STUMPED

 
(Lizard.Stump.Abra.)

MALDIVES BECKON

Photo from wandering correspondent Petros .

 (Maldives. Scene. Petros.)

SOGGY BATTLE OF HASTINGS

With an  eye  for  offbeat items  related to New  Zealand , including  their  racehorses, one of our  Darwin runners, born  in  Rotorua, spotted  the  sllghtly waterlogged  l961  copy of the  history of Hastings - named after Warren Hastings, the  first controversial Governor-General of British India - in  the North Island  of New  Zealand .   It  was  compiled  by  pupils  in  rooom 22  at  the  Heretaunga  Intermediate School. 

(Hastings. Swamp.  Darwin.) 

DASHING ITALIAN'S EXTENSIVE INFLUENCE ON AUSTRALIAN ART APPRECIATION

A  surprise find in North Queensland is the  above  1926 Old Master Drawings  quarterly magazine  from  one  of  the many   art  schools  run  by  dynamic  Antonio Salvatore  Dattilo-Rubbo  in  Sydney . It  is stamped  A. Dattilo-Rubbo  Art  School  in  27  places , possibly to prevent any light - fingered  student  from  taking  it  home .

It   also  bears  the  cover  trade  sticker  of  the  Sydney  bookstore  Swains and Co., which included an art gallery and a rare  books section.  Swains  later merged with  the book  publishers  Angus and Robertson .   

Born in Naples on June  21, l870, Antonio Salvatore Dattilo  Rubbo , had a varied artistic life  before coming to Australia,  which included attending    Rome's School of Fine Arts  , four years  military service during  which he  drew  soldiers  and  study  tours of  Italian  art  galleries .  

Arriving in Sydney in 1897, Rubbo soon became associated  with  Eirene Mort , a council member of the Australian Painter-Etchers' Society,  daughter of  Queensland  born  Anglican clergyman Canon  Henry Wallace Mort.

In return for accommodation  and   English lessons , Antonio conducted  an art class in  the  Mort  house  at  Strathfield.

He had a studio flat  at one stage near  The Bulletin office , which brought him in contact with writers and artists.  A popular member of  Sydney's  Bohemian society and clubs , he was naturalised in l903,  became hyphenated Datillo-Rubbo, Rubbo  his  mother's maiden name ; his  father a  grain merchant .   

He  ran several art schools in  various locations over a period of 48 years and also taught at the Royal Art Society for 28 years , even challenging a commitee member of the latter   to  a  duel  that  never eventuated.  At the outbreak of WWll  he  was placed in  an internment camp, yet he held Australia in high regard  .

His influence   on  Australian  art was  immense , many prominent   artists passing through his schools . He  married one of his students , Mildred Russell Jobson, who bore him two sons, one, Sydney, who became a prominent  microbiologist, highly regarded in London, and prominent  in Australian  medical  and   academic circles . 

In l937, Sydney was the "brilliant and  provocative" senior lecturer in the department of  bacteriology  at the University of  Melbourne . He co- authored a  London published  book which  became the standard text worldwide on sterilization and  disinfectant  applied to  medical, industrial  and laboratory practice.

A founder and president of the Australian Society for Microbiology ,his many interests included chemotherapy, the prevention of tetanus , the reduction of cross infection in hospitals and   the  sterilization of spacecraft  to prevent  terrestrial organisms contaminating   outer space.

He married artist , designer  Ellen Christine Gray who had  studied at the Julian  Ashton School and in London.  

The Dictionary of  Australian Biography states  Sydney Rubbo , interested in the arts  himself  , was  outspoken on  political and moral issues  and   had  opposed Australia's  involvement  in  the  Vietnam War.

He fostered cultural relations  between Australia and Italy and was  appointed  to  the Order of  Merit of  the Republic  of Italy  in  l967.     

(Italian. Art. Microbiology.)

AMOROUS BUTTERFLIES

Vallis.

(Butterfly . Kiss. Vallis.)

TROPICAL CATCHMENT

 

Palm Island dam . Aeronautical Correspondent Abra. 

(Island. Dam. Abra.)

WONDERS OF NATURE

 

Mundingburra  sightings by  Vallis .

(Nature. Mundingburra. Vallis.)

