TASWEGIAN POTTERY

 

Mugs by late Tasmanian potter Margaret Doe (1943-2010) ,who  went to art school , became  an art teacher, toured  Europe for a year,  in 1986 did a TAFE course in ceramics and visual exploration , member of Tasmanian Potters Society ,   sold   at  Salamanca Markets, Hobart . 

 Tray signed JS , Hobart  , with another nautical scene , like  above mugs by Doe. Also  from a  Tasmanian household  is  the  mid century  Kaj Franck  design  cow  jug  , now grazing in North Queensland ,  from    Arabia , Finland , Pottery.

FOUNTAINS OF STREWTH

Shipping Reporter launches another  asdic  attack  on  slack authorities in submerged  garrison city  

A fortnight after Little Darwin exclusively revealed that the Victory in the  Pacific  fountain in the Railway Oval  was  still   being neglected , a  discarded franger  nearby, the  unsightly object , apparently poked by a  stick   at  some stage, was  still  there . And  in the bottom chamber of the  wonky fountain  was  a pamphlet with  the  message to  get  it ON ...a safe sex message  , perhaps?  

 No - a guide  to Townsville events during the month of June, sporting an ugly looking  dog , together with sticks,  leaves, a straw , etc. It is monotonous  to repeat  that  the  fountain is on Townsville's Civic Pride Trail , but  it shows repeatedly   that local  authorities  cannot  get   their   act  together and  look after  these  sites .     

 

On the same day , down at the Anzac Memorial Park , the fountain  commemorating   the centenary of  Queensland  breaking away from  the  convict colony of New South Wales ,which over   the weekend  had been included  in the  interesting Heritage Day event  ,  was not working ,  the  water  slimy looking  ,  a  plastic bottle   floating ,  pieces   of   nearby trees on the bottom , missing  tiles  in  places. Leaves  scatted all the way  to and around  the Battle for the Coral Sea memorial .  

FAMOUS SAINT RUBBED OUT

 

 Townsvillle's  fading  stick  figure  of  a  saint  atop Castle Hill is about to be replaced  by  the latest   artificial   intelligence  device , above,  which  will accurately   predict  the weather  and  stock  market   moves six months in advance   and  the weekly   winning   lottery  numbers  for  all   residents .   The   amazing  gadget is  shown     about  to  be  secretly  unloaded  at  the  port  and   then  transported  under  armed guard  to   Castle Hill .  

Overnight , the  old saint  , hardly visible, above , on the left ,  will be erased and replaced  with  the  dazzling  white  tower , filled with  state of the art   wizardry ,  on  the  very summit . It will  emit  a  powerful rotating  beam of  light  visible  to  illegal  fishermen  as  far  away  as  Ashmore  Reef and  Planet Zog .  

Another Townsville  saint  facing the  AI  chop  is  the very faded  first Australian Catholic saint, Mary MacKillop, who overlooks a busy Townsville  road . An ungodly  local tourist  industry spokesman , who insisted he not be named for fear that he might be hit by  a  bolt of  lightning or suffer an outbreak of prickly pear ,    said  saints  are  old  hat nowadays , don't  inspire  any  modern   pilgrimages  in  North  Queensland .  The  whiz bang  new  saint on Castle Hill would  result in  a  massive  bonanza , leading  to  Townsville being renamed El Dorado .  

THE CALL TO ARMS ; THE BREAKER MORANT AFFAIR

Foxed catalogue   cover  for exhibition  AUSTRALIA AT WAR  1885-1919 , mounted  by  the State Library of New South Wales , April 18 ,1980   to February 1 ,1981 .
 

 Sudan Campaign ,1885

 

The assassination  of General Gordon at Khartoum  is said to have sparked off   the most amazing  outburst of  patriotism  throughout the  British colonies .Within days , after a special cabinet meeting, NSW offered  500 infantry  and two batteries of  field  artillery. A volunteer  force of  734 men  and 200 horses   was  raised , called the  First Australian Expeditionary Force  , embarked  on March 3, l885 , returning  on June 23, seeing little action .

 

Exhibits included   a Martini Henry socket bayonet , used in all Australian colonies  from late 1870s  to 1900  and  a list of the contingent on the back of a song  composed  to aid  the Patriotic Fund .

 

South African War , 1899-1902

 

"Not deterred by threats of imperialism  and greedy capitalism, Australians were  wildly patriotic  and scenes  of  unparalleled enthusiasm marked their  (contingent's )  departure ". The text  says they  quickly revealed  their superiority as  horsemen , their mobility in the field  and skills at  reconnaissance , earning the admiration  of  Kipling. 

 

There  were  "disciplinary  troubles" with the  British , and  one  would affect Australia. It involved  a  sergeant in the  2nd South  Australian Contingent , Harry  Harbord  Morant , an expert  horse breaker  and ballad  writer for  the  Sydney  Bulletin .

