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The annual flu shot is the best way to protect you, your family & community from influenza. Available conveniently in the pharmacy from our fully trained vaccinating pharmacists. There is no script required and suitable for children 10 years and over and adults. To make an appointment phone 6662 1036 or book online at medadvisor.com.au/Network/McDonaldsPharmacy
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All Advertisements and layout by Jeff Gibbs Š 2020 Heartland Magazine
From the Publishers It’s nice to see the towns around the area coming back to life as people are coming out and going about their business as they did before the virus hit Australia. Life isn’t the same though, social distancing, queues into supermarkets, shaking hands, etc it is a very different world how we have to go about our business now.
QUANTA LINES can help you with all your power needs large or small. Our friendly and experienced staff will assess your needs, and can design, construct and manage your project from start to finish. Whether it’s moving a pole, upgrading your power supply, or full electrical infrastructure and telecommunications pit & pipe for a new subdivision or development, QUANTA LINES will provide the whole package.
Sharon and I have for some time talked about putting out a regional community newspaper, but Heartland Magazine is a huge job for all of us each month, which we all love doing. After the announcement of News Corp Australia last week closing the doors of so many regional newspapers from June 29th, we had to have a rethink of could we do this now and bring out a regional Community Newspaper.
We have a massive month ahead of us all and are really looking forward to working together and bring these first-class publications to you. Please have a happy, safe and great month and we will tell you more in the next edition of Heartland Magazine – out July 14th.
We decided now was the time, we put in place logo’s, trademarks, printers, distribution, advertisers, etc and an announcement on social media. We could not believe the response on social media, over 19,000 people giving us comments and the thumbs up on what we were doing, over 800 emails were waiting for us the next day all of support and encouragement.
Sharon and Jeff
So, here is the news and facts. The newspaper named The Northern Rivers Times will be released July 9th, a Thursday and every Thursday from there on in. It will be available from all Newsagencies, Rural Stores and select shops and offices around the Northern Rivers from Coffs Harbour north to Tweed Heads and inland to Bonalbo, Grafton and all towns in between. We have decided not to do home drop off distribution as councils thrown on it and we didn’t want to litter our beautiful towns and communities.
Your new Community Newspaper will be available free in print and online from July 9th, 2020. We at Heartland Media are very excited to bring you a newspaper each week that talks and listens to locals and gives them what they want from a local newspaper. If you would like to place an ad, public notice, editorial or community event with us, please call Sharon or Hollie on 02 6662 6222.
The Northern Rivers Times will be free in print and available online free of charge as well. We will be posting news, events and media releases online free of charge.
We’d love you to be part of history and contribute to the first and many more Northern Rivers Times available from your local newsagent, corner store, rural stores and business in your area.
Things I can tell you now are that The Northern Rivers Times will have a TV guide, Crosswords, events, local sports, weather, Tributes, funeral notices, Classifieds, Trade Ads, your Stars, Motoring, Recipes, A World News page, National News and the all important Local News from across the regions and much more.
Heartland Magazine is also available to buy online by going to
This week, the Heartland office has new faces Sharon, Sophie and I welcome to our office Noel, Hollie, Marcus and Shannon. All of us will be bringing you, Heartland Magazine each month, The Northern Rivers Times and also the new Your Home Real Estate Guide which will be in the paper each Thursday from the 9th of July and also available from all Real Estate agencies.
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Issue 43 Available from over 900 select Newsagents from July 15th, 2020 through Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland coastal and regional areas. If your newsagent or stockist doesn’t have a copy ask them to call us on 1300 679 787. Subscriptions welcome call Sharon on 1300 679 787 for a 6 or 12 month subscription delivered to your door each month.
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June/July edition 2020 PUBLISHED by Heartland Media 81 Walker Street, Casino NSW 2470 02 6662 6222 TO ADVERTISE in Heartland Magazine send your enquiry to Sharon Bateman at sharon@heartlandmedia.com.au or call our office on 02 6662 6222 TO TELL US YOUR STORY for Heartland Magazine send your enquiry to Sophie at sophie@heartlandmedia.com.au or call our office on 02 6662 6222 Distribution If you would like to stock Heartland Magazine please contact our office on 02 6662 6222 or email jeff@heartlandmedia.com.au Heartland Magazine is distributed by
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Regulars 8
Farmer Sophie Adventures
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Helen Trustum
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Australian History part 2
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Motoring History
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Truck History
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Motorcycle History
60
Council Ranger
62
Kids Page
63-64
This month in History
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Hall of Fame
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Travel - Lightening Ridge
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Let’s Cook
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Natural Products
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Beauty
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Wines of the Month
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Scam Watch
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Issue 43 Heartland Magazine sneak peak
© Heartland Magazine 2020. All material in Heartland Magazine is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission of the publisher. Please contact us for further information if required.
www.heartlandmagazine.com.au ISSN 2652-337X (Online) ISSN 2652-3361 (Print) Special thank you to Helen Trustum Thank you to Helen Hanslow, Ian Kirkland, Maclean Historical Society, Uki Historical Society, Tamworth Historical Society, Toogoolawah Historical Society, Alstonville Historical Society, Trove, Wikipedia and all of our contributors. Heartland Media welcomes stories that are submitted via writing however we will publish them in their entirety and will not edit them in any way...some stories have tried to recreate events, locales and conversations from personal memories of them. In order to maintain their anonymity in some instances people have changed the names of individuals and places, or may have changed some identifying characteristics and details such as physical properties, occupations and places of residence. We do not take responsibility for the way the story reads or grammatical errors. We are simply transferring them from the heart.
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Once you are gone, your memories are gone with you. Let us tell your story and leave your history with your family and future generations to show you were here and the life you left behind. Call Heartland and let us tell your story in quality Call us on 02 6662 6222 or Email: sophie@heartlandmedia.com.au
The Heartland Team
Sharon - Co Founder Sales
Jeff - Co Founder Graphic Design & Layout
Sophie Writer & Research
Bella Security
Contents
18-19 12 16
24-27
20-21
35
38-39
41
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epic fence which is starting to put doubts in my mind of how long the Great Wall of China took to build. Running the wire off my new little machine, it was time to strain and wire tie the main runs to the posts. Unfortunately, the strainers were not co-operating so instead of having an angry incredible hulk moment, we decide to call it a day and I would use the time to do some much needed slashing.
The morning ritual begins with a shower, cup of tea, and a make up transformation that would make any drag queen proud. Looking in the mirror while applying my lashes I realised that something had happened overnight and just like that I was another year older. Birthdays are always an exciting time for me, and it is a chance to reflect on a life lived so far and to celebrate and take stock of all the things that have not only made my past but will also help me in my future. Despite being my birthday week there was still work to be done on the farm. Pulling up to my favourite farming store, I confidently stroll in and began telling the young gentleman what I needed. To my surprise he didn’t understand what I meant when I said I needed a fencing machine that spirted out the wire along the fence line. These words were combined with violent hand gestures and some facial expressions which I felt sure my year 12 drama teacher would have given an A+ for. In fact, what I was after was a long yard wire spinner fencing accessory. Hauling my wire spinner into Mazy, I head for the farm. With the same excitement I had experienced for a new pair of earrings, I was excited to see my new fencing accessory in action. Mother had called me earlier in the day because she thought I had a new calf. His black body and white face did not match my beautiful Hereford girls, so it was clear this was in fact an intruder from a nearby property. With new calves expected at any time now, my butcher boyfriend and I began work on this
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The crisp afternoon air hit my face as the grass bent and cut behind my slasher, creating paths through the dense weeds and thick grass. With the change in seasons, there is a peaceful calm in the paddocks with some of my cows preparing to have new calves with their full bellies glistening in the afternoon sunshine. My admiration for my girls came to an abrupt end when all of a sudden, my slasher makes the most horrendous noise spitting out an old fence post from under its powerful blades. Awoken from my daydream, I decide to put ‘Big Red’ the tractor away for the afternoon. Although there are three major leaks in the water pump pipe, and a half-finished fence, I finally felt the same contentment as my pregnant cows with the confidence that things will be ok. I was in fact one year older which meant one year wiser which is the best birthday gift anyone could give themselves. My favourite birthday gift growing up was for my 6th birthday. I woke up early and my dad had said to me that my birthday gift was in the car shed. For some reason I was convinced it was a pet crocodile because I had seen dad loitering around the shed with water and a large plastic container that I automatically thought was the perfect enclosure for a pet reptile. Dad fed into my belief that I was getting a pet crocodile which surprised me when he wheeled out a shiny new push bike. Of course, the bike made me happy, but it was the laughter I had shared with my dad that truly made that birthday special. As we get older, physical gifts seem to become less important and the stress from the world of reaching certain milestones in life, becomes a race that no one seems to be winning because the finish line keeps shifting. Although my dad is no longer here to gift me with crocodiles or his silly jokes he always gifted me with the knowledge that things come out in the wash and that today and the people who are with you now are the present, which is why they should always be treated as a gift.
DR EDITH EMILY FOX MBBS - a woman ahead of her time Edith Emily Fox, born to Rev and Mrs Fox, was one of eight children who all grew up to become doctors. Born in 1884 she graduated in medicine from Sydney University winning the prestigious Professor Hazelwood Prize. Dr Fox practised for a time in Esk and for many years in Toogoolawah where she operated the Foxborough Private Hospital together with a younger medical colleague, a Matron and qualified nurses. She was respected as a medical practitioner by her colleagues and regarded as being highly intelligent, strong minded and determined, not allowing herself to be patronised or dominated by any of the men in her life including her father or her husband. We would have called her a feminist. Edith Fox married Harold Bertie Thrupp but this was not a happy union and they separated in 1921.
The Safety Pin It is safe to say that most people have at some point, used a safety pin. The recognisable object lends itself to many jobs and is used for not only nappies, clothing malfunctions as well as sewing and craft aides, the safety pin has been very useful in medical emergencies and an efficient tool when holding plaster of strapping in place. This small piece of fashioned wire was invented by Walter Hunt in 1849. He did not know the significance of his invention because he sold the patent to W R Grace and Company for $400 to a man that he owed $15 to. Walter Hunt was born on the 29th of July 1796 in Martinsburg, New York. Throughout his career Hunt invented many other things such as the lockstitch sewing machine in 1833 as well as the Winchester repeating riffle. Walter did not patent the sewing machine as he feared the new invention would put seamstresses out of work. A court case in 1854 took place when Elias Howe re invented the sewing machine showing that Hunts designs had flaws and wasn’t effectively designed for practical use. Walter also invented a successful flax spinner, knife sharpener, steer car bell, hard coal burning stove, artificial stone, street sweeping machinery and an ice plough. Walter Hunt died on June 8th, 1859 at the age of 62. He is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn New York.
Dr. Edith Emily Fox
During the early part of the twentieth century the Brisbane Valley was terribly affected by outbreaks of scarlet fever, whooping cough and diphtheria. Because of Dr Fox’s medical skills and her insistence of very high standards of hygiene, the number of casualties in Toogoolawah and district was much lower than expected. She also endeared herself to the general community with her contribution to local activities and with her drive for better public health services. Dr Fox came to public attention with her care of WW1 soldiers returning wounded and heartsick from Europe and with her successful management of the Spanish Influenza epidemic in 1919. She worked tirelessly in the wider region during that period at the expense of her own health which was deteriorating due to the onset of diabetes which was untreatable at that time. Despite being very unwell, on 14th May 1924 Dr Fox performed a serious operation on a patient before collapsing. She remained unconscious for three days, dying on the 17th May. The funeral was held in the Esk Presbyterian Church and was attended by many people from the local and wider area with the Queensland Times of 21 May reporting that “Attendance was very large, the cortege being fully half a mile long.” Dr Fox left her substantial estate to her younger practice partner Dr Wilson and her nephew. Item courtesy of Toogoolawah & District History Group which operates a museum in the Toogoolawah Railway Station, Toogoolawah Qld 4313
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Helen Trustum Dwyer Family -
Backmede and Bentley John and Johanna Family William, youngest son of John and Johanna, was born on 3rd April 1868 in Maitland, while the family were living in the Hunter District. He attended Runnymede School which was on the corner of the property at Backmede. At the age of 22 years William left Backmede in 1890 and branched out on his own. He purchased land at Back Creek, Bentley where he was the first man to take up selection there. He worked as a teamster drawing cedar from all over the district right up as far as Beaudesert. William first married Catherine Maher in Lismore on 17th April 1893. Their two children, Mary was born 2nd April 1894 at Tuncester [her parents place] and Catherine [Kit] born 21st August 1895 at Back Creek. Tragedy occurred when William’s wife, Catherine, died on 22nd September 1895 a month after little Catherine was born. William remarried Mary Alice McDonald in 1897 in Casino. Family by the second marriage; John, Angus, Lil, Steven, Flora and William Luke. During 1900 William started dairying doing all the milking by hand. Mr Cecil Sheppard helped William build the dairy and bails. William milked a large herd mainly AIS where he was renowned for his excellent herd of cows. In 1913 when milking machines came on to the market, he purchased an A.W.R. separator and began sending cream. Catherine Dwyer
Their first home was a slab construction with a shingle roof. Then in 1908 J. D. Halcrow & Co. built their second home. This home is still standing and owned now by William’s grandson Jim and wife Mary. The home is called “Argyle”. William and Catherine’s daughter Catherine (Kit) was the first child born at Back Creek that was in 1895. Kit and Mary were two of the original pupils of Boorabee Park School in 1903. Mary married Mick Moroney on 19th July 1916 which was the first wedding in St Agnes Church, Back Creek. Kit married William Monaghan on 18th October 1921 also in St Agnes Church. St. Agnes was built in 1907 on the Dwyer property. The huge rocks that were rolled down the hill by the Aborigines at William King and his family lay there for many years just up from the Dwyer Family home. The family crushed these rocks and they were used for a fireplace in the home. William’s first consignment of pigs was in the late 1890’s. He received one pound ten shillings [$3.00] each for them [a record price] from Foley’s in Lismore. 10
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William and Alice’s granddaughter, Jean Hogan, came to live with them in 1925. Jean had all her schooling at Boorabee Park Public School. Jean remained on with William and Alice, after all the family had left home. She was a great help to William where they were often seen mustering cattle on the property. Jean went on to marry George Nicholls and lived at Back Creek. William and Alice’s son, Alice Dwyer Steven was killed at the age of 22 years by a falling tree on 7th February 1925. William also purchased more land off the Armstrong Family in 1929. This land is now owned by the Hewett and Lowrey Families. William died on 14th August 1953 aged 85 years and Alice died 31st March 1944 aged 77 years. They are both buried in the West Street, Cemetery, Casino. John Vincent, eldest son of William and Alice, was born on 17th October 1898. He received his education at Boorabee Bill and Ester Park School and except for the last twelve months of his life always lived at Back Creek. On 14th April 1925 John married Ellen Droney at St Mary’s Catholic Church, Casino. The Droney family were pioneers of the Stratheden area. They had slaughter yards on the property just up from Droney’s Bridge. Jack Droney and Jim Farrell were excellent men in the yards. Meat would be delivered by Ester Droney and William Farrell in a horse and cart. The slaughter yards were operating in the early 1930’s. Family - Sister M. Juliana, Barry [Pat Scarrabelotti], Darcy [Betty Sullivan], Gus and Rita Patricia, James [Mary Connell], William [Margaret McCrae] and Ellen married [Matt
Doughterty]. Growing up at “Argyle” John was taught violin. He was given lessons by Mr King who travelled around the district. John, along with his brother Gus, purchased land off Bill Hayter and began dairying. The cream was picked up in later years by Ernie Boan. There were tick gates on the Kyogle side of John and Ellen Back Creek Road turn off where Jack Berrigan was the “tickie”. Mulberry and peach trees plus a running rose still grace the site. Slaughter yards were built on John’s property at Bentley behind the house and farm buildings. John died 18th June 1969 and Ellen died on 12th March 1976. John and Ellen’s Family Eldest child, Sister M. Juliana was born 25th April 1926 and entered the convent in 1944. Now aged 93 years, Sister Juliana is a resident of St Michaels in Casino. Sister Juliana taught in many schools in the Lismore Discese also a great number of years at St Marys College, Grafton. Barry was born 16th April 1927 in Casino. As a young boy he rode his horse from Bentley to Kyogle each day for the first twelve months of high school. This is when he learnt to whistle. In 1940 a bus run commenced from Kyogle driven by Frank Coop then he was able to attend St. John’s College, Woodlawn. Before Barry went to Backmede in 1949 he was farming on his Uncle Gus’s property with brother Jim. Barry purchased the going concern from the Junor Family in Backmede then later purchased the property.
William and Alice’s Headstone In Casino Cemetery
Catherine’s Headstone In Casino Cemetery
when I was writing my books. He loved to relate to people and relished in doing so. The property has now been sold. Darcy died 26th February 1995 and Betty died 31st January 1992 Patricia was born in Casino 11th December 1929 always lived at home with her parents where she loved cooking for the family. She suffered with a heart condition for years. Patricia died on 23rd July 1959 in Brisbane aged 29 years. Her life was restricted. To be continued in Issue 43 of Heartland Magazine
Barry married Pat Scarrabelotti on 16th February 1950 and with their family Bernadette, Mary, Margaret, Kathleen and John remained there where the children attended Backmede School. The 1954 flood caused a lot of damage on the farm, destroying a lot of fences. In 1972 the family moved to Homeleigh for a short time then returned two years later and purchased Noel Trustum’s property at Backmede. Barry died 22nd November 2008 and Pat died 17th November 1999. Darcy was born 4th October 1928. He attended Boorabee Park School and high school at Woodlawn. Darcy married Betty Sullivan, family John, Graeme, David, Sue and Andrew. Darcy, Betty and family were dairying on the property for many years. The children became members of the Bentley Rural Youth movement. Graeme along with cousin, Gerard and Maureen Armstrong won many debating competitions all over the district. Andrew exhibited many winners at the annual Fat Cattle Show in Kyogle and Casino. Darcy had a wealth of knowledge on the local history and I welcomed his input
William Dwyer
Heartland Magazine Special Feature | 11
Wood by Mossy
the art of wood turning for the last year (love it) and I also organise all the marketing and online shops for Wood by Mossy. All our creations are unique individual pieces made from reclaimed timber. We don’t cut tree’s down, we only use fallen tree’s found on the side of the road, or on someone’s property (with their permission of course) It’s all made with solar power too.