BEARERS OF MUCH NEEDED HOPE IN TRUMP'S MAD , MAD , MAD, MAD WORLD

Rainbow Bee-eaters,said to symbolise joy, optimism , security . Photo by Vallis. 

(Mad. Hope. Trump.)

MALDIVES MARINE LIFE

Fish market.

Shark watch.

(Maldives. Shark. Petros.)

AMERICAN ADVICE FOR AUSTRALIAN WOMEN INCLUDED IN IMPRESSIVE LIST

 Words for Women, the  above circa l973 publication is  just one of many  extraordinary  offerings  in  the latest list from Douglas Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne , covering   Australian  women  from  the   l830s-l990s. 

The text at  the head of  the  introduction says :

‘The following is a paper passed in November 1972 by the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union. We have omitted sections which we feel might not be useful to us in Australia. We are reproducing this material as a contribution to the developing discussion about socialist feminism, not as an answer to all our problems, but as an example of how some women with ideas, questions and struggles very similar to ours have taken the initiative in building a socialist feminist women’s movement.’ 

It  seems the 16 page Chicago advice was   snapped up almost as soon as  the list  came out . 

The list covers art , literature, film, theatre, feminism, sexual politics and private worlds.  

In 1880 , the  Queensland German Glee  Club, an amateur singing society , staged a masquerade  ball, nobody admitted  without a  mask before   12. The above  admission tickets , $120, shows  that  one  for a  lady  cost  2/6, half that  for  a  gentleman , thought  to ensure  there  were  lots  of  frauleins  present . Signed by  secretary J. Bauman.  

Included in the Douglas Stewart  list , for $220, is the rare  above handbill for the Wimmin Patriarchy  and Future Forum, held April 17-20  1981 at the Princes Hill  High School, Carlton , Melbourne , which featured a performance by  the  Melbourne  feminist post-rock band Toxic Shock. 

The handbill came from the estate of  feminist, artist, writer , editor and curator  Virginia Fraser (1947-2021 ).

Just a   small  sample of  some of the  other outstanding  items in the list are a  Sturt's Desert Pea woodcut by  Margaret Preston,$22,000 ;  The Australian Ladies' Annual, 1878, Melbourne , a rare  gathering of  colonial women ,$925; a 1936 , Bulletin published first edition , signed copy of All That Swagger by  Miles  Franklin ,$1100.

(Women. Australia. America.)

Read More

Read More

FORESHORE AND BEYOND

Palm Island special by Aeronautical Correspondent Abra. 

 (Island. Foreshore. Abra.)

BARKING TREES

Lost  toy  in  bushland.

Arty  arboreal  op  shop  snap  by  Vallis.

Forest Blue Gum.

Bat Wing Coral Tree in Townsville Anderson Gardens.

(Bark.Trees. Art.)

ME AND MY SHADOW

Vallis portrait of green ant friend  .

(Ant.Green.Portrait.)

KINGAROY KITTY KILLER SHOCK

Shipping  Reporter's twisted imagination runs riot  after  discovering Queensland's longest serving Premier, Joh  Bjelke-Petersen, had  terminated  the   family   puddy  tat .  

Guffawing  , our  waterfront  roundsman  lurched   into  the   Little Darwin den   bearing  a  copy of  the above l994  Reed Book , a  reprint , by Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen ,  Joh's wife ,  and  a  former  Senator .

Joh was unkindly nicknamed the  Kingaroy Peanut  by some , even a  Bible-bashing bastard  by  ALP  Prime Minister  Gough  Whitlam , who was  himself  axed   by  the  thirsty  Governor-General,  Sir John Kerr. 

The Shipping Reporter had picked up the book while searching the  bounding  main  for oddities  and  collectables  and  sensed  there would  be  some  unusual  content  within.

He  shouted  Eureka! and  started to giggle  on  opening P6  where there was a heading   for  the use of   stale bread .  Lady Flo  revealed that she and Joh often  went to the Bunya Mountains  for a holiday at Christmas and stayed   at Possum  Lodge  (not  connected with  Dame  Edna ) .

 One  year , Joh went home  a few  days  ahead of  Flo. When  she came home ,  after  a  few days , Flo noticed  her  pet  pussy  missing , asked hubby  if  he had  seen  the  cat.

