THE WORLD CAPTURED BY TRAIL BLAZING PUBLICATIONS

Special  editions   of   American  publications  which  covered  the  good, bad , beautiful ,   ugly   and  fascinating  events  and  places  of the   globe  . Life  magazine  closed down several times, eventually   for  the  last  time  this century .

 

In its heyday ,Life  especially covered the  American  way of  life and  world  events .The  above  book  contains  more than  5000  superb  photographs  ;  an  annual   digest  of   major  events over  the  period   does not mentioned   the  election of   a  Labor  government  in  Australia in 1972 , but  records   a "Conservative "   victory  in  1975.

 

Still alive is  the  National Geographic  in which  inventor Alexander Graham Bell played  a  large part in its early life .The   above 1988  centennial issue  contains  extensive  fold  out  covers  of  the magazine  over the  period , a  quick scan  revealing  Australia  featuring  on  at least  four-  two relating to the  way of life, a  surfboat riding a big  wave  on one , boxing kangaroos ,  and  the    Murray River . Papua New Guinea  dominates  two  covers. 

 

In what amounts to a  letters  to the editor section, Members  Forum, there  are several references to  an  article  , Wool-Fabric of History  , published May 1988, Jean Smiling Coyote  of Chicago , Illinois , saying  it read like propaganda from the wool industry , there being no mention of the widespread  destruction of the vegetation (and consequent soil erosion) by domesticated sheep and the continuing massacre  of competing  herbivores  and  predators  in sheep-ranching  areas.

 

The Geographic's  coverage of the Persian  Gulf , with its vast oil reserves , drew  interesting comments  such as  : Americans will need  to learn more about  the nations of the area  as its future economic  destiny increasingly depended upon it ...The US policy in the area    had  failed  and should change , if the CIA had not overthrown  Mohammed Mossadegh  of Iran  1951-53  and supported the shah  and his SAVAK (secret police ) the relationship with Iran  and much of Middle East would be  very  different .

 

Fleas , the  widespread  use  of  DDT  in Burma, Vietnam, India  and southern Africa  and   AIDS  were other  topics of  discussion .

CUTE CURLEW SHOCK HORROR



 

 A soothing  soak  before some  strenuous  tubbing  . 

Dishevelled ,  cool  Curlew  steps out  of  tub  with new identity...

Ghastly creature   in  a  new   Alfred Hitchcock  horror   movie to be shot   in Queensland   about  birds who  become mutated   after eating   Adani  coal  mining  waste  and , in shrieking flocks ,  proceed  to  peck the bejesus  out of  tourists, backpackers , the Cowboys  and  well   known  conmen, blowhards  and   carpetbaggers   from   far   and   wide ... the  latter part not   so  bad  after  all . Vallis series  of  photos.



These  Cairns  Pelicans , one , left,  afraid he is about to be pecked in  the gizonkas , which would be excruciatingly painful,  have  already  been signed  up  for the spooky movie and look  forward   to  monstering   humans , who have  greatly reduced  fish  stocks , and  turning the culprits  into  Peck's   Paste . Astonishing  photograph  by  Abra .

DEATH OF " KOEPANG KID "

The funeral service   for  Bas  Wie , centre of a refugee story which  captivated  the nation and  England ,  will  take place in  Darwin's  Saint Mary's Star of the  Sea Cathedral on  Wednesday.   In  1947 , Bas , a  12 year old  orphan ,   having  experienced the Japanese  occupation  and  treated  kindly by  Australian  soldiers during  the war ,  stowed away  in the  wheel  nacelle of  a  Royal  Dutch Air Force  DC 3   about to  make  a  flight  from  Koepang  ( now Kupang ) ,   Dutch   Timor , to Darwin .  Scorched  by the plane's  exhaust and  frozen by  the  cold air  during the  flight , he  was  found  in  a bad  way , eyes rolling ,  inside the wheel  well  soon after  the  landing . 


In  hospital for three months, he faced deportation on his release , but the Administrator of  the Northern  Territory , Arthur  Driver,  took him in and  raised  him  with his  own  family in  Government House .

Darwin based  Melbourne Herald journalist Douglas Lockwood in 1957 won the London Evening  News award for the world's strangest story  which was about  Bas  Wie .


 Little Darwin previously  reported  that  Bas  and  young  Mike   Driver , who became a journalist ,  used   to  ride out  from  Government House with  rifles  to  shoot wallabies . At  times , they  took turns to  shelter in  a  wartime  pill box  while  the other  fired  a  shot or two  at  it . Coming  home late  one afternoon  from such an  exciting  outing, they were stopped  by police , taken  to  the police station , and  Administrator  Driver , also in charge of  the   NT Police Force ,  informed .  Taken home by car , Mike said  his  father delivered a strong  verbal  kick  up  the  derriere . When Administrator  Driver left Darwin to take up a new post in Italy,  Bas  remained  in  Darwin  with  another  family .


At  the age of 70 , Bas was a  VIP guest on an  inaugural airline service  between  Darwin  and  Kupang .  Well  liked  and respected, he helped people with   alcohol  related  problems  and  eventually  suffered dementia. Many documents relating  to  the Bas Wie  episode  are  held  in  the  National Archives , Canberra.