Mossy & Caz at the markets
The birth of our little business ‘Wood by Mossy’ started a year ago in January 2019. We’d just finished (well sort of, because you never really finish) building our home. We wanted to create a business where we could work together, do something meaningful, enjoy a better life / work balance and have the flexibility of working from home. (I should note here, our home is a massive wooden shack, half workshop, half home that’s completely off grid). Makes traveling to work super easy. Wayne’s Background – he’s been turning wood for over 40 years so he has amazing knowledge and exceptional skills with a Lathe. He’s spent his professional life teaching Industrial Arts in the Yarn Bowl Education Sector and on a personal level, turning wood for the pure pleasure of it. He genuinely loves teaching people and is really motivated in sharing his skills with anyone who’s willing to learn. Caz’s Background – I have an extensive background in Hospitality Management and have spent the last 10 years Merbau cutting board working in the Higher Education sector in Legal administration. I’ve been learning 12 | Heartland Magazine
Bloodwood Condiment bowls
We believe every piece of timber is unique and the wood will let you know what shape it needs to be. We’re all about being earth friendly and creating useful products that are an alternative to plastic. We also offer antique restoration, custom commission pieces and one on one individualised classes in our home workshop at Cawongla. Camphor Bowl
All our handcrafted timber creations are available in the following links…. • • • •
Website + shop (www.woodbymossy.com.au) Etsy Shop (www.etsy.com/au/shop/WoodbyMossy) Facebook (www.facebook.com/woodbymossy) Instagram (www.instagram.com/woodbymossy)
Wood by Mossy also attends the following markets (obviously, they have been cancelled at the moment: • • • •
Bangalow Markets – 4th Sunday of each month The Channon Markets – 2nd Sunday of each month Pottsville Markets – 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month Kyogle Bazaar – 4th Saturday of each month. The month of June is probably named after Juno, the wife of Jupiter, and queen of the gods [Hera in Greek mythology].
It was held sacred to her, and was thought by the Romans to be the luckiest month for marriage, since Juno was the Goddess of Marriage. Wherever the goddess went she was attended by her messenger Iris (the Rainbow), who journeyed so quickly through the air that she was seldom seen, but after she had passed there was often left in the sky the radiant trail of her highly-coloured robe. Juno is always represented as a tall, beautiful woman, wearing a crown and bearing a sceptre in her hand, and often she is shown with a peacock at her side, since that bird was sacred to her.
With regards to DOUG CAMPBELL IN PROFILE in Issue 41 Restoration Lead Light Doors The lead light doors originated from Yum’s Store which once stood where a part of the IGA Store now stands. All eight lead light panels and three lead light doors were saved by the Kyogle & District His-torical Society Inc. before the demolition of the building.
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The lead light panels were made by Frank Obrien, Sydney, now known as Obrien Glass. Two of the long side panels in the lead light doors were missing and this is where John McDowall came into the story. The five panels above the front counter had to be shortened and that gave enough glass to make the two side panels that were missing, which John made. Most of the panels were covered in multiple layers of paint, which needed to stripped back and pressure cleaned. The procedure took many days. John and I then shared the restoration together. The doors were in a mess which had to have major repairs which I did. Unfortunately, John died from a long illness and didn’t get to see the finished product. The ten art deco lights that hang in the front foyer came from Junors Store, there only eleven left of about one hundred.
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The Grateful Boutique and Bouquet We often are told to be the change we want to see in the world. For the founders of The Grateful Boutique and Bouquet, Jess and Gem have taken this notion and turned it into a practical business reality. While Jess was travelling throughout Africa and South America in 2016, she stopped in Malawi and visited a clinic. It was considerably basic and housed many people who were in their last days of life. The walls were dark browns and greys and were made from heavy mud which was not very appealing to the eye. Jess imme-diately saw a way to brighten this atmosphere and decided that next time she visited she would bring brightly coloured prints to give these patients a colourful distraction with something positive to look at. Returning home to Newcastle, Jess couldn’t shake the need to do something more immediately. After reflecting on her experience overseas, she began to see how hospital facilities
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in her local area can feel sterile and lifeless at times. Jess contacted one of her best friends, Gem, who lived in Sydney at the time, asking her if she would be inter-ested in creating a business together. In addition to The Grateful Boutique, Gem would make beautiful bou-quets of flowers to not only sell to customers but also pay-forward a bouquet to someone in need. The enthusi-asm from both Jess and Gem set into motion a chain of events which would not only lead to a successful busi-ness, but also a way to help those in their local community and women effected by domestic abuse. The Grateful Boutique donates $1 for every purchase between $0-$25 to the Got Your Back Sista charity on the behalf of each customer. This money goes towards funding self-defence classes to women who have been affected by domestic violence. This enables customers to feel they are also
making a positive change in the lives of women who are working hard to regain their strength and empowerment. Every flower bouquet which is sold through the business, 1 bouquet is donated to the John Hunter Hospital or the Ronald McDonald House. It is a simple way to try and bring some positivity to places which can some-times be lacking in cheer. So far, The Grateful Boutique and Bouquet store has donated $7000 to the Got Your Back Sista charity and over 6,000 bouquets and counting. The growth of the business has meant Jess and Gem have been able to welcome Amee to their team who has been able to guide the ladies to success and happiness through their business. The Grateful Boutique and Bouquet have embraced these gifts and continue to pay forward and share this spirit with the greater community.
THE TOOGOOLAWAH CONDENSED MILK FACTORY 1920 Australia’s first commercial condensed milk factory was opened in 1898 as an initiative of the McConnel and Munro families with support from investors and local dairy farmers. They ran the factory until 1907 when it was sold to Nestle, a large international company which had decided to set up operations in Australia because of proposed heavy import duties to be imposed on their products. Nestle ran the Condensery until 1930 when it was closed because of the Great Depression. They later used it as a safe document storage site during WW2 when it was thought that Brisbane may be bombed, and more than 20 staff were sent to Toogoolawah to manage the site. That work included the construction of a Bomb Shelter inside the building with shelving for the documents and space for the staff. They returned to Brisbane in 1943 and the building closed completely. The site was sold to a local family, the Somerville’s, after a large fire in the early 1950s. The Somerville family ran their commercial plumbing business there from the Packing Shed and Loading Dock which had survived the fire, until they retired in 2013. It was later sold to the Somerset Regional Council and with support from the Federal Government via a Regional Development Grant, it was restored for contemporary use and now operates as the Somerset Regional Art Gallery – The Condensery. The T&DHG provides a history display inside the Bomb shelter at the Art Gallery, which is situated in Factory Road, Toogoolawah.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, winter chill is exhilarating; So, there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” - John Ruskin
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PROFILE STORY OF WILLIAM OLIVE – COMPILED BY NOELINE OLIVE - PART 2 OF 3 On the 6/5/1946 William wrote a letter to the Army addressed to the Officer in Charge, Melbourne Barracks. In his letter he stated that he wished to apply for the official returned soldier badges for 1914 – 1918 as he stated that “His badges had been taken out of his Coat Pocket that was left in the Sheds at a Football Match”. He indicated he was forwarding a postal note to the value of £3 pounds and 6 pence (about $7.00), he confirmed that his Regimental Number was 5158 and he serviced in the 49th Battalion. William received a response letter on the 13/5/1946.
William 2nd – right Front Row William and Gladys eldest sons Roy and Reginald both enlisted in WW11. Roy enlisted on the 11/6/1941 in Casino and saw service in Egypt and was discharged on the 18/7/1944 in Sydney. Reginald enlisted on the 8/4/1944 in Casino and saw service in Papua New Guinea and was discharged on the 5/12/1946.
Army Response Letter
Letter from William to the Army
Copies of the medals awarded to William were forward to him, which included the British War Medal 1914 – 1918 and the Victory Medal of the Great Ward for Civilisation 1914 - 1919. Wold War 11 Records of Roy and Reginald
In the late 1940’s aged about 56 years William played about 15 minutes in a “Special Legacy” game of Rugby League Football at Carrington Park (now known as Queen Elizabeth Park) in Casino.
Roy’s Discharge Form
Medals Awarded to Reginald
William passed away on the 15/10/1961and six days later Gladys passed away on the 21/10/1961 in Casino and they are buried together at the Casino Lawn Cemetery.
William 1st – right in the Front Row In the 1955 William sent a photo of himself and his 6 sons to the “Pix Magazine” which was published on the 24 September regarding his sons all playing rugby league football together with the “Casino All Blacks League Football Club”. We will continue the story William Olive in the next edition of Heartland Magazine 16 | Heartland Magazine
HOW TO NOT FEEL SO ANXIOUS ABOUT GETTING BACK OUT THERE One thing that is quite contagious is anxiety. Other people’s moods effect ours. The more anxious our mind gets, the less it works. So, picture this, people have ducked out to get things they think are important and then they have been surprised everyone else has done the same. They feel anxious around all the people and rush to get out of there to get back to the safety of their home. So they can stop feeling anxious they think getting their things quickly, so they can get out of there quickly, is Helen Hanslow will now be writing her column for WAY more important Heartland Magazine each month than following social distancing, (because we all at times feel that our particular circumstance makes us the exception to the rule). They also see other people not following the rules either. The whole atmosphere in the supermarket is cranked up, and if you were not feeling anxious before you got there, you are starting to feel it now and people’s erratic and impatient behaviour is not helping. Anxiety is often related to feeling out of control. We can not control what everyone around us is or is not doing. But in this circumstance, to feel less anxious we only need to think about it a little differently. Because it is not about what others are doing but what you do that keeps you safe. Fortunately in our country and in particular rural communities, the odds of having some random chance crossover with someone with coronavirus or something that they touched are so incredibly small and if you are practicing social distancing and good hygiene, that gets even smaller. So, what you are in control of is when and how you do your shopping or other public business. You must go about it differently. Do not go shopping or to Bunnings on the weekend, all the dumb people go then. Go and do your stuff at quiet times, like at night. Yes, it means doing it differently, but you get to walk peacefully around the supermarket with just six other sane people, who patiently wait for you to grab your chops before they go to get theirs. There are so few people around that you can create the social distance, even if others are not. Always go with the expectation that you will need to be very patient, it will take longer, and you will have to make compromises. To create a new automatic normal behaviour so that you can feel and behave differently, you just need to picture things how you want them to be and the repetition of this creates a new groove in your mind. So, imagine that you realise you need to go do some shopping, you ask yourself “when would be the best time?” You realise it is not now, and you choose a better time, later today or tomorrow. You picture yourself turning up, relaxed and with the expectation that this is going to take a while longer and there are going to be people who do not understand how to social distance. You picture yourself using the hygiene aids then walking into the supermarket, making your way around calmly, aware of those around you, practicing your patience, having
compassion for those who might be behaving in a different way because of their anxiety, giving them some room. Getting back to your car, using your hand sanitiser, getting home, wiping stuff down, washing your hands and feeling good about the whole experience. Then go over that in your head 100 times, creating that new normal way of doing, thinking and feeling. Helen Hanslow is a Clinical Hypnotherapist on the Far North Coast of NSW who for more than decade been helping people change their behaviour or emotional responses. Ian Kirkland was born in Lismore and has lived most of his life on the family’s farm at Booyong. After attending school at Pearces Creek Primary School and Richmond River High School, Lismore, he attended Armidale Teachers’ College. After several positions in schools on the South Coast, he spent fourteen years teaching at Lismore Primary School and fifteen at Alstonville Primary School, before retiring at the end of 2003. He has always been interested in the history of the Alstonville district-where he has been involved with the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society for many years-and president from 2006 to 2010. In the 1970s he began producing resource material for students on the cattle and sugar industries of the North Coast as well as transport in the area. This led to the writing of several school textbooks. He then turned his hand to writing local books, and in the last ten years he has produced sixteen family or regional histories, including the following books for the historical society: Forgotten Railways of the Northern Rivers • Out of Puff-The Ballina Train Six or Nothing-History of the Rous Cricket Association Effort Earns Success: Alstonville Public School 1875-2008 • From Bush Track to Bypass Blanchie: Australia’s Inspirational World War II Nurse Flying the Flag-Alstonville During World War II Recognising Alstonville District Citizens-Books 1 & 2 An Udder Story-Dairying on the Plateau Go North Young Man-From South Coast to the Big Scrub They Served Us Well-First World War Tintenbar Shire Soldiers Ian has often been recognised for his work throughout the area over the years, culminating in the Alstonville-Wollongbar Chamber of Commerce Individual Community Award in 2014. His extensive and dedicated research for this book is evident in the final publication and, coupled with nearly 600 photographs from the historical society and other organisationsincluding a large collection of Ian’s modern-day photos-Tibouchina Town: Alstonville 18652015 is certainly a great gift and a wonderful addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of the area, both past and present. Heartland Magazine is very proud of our involvement with Ian and Alstonville Plateau Historical Society and it is with great pleasure, Ian has given is permission to publish some of his stories here in Heartland Magazine. We start with two stories on pages 34 and 35 of this issue and each issue of Heartland from issue 43.
Heartland Magazine | 17
History of Pandemics The first recorded plague was the Antonine Plague, also known as the Plague of Galen, was in effect from 165 to 180. It is believed to have been brought by Roman Empire troops who were returning from the Near East. In 169 the plague took the life of Roman Emperor Lucius Verus who was the co-regent of Marcus Aurelius Anoninus whose name was associated with the plague. According to historian Dio Cassius, the plague broke out again 9 years later and caused 2000 deaths a day which meant the mortality rate was 25%. Symptoms included fever, diarrhea, and pharyngitis and many believe the plague was an outbreak of small pocks and measles which the population had not been exposed to resulting in survivors building an immunity. In total the Antonine Plague is believed to have killed 5 million people. The Plague of Justinian was first reported by Procopius of Caesarea who was a Byzantine Greek scholar from Palaestina Prima. The plague was reported from the port of Pelusium and was the outbreak of the Yersinia pestis which was carried by infected fleas upon rats off merchant ships from Egypt. Justinian the Great was the Eastern Roman emperor from 527 to 565. The Justinian plague Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian The Great happened from 541 to 542 with smaller recurrences until 750 with Constantinople and port cities around the Mediterranean being hit, he hardest. The effect this plague had on the farmers and on crops was devastating. Justinian expected taxes to be paid in full and even held neighbours of perished farmers to pay their taxes as well as their own. Known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as Saint Justinian the Great, Justinian spent the tax money to build more churches. This increased crop prices and saw tax revenues fall. The Byzantine Empire had been weakened and Justinian’s armies had almost retaken most of Italy and the Mediterranean Coast. Briefly the Western and Eastern Roman Empires had reunified from 554 to 568. The Lombard’s invaded Northern Italy and defeated the small Byzantine army, forming the Kingdom of Lombard’s. Between 30 and 50 million people were lost due to the Plague of Justinian. Between 735 and 737, Japan experienced the worst smallpox epidemic which killed around 1 million people. The epidemic occurred during the Tenpyo era when Japan was having more contact with the Asian mainland due to trade. The epidemic began to take hold in August of 735 in the city of Dazaifu, Fukoka through a fisherman who had been stranded on the Korean Penisula. The year 736 saw land tenants dyeing or forsaking their crops which in turn caused famine conditions for Kyushu. In the same year, Japanese Government officials passed through Northern Kyushu on their way to the Korean 18 | Heartland Magazine
Peninsula. With many becoming ill or dyeing, the remained of the group returned to the capital which spread the disease to the Eastern regions of Japan. The Japanese smallpox epidemic effected all levels of society and caused dislocation, migration, and an imbalance of labour throughout the country. The worst effected industries were rice farms cultivation and construction. By the early 2nd millennium smallpox had become an endemic which made Japanese Smallpox further outbreaks less devastating and more manageable for the Japanese population. The Black Death or Bubonic plague has been histories most devastating plague with 200million people perishing. The symptoms of the Bubonic plague include fever, headache, vomiting and swollen lymph nodes. The infection is carried by rats and passed to humans via fleas off these rats. Between 1347and 1351, the Black Plague travelled quickly and over large distances. Beginning in Central and East Asia the Black Plague travelled The Black Death along the silk road. By 1347 it had reached Crimea and was being transported by Genoese merchant ships to ports on the Mediterranean basin. From there it travelled to Africa through Western Asia making its way to Europe via Constantinople, Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. It is estimated that the plague killed between 30% and 60% of Europe’s population. Outbreaks continued throughout the middle ages with Europe only regaining population numbers in the 1500’s. The Black Plague had profound effects on Europe’s social, economic, and religious workings. Areas that had a high concentration of people or communities who had poor sanitation and experienced a high level of poverty were hardest hit. The Black plague saw the first example of documented quarantine in Ragus, now known as Dubrovnik in 1377 after continuing outbreaks. Before the antibiotics were developed, many were trying other cures such as rubbing onions, herbs and chopped up snake into the boils, eating arsenic or minerals, sitting in sewers or near fires to drive the fever out as well as drinking vinegar or ten year old treacle. Religious sufferers of the plague believed this was a punishment from God and went on processions through the streets whipping themselves as penance.