According to the book, read out to the Little Den inmates by the  chuckling Shipping Reporter ,  who  added  to  the  text,  John admitted he had  knocked off  the cat because it  had been eating  birds he  fed.

On  receipt of this  shock reply, the Shipping Reporter   suggested   Flo would have been justified  to  use  harsh words  and  dong  Joh  with a  mixing bowl  full of  ingredients  for  her famous  pumpkin  scones.

There surely must have been  an angry response  from   Flo,  he  insisted .  After all, it was her  pussy . It would have  been great  at  the time to have been a  fly on the wall  or  a  member of  the  RSPCA  with  a  tape  rcorder.

The beaut 146 page book is full of useful  tips and recipes ,including how to  polish  your boots  with  a  banana  skin. 

The Shipping Reporter seriously stated  that  there  are  two  stain  outlines  in  the  book which  could  have  been  made  by   an  animal  skin . 

.(Kingaroy. Cat. Joh.) 

CHUBBY CHECKER ABOUT TO TWIST AGAIN

Rotund Birdwing butterfly  larvae after heartily  munching away  on a  special  vine . The  colourful, fleshy tubercles protruding from its  body  warn predators that they are  toxic . The  following  photo appears to show the caterpillar  exuding  a  silken thread, as  if  about to become   a  chrysalis , another pupal  stage, there are five , from which it  will eventually emerge as a  bright  butterfly. (Vallis pix.)

(Butterfly. Larvae .Townsville.)

   

SPECIAL MALDIVES SEALIFE REPORT

            

Holidaying correspondent  Petros  sent  a  series of photos  from the Maldives , in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka, which  included  inquisitive  Manta Rays ,there being five different types of rays  in  the  area, consisting  of numerous atolls and  islands. 

(Maldives.Rays.Panorama.)

ALL ABOARD FOR EPIC PACIFIC , ANTARCTICA EXPLORATION EXPEDITIONS

Rattlesnake Island  , off   Townsville,  named  after  HMS Rattlesnake , under the command of  Captain Owen Stanley, Royal Navy,  which  carried out  extensive survey work  of the  Great Barrier Reef,the New Guinea coast  and the Torres Strait  during  l847-1850.   

Captain Stanley, after whom the  Owen Stanley Range  was  named   in New Guinea , where Australian troops fought against the Japanese  during WWll, was  just one of many  explorers  listed in the following Gaston Renard fine and  rare books, Melbourne,  catalogue , of  major collections in  a   l994  three-day auction  of  books  offering  1284 lots, which raised  $1,160,608.

A two volume Narrative of the Voyage  of  HMS Rattlesnake by John Macgillivray ,l852, went for  $3080.

An  Australian  Financial Review  report  of the auction , attended by buyers from New York and the UK,  said  the  Antarctica  listings  had included many new items which made Spence's bibliography of  Antarctica , the standard  reference  of  many  years , obsolete.   Antarctica  books  sold  for a  total  of   $596,l98  including  premiums.

The  first  session of the auction  involved Australian exploration and   general Australiana  which came from the collection of the late renowned  book collector   Rhys   Stapleton   Fox  (l908-l993). Interested in history and geography from an early age ,he started collecting at the F.G.Coles sale in l965 and on retirement devoted time to philanthropy and the history of Australian exploration ,his extensive acquisitions  reflected in the catalogue. 

He was also interested in parliamentary papers. The R. S. Fox Forestry Bursary  was set up in Melbourne University  to encourage  students in the Faculty of  Science. 

Catalogue , with price lists , discovered by our Shipping Reporter floating about  Townsville.

 (Exploration.Australia.Antarctica.)

AUSSIES TAKE REFUGE IN CALIFORNIA

While checking to make sure no rain was getting in during  a  North Queensland   electrical storm ,  it was discovered  that  there was   a line of  ants  running  inside  the Little Darwin den   from  the wet   back door,  up  the wall  to the top of  a   Raul del  Rio Portal  Gallery, Sausalino , California,  framed picture . Brushed  away , they keep on  returning, have made themselves  at  home . 

(Sausalino . Ants. Gallery .)

