THE LAST COUNT : VALE MARGARET GRACE THORSBORNE, HERO ON MANY FRONTS

The  ashes of one of the "most revered and beloved champions " of  Queensland's wildlife and natural heritage ,  Margaret  Thorsborne , AO,  are next  month likely to  be  scattered  into the  sea , between   rugged  Hinchinbrook Island   and the  Brook  Islands,   near  where  those  of  her   husband , Arthur , were  spread.
 

Capturing   Margaret in action  , the  above portrait ,  by  artist  Catherine Bone,  depicting her  taking  part  in  an  annual count of   Torresian Imperial Pigeons  ,  also  known as  Nutmeg  Pigeons , was  displayed  at   the  Cardwell  John Oliver  Feetham  Pioneer Memorial  Anglican  Church  service   on   October  25.

 

The  Thorsbornes  were  the  first to bring attention to the plight of the pigeons  that were  shot in  large numbers  at  their  breeding colony on North Brook Island . In  l965  they began annual counts of  the colony  which became  one of the world's longest running  wildlife  population surveys . Stopping illegal shooting and protecting the  coastal  forests saw the colony increase  from less than  2000 birds  in  l966  to an average of  30,000-40,000 by the end of the century .
 

The  story of  their  mighty  campaign   was  told in the  2015 documentary  The Coming  of  the White  Birds.

This  week , Magnetic Island  resident , Tania  Schuett ,  told   of her  involvement  with   the  Thorsbornes   at   their cottage ,    Galmara , above ,  in the forest  at  Meunga Creek ,   Cardwell .  She  also  produced  letters   and  cards  from  Margaret  Thorsborne  decorated  with  her  own   handpainted   drawings  of   pigeons,  newspaper  cuttings  and  a  presentation book .

 

A wildlife carer on the island, off  Townsville , for many  years , especially  interested   in Bush Stone Curlews, she had been given  official approval to study the life cycle of Torres Strait    Pigeons  in  specially  built   avaries  at  her residence ,  which  attracted  the  attention  of   Margaret , who spoke to her on the  phone  and  corresponded .

 

Three young pigeons , named Prince, Princess and  Duchess , had been transported   with   Tania  to  Galmara , Aboriginal for poet or singer of songs,   and  released in the surrounding country. On  that  occasion,Tania  had  slept in  a  small , outer  building , under a  mosquito net ; during the night she  felt  a  tickle on  an  ear  , discovered it was  a  tiny  marsupial mouse , which  came  back  for  seconds .

 

A large python lived in the roof of  Galmara  and used a  ladder  up against  the roof  to slide down   for a drink  from  a  water  container  put out  for one  and  all . 

At the  time of  Schuett's   visit  ,  Margaret was   deeply involved in the Save Hinchinbrook  campaign to  try and   prevent millionaire    developer  Keith   Williams , who built  Sea World on the Gold Coast and   the Hamilton Island   resort in the Whitsundays ,  described as  the last of the white shoe brigade ,  going ahead with  his Port Hinchinbrook   project . This    involved  removal  of  a large number of  mangroves  for  a marina , a canal  estate   and  a  subdivision , even  suggested it  have  its own  airport .

 Injunctions were taken out by Williams to prevent  key activists, including  Margaret,  from  venturing on  site .

Another activist , the  late  Shirley Prout , once  a member of the ALP   on Magnetic Island ,  had been  in the thick of the demos  at the site , which received much  media coverage  and  condemnation   from  Williams and others in  power  .   She  and  Margaret,  in  Galmara , often  used  to  laughingly accuse each of  being one of those  wicked  women mentioned in the media , subjecting   this  poor  millionaire  developer   to   stress  and   financial  strain , undermining  northern  development .     

 

An amusing  aspect  of  that  struggle was    recalled   during  the    recent  church  service. The congregation  was  told  that Margaret, patron of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland ,   and another  strong campaigner,  Kenn  Parker , late one day, to avoid detection ,  slipped  into  waist deep water   in  mangroves   at Cardwell  to  check out what  was    going  on   at  the site , she bringing up the rear . There had been  a sound like a log-a crocodile ?-  being displaced , sliding into  the water . In a slightly tremulous  voice, Margaret had   said  ,"Oh, don't think of  crocodiles -think of  butterflies !"   

