DREAMTIME SNAKE BECOMES WATER PYTHON IN TROPICAL DOWNPOUR

Riverway flooding, Ross River ,Townsville. Vallis photo.

The fate of the river's many  turtles  not  known . Apart from the  raging, fast flowing  water , the  turtles  would  have  been   hit  by  banks   of   weed  and   trees   washed   down   the  stream .  

(Snake. Floods. Turtles.)

ROSS RIVER IN REDUCED FLOOD

Black  Weir  at  Riverway . 

 

Below  Black  Weir  above  and  inundated  picnic  area  below .

Aplin Weir further downstream. Vallis pix. 

(Townsville. River. Flooding.) 

AUDACIOUS FEMALE STOWAWAY

Written by  a  professor    at   Townsville's James  Cook University  , A Woman of Courage ,  about  Rose de Freycinet , who   snuck  aboard  her  husband's  ship  in  1817   at  the start  of  an  historic  three year  round  the world French scientific  expedition , which  included  Australia , attracted  much attention   when  it  was   published   by  the  National  Library  of  Australia  in   l996.

The   above  illustration  , from the   NLA's  news magazine for October  l996, explained her  diary had been translated and  edited   in  English  for  the  first  time   by  Professor  Marc  Serge  Riviere , Associate Professor  of  French  and  Dean of  Arts  for 10 years  at  JCU .

It told how  Rose, 22, married  for three years  to  naval officer   Louis-Claude  de Saulces  de Freycinet ,  stowed away  aboard  the  French Government vessel Uranie  , which  he  commanded  at  the  start  of  the  major voyage. 

Dressed in an officer's  uniform, a blue frock-coat and trousers, she stole aboard the ship after midnight on September  17, l817-  the day  it was  to set  sail from Toulon.  There were  125 men  on the sailing ship . She remained in disguise   until   reaching  Gibraltar. 

Naturally, French  reporters went crazy when  the word eventually came back that  she was  aboard ship.  Louis XVlll  was reportedly amused when informed  and  said  her  act of conjugal devotion was to be excused , since it was  unlikely to be  imitated. 

The voyage included Western Australia and New South Wales, Hawaii, Timor, New Guinea, and  other Pacific Islands .

The  December  NLA   magazine  featured  an  extensive  article   about the   book, headed   The Captain's Wife Stows  Away . It  included  a watercolor from the  NLA   collection of  the official  reception for the  Uranie    at  Dili, Portuguese Timor .

From Timor, the ship sailed to Port Jackson, where  Rose  de  Freycinet  recorded   interesting  views on  Sydney society . 

As luck would have  it , the latest  acquisitions list  from Douglas  Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne, includes the above  l927 published letters of Rose de Freycinet (1794-1832), written  while  aboard  Uranie, sent to her friend Caroline de Nanteuil .

This first edition is magnificently illustrated with collotype plates after Jacques Arago, the expedition’s official voyage artist. 

On sale for $2200,it contains 25 plates, l3 in colour,  including a panorama of Sydney and  a Sandwich Islands  baptismal scene.   

The letters were edited  by Charles Duplomb , Paris : Societé d’Éditions Géographiques, Maritimes et Coloniales, with an introduction by Baron de Freycinet, a  direct descendant. 

NOTE: Professor Riviere took up the Chair of French at Limerick University, Ireland , soon  after  publication  of  his  book.  He  published  more than 35 books in French and English , one  Travels with Voltaire:academic memoirs ,  which covered his life experiences and  travels from Mauritius  to Scotland,Canada , Australia, Ireland  and  back to  Mauitius on retirement. He was  decorated by  the  French  government .

(French. Stowaway. Pacific.)

CHEEKY KIWI FANGS AUSSIE TOURISM

 

CORAL SEA CLOUDS

Photos by Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra on Cairns to Townsville flight.

(Clouds. Sea. Abra.)

STORM FLOODING , TREE DAMAGE

 

Anderson Gardens ,Townsville, closed during current heavy rain and  gale force winds.  

IN FOR A DIP

Magpie Geese and Burdekin Ducks , Darwin rural area. Wesley-Smith snap. 

 

(Darwin.  Birds. Wes.)

CAIRNS DELUGE

 

Low cloud views from the Esplanade by Abra  . 

