PALM ISLAND UNDER CLOUD

Abra photograph.

 

PETE STEEDMAN FROM COVER TO COVER

 The   bookish  and  colourful   life  of   the   Wild  One  of  Australian politics who   regrets  having   sold  his  rare   and  now highly valuable  Vincent   motorbike  , which  would  help  pay  an  expensive  plumbing  bill . 

Good to hear  that  the large book collection of   Melbourne identity   Pete Steedman , named  Politician of  the  Year  when  he was  the  ALP  Member for Casey in the House of Representatives in the l980s , a university  newspaper editor , journalist , publisher , political  activist , commentator,  is  being catalogued . So  far , early in  the task, the count  is a mere  3500 volumes  . And  this  is  just starting  on  one  level  which  has  l9 large  floor  to  ceiling  bookshelves  . 

There are eight  bookshelves in his  office .Then there is the  downstairs  part of the  wide ranging collection, which  includes more shelving , several  compactus .

.Books, he says, are his security blanket . They have been since his  post war childhood  days when  he  got lost in books to escape the upheaval at home . 

 As can be expected , all kinds of interesting and  forgotten books , magazines and  ephemera is turning up in the cataloguing process . Some were  bought from book dealers. There are  inserts relating to  authors ,events ; inscriptions  of  note, letters . First editions , numerous magazines , even  copies  of  newspapers  produced  by Australian  journalists out  on  strike .

There is a copy of his  grandfather's account of  landing  at Gallipoli.  A great grandfather of  his  had been a police sergeant  at  Ballarat -not  during the  Eureka Stockade , he hastily adds. There are  numerous slim military volumes  relating  to  the  South  West Pacific.  

A  copy of  the banned   novel  Tropic of Cancer, by American Henry Miller ,is from  the time when Steedman took a close  interest  in  Australia's  censorship  and   banning  of  books  during  his time as the editor of the l969 national  publication, Broadside..

Apart from covering major issues of the day , Broadside featured the adventures in Canberra and  America, of   curvaceous  Fabula , the  PM's personal assistant, the  plot  based on inside information  fed  to Steedman from  various sources , her exploits  make the recent ABC report on the  Canberra  Bubble  small, flat  beer  by  comparison. 

No doubt items connected with Steedman's  lively  time in London , running the office of  the  controversial  Oz magazine while its Aussie  owners were  fighting off an obscenity charge in  the Old Bailey ; stirring  up  the poor  media coverage of  the" Irish troubles" , politicians  and   developers   will   surface  during   the   dusty  cataloguing .

BARMY CYCLONE SEASON ADVICE

 Little   Darwin  Community  Service  Special 

As a New Year weather report  raised the  possibility of a  cyclone forming ,this blog  resurrected and updated  its  unique  guide  on  how  to prepare for  such an event, which  includes  the following exclusive photograph of  a  staff member , who  experienced  Darwin's  Cyclone Tracy  and  is  now on  new  aniseed  flavoured  medication .   

The  article carried the heading : HOW TO SURVIVE  A CYCLONE-AND BE CERTIFIED  INSANE  IN THE  PROCESS. 

It started by saying you should retire to the smallest  room in  the house with a pet duck...actually a celluloid clothes brush bought  at  an Adelaide garage sale .  

A sturdy windmill comes in handy for generating your own  electricity  when power  is cut off  by   cyclonic winds.

A valuable early  Coca-Cola bottle ,which can be swapped for a bar of gold stolen from Fort Knox , will  help you  cope with the  economic slump after a natural disaster .

The menacing  black  face in the photo is a  rare , large chess piece carved out of a coconut tree , bought  at a garage sale on  Magnetic Island .

Our man took a book of  soothing poetry entitled  Billabong, found   in  an op shop, when  he  entered the shelter. So , like the  jolly swagman  in Waltzing Matilda, he  sat  near a flushing billabong.   On his head ,without  explanation  , is  a  wig  sent to his wife as  a  Christmas present.  This wig could symbolise being  under  the  shade of   a coolibah  tree .  

CALLED AN OLD FART...

 In  the  nicest  possible  way. 

A mature  aged  member  of   the Little Darwin team , certainly no oil painting  in appearance, recently spoke to  Darwin scholar and gentleman , agronomist   Robert  Wesley -Smith , a  continual source of  interesting news   and story  ideas ,  for information  about  an inscription of  note  he had  found in  a  book  while  trying  to knock  his  untidy  volumes  into  some kind  of  order. 

During   discussion about  the book, its author  and the inscription,  which  will be  the subject  of  a  post  in  this  blog ,  Wes , above ,    mentioned  that  an  old   friend , in his 80s , who  had  led an   adventurous  life  in  New Guinea and the Territory ,  has  an   interesting   collection  of  books .  Wes  expressed  concern   about  the  future  of   the  books.

This  was  because of  the  experience Wes  had trying  to find a place  for the  8000 volume collection  of  Adelaide academic  , Harry Medlin , a commando during  WWll, his  time as  a prisoner of war  causing him to take a  great interest  in  Asia , resulting  in an extensive library .   Wes  rated  the  collection  as  bloody interesting, but could not  get any institution, including  the Northern Territory  government  , which claims Darwin is the gateway to Asia,  to  take  it.  

Wes  went on  to  say  it seemed  "only old farts " such as he himself , and  this writer , were   interested  in  books .  In   his case, Wes  is  a young 77;  this scribe is  sprinting  into  the  80s , still  reluctantly culling books, sheet music , records , photographs, ephemera . Tucked  away in  the Little  Darwin  disorderly den  is activist  Wesley-Smith's  own  Azaria   Chamberlain  file . 

CHEROKEE AIRLINES CORAL SEA FLIGHT

Another spectacular North Queensland photograph by Aeronautical Correspondent , Abra.

 

THE WET IS HERE : FROGS REJOICE

Looking from The Strand, Townsville , above,  towards distant  Magnetic Island, a build up of cloud visible . The island had been bone dry before welcome  rain  started to  fall  late in  the  Christmas period.

During  heavy overnight  rain  rocks  were  washed  down on  the road to Horseshoe Bay . One  night  , the alarm  on a parked car  went off in a storm and a  nearby  power pole  started to arc. These  events caused police  and  an  Ergon gang  to turn up . 

 Power supply  has  gone on and  off  in the past few days. Croaking tree frogs during  rain  are  deafening . Cold  and wet resident  Curlews demanding  frequent  festive  season food . Flying ants and moths attracted to outside  lights  at night. 

The large piece of drifting  tree which has  been evident  for months, mentioned  by  our  beach combing  Shipping Reporter  from  time to time, was  washed shore and  seems  to  be  intent on snuggling  up  against  Nelly's groyne  yet  again, below  . 

   Below: Beach erosion  is again evident  at   Nelly Bay where  not so long ago   sand  was being pushed around  in  regular  remedial work . 

MEANWHILE , the  weather outlook in Cairns .   

Abra  photograph .

POETIC DOG OF A YEAR

 Royal   mail  delivers  unique  British  diary. 

The late  delivered   RSPCA Christmas card , above, from  relatives  in  what used to be called  the Mother Country, contained  the  following  graphic  folded   account  of  what  had  happened  to  them and their pets  this  fateful  year.  

Freezing  couple  in  Ireland , with fond memories of sunny Australia , are  thinking  of  moving  to Spain to thaw out. There the Australian husband's rare skill of turning coathangers into aeroplanes will no doubt entertain   the  locked  down  matadors , their  unemployed  bulls  and   dogs.