SCENIC WATERFRONT WALKWAY

 

Cairns  Esplanade  by  Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra.

(Cairns. Esplanade, Abra.)

RECEDING OVERFLOW REFLECTIONS

 

Closed  Anderson Botanic  Gardens .

 

( Flooding. Townsville. Vallis.)

COASTAL TAPESTRY

 Cairns  by  Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra. 

 

(Cairns . View . Abra.)

INTRIGUING NAUTICAL YARN

 Our Shipping Reporter is convinced  an interesting story  could unfold  in the follow up to a number of  books he found  in a  North Queensland garage sale . At first glance,  he said  the cache linked a United States   Navy Marine  in 1942  with a  Brisbane man  who its  seems  became a  marine engineer. 

Of   particular  interest   was  the above  well  worn , revised 1942  Henry Ford Trade  School Shop  Theory , published by McGraw-Hill  Book Company , New York and  London,  267pp,  highly  illustrated  .

Founded by  Henry Ford  in l916, with just six students and one instructor,  the  Henry Ford Trade School, Dearborn, Michigan, gave underprivileged  young men  the  opportunity to  earn a  living  while learning a trade , and  provided  the  Ford  Motor Company with trained draftsmen and  technicians.  

By l931, there were 135 faculty members teaching  2800 students.More than 8000  had graduated  from  the  school  when   it   closed  in  l952. 

The   book contains   three   inscriptions  from  American Thomas  Paul Burns , the first dated   August 2, l942.  Possibly a second class  marine mechanic or  engineer , he  described  himself  as   being  of  the  US  Navy, San  Diego, California ; another   gives  his   address  as  1228 Elbur  Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio . 

In large handwriting, the  other expresses  good  luck to Jack Herrmann , of Ascot,  Brisbane  , Australia. 

Somehow,  that book  made its way to  Townsville and was found  by our waterfront  roundsmen in a  box  with a   run of  books , Mathematics  for Marine Engineers, published by Thomas Reed Publications Limited, Sunderland  and  London, in  the  l960s.

There is  another  handwritten   inscription  with  the name  John . C.  Herrmann  , 36 Mary Street, Innisfail, Queensland ,  in  volume one , published in  l965, 381pp,  with  the outline of a   merchant  vessel on  the dustjacket  of  each  one .

The Shipping Reporter  says he reckons  there could be  an interesting  story ,possibly  involving Townsville  during WWll when there were many Americans  in  town and  subsequent   dealings  with   shipping  in  dock  and at  sea  in  various  locations. 

If he  is able to flesh  out  the  scenario  we  will inform  our  readers.  Already he  knows of  a  connection  with  Queensland's  sugar  industry.  

(Ford. Ohio .Marine.) 

TWINKLE , TWINKLE CAIRNS

Photos by  Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra.

 (Cairns. Lights. Abra.)

TRUMP CAUSES CYCAD SHOCK HORROR

Ever  since  boofheaded  Donald Trump  imposed  the  trade war , causing  Wall  Street to  become  wall-eyed , cycads  have  turned  unhealthy- like the  one  below  in  Australia  which  even  looks as if  fathered by  Trump  in a golfcourse bunker and  is obviously suffering  from the  dreaded, highly  infectious   Oval  Office   Pox.   

A  distressed   cycad lover   taking her  pet , cute   cycad  for  walkies on a leash  in a  North Queensland  public botanic  garden , told  LIttle  Darwin reporter Argus  Tuft  many cycads  have  developed  ugly , diseased  features   that  look like   Donald  Trump's  disintegrating , made- in - China  wig, way past  its use  by  date,  after  a   night  in  a  spin  dryer . 

Would  you  believe  this  is  not fake news?

(Trump. Slump.Cycads.)

RISING HOME REAL ESTATE

Due  to  the flooding  rain  in Queensland ,  magpie  geese  are  having to  raise  the  level  of   their  nests in  swamps,  pools  and   billabongs. 

The rising water level in a  lake  caused  a  pair  to  quickly  raise the  height of the  nest  by  adding  more  sticks and   pieces  off  nearby  plants.   The home alone  bird  below  on  its  nest  seems  somewhat nonplussed about the situation.    

                            

(Estate , Floods. Queensland. )