Smallpox has been responsible for many pandemics throughout history and has later been attributed to other plagues using modern-day science. The earliest credible evidence of smallpox is through Egyptian mummies dated back to 3,000 years ago. Many indigenous communities were almost whipped out completely by smallpox through initial foreign contact of outside nationalities. This played a significant role in the conquest and colonisation of many countries changing the history and future for many indigenous communities forever. During the 18th century, it was estimated that 400,000 Europeans died yearly. Smallpox was responsible for a 3rd of blindness throughout the whole world. Throughout the 20th century there were between 300 and 500 million estimated deaths. During the 1950’s there were 50million cases reported yearly. Global eradication of smallpox only came to fruition in 1979 through the successful developments of vaccines. The Great Plague of London occurred between 1665 and 1666. There were outbreaks of the bubonic plague leading up to this time, however the Great Plague of London was the last major widespread outbreak. It is believed that in 1603 there were 30,000 deaths followed by 35,000 in 1625 and 10,000 in 1636. By 1665 the plague had ravaged London and had made living there virtually impossible. Many including King Charles II of England, fled the city and tried to find solace in neighbouring country villages. Before any person could leave the city, they were required to produce a certificate of good health. As the situation worsened these certificates were harder to obtain and many were retained to the walls of London. For those who were able to flee, the situation was not much better. As the plague spread to the country villages, the townspeople began to resent the arrivals from London and refused to house or support them regardless if they had a certificate f wellness. As a result, many were displaced and died from starvation or dehydration from living rough. King Charles II fled to Salisbury and then onto Oxford when there were plague cases in Salisbury. Death carts became a common sight on London streets where people were encouraged to bring out their dead from their homes and stack the bodies upon one another on these carts. Accurate figures of the death rate can not be found as many of the people who were employed to record these figures mostly died. Any records that were kept were destroyed in The Great London Fire the following year. By February 1666, King Charles II felt it was safe enough to return to London which encourage others to return also. Businesses and trade began to reopen and the death rate from the plague had dropped considerably. London experienced the devastating fire soon after as well as smaller outbreaks of smallpox throughout history, but nothing devastated the English population as badly as the Great Plague of London.
and into Eastern Africa as well as the Mediterranean coast. Cholera was an endemic in the lower parts on the Ganges River. During festival time, pilgrims would travel to Cholera this region and become infected with cholera, effectively taking the disease back to their hometowns. 1817 was the first time that cholera had outside the Ganges Delta when it reached Calcutta and the Bay of Bengal, quickly spreading throughout the subcontinent reaching Bombay by 1818. By 1820 Siam, Bangkok and Manila had been affected followed by Java, Oman and China in 1821. 1822 saw Japan, Bagdad, Syria and Transcaucasia also affected which soon spread to Astrakhan, Zanzibar and Mauritius by 1823. It is believed that this pandemic ended in 1824 due to the cold winter which was effective in killing the bacteria in the water supplies. The effects of cholera were felt deeply by the Indian nation as well as Asia and South Asia as Western countries associated cholera with these countries, somehow blaming them for these outbreaks. British authorities launched enquiries into the living conditions of South Asian people and labelled religious pilgrims as a dangerous class, placing them under surveillance. The third plague pandemic began in Yunnan China in 1855 during the fifth year of the Xian Feng Emperor of the Quing dynasty. The bubonic plague of this pandemic was responsible for 12 million The third plague deaths throughout India and China, 10 million alone from India. The World Health Organisation considered this pandemic active until 1960 when death rates dropped to 200 per year. In the city of Canton, beginning March 1894 the disease killed 60,000 people in a few weeks. The heavy daily water traffic within the Hong Kong area caused the city to be heavily hit by the endemic. By 2 months 100,000 deaths but slowly decreased continuing the endemic until 1929.
The Great Plague of 1738 effected Romania, Hungry, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia and Austria. The estimated likely number of deaths is around 50, 000 however according to the 1740 Hungarian Diet, 36,000 lives were lost. The South-eastern Transylvanian city of Timisoara was the heaviest hit and was again affected in 1762-1763. It was recorded that there were 111 deaths in Zarnesti and 70 in Codlea. By the Summer, the Serbian region of Grad Zrenjanin was also affected. The first cholera pandemic was recorded from 1817 to 1923. Although India had been affected by cholera outbreaks many times before, this was the first time the outbreak had spread further. Beginning in Calcutta the illness spread to the South and into South East Asia. It then spread to the Middle East
The 1889 influenza pandemic was tracked globally as it first appeared and then spread History of Pandemics will continue in Issue 43 of Heartland Magazine Heartland Magazine | 19
PROFILE STORY OF STANLEY (BRUCE) OLIVE - COMPILED BY NOELINE OLIVE - PART 2 OF 3 I gained employment firstly with the AIS Smelting Works at Port Kembla which was hard suffocating work and then later there would be another hard job at the Huntley Coal Mines. I was in the Miner’s Federation from day one at Huntley until I retired some 29 years later. I had never been underground until I started at the Huntley Mines when I went underground with the Mines Manager Billy Waugh who took me down for a look around. On this particular day the roof was getting a bit heavy from the water that was leaking though and it looked like it was going to coming down. Well to tell you the truth I wasn’t mad keen about being down there and I ended up getting a surface job at the mines and that suited me just fine as at that time as I was an outdoors sort of bloke. I worked driving trucks, loaders and bulldozers and I used to load coal on the trucks for delivery to Port Kembla Coal Loader and other places. Working in the Huntley Coal Mines was a real eye-opener and I was working with miners who were down to earth people. I was a bit apprehensive at first how they would take to working with an Aboriginal person, as I had experienced a lot of racial discrimination when I was a young fellow. But I had nothing to be concerned about because I was very well supported by everyone at Huntley. The workers stuck up for each other through the good and bad times and all the times between. I’d never really struck people like the coal miners, they were right behind their Miner’s Federation, rock solid behind the Union and they understood all about unity and standing together. Over the years we met up and have a yarn and have a great time together. I learnt a lot from the miners and by being with these people I believe I’ve become a better man, I learnt about sincerity and about helping people and I also learnt that miners don’t care who you are or what background you come from, what counts to them is the fact that you’re just another bloke doing a job that’s dangerous and dirty.
Bruce 2nd from the left with his Huntley Mine Workmates
Reading Back at the Coalface Mine Book
My brother James (he was called Jimmy) came down to Wollongong a few years after me to work in the Nebo Colliery Mines in Wollongong. He was a good footballer and played for the Wollongong Wolves and was in the First Grade Team that won the Premiership in 1964. He was only a small player, but he was a good half back and he was fast enough to show the big blokes a clean pair of heals. At Nebo Colliery Mine he suffered terrible injuries due to a cave in when he was working underground. He was the baby of our family and the accident put an end to his working life. The injuries were terrible that although he lingered on for a while, he didn’t have much of a life as he could hardly walk, and he was paralysed down one side. The injuries eventually killed him, and he died when he was just 39 years old, it was a very sad loss to me and my family. 20 | Heartland Magazine
Jimmy – 2nd right second Back Row
My wife Margaret and I were made to feel very welcome when I commenced playing for the Western Suburbs Rugby League Football Club. I played with this club for 7 years from 1957 to 1963 and was lucky enough to play in 4 grand finals with them. I was in the First Grade Team when they won their Inaugural First Grade Premiership in 1957 and again in 1959.
Bruce 5th – left to right Middle Row
Bruce 4th – from the left Middle
These times were also the days when rugby league football players had to have regular paying jobs to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table apart from our small rugby league payments and also Margaret and I had started our family and over the following years we went onto have 5 children – Garry, Karen, Mark, Lisa and Darren. In my second year playing with Western Suburbs I was selected to represent the Illawarra area (Southern Division 1) to play against touring teams including Great Britain, France and New Zealand. In 1958 Great Britain’s Test Hooker Tommy Harris stated to the local Wollongong newspaper that, “I was the best prop he had played against on tour”. The club also did a few local tours around the different areas and by then we had two children and everywhere we toured my wife Margaret and our children came along with us as did the other players families.
Illawarra Southern Division 1 Rugby League Football Team Bruce -2nd from the right
Program – Southern Division versus England
As my first contract was coming to an end with Western Suburbs Rugby League Football Club the secretary of the club asked me about my future plans and I informed him,
PROFILE STORY OF STANLEY (BRUCE) OLIVE - COMPILED BY NOELINE OLIVE - PART 2 OF 3 that I had decided to stay in the Wollongong area, so the club signed me up for further contracts. By this stage I had saved up enough money and had brought a block of land at Dapto, near Wollongong and eventually I went onto build a nice four bedroom brick house on this block and I still live in this same house today. In 1958 I was selected to play in the NSW Country First Grade Teams to play against the City First Grade Team. I played each year in these teams from 1958 to 1962, with the games played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Bruce in his NSW First Grade Jersey - 1958
Bruce – 3rd from the right Middle Row
In 1958 I was also selected to play in the NSW Firsts against Queensland Firsts (now called State of Origin). It was reported in the Sydney newspapers that “I was an almost unknown and was selected at the last moment following an outstanding display for Southern Division 1 against England in their opening match of their Australian tour”. I played in these NSW Firsts Teams from 1958 to 1962. In that time, I played 8 games and scored a try in my first two games on the 24 May and 25 June 1958. These games were played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and also the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds so there was lots of travelling.
Bruce appeared on the Cover of The Rugby League News in May 1962
At the end of 1963 while still playing for the Western Suburbs Club I was approached by Jack Carey the Secretary of the Sydney Newtown Rugby League Football Club to ask me if I was interested in having a trial game with their club. I took up this offer and played a number of trial games with them and they then offered me a contact. The Newtown Club had to pay a transfer fee of £700 pounds (about $1,400) to the Western Suburbs Rugby League Football Club. I signed my first contact with Newtown for £20 pounds (about $40.00) a week for the season. I was also paid £20 pounds for each pre-session game I play and £600 (about $1,200) for my first competition game I played. As I was travelling back and forwards 2 days per week from Wollongong to Sydney for training, they also paid me a car allowance of £10 (about $20.00) per week, with my contract commencing, on the 14 January 1964. I played with this great club for the next 4 years from 1964 to 1967.
Bruce in the 1958 NSW Team
NSW First Grade Team – 1958 Bruce 2nd from the left Middle Row We continue the Story of Stanley (Bruce) Olive in the next Issue of Heartland Magazine
Heartland Magazine | 21
Gourmet Dog Barkery Anyone who has a pet dog knows they are much more then a canine friend but are actually part of the family. Their needs are the same as ours, requiring shelter, companionship, and food. Lisa Haynes, owner of Gourmet Dog Barkery, has been making healthy, delicious dog treats since 2009. Her Labrador retriever, Samson, loved the treats so much that Lisa decided to make an extra batch in 2010, sparking an idea for a new business. Originally Lisa invested $200 in the venture and sold her products at small local markets. She also approached vets, dog groomers and pet stores and began wholesaling her products to other businesses. On the 23rd of March 2013, Lisa opened the doors to her own Gourmet Dog Barkery in Belmont on the Princess Highway. The Barkery is the best place for dog owners to come in and spoil their pooches with oven baked natural quality treats or a muttshake, liver latte or puppucino. Lisa and her team use human grade ingredients with no artificial flavours, colours, or fillers. The Barkery bakes over 30 flavours of dog treats with something to please even the fussiest of eaters. Dog owners are now able to celebrate those special events and milestones with the opportunity to design your own birthday dog biscuit or indulge your dog with the Christmas themed treats. The instore experience is like no other with the dogs being encouraged to come in and enjoy the company of the other hounds. All the products are preservative free and organic
22 | Heartland Magazine
where possible. The Gourmet Dog Barkery website is straightforward to navigate for dog owners who cannot make it into the store. Online orders are easy to make and are promptly delivered to the customers door. Remembering your dog’s birthday is no longer a problem when owners sign up for the birthday club which ensures a personalised gift box is sent in time for the big day. Lisa’s passion for dogs and baking has seen her business grow and evolve with new inspiration and ideas for products happening all the time. Her dedication to the health and happiness of her customers dogs has bee taken from her own love of her dog, Samson. Gourmet Dog Barkery, is a light-hearted business which celebrates the bond between dogs and their guardians. You can order online from anywhere in Australia:
www.gourmetdogbarkery.com.au
Casino All Breeds Sale committee president Bruce Lyle. Bruce says it’s the top quality locally bred bulls year after year, that’s got the Sale to where it is today & 2020 has a superb line-up.
The Northern Rivers region has just experienced the driest year on record, in what can only be described as very trying times indeed. This included the dryer than normal summer, however, thankfully, we saw some fantastic late summer rain replenish dams and creeks with pasture now in abundance, quite a turnaround just in the nick of time. The fantastic season has added weight, condition and value to livestock across all market categories, with many producers hitting record prices as the quality improved, demand rose, and the numbers fell. The much improved season has the Bull Sale vendors commenting that their bulls are continuing to do very well and this will certainly be reflected in the quality and presentation of the offering at the Casino All Breeds Bull and Female Sale on Saturday July 25, committee president Bruce Lyle said.
Advertising feature 24 | Heartland Magazine
Having turned the corner and seen such an unprecedented demand for cattle it’s the prudent cattle breeders whom continually seek to maintain their genetic progress and continue to source the highest quality bulls. Its these bulls whose progeny will be marketed well into the future and return more profit for the producer.” Bulls are a long term investment and it’s critical not to drop the ball on sourcing good quality local genetics” A wise breeder from my early breeding days told me many times that “you can’t control the weather or many other factors that affect profit – but the one thing you can control is the quality of the bulls you buy” Bruce said.
“Even with a testy cattle market, the high quality well-bred cattle are the ones continually attracting the premium prices that can only come from sourcing top quality, locally bred bulls that are adapted to the area.” There will certainly be excellent opportunities to buy well at this year’s sale. This year will see a terrific draft of 137 stud and herd bulls on offer, and 10 stud females, principally supplied by local breeders. Covering many breeds, it really is a “1 stop shop” offering a great opportunity to secure quality bulls across many breeds at the one venue. “All of the sale bulls and females are inspected by three independent inspectors, which ensures their high
Bentley Downs Charolais - 2020 Bentley Downs will catalogue eight young Charolais sires at the All Breeds Sale, Casino Saleyards, July 25th, 2020. All bulls are polled and by the sire “Airlie Kauri” purchased from the Airlie Charolais Stud. “Airlie Kauri” who is a Red Factor polled bull, has given us an even line of well-muscled, early maturing bulls for the sale. Bentley Downs has been operated by the Trustum Family since the early 1970’s. Since this time, the stud has selected heavily for amongst other things, Fertility, Milking ability and Muscling. The bulls being offered at the All Breeds Sale have been reared on a natural pasture and are being top off by a mixture of grain and pasture. Bentley Downs has achieved outstanding success in both the showring and led steer competitions. Countless carcass wins with Charolais and Charolais cross steers.
Continued page 26
Inspections are invited prior to the auction. For further information contact Allan or Helen Trustum on 66635 283.
Advertising feature Heartland Magazine | 25
quality,” he said. All vendors are registered stud cattle breeders and the bulls have a full parentage pedigree tree. “The quality and doing ability of the cattle on offer is the primary reason the sale has always been repeatedly supported by the most astute breeders from up & down the coast, the Tablelands and Queensland” Bruce said. The order of sale will be the European Breed bulls, British Breed Bulls followed by the Bos Indicus Breed Bulls. The Stud Females will be offered at the completion of the Bull offering.
This year’s event will be like no other thanks to the Covid 19 pandemic. Cattle sales Australia wide have had to change the way they operate the sale on the day. There will be some changes involved as we approach the sale, all dependant on how restrictions can be relaxed, as per
Advertising feature 26 | Heartland Magazine
All Breeds Bull Sale proceeds top up our local charities!
President Bruce Lyle, Secretary Juanita Trustum, representing the Westpac Rescue Helicopter John Bancroft, Casino Rescue Squad Eric Box and Jenny Gould and Windara Brian Eggins and Ben
NSW Health advice.
As a “Not for Profit” event, each year the Casino All Breeds Sale vendors donate to three worthy local charities. This year will again see $1,000.00 donated to three essential services, the Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service, Windara Tea Rooms and the Casino VRA (Rescue Squad). Sale Committee President Bruce Lyle said its always the first motion passed at the Annual meeting, to donate to such worthy local charities. All the vendors and selling agents support the recipients and we are all pleased to be able to offer the support. It must not go unsaid that it would not be possible without the ongoing support from the NRLX Richmond Valley Council. For this key event in their calendar the NRLX donates the staff time to hold the Saturday sale, this fee relief is the direct. The NRLX Staff are dedicated to presenting the facilities in top condition for the event and are congratulated in ensuring a successful event.
Online catalogue with Bull pictures and information can be found online at the sale website – www.casinoallbreeds.com.au Printed catalogues are available from all the Casino agents, noting it’s an 11am start, so be early, he warned.
Advertising feature Heartland Magazine | 27
I Was Your Best Friend By Jessica Philippe
BACK ISSUES
I taught you how to ride, I was there for you when you cried, I loved you no matter what, Now look at what you’ve got. I’m cold and skin and bone, I’m a long way from home, The others in the truck have nowhere to go. We hear the door go down, We don’t know where we are as we look around, They round us in the pen which is just around the bend. I hear the shots ring out, And my friends just scream and shout, There is nowhere to run, So, I think about how it begun. I don’t understand what has happened, As I’m in pain and I feel shattered, Why didn’t you love me? How could you let this happen? I feel a breeze, I’m running through the sky, With my best friends by my side. No pain comes to us here, No fear and no tears Do you remember who I am I was your Best Friend.
