PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE ON LAND

Distinctive garden  seat  in  Darwin  made  from  a  cut down   Indonesian  canoe  by  a  crafty  fireman .  

SOUVENIR OF THE APPIAN WAY

Mounted, framed and under  glass, a  sign  with   instructions  for guests at  the Appian Beach House, Magnetic Island ,  attracted  this  rummaging  blogger's   attention  during  an  op  shop  tour .  It  refers to  possums who  visit  at  night , leaving behind faeces and urine , so refrain from  feeding them .On the other hand , it  is okay to  feed  kookaburras.  Please do  not  feed  Australian  wildlife  bread .

It  was  made doubly interesting  by  discovering on the  back an all the best for 1996  handwritten  message  which seemed to indicate it was  from people  from Wagga Wagga  , New South Wales , who had a memorable  stay  at  the  guest  house , and   had   souvenired  the instructions  and  had  them   framed .   

 The  Appian Beach House , handy to beaches  and a pub,  featured  in  the following  real  estate  advertisement  when  it sold for  $675,000. An imitation crocodile  graced  the  side  of  the pool.  

THE CURIO COTTAGE COMES ALIVE AGAIN

 Library  produces  fabulous  photograph  collection 

On a recent  visit to  the   Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory (GSNT)  in Darwin , not  expecting to  get  a positive  response, I  asked  if its superb library  contained  any  postcards  produced  for  the  colourful  character ,  Jack   Buscall , who  ran  the   Curio  Cottage, pictured here in 1938.

By Peter Simon 

On  the spot, a volunteer  member of  GSNT, sorting out a box of old photographs ,  produced  a  bundle  of  Buscall snaps . Eureka !!! 

Years  ago, I  wrote  an article  about  Buscall  who became   paralysed after  he  fell   trying  to  get  INSIDE  Darwin's  tin-walled Fannie Bay Gaol .  It was  in  the free and easy days  when  prisoners were allowed to  go into  town  and  socialise, but  had  to  be back  in  time  before the  gates  were  closed.He lingered longer in town , came back late , banged on the gate, got no response. So  he  tried to gain entry by climbing  scaffolding erected  for  repairs  on  the  prison wall, fell, broke his back .

While in Darwin hospital he started collecting stamps , using  a hospital typewriter  to belt  out  letters to  penfriends  all  over   the  world   The above photograph,showing him in bed, attended by   Doctor Harris , Matron Gallagher  and  Sister  Stewart , is from the GSNT  collection .

Released from hospital, he  established  the  Curio  Cottage , a shop which sold a wide range of items -  groceries , books , buffalo horns, and  Northern Territory postcards . He  sat in a  bed  at  the front ,  mirrors placed  about the shop  so  that he could see what was going on . It was later  claimed he ran the  first  self service shop  in  Australia .

 To attract tourists off  ships, he had a small zoo which included an emu and some snakes  . Children used to sell him frogs for sixpence  a dozen  with which he  fed  a  python.  One of the  snakes   bit  a  passing  Aborigine .

Author Xavier  Herbert  knew  Buscall  who  wrote the  Round About column in  the  union owned Northern Standard newspaper. Many people used to drop in and mag  with  Buscall in the Curio Cottage , subjects of discussion often mentioned in his newspaper column .  As a result , Curio Cottage   became  known as  the  Gossip Shop .

The above GSNT photograph is of  Buscall's  buckboard in Chinatown , a sign points to  the  Australian Workers' Union office . Buscall was said to have first  arrived in  Darwin with a circus ; a master builder and carpenter, he  also took part  in  SP betting . 

Another photo,above, is of  a  1915 strike meeting in the  open air Don Theatre , the waterside  workers  demanding a  payment of  two shillings and fivepence  per  hour  for  handling  cement .  

After the February 19, l942 attack on Darwin, Buscall, against his  will ,was evacuated to Adelaide , the  zoo  animals dispersed  by  police . In  Adelaide he opened another  Curio Cottage  which mainly traded in stamps . When he died in 1945  his 40 volume stamp  collection  was  sold.

TOWNSVILLE NEWSPAPER MISSES THE BOAT (AGAIN) ON MAJOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL STORY

 This  being Refugee Week in Australia, there is a golden opportunity for the Townsville Bulletin to  pick  up   the  refugee  story  on   Magnetic Island   which  has  been  going  begging  for weeks ever since the  launch of  Amnesty International 's 60th  anniversary  exhibition in  the  island's new   Louver Gallery .