 

 Morant  became  enraged after  a fellow officer and close friend, Captain Hunt, was  shot and  shockingly mutilated  by  Boers .  Morant and some of his friends decided to shoot  Boer prisoners  in revenge . Three  were  sentenced to death by the British , but only Morant and   Lieutenant P.J. Hancock were  executed. 

 

The catalogue stated :  Lord Kitchener  sent a false  report to the   then very new Australian Government  about  the execution and the whole affair  was hushed up by the   British and the press... In 1910, Kitchener visited  Bathurst , Australia,  to unveil the Boer  War Memorial, refusing to perform the ceremony unless Hancock's  name was erased . Quite recently his name  has  been  re-inscribed on the memorial  and his friend , the swash-buckling  Morant  has become almost a folk hero .  

 

Items on display included  photographs and a sketch of  Morant  , a poem written the night before he was  executed ,  published books about  Morant , a greeting card  sent  to Australian  by  Peter John Hancock . There were lithographs of  Boer leaders,  cartoons  , accounts of various  battles in the war,   a  litho of  General S.S. Baden-Powell  at Mafeking, a souvenir silk handkerchief , To the Memory of our Dead- a poem written as an epitaph to Morant by  Will H. Ogilvie , another  Johnny Boer,  by  Banjo Paterson.  

 

TO COME : The First World War   part of  the  catalogue and Breaker  Morant's  North Queensland   connection.  

NOTRE DAME SURVIVOR TO RECOVER IN AUSTRALIA

PARIS: It has just been confirmed   that the Hunchback of Notre Dame  has been granted  sabbatical leave  after  the devastating  fire  and  will  take up residence in  the  empty  Queen's Hotel , Townsville, North Queensland , part of which  is shown  above .

In an exclusive interview with  Little Darwin's Paris correspondent,  Pierre  Le  Petomane ,   the  well  known  cathedral identity ,  wearing  a hearing aid  because  of   having   been exposed  to  the  cathedral's   deafening  bells  for so long   ,  still shaken   and scorched  by  the  blaze , said he is looking  forward  to  some  peace and  quiet  in  downtown  Townsville .

"I hope  there are no  noisy  church bells in  Townsville ?" the anxious  celebrity   asked  our  reporter.  He was  very much relieved when informed the only religion  in  the Queen city of the North   is   football  which does  not  require ringing  bells  to  get  the faithful  to attend   blessed  ovals . 

 

However, Le  Petomane warned  him the  tropical city does  have a  large number of  dingalings  who  regularly  disturb  the  peace  and get   an inordinate amount of   favourable coverage  in  the media .    

 

Under the influence of cognac , the hunchback becomes a   wild   patron of the   arts in Paris. As a result ,  he   has   been  barred from the front row at  the   Moulin  Rouge  along  with  troublesome artist Toulouse  Lautrec . There was  universal  outrage when he  drew a moustache on Mona Lisa at the Louvre    and  under the influence  he is  too  boisterous for  energetic   female  apache  dancers .


French gendarmes  warn no  girl having a  fling in  the Townsville  nightclub precinct  should  ask   the  hunchback  to  go Waltzing Matilda  as  they could end up  in  traction  and   plaster .

 Once he is settled into  the  Queen's Hotel he intends to  start a  Napoleon Bonaparte Syndrome  Club  for  those  in  the north with obvious  delusions of  power , a   guillotine part of  the treatment . It would also  be nice to break the  bank  at  the Ville Casino ,  like he  did  at Monte  Carlo . Also, he expressed the desire to visit the Great Barrier Reef before it  is turned into  a state  similar  to  Mururoa Atoll  which  was   used  for  French  nuclear  tests.  

DEFENSIVE CAVALIER RESORTED TO PLAN B IN CONFRONTATION

ANOTHER  book showing signs of having been through the wars  is  the above   1911  volume   which  somehow got across the Little Darwin protective  moat full of saltwater crocodiles  , the  drawbridge  up  and  the rusty  portcullis  down .


It is to be expected that  in such an olde guide  to  tramping about Cornwall   there is much  mayhem  and  murder   mentioned  in  its pages ; bloody battles, fortified  castles , ruined   churches, smugglers  caves ;  the Civil War ,  encounters between  Roundheads  and  Royalists , a  warrior  more than 7ft  tall . 

A confrontation  which grabbed our  attention  involved  that  at  Basil or Trebasil, in the parish of St. Clether, long the seat of the   Trevelyans .  The Trevelyans , like  most  Cornish gentry , were cavaliers  and  a  party of   Cromwell's  Roundheads  attempted to  seize the  squire  in  his  own house . The response to  this life threatening   situation was like something out of  Blackadder   or   Monty Python .

He  warned  the Roundheads that if they   attacked  , he would send out  his  "spearmen" .  As  no such   force  could  be seen  to back up this threat, come on they did . "Whereupon , he (squire)  up  with  a  teeming  beehive  and threw it among them . Not  a  man-jack waited  for  the onslaught  of  those spearmen ."

