis . Vallis.
  

 

SKATING THROUGH EARLY PORTRAITS WITH A BIGAMIST AND AN IMITATION FRENCH FUNAMBULIST WHO EXPLODED

 Sporting a sash  bearing the name  A LITTLE COLONIAL, this unusual  1909  photograph of  a young girl named   Lena  , wearing roller  skates  and dressed for  a pageant,  has a handwritten  Christmas-New Year  message from  a  resident in  the West  Australian  goldfields   town  of   Boulder.  

Priced at $750 , it is  one of    50  portrait  photographs,  taken  in Australia    between  l850 to 1940 , on offer by  that  stirling  organisation,  Douglas Stewart Fine Books , Melbourne.   

Background information supplied by the  bookshop says roller skating was a popular recreation in Australia in the Federation era and  in 1909 it came to Boulder  in earnest, with the opening of  the Glide Away  rink.

Another offering  is  the above   group of  women wearing ice skates, with a painted  alpine  backdrop, snapped by a street photographer employed by the Leicagraph   Company, Sydney, circa  1940 ; already reserved . 

The women would have been  enjoying an outing at one of the city's skating rinks , either the Glaciarium in Railway Square, which opened in  1907  and closed in l955, or the  Ice Palais, located in the  Hall of Industries  at the Sydney Showgrounds , which operated  between  1938  and  l951.

There is  an  1886  Sydney  almost "mug shot " carte de visite of George Elliott  Alvaro, an American of  African and Portuguese heritage,  by trade a  cook, described as  a convicted fraudster, bigamist and  violent  offender . 

Yet  another ripper offering  consists of  four tinted studio  prints  of the above  famous funambulist - tightrope walker- Henry L'Estrange ,1842-1894. Born in Melbourne ,  he  became  known as   The   Australian Blondin ,  after  French tightrope  walker and acrobat , Charles Blondin ,who crossed the  Niagara Falls many times  on  a  thin rope .

Moving to Sydney in  l876, L'Estrange  erected a large canvas enclosure in the Domain  and  did regular   performances .   

His opening night on January 26 , 1877 attracted a reported crowd of 2000-3000 . Newspaper reports commented that his performance was so like that of the original Blondin that people could be forgiven for thinking they had seen the world-renowned tightrope walker.

With his rope suspended 40 feet (12 metres) above the ground, L’Estrange walked backwards and forwards, walked in armour, walked covered in a sack, used and sat on a chair, cooked and rode a bicycle, all on the rope. His show also included a fireworks display for the public’s entertainment.

L’Estrange performed in the Domain from January through to April 1877, but not without incident. On  February 7, 1877, as L’Estrange neared the end of his wire act, sparks from the fireworks going off around him fell into the nearby store of gunpowder and fireworks, igniting them. The store’s shed was demolished, a surrounding fence knocked down, part of L’Estrange’s performance tent caught fire, and two young boys were injured.

He also performed the "sensational feat " of crossing Middle Harbour on  a  tightrope . L'Estrange  performed in Queensland  and went overseas to Singapore , England  and  America .  

BALINESE DANCERS

 

Entertainment  at  the  new ICON Mall , part of the  mega  shopping centre,  Sanur . Photos  by Tram .