Cyclone Yasi  smashed  Port  Hinchinbrook in 2011, yachts piled up on each other in the wreckage;its future  operation has   been the subject of  legal action and uncertainty  ever  since .   The cyclone also  caused havoc  at   Galmara , a large part  of  the  surrounding   forest   stripped   bare.

 

Ms. Schuett took part in several  organised  pigeon  counts , Margaret and Arthur  pictured above  at one of  those well organised  events  . Tania recalled  Margaret  always made  a  large fruit cake which  included  two bottles  of  rum . Condensed milk  was  also  provided  for   cuppas . 
 

 Several months ago this  blog  was  informed that  Margaret was  unwell and  might  not  live to  see  the next annual   count of  nesting  pigeons  which  converge on  North Queensland   from  far and  wide , including  Papua  New Guinea  and  the Aru  Islands .  After  experiencing  palliative care,  she returned to  her  Cardwell retirement   village  , where she  died, aged  91, on  October  16, without   recording  the   flash  of  her   beloved  white  birds .

In an  incredibly insensitive act ,  the  Queensland   government announced plans to  allow   tourist   facilities  to be built    to cater  for   the eco-walk , the Thorsborne Trail , named  after  Arthur, on    Hinchinbrook Island , an act  which  would  appal   the couple .   Mourners at  the  church  service  for  Margaret  staged   a   strong   protest  outside  against   the   proposal  .

During the service Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ,  by  the Afro-American   singer  and  civil  rights activist ,  Paul Robeson , was  played. Over the  years  Margaret  expressed  admiration  for  him ,  mentioned he had   sung to   workers  on the  Sydney  Opera  House  construction   site .   

A special   event   will  be held in the  Hall of Prayer , Townsville ,   on  November   30   for  the  many  people in this area  who  were  unable  to attend the  Cardwell  service  for  Margaret  
 
UPCOMING :  Hinchinbrook  and  Bill Clinton  /  Wildlife and conservation   warriors / Poets  and  poems .
 

ISLAND EXPERIENCING INVASION

Resting  bat/scribe

Extremely large  numbers  of  flying  foxes  are  descending on  Magnetic Island each night . They  appear   to  be  coming  from  the  mainland .  A  longtime  island resident  says  she  has  never  seen  them, also known as fruit bats , in   such  numbers. Wave  after  wave  are  seen in  the  sky, followed by  screeching and rustling in  trees   as  they  go after  pawpaws , mangoes, bananas  and  any  form of  blossom . It  has been speculated that because of past  fires  and dry conditions   in   and around   Townsville , land clearance ,  the  bats  are  attracted to the island . It is not known  if  a  power  blackout  on  the island  of   more than  two   hours , not picked up by the mainland  media, which seems to  hang  about  in  an upside down, sleepy  news  bramble  patch  ,  was  caused   by   bats .

LITTLE DARWIN DEN DECLARED AN ABSOLUTE HEALTH HAZARD

A carpet in the cluttered  Little Darwin office has been progressively  looking as  if  a  herd of  elephants , after  rolling about  in  the   Limpopo River, has   regularly  stampeded   through   the  premises ,  leaving  behind a  muddy-looking  trail.  My  wife  declared it  repulsive , wanted to  known what was going on  in  there   to  cause  the  unsightly  patches.

 

 I told her not to be such a fusspot , that I was  happy,  like a pig in mud, as long as I could  belt out the  blog  , store more  books , papers, magazines , oddities , ephemera  somewhere  in  the  untidy den , which I threaten to  sort out neatly  one  day .

 

It has to be admitted that stumbling into the office  just after dawn , wading through   the  elephant wallow ,   did  not  inspire one . With the computer  playing up ,  ants  coming out of  the  keyboard ,  assorted  aches  and  pains in  various  parts  of  the  body , I  often  feel as  if  I  have  been   bitten  by  a  tsetse  fly  brought in  on the  mud waxed  rump  of an elephant  which  got  through  Australian  Customs  and   Border  Security , intent  on surfing and  drinking with  Irish  packpackers  at  Bondi .

 

Then , while my attention was  diverted elsewhere (possibly inspecting a box of wormed books ),  without permission , my wife slipped into the den with a vacuum  cleaner and  closely   examined the  grotty cotton carpet .  She shifted a  heavy  hairdresser's   pump  up  chair  I bought at a garage  sale  and  discovered  a  circular  pattern  formed  by  the  base  covered  in  mould .

