AUSTRALIAN HOAX SPREADS TO NEW YORK ART WORLD

After  this  blog  recently  posted  a   piece  about  Australia’s   Ern  Malley  literary hoax , involving Max  Harris , Geoffrey Dutton  and  Sidney Nolan, it  was  surprising  to  hear   on   the  ABC  in the  wee  small  hours  of  a  restless night  that  the  deception  has   been mentioned  in  this  latest    novel    by   Siri Hustvedt.  It   tells  how  an  embittered    woman , now  dead,  had  pulled   a  hoax on  the  New York  art  world  at the end of the  20^th century . Feeling  that  she   had   been  the  victim of   lifelong  cultural  misogyny  and rejection  of  her artwork  because of  her sex, she  got  three male  friends to  pretend  her  artwork  is  theirs . During  an   interview  with  the author, ABC  Books and  Arts presenter , Michael Cathcart , brought out  the  unexpected  fact  that   the  Ern Malley hoax  gets  a  mention in the  novel. How did she  become aware of  Ern Malley, he   asked . Laughing,  Siri  said   she  was   probably informed  of  the  wonderful  hoax  by  Australian  author  Peter Carey, who  lives  in  New York. So there you are , nearly   70  years  later , Ern Malley strikes  again , this  time  in  the  Big Apple .    

DARWIN DEAD, DERWENT DUCKS

The latest  wide ranging  newsletter of  the Genealogical Society of the  Northern Territory (GSNT)  says  volunteers are continuing research into the   Palmerston Cemetery, the Territory's  first , where  there  were  more than  1230 burials,  of  which  about  146  have  headstones .  GSNT is  also rearranging its  large  library to  make research easier .

 

There is  mention of  a  website of interest which  showcases   military units that served in the Northern Territory during the Second World War, indexed by military service , then by unit name.  The Northern Territory Library has a unique collection of resources on the Second World War in north Australia.  Many of the library’s works relate to unit  histories and personal narratives not held by any other  library in Australia. Some archival material held by the Northern Territory Archives Services   has also been included  www.ntlexhibit.nt.gov.au/exhibits/show/unit

 

Of particular note  is  an item  about  the updated  e version of A Drift of 'Derwent Ducks'  -  available for $15 –  a study of the  200 female Irish convicts who were transported to Van Diemen's Land from Ireland in 1849 on the Australasia. These women had suffered through the Irish famine yet many of  them made  a new life for  themselves in Van Diemen's Land, most marrying and settling down to raise families...

http://www.researchtasmania.com.au/index.php/publications/derwent-ducks

 Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory Inc
PO Box 37212
Winnellie NT 0821 Australia
Telephone during Library hours - Mon, Tues Sat pm- 08 89817363
email: gsntinc@bigpond.net.au
Website: www.gsnt.org.au

CLOUDS AND COCONUT

POLITICIAN IN NEED OF COVER UP

Caption : The Minister for  the Interior  signing  in  new Italian government -if nothing else, Italy  has   style .

GREEN ANT IN SILK STUDIO

Vallis Photo

 

RETURN OF THE JOLLY SWAGMAN

The  dynamic  Abbott government  has  devised a  brilliant employment  scheme  to keep people over  50  on  the  move  and  gainfully  employed   until   they are  70. It has been  inspired by  the famous  Yank  ,  Johnny  Appleseed , who  roamed  the  US of A   scattering   apple seeds  so  that  future  generations  would   become  hooked  on  mom   and  apple pie , like Liberace ,  and  regularly  get  the  pip  with  Capitol  Hill.

All  Australians over  50  not  busking , not  employed  flipping  burgers  and not  flogging dolls eyes  and  mothballs   on commission  for  a Nigerian company  ,  will  be compulsorily  turned  into  swaggies  and  told to  travel  the  wide  brown  land   spreading  imitation   cowpats   and  real  dung  beetles.  Dung  beetles    are   necessary ,  especially   north of  the  Goyder Line ,  to  make  arid areas  seem  desirable   beef  country  to  be  flogged  off   to unsuspecting   overseas   buyers.

Pictured  above    is  the  first   lucky  swaggie, a redundant   former veteran  Qantas  pilot , Hudson Fysh , with a  bag  of  squirming  dung  beetles hanging  from  his  shoulder.  Smelly Fysh  said that the army of swaggies  will  also pick up from the roadside  all  the   many discarded bottles of  1959 Grange  thrown from stretch limos . When   he reaches  the  age of   three score  and  10 , the    kind  government will  reward him  with  a plastic  bag  full  of  recycled  green  and  gold  loincloths ... then  tell  him  to  go  jump  in   a   billabong  .

FAT PICKINGS IN FLABULOUS NEW JAPANESE TRADE AGREEMENT

TOKYO :  Honourable  Trade  and Junk Food Investment   Minister ,   Andrew   Robb - san ,  above , today announced  that Japan  has agreed to  take large shipments of  obese   Australians  to be used as  disposable  training  fodder  in  sumo  wrestling  boot  camps . With  the   help  of  cattle  prods , the  first shipment   of   fats   will be loaded  aboard  a  converted bumboat   next  week   and   leave  Townsville , North  Queensland , for the  lucrative new  Japanese market  .  Minister  Robb  said  the   shipment  will  consist of  pot-bellied  cattlemen ,  waddling  local  government  members  , rotund   pollies ,   jowly journalists   and    assorted other  overweight  mugwumps.  In  Japan , the  Australians  will  become  slap - happy  grunt    partners  for   Nippon's champion  sumo  wrestlers . The   average   sumo   wrestler  squashes   20  training  opponents  a  day.  As  the  Japanese  demand   for    Aussie  Michelin Men    increases,  Robb   pointed  out ,  the  baby  boomer population  would  be  greatly reduced,  the  health  bill would  decrease  by   billions  of   yen  and pensioners  would  receive  a  free  bottle  of  saki  from  the little trimmers in the  federal government   each Leap  Year... another you  beaut win-win situation.  The minister  said  he  could  even  see  a   market  opening  up  in Japan  for  a similar  junior league  sumo wrestling   scheme  involving   tubby   Aussie  schoolkids  hooked  on  junk  food and softdrinks which  glow in the dark . This  would   be   promoted  under  the  sporting  title ,  Little   Whopper  Nippers.