NORTH QUEENSLAND AERIAL LANDSCAPES

Abra special

 

HOW MUCH CAN A POLAR BEAR BEAR IN THE TROPICS ?

For many months , exposed  to  wind , rain and sunshine  ,  this  polar bear  has been  hanging  upside down on a clothesline like Benito Mussolini  .  At  one stage it was slumped on a  plastic chair  with  a  droopy  hat  like  Paddington .

SCOOP : CODED DISPATCHES FROM ACE REPORTER IN STRATEGICALLY LOCATED PACIFIC HOTSPOT # 1

After arriving  on  the  Isle   des Mugs  aboard  a  chartered  ferry  to cover the looming  crisis  for  the  respected  international  newspaper , The  Daily Beast ,  mild mannered , latte sipping   reporter , William  Boot , took  two hours to unload his  tropical  survival   kit,   including the   world's  only  coal  fired  typewriter . Sleeping in , he finally  managed to  rise  just before the sun  was over  the yardarm   to   file  his  first sensational cable , which shook  the   British Empire . His  obviously  coded   dispatch   read:-

NOTHING MUCH  has  happened  here  in  the  past  year .  Lit  my first early morning  Cuban  cigar with a  fake hundred  dollar   American bill  , one of  many  blowing about the  island. The mainland newspaper , The Daily Brute,   owned by media magnate Lord   Zinc, and other  gentlemen of the  Press ,  only interested  in  the latest trends  in celebrity fertilisers  and fierce  state of origin  croquet matches ,so do  not  regard  feral  counterfeit  Yank   currency  as   a   threat   to  the  banana  republic's  economy .

 

There was a  pretty red  dawn yesterday, a  friendly  native , Evelyn Waugh ,  not sure of gender , informed  me .  Hope  there  is another red sunrise  tomorrow  and  I  wake early enough to  see  nature in all its glory . I  have been  offered   many   freebie   Chinese  spring  rolls  .  Lots of  noxious  weeds  growing   in  backyards.

 

 In London , his  boss, Lord  Copper , was delighted  with  this clever  dispatch ,  its  hidden message   clearly  indicating  that  America, Russia   and   China   are   stealthily  attempting  to   take  over  the island  and  the  Mugs  are  not  aware .       

IN A GROWING AGE OF DISSENT , THE ULTIMATE AUSTRALIAN BOOK ON THE SUBJECT

It  is  sad  to  report that the  author of  this  excellent book , historian   Dr Sally  Percival Wood ,  58, has  died   in  Melbourne ,  from cancer.  It is testimony to  her bravery,  professionalism  and  tenacity  that she  carried on  researching and writing the book  as  her   health   deteriorated .

Over the  years she had  written  about Australia's  relations with  Asia post -World War ll  and had given public lectures in Vietnam, Cambodia , Brunei , Indonesia  and  India .

At  the  time  of  writing  the book, dedicated to the l960s trailblazers who changed Australia , she was  a member of  Deakin University's Contemporary  History  Research  Group  and the  Professional  Historians  Association .

While the  book  highlights the  student press in 1960s Australia , it is right up to  the present day in  its coverage , with  strong  comments about the  way universities  are  run  , the  relationship  between  students and  faculty,  the  economic and other pressures on  modern students   and  asks  has  the  student   press  lost  its  nerve?  

 Australian student newspapers of the  l960s clashed with political conservatism ,  spoke out  against  the Vietnam War, resisted   conscription , raciscm and organised  the above  Vietnam War forum  attended by prominent   national figures.  There  is  a  powerful final chapter ,  WHITHER  THE CLEVER COUNTRY ? 

 

 By Peter Simon 

 This  blog  likes  to think  it is  responsible for  the   book  being  written by  running , in many parts , some illustrated, part of the  boisterous    life   of   controversial  1960s  university   newspaper  editor,  journalist , ALP  politician  and   publisher,  Pete Steedman.  It included   some of  his  involvement  in  London  influencing media coverage of the  Irish troubles , playing  a big part in  preventing   a new TV  licence  going to commercial interests , organising  a campaign to  prevent  an  historic part of the city   being demolished .     