 

 It confirmed our  joint  suspicion  that , somehow , moisture was responsible   for  the carpet looking so blotchy . The floor was  actually  part of  the brick  driveway  which had been covered  in  to   provide me with more  room , storage space .   Up   the carpet must   come ,  I  was  ordered  , because the  exploding  mould  was  a  health  hazard . 

 

Easier said  than  done. Filing cabinets , a bookcase  , a heavy  desk  were on top  of  the life threatening   covering . Thoughts of  a  Rotorua, New Zealand  ,   hernia  operation came to  mind  as  I surveyed  the  mouldy scene . Grunt, groan , heave . The carpet did not want to  come away  without  a  fight  .  

 

As the  hairdressing  chair was  temporarily being used  to hold a pile of  Indonesian  and Northern Territory newspapers , several old  American tourist  magazines , political scrapbooks  and part of the  unexpurgated  Queen of  the Jungle's diary , it  had to  be slowly walked  off  the  carpet ,  care being taken not to crush  toes  in  the process .

 

Yank , tug . The carpet  still  did  not    want to  come out from under the  filing cabinets , the  contents  in  no proper  order , but will  be one day .  Armed with a Stanley knife, slashed at  the  killer carpet . No  good ,  broke the blade .  A long handled tree  branch  lopper was  of  little  use .  Ditto  scissors .    A   cheap  pair  of   unused  secateurs , however, helped .  Able  to  make  surgical  incisions like a cardiologist , I  then  ripped  away  large sections of  the  offending carpet , threw  them  outside. Happiness has  returned  as a  result  of  the  uncovered  now mellow   brick  road .  

TROPICAL SETTING WITH MULCH

Magnetic Island . Vallis photograph .

SUNBIRD IN FLAMES

Vallis photographs

 

ARMISTICE DAY DISGRACE LOOMING IN AUSTRALIAN GARRISON CITY

Despite all  the  hype  about   the  Armistice  Day   centenary ceremonies in  the military garrison town of  Townsville , two  major memorials-the  site containing   the  roll of  honour  for  WWl  in the  railway station,   and  the Victory in the Pacific   fountain - continue  to   be  neglected .  

On Thursday , November  8,three days before the centenary ,  in  the railway building , with  its roll of  honour , above, the  floor  was   in need of  a sweep and  wash  , stains  and  imprints  of  footwear  , scuff marks  visible  on   the  greasy   tiles. 

 

A short distance away, the Victory in  the  Pacific  Fountain , below,  was  dry,  rubbish  visible  in  both  chambers, an  underwater  light  missing .The fountain is  right next  to  the  number one  site   on  Townsville's  civic  pride trail .  

 

Both  these  memorials are  a short  distance from the Townsville Bulletin. The paper runs a  regular  military section  which  incredibly has not   caught  up with the long running  neglect  of  local  war memorials , including ones  inside the Anzac Memorial   Park , pointed  out  from time to time by this blog .  

 

 A recent  article  in  the   paper   raised  the  need for  Australia to have a national war  cemetery  like America's  at  Arlington .  Townsville's   civic, military and  media  organisations   are    repeatedly   revealed  as  being  incapable  of   picking  up  the  obvious , glaring  fact  that   all  of  the war  memorials  in   the  city are  not  kept  in  good shape,  checked   daily  , offensive  rubbish  removed , illegible  plaques  promptly  fixed .    

CURLEWS ARRIVE IN WAR ZONE

Shortly after 4am,  Little Darwin was surprised to  learn that trotting  about  the back (dry) lawn were    two   newborn  Bush Stone Curlews  with  their parents .With so many chicks  not  living  long on the island   due  to  prowling  cats, Barking   Owls  , snakes  and  large  numbers  of  Currawongs ,  Kookaburras ,  Crows  and  stray   dogs , there is  concern  for  their  safety  and survival . Of  interest are the  two white feathers on the top parent  under which the chicks had  been  sheltering ; are   they   extended    to  indicate follow me  or  a  sign  of  a  safe  haven   ? A  friend recently lost two five week old  chicks ,the suspect a  Barking  Owl .  

One chick out, one under .