SUNSET SYMPHONY

 

Orchestrated  by  Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra ,

(Sunset. Series. Abra.)

TIDAL SURGE

Palm Island under the baton of Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra. 

 

(Island. Tide.Abra.)

STRANGE VOYAGE TO SPICE ISLANDS

Shipping  Reporter  sights  lost , drifting  matelot . 

Sporting a  skew-whiff seaman's cap and a  ticket  from  the  Australian  Naval Aviation Museum,  seasick  bear   snapped  aboard  a  leaking  gravy boat  in a  North Queensland op shop .

The  museum , formerly  the Australian Fleet Air Arm Museum , became  Australia's Museum of Flight, located at the naval  air station  HMAS Albatross, near Nowra, NSW.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum traces its origins to 1974 when a group of volunteers associated with the Royal Australian Navy  (RAN) obtained five obsolete RAN aircraft and began work to establish a museum for display of artifacts to  present the story of  Australian Naval aviation.

The museum houses aircraft used throughout the history of the Fleet Air Arm ,  along with other aircraft of relevance to  Australia's aviation history, and memorabilia relating  to Australian aircraft carriers. The museum includes 34 aircraft and helicopters in its collection.

(Voyage. Sailor. Gravy.)

DYNAMIC AUSTRALIAN GROCER , SPORTSMAN , POLITICIAN

The  battered  above  160 page  l935  anniversary  cookery book and   household  guide for  Crofts Stores, which  had   137  branches  in  Victoria and  the Riverina ,  provided  an   interesting   insight  into  the life of  Archibald  Croft (1875-1942).

Born in  Secunderabad, British India, son of  soldier  Benjamin Croft  and Jane Hemhilswood , Archibald was raised in  Victoria  and educated in Adelaide. 

In  1905, he opened a  grocery store  in  South Melbourne  which expanded into a  vast business that  also  manufactured  groceries  and   wholesale  dairy  products  which  provided   employment   for   thousands  . 

In country branches, it endeavoured to absorb as much of the district's products as possible .   It claimed that on Crofts prices  five  people could live as cheaply as  three. 

Big ?  A  full  page advertisement for Crofts Stores  in  the  guide  stated  100,000 thrifty housewives  regularly bought  Friday and Saturday  specials  from  its chain of  stores.  If all  of its customers clasped   hands they would form  a line more  than  100 MILES  and take more than  30 hours of ceaseless  marching  to pass  your  door. 

You  don't see  advertisements making claims like this  anymore... except on social media .

A circa l937 Crofts Store photo in the  Moorabbin Historical Society collection.

The spine  of the guide  , found in Townsville , sported  a  single line advertisement for VITAMITE, plus a full page  color advertisement for the  ALL AUSTRALIAN  yeast extract  , which  seems to  have  been  a  challenge to   Pommie   Marmite  and  the wonderful  l923 invented  Aussie  Vegemite , made from brewer's yeast , known as Black Jack , which took off  during WWll when given to Aussie troops  because   Marmite was not available .  

Included in  the  many  advertisements   is one for  Shemen  olive oil  , made  in  Palestine , and  Bull Dog  Patty Pans .

Wealthy, community conscious , Archibald  Croft was mayor of South Melbourne  City  Council from 1934  to l935. He was  deeply involved in the Victorian  Aussie  Rules  clubs , using  his  money  to import  ll star   players, seven from  Western Australia,   employing  some in  his  businesses. 

 Horse racing was another  area of  interest .   Sounds  like another  Harvey Norman. Croft, representing the United Australia Party, was elected to the  Victorian Legislative  Council ; he  was reelected unopposed at the l940 Victorian state election.

At the  outbreak of WWll , Crofts started Crofts Radio Revels, a weekly concert for servicemen at the Princess Theatre , Melbourne, with the programme  broadcast  on  Melbourne radio station 3XY.

Croft  died  on  Queensland's  Surfers Paradise .

 (Grocer. Croft. Radio.)

HEAVENLY CLOUDBURST AFTER THE WET

Townsville.

 

Three  distinctive  Palm Island views with a touch of  the Orient .

(Clouds, Island, Wet.)

DEPARTING TOWNSVILLE

 

Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra  pix. 

(Townsville. Aviation. Abra.)