 

As a  result of  that series in Little Darwin , it was  firmly stated  that a  book  should be written  about   Steedman. I heartily  endorsed  that  sentiment and offered any information  and illustrations  I could  for the project to become airborne . Some of  the illustrations  used in  the blog  appeared  in  Dissent  .

 

I  first met  Steedman  in   Darwin  after  Cyclone Tracy . He had been flown  in  to  organise contact with  the large part of the community evacuated all over  Australia and to assess  how the disaster had been handled .  With  his  dynamic  lets get things done  approach , punctuated with occasional  expletives,  he  created  his own  cyclonic winds  in  media,  government   and   café circles in   the  Top  End . If I remember  correctly ,  he  was responsible for  suggesting  a small commercial  printer  should   start a  newspaper  in  Darwin, which they did  and it gave the Murdoch one a run for its money .   

 

When I was working for a South Australian  senator , I met up  again in Canberra  with  Steedman ,  who  was  then  the  ALP  Member for  Casey . He went on to promote and  develop  Australian  music  and  the record industry .

 

 Some years later , Dr  Sally Percival  Wood   began to  dig  into  the bigger picture of   dissent in Australian  universities   , apart  from the 1960s, researching  such people  as  the controversial  literary figure  P.R. "Inky"  Stephenson  who was  involved with D. H. Lawrence and   Xavier Herbert  ;   Zell Rabin ,who became  a  top  Sydney  reporter  , worked  in  America and  was closely associated  with   Rupert  Murdoch in the early  days  of  his  rise to  fame . 


During   her  research  she   and   Steedman   came to  Magnetic Island in 2016  and  items of  interest  were  handed  over  to  her ; information on other subjects of  interest , about  which  she  was  keen  to  write , including  early Australian trade with  Asia , were  forwarded  to  her.

 

Despite  deteriorating   health  and operations   , the book was finished and  published  late  last  year by  Scribe. Named are many of the activists from the l960s who went on to   become  well known politicians , lawyers, journalists  , publishers , actors .   A person of interest  who receives a mention  is  Peter Burleigh  , whose distinctive ,  illustrated  articles have  appeared in  Little Darwin , one  of  his  cartoons recently  run  in a post  about the  Magnetic  Island   art  researcher  Margaret  Vine . Burleigh  and  cartoonist  Michael Leunig  both contributed to  Broadside , a  new Melbourne Age  publication  edited  by  Steedman  after  his  university  days . 


The foreword , by Graeme Davison , Emeritus Professor of Monash University and  co-author of  University Unlimited ; the Monash Story , states that  one figure , above all, personified  the spirit of the  l960s student press, the  "swashbuckling  Peter  Steedman ",  the  most  prodigiously  talented newspaper  editor of  his  generation .   Steedman, below, left, in action  at university . 

In the Dissent  acknowledgements , Sally  offered her sincere thanks to her oncologists,  surgeons and medical  teams  for "keeping me upright with the greatest of  care . "

 

Last of all, she wrote :" Finally I thank the inimitable  Pete Steedman . His passion for the student press and his encyclopaedic knowledge of 1960s politics has been an incredible  resource.  He has not only put his library and  his archives  at my disposal , he has read and critiqued  every word written  and placed  no  restrictions on  his  time. On a personal level , Pete , you are my rock . Thank  you  with   love . " 

Shattered by the  death of his partner , his  first wife  having also  died from cancer, Steedman  emailed  news  of   Sally's   death  on  April 9, with details of a special event  on Sunday  to celebrate her  life .  In it, he said her death  had been the end of  an  l8 month ordeal  for her .

 He went on ..."Sally had great potential and was an incredible researcher and  had several  books in the  pipeline. At 58 she was far too young to go.
 

 "I am obviously a bit fucked as we had established a good relationship, although she had to contend with my blindness, arthritis and all the ageing diseases including slowly  losing  my  mind, not  to  mention picking me up out of the gutter when I  again  miss  a  step." 