Have you missed an Issue of Heartland? The most common way to enjoy hamburger was to grind meat at home. Meat grinders attached to tables helped homemakers produce fresh ground beef, sausage, bologna and more. The hand-cranked gadgets would mince almost any small cuts of meat.
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Heartland Magazine | 29
Drought
Childers Qld
Dust everywhere, I look around It fills the sky and coats the ground Choking the life from our hometown Crops fail before the rains come down Stock look out on barren soil Nothing to show for all our toil Skin and bones, they stagger and die A heartbreaking site before our eyes The Sun beats down no end in sight The Sun beats down it’s noose now tight As families flee and leave the land Or town too dies no longer grand
The Federal Hotel in the country town of Childers was built for William Ashby (by great grandfather) on the corner of Churchill and North Streets in 1907.
Empty stores and homes locked up The out of business signs go up The devil looks down its work is done The devil of course our own Sun A poem about drought 15/02/2014 Craig Lincoln
The Quiet Man In the corner of a country pub sits the quiet man It’s a scene played out in pubs all across the land Sitting in the same spot as he has done for many a day No one dares to take his spot at least not upon this day Silently he watches as life unfolds upon his town Out the window he gazes with a smile never a frown An empty glass and coins pushed forward no words does he say A signal to the dark haired girl another round this way
First photo shows William Ashby signing the documents to build the hotel - In 1907 William Ashby built the Federal Hotel in Childers at a cost of £1,250 which included an 8 stall stable and billiard room. This billiard room later became a barber’s shop and then a fruit shop. The Ashby family owned this hotel until 1967. There is a street called Ashby Lane in Childers which is named after the family.
It isn’t rudeness or arrogance that halts his spoken word It’s just his way of being, seen but seldom heard Drinkers come and drinkers go they see his familiar sight Acknowledged by some ignored by most as they move throughout the night He sits and drinks he puts on no show A local through and through to those in the know The look is one of pride on his weather worn face As he looks at his town, he knows this place If the chance comes your way to sit in his seat Stop for a while and view his main street See his town from his very eyes The town of his birth heaven under the skies A poem about an everyday character 28/02/2013 Craig Lincoln
30 | Heartland Magazine
Photo shows it on a postcard circa 1910 - William Ashby also owned the Federal Cash Store next door to the hotel.
The Federal Hotel in 1975
Its business as usual for Casino Engineering and Industrial Supplies, with their dedicated team continuing to serve the community, solving engineering and repair challenges for the local Northern Rivers area. Established in 1980, Casino Engineering and Industrial Supplies, have 40 years of experience and knowledge in a wide range of areas such as, cattle production, tea tree, nut, blue berry, forestry, transport, construction, earth moving and local council to name a few. Customers are able to take the stress out of any job and can find a comprehensive range of Engineering and Industrial Supplies, with leading brands such as RYCO, Lincon Electrics, Air Liquide, Bareco and so many more, all being available at Casino Engineering and Industrial Supplies. As well as having the best brands in the industry on offer, Casino Engineering can assist with any lifting requirements with their 22 Tone Franna Crane and 4 Tone Telehandler for wet hire. Making the job even easier, the team also has confident operators available to help and support in completing the job at hand.
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Hippy Seed Company Based in Fennell Bay New South Wales, Neil and Charlotte run their Hippy Seed Company. In 1998 the couple started their website selling seeds locally and all around the world.
The company has evolved since those early days and now sells seedlings, plants as well as the seeds. With over 500 chilli peppers to choose from, Neil and Charlotte make starting your own chilli journey easy with their online instruction and advice videos. The Hippy Seed Company also sell hand made sauces, jams, salts, and spices. Neil and Charlotte are famous for their lollies aptly named ‘Ring Stingers’. There are no preservatives or additives in any of their products and everything they sell has a personal touch and is 100% them. Neil and Charlotte have also developed a capsicum cream called ‘Chill-Ease’. The cream may have a positive role in reducing pain, loosening stiff joints, and reducing swelling. The combination of coconut oil, smoothing beeswax and the analgesic benefits of capsaicin come together to make this all-natural pain relief cream.
water, using solar panels and green energy power saving power boards, recycling as many materials as possible and enjoying a plant based diet, Neil and Charlotte are doing their best to improve their personal health as well as improving climate change and animal welfare. The chillies and plants that are grown on the property, are all fertilized with natural fertilizer from their Bokashi composting system. Although Carolina Reaper now holds the world record for the hottest chilli, The Hippy Seed Company along with Marcel de Wit and Mark Peacock held the world record from the 1st of March 2011 until November 2013 with Butch T Scorpion Chilli. Chilli enthusiasts can purchase the world record pack which includes seeds of the hottest chilli plants in the world. Each pack comes with 60 seeds and a gentle warning. With the cooler months around the corner, The Hippy Seed Company is the best place to start a chilli winter warmer collection. Neil and Charlotte are enjoy sharing their knowledge and passion with newcomers and established chilli growers. The wide variety of plants and seedlings are easy to navigate with the help of The Hippy Seed Company.
The Hippy Seed Company is an eco-friendly company with Neil and Charlotte taking every measure possible to minimise their impact on the natural world. Through collecting rain 32 | Heartland Magazine
Succulent Flytraps Jerry Krejci has been trapped by the allure of the flytrap plant species. Sole founder of Succulent Flytraps, Jerry has taken his fascination and passion for these plants and developed his own nursery.
to help others grow these carnivorous plants by sharing his knowledge and helpful tips.
Not only are these carnivorous plants fascinating in their structure and physical appearance, the plants are a great organic way to combat pest control. Jerry is amazed at the effectiveness of the plants ability to attract and capture all types of insects and hopes that science will fully understand and utilize these plants to be a natural pest control within agriculture.
As a child Jerry was always intrigued by insects and the outdoors. Often, he would throw flies or insects into a spider’s web in the hopes of being able to see the spider enjoy its meal. As an adult Jerry was wandering through a Sydney book shop on his lunch break when he stumbled across a book that would change the course of his life, ‘Carnivorous Plants’ by Adrian Slack. Jerry’s favourite mantra is inspiration through knowledge and so the only way for him to satisfy his inquisitiveness was to grow his own carnivorous plant. A year later, Jerry bought his first Venus fly trap from a weekend market. Despite his best efforts the flytrap died or so he thought. Through gaining more knowledge, Jerry soon learnt that these plants become dormant during winter and that in fact his first plant may not have been dead when he threw it out.
There are many misconceptions about the difficulty involved when it comes to growing carnivorous plants. Jerry has unlimited time to attend to his plants but maintains that with simple guidance, others are able to have the same success. All the plants that are sold online through Succulent Flytraps, have been grown outdoors which allows them to better acclimatize to the customers local area. All nursery stock is accurately labelled ensuring each plant comes from a reliable plant lineage. Jerry is able to send rhizomes to NSW, ACT, QLD and Victoria. Due to Government Certificates deliveries are unable to be made to South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania at this stage. All potting and growing instructions can be found on the Succulent Flytrap website making getting started with these unique plants a breeze for any level of gardener. Jerry Krejci has enjoyed his journey with carnivorous plants and encourages others to become trapped by their exceptional qualities the same way he has. For more information go to succulentflytraps.com.au
Although his first plant wasn’t the success he had hoped for, Jerry learnt from his experience and attributes the success of his nursery today, to this early disappointment. Through his website, YouTube channel and Facebook, Jerry is working
RECOGNISING ALSTONVILLE DISTRICT CITIZENS JAMES MEIKIE ABERNETHY
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ames Abernethy was the headmaster at Alstonville School from 1911 until 1922, replacing Thomas Burling who had been there from 1902. By the end of 1913 the school enrolment was 180, the highest the school had ever been. Assistant teachers at this time were Miss Crofton, Miss Marjorie Morgan and Mr WJ Buckland.’ In June 1913 19 teachers from surrounding schools attended a demonstration of agriculture and school gardening at Alstonville. By 1920 the assistants were Miss Florence Henry and Miss Catherine Morrissey.
school children lined up at the showgrounds and also formed a guard of honour at the Amusu Theatre. James was an extremely popular Alstonville citizen and when he left the district he was given ten farewells within a week. These included the Girls’ Friendly Society, the Caledonian Society of which he was auditor, and a public farewell at the Masonic Hall. He had been secretary of the War Service Committee and assisted in farewelling the troops. He was also auditor of the show committee and secretary of the Citizens’ Reception Committee which organised a March to Freedom Day for soldiers on 31 August 1918 and an official at the Caledonian Society gatherings. He was also the treasurer of the School of Arts during the war period. Another farewell was at the school where student, Miss Sylvia Johnston, presented him with a gold albert chain on behalf of the students. Miss Ivy Coe presented Mrs Abernethy with a sweets dish on behalf of the girls’ sewing class. In 1923 he was transferred to Unanderra where he became seriously ill. He recovered and spent some time at the correspondence branch of the Education Department and then transferred to Marrickville Boys’ School where he retired in 1930. He died in Belmore on 2 June 1938 and was buried in the Presbyterian section of Rookwood Cemetery. At the time of his death two of his three daughters, Doreen (Mrs Hugh Gibson) and Mary Isabel ‘Polly’ (Mrs John Thurston Burrows) lived in Alstonville and Lismore respectively. His wife Catherine came to live with her daughter in Alstonville and died on 21 April 1949 and was buried in Alstonville Cemetery. At the dedication of the new Presbyterian Church in Alstonville in August 1939 a silver communion plate was given as a memorial of the Abernethy family.
James married Catherine Wilson, daughter of Peter Wilson and Catherine Semple, at Granville in 1889. As the centenary of the end of World War I has passed we should acknowledge the part played by James in the life of Alstonville. He was an accomplished pianist who played for events during this time. He was also organist for the Masonic Lodge. However, his greatest contribution to the school was the instigation of a magnificent honour roll acknowledging the services of almost 100 ex-students during the war. He had visited Sydney and was so impressed by an honour roll he saw there that he ensured his school had one made. It was a great day on 13 March 1918 when the honour roll costing approximately £30 ($60) was unveiled. Visitors came from as far afield as Queensland. The State Governor, Sir Walter Davidson, visited the school in June 1918. In September 1922 the Governor-General, Lord Forster and his wife, came to Alstonville and the 34 | Heartland Magazine
RECOGNISING ALSTONVILLE DISTRICT CITIZENS JAMES AINSWORTH
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ames’ father, Thomas, was a shipwright who built the schooner, Matilda Ann, and sailed from Moruya and traded as far north as the Richmond.
James was five years old when the family arrived at Ballina. James had two younger siblings-Jane and Susan.
and the Anglican Church. He was a member of the Anglican Church Parochial Council and when the new church was built he donated an acetylene gas plant for lighting. In 1899 he and Christina were presented with an illuminated address by the church congregation in appreciation of their services to the church. His early memories of Ballina are recorded in the booklet, Reminiscences, Ballina in the Early Days, published in 1922. The proceeds of this publication were given to the Ballina District Hospital. James and Christina celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in 1923. He died in December 1924 survived by Christina, seven sons, four daughters, fiftynine grand children and sixteen great grandchildren.
St Mary’s Anglican Church, 1934
James Ainsworth and his wife, Christina
James began his working life early and worked at cedar camps at Tintenbar and Brunswick Heads. He also assisted his father in his shipbuilding business. An outdoor youth, he even rode horses at the Casino races about 1854. He was working at cedar getting at Emigrant Creek when he married Christina Williams at Ballina on 24 May 1863. There were three other couples married at the same time-Mr and Mrs Joe Eyles, Mr and Mrs John Holmes and Mr and Mrs Lemuel Snow. They were married in the school by Rev. Selwyn who was on a visit from Grafton. He selected 50 acres of land at North Creek in 1867 and on it grew sugar cane. With his wife’s brother and Fred Skennar a small sugar mill was built. This only operated for a few years as the large CSR mill built at Broadwater made small mill production unprofitable. When the NSW Government proposed to abolish duties on imported sugar James was at the forefront of the movement against this action. He considered it detrimental to the local industry. His interest in his community is evidenced by him being an alderman on the council during 1889-90, 1892-93 and 1903. He was also an active member of the Freemasons
Book 1, 2 & 3 of the series Recognising Alstonville District Citizens is available from Crawford House Museum - The home of the Alstonville Plateau Historical Museum Society. Special thank you to Ian Kirkland for allowing Heartland Magazine to publish stories from the Historical Societies publications. For more information please visit www. aphsmuseum.org.au
Heartland Magazine | 35
Australia’s Gameshows Since 1956, Australian’s have embraced television and have become accustomed to watching their daily programs at the same time each day. Game shows became a popular fixture on commercial stations with the first game show to air being, Name that Tune, hosted by Bruce Gyngell. Throughout television history in Australia, there have been four main game show formats that have been successful. Pick a Box was a radio show since 1948 and transferred to television in 1956. Australian’s all around the country tuned in every Monday to see Bob and Dolly Dyer host the general knowledge quiz show. The shows championship contestants became celebrities such as Barry Jones who became a member of Victorian Parliament. The show recorded 900 episodes and ended in 1971. The Dyer’s owned the show and discarded most of the taped episodes, keeping only a few when the show went off the air. Bob and Dolly retired and moved to Queensland. In 1981 the shows format was resurrected and renamed Super quiz. The new show only aired for one year with Bert and Patti Newton hosting. A few years later in 1989, Super quiz was rebooted one more time with new hosts Mike Walsh and Deborah Hutton. Unfortunately, it was short lived and was taken off the air for the last time. Sale of the Century was a show in the 1980’s which was based on the 1970’s show, Great Temptation. Tony Barber and Barbie Rogers hosted Great Temptation originally at the day-time slot before being moved to prime time. In 1973 Tony won a Gold Logie and it seemed the show was doing well. In 1974 channel 7 moved Great Temptation from the 7pm slot to the 8.30 slot to try and draw viewers away from 10 network’s Number 96. This negatively effected the show and by 1975 Great Temptation was gone.
In 1980, Producer Reg Grundy brought back the show with the overseas title, Sale Of The Century. Channel 9 aired the show at the 7pm time slot, with Tony Barber and Victoria Nicolls hosting the show. In 1982 Victoria Nicolls left the show and was replaced by Delvene Delany. Alyce Platt took over in 1986 before leaving the show with Tony Barber in 1991. Chanel 9 then cast two fresh hosts, Glen Ridge and Jo Bailey. Jo Bailey was later followed by Nicky Buckley and Karina Brown. In the year 2000 the show was renamed, Sale Of The New Century but returned to the shorter name in 2001. Ratings started to decline so the network put the show on hold with plans to relaunch the show at a later stage. In 2005 the Nine network relaunched the show with the new title Temptation. Ed Phillips and Livina Nixon hosted the show up until the show’s final appearance in January 2009. During the 1950’s popular television show The Price Is Right 36 | Heartland Magazine
enthralled Australian viewers with local versions in Sydney and Melbourne. A national version was launched in 1963 with Horrie Dargie as the host. Later the show reappeared on the 0-10 network in 1973 with Garry Meadows hosting. A U.S version was launched also in 1973, and had a daytime and nighttime slot. With a new title, The New Price Is Right, Ian Turpie hosted the show on channel seven. The show was filmed in the Melbourne Festival Hall up until 1985. Channel ten again revived the show in 1989 as a weekly show, airing on Saturday nights. Unfortunately, it was unable to compete with Nine’s Hey Hey Its Saturday show. In 1993 the Nine network picked up the format and had Larry Emdur host the show into the late 90’s. 2003 saw another revival, keeping Larry as the host which took audiences into the 6pm news. The seven network had just launched, Deal or No Deal which saw the end of The Price Is Right in December 2005. Another version of the show commenced on Seven’s late afternoon schedule in May 2012. Also, originally a radio show, Wheel of Fortune launched on TCN9 in 1959. Reg Gundy was the host which propelled Grundy Television Productions onto the global stage. In 1981 the show was revived and took on an early evening time slot, using an overseas format with Ernie Sigley and Adriana Xenides as hosts. Ernie left the show in 1984 and was replaced by radio identity, John Burgess. In 1996 Tony Barber took over from John and the production of the show was moved to Sydney. The show went through a major revamp but was not popular with audiences so reverted back to the old format on 1997 with Rob Elliot hosting. Adriana Xenides remained with the show until 1999 and became the worlds longest game show hostess. Sophie Falkiner became the new hostess and Elliott was replaced by Steve Oemcke in 2004. The time slot was change from 5.30 to 5pm to accommodate Deal or No Deal which was a stronger lead into the 6pm news. The show had a short break and returned in 2006 with new hosts Larry Emdur and Laura Csortan. Audience numbers were picking but, however the Seven network cancelled the show mid-year with Wheel of Fortune finishing on the 28th of July 2006. Nine network announced they were bringing back the format with host Tim Campbell hosting the renamed show, Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune. This was unsuccessful and was unable to compete with Deal or No Deal.
