JEWEL IN CROWN TURNS INTO PASTE , MEDIA SNOOZE CONTINUES

Still blowing and ripping  in  the wind , part  collapsed on  the deck , broken plastic ties scattered about  , more eyelets  torn ,   remnants of  the costly series of   banners erected on the rusty  barrier about the   unsightly hole  near  the Magnetic Island   ferry terminal . This crazy situation has been going on for months  without  the  dynamic Townsville flag waving  media , which  loudly proclaims  it  has  its  collective  digit  on  the  pulse of the region , catching on .

 

In  Darwin , a  similar extensive line of  banners  to these on  Magnetic Island was   erected   on   the  border of  a proposed  subdivision , facing a major highway , seemingly  without   any   problems , despite  strong  storms .  

The relaxed  island  scene on  January 15 , ditto 18th.

The  Murdoch Townsville Bulletin  recently called on  local  residents  to  come up with ideas  to promote  and develop  business, tourism ,  anything . Here is a  basic  suggestion  for   the  Bully :  really  get  to know  what  is  really/not happening  on   Townsville's  Jewel   in  the Crown - Magnetic  Island- where the  above long  running  circus , allowed to continue   through the peak tourist period and  beyond ,  reflects   badly  all  round . The lousy Telstra service for Magnetic Island  has been  revealed yet again in the  past week in a case involving a cancer sufferer  whose  landline  had  gone  dead.  

IN AND OUT OF THE GROOVE

It is supposed to be  cool and  trendy  to  get  into  the groove  . But not  when you own a business in the  Darwin  suburb of  Nightcliff   called   The  Groove  Café   . The Groove, which also dabbles in clothing, jewellery, gifts and ornaments , has been broken into so many times  it is a wonder that it  is not  listed  in  the  Guinness  Book of  Records .  It  had been broken into  54 times in the  14 years  to  2016, twice in one day , four  times in one month . Now  the police   want  more  CCTV  cameras  in the  shopping  village which will require  trimming   of the  Banyan Trees and  surrounding  garden  in which  the outside  café  portion  is  situated. Recently  the proprietor of a nearby  fish and chips shop in the village announced  he intends  closing  the  business because of  the constant mayhem . 

NEW ART FORM : LID LIFTING

 

Turned into a  wall  hanging is  the  upturned  green  lid  of  a  circa  1950s  biscuits container , one  of  many bakelite kitchen utensils made by   Eon Products of Australia ,  to which  have  been  attached   lids   from  a   British  Kleen  Kitchen  Ware   set   of    jars ,  by  Sadler ,  from   the   same  period .

LAGOON WAITING FOR GODOT

 

A pleasant spot on Magnetic Island where the water level is low , awaiting  arrival of  a heavy  Wet ,  but   waterlilies  have   bloomed . Two dehydrated  residents have reported their rain orchids are in flower , a sure sign of  rain within three days. We  shall  see ... There was  some rain , but very little in Townsville and on Magnetic Island .  On  the island it  brought out  a cane  toad  which was seen  being examined by  Curlews  before it  was  hit  with a  shovel .

  

IN A FOREST OF FOOD, NERDY FRIAR TUCKS INTO FIJIAN TREAT

Helmeted Friarbird, a honeyeater , making the most   of  nectar in bunches  of seeds in a  Fiji Fan Palm . The bird  makes  a variety of  calls  which, according to Birds of Magnetic Island, by Jo Wieneke , containing line drawings by George Hirst ,  are    "watch out , watch out", "national park, national  park " and,  appearing   to  be  au fait  about  computers , loudly squawks  "spellcheck, spellcheck."

YESTERYEAR GREAT BARRIER REEF ADVENTURES AND A WORLD FIRST

Booklets and brochures  about Australia's now under threat  Great Barrier  Reef , going  back to  the  l920s ,  were  among  another  interesting   display  mounted  by  the Special Collections  section of  the  Eddie  Koiki  Mabo  Library,  James Cook University, Townsville .

Perusal of  the   collection presented  a  picture  of  the  marine wonderland  being  an  area  visited   by early  intrepid   tourists, naturalists , shooters , plant collectors ,  exploiters ,  pith   helmeted  male  and  female  scientists .

Of  particular interest was  the Thomas Cook travel  brochure, top row, centre ,  which  contains  the  1928  itinerary for a  proposed  24  day cruise, starting  June 8,  by  motor boat   to " one of the wonders  of the world ",  offering the chance   to  go  fishing,  collect shells, gather orchids, shoot "  alligators"  and other  game , catch   and  ride  turtles , see  dugong .

Beginning  in Townsville ,  it  went as  far  north as  Cooktown , taking in Cairns, nearby Green Island .  On the  return journey ,there  would be a call  at Dunk Island ,  beautiful home of  the  late Mr. Bamfield   (sic)  , scientist and author  of Confessions of a Beachcomber, Edmund Banfield. 

