Many would agree that the magpie is among the best and most prolific songbirds in Australia. Many of us have also been on the receiving end of… Read more “The Australian Magpie”
Month: July 2012
Wolseley’s Shearing Machine
In the colony’s earlier days scissor-like hand shears were the tool used to take the fleece off a sheep. Although these sheers served the trade well for… Read more “Wolseley’s Shearing Machine”
The Maternity Tree: A beautiful old tree, but so much more than that.
This is a fairly short post, but one I’ll probably find hard to ever top. Just outside Talbot, in central Victoria, sits a very large and very… Read more “The Maternity Tree: A beautiful old tree, but so much more than that.”
The Dog on the Tuckerbox
This famous bronze statue is located beside the Hume Highway five miles (or 8kms) from the New South Wales township of Gundagai. It’s location was once a… Read more “The Dog on the Tuckerbox”
So who were the Australian swagmen, exactly?
Although the traditional swagman is basically extinct today the legend really does live on as there are few icons more famously Australian. However, as uniquely Australian as… Read more “So who were the Australian swagmen, exactly?”
Ever been to Marble Bar?
Ever been to Marble Bar?…I haven’t. But I did enjoy reading about the place. Marble Bar is a small town of around 400 or so hardy souls,… Read more “Ever been to Marble Bar?”
The Buckland River Riot of 1857
Many Chinese miners made their way to Australia during the gold rush times of the mid-nineteenth century. Although they were well largely quiet, peaceful and hard working… Read more “The Buckland River Riot of 1857”
George Barrington: The sweet talking extraordinaire
We’ve all met people with the so called “gift of the gab”. No doubt Australia has a long history of these sorts of characters, but George Barrington… Read more “George Barrington: The sweet talking extraordinaire”
The Bull-Roarer – A voice from the Dreamtime
Today I thought it would be good to take a look at some Australian spirituality, or more specifically, one item of immense spiritual importance to the first… Read more “The Bull-Roarer – A voice from the Dreamtime”
The cracking story of a true outback library…
Borroloola is a small and very isolated town 954km south-east of Darwin and 380km east of the Stuart Highway. It is home to one of those great… Read more “The cracking story of a true outback library…”