TOURISM HEART STARTER

In a brilliant move  to boost tourism , Queensland is installing  defibrillators  next  to  collapsed   tourist  attraction  information  display stands all over the state . The   latest  life  saving  device   has  just been installed  next to one  at   the   Magnetic Island  ferry terminal  where  many items  appear on the verge of collapse .  Brochures  , leaflets, pamphlets are  limp, bent , upside down , screwed up .   Zapped  daily by the defibrillator  , it  will  present an  upright  display of  the  many  island  attractions .  The sign to the left  of  the stand  gives directions to  the nearest   life  saving   machine  at  Blue on Blue .The rubbish bin next to the  stand adds to the exotic setting.

 A  local tourist industry spokesman , holder of  a first aid certificate , keen to give the kiss of life to a  Townsville Bulletin eye candy  weather   girl ,   said  display stands throughout the north are  often  in  an  unkempt , decidedly unhealthy  state . Several in Cairns  looked as if  hit by a cyclone . In Townsville , a  jumbled stand  was in  an off putting haunted house setting  near major attractions.  A daily jolt with the defibrillator would  present  an   upstanding  ,  pristine   image  of   the  state's  wonderland .   

SYDNEY HOBART RACE SCOOP

Feathers flew for  Lou d'Alpuget  

 

In the l991 book  covering  the sailing boats of Sydney  and the  Sydney Flying  Squadron , the author mentioned the part  played by  Lou d'Alpuget  who covered  races  in  the  newspapers  for   decades . The  cover illustration was from the  d'Alpuget   collection  .   An  experienced yachtsman himself , his name  came up   a few days ago  in  a  Radio National  interview with longtime   yachting  reporter   Rob Mundle , who has written a book about the  epic   Sydney Hobart Yacht  Race .

 

The problem  of  getting  race progress reports  in  the early days of the event was  discussed with Amanda Smith of  the  ABC .   An RAAF  flying boat, he said ,   had   tried to help out , but  was hampered because of cloud coverage . Early radios were  not  powerful .

 

There was  rivalry in  the  media   to  get progress   reports . As a  result, d'Alpuget arranged for Frank McNulty , a newspaper  crewmember of a yacht ,  to  take  homing  pigeons.

 

Mundle  said the  first attempt  to send a  report attached to a pigeon  failed  because the bird  did not  like the rough  weather and just  flopped down on deck .  It had then been  grabbed  and   heartily thrown  into  the sky  and   flew   to  Lou . 

 

This  writer , at the time a cadet   reporter ,  had dealings with d'Alpuget , nicknamed the Sea  Going Ox , his daughter writer  Blanche , later  second wife of Bob Hawke  ,  on  The Sun newspaper  in  Sydney . He was the news editor at the time , the executive  editor , Lindsay Clinch, with   reporting experience in  America , also  a  keen yachtsman .

From Tasmania  today came this photograph  from one of our  wandering correspondents  of  an  interesting  eatery  at Deloraine   filled  to  the scuppers with a vast range of  collectables. Old gramophone records  stuck to the wall decorated a toilet , which is  food  for thought , so  many  records , including The Goons singing   EE AH OOH (broken into pieces ) , stashed  away in  our  den .  

GREAT WHITE FLEET AND NATURE'S AWESOME SHIPYARD

 

 

Vallis photographs .

GHOST FLEET IN FULL FLIGHT , SINO BABY BOTTLE RUN

From the office French built coracle , the one and only Shipping Reporter in North Australia   photographed the African Wren  departing Townsville .  Days  earlier  , another cattle  boat, which had  caused the nostrils of  potential  Townsville Bulletin  eye  candy  weather story  girls on The Strand  to  twitch,  slipped away  without  media coverage .

 However, the biggest and most sensational border security  scoop by our  waterfront  roundsman  is the following exclusive  photo  of  a mysterious object  seen bobbing  about  in  Cleveland  Bay.

The Shipping Reporter   says  it  is obviously  the cover on the periscope of a Chinese yellow submarine on  another spying / baby formula mission.

TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

The extensive book and ephemera  collection  built up over the years by the  Australian art  researcher , the late  Margaret  Vine , included  the  first  volume in a series  on  contemporary  photographers,  covering   the  work of  David Moore, seen here at Ernabella , South Australia, in  l977.  Published by Richmond Hill  Press, Melbourne  ,  Victoria , 1980, the  series general editor , Ian McKenzie ,  said  it was planned to   document those photographers, often unrecognised,  who had contributed to Australian photography  from  the l930s to  the  l980s. 

Moore , born Sydney , l927 , his father  an architect and  painter ,  joined  the Russell Roberts Studio   in  l947  and linked up with  Max Dupain  who pioneered modernism in photography .  Working his way by ship to London , he  based himself  there  as  a freelance  photo-journalist , doing shoots for The Observer, Time, Life , Fortune , Look . His assignments took him to Europe, Africa and the United States.

Returning   to Sydney in  l958, he did specialist  work for   American magazines  and industrial  clients . There was extensive travel to the USA, Canada , Europe, Asia , Antarctica  and the Pacific .  For  Sports Illustrated , he captured the  thirsty  outback  bar  at  the Beetoota Races , Queensland , in l961 .  

Involved  with Wesley Stacey in developing the  Australian Centre for Photography , over  the years he   held  exhibitions ,  his  work in  collections in New York,  Paris, Washington , Melbourne and  Canberra. The book includes  contributions  by  Max Dupain , art critic Daniel Thomas   and  a  thoughtful  piece by Moore  himself   about  the  changes he witnessed in  the field  of   photography  and  its  future .   
 

A Moore photograph entitled Landscape nude 1, l973  brings to mind the famous  Dupain   1937  beach Sunbaker  study  which  came  to symbolise  the  relaxed  Australian  way  of   life .   

BILLY BOMBAX SHOCK HORROR

North Queensland's giant of sustainability  cut down

The tragic scene in Townsville's Anderson Park Botanic Gardens is revealed in our  exclusive  photograph from Abra  .  Genial   Billy Bombax , closely associated with the Mundingburra   State School  , encouraged  people to be  gentle  with the planet . Now he  has been ruthlessly cut down  . It is  suggested the wooden headed   mainland media will  also  be   chipped for failing   to cover the long running  demise  of dear old Billy Bombax , only Little  Darwin alert to the unravelling horror  story , the  gradual  removal of  limbs   due  to disease,   his  happy  human  face   cut away  in  what must have been  a  painful  nip  and  tuck  , placed  in  quarantine soon after  and    finally  given  the  Ryobi  treatment . It is puzzling  that  this long running saga  failed to  rate  a  mention  in  the   media  but  then   so  many  other  obvious  stand  out  stories  are  missed in  North  Australia.  

 

WATERFRONT NEWS BEAT

A roaming correspondent , Abra , sent the  above  photograph of  the  installation of  The Ocean Siren  statue  off  Townsville , created by British marine sculptor  Jason deCaires ,  part of the  Museum  of   Underwater  Art .The unusual attraction changes colour in response to water temperature  readings  at Davies Reef  weather station .   Other artwork is planned  for  Magnetic Island , Palm Island  and  John  Brewer Reef . 

Part of the Magnetic Island  ferry  terminal (above ) is being made  into a  café, to use  a  nautical expression , it could be on the Leeward side   ; work  has  been  going on  in a section  of  the Arcadia Hotel   to  turn it  into   a  conference and  convention  centre ;  there is  talk  of another  coffee shop  opening  in  Nelly Bay .