Reg Grundy
THE RAY BISHOP STORY They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in many cases many pictures can piece together a life and share a visual story of a family’s experiences in a time gone by. The landscape of Australia is always changing and evolving and the farming industries which were once a major part of a community’s existence may have since changed or evolved into something else. The banana industry was once a very prevalent part of the agricultural landscape of the Mullumbimby area. Bananas were first brought to Australia through the arrival of Chinese migrants in the 1800’s. Many of the first banana plants were used as an ornamental plant rather than for the fruit. Bananas were being imported from Fiji but with popularity for the fruit growing in Australia, it wasn’t long before commercial plantations were established. In 1891 Herman Reich started plantations in Coffs Harbour NSW. By 1919 Chinese merchants had established extensive plantations around Mullumbimby which paved the way for many farmers and landowners in this region. Ray Bishop was born at Waterford, Beenleigh in 1928 and was the second youngest of 5 sisters, May, Katherine, Hazel and Carol. He spent most of his working life on banana plantations around the Mullumbimby, Tweed and North Coast regions. Ray learnt a lot about the banana industry throughout his career, starting off packing and measuring the bananas. At this time much of the land needed to be cleared and Ray was instrumental in felling trees and learning to use different machinery to make way for banana plantations. Due to the hilly terrain, flying fox cables were set up to move bananas from one part of the plantation to the other. Once the bananas had been picked and packed, they were transported by train to their various destinations. Ray prepared displays for agricultural shows and won many awards for his superior presentation and quality fruits. The regional and local agricultural shows were a great opportunity for farmers and crafts men to show off their skills and He was also a keen orchid enthusiast and competed successfully through the Gold Coast Orchid Society with his many plants. Growing up, Ray was a keen collector and had an impressive stamp and card collection. He also enjoyed model planes and spent endless hours with his friends building and flying the models. Ray would go on to marry Phyllis Rice at Beenleigh and have two children of their own, Ava and Robyn. After his time at Verdure Valley, Mullumbimby, the family acquired a gladioli farm at Tweed Heads. May, Ray’s oldest sister was a florist at Ipswich, so flowers seemed to be a natural progression after many years of banana farming. The farm started off with 100 bulbs, but quickly grew to 1million. Every second day flowers were picked and packed onto the train, destined for the Sydney growers’ markets. Ray and his family employed 10 other workers to work on the farm as well. Since retiring from farming, Ray enjoyed playing lawn bowls and successfully competed in many tournaments. Ray’s banana farm at Verdure Valley looks completely different to the time he spent there as it has been returned to its natural bush appearance. These pictures are not only small snap shots of a family’s life but are stills of history and a time passed. Memories may fade but with the help of precious family photos being passed down through the generations we are able to learn so much and even understand a little better the journey of those who have come before us. 38 | Heartland Magazine
Ray Bishop
Ray’s Truck
Ray’s Planes before married
Banana Exhibit at Mullumbimby 1946
THE RAY BISHOP STORY
Aunty May and Jill
Hazel at Lismore
Ray & Phyllis Bishop Wedding
Banana Exhibit at Mullumbimby 1946 Bananas on Flying Fox at Gagin’s farm Palmwoods Mullumbimby Bananas from Verdure Valley, Palmwoods, Mullumbimby
Cathy, May & Hazel Bishop BGF Murwillumbah - Jack Bishop
Felling trees at Verdure Valley
Bishop Boys- Jack Charlie, Jim & Harry at Benowa
The Bishop Family- Back- Cathy, Ray, May & Hazel Front- Violet with Carrol & Jack
Fitting Flying Fox wires to top of tree for bring bananas down on
Gldioli Farm Heartland Magazine | 39
The History of Australia part 2 of series
Early European exploration
Dutch explorer Abel Tasman with his wife and daughter, the first Europeans to reach Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania)
of Australia was accidentally discovered by François Thijssen and named ‘t Land van Pieter Nuyts, in honour of the highest ranking passenger, Pieter Nuyts, extraordinary Councillor of India. In 1628 a squadron of Dutch ships was sent by the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Pieter de Carpentier to explore the northern coast. These ships made extensive examinations, particularly in the Gulf of Carpentaria, named in honour of de Carpentier.
Exploration by Europeans until 1812 1606 Willem Janszoon 1606 Luis Vaez de Torres 1616 Dirk Hartog 1619 Frederick de Houtman 1644 Abel Tasman 1696 Willem de Vlamingh 1699 William Dampier 1770 James Cook 1797–99 George Bass 1801–03 Matthew Flinders
Abel Tasman’s voyage of 1642 was the first known European expedition to reach Van Diemen’s Land (later Tasmania) and New Zealand, and to sight Fiji. On his second voyage of 1644, he also contributed significantly to the mapping of Australia proper, making observations on the land and people of the north coast below New Guinea. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman with his wife and daughter, the first Europeans to reach Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania)
Dutch exploration and discovery Although a theory of Portuguese discovery in the 1520s exists, it lacks definitive evidence. The Dutch East India Company ship, Duyfken, led by Willem Janszoon, made the first documented European landing in Australia in 1606. That same year, a Spanish expedition sailing in nearby waters and led by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós had landed in the New Hebrides and, believing them to be the fabled southern continent, named the land “Austrialia del Espiritu Santo” (Southern Land of the Holy Spirit), in honour of his queen Margaret of Austria, the wife of Philip III of Spain. Later that year, Queirós’ deputy Luís Vaz de Torres sailed to the north of Australia through Torres Strait, along New Guinea’s southern coast. The Dutch, following shipping routes to the Dutch East Indies, or in search of gold, spices or Christian converts, proceeded to contribute a great deal to Europe’s knowledge of Australia’s coast. In 1616, Dirk Hartog, sailing off course, en route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia, landed on an island off Shark Bay, West Australia. In 1622–23 the Leeuwin made the first recorded rounding of the Dutch explorer Frederick de Houtman discovered south west corner of the extensive coral reefs off the coast of Western continent, and gave her Australia in 1619, naming them Houtman name to Cape Leeuwin. Abrolhos, abrolhos being a Portuguese word meaning ‘look out’. This warning did not prevent the loss of several ships, most notably the Batavia in 1629.
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In 1627 the south coast
A map of the world inlaid into the floor of the Burgerzaal (“Burger’s Hall”) of the new Amsterdam Stadhuis (“Town Hall”) in 1655 revealed the extent of Dutch charts of much of Australia’s coast. Based on the 1648 map by Joan Blaeu, Nova et Accuratissima Terrarum Orbis Tabula, it incorporated Tasman’s discoveries, subsequently reproduced in the map, Archipelagus Orientalis sive Asiaticus published in the Kurfürsten Atlas (Atlas of the Great Elector).
Melchisédech Thévenot (1620?–1692): map of New Holland 1644, based on a map by the Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu
In 1664 the French geographer, Melchisédech Thévenot, published a map of New Holland in Relations de Divers Voyages Curieux.
The History of Australia part 2 of series Thévenot divided the continent in two, between Nova Hollandia to the west and Terre Australe to the east. Emanuel Bowen reproduced Thevenot’s map in his Complete System of Geography (London, 1747), re-titling it A Complete Map of the Southern Continent and adding three inscriptions promoting the benefits of exploring and colonising the country. One inscription said: It is impossible to conceive a Country that promises fairer from its Situation than this of TERRA AUSTRALIS, no longer incognita, as this Map demonstrates, but the Southern Continent Discovered. It lies precisely in the richest climates of the World... and therefore whoever perfectly discovers and settles it will become infallibly possessed of Territories as Rich, as fruitful, and as capable of Improvement, as any that have hitherto been found out, either in the East Indies or the West. Bowen’s map was re-published in John Campbell’s editions of John Harris’ Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–1748, 1764). This book recommended exploration of the east coast of New Holland, with a view to a British colonisation, by way of Abel Tasman’s route to Van Diemen’s Land. Although various proposals for colonisation were made, notably by Pierre Purry from 1717 to 1744, none was officially attempted. Indigenous Australians were less able to trade with Europeans than were the peoples of India, the East Indies, China, and Japan. The Dutch East India Company concluded that there was “no good to be done there”. They turned down Purry’s scheme with the comment that, “There is no prospect of use or benefit to the Company in it, but rather very certain and heavy costs”. Other Explorers With the exception of further Dutch visits to the west, Australia remained largely unvisited by Europeans until the first British explorations. John Callander put forward a proposal in 1766 for Britain to find a colony of banished convicts in the South Sea or in Terra Australis to enable the mother country to exploit the riches of those regions. He said: “this world must present us with many things entirely new, as hitherto we have had little more knowledge of it, than if it had lain in another planet”. In 1769, Lieutenant James Cook in command of HMS Endeavour, travelled to Tahiti to observe and record the transit of Venus. Cook also carried secret Admiralty instructions to locate the supposed Southern Continent: “There is reason to imagine that a continent, or land of great extent, may be found to the southward of the track of former navigators.” This continent was not found, a disappointment to Alexander Dalrymple and his fellow members of the Royal Society who had urged the Admiralty to undertake this mission. Cook decided to survey the east coast of New Holland, the only major part of that continent that had not been charted by Dutch navigators. On 19 April 1770 the Endeavour sighted the east coast of Australia and ten days later landed at Botany Bay. Cook charted the coast to its northern extent and, along with the ship’s naturalist, Joseph Banks, who subsequently reported favourably on the possibilities of establishing a colony at Botany Bay. Cook wrote that he formally took possession of the east coast of New Holland on 21/22 August 1770 when on Possession Island off the west coast of Cape York Peninsula. He noted in his journal that he could “land no more upon this Eastern coast of New Holland, and on the Western side I can make no new discovery the honour of which belongs to the Dutch Navigators and as such they may lay Claim to it as their property but the Eastern Coast from the Latitude of 38 South down to this place I am confident was never seen or visited by any European before us and therefore by the same Rule belongs to great Brittan”. In 1772, a French expedition led by Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn, became the first Europeans to formally claim sovereignty over the west coast of Australia, but no attempt was made to follow this with colonisation. The ambition of Sweden’s King Gustav III to establish a colony for his country at the Swan River in 1786 remained stillborn. It was not until 1788 that economic,
Lieutenant James Cook was the first European to achieve contact with the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770.
technological and political conditions in Great Britain made it possible and worthwhile for that country to make the large effort of sending the First Fleet to New South Wales. Colonisation The plan for Colonisation Seventeen years after Cook’s landfall on the east coast of Australia, the British government decided to establish a colony at Botany Bay. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) saw Britain lose most of its North American colonies and consider establishing replacement territories. In 1779 Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent scientist who had accompanied James Cook on his 1770 voyage, recommended Botany Bay as a suitable site for settlement, saying that “it was not to be doubted that a Tract of Land such as New Holland, which was larger than the whole of Europe, would furnish Matter of advantageous Return”. Under Banks’ guidance, the American Loyalist James Matra, who had also travelled with Cook, produced “A Proposal for Establishing a Settlement in New South Wales” (23 August 1783), proposing the establishment of a colony composed of American Loyalists, Chinese and South Sea Islanders (but not convicts). Matra reasoned that the country was suitable for plantations of sugar, cotton and tobacco; New Zealand timber and hemp or flax could prove valuable commodities; it could form a base for Pacific trade; and it could be a suitable compensation for displaced American Loyalists. Following an interview with Secretary of State Lord Sydney in 1784, Matra amended his proposal to include convicts as settlers, considering that this would benefit both “Economy to the Public, & Humanity to the Individual” Matra’s plan provided the original blueprint for settlement. Records show the government was considering it in 1784. The London newspapers announced in November 1784 that: “A plan has been presented to the Prime Minister, and is now before the Cabinet, for instituting a new colony in New Holland. In this vast tract of land.... every sort of produce and improvement of which the various soils of the earth are capable, may be expected”. The Government continued page 42 Heartland Magazine | 41
The History of Australia part 2 of series also incorporated the settlement of Norfolk Island into their plan, with its attractions of timber and flax, proposed by Banks’ Royal Society colleagues, Sir John Call and Sir George Young. At the same time, humanitarians and reformers were campaigning in Britain against the appalling conditions in British prisons and hulks. In 1777 prison reformer John Howard wrote The State of Prisons in England and Wales, exposing the harsh conditions of the prison system to “genteel society”. Penal transportation was already well-established as a central plank of English criminal law and until the American Revolution about a thousand criminals per year were sent to Maryland and Virginia. It served as a powerful deterrent to law-breaking. According to historian David Hill, “Europeans knew little about the geography of the globe” and to “convicts in England, transportation to Botany Bay was a frightening prospect”. Echoing John Callander, he said Australia “might as well have been another planet”. In 1933, Sir Ernest Scott, stated the traditional view of the reasons for colonisation: “It is clear that the only consideration which weighed seriously with the Pitt Government was the immediately pressing and practical one of finding a suitable place for a convict settlement”. In the early 1960s, historian Geoffrey Blainey questioned the traditional view of foundation purely as a convict dumping ground. His book The Tyranny of Distance suggested ensuring supplies of flax and timber after the loss of the American colonies may have also been motivations, and Norfolk Island was the key to the British decision. A number of historians responded, and debate brought to light a large amount of additional source material on the reasons for settlement. This has most recently been set out and discussed by Professor Alan Frost. The decision to settle was taken when it seemed the outbreak of civil war in the Netherlands might precipitate a war in which Britain would be again confronted with the alliance of the three naval Powers, France, Holland and Spain, which had brought her to defeat in 1783. Under these circumstances, the strategic advantages of a colony in New South Wales described in James Matra’s proposal were attractive. Matra wrote that such a settlement could facilitate attacks upon the Spanish in South America and the Philippines, and against the Dutch East Indies. In 1790, during the Nootka Crisis, plans were made for naval expeditions against Spain’s possessions in the Americas and the Philippines, in which New South Wales was assigned the role of a base for “refreshment, communication and retreat”. On subsequent occasions into the early 19th century when war threatened or broke out between Britain and Spain, these plans were revived and only the short length of the period of hostilities in each case prevented them from being put into effect.
time: the Dutch translator of First Fleet officer and author Watkin Tench’s A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay wrote: “a single province which, beyond all doubt, is the largest on the whole surface of the earth. From their definition it covers, in its greatest extent from East to West, virtually a fourth of the whole circumference of the Globe.” Spanish naval commander Alessandro Malaspina, who visited Sydney in March–April 1793 reported to his government that: “The transportation of the convicts constituted the means and not the object of the enterprise. The extension of dominion, mercantile speculations and the discovery of mines were the real object.” Frenchman François Péron, of the Baudin expedition visited Sydney in 1802 and reported to the French Government: “How can it be conceived that such a monstrous invasion was accomplished, with no complaint in Europe to protest against it? How can it be conceived that Spain, who had previously raised so many objections opposing the occupation of the Malouines (Falkland Islands), meekly allowed a formidable empire to arise facing her richest possessions, an empire which must either invade or liberate them?” The colony included the current islands of New Zealand. In 1817, the British government withdrew the extensive territorial claim over the South Pacific. In practice, the governors’ writ had been shown not to run in the islands of the South Pacific. The Church Missionary Society had concerns over atrocities committed against the natives of the South Sea Islands, and the ineffectiveness of the New South Wales government to deal with the lawlessness. As a result, on 27 June 1817, Parliament passed an Act for the more effectual Punishment of Murders and Manslaughters committed in Places not within His Majesty’s Dominions, which described Tahiti, New Zealand and other islands of the South Pacific as being not within His Majesty’s dominions. 1788: New South Wales The British colony of New South Wales was established with the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 vessels under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip in January 1788. It consisted of over a thousand settlers, including 778 convicts (192 women and 586 men). A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on
Georg Forster, who had sailed under Lieutenant James Cook in the voyage of the Resolution (1772–1775), wrote in 1786 on the future prospects of the British colony: “New Holland, an island of enormous extent or it might be said, a third continent, is the future homeland of a new civilized society which, however mean its beginning may seem to be, nevertheless promises within a short time to become very important.” And the merchant adventurer and would-be coloniser of southwestern Australia under the Swedish flag, William Bolts, said to the Swedish Ambassador in Paris, Erik von Staël in December 1789, that the British had founded at Botany Bay, “a settlement which in time will become of the greatest importance to the Commerce of the Globe”. Establishment of British colonies The territory claimed by Britain included all of Australia eastward of the meridian of 135° East and all the islands in the Pacific Ocean between the latitudes of Cape York and the southern tip of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania). The western limit of 135° East was set at the meridian dividing New Holland from Terra Australis shown on Emanuel Bowen’s Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in John Campbell’s editions of John Harris’ Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–1748, and 1764). It was a vast claim which elicited excitement at the 42 | Heartland Magazine
Arthur Phillip, first Governor of New South Wales
The History of Australia part 2 of series 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia’s national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as being, ‘without exception the finest Harbour in the World. Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security’. Governor Phillip was vested with complete authority over the inhabitants of the colony. His personal intent was to establish harmonious relations with local Aboriginal people and try to reform as well as discipline the convicts of the colony. Phillip and several of his officers—most notably Watkin Tench—left behind journals and accounts of which tell of immense hardships during the first years of settlement. Often Phillip’s officers despaired for the future of New South Wales. Early efforts at agriculture were fraught and supplies from overseas were scarce. Between 1788 and 1792 about 3546 male and 766 female convicts were landed at Sydney—many “professional criminals” with few of the skills required for the establishment of a colony. Many new arrivals were also sick or unfit for work and the conditions of healthy convicts only deteriorated with hard labour and poor sustenance in the settlement. The food situation reached crisis point in 1790 and the Second Fleet which finally arrived in June 1790 had lost a quarter of its ‘passengers’ through sickness, while the condition of the convicts of the Third Fleet appalled Phillip; however, from 1791 the more regular arrival of ships and the beginnings of trade lessened the feeling of isolation and improved supplies.