 It must be said that right from the foreword to the book  intending  visitors could be  put off  by the  fact  times  were  tough  in Cornwall due to the  collapse in  the price  of  tin  and competition   from other  producing  countries. As a   result , many tin miners , Cousin Jacks , including  Poldark ,  had  gone overseas  and were  sending  back  money .

Nevertheless,author Catharine Amy Dawson Scott, informed  readers    Cornwall , a half smiling , half frowning land ,  was such  an enchanting  , rugged country , with  so  much to offer , it    could  attract  you  back  time  and  time again ,  and  its   people  had  "forgiven you  "  for   being   a  "foreigner ". 

Even  if a  map  showed what appeared to be a largish   town   along the way   it could  not  guarantee  there   would  be  a  tavern  offering   accommodation   for   travellers .  This  was due to the fact that  the  cheerful ,  pleasure- loving  Cornishman  was  generally  a Nonconformist   and Sabbatarian  , thinking   fewer  inns  the  better . Therefore, while a map could  indicate  a large place , it  could  materialise into  a few cottages , a lonely farmhouse , or  a  rocky gorge  with   never  an  inhabitant .    Boating and bathing  was  "unsafe" on the northern and western shores , cliff  paths  with  sinister  cavities  other   dangers.  

FRANK CLUNE SELLS NEW ZEALAND

Part of  an  occasional Little  Darwin  series  dealing with  books , art , ephemera.

Clunes,Auckland

After spending   three months  travelling throughout  New Zealand in an Australian  built Holden   car , author  Frank Clune  published   the l956 book  ROAMING  ROUND   NEW ZEALAND,  which did   a   great  job  promoting  the  country.  Packed  with statistics,  photographs, distilled  history  and  colourful  observations, endpaper maps  it strongly  suggested  Australia  and  NZ  should  form  closer  economic  ties. 

Early in the  piece, he noticed   that  in Auckland  newspapers  were  sold in lolly shops , milkbars  and all sorts of  places. At some street corners  there were unattended piles of  newspapers  on  the pavement with  a  cash box and   a sign   to take one and pay .   Back  home in  Australia , " the Land of  Ned Kelly ", he wrote the customers would  souvenir   the  papers, the   cash , and  the  box  .

The extraordinary claim was made that the honour system had been  tried on Sydney's trams , but discontinued when the box  and  a  tram disappeared !This would  have confirmed the popular Kiwi  belief that Australia was   full of convicts  and  thieves .   

In  the  provincial city of Hamilton, in the North Island , he counted  12 real bookshops , not just  newsagencies , well stocked   with the latest  English, Australian and New Zealand  publications. This was an eye opener , he wrote, compared with the   average  Australian  provincial  cities  , most of which had only one or two  first grade  bookshops.

 Clune  considered  Hamilton one of the solidest  provincial cities  he  had  ever seen , a model  for some Australian cities he could mention , which could not expand  "because local bumbles are bogged down in the ideas of Grand-dad's days". 

 

 In the South Island, at Dunedin , which had the first university in New Zealand (1871), had the best Polynesian collection in the world , the Hocken Library with its fine collection of  books on  early  NZ  and the  South Seas ,    he browsed among the bookshops, bought some volumes , one   McNab's The Old Whaling Days .
 

Dunedin , he wrote, had produced  two writers of world fame , one Douglas Hume  , penned  The Mystery of  a Hansom Cab (mentioned previously in this blog ), written and published in Melbourne  in 1886, then reprinted in London  1887 ; it had become one of the   best sellers of all time , more than a quarter million copies  sold  within  a few years . 

 

The other was poet  Thomas Bracken , said to have been author of one of the  most quoted  poems ever written , Not Understood  , first published in a Dunedin paper . Bracken  himself  was  not understood  , not much known about his life. It was thought  "Bracken " may have been a pen name . He also wrote  the  national anthem , God Defend New Zealand , first published in Dunedin  in the l870s.

 

To back up the impression that New Zealand often appears to be way ahead  of Australia , one of the many interesting people Clune met in his travels was a former director of  Bank of  New Zealand   and  managing director of Dominion Breweries Ltd., Henry Joseph Kelliher , farmer, brewer, journalist and  economist ;   author of the "Kelliher Plan"  for banking  reform , he  had recently been instrumental  in having a Royal Commission appointed   to  inquire into banking, credit and currency in  NZ. 

 

The book was dedicated to "My Cobber"  Bill Walkley, a  New Zealander ,  who had  crossed the Tasman Sea , adopted Australia  and become managing director  of one of  its biggest companies ,  Ampol Oil  .

 

At a farewell dinner in Sydney  before  Clune and his wife set out to  New Zealand , Walkley, after whom the  Australian  Walkley Award  for Journalism   is  named , pointed out  NZ  had been the first country in the world to give women a vote; Lord Rutherford had split the atom  and Field Marshall Rommel had  said Kiwis were outstanding  as  shock troops .

 

Walkley went on to say main exports from New Zealand to Australia  were racehorses  and writers. In return , main exports   from Australia   were Melbourne Cups , other  racing  trophies ,  and  books .