ARSON ABOUT IN ADELAIDE

The  overworked  AFP,  university  professors  and  civic leaders in the City of Churches are appalled  at Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s  claim  that he  is only too happy to   teach  protesters how  to  set  the  world  on  fire . He  made  this  inflammatory statement  after demonstrators   across the nation  burnt  him in effigy   .  Scoffing   at    the  burnings , pouting  Prefect  Pyne   said  he  was prepared to  make a YouTube video  to    teach   the  revolting  masses   how  to  reduce him to ashes .  More cardboard  and  rag  were  needed , he advised, sounding like a true  blue  pyromaniac with a  similar coloured  Adelaide Club  tie  , for  a  bumper  bonfire.    As a result of this  statement , the  Adelaide  Cold  Case Fire Investigation  Squad , which operates out of  the   basement under  the smelly  pie floater  van , is sifting through  the  ashes of   numerous  unsolved  arson  cases  going back to the days   when  Pyne went   to Adelaide Uni . Pimply- faced  right   wing  university students  at   that   time were  suspected   of    many fires , including  the  torching  of  Popeye’s spinach  patch  and   incineration  of  Don  Dunstan’s  pre-loved  pink  shorts after they were stolen by  a  notorious Tory clothesline  snowdropper .  Firemen  throughout  the nation  are  bracing  themselves   for the  worst  ever  summer  as  voters turn up  the heat  on  the Keystone  Coalition.  NEWSFLASH: Myth Busters invite  Pyne to  quit Team Australia , join  their  pyrotechnics  panel.  

DARWIN PLANNING SHOCK AMERICA’S CUP WIN IN ITALY

Prime  Minister Abbott   boasted  that  Australia  is even  exporting  spaghetti   to  Italy . That's nothing ...  Italy is soon to be invaded by Roman  attired  warriors   from  Darwin  intent  on  slaying  the opposition  in the International  Dragon Boat  Racing  Championships. The little known  Darwin Waterfront Warriors  Paddlers  Club surprised when  they   won  gold  in the “B” 200m  sprint  at the Trans Tasman Championships held at Lake Kawana  on  Queensland’s   Gold Coast  earlier  this year .   Ever since  then , the Warriors have  been training  fast and furious  and   planning  to  win  the  world championship at  Ravenna  .  This  blog has  been  made privy  to scientific  research , similar to  that  which   helped  Australia ll  win  the  America’s  Cup , which  will   figure  in  the  race tactics.

DIARY OF A CURLEW CARER #5

Daddy brings  home  the tasty   bacon

Come quick! This command can mean  there is a snake in the shed  or more likely  that  the Curlews , especially the chicks , are doing something cute . On hearing the latest  call, I dash outside and my attention is  drawn   to “Daddy” energetically  dragging and  picking  something which at first glance appears to be the  desiccated body of  a  lizard. It is, however , the  bone from  a T-bone steak , with a long  piece of grissle  attached . How  it  came to be on the property  cannot be  explained as  it is  not our bone. 

 

Daddy had even dragged it over the  Berlin Wall built to keep the chicks within the relative safety of the  backyard. Over the  coming  days , the  T-bone is  seen  in various parts of  the yard  and on the verandah, the  grissle ever shorter, well picked .

Curlews  in  the  street are  heard crying in a strange way   about  9pm  and  on checking our brood in the backyard , Dad is seen standing alert , listening to  the message on the  tom-toms . Suddenly, he rockets off,  down the side of the house, leaps the  Berlin Wall and joins three other Curlews  telling a  wallaby in the street  to  hit  the  track .

Another   night  , a little after  3am,  our  Curlews  screech  .  Jumping  out of  bed  to investigate , fearing it might be  the return of the  Barking Owl,  a   fat  possum  is   seen decamping from the  pruned   large mango  tree  where  every piece  of succulent  regrowth suddenly  disappears.  A thong is hurled as  it   scampers  away and disappears  over the fence ; much later  it  and mates  dance  on the roof. Every mango tree  in  North Australia  is  in  magnificent   bloom , except ours.

 

The  chicks grow rapidly,  one is smaller. Less adventurous  than  the  other, it tends to cling more to the mother , so it is declared the  girl.   The  larger sibling sprints  around  the yard on  its own , which can be  dangerous .   One day  a  Lorikeet , in a flash of colour and with a screech, landed next to  the  wandering youngster.   Taken by surprise, the  big boy  chick, took up a  pose like  the   boxer  , Kid  Curlew of  Capricornia , its  stubby wings outstretched like fingers, stood tall , and glared at  the  intruder, offering  it a round or two for a pound or  two. Must be away  as  Daddy  is tapping  at the  den door  wanting breakfast and the  rest of  the family  are gathered  near  the  T-bone.