A General Chart of New Holland including New South Wales & Botany Bay with The Adjacent Countries and New Discovered Lands, published in An Historical Narrative of the Discovery of New Holland and New South Wales, London, Fielding and Stockdale, November 1786
Phillip sent exploratory missions in search of better soils, fixed on the Parramatta region as a promising area for expansion, and moved many of the convicts from late 1788 to establish a small township, which became the main centre of the colony’s economic life. This left Sydney Cove only as an important port and focus of social life. Poor equipment and unfamiliar soils and climate continued to hamper the expansion of farming from Farm Cove to Parramatta and Toongabbie, but a building programme, assisted by convict labour, advanced steadily. Between 1788 and 1792, convicts and their gaolers made up the majority of the population—but after this, a population of emancipated convicts began to grow who could be granted land and these people pioneered a non-government private sector economy and were later joined by soldiers whose military service had expired—and finally, free settlers who began arriving from Britain. Governor Phillip departed the colony for England on 11 December 1792, with the new settlement having survived near starvation and immense isolation for four years. On 16 February 1793 the first free settlers arrived. The settlers: Thomas Rose, with his wife and four children, Edward Powell,
Thomas Webb, Joseph Webb, and Frederick Meredith. Establishment of further colonies After the founding of the colony of New South Wales in 1788, Australia was divided into an eastern half, named New South Wales, under the administration of the colonial government in Sydney, and a western half named New Holland. The western boundary of 135° East of Greenwich was based on the Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in Emanuel Bowen’s Complete System of Geography (London 1747), and reproduced in John Campbell’s editions of John Harris’ Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–48, and 1764). Bowen’s map was based on one by Melchisédech Thévenot and published in Relations des Divers Voyages (1663), which apparently divided New Holland in the west from Terra Australis in the east by a latitude staff situated at 135° East. This division, reproduced in Bowen’s map, provided a convenient western boundary for the British claim because, as Watkin Tench subsequently commented in A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay, “By this partition, it may be fairly presumed, that every source of future litigation between the Dutch and us, will be for ever cut off, as the discoveries of English navigators only are comprised in this territory”. Thévenot said he copied his map from the one engraved in the floor of the Amsterdam Town Hall, but in that map, Norfolk Island Settlement there was no dividing line between New Holland and Terra Australis. Thévenot’s map was actually copied from Joan Blaeu’s map, Archipelagus Orientalis sive Asiaticus, published in 1659 in the Kurfürsten Atlas (Atlas of the Great Elector); this map was a part of Blaeu’s world map of 1648, Nova et Accuratissima Terrarum Orbis Tabula, which first showed the land revealed by Abel Tasman’s 1642 voyage as Hollandia Nova and which served as the basis for the Amsterdam Town Hall pavement map. Longitude 135° East reflected the line of division between the claims of Spain and Portugal established in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which had formed the basis of many subsequent claims to colonial territory. An Historical Narrative of the Discovery of New Holland and New South Wales, published in November 1786, contained “A General Chart of New Holland, including New South Wales & Botany Bay, with The Adjacent Countries, and New Discovered Islands”, which showed all the territory claimed under the jurisdiction of the Governor of New South Wales. Romantic descriptions of the beauty, mild climate, and fertile soil of Norfolk Island in the South Pacific led the British government to establish a subsidiary settlement of the New South Wales colony there in 1788. It was hoped that the giant Norfolk Island pine trees and flax plants growing wild on the island might provide the basis for a local industry which, particularly in the case of flax, would provide an alternative source of supply to Russia for an article which was essential for making cordage and sails for the ships of the British navy; however, the island had no safe harbour, which led the colony to be abandoned and the settlers evacuated to Tasmania in 1807. The island was subsequently re-settled as a penal settlement in 1824.
The Australian History will continue in Issue 43 of Heartland Magazine with Plans for colonies, Convicts, Freedom and Exploration of inland
Heartland Magazine | 43
TAMWORTH HISTORY contributed by Michael Cashman GROWTH OF OUR HOSPITALS Our current ever-developing Tamworth Base Hospital is one of the largest in NSW that services Regional communities. But it hasn’t always been so. Our very first town hospital was initiated by the Australian Agricultural Company in the 1840’s under their charter to provide health care for their workforce. It was situated in what is now Ebsworth Street near the site of the current Cadman Motor Inn. Contrasting with today’s comprehensive hospital facility, it was merely a 10-bed, slabsided building with a bark roof. Quoting from William Telfer
Company Doctor McIntosh as a nurse and companion servant for his newly-wed wife. Kitty had been convicted in Ireland back in 1798 for her part in the Wexford Uprising and sentenced to 14 years transportation to New South Wales. By 1839, now free, she and her prior-convict husband had established a small cattle run, which was invaded by 4 bushrangers. Kitty had grabbed a gun, shot the leader dead, wounded another and detained the other two to hand them over to police. Dr McIntosh related that - “Kitty was brave and courageous and always had a loaded gun for any emergency. She entertained with stories and good humour and was a wonderful nurse, very kind and good natured. She sat up night after night with critical cases and laughed and joked to keep up their spirits.”
The Tamworth District Hospital, soon after its completion in 1884. An artist’s impression of our first town hospital in the 1840’s.
Jnr’s ‘Wallabadah Manuscript’ (the original now held at UNE Armidale) - “The old hands in the Tamworth district died off very quickly, particularly the assigned servants, as the climate was warm and tropical. ....... Only salt tucker and damper were the diet of those people so their blood got out of order and Dr Rogers the Company’s Medical officer had no easy task at the Company’s hospital having to look after as many as fifteen patients at a time with liver complaints, others with heart disease and a lot with other maladies. Their cases were hopeless from the start.” Allowing for some exaggeration in this later description, it was probably no accident that our first town cemetery in the 1840’s was located a stonesthrow away, behind what is now the Ibis Styles Motel.
With Tamworth’s population growing through a number of people moving down from the nearby goldfields, the original hospital was soon considered inadequate. This was increased by further migration of settlers moving north that passed through Tamworth. Population had also increased on the eastern side of the river, so the Benevolent Society (Australia’s earliest charity body) in 1855 laid a foundation stone for a new hospital in Peel Street, opposite the now “old” Skatepark. The first committee meeting had to be abandoned because no member could find the building in the dark bushland. The brick building, opening in 1856, had 3 small wards and a larger room. It served as our Town Hospital until 1884, despite problems relating to its flood-prone location (a bend in the Peel River originally flowed through the “old” Skatepark) , and its condition had deteriorated rapidly. The arrival of the railway in 1878 also led to further poulation increase, and soon the small hospital staff couldn’t cope with an increasing number of patients. So soon the move was afoot to build our third public hospital, the Johnston Street site now integrated into our much larger Tamworth Base. A start was made in 1883 under architect Pender, with the much celebrated opening taking place in 1884. Many stresses ocxcurred in early years with various serious outbreaks - Spanish flu, diphtheria, whooping cough, typhoid, etc, placing great demands on limited hospital staff.
The Tamworth Benevolent Society Hospital in Peel Street, as it appeared in the 1870’s.
Early doctors employed by the AA Company who provided our health care, several of them resident near our first hospital, included Doctors Stacey, Rogers, Jay, McIntosh, Haigh and Jenkins. Sarah Willis, who had arrived in Australia from England as a qualified nurse, later served as the Hospital Matron. After her retirement she served as a midwife. Another interesting early health-care contributor was Kitty Gallagher, who around 1844 was engaged by the AA 44 | Heartland Magazine
Hopefully our present Tamworth Base Hospital will serve us well into the future.
TAMWORTH HISTORY contributed by Michael Cashman EARLY TAMWORTH SCHOOLS Three Tamworth schools are celebrating their centenaries this year - Tamworth High School, Calrossy Anglican School and St Josephs Primary, West Tamworth. However, Kamilaroi children in the Peel Valley had been learning by watching, listening and copying their elders for thousands of years. Tamworth in the mid 1840’s consisted of the “company town” on the western side of the Peel River controlled by the Australian Agricultural Company and the “government town” on the eastern side. The first school in Tamworth began in about 1849 when the Australian Agricultural Company sponsored a school for the children of its employees. The primitive bark school “somewhere up the hill in West Tamworth” was probably located near where the present Tamworth West Public School is now. It was described as a rather flimsy structure, having a frame of bush timber, an earthen floor and bark roofing and bark walls. The first teacher at the school was William Henry The first Tamworth Public School (previously the 1855 National School), located in Darling Street, on the site of the current Community Centre
Porter, an Englishman who had trained as a solicitor. In 1850 a brick building was constructed near the corner of Bridge and Ebsworth Streets using funds provided by the AA Company, the Church of England and the government. This building was known as the Denominational School. It was “a small building which was used a a schoolroom, the teacher having small and inconvenient quarters attached.” There must have been much overcrowding as about seventy children were enrolled.. Late in 1851 William Porter was replaced by George Walker who after a short time was lured away to the Nundle goldfields, leaving his wife Rebecca to look after the school.
Taken in the 1860’s, this photo shows the 1857 Anglican Denominational School in the remodelled building now known as the Retreat Theatre in West Tamworth.
accommodation for Crawford and his wife and six children was the closed-in back verandah of the school. Crawford commented - “It was only fit for a good hen roost.”
On the western side, a new school building was erected in 1857. It was a substantial sandstone structure with a fourroomed residence above. This was used for school purposes until Tamworth West Public School opened in January 1883. The sandstone building still exists and many Tamworth residents would remember it as the Retreat Theatre. By 1876 the government school in Darling Street was overcrowded and in a poor state of repair. In July 1877 Tamworth Public School was relocated to a new building in Upper Street. The original school was purchased by the recently formed Tamworth Borough Council. It was refurbished and became the first Council offices. Rod Hobbs (Tamworth Historical Society)
The first Tamworth Public School (previously the 1855 National School), located in Darling Street, on the site of the current Community Centre.
People on the eastern side were anxious to have a school to cater for their children and in December 1851 a site for a school on the corner of Peel and Darling Streets was approved. Unfortunately the builder William Ayre was unable to complete the school until late 1854 as labour and materials were in short supply because of the Nundle goldrush. Tamworth’s first government school, the National School (later Tamworth Public School) began lessons on 13th April, 1855 with 38 pupils (20 boys and 18 girls). The teacher was John Crawford, an Englishman who had been trained in London. However, conditions were poor at the school. Crawford wrote - “In the schoolroom itself, there was nothing: no pen, desk or book. In addition there was no fence, closet or water.” The
John Crawford (1822-1910) Born in England, John Crawford was the first government school teachers in Tamworth when he opened the Tamworth National School in Darling Street on 13th April, 1855 with 38 pupils (20 boys and 18 girls). The school was later renamed Tamworth Public School. Heartland Magazine | 45
MACLEAN HISTORY Contributed by Carol Cameron and Ken Muller. I start this article with two extracts from the Daily Examiner, with some views being expressed about the possibility of a bridge across the Clarence River at Harwood.
THE OPENING of HARWOOD BRIDGE 54 YEARS AGO – and RIDING the LAST FERRIES
HARWOOD BRIDGE Proposal Not Favoured In response to a request by Lismore Chamber of Commerce, the Main Roads Department has replied that no plans or estimates have been prepared for a bridge over the Clarence River at Harwood. It was known, however, that such a structure would be very costly and as the existing ferry service was in no way overtaxed, there was no immediate prospect of its replacement by a bridge. Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW: 1915 - 1954), Wednesday 13 October 1937, page 6
HARWOOD BRIDGE Sir, even shire councillors, yes Harwood Shire councillors, must inevitably consider the economical position of the country rather than make demands upon Government departments which demands are unsound or illogical. Fancy the Harwood Shire asking for the Clarence River to be bridged at Harwood! How utterly preposterous, particularly from a departmental point of view when the entire road from Grafton to Casino could be completely reformed and sealed (perhaps concreted) and become the Pacific Highway at less cost than a bridge. Such a diversion of the Pacific Highway must inevitably come and thus save for hundreds of years the necessity of bridging the Clarence at Harwood and the Richmond at Ballina. Why cannot shire councillors be practical?’ “Practical.” Grafton. September 21.
Walkers first cross the bridge after the official opening.
Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW: 1915 - 1954), Saturday 25 September 1954, page 7
THE HARWOOD BRIDGE One of the first requests for a bridge at Harwood was made in 1934 and was supported by many local organisations. However, long delays from the 1950’s onwards, sometimes because one of the ferries was taken out of service for repair, sometimes because of the large holiday traffic made it obvious that the “unplugging” of a bottleneck on the highway was due. In 1957, Maclean Shire called a meeting of locals to put a case to local members for a bridge. The move snowballed over the next few years with added pressure from canegrowers and many other petitioners. Plans were drawn up in 1961, tenders called in 1962. The bypass of Maclean was for a while considered a problem by councillors as it was thought that Maclean might suffer by being bypassed. However, in spite of the complaints, final tenders were called, and contracts let in 1963, with provision for water pipes to be carried and a lift span to be incorporated for shipping to pass. In 1965 record numbers of vehicles crossing on the now 3 ferries working stood at over 3,700 vehicles a day. By the end of 1965 the lift span was finished and in place and the final gap in the bridge was closed in March 1966. A crowd of about 5000 attended the official opening by the State Governor Sir Roden Cutler on Saturday August 20, 1966. The first cars crossed the bridge at 4pm that afternoon. The ferry-free Pacific Highway was now ready for business. 46 | Heartland Magazine
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MACLEAN HISTORY Contributed by Carol Cameron and Ken Muller. THE ANGOWRIE CRICKET CLUB Thanks to Warwick Hoad for this outline. The Angowrie Cricket Club was formed on 4th September 1897. Sidney Keele, quarry worker, was the first President. In October 1897, the Lands Department received an application for recreation grounds at Angowrie. It is likely this was an application from the club for a cricket oval. Four months later this application was rejected saying there was already provision in the Quarry reserve. Angowrie (as it was written then) played its first match against Maclean at home (at Angowrie) in October 1897 so a cricket pitch must have been established by this time.
Cars soon follow
Transport to games in outlying areas must have taken a good part of the day at the time, perhaps by steamers to and from Yamba as the other teams included Harwood, Maclean and Tyndale. Scores, results and handicaps were regularly published in local newspapers only a few days after the matches. However not all secretaries were prompt in reporting their team’s matches as the Clarence and Richmond Advertiser 1 May 1900 noted: “We are unable to give complete results owing to the neglect of secretaries lately to send in results.” The competition was handicapped (Angowrie’s handicap was 12) and in early 1898 (reported at Angowrie’s AGM) the first season was completed with 34 members, an income of £16/18/10 with a credit balance of £1/7/8. The team had played 16 matches, winning 10 and losing only 6.
One of the last ferries to cross the river at Harwood
Their job finished– where to now?
Aerial view of the completed structure taken from the North side looking south.
By 1899 a big day was planned at Angowrie. A planned match against Taloumbi was however postponed; eventually played in early January 1900. But a Grand Ball was held in the old school building. The ball may have been the “last hurrah” for the community. Operations, equipment and men were being transferred to Woodford Island Quarry, with the Angowrie operations finishing the week before Christmas 1899. The club folded when the quarrying operations were moved. Many of the workmen moved to Woodford Is. others moved away due to lack of work. Angowrie must have been almost deserted by late January 1900. The team now had no home ground. The last recorded winning game was against Yamba in February 1899. The last home ground match was scheduled against Palmers Island on 13th January 1900, however Angowrie forfeited this match, probably as a result of lack of players. The last recorded match played was against Maclean on 3rd March 1900. Angowrie lost. They were scheduled to play matches in the 1900 season’s competition. They were all “away” matches, perhaps indicating the lack of a home ground on which to play. The Angowrie team of March 1900 included H. O’Neill, G. Henderson, J. Graham, J. Goldsmith, A. McDonald, W. Tollow, R. Coleman, W. Mason, H. Penhall, and G. Phillips. By 1903, it seemed the cricket scene for the old Angowrie ‘mob’ had moved to Woodford Island as the Clarence and Richmond Examiner noted: “A cricket ground has been cleared (at the Woodford Quarry) by enthusiasts in the game at some trouble and expense, and a concrete pitch has been laid.” So, the Angowrie cricket team continued, but under a new name. Heartland Magazine | 47
UKI HISTORICAL SOCIETY UKI PUBLIC SCHOOL On the 21st September 1906 Rowlands Creek School became Uki Public School. Inspector McCoy wrote on 10th September 1907, … ‘The present enrolment at this school is 33, and in consequence of increased settlement and the establishment of a village in the vicinity of the school there is every prospect of further increases in the near future. The building is 18 x 14 x 10ft. and provides accommodation for 21 pupils. There were 30 pupils present today and the school was uncomfortably crowded. The building needs painting to protect it from the weather. Two of the pupils and the teacher ride to school and it is stated that several others would ride if the site was fenced’. 30th December 1907, D. C. Marshall, for the Uki Progress Association, wrote to local Member of Parliament, George Hindmarsh: ‘At the last school picnic, held here on December 3rd the writer with others counted 73 children who would be attending this school by the end of 1908. A great many of the children are not going to this school simply because of inadequate accommodation’.
