TERMITE TERRITORY

Cape York Peninsula . Abra  photograph.

(Termites.Cape. Abra.)

NED KELLY CAUSING TROUBLE IN HELL

Hanged  Australian  bushranger Ned  Kelly , with  Solomon,  Henry the Eighth  , Jack the Ripper and  Casanova ,  featured  in  the  above  drawing by  painter ,illustrator and  commercial  artist   Harry Hudson  for   a  zany  short story , Havoc in Hades, by  Hugh  Mountjoy in the December 25,1943 edition of The  World's News  magazine .

Kelly  was  a  member of   a group  of  deputy- devils  who held a  secret meeting  which passed a resolution that  Hades was no longer  a fit place in which to  live.

During the meeting  , Henry the Eighth  and Kelly almost came to blows. In fact,  Henry  mockingly referred  to  the bushranger having run around  with a  kerosene   tin   over his  head  in  Australia  and  that when he was  king  he  would  have  had   Ned's  head  chopped  off .

This caused Ned to roll up his sleeves and invite the king outside . Wise  King Solomon  stepped  in  and   prevented  a  punch  up. 

There  is concern  that  Hell  had  been invaded by a  mouse. 

At one stage in  the  romp ,  fat  Satan , seen  above with  fearful  Salome ,   she once  having been  presented with  John the Baptist's head on  a platter ,  is  described  as   being  in  his  seventh  heaven-sorry-Hades. 

(Hell. Bushranger. King.) 

TREASURES OF THE EARTH

 

One of the attractions of the sugarcane growing  town of  Home Home  ,  North Queensland , is  Ashworths  large , well displayed collection  of  gems , minerals , fossils  and   gold  nuggets .

Located 100 kms  from Townsville , the   vast  collection includes a special underground display area. It  sells  lapidary and  rocks  and even  jewellery  and   watches.    

. ( Treasures, Lapidary, Nuggets ,)

WEATHERED TOWNSVILLE MAGPIE WITH TASTY FERAL CHIP FOUND ON FOOTPATH

Vallis.

 

CHANNEL COUNTRY VISTA

 

Aeronautical Correspondent  Abra .

(Queensland,  Streams, Abra .)

FLYING THROUGH SOUND BARRIER

Vallis.

 

LASSETER'S LOST REEF FILE

 An ABC  report  that   Lasseter's  Lost  Reef ,  supposedly a  fabulous  gold deposit , was  not  in  the  Northern Territory  but  Queensland has sparked much  interest and caused  Little Darwin to  dig  out  its  file  on  the   tantalising  subject. 

Over  many  years  the  writer of this post  discussed  Lasseter's Lost Reef with    people  in  Alice Springs, Darwin, Sydney  , Cairns, read many  books  and newsaper  reports  touching  on  the   subject  , perused  police  files  and photos.

The   above  cuttings  were in the  Darwin  garage of  the  late Vern  O'Brien , a walking encyclopedia on anything to do witth the Northern Territory,including  Harold Bell Lasseter  and  his lost  gold  reef. 

With  award  winning  author  Xavier  Herbert  , above , I went to the  Alice Springs Memorial Cemetery  where  Lasseter  was  eventually  buried  in  June  l958 under the carved  figure  of   a  prospector.

Born in Victoria in l880, Lewis  Hubert Lasseter, went to America in 1903 where  he  maried .  He  returned  to  Australia  about l908  under the name  Lewis Harold Bell  Lasseter ,  married  a  nurse  , made extravagant claims  about  his  skills and  past occupations, wrote  newspaper articles.    

His claim to  know the location of a vast rich goldbearing reef  attracted much  attention . He  seemingly died from starvation  in  l931 in  the  Petermann Ranges , a  remote part of  the  Northern Territory .

He was  originally  buried  by  Aborigines in  a  shallow  grave  .  

Bushman  Bob  Buck , shown   mounted on a camel ,  after  removing  the upper  denture ,   gave   him   another  burial   in   a   grave  which  consisted  of  a  white  post   and   a    fence.  It  appears  the  skeleton  may  have  been  attacked  by   dingoes .  

Buck  also collected Lasseter's kit bag, camera , revolver  and a  compass  case  which  he  handed  into  police. 

A  television  unit  got  into trouble  for  digging up  the  grave  in  the  l950s.

Interest was  so  great in  the  fabulous   lost   gold reef   that  Germany  was  prepared   back  in  the  l930s  to  put up  money  for   a  film about    Lasseter ,  Aborigines  and   the   dead  heart  of  Australia .

America  also  became  fascinated by  the  lost  reef . The  act of returning Lasseter’s remains was to form part of a  forthcoming  American  CBS television show ,  High Adventure.

American commentator turned explorer, Lowell Thomas (1892–1981), was the host. As it turned out, the documentary was banned in Australia because it showed  Aboriginal  sacred  places.  

Included in  this blog's file  are  photos  of  Lasseter's  cave, above,  and  the view  from  inside. 

(Lasseter, Gold , Latest.)