 Palm  Island, below, circa l930s,  on which  it stated   lived  members of  most Queensland  tribes  and  the Torres  Strait , would  provide a  wonderful  exhibition of  Aboriginal  dances.

 

After calling  at  Magnetic Island , the vessel would arrive  back in Townsville in  time to  enable  passengers  to  catch  the  Brisbane  mail  train .

The booklet , top right , The Great Barrier Reef of Australia  ,was  the third edition of  a revised  account   by  the Great Barrier  Reef  Committee  , Brisbane , 1929, of  the earlier work by the late Charles Hedley , F.L.S.,  Scientific Director  of the Great Barrier Reef Committee's investigations .  Hedley,  described  as  an enthusiastic and  understanding investigator  of the Great Barrier Reef , requested  his  ashes be scattered on  the  reef.  

 In addition , there is  an account by  Dr Charles Maurice Yonge, D.Sc.,Ph.D.,  of the Barrier Reef Expedition  from  Britain   in  1928. Organised by the  British Association  for the Advancement of Science , led  by  Dr Yonge,   to  Low Island . opposite  Port Douglas , to carry out the  world's  first  study  of  coral  reefs  .

 

Ten in number, the  party was increased by several Australians, including members of the Australian Museum  in Sydney . There are photographs of  the  laboratory set up on  the  island , a group shot in which pith helmets  are many , the 39ft launch Luana , owned by A. C. Wishart, of Brisbane , which  was used  by the   expedition  to carry out  a variety of  tests and  sampling. Corals were studied extensively.  A  geological section  cruised along the coast from Townsville to Flinders Islands ; work was carried out around  Lizard Island , north of Cooktown  and  extended  into  the Torres Strait .     

 Also included in the publication is  a botanical section  by Government Botanist  C. T. White, with a photograph, below,  of  Hoop Pines growing on  Magnetic  Island .This copy had  been purchased  from Tyrell's Book Shop, Crow's Nest, Sydney  .

Magnetic Island pines  today.

Another  gem in the  university display  graphic   at the head of this post , with  fish  on the  cover, bearing the  title  The Great Barrier Reef , published l928 by Art in Australia , was written  by   journalist , novelist  ,  mining speculator  and  politician  Randolph Bedford (1868-1941) , possibly more about this dynamic individual later. The slim volume contains   photographs by  two  other prominent   Australians of the day-E. F. Pollock  , a  councillor of the  Royal  Zoological  Society of  NSW,  and   famous  photographer  and   filmmaker ,  Frank  Hurley   who made several trips to Antarctica  and covered two world wars , dubbed The Man Who Made History .   



 

Pollock  did  much  to   popularise  early  reef tours . In 1925 he sponsored a trip to Capricorn and the  Bunker  Islands  group , taking  naturalist  friends  with  him .  On another excursion ,  the   party consisted  of  21 men and nine women , including  two lawyers , five medical doctors, a magistrate  and  Melbourne "Mel" Ward , a   collector   for  the  Australian Museum .     These  journeys  received  considerable   coverage in the Sydney Morning  Herald and  helped develop  the  Queensland tourist  industry.  Lord Howe Island , off  NSW, with  the  world's southern- most barrier  coral reef , was  also visited by Pollock  and party .   

SMASHED AVOCADO REPLACED BY HORNY TUCKER

Magnetic  Kookas  Rules

Breaking  news for  Millennials . The latest , trendy  taste  treat  is  smashed  Rhinoceros  Beetle , one  about to  be  pulverised  by  a  gourmet  Kookaburra, above ,  on  Magnetic  Island .  

 

RECIPE : First catch one of  the  armour clad , struggling critters; with it  firmly held in you beak , fly to the veranda of a  high set house in Picnic Bay , proceed to bash it against the iron railing. Greedy  young  Kookas   in  nearby trees  will take an intense interest  in proceedings, sensing  they are  in  for  a  feed.

 

Bang! Bang! Bang!-the tenderising process  proceeds , without much success - a Hemingway big  game  shooting iron  seemingly the  ideal  kitchen utensil  needed . All  the smashing about  attracts other  mature  Kookaburras from  MKR. The Rhino , showing no signs of  softening up, falls  from  the beak  of  the sweaty   chef , unable to  handle  the  task  and  the  heat in  the outdoor kitchen .

It is  immediately pounced upon , above, by another Kookaburra who wanted to get in on the cooking act in front of  the TV cameras   , near the swimming pool , and proceeds  to  belt  the  beetle  against  the  brickwork . Eventually  the  beetle was  masticated   and  the successful   Kookaburra   appeared  later  to   burp .  

 

The  initial  clumsy chef , although kicked out of MKR,  was fed  some pieces of steak by the house owners as  a  consolation prize . It took one piece to some young  Kookas  who  nearly  fell out of the tree  trying to  get  the  morsel .