CANBERRA TRANSLATION DISPUTE UPCHUCKS YUKKY CAFE DISH

The dictionary meaning  of  consultation  and what  form it  did or did not take place  are  important   matters  of  deep  disputation  between   Attorney-General  George  Brandis   QC  and  insomniac  Solicitor-General   Justin Gleeson SC. 

 In   this  jolly  book   "misadventures in English" are   highlighted in a most entertaining and humorous fashion .  Author  Michael  Croker  says  more than 700 million  jabbering individuals speak the language , some of it a bit scrambled in the process ,causing  unintentional  communication   catastrophes.

In a chapter headed  Eating Your Words , it says food is a universal language   but  that  it  is a pity we ruin everything  by making  a  pig's ear  of  describing  it , and  supplies examples    from   menus  around  the world .

Australia  rates  a  listing in respect of  misuse of language  in a   Canberra   café   offering DUMPING  SOUP  , which  sounds  repulsive . However, a steaming bowel -Oops!- bowl  might just be  the  thing  if you have just been dumped   by the Prime  Minister for  making a mishmash of your    ministerial   responsibilities .  


The  off  putting  Canberra  clanger  is followed  by a Thai  offering :   Curly Flower , General Chaos  Chicken ( all  the rage in   the Coalition right  now )  , Steamed  fillet of  new zeal ( New Zealand  )  and  orange roughy  (a fish) ,  Fresh thousand  year old  eggs .
 

In  a  section   giving  examples   of  strange   wording   in  CVs , one applicant   boasted ... Failed  bar exam  with  relatively high grades ,   a  situation which  does not  apply  to  any staff in  the   Attorney-General's Department .

During the Senate Inquiry into the Gleeson / Brandis dispute,  some  Coalition members of  the committee , dumpees,  seemed to have  difficulty expressing themselves  in the Queen's  English ," bullshit " uttered and bleeped on TV  ; somebody  reportedly   brought a  sleek  NSW  greyhound , named Lexicographer,  on  a  leash  into the  hearing  and  it   chased   and ferociously  savaged  the  slow moving  northern  rabbits  as  they  came out  of  the  warren , seemingly suffering from a mixture of  myxomatosis   and  foot  in  mouth . 

 

STREWTH! 

In  the above named  lively  column by  James Jeffery in the  Weekend Australian  he mentioned the "title fight " between the  law officers in the Senate inquiry, in which "the floridly  blustering Coalition senator  Ian Macdonald " came to the fore , and had to be pulled into line by the chairwoman , yet  there was  a "resumption of hostilities " .  Jeffrey recalled the episode when Senator Macdonald  entered the Senate wearing  a hi-vis vest  bearing the slogan  "Australians for Coal", sent  to him by the Minerals  Council  of Australia , which had caused  his  colleague Senator  Heffernan  to blow "a  head gasket" . 

 

Incidently,  at the end of the ABC TV Insiders  Talking  Pictures  segment , photographer  Mike Bowers of the Guardian  and  cheeky Jeffrey dropped  their daks and revealed  smugglers which  said , Back to you Barry !- the presenter of the top political  show, Barrie Cassidy.  Strewth!  What  next  on  the  public  broadcaster ?     

CHERRY BLOSSOM , TULIP FESTIVAL TIME IN NEW ZEALAND

Rotorua  venue  for  tulip festival.  Photos by Kay.Below : 1965 view of  daughter   tiptoeing  through  tulips in  Rotoru...just over half a century  ago !

 

FORGOTTEN CRUSADING EDITOR

Thinking the  Northern Territory News   would   be interested in an old  article about its former great  editor , Jim Bowditch ,  who had served  in  the  Z Special Force  in the Second World  War,  Darwin  activist  Rob Wesley-Smith   took  it  along  to the newspaper.  His action was  prompted by   the fact   that there  had  been  a   recent  special  ceremony in  Canberra  at the Australian War  Memorial   to  honour the  brave   group  , who  took the fight to the enemy behind their   lines .  Jim Bowditch ?  Two reporters  had  no  idea  who   he  was or  the extraordinary  things  he  had  done  both as  a  soldier and  a crusading editor. The  media  in general did not pick up  the  interesting fact  that  the Bowditch  family  were involved in  various ways  in  the  recent  Northern Territory election...the  Bowditch spirit  lives  on, Jim having once stood  for the ALP  in the seat of  Fannie Bay.

American  medal awarded to Bowditch for his wartime service in Pacific ; he also received the Distinguished  Conduct  Medal ,  Mentioned  In  Dispatches .  

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It seems  that in all  the  coverage  given to the  Wave Hill walk off to Wattie Creek  by the  Gurindji  , little , perhaps   nothing ,   was said  at major events  marking the anniversary  and  book  launch  about  the fact " Big Jim"  Bowditch  kept   the struggle   alive  for  years before  the  famous event in which PM Gough Whitlam was photographed  making  that symbolic act of  pouring the sand   into the  hand  of  Vincent   Lingiari , in  the  important Aboriginal   landrights  case.  Years ago , the late  author Frank Hardy personally acknowledged  Bowditch's  tireless  efforts  which eventually led to a  major win .   Another  opportunity  for  the  NT News   to recall  the  extraordinary   work  of   its  former extraordinary  editor ... if  anybody  knew , or  cared. 

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, TOWNSVILLE , AFTER CHUCKING DOWN EGGNOGS ALL NIGHT

Vallis  photograph.