MAGNETIC ISLAND NEWS

 Money raised at  the 70th birthday  of   an ALP member  on the island   is  being sent to  Biloela  for the  Nadesalingam  family  who will be returning to the  welcoming  Queensland town from  house  detention  in  Perth, Western  Australia, released  at  the direction of the  Albanese Government.  There  were  many supporters  of  the  Tamil refugee  family on  the island   during  their   struggle , some  have   been  invited  to  Biloela  to   meet  them  when  they   return . 

Also being watched closely by  supporters on the  island  is the fate of  Wikileaks founder  Julian Assange , the subject of  an upcoming  special   television  report  about his father   trying to stop him being   deported   to  America  .

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.Another island  restaurant, Noodies, has been  sold  at Horseshoe  Bay . This follows  the  sale of the French restaurant at Nelly Bay . Another    may also  have  been  sold  . There  is  talk  that  a   new  venture  will involve  a  chef    providing     banquets   for   groups   of  10  or  more  people.

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Mexicans  have started to invade   Queensland  and Magnetic Island .  This is the name   given to  people who cross the border and  head north, often during the southern winter.   Vehicles   from Victoria and  NSW  carrying surfboards   on  roof racks  have  been spotted on the island . Several  overseas  visitors  have  also  been   noticed  in  eateries .  

GNOMES DELIVER LOUD BRONX CHEER IN MAGNETIC ISLAND TURF WAR

 Warning : This  contains  a  rude  Vallis  photo.

Disgruntled  garden  gnomes on Magnetic Island  staged a  protest march  around  the  damaged  refugee  from an ice cream  parlour  that  has   suddenly  been  plonked  down  in  their  domain .  Theatrical  photographer  Vallis  arranged for  two heavy concrete  gnomes , with  loose fitting trousers  that continually   exposed  their  derrieres , to  be carried  to  the  demo , probably causing   the   unfortunate  props  helper  to  suffer  a   double  hernia . 

More modestly  kitted out  gnomes gathered   about   and  delivered  loud  Bronx cheers  when asked  what  they thought  about  the  huge  ice cream cone  , which  could  be  raspberry  flavoured . This could be  read  as  a  hearty  raspberry  for  a  raspberry ice . Two  Curlews  were  seen  outside the garden giving  their  gnome  mates  moral  support ; they wailed loudly during  the  night ,obviously  upset  by  the  cone .  

AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA / AMERICAN ALLIANCE DURING SECOND WORLD WAR

 

Evidence of the close relationship between America  and Australia under the  Labor Prime  Minister John Curtin is portrayed in  the   above   extraordinary  (worn)   book  which  recently  came   Little Darwin's  way .

The 256pp  volume ,copyrighted  1945 , designed to  make the young nation better known to the world , especially  America it would seem , was  engraved  and  printed in  the  USA  by  the  Manz Corporation, Chicago, for  the  Australian  Story  Trust , Pitt Street , Sydney  ,NSW.

After tracing the British colonial history of Australia,  the  profusely illustrated book, in alphabetical  order, covers " stone age  Aborigines" , in a chapter   contributed  by  Dr  A.P. Elkin, Professor of Anthropology ,Sydney University, in which the  Northern Territory  is mentioned. 

The very next chapter deals with Canberra , pointing out it had been designed by Walter Burley Griffin, of Chicago. It  includes a large photo of PM John Curtin who it says  guided the  nation during the most critical  years of  the Second  World  War

Scattered  through out  are  photographs of  American Servicemen  in various parts of the  nation,  US  tank  crews   shown  below during  training .

 Each state is  the subject  of a chapter . In the one dealing with  Queensland  there is  a view of  Townsville, the post office clock  visible . . 

Billed as  A  Place of  Paradox  and  Promise ,the Northern Territory section  contains  photos of Katherine, Wave Hill Cattle Station, the Ord River Crossing, Auvergne Station homestead  and a military convoy , below,  between  Banka  Banka  and  Helen Springs.

The world's largest "cattle ranch " , Victoria River Downs, 12,686 square miles, it points out , is  much  bigger  than  Maryland  and  New Hampshire, in the USA, can pasture  150,000  head . 

The introductory text for the  Territory states the Territory capital  Darwin is now the outstanding bastion of  the  Allies in the Pacific. Though rich in mineral wealth,the Territory was the Cinderella of the Australian states.

It goes on to say that  maybe the God of War  will drop from his chariot the Fairy Prince from  beyond  the  seas  to wake  the Centre  to astonishing life.  

The well illustrated  New Guinea chapter in  the  book  contains several photographs  of   American  and   Australian soldiers, village scenes ,   a busy landing , Jeeps, evacuation  of   wounded . The  following photo shows  woman  holding  the  treasured  skulls  of  their  dead  husbands .  

GNOME DWARFED BY NEW NEIGHBOUR

 

Not  many Australian  gardens  can boast  a collection of gnomes AND  a giant  icecream cone , a recent  arrival, on  Magnetic Island .  Obscured  from  view  in  the  background, to shield our readers from  something  unsightly,  is   a cheeky gnome, one of  two, with  exposed derrieres , bought in Townsville   at   a  cost  of   $90 each . The  garden  comes  complete with a sign  warning  that  the  property  is  guarded  by  aggressive  chickens.  .

NAUTICAL RUSSIAN FANTASY LINKED WITH UKRAINE AND AUSTRALIAN ARTIST

Going on the title of  this worn book, Scarlet Sails , our scavenging  Shipping Reporter   thought  he  had  found  a rollicking  tale  about   sailing    when  he   discovered  it  and   miscellaneous  others  while  rummaging   through   a   North  Queensland  tip  shop.

On  closer inspection, it was found to  be  a 1969 English  translation of  the complete  l923  work  of  that  name by  Russian Alexander  Grinyevsky , born 1889,  who wrote  under  the  name  Alexander Green , died in Crimea ,.  He penned a number of  stories set in  an  imaginary land known as  Greenlandia.

Scarlet Sails,  extremely popular in Russia ,  was  later made into  a ballet and a  film . Published by  Angus and Robertson  , the  book   dustjacket   and   illustrations  were  done  by  Australian  artist   Annette Macarthur- Onslow,   of  a  prominent  NSW  family . Born 1933, she  had  studied  at  East Sydney Technical College , went on to  freelance  as  a commercial artist , became  involved  in  a marionette  television series. 

 She  wrote several children's books, one , Uhu, about  a fledgling owl she looked after, won the 1970 Book of the Year Award for Children's Books. In 1971 she represented Australia for the first time at the Biennale  d'Illustrations   Bratislavia , awarded a Diploma d'Honneur  for  her exhibition work , which  included  Uhu

In Australia and overseas, she illustrated the texts of many  authors  including  poet  Judith Wright , Hesba  Brinsmead  and  Elyne  Mitchell .

Scarlet Sails  includes a  note on Alexander Green  by American  Thomas P. Whitney , a  former diplomat  and writer on Russian  affairs,  who translated  the  work  of Nobel prize winning  dissident  writer  Aleksandr  Solzhenitsyn  into  English.

A NIGHT AT THE CAIRNS ART CENTRE

Abra series.

WAR AGAINST WEED

 

Ross   River , Townsville . Vallis photograph .