NEW ART FORM : LID LIFTING

 

Turned into a  wall  hanging is  the  upturned  green  lid  of  a  circa  1950s  biscuits container , one  of  many bakelite kitchen utensils made by   Eon Products of Australia ,  to which  have  been  attached   lids   from  a   British  Kleen  Kitchen  Ware   set   of    jars ,  by  Sadler ,  from   the   same  period .

LAGOON WAITING FOR GODOT

 

A pleasant spot on Magnetic Island where the water level is low , awaiting  arrival of  a heavy  Wet ,  but   waterlilies  have   bloomed . Two dehydrated  residents have reported their rain orchids are in flower , a sure sign of  rain within three days. We  shall  see ... There was  some rain , but very little in Townsville and on Magnetic Island .  On  the island it  brought out  a cane  toad  which was seen  being examined by  Curlews  before it  was  hit  with a  shovel .

  

IN A FOREST OF FOOD, NERDY FRIAR TUCKS INTO FIJIAN TREAT

Helmeted Friarbird, a honeyeater , making the most   of  nectar in bunches  of seeds in a  Fiji Fan Palm . The bird  makes  a variety of  calls  which, according to Birds of Magnetic Island, by Jo Wieneke , containing line drawings by George Hirst ,  are    "watch out , watch out", "national park, national  park " and,  appearing   to  be  au fait  about  computers , loudly squawks  "spellcheck, spellcheck."

YESTERYEAR GREAT BARRIER REEF ADVENTURES AND A WORLD FIRST

Booklets and brochures  about Australia's now under threat  Great Barrier  Reef , going  back to  the  l920s ,  were  among  another  interesting   display  mounted  by  the Special Collections  section of  the  Eddie  Koiki  Mabo  Library,  James Cook University, Townsville .

Perusal of  the   collection presented  a  picture  of  the  marine wonderland  being  an  area  visited   by early  intrepid   tourists, naturalists , shooters , plant collectors ,  exploiters ,  pith   helmeted  male  and  female  scientists .

Of  particular interest was  the Thomas Cook travel  brochure, top row, centre ,  which  contains  the  1928  itinerary for a  proposed  24  day cruise, starting  June 8,  by  motor boat   to " one of the wonders  of the world ",  offering the chance   to  go  fishing,  collect shells, gather orchids, shoot "  alligators"  and other  game , catch   and  ride  turtles , see  dugong .

Beginning  in Townsville ,  it  went as  far  north as  Cooktown , taking in Cairns, nearby Green Island .  On the  return journey ,there  would be a call  at Dunk Island ,  beautiful home of  the  late Mr. Bamfield   (sic)  , scientist and author  of Confessions of a Beachcomber, Edmund Banfield. 

 Palm  Island, below, circa l930s,  on which  it stated   lived  members of  most Queensland  tribes  and  the Torres  Strait , would  provide a  wonderful  exhibition of  Aboriginal  dances.

 

After calling  at  Magnetic Island , the vessel would arrive  back in Townsville in  time to  enable  passengers  to  catch  the  Brisbane  mail  train .

The booklet , top right , The Great Barrier Reef of Australia  ,was  the third edition of  a revised  account   by  the Great Barrier  Reef  Committee  , Brisbane , 1929, of  the earlier work by the late Charles Hedley , F.L.S.,  Scientific Director  of the Great Barrier Reef Committee's investigations .  Hedley,  described  as  an enthusiastic and  understanding investigator  of the Great Barrier Reef , requested  his  ashes be scattered on  the  reef.  

 In addition , there is  an account by  Dr Charles Maurice Yonge, D.Sc.,Ph.D.,  of the Barrier Reef Expedition  from  Britain   in  1928. Organised by the  British Association  for the Advancement of Science , led  by  Dr Yonge,   to  Low Island . opposite  Port Douglas , to carry out the  world's  first  study  of  coral  reefs  .

 

Ten in number, the  party was increased by several Australians, including members of the Australian Museum  in Sydney . There are photographs of  the  laboratory set up on  the  island , a group shot in which pith helmets  are many , the 39ft launch Luana , owned by A. C. Wishart, of Brisbane , which  was used  by the   expedition  to carry out  a variety of  tests and  sampling. Corals were studied extensively.  A  geological section  cruised along the coast from Townsville to Flinders Islands ; work was carried out around  Lizard Island , north of Cooktown  and  extended  into  the Torres Strait .     

 Also included in the publication is  a botanical section  by Government Botanist  C. T. White, with a photograph, below,  of  Hoop Pines growing on  Magnetic  Island .This copy had  been purchased  from Tyrell's Book Shop, Crow's Nest, Sydney  .

Magnetic Island pines  today.

Another  gem in the  university display  graphic   at the head of this post , with  fish  on the  cover, bearing the  title  The Great Barrier Reef , published l928 by Art in Australia , was written  by   journalist , novelist  ,  mining speculator  and  politician  Randolph Bedford (1868-1941) , possibly more about this dynamic individual later. The slim volume contains   photographs by  two  other prominent   Australians of the day-E. F. Pollock  , a  councillor of the  Royal  Zoological  Society of  NSW,  and   famous  photographer  and   filmmaker ,  Frank  Hurley   who made several trips to Antarctica  and covered two world wars , dubbed The Man Who Made History .   