(Cairns.Rain. Abra.)

BALI GOES ITALIAN

 

From  our  travelling  gourmet . 

(Bali. Italian. Window.)

BRISVEGAS ON SHOW

 

Brisbane series by Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra 

(Brisbane. Views. Abra.)

QUEEN MOTHER FOR SALE !!!

Forelock-tugging  Shipping  Reporter makes right royal  discovery in op shop. 

The  Queen Mother  beams from a  letter  , on sale for  $50, in  a display  cabinet  in  the Vinnies shop   at  Townsville's  Castle Town .

The letter  was sent  by a Lady- in- Waiting  on behalf of the Queen Mother    thanking a Townsville couple, Mrs and Mrs  R.  de Graaff,   for the kind   message   they  sent   Her Majesty on  her 100th  birthday in  2000. 

Our  Shipping Reporter   had a  fishy  close  encounter with  Her  Majesty in  New  Zealand .  She was  on a royal visit , and the Shipping Reporter , with  a British photographer ,  was  covering  part  of  a 1960s  tour  in  the  North Island .

From memory , he said  the overland  royal  entourage was  delayed  because  a   sheep  transporter  had  overturned  , causing  a   road  blockage.

Late  in  the  day ,  Her  Majesty ,   dressed to   give  the impression  she  was  about to  go  trout  fishing , looking  like  Vera  in  the  current   television  detective series, graciously  agreed  to   pose  for  the  reporter  and  cameraman   for   a   fake   photo  in   Rotorua , then  quickly  retired to change  into  something  more  comfortable  

(Royal. Fishing. Vera.)

HOLY MOUNTAIN

 

 Gunung  Agung , Bali's active volcano. On  the  weather front,  there  is much rain  and  lightning  up  that  way . Monsoons are said  to be  coming  down to North  Australia  and  possible  cyclones  forming . An  indication of  a weather change is  the fact that ants are emerging  from  the  computer and running  about  the  screen  . No  sign of  action  in  the   rain orchids ,which confuses the  weather outlook . 

(Bali.Volcano.Weather.)

EBB AND FLOW WITH A MOOSE

 

Shipping  Reporter  log.

(Tides. Tropics. Reporter.)

WATERFRONT DRONE TOUR

Shipping Reporter zooms in on Townsville , Magnetic  Island .

(Drone. Townsville. Shipping.)

WET SEASON

Townsville  casino pool.

 

Vallis  photos.

ROAD TO MANDALAY BUSY

 Described  as  Townsville's  jewel in  the crown, Magnetic  Island  now  has  a   closed  section  of  a  main  road  which  it seems  only  an  Army engineering  team  with  a  spare , portable, pre- fabricated  Bailey  bridge  could  ease  the  situation  in  the   near  future.

Flooding  caused by heavy rain  in  December  damaged  the   Sooning  Street  bridge  , underneath  pipes  and roadway  over Gustav Creek, Nelly Bay. The  roadway   at  the  crossing  was  closed  and  there  is  no indication  when  it   is  likely  to reopen  or  when  reconstruction  work will even  start . 

Because of  the closure ,  traffic  is  now  diverted  up  and  down  Mandalay  Avenue and there is concern  that   heavy trucks  could  damage   another  bridge . 

(Bridge .  Island.  Army.)          

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

During a  night  flight  from Cairns to Townsville  passengers were   alerted over the  PA that  the plane  may have  to  return  to Cairns because  the tarmac  lights  were  not   working  on the Townsville runway.  The  plane , with a Little Darwin team member aboard,  went into  a   holding  pattern south  of  the  city  while  the  problem   was  eventully  fixed.

LOOSE GOOSE

Vallis.

 

MEDIA DISABLED , DISMEMBERED .

When  our  Shipping  Reporter went along to cover the Townsville arrival of the cruise  ship  Queen Elizabeth  he  discovered  that  usual   parking  spaces  for  vehicles with disabled  passengers  at  the  main wharf  had   been  converted  to   media  use  only  which   was  really   an  indication   of   the  current  tough  financial  times in  commercial  media , not  to  mention  its  obvious  shortcomings.  