16th February 1911, in response to a request by the Uki Progress Association for increased accommodation at the school, Inspector Noble reported: ‘Uki is a growing township, situated about 11 miles from Murwillumbah, in a rich agricultural district. In the township there are: post-office, bank, saw mill, butter factory, two boarding houses, butcher’s shop, baker’s shop and two stores. In July 1911 a petition signed by 55 residents delayed the much needed extensions to the school room. The signatories requested the removal of the school from its present site to a site to be chosen on the western side of Rowlands Creek. One of the reasons given was that the school was built on two acres of land in the centre of the village and these two acres were the only suitable sites for business premises available in Uki. The Department informed the residents that the application for removal of the school to another site was declined, on the grounds that it would be against the interests of the school to remove it, and that the removal of the buildings would cause considerable loss and inconvenience to the Department. In August 1911, the first woman assistant teacher was appointed to Uki Public School. 16th November 1911 Inspector Noble, suggested that a residence for the teacher and extensions to the school begin immediately. Tenders for a teacher’s residence at Uki were called in 1911. Alfred Modini of South Murwillumbah was the successful tenderer at £486. In March 1912 the head of the school requested a fence be erected around the soon to be completed residence as ‘the school is in the heart of a busy township and stray dogs are seen daily in the playground’. The teacher took up residence on 8th July 1912.
Uki School 1908 – UB-4
When the district works officer from Lismore inspected the building in January 1908 he decided that it was not worth extending because of its condition. Tenders were called for a new building. Inspector McCoy reported on the 19th March 1908 that ‘the enrolment at the school is 45 and there are three or four children who would attend if more accommodation were provided. The present building only provides accommodation for 21. I recommend that the case be treated as urgent’. Mr Alfred Bradfield of South Murwillumbah was the successful tenderer for the new building and agreed to build it at a cost of £198/15/3. Teacher Herbert Brodie reported that he had ‘vacated the old building and took possession of the new building between 9 and 10 o’clock on Friday 11th December 1908. The original 1901 school building was converted to a weather shed.
In March 1912 Dora Fisher the assistant teacher was teaching the 35 younger children in the weather shed (the old school building). Tenders for enlarging the school were called in 1912. The successful tenderer was Alfred Modini at £469, for two classrooms, a hat room, a verandah and repairs to the weather shed and its removal to another area of the school yard. In May 1912 the teacher Hugh O’Kelly obtained permission to use the Uki “School of Arts” hall for lessons while the school building was being extended. The additions to the school building were completed on the 10th December 1912 and occupied by the school on the 20th January 1913. Dual desks were supplied for the new classrooms. The school now had an enrolment of 87 and a building with three classrooms. A Boys’ and girls’ hat rooms were situated at each end of the verandah.
The new school building was disappointing for the Uki Progress Association as the new school was no larger than the old, and now the Uki School pupil population numbered into the 40’s.
In August 1912 the newly formed Uki Tennis Club asked if they could erect an asphalt tennis court at the school. Permission was granted as long as it was under the supervision and control of the teacher. The area taken up by the tennis court was not excessive, and its construction would still allow room for a horse paddock for the nine horses being ridden to school.
In 1911 school accommodation was desperate. Enrolment had reached 82 and growing rapidly.
In late 1912 and again in 1913 Mr O’Kelly was given departmental permission to hold swimming classes in
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UKI HISTORICAL SOCIETY Rowlands Creek, which was about two minutes walking distance from the school, as long as swimming conditions were safe and the teacher could swim. These lessons were subsequently held each Tuesday at 3pm. 1916 there were two teachers teaching about 100 children. 1917 Inspector Dunlop recommended that another assistant be appointed immediately as 127 children in two rooms was “uncomfortably overcrowded”. During World War 1, a Junior Red Cross Branch was formed. The school children knitted socks, scarves and balaclavas for the soldiers in lieu of their usual sewing lessons (the children even sang a knitting jingle to help their work along). The school supplemented its own collection of books with the use of the Uki “School of Arts” Library around this time. Junior Cadets for boys twelve years of age began in 1917. Cadets received regular drill instruction. The school was closed on Friday 6th December 1918 to celebrate the end of World War 1 with a children’s Grace Picnic. In June 1919 an epidemic of pneumonic influenza struck the district and on the 13th June 1919 Uki School was converted into an emergency hospital. 66 patients were treated and recovered at the hospital. The hospital closed on Saturday 9th August 1919. One patient Jim Barnsley remembered the huge yellow bottles of medicine they had to take. He also recalled that the meals were mostly junket which he could never bring himself to eat again. On the 8th June 1923 the P. & C. Association held a Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball. A grand march took place and £18 profit was raised. In July of that year the P. & C. decided to form a Boy Scout Corp. In the following month the first floral reserve of 2 acres 9 perches on the southern side of the school was added to the school site to cater for the children’s horses. There were 18 horses being ridden to school at that time. The saddles and bridles were stored in the school weather shed during the day. By 1924 parents of the school children had added a cricket pitch in the school yard. Also in 1924 repairs and painting of the school and school residence took place at a cost of £239/7/6. A fence and pergola entrance to the school were added and a large gate was moved to the Rowlands Creek Road side of the school.
night in the school yard by car lights. On the 4th May1932 Empire and Commonwealth Day was celebrated at Uki. The children saluted the Union Jack and Commonwealth Flag [I honour my god, I serve my King, I salute my flag] and then marched into school. After addresses by the P. & C. President, the Reverend W. Avery and the school teacher the children then sang “Advance Australia”, “Land of Hope and Glory” and “Rule Britannia”. This was followed by a sports afternoon and a basket picnic lunch in the school grounds. The day finished with a lolly scramble. (Empire Day continued to be celebrated at the school until the 1960’s. The children were sent around the village prior to the day to collect money to sponsor the event to pay for ice-cream, etc.) The Uki school choir competed at the Murwillumbah Musical Festival during the 1930’s. When the sanitary service began in Uki July 1933 the school cess-pits [toilet pits] were filled in. The service cost 1shilling per service. Teacher Richard Lennon (1934-1941) applied and received permission for his wife to teach sewing to the girl pupils for not less than 4 hours a week for £39 per annum. A film projector was bought for the school in 1939, which meant blinds had to be hung at the windows to darken the room. In 1943 free conveyance for primary children was inaugurated and a school bus service was established. During WW2 a zig-zag trench was built at the school in case of enemy invasion. Jock Robson was the Headmaster from 1941-1968. It was during this time that a school tuckshop was started from the school residence. 30th September 1967 Uki School celebrated its 72nd Anniversary. A gate and rendered brick columns were built at the front of the school in memory of the pioneer men and women and to commemorate the establishment of Education in this district. Part 2 of UKI Public School will continue in Issue 43 of Heartland Magazine
In December 1924 the teacher Hector Lang successfully requested permission to install a telephone in the school residence at his own expense. The local Agricultural Bureau were given permission to hold their monthly meetings at the school in 1927. On the 10th December 1927 the Uki War Memorial was unveiled. It had two large clocks embedded in the two faces of the memorial. These clocks were controlled by electric batteries installed in the school. During the 1920’s and 1930’s the Uki football team trained at
Uki Public School 1908 – UO3-26 Photos courtesy Tweed Regional Museum Heartland Magazine | 49
Lollylicious
to detail.
Lollylicious ignites the imagination and excites the sensors with their unique alternatives to the traditional flower bouquets. Established in 2011, this independently owned business has been helping customers celebrate special moments in life with their lolly and chocolate bouquets. After 3 years of employment with Lollylicious, Deb bought the business in 2017. Her vision to move the business forward came to fruition when she made the decision to close the “bricks and mortar� store front and focus the business online through their convenient website. Deb and her team take great pride in their work and enjoy spreading happiness through their individually made chocolate and lolly bouquets. Every bouquet is personally hand crafted and uses the highest quality products. The online website has been extraordinarily successful and allows Lollylicious to be able to reach a wider delivery area. Deliveries can be made to Sydney, Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Wollongong as well as country NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, and SA. Lollylicious can cater for any occasion as well as corporate orders, creating custom made to order bouquets. With many awards behind the business, Deb and her team are always exploring new products and ideas to include in their creations. The highly dedicated team at Lollylicious pride themselves on their exceptional customer service and attention 50 | Heartland Magazine
Deb recognises that everyone deserves the good things in life and that their distinctive bouquets deliver the love and joy that is warranted for those special occasions and people in life. Lollylicious takes a personal interest in each bouquet prepared and delivered, guaranteeing the most stylish, unique, sophisticated and outright irresistible chocolate and lolly bouquets every time. The easy to navigate website takes the stress out of ordering one of these beautiful arrangements and includes free shipping to a wide range of areas. Deb loves what she does, and her team are constantly feeding off this enthusiasm for celebration and happiness. Lollylicious is a unique company and strives to deliver not only amazing bouquets but an exciting and new experience for each customer. Deb only hopes that each customer enjoys their bouquets as much as her and her team enjoy preparing them. To explore the opulent bouquet options visit www.lollylicious.com.au
Gordon River Dam Construction on the Gordon Dam commenced in 1964 after the Australian Government provided a $5 million grant to Tasmania’s Hydro Electric Commission to build Gordon River Road from Maydena into the Gordon River region. The Gordon River Power Development was approved in 1967 with power operation beginning in 1978. A third generator was added in 1988, with the complete construction of the dam causing some flooding of the connected Lake Pedder. Gordon River Dam was designed with Dr Sergio Guidici as the chef engineer. It was built with 154, 000 cubic meters of concrete and holds 12,359,040 cubic meters of water making it the largest lake in Australia. Gordon River Dam is the 5th tallest dams in Australia. Its single controlled spillway can discharge 175 cubic meters of water per second. The combination of Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder make this water storage the largest not only in Tasmania but also in Australia. In 2016 the water levels at Gordon Dam fell 45 meters to a low of 6% capacity. This was due to the extreme drought in 2015 which saw the failure of the related Basslink power feed. After
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the repair of the Basslink power feed and continual rainfall, Gordon River Dam returned to 28 meters by January 2017. Gordon Power Station is the largest in Tasmania with a 432MW generating capacity which is supplied through an 80 meter vertical channel. Water is fed through a 137 meter long shaft from Lake Gordon and sent down stream to Gordon River through a 1.6 km long tunnel. As well as being a popular tourist attraction and one of Tasmania’s most impressive constructions, the Gordon Dam is listed as a National Engineering Landmark by Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program. The concrete wall is arched both vertically and horizontally which makes for some incredible pictures when walking along the 192 meter length wall. It is taller than Sydney Harbour Bridge making it an engineering marvel not only for Tasmania but for all of Australia. Many tourists and adrenaline junkies enjoy the opportunity to abseil down the 140-meter descent making it one of the highest commercial abseils in the world.
AUSSIE MOTORING
The History of Holden The Holden Commodore 3rd Generation 1997-2008 The Holden Commodore (VT) is an executive car that was produced by the Australian manufacturer Holden from 1997 to 2000. It was the first iteration of the third generation of this Australian made model and the last one to be powered by a locally made V8 engine (1999). Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VT) and Holden Calais (VT) but not a new generation utility version.
given the sedan’s ordinary drag coefficient of Cd=0.33. At the time of the VY series launch in 2002, Holden aerodynamic engineers conceded that the design was not ideal, primarily because of the rounded trailing edge of the sedan’s boot lid, which did not promote a clean separation of the airflow off the back of the car as would have a sharper change of angle. As such, the VY series rectified this problem.
VT Series 2 Commodore
Introduced in August 1997, the VT-series represented Holden’s largest development yet. On debut, it won the 1997 Wheels Car of the Year award, resulting in the fourth time that this award was won by a Commodore. It found ready acceptance in the market as many buyers steered away from the more radically designed Ford Falcon (AU), becoming the best selling Commodore and cementing its place as number one in Australian sales at its time. A VT Series II (VT II) was released in 1999, before being replaced by the restyled VX model in 2000. In 1998, the VT formed the basis of a prototype that became the catalyst for the reintroduction in 2001 of the Holden Monaro coupé—a nameplate on hiatus since 1977. The development As with previous Commodore models, Holden looked to Opel in Germany for a donor car. The VT series was derived from the Omega B by broadening that vehicle’s width and adapting the mechanical setup for Australian conditions. The alternative would have been to adopt the Omega as is (which, notably, was also sold in North America as the Cadillac Catera between 1997 and 2001), save for the engines and transmissions or just reskinning the second generation (VN–VS) architecture. The VT series ended up being a A$600 million development program that spanned more than half a decade. It sported many firsts for an Australian-built car (such as more advanced electronic systems), improved dynamics and increased crash safety also thanks to a body that was 30 percent stiffer than its predecessor, the VS series. Its rounder exterior design (with a 63 degree rake for the front windscreen), which made it more attractive to buyers than the more aerodynamic rival, Ford Falcon (AU), was considered only a styling exercise with low emphasis on aerodynamics 54 | Heartland Magazine
In 1999, the VT wagon platform served as the basis for the second generation Statesman and Caprice luxury cars. This third generation Commodore also formed the basis for the resurrection of the iconic Monaro coupé from the 1960s and 1970s. Presented as the “Holden Coupé” concept car at the 1998 Australian International Motor Show held in Sydney. Overwhelming public interest resulted in the coupé finally reaching production in 2001 as the Monaro albeit by then based on the VX series. As part of this project came a spend of A$275 million to upgrade the Elizabeth plant, which saw a 43 percent increase in robots (to a total of 130), more efficient pressing process (with 59 presses instead of 104) and welding (that sees the main body spot-welded in 101 seconds), reducing the VT’s final assembly time by 2.5 hours. United States Input Holden’s parent company was interested in incorporating a left-hand drive Commodore into the Buick lineup in the United States and became involved in the VT development cycle early on. Holden was provided funds for the necessary engineering changes and a prototype was unveiled to the American public in 1995 as the Buick XP2000 concept car whose styling formed the basis for the VT series. The project, known internally as “Project 127”, was abandoned in early 1994, well before the VT’s release but Holden made the most of the situation by exporting left-hand drive VTs to parts of Indochina and the Middle East badged as the Chevrolet Lumina, and to Brazil badged as the Chevrolet Omega. Engineering The base engine was the 3.8-litre Ecotec V6 that Holden originally launched with the Commodore VS Series II, which remained unchanged except for new exhaust manifolds and the latest Bosch EV6 fuel injectors. Apart from the 5.0-litre Holden V8 (for which Holden spent A$2 million to extract an extra 10 kW (13 hp) and 10 N⋅m (7.4 lb⋅ft) over the previous series) and uprated HSV variants, the other engine offered as
AUSSIE MOTORING an option on the Commodore S and SS, and the Calais, was the supercharged version of the Ecotec that was also launched with the VS II. In its latest guise, it generated a higher output of 171 kW (229 hp) thanks to a new engine management system with individual cylinder knock-sensor control. The available transmissions, depending on engine option, included a four-speed 4L60-E automatic and five-speed Getrag 260 manual (replacing Holden’s previous Borg-Warner T5 choice) on V6 models and the same automatic or five-speed Getrag 290 and optional six-speed Tremec T56 manuals on V8 models. The fuel tank of 75 litres (up 12 litres for the sedan and 7 for the wagon, compared to the VS series, but down 5 litres relative to that of the previous V8 range) was mounted ahead of the spare wheel floor cavity at the rear. Performance and fuel efficiency were compromised by the new body, which weighed 166–195 kilograms (366–430 lb) more over the VS series due to its larger size—the sedan being respectively up 23 millimetres (0.9 in) in length, 60 millimetres (2.4 in) in width, 47 millimetres (1.9 in) in height and 57 millimetres (2.2 in) in wheelbase (and, relative to the Opel Omega, with 78 millimetres (3.1 in) and 92 millimetres (3.6 in) wider front and rear tracks). The sedan’s boot capacity was 475 litres (16.8 cu ft), up from the VS series’ 443 litres or 15.6 cubic feet, while the wagon’s maximum was 2,683 litres (94.7 cu ft). The wagon was bigger still in the respective dimensions listed above by 139 millimetres (5.5 in), 65 millimetres (2.6 in), 123 millimetres (4.8 in) and 150 millimetres (5.9 in). According to the VT’s planning chief, Tony Hyde, the critical dimension was 1,520 millimetres (59.8 in) for the rear shoulder room that was believed to be needed to keep the Commodore range competitive. Inside, front passengers sit 22 millimetres (0.9 in) further apart and with 24 millimetres (0.9 in) more fore-aft seat travel, and the seats featured a new “Surebond” technique to bond seat facings to the backing foam (most apparent on Berlina, Calais and Commodore SS) to eliminate traditional sewing.
suspension featuring 8 degrees of positive castor, from the VS series’ 5.5) and most cars ran a 26-millimetre (1.0 in) stabiliser bar at the front, while the V8s with standard tyres and stiffer FE2 suspension tune (with 15 percent stiffer springs and firmer dampers for the Commodore SS) had a 25-millimetre (1.0 in) stabilizer bar.At the rear, the V6 models had a 15-millimetre (0.6 in) stabilizer bar, the V6 Supercharged a 16mm, and the V8s a 17mm bar. A standard three-channel Bosch 5.3 anti-lock braking system (ABS) was fitted across the range, with front discs measuring 296 millimetres (11.7 in) in diameter (and 28 millimetres (1.1 in) thickness), while the rear’s respective sizes were 286 and 16 millimetres (11.3 and 0.6 in).Tyre sizes varied from 15-inch P205/65 for the Commodore Executive, Acclaim and Berlina (the latter, and following models, with alloy wheels), to 16-inch P215/60 for the Calais and P225/50 for the Commodore S, and the largest P235/45 on 17-inch wheels for the Commodore SS. For the steering, the predominant system was a variable-ratio Bishop-design design (modified to provide 46 to 67 millimetres (1.8 to 2.6 in) of rack travel per pinion revolution against the VS’ 40 to 58 millimetres (1.6 to 2.3 in), and a 10.9-metre (36 ft) kerb to kerb turning circle for the sedan). The Calais, instead, adopted a speed sensitive “Variotronic” mechanism, criticized for its overall feel. This and other new electronic systems (such as traction control standard on the Commodore Acclaim and the Calais, and all optional on all other models; to headlights that automatically extinguished themselves some time after parking and the Calais’ key-based memory settings) were possible thanks to a multiplex communication bus. This setup was able to circulate 330 parameters per second to the car’s major control modules, and reduce the number of hardwired circuits than if it had conventional wiring throughout (with the VT-series Calais featuring 73 fewer against the VS equivalent). Anti-theft devices included an improved electronic immobiliser (with an extra 16 million codes compared to the VS’), stronger steering lock and latest slip-type locks throughout.
