CURLEWS LOVE SUN , RENEWABLES

While this post was being prepared, the above Curlews appeared outside the back  door of  the  blog den , the adult tapping on the door ;  soon   after, the parents were seen  with the chick in the dangerous front garden , having  walked out  the open   lattice gate ...shooed  back inside, the  gate now shut . 

INCOMING MAIL -Follow up to Little Darwin item about Northern Territory newspaper editor

Sporting  governor  dethroned  by  camel!

With a well thumbed copy of Debrett's  Peerage and  Baronetage, journalist Ian Mackay not only detected  a spelling error in the name of the  South Australian Governor  Sir  Willoughby Norrie (our blue Norris) in the post about  Northern Territory  crusading editor  Jim Bowditch and his   missing  Distinguished  Conduct Medal,  he detailed a vice-regal anecdote.  To  give him  his  full moniker , Sir Charles Willoughby Moke  Norrie , a  founding member of the British  National  Hunt Club since 1933,   was thrown   from  a camel in Alice Springs  during  a  visit  to  the Centre .

While the  snobbish  Adelaide Advertiser  treated this as a serious mishap, On Dit , the disrespectful  Adelaide University publication,  at  one time  edited  by   young  Bob  Ellis , ran  a cartoon of  the vice- regal person  wallowing in the dust  after being tossed by the dromedary , the  caption : Willebe  Sorry ?  

Wartime ALP  PM Ben Chifley,left, with SA Premier  Thomas Playford and governor , probably swapping    dubious   fish   catch  yarns  .

During his  time   reigning over SA  , the governor  said  his greatest achievement had been   catching on rod and reel  a  shark weighing 2225 pounds off   Port Lincoln . A keen amateur magician ,  he was appointed Governor-General of  New Zealand where he played a key  part in setting up the big game fishing council .

When elevated to the peerage in NZ, he adopted the style  Baron  Norrie of  Wellington , New Zealand , and  Upton County , Gloucestershire .  South Australia  did not rate  a  mention in his fancy title , despite his thrilling  shark  catch .  It is interesting  to  note his  first wife  was  Joyce Helen Gosling ... could there be a connection   with  the  new  ALP   MHR  for  Solomon , Luke  Gosling ?  

FRENCH EXPERT TO SAVE THREATENED QUEENSLAND CITY

To ease  the drain on Townsville's water supply , this blog suggests a  crash course in water  dowsing  by  Le Vicomte Henry de France  as outlined in this rare   1948 book , part of the Little Darwin bookworm riddled  library , which we are prepared to  sell to the Townsville City Council  for  a  princely sum and  a  weekly crate of  Perrier Water  during the  looming  water restrictions . A drum of  eau  de cologne  would  also be appreciated to keep the sweaty staff smelling like  roses.

Monsieur Le Vicomte included a  powerful  chapter in which teleradiesthesia or superpendulum  can be used to not only  find water  but detect  where you will locate wild  boars in  the woods , assist in claiming the ownership of a tobacco shop ,  find a  birth certificate  and help to  find  areas  likely to  contain  antiquities .

 

Armed with a photocopy of this invaluable book , each unfortunate resident  afflicted by the Pokemon  craze, including staff of the  Townsville Bulletin ,   could  run about the city  doing  something useful-looking  for  water to overcome the   shortage .  

ELECTION PHONY MONEY

Once a federal election is  announced in  Australia  ,  artists , unionists  and  activists put their heads together to produce phony bank notes  with a  strong  political message. In the case of the above 85 dollar  note , actually  100 smackers but reduced in value due to the perfidious  Coalition , shows  glum looking PM Malcolm Turnbull , who botched the  Republic campaign  and the NBN , as  useless as a hip pocket on a shirt ,   against a   Cayman Islands  tax and banking retreat scene in which lurks  former PM  Tony Abbott   gowned like an island Queen waiting to be called;  Barnaby Joyce  beams  from a  ripe tomato .

 The other side [above]   features  a vignette of  former Treasurer  Joe Hockey  and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann smoking cigars  with  the message the rich get richer, the poor get  poorer. Authorised by the  Maritime Union of Australia , the currency urges voters  to put the Liberals last  and that Australia needs its own merchant shipping fleet  with Aussie crews on board   for jobs, safety and  national  security .

Currency  from previous elections  feature Prime Ministers  Malcolm Fraser,in a three dollar bill , with Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen represented as a  sheep , and John Howard freezing wages . 

SHAPES, SHADOWS AND SEAGULLS

Picnic Bay , Magnetic Island . Vallis  Photograph.

 

SISTER SUSIE'S SHIRT

Often  items are shown on the BBC Antiques Roadshow  which  have a  strong  Australian connection  and you wonder if any journalist  bothers to do a follow up  story .  Take the instance  of  the most unusual Sister Susie's Shirt , a "wash bag " ,  given to WW1  Diggers, which had  items such as   buttons, possibly sewing gear , and  even a tape measure  to assist in  keeping  uniforms in order  , as well as something  into which to put their  socks .

The tape , which hung like a decoration from the pocket , unravelled  to three feet along which were  flags of  the  Allied  nations , the last one  that of Australia  with the message  to Remember   Gallipoli , April 1915.

An Australian  woman   presented the  shirt along with a  photograph and a letter  of  a relative . It was pointed out that there was a wartime song , Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts   for  Soldiers ,on a Singer Sewing machine ,  sung by Al Jolson ,  the  verses of  which became  faster  causing soldiers who had been drinking  beer   to  slur when   they   joined  in the  singing .  

ALP CYBER WAR GAINS STRENGTH IN NORTH AUSTRALIA

In a  rousing Townsville  speech , Leader of  the Opposition,  Bill Shorten, who had  just  flown in from  the Northern Territory , told  the jubilant  gathering at  the election  HQ  ( a former Cybernetics office )   of   presumptive Member for  Herbert , Cathy  O'Toole, that  just  2000  votes in  five  northern  seats   could  see  the  Labor  Party  governing   Australia .  During  the evening  Shorten examined alluring  tattoos , was involved in selfies galore, one  with somebody  who could have been the sister of  Danny the Red or Che Guevara  and  tasty  pizzas went  down  the  hatch  along with  liquid  refreshments .

Shorten  said the  ALP  had  won the  two  NT   House of Representative seats, ousting the Member  for  Solomon , Natasha Griggs , in the process . Another  victory for the ALP in the Territory had been  the  Turnbull  government  agreeing to have  Indigenous  involvement in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into  juvenile  detention  following the revelations  on  Four Corners .  

It was wonderful  , he continued , that Ms O'Toole    had  won the seat for  the ALP, the  first  time in  20 years. In  her speech, she  said the fact that the ALP had produced 100 policies  which it put to the people had  assisted her grassroots  campaign , which involved contacting  some 30,000  people .  When extending thanks to  people who helped her in the campaign , Ms O'Toole mentioned  by name  her many family members , which  a  person called out   represented the  37  votes by which  she had  won  the  count .

Magnetic Island  ALP  branch members with  Cathy and  Bill .

The strong involvement and support  by unions  in  the campaign was raised and the state  ALP  Member for Townsville , Scott  Stewart,  attended .

 The way  the shambolic Country Liberal  Party government in the Northern  Territory has performed it   is  likely that  the ALP will win at the election later this month .More  inside   news  later.