Since then, Channel Nine has   axed its  Darwin bulletin  and made changes to  its  Gold Coast office ,  involving  11  full-time employees  , three made  redundant.   

Nine Entertainment  announced it  would lay off  up to 200 employees ,38 from television  news and current  affairs , about  half  from publishing ,  some from  digital  and  head  office. 

 Murdoch's News Corporation this  month embarked upon  a $65million  restructuring  which resulted in  the removal of  many senior News executives  and  a split into three  publishing  divisions. 

 At Seven West Media, run by Kerry Stokes,  150 staff members are to depart under a plan to save  $100million.

Commercial media is fighting  falling revenue as advertisers  slash marketing  budgets  plus the  decision by Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, that it would no longer provide funding to traditional media outlets under deals struck in the wake of Australia's landmark legislation in 2021 that required  technology  companies to  pay   for  news content.

To quote moaning  Donald Trump, suffering from RSI after signing all those  decrees,  thank  God for the Australian Broadcasting  Corporation which is  constantly  shot   at   by  News  Corp , especially  by  Sky . 

(Media. Disabled. Trump.)

VISION SPLENDID

Gulf of Carpentaria flight. Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra  photograph. 

 

( Carpentaria.  Flight . Abra .)

QUEEN IN NIGHT ATTIRE

 Townsville - Queen City of the  North- by night .

 Castle Hill , centre , subject of light  display . 

Waterfront view. 

(Night. Castle. Queen.)

EMUS AT WAR

 Part of  a  display in  the   Australian  Army  Museum  at  Townsville's   Jezzine Barracks  which  explains  the  background to  the  attachment  of distinctive emu  feathers  on  slouch  hats  worn  by   Australian   Light  Horse   Regiments .  

Slouch hats  were  first adorned with emu feathers by the  Queensland  Mounted  Infantry in l891 .They   were   officially  allowed  to wear  the plume  as  a  mark of distinction  for the first  time while on  active  service in  the  Boer  War  in  South  Africa. 

The  plume was   used to  identify  the Queensland Regiment  among the British forces. 

In 1915  all   Australian LIght Horse Regiments  became eligible to wear the plume.

(Army. Museum . Emus.)

EARLY CHINESE , MODERN KOREAN BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT IN NORTH

 Plaque in  English and Chinese   at   the  Earlville  Stockland  store  ,Cairns, highlights  the  Hap Wah  Company  plantation  which used to  be on  the site and in  l882  produced  the   first  sugar in  the district   . The shopping complex  is  on  Mulgrave Road, once  known as  Hap  Wah  Road.

In l878 and l879 , Andrew Leon (1840-l920) , born in China, who had been involved in agiculture in the West Indies and spent two years in Cuba,  took up  1250 acres of  land  near Cairns  for  tropical farming .

He had  settled in  Queensland in  the  l860s , and  during the  later   Palmer   River  goldrush , which involved many Chinese,   had  dealings with  Hong  Kong  business  interests in  Cooktown , at one stage   manager  of  Sun Yee  Lee  and  Company. 

His involvement with  the  Chinese community grew and he became a  partner in  the  Cairns trading  firm  Sun Chong Lee.  

The Hap Wah Company consisted of  Chinese traders in Hong Kong and local businessmen who   invested £45,000 in the plantation  , growing  cotton and sugar.

 With a  workforce of  up to  200, the plantation was mainly  Chinese run , except   for a  European  engineer  and   sugar boiler.  

The  Australian Dictionary of  Biography says  Leon  represented the Chinese community in many matters, organising much of their business, acting as an interpreter, and serving as a trustee of the Lit Sung Goong Temple.  His achievements and his social status posed great problems for anti-Chinese enthusiasts  of  the  day.

Falling sugar prices and the lack of capital hit the highly regarded   Hap Wah Company and the rest of the industry in the mid-1880s, resulting in the  plantation land  being  sold for £15,000  in l886 to the Charters Towers mining magnate,  Thomas Mills.    

The following  photograph  is  the  new   Korean  Mart   which  recently opened  in Townsville  , the  second  in  the  city  .

(China. Korea . Australia.)

CREATING RIPPLES

Vallis.

 

FLYING FOX ADVICE

 

North  Queensland  Burdekin  park sign with foxes.

(Foxes. Warning. Sign.)