1997 Statesman Supercharged Ecotec Engine
The VT series heralded the fitment of semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension (IRS) as standard across the range. However, when originally carried over, the European design was simplified with the removal of the toe control link, standard equipment on the six-cylinder Omega since 1987. This design was prone to distorting the suspension camber angle and toe under heavy loads (e.g. when towing or travelling over undulated surfaces), leading to excessive rear tyre wear. Holden’s performance arm HSV re-added the toe control link on the flagship GTS 300 model, based on the Series II update. Overall, the VT series was regarded a more neutral handler compared to the previous VS (with the front MacPherson strut
Inside, more than 90 percent of the VT’s electrical and HVAC components were new over the VS, except for the carry-over column stalks. Safety wise, Holden relied on more computer simulations than ever before (with the aid of crash research from the Monash University Accident Research Centre), resulting in only 20 VTs being physically crash tested, compared to 55 with the previous VR series. A driver side airbag was standard across all models, along with a passenger side optional only on the Commodore Executive and S. Side airbags with torso and head protection became an option for the Acclaim and higher models from 1998 (a first for Holden and Australian manufactured vehicles). We continue to the History of the Commodore in the next issue of Heartland Magazine Heartland Magazine | 55
TRUCKING HISTORY
The History of Diamong T Trucks
Trucks
The Diamond T Motor Car Company was founded in Chicago in 1905 by C. A. Tilt. Reportedly, the company name was created when Tilt’s shoe-making father fashioned a logo featuring a big “T” (for Tilt) framed by a diamond, which signified high quality.The company’s hood emblem on trucks was a sled dog in harness. From its beginnings manufacturing touring cars, the company later became known for its trucks. By 1967, as a subsidiary of White Motor Company, it was merged with Reo Motor Company to become Diamond Reo Trucks, Inc.
Commercial Truck models 1928-1929 brought major mechanical improvements across the entire range. A closed cab with doors was introduced. All-wheel hydraulic drum brakes were used. Six-cylinder engines were available from Continental and Hercules for heavy trucks and a four-cylinder Buda powered light trucks. All trucks had geared-differential rear axles. By 1929 there were chassis load ratings (the weight of the body and payload) up to 12 tons (10,900kg) on three axles. 1933-1935 In 1933 a new all-steel covered cab with doors and roll-up windows was introduced. In a 1935 model year style change it had been improved with a “streamlined” V-style windshield. This cab would be used on commercial and military trucks until replaced in 1951. In 1935 the trucks were also improved mechanically and new models were introduced. They developed through the rest of the 1930s. In 1940 Hercules six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines up to 118 horsepower (88 kW) were used and Cummins diesels up to 200 horsepower (150 kW) were introduced in 1940.
1940s Diamond T dealership in Oregon.
During World War II, Diamond T produced a classic heavy truck in the 980/981, a prime mover which was quickly acquired by the British Purchasing Commission for duty as a tank transporter tractor. Coupled with a Rogers trailer, the truck gave sterling service with the British Army in North Africa Campaign, where its power and rugged construction allowed the rescue of damaged tanks in the most demanding of conditions. In addition Diamond T built the entire range of the G509 series 4 ton 6X6s, including cargo, dump, semi tractor, and wrecker trucks, as well as some lighter trucks, and even G7102 half tracks. Diamond T ranked 47th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. Diamond T manufactured two pickup trucks: the Model 80 and the Model 201. Both pickups were powered by the Hercules QX-series 6-cylinder engines. The Model 201 was produced from 1938 to 1949.
Diamond T Truck 1937
1940-1942 In 1940 Hercules six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines up to 118 horsepower (88 kW) were used and Cummins diesels up to 200 horsepower (150 kW) were introduced. In 1942 improved models went into production and then stopped after only 530 units for military production of tactical trucks and half-tracks. 1946-1947 Production of commercial trucks was stopped for military production in 1942. A small number of commercial trucks began to be built in 1944 and more in 1945. In 1946, the first year of full commercial production, there were five models, in 1947 there were fourteen. After World War II heavy trucks were measured by Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), the total weight of the chassis, body, and payload. In 1947 there were chassis rated from
Cars
Diamond T produced automobiles in Chicago from 1905 to 1911. The models produced were powerful touring cars of up to 70 hp. 1953 Diamond 921T Deluxe 56 | Heartland Magazine
TRUCKING HISTORY
8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) to 36,000 pounds (16,000 kg) with conventional, sleeper, and COE models. Annual model changes were discontinued and many models continued unchanged until 1950. Gasoline and diesel engines were offered by Continental, Cummins, and Hercules. Single and tandem rear axles were available in many wheelbases. Military models Model 980/981 12-ton 6x4 trucks (G159) were ballast tractors used as tank transporters. Designed for the British military they were also used by the US Army. Powered by a 895 cubic inches (14.7 l) Hercules DFXE diesel engine developing 185 horsepower (138 kW) and geared very low, it could pull a trailer of up to 115,000 pounds (52,000 kg) and proved capable of the task of moving the heaviest tanks then in service. Early trucks used a standard Diamond T commercial cab (also used by the 4-ton G509 trucks). In August 1943 it was replaced with an open military cab. A long butterfly hood had vertical louvers along both sides. A short ballast body was mounted behind a mid-mounted winch. There were closed tool compartments along both sides, two open containers in the front, and a bottomhinged tailgate. The box could hold 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) of ballast to increase traction on the rear tandem axles. When paired with the M9 Rogers trailer, the combination was designated the M19 tank transporter. Model 968 4-ton 6x6 truck (G509) Prime mover cargo trucks entered production as the standard 4-ton 6x6 chassis in 1941. It was produced with both a closed steel commercial-style cab and later an open military cab. It was designed to tow a machine
gun and carry its crew and ammunition. The chassis was used for different bodies but the majority of 4-tons were Model 968s. Standard models were powered by the 6 cyl., 529 cubic inches (8.7 l) Hercules RXC engine that developed 106 horsepower (79 kW) mated to a five speed manual transmission and two speed transfer case. The truck weighed 18,450 pounds (8,370 kg) and could tow 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg). Model 967 was a pre-standard prime mover cargo truck (21 were built as wreckers). Produced in early 1941, it was fitted with Hercules RXB 501 cubic inches (8.2 l) inline six cylinder engine. Distinguishable by one piece brush guard on the front. Model 969 Wrecker was the US Army’s standard medium wrecker during World War II. It was equipped with the Holmes W-45 heavy-duty military wrecker bed with its twin boom and two 5-ton winches at the front of the bed as well as a frontmounted winch. A variety of other recovery equipment was carried, along with its own air compressor. It weighed 21,350 pounds (9,680 kg) and could tow 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg). Model 970 Cargo truck was designed to carry bridging pontoons. The bed is 16 inches (406.40 mm) longer than the 968. Model 972 dump truck was the largest the US Army had during World War II. Originally they were not fitted with front winches in order to reduce front axle loading. After a Corps of Engineers request, winches were fitted from June 1944 onwards. Model 975 was a bridge truck built for Canada. The History of Trucks will continue in the next edition of Heartland Magazine
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MOTORBIKE HISTORY - Honda Motor Company Honda Motor Company, Ltd. is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment. Honda has been the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a production of 400 million by the end of 2019, as well as the world’s largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda became the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer in 2001. Honda was the eighth largest automobile manufacturer in the world in 2015. The Honda Story Throughout his life, Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda, had an interest in automobiles. He worked as a mechanic at the Art Shokai garage, where he tuned cars and entered them in races. In 1937, with financing from his acquaintance Kato Shichirō, Honda founded Tōkai Seiki (Eastern Sea Precision Machine Company) to make piston rings working out of the Art Shokai garage. After initial failures, Tōkai Seiki won a contract to supply piston rings to Toyota, but lost the contract due to the poor quality of their products. After attending engineering school without graduating, and visiting factories Soichiro Honda around Japan to better understand Toyota’s quality control processes, by 1941 Honda was able to mass-produce piston rings acceptable to Toyota, using an automated process that could employ even unskilled wartime laborers. Tōkai Seiki was placed under the control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (called the Ministry of Munitions after 1943) at the start of World War II, and Soichiro Honda was demoted from president to senior managing director after Toyota took a 40% stake in the company. Honda also aided the war effort by assisting other companies in automating the production of military aircraft propellers. The relationships Honda cultivated with personnel at Toyota, Nakajima Aircraft Company and the Imperial Japanese Navy would be instrumental in the post-war period. A US B-29 bomber attack destroyed Tōkai Seiki’s Yamashita plant in 1944, and the Itawa plant collapsed on 13 January 1945 Mikawa earthquake. Soichiro Honda sold the salvageable remains of the company to Toyota after the war for ¥450,000 and used the proceeds to found the Honda Technical Research Institute in October 1946.
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Honda A-Type
With a staff of 12 men working in a 16 m2 (170 sq. ft) shack, they built and sold improvised motorized bicycles, using a supply of 500 two-stroke 50 cc Tohatsu war surplus radio generator engines. When the engines ran out, Honda began building their own copy of the Tohatsu engine, and supplying these to customers to attach to their bicycles. This was the Honda A-Type, nicknamed the Bata Bata for the sound
The 98cc engine in the Honda ‘Dream D’ produced 3 Horsepower
the engine made. In 1949, the Honda Technical Research Institute was liquidated for ¥1,000,000, or about US$5,000 today; these funds were used to incorporate Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At about the same time Honda hired engineer Kihachiro Kawashima, and Takeo Fujisawa who provided indispensable business and marketing expertise to complement Soichiro Honda’s technical bent. The close partnership between Soichiro Honda and Fujisawa lasted until they stepped down together in October 1973.
The ‘Dream E’ gets 45 Miles Per Gallon and has a top speed of 45 Miles an Hour
The first complete motorcycle, with both the frame and engine made by Honda, was the 1949 D-Type, the first Honda to
MOTORBIKE HISTORY - Honda Motor Company go by the name Dream. The first complete motorcycle called the Dream D. The Honda Motor company was founded in 1948 and their first motorcycle was launched in 1949, in just one year. Now we know where Honda’s world famous slogan ‘The Power of Dreams’ gets its inspiration. Honda Motor Company grew in a short time to become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964.
In 2006, the Honda RC 211 V made magic once more when another American rider, Nicky Hayden won another world championship for Honda in the MotoGP. From then on, Honda continued to produce more high performance motorcycles that took the riding world by storm, and what’s more, Honda’s racing technology always made its way to the bikes that anyone could buy. Honda also played a big role in motorsports and they began their racing activities in 1954 when Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) was founded. In 1959, five Honda bikes entered the Isle of Man TT race (very prestigious at that time). They did not win anything until 1961 when Mike Hailwood won the first Grand Prix ever for Honda in the 125 and 250cc classes. Over the years, Honda registered a lot of wins and the Grand Prix races. In the late 1960s – Honda launched a new Motorcycle targeting the US Market. The CB 750 – The most sophisticated production motorcycle ever built. When the CB 750 was introduced, it produced 67 Horsepower at 8000 RPM and was the first mass production bike with a 4-cylinder engine and disc brakes. In 1985 – Freddie Spencer ‘fast Freddie’ a former world champion motorcycle racer became the youngest racer to win both the 250cc and 500 cc grand prix championships in a single year and he did it riding a Honda, the NSR 250 and NSR 500.
The Honda CBR 1000 RR The company’s top of the line sports bike. All the Honda CBR bikes are built at the Hamamatsu factory in Japan, modified and redesigned multiple times over the years.
Interesting fact – It takes 1 hour or 3600 seconds to build a Honda CBR Motorcycle. In 2002, the Honda RC 211 V made its debut in the MotoGP with Valentino Rossi riding it.
We will continue the Honda Motorcycle History in the next edition of Heartland and take a look at some of the most popularr models produced.
Heartland Magazine | 59
ILLEGALLY DUMPING RUBBISH IN NSW: FINES AND PENALTIES YOU SHOULD KNOW Illegal dumping happens when someone dumps rubbish (either hazardous or non-hazardous) in public areas or in private spaces without permission from the council or the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
FOR WILFUL OR NEGLIGENT DISPOSAL OF WASTE CAUSING ACTUAL OR LIKELY HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT: Maximum penalty for an individual: $1,000,000 and/or 7-year prison sentence for wilful offences; $500,000 and/or 4-year prison sentence for negligent offences Maximum penalty for a corporation: $5,000,000 for wilful offences; $2,000,000 for negligent offences Despite these hefty fines and penalties, the number of illegal dumping cases has increased in the past years. THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING Illegal Waste Disposal is Dangerous to Health Illegally dumped rubbish does not only look unsightly; it also poses a direct threat to the environment, public health, and the community. ENVIRONMENT
In Australia, the most common illegally dumped rubbish includes, but is not limited to, furniture, mattresses, used clothes, batteries, abandoned cars, construction materials, and asbestos. In NSW alone, local councils can spend as much as 10 million a year cleaning up rubbish illegally dumped by individuals and businesses.
Illegally dumped rubbish sometimes has hazardous substances in it. It can cause significant damage to the air, soil, and groundwater. Natural habitats will be polluted, causing deaths to plant and animals that live in them in the process. When illegal dumping occurs, the risk of flooding also increases as rubbish can block drainage creeks. Lastly, illegally dumped rubbish takes up space that can be used for other constructive purposes like gardening and farming.
FINES AND PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING IN NSW NSW Strict Law Against Waste Disposal, Illegal Dumping Rubbish in NSW: Fines and Penalties You Should Know Illegal dumpers have various reasons for dumping their rubbish illegally. The most common is wanting to avoid paying the fee for having their rubbish disposed of properly – a lame and unacceptable excuse. For this reason, it only makes sense for the government to enforce stricter laws with regards to illegal dumping. This way, illegal dumpers can be penalised once proven guilty, for causing potential harm to the environment, public health, and the community. The following are the fines and penalties for illegal dumping in NSWFOR ON-THE-SPOT FINES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING: $7,500 on-the-spot fine for individuals, if issued by the EPA or $4,000 if issued by Council $15,000 on-the-spot fine for corporations, if issued by the EPA or $4,000 if issued by Council FOR STRICT LIABILITY WASTE DUMPING OFFENCES: Maximum penalty for an individual: $250,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further daily penalty of $60,000 Maximum penalty for a corporation: $1,000,000 and in the case of a continuing offence, a further daily penalty of $120,000 60 | Heartland Magazine
PUBLIC HEALTH The hazardous chemicals present in illegally dumped wastes can find their way into the water sources that people drink from or swim in, causing people to be exposed to contaminated water. Metals, broken glass, and anything sharp dumped illegally can cause accidents such as cuts, leading to infections. Tires thrown in unauthorised areas can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. COMMUNITY As mentioned earlier, it costs councils a huge amount of money to have illegally dumped rubbish cleaned up. It also costs money to have the damage caused by rubbish fixed. More importantly, the community looks unsightly and smells obnoxious in general when rubbish is not properly disposed of.
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THIS MONTH IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY June 15 1862 - Australia’s largest ever gold robbery is carried out by bushranger Frank Gardiner near Forbes, New South Wales June 16 1845 - Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt discovers and names the Mitchell River in north Queensland. 1869 - Captain Charles Sturt, one of Australia’s great explorers, dies. 1840 - New Zealand becomes a dependency of New South Wales. June 17 1893 - Gold is discovered at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. June 18 1829 - The colony of Western Australia is proclaimed. June 19 1797 - Australian-born explorer Hamilton Hume is born. June 20 1802 - French commander Nicolas Baudin arrives in Port Jackson with the intention to claim Van Diemen’s Land, but with his crew ill and ships needing repair. 1988 - The Australian $2 banknote is replaced by a $2 coin. 2002 - Australia agrees to ratify the International Criminal Court. June 21 1869 - The first telegram is sent in Western Australia. June 22 1964 - The Royal Flying Doctor Service’s Cloncurry base is relocated to Mt Isa, Queensland. 1977 - The Uniting Church in Australia is established. June 23 1810 - Governor Macquarie opens Australia’s first post office. 1913 - The first Federal postage stamps in Australia are issued. 2000 - 15 people die in a fire at a Backpacker hostel in Childers, Queensland. 2006 - The world’s oldest known animal in captivity, a 176-year-old tortoise, dies. June 24 1870 - Australian horseman and poet, Adam Lindsay Gordon, commits suicide. 2010 - Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister, is sworn in. June 25 1847 - Melbourne, capital of Victoria, is proclaimed a city. 1852 - 89 people die as the town of Gundagai, NSW, Australia, is inundated by floods. June 26 1861 - A rescue party leaves Melbourne to search for explorers Burke and Wills, who are long overdue from their attempt to cross Australia from south to north. 1880 - Bushrangers, the Kelly Gang, execute police informer Aaron Sherritt, shortly before they themselves are captured. June 27 1861 - The journal of Australian explorer William Wills closes, shortly before his death. 1862 - Explorer John McDouall Stuart crosses the Roper River in northern Australia, where he finds excellent pastureland. June 28 1790 - Father of the Australian wool industry, John Macarthur, first arrives in Sydