AUSTRALIA OPEN FOR BUSINESS...COME ON DOWN UNDER

Join massive tax  dodging international  corporations, slavers, transfer pricing rorts, local  millionaires  who  pay no tax , dodgy companies galore , bloodsuckers who  prey on  vulnerable  groups,  ineffectual, slow to act  regulators , the growing  Americanisation of the workforce, union bashing, large companies which screw farmers and suppliers , banks  which get  guaranteed public  protection yet  are slow passing  on RBA interest rate cuts,  some  staff  criminally mislead   investors  and   ruthlessly  turf  struggling  families off  pastoral properties ,  a blind-eyed , let her rip   federal  government .  WHOOPEE!!



As part of  his campaign to let the world know Australia  is open for  even  more quick buck  making business , beaming  treasurer  Joe Hockey  starts off  a  day of  trading  at the New York Stock Exchange. In the clap happy group,  on  the  left, is  Nick Minchin , a former Australian Finance Minister,  rewarded with the post of Consul-General in the Big Apple ,  who  once laughingly described Wall Street as a casino, which is true.

 

The American  people had to bail  out  the gambling finance section which almost brought on  another   global  Depression through criminal excesses , the  repercussions still  reverberating .  At  an exclusive  Christmas  party  for  those  who believe  their  organisations  are  too big  to be allowed to  fail, regarding  themselves  as  rulers  of  the universe,  they  were   recorded on camera  expressing   scorn   for   the   masses   in   a   setting which  seemed  like  a  party  for  the  French  Sun  King  ,  who  lost  his lolly  in  the  end.

CORAL SEA BATTLE ANNIVERSARY BOMBS OUT IN QUEENSLAND

Another  exclusive  by  our  Shipping  Reporter

On this the 73rd anniversary of  the  Battle of   the   Coral  Sea  , which  inflicted  severe  losses  on  the  Japanese in 1942 ,  the  neglect of this unique Australian link  with  the epic South Pacific  war  is  a  Townsville  disgrace.

It  is  a  huge  anchor  from  the American  aircraft  carrier , USS  Coral Sea , presented to Townsville  by the  US Navy   to  mark  the   great naval  battle which involved US and  Australian  forces from May 4-8  .  Today  there are rust patches on  the  anchor  , paint is lifting and faded ; the  plaque  attached to the memorial  is badly weathered,   the   text  exceptionally  hard  to  read.

The  plaque which  is headed USS CORAL SEA  ANCHOR  tells how it  was  presented to Mayor Tony Mooney, May 3,1992, marking the  50th anniversary of the battle , by  Vice Admiral  Stanley R. Arthur,  Commander of  the US 7th Fleet , a  former commanding officer of  the USS Coral Sea .  The Midway Class   carrier  had  been in operation from 1947-1990. The  memorial was erected  by  the Townsville  City  Council  and Townsville Port Authority .

 

Also  sadly  neglected  at  the  memorial  is  another  illegible  plaque and apparent  aerial maps, above, held on by rusty screws,   presented by  the Townsville Port  Authority , commemorating  the role of the port  in   defending  Australia  in   two  world  wars. 

 

Another view showing rust spots, peeling paint , corroding plaques. The  anchor is a short distance  from  Townsville Enterprises who  apparently did not notice  the anchor on the doorstep  is in need of  repair  , not far  from  the  ferry terminal . Townsville also happens to be a large military base, naval ships move in and out , some American.  

BATTLE  BLUE: The Townsville Bulletin carried a report  about the Coral Sea Battle 73rd anniversary  ceremony  at Cardwell  which  honoured  "more than 600 fallen American  and Australian soldiers" .  This error  attracted  a response by  one  Barry  Rissel, whose father  had been aboard  HMAS  Australia  during the battle ,  who  pointed out  that  those involved had  been sailors, not soldiers .

LNP GOES INTO INFECTIOUS NEGATIVE OVERDRIVE IN QUEENSLAND

Suffering  from   an  unsightly  outbreak  of  the  nasty cucurbits   virus , which  makes them  go soft  at  both  ends ,  members  of  the  moaning   LNP Opposition  Attack  Squad, above,  have adopted  the Tony Abbott-Joe Hockey-Hanrahan We'll-All-Be-Ruined -If -This-Here-Labor-Government-Remains-In-Office chant.  Also suffering  from  the  dreaded  Tory  mealy- mouth  disease , the anonymous  front man in  this   group of  knockers wears  a  poorly ironed , starched  woman's  half  slip  to  hide his disfigurement , fearing  Biosecurity Australia may order him to  be napalmed in a bid to save the Queensland watermelon, cucumber, squash  and  pumpkin  crop.  The  Brisbane  Courier  Mail   is   helping   fertilise  the  LNP  attack.

 During the recent Queensland election campaign which resulted in Campbell Newman  getting his marching  orders and the LNP  Government losing office, despite its massive majority ,  numbers  of  these  signs were  seen in  Brisbane .

KIWI FASHIONISTA

Stylish  fashion  buyer  for   major  New  Zealand   department  stores, Rendell and  George  Court  , Gwen  Stacey , wearing  a  snappy, upswept chapeau which could have been inspired by the  military hats of the day  , carrying  a  flat  handbag  and  gloves ,  in  the  garden  of  her  home in Fairfax  Avenue,  Northcote , Auckland , circa 1940s. The fancy white  collar on her dress   was detachable .  A milliner by  trade, she  had  her own  shop in  the  city  centre  at  an earlier stage and  made  many  hats   for  society women .

In the above  l930s newspaper clipping  showing   hats for Spring,  Gwen  is  top, centre . Inset :  A  hatless  photograph  showing her, about 20, with  bobbed  hairstyle,  a  corsage on  her coat.