Not covered by  The Bulletin , the  exhibition  ,mounted  by  talented and concerned  island  residents , highlighted  the  plight of  refugees  , and others, including  Julian Assange who  once  lived  on  the  island .

Of  particular note  were  two attention grabbing  drawers  dealing specifically with   the  subject  of  refugees  , one  above , including  the  Tamil family  from   Biloela  , the  subject  of  a  national outcry .The other drawer, identified  as  DUTTON'S DRAWERS , contains the faces of  people locked  in  detention  with  Minister  Peter  Dutton's  washing .  

Here is a news tip for The Bulletin and any other members of the mainland media:  Actually visit the island  and discuss   the refugees  with the  local  ALP  branch and  individuals  who  have  been  raising  the  issue ; talk to  the  artists and others  who  contributed to the  Amnesty International   exhibition ;  speak  to   locals  making contact  with Assange  and  his  mother; chase up  the  interesting  American  angle   with  the  exhibition .And here  is  anothe r fascinating  twist  -those  drawers  above  were   made  from  Chinese  trinket and  jewellery boxes .

CAIRNS OVERVIEW

 

Abra  series .

PEEWEE HARBOURMASTER

Darwin photograph by our Shipping Reporter .

HOUSE WITH A COLOURFUL PAST

A  great   garage  sale in  the following  residence up  for sale  on  Magnetic Island  revealed   interesting   stories   about  artists  and  musicians who  passed  through  its  intriguing   portals  over  40  years .

One of the musicians  was Glen "Flag" Ollier  , one of  the  drummers  in  Australian rock and roll singer Johnnie O'Keefe's  band . O'Keefe, nicknamed  the  Wild One , is  said  to  have been   the  first  Australian  R and R  singer to  tour  the  USA.  

 Ollier ,56 , was  hit on the head by a stray golfball during a charity match on Magnetic Island and suffered severe brain damage which paralysed him down one side  .  He  sued  the   Magnetic Island Country Club, where  Greg Norman  had  played when  he was a boy, and Mark Shanahan 49, who hit the the ball, the case receiving  much coverage  in  overseas  golfing magazines  .  He   was  awarded  $2.6 million  in  damages  from Shanahan . A set of  golf irons bearing the name  American  Ben Hogan  was  for sale . Could these have  belonged  to   Ollier ? And  what  about  that set  of  drums ?  

 Members of  Midnight Oil were  said to  have  dropped  in . Old signs, including  advertising   ones , are  nailed  under  the   house.

The artistic  sign  below  is  at  the entrance to  an interesting  room . A couple once asked if they could move into the  premises  and  were  given a verbal okay .  They  came back  and  said  they  had  five children  , was  the  invite  still applicable ?  They were   given  the green light  and everybody  was   living  there  "in  harmony" two years  later .    

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Near  the  swimming  pool,  which  comes  complete with a  Kombi van in which  is  kept  the  pool equipment, is  a  decorated  cocktail  trolley . Almost forgot  to  mention  that  a variety of  coins  were  noticed embedded in  concrete  paths .

An idea of the wide range of items for sale  is gleaned from the  following shot, a  large Buddha  painting   on  offer  as  well .  

 There was much old  furniture  upstairs, hand crafted wooden pieces  downstairs , including  the  one  below .

Visible on  what appeared to be  an old  greenhouse in the backyard were instructions on  the wooden  framework  not  to  spit   and   commit  no  racism.

NOTE: Johnnie  O'Keefe  got on  exceptionally well with  the Northern Territory  News  crusading editor , "Big Jim " Bowditch . When  Bowditch   flew to  America   with  Qantas in a  press party to see the new  Jumbo jets he  had  a  spectacular  wardrobe  provided  by The Wild One .Bowditch  had just intended wearing a pair of long pants, not  shorts, and borrowing  a  jumper and a  coat , there  being  no  need  for such clobber  in Darwin.

From  his own wardrobe, O'Keefe  gave him  a double- breasted ,pin- striped , blue -black  gangster  type suit,  with  wide  lapels and  padded shoulders .There was also a mauve suit. , four dress  shirts, ties, built  up  shoes,and even floral underpants! O'Keefe  threw in a thousand  dollar  Spanish leather overcoat and a pair of gold cufflinks O'Keefe had been given when he appeared  on  the  Johnny Carson  Show  in  America .