PRINCE CHARLES IN BLESSED CAIRNS , MIRACULOUSLY NO BATS VISIBLE OVER THE CITY

 

Abra  photographs prove God moves in mysterious  ways and will not  allow  fruit  bats  bother    royalty ,  protectors  of   the  faith .

RARE BANJO PATERSON FIND

A  delighted  Little Darwin correspondent has turned up this exciting 1906  postcard sent to  Andrew Barton  " Banjo" Paterson , composer of  Australia's  other national   anthem , Waltzing Matilda ,  and the well known ballads , The Man from Snowy River  and  Clancy of the  Overflow . Sent with the compliments of a  stock and station agent  in Tamworth , NSW ,  the  handwritten message  to  Paterson is  described  as being " A Story Without  Words."

That  story is  revealed  by the  front of  the postcard with photographs  graphically  depicting  the   annual  variations  in   Australian  seasons -one of plenty,  another severe  drought.  Handwritten  additional  captions at the bottom  state  the good times  always  apply to Tamworth  ;  the  " Other  parts  generally "  illustrated  by  the  gaunt  carcass  of  a  beast  up  against  a   fence. 

 

Paterson (1864-1941) , born on a NSW  pastoral property , was educated  in Sydney, became a solicitor , during which time he submitted  verses  under the pseudonym  of "B" and  "The Banjo". In  Sydney he  was  popular ,  rode with the  Sydney Hunt Club , mixed with  the  literary figures of the day , helped   Henry Lawson with legal  matters .  The background to the famous   Waltzing  Matilda  song   is  thus :-

In 1891 , the  Queensland  sheep  shearers strike   took  place , creating a situation close to civil war  ;  Premier Samuel Griffith called out the military   . There was trouble again   in 1894 ; shearers at  Dagworth  Station, near Winton , central west Queensland ,  rose  up , fired  shots   from  firearms into the air . They burned down  a  woolshed and  a  large number of  sheep  died  in  the blaze . 

During the tense   situation , the Dagworth owner  and three police had chased  Samuel Hoffmeister , also known as "French " and "Frenchy ",   who  , it was claimed , rather than be captured , had shot and  killed himself  in the Combo Waterhole. ( In 2010 ,  ABC  News  ran  a  report  quoting  an investigating barrister  , Trevor Monti , as  saying  Hoffmeister's   death  was more akin to a  gangland  assassination  than   suicide . )

In any case,  it is said  that  when Paterson was  a guest at  Dagworth in 1895 , he had  ridden out to the Combo Waterhole   and  had subsequently  penned   the saga of the   jolly  swagman  who  ran   from  the  squatter  and  police and  drowned  in  the  billabong.

It is  claimed the   song  was  first  sung on April 6, 1895  by Sir  Herbert  Ramsay at a  banquet  for  the  Queensland premier at the North Gregory Hotel, Winton .
         

In 1899 , Paterson   covered the Boer War in South Africa  for the Sydney Morning Herald and  became  a well known journalist ; he set out to cover the 1901   Boxer Rebellion  in  China  but   it  was  over by the  time  he arrived , meeting  up with the Australian  adventurer,   George "Chinese " Morrison , Peking  correspondent  for The Times .  

UPCOMING :  Banjo  Paterson link with  a  prominent  female artist  and  Townsville's  James Cook  University .  

PLAN TO SEIZE STEAM DRIVEN AUSTRALIAN SHIP OF STATE

National  Security warns of  Mad Monday plot .

CANBERRA:   All security  agencies  are on  red alert , certain that there will be  a concerted  effort to  storm   Captain Ahab Turnbull's  luxury yacht, TSS Canberra, below,  and set  him adrift in a bumboat  , without a lifejacket,  like   Governor  Bligh , following   next  Monday's  Newspoll .    

This  exclusive   photograph  shows  jolly Liberal Party  members dressed  in period  costumes  in more happier days , welcoming  the  Canberra, Captain  Turnbull , an amputee due to a  savage  whale  attack  off  Bondi , at  the wheel . Now , there is  a  dastardly plot  to  completely kneecap him , grab  possession  of  the  yacht  and  sell  it  to Japan , Canada , India, China   or any other  foreign  country.