Later  she  worked for the Betty  Mourya Hat Shop , run by Betty Sharman and Mourya Goldwater  , in  Vulcan Lane , some customers  members  of  the Jewish   community. While  employed as  a  buyer  at  George Court's, in Karangahape Road , she   served   Queen  Salote  of   Tonga .

In this wartime shot by  a  street  photographer , with her   always well dressed  daughter , she stands out  from  others  in her  attire , wearing another distinctive  hat , holding  the  child's  basket .

 During  the  war  years  she  made sales trips to Wellington .  Her daughter, Judith ,  took  part  in a fashion parade  circa 1950  holding the hand of  a younger child  and appeared  in the New  Zealand   Herald  and  Auckland Star  modelling  clothing  for  the   young   New   Zealand  miss. Apparently two fashion parades a year were held by Court's at  the time. The Court's building was  converted  into  apartments , one  a  penthouse . 

GREAT AUSTRALIAN MURDER LOCATIONS FOR POMMIE GHOULS

Seeking  new  spooky locations for   the Midsomer Murders  series, the BBC should  consider  the  Darwin  residence of  the  wretched activist , agronomist  and  failed  giant pumpkin  grower, Rob Wesley-Smith, and  the  dangerous, cluttered ,  fetid  Little  Darwin  den.

In one  Midsomer Murders  episode  a killer   had  towering   piles of newspapers  which he  used to crush  victims to  death. Take a  peek  at  Wesley-Smith  , below , sitting at his desk , with his indexed  newspaper filing system , and  you  can see his residence  could  easily  be  converted into  a  beaut  setting  for  a  similar  , brutal  murder.

 



In addition , there  are   dark and  foreboding  places  on  his   rural property ... a  black  billabong , a  nearby swamp,  feral  Dragonfruit  which  slither about  like triffids  consuming  humans  and  there  are strange  stories  about  visiting  Timorese  nuns  kept  in  a  shipping  container .

Despite  strong competition  from Wesley-Smith , Little Darwin  believes it is an ideal setting for  a  macabre  serial  killing.  In  the editorial cell   there  is a pile of bound in old newspapers   going  back to the 1880s , dusty old bottles  dug up in the Northern Territory, hundreds of  books  being munched  by noisy  bookworms, a poltergeist , heaps of  tottering plastic containers   marked SPOOF, TOP SECRET, X-FILE .  Dracula  the  cheese eating  Coucal  drops  in   from   time   to   time to  give  the  place a  truly  eerie  feeling .

Inside  the  gloomy  Little Darwin infirmary, above, the resident  Mexican  poltergeist can be seen shimmering at the backdoor, a  detached  foot  floats  about  the  room , a Roumanian hammer and  sickle flag flutters  (bet  the AFP  examines our  metadata after this post ) and  the Northern Territory flag  is  flying in a way which indicates  the  dysfunctional  government  there  is  going  the  way of  the Titanic, the  deckchairs  unable  to  be rearranged  as they are  full of  white ants and  crumble  into  bulldust  on  touch.

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY: BRING OUT ENDANGERED KOALAS AND UP THE INDONESIAN WORKERS !

A  reader  living  in  Asia  has taken this blog to task for not  posting anything about May Day in  Australia . In  part , the email  said:

I  note that May Day attendance numbers are decreasing in Australia but that they are  increasing in Indonesia where about 200,000 marched through Jakarta yesterday calling for  more pay and better working conditions.   May Day was declared a  public holiday there  last year.

 

Maybe if everyone in Australia shouted Mayday Mayday Mayday from under environment banners instead of shouting capitalist pigs or down with capitalism from behind an effigy of the worst capitalist it might bring back the numbers.   Mayday  Mayday  being the international maritime emergency call for help would then draw attention to the almost non-existent reporting of environmental crime.   I am sure that Mayday calls from under an environmental banner with a koala sitting on  top would be   just the beginning of what to shout Mayday about on  May Day.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk marching . 

NOTE: May  Day observance  in Queensland  has   reverted back  to May  this weekend  after  the  Newman  LNP  government  arrogantly  changed  the  date.  In Townsville , where  the  ALP  swept  the  LNP  from  the  three local seats at the election , there will  be  a large march . In   Darwin , Northern Territory , there  will   be  celebrations  on   Monday .  
 

SAVE THE PIED IMPERIAL PIGEONS

Tribute  to  the Thorsbornes  and  their  supporters


Pigeons in  an  approved  study  aviary on  Magnetic Island .
Photo supplied by Tania Schuett

Fifty years ago, Margaret and Arthur Thorsborne became interested in these  migratory  birds , also  known as  Torres Strait Pigeons ,  on  the Brook Islands, near Hinchinbrook, North Queensland .  Foundation  members   and  office  bearers of  the  Gold Coast  branch of  the  Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, the Thorsborne’s visited  Hinchinbrook  in 1964  and settled  at  Meunga Creek , near Cardwell, on a property consisting of coastal wetlands and  rainforest  facing  Hinchinbrook  Island .

Although protected by law since 1877, the pigeons had been extensively shot and  breeding  birds  had  dropped  to 3000 by the  time  the Thorsbornes set out  to  protect  them . Today the  numbers  are  more than 40,000.

Counting the  flocks became an annual event , involving more and  more  people . A  film is being made  to mark   the  50^th anniversary of  the  pigeon count.  Margaret Thorsborne, 87, now living in a Cardwell  retirement  village , over  the  years  has also been involved  in  the struggle to protect the  southern cassowary , mahogany glider and  dugong.  This is the  first  in an illustrated  series   covering   the   mighty efforts of  the Thorsbornes  and  others to protect Queensland's  Wet Tropics World  Heritage. NEXT: The Thorsbornes , their  contribution to wildlife preservation  and  their  unique  cottage  in  the  rainforest .