MELBOURNE CUP ON THE GHASTLY WESTERN FRONT BATTLEFIELDS !!!

Unusual  Nat  Gould link  found  in Queensland

 

Nat  Gould name  stamped  top  right  corner .

The    works   of   prolific  writer of  novels and  stories   in  which  horses and racing loomed large  , Nat Gould ( 1857-1919) ,  were   popular with  troops   in the  trenches before  they  went  “ over  the top”  during  WW1 .  It comes as  a  deep surprise to think that  the  legion of  unfortunate  soldiers  in   that  bloodbath  had  any time  to read .    Another  unexpected   surprise  for   this   blog  was  to  find  an  old piece of  sheet music  in   Townsville    stamped   NAT  GOULD  ...  WARD STREET , BRISBANE .   By calculation  , this  obviously  was  not   the  author  Nat  Gould , who was  dead  at the time  the sheet music , for a song from  the   World War  l  comedy-drama movie , What Price Glory? , was  issued  in  the 1920s .   It could  be  one of  his sons . 

 

 Nat  Gould , a turf writer in Lancashire, came to Australia in 1884  and worked on the Brisbane Telegraph,  covering shipping , commercial and  racing  news . He also corresponded for  the  Sportsman and the   Sydney Referee .

In Brisbane he   married  EliZabeth Madelaine  Ruska  and they had  three sons  and  two daughters. Moving to Sydney, he became the   turf   editor of  the Referee and a race tipster  under  the nom- de- plume , Verax. He also wrote for the Bulletin and for a time  edited  the  Bathurst Times , NSW.

He  churned  out a  popular racing serial, made  into a book  released  in London at the time of the 1891 Melbourne Cup. In turn it was made into  a  play by George Durrell with   20 horses on stage. Gould  left  Australia in 1895 aboard the ship  which carried the champion  racehorse , Melbourne Cup  winner  Carbine .  More  than  30 of  his novels   were set in Australia  with  titles such as  On and Off  The Turf in Australia , Town and Bush , Bred In The Bush , Settling Day , The Magic of  Sport .   So  homesick Australian   soldiers  in  the  trenches  may  have  avidly  read   his   works  to  escape  the  madness  of war  before  going over  the top  and facing a photo finish with  death . The State library of Queensland has 68 of Gould’s books.

 Originally released  in 1926, the American Fox Film Corp  movie , What Price Glory ? , based on a 1924 play, was in 1952 made into another   film starring James Cagney . The name Robino which appears on the  cover is  apparently  a   name  from North Queensland    and appears  on  numerous other pieces  of  old  sheet  music  seen  by  Little Darwin  and  will  feature in  future  posts  .

THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGER HUNT UNDERWAY

Magnetic Island resident  Gary Hunn  and  son, Kelly, set out this weekend  on  their epic bushranger   film expedition They plan to travel 6000 kilometres,  visit 50 towns and  make  at  least  two films   about Australia's very colourful  bushrangers . The idea  for  the films  arose out of a visit  to Ned  Kelly country . Ever since  then , Gary has  been  boning up on the subject, making  many  phone calls, contacting  descendants , arranging access to relics . The Ned Kelly  like  image  right is  a seat  made out of a tree  in Townsville's  Anderson  Botanic  Gardens , a gem of  a  place .   

BRAVE SUFFRAGETTES ON PARADE

 

 

In the early 20th century suffragettes battled for the  right to  vote  and  other freedoms .  Often  derided , they  are  seen   here  parading, with children,  in London . Some of  the suffragettes  became  nurses  and  tended  soldiers  in  France  in  a  world cocked up  by  males. ( Little Darwin  Photograph Collection .)
Addendum: It has been suggested  that this photograph was taken  when 4000 suffragettes, all dressed in white and carrying laurel wreaths,  marched  to mark the death of  a leading member , Emily Davis , who was fatally injured when she ran in front  of  the king's horse on  Derby Day, June  4, 1913. As she lay in hospital spiteful  messages  were  sent  abusing her  and  suffragettes.  

GALLIPOLI LANDING -FIRST IN A SPECIAL WW1 SERIES

From  Little Darwin  Postal  History  Collection