 

Pollock  did  much  to   popularise  early  reef tours . In 1925 he sponsored a trip to Capricorn and the  Bunker  Islands  group , taking  naturalist  friends  with  him .  On another excursion ,  the   party consisted  of  21 men and nine women , including  two lawyers , five medical doctors, a magistrate  and  Melbourne "Mel" Ward , a   collector   for  the  Australian Museum .     These  journeys  received  considerable   coverage in the Sydney Morning  Herald and  helped develop  the  Queensland tourist  industry.  Lord Howe Island , off  NSW, with  the  world's southern- most barrier  coral reef , was  also visited by Pollock  and party .   

SMASHED AVOCADO REPLACED BY HORNY TUCKER

Magnetic  Kookas  Rules

Breaking  news for  Millennials . The latest , trendy  taste  treat  is  smashed  Rhinoceros  Beetle , one  about to  be  pulverised  by  a  gourmet  Kookaburra, above ,  on  Magnetic  Island .  

 

RECIPE : First catch one of  the  armour clad , struggling critters; with it  firmly held in you beak , fly to the veranda of a  high set house in Picnic Bay , proceed to bash it against the iron railing. Greedy  young  Kookas   in  nearby trees  will take an intense interest  in proceedings, sensing  they are  in  for  a  feed.

 

Bang! Bang! Bang!-the tenderising process  proceeds , without much success - a Hemingway big  game  shooting iron  seemingly the  ideal  kitchen utensil  needed . All  the smashing about  attracts other  mature  Kookaburras from  MKR. The Rhino , showing no signs of  softening up, falls  from  the beak  of  the sweaty   chef , unable to  handle  the  task  and  the  heat in  the outdoor kitchen .

It is  immediately pounced upon , above, by another Kookaburra who wanted to get in on the cooking act in front of  the TV cameras   , near the swimming pool , and proceeds  to  belt  the  beetle  against  the  brickwork . Eventually  the  beetle was  masticated   and  the successful   Kookaburra   appeared  later  to   burp .  

 

The  initial  clumsy chef , although kicked out of MKR,  was fed  some pieces of steak by the house owners as  a  consolation prize . It took one piece to some young  Kookas  who  nearly  fell out of the tree  trying to  get  the  morsel .  

MOUNT ISA LIFELINE

Teeming birdlife on Lake Moondarra  which provides  the mining town of Mount Isa , North Queensland, with drinking water   and  sporting facilities , including an annual  fishing classic .  An  artificial lake on the Leichhardt River , its name is Aboriginal  for  plenty of rain and  thunder  and  is  also a  wildlife sanctuary .   

Abra  photographs .

WHERE IS THE WET ?

 From Darwin  to  Townsville   the  skies  are  anxiously  being scanned  by  the populace  seeking  signs  that a  heavy  Wet is  on the way .While there have been  short  duration  electrical  storms  ,  the   intertropical   front  bringing  much  needed  drenching  rain  has  not  checked  in . 

 

Just when the weather chart  looked like the monsoons were sweeping  towards  Darwin , near Christmas, after a torrid build up, the moisture was  sucked down  the  West Australia coast  and  formed a  cyclone.

 

 Sky watchers   across  North Australia  , intent on dancing  in the rain when the heavens  open  , should the Wet arrive  , sent  the following   photographs. The  first ,  from Darwin,  where several weeks ago  a  slightly troppo correspondent   sighted  a   gleaming  white  cloud shaped like  the head of  a parched  ship of  the  desert , a  camel , with  lips  extended , came  the  tantalising snap of a  run of  the mill  storm  over  the  harbour. Not a once in a hundred  years deluge, which would  be  much appreciated  by  many  crazed  Darwinians . 

 

As dry as a nun's nasty - Robert Wesley-Smith's manmade lake at Howard Springs...he sitting on the landing , dangling his feet in the  non-existent  water .

 

CAIRNS   REGION

The skies above North Queensland, though  dramatic , have  not  unleashed widespread  torrential  rain. The  weather-wise  Pelicans in  Cairns , below,  report  little sign of  heavy  rain  on  the horizon .

 

The following photograph  was  taken  over  canefields  south  of  Cairns.

 

 

STORM  CHASER  NEAR  INGHAM

 

  TOWNSVILLE , MAGNETIC ISLAND 

View  from  The  Strand, Townsville .

Dry Magnetic Island .

With Townsville and  the island on water restrictions , the city's dam  level so low it is starting to look like the bottom of  a  cockey's  cage ,  prayers have even  been  offered  for  a  bumper  Wet  season by  a  priest and the Townsville City Council . A  few electrical storms brought some slight rain ,which   resulted  in   flying  ants  emerging  in  droves  on  Magnetic Island, providing  choice food for  birds  and  lizards .