QUEENSLAND KITSCH IS EARLY REMINDER OF FESTERING SEASON

A round of Saturday garage sales turned up some tempting  oddments , including  the  Singing  Santa , below, able to be extended to 5ft. At  only 20 bucks , it was  a  real bargain  , but a  firm NO! on the domestic front put an end to  that early possible Yuletide  purchase .  

Well, what about  the grotesque  singing and dancing  lobster , mounted like  a  trophy,   for   only  ten dollars ?NO!  An examination revealed  it was called a Wide Mouth Larry Lobster. Unfortunately , it did not come  with batteries, or else they were  flat,  so  Larry could  not  sing  and dance  , wave its  tasty claws about  and  be  entered in  Australia's  Got  Seafood  Talent.   

POMMIE SHEEPSHAGGERS DIRECTED TO AUSTRALIA

With the help of  these two guides , young  British  men were urged to seek their  fortune  as  squatters  in  the   Australian   colonies  in   the  l880s.  They were advised  that  any  pioneering  type  intent  on    going  to  the antipodes   should   do so  without  a   female  companion  because  of  the  tough   life  . In  other  words , get  yourself  a  male   cobber , a  mate, to  help  your  efforts .   The   books  are   part  of   a  special  display   dealing  with  the  pastoral industry  mounted  by  Special Collections  in  the Eddie Koiki Mabo  Library ,  James Cook University ,Townsville .
 

The  sheep guide , published  in 1884,  includes  advice on  the rough life   in Australia , peculiarities of the Merino , how to deal with lazy hands , shearing   and  being a  "good master. "There were 70million sheep in the Great South Land  at the  time    which   had  resulted in  immense exports producing the  best and cheapest  meat supply known ;  in addition , Australia  had    built cities   and world  famous exhibition palaces .  

 

LAND  OF OPPORTUNITY

 

 

Celibate kings in grass castles

 

Long experience had shown that no country offered  such favourable terms  to men of  limited capital and bucolic tendencies as Australia . However, that bucolic person was   given some  sound advice  about  the need to delay saddling up  with a "ladye-fayre"in Australia . 

 

 



Beware  Queensland  cattle  duffers.



Would be  cattlemen  were told that  there was a  bright  future  for  frozen meat exports to England   since a  trial shipment  aboard  the Strathlever  arrived as fresh as the day killed , which could  spark rivalry  with  the  wool kings .

 

Cattle duffers were a problem in Australia ," a famous robbery "in Queensland   cited. It involved a gang of cattle thieves who used nefarious operations with impunity to steal more than a  thousand head , which were sold  in South Australia. A sympathetic jury in Roma acquitted  the defendant despite overwhelming  evidence .

 

  If this story  put you off  the idea of making your fortune in  Australia, there was an advertisement  in  one of the  guides promoting  a  book  about  prospects  in  Canada .   

SUNBIRD MYSTERY

While Little Darwin  was  lost in cyberspace,  our resident  Sunbirds , one above,  disappeared ,  possibly the victim of predators .  Their nest now hangs  neglected .Two settings of  Curlew  eggs  failed to  result in  any  surviving  hatchlings , a  cat    frequently  spotted   at   Nellie  Bay    , running down   drains  when  challenged . After the burn off  on Magnetic Island , which was  spectacular at night , especially on the ridges , pix later , a Wallaby  was  found  on the back lawn , probably after    plants   to  nibble and a drink  from  the Curlew  pond .

THE BLACK STUMPS

Another  photographic   trip   by  Vallis

 

AUSTRALIAN LINK WITH FAMOUS AMERICAN GUN COMPANY

During   a   foray into the happy hunting ground of Special Collections ,  in the Eddie Koiki Mabo  Library , James Cook University , Townsville , an unusual  box  , below, displaying  the name  of the   Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven ,Connecticut,  USA , immediately  grabbed   our  attention.

Turns out the dovetail jointed box , probably dating from  WWl  , came from   the  North  Queensland    mining  town  of   Ravenswood with  a  variety of documents related  to early days of the town, including a  gun club which ran from 1900 to 1916.  Ravenswood is experiencing  renewed     expansion   of goldmining resulting in the  removal  of some   early buildings  .  The Winchester    box    was   in  a damaged state  but      repaired   at   a men's shed  in Townsville .

The  lever action Winchester was described as the  rifle which won the West ,used in the Civil War ,  favoured by Buffalo Bill , featured in Cowboy and Indian movies . Colonel Custer   and  his men  were  victims of  Winchester fire power as well  as arrows .The Winchester Model 1892  sold  1,004,675 , popular  in South Africa and  Australasia .

In January 2006  the New Haven plant , where Winchester rifles and shotguns had been  produced   for 140 years ,was  shut   down .

QUEENSLAND CELEBRITY EXPERIENCES HORRIFIC FACIAL DISFIGUREMENT

 Without  the Townsville media noticing , the       city's famous  Giant of  Sustainability , Billy Bombax , has  had   his  face completely removed !!! A  limping   Little Darwin reporter , supported by  a walking stick bought at  a  garage sale , discovered the gruesome  story in Anderson  Park .   

Before .

Shock , horror   today . 

This  blog  has  long  been  the only  local media  outlet       reporting the sad  whittling down of  Billy Bombax  due  to a  terrible tree  disease , limbs  being   chopped off , a nasty black canker  growing  on  his  back , eating away at his vitals .It seems now only an expensive  New York  plastic surgeon who performs nips and tucks  for  Hollywood  stars  will  be able to  restore  Billy's face .

Billy in happier  days.

LITTLE DARWIN PHOENIX

Due to an annoying technical   glitch and  a technicoloured  groin,  Little  Darwin has been   off  the  air   and  in  hospital   but hopes to be back  on deck  with the Shipping Reporter and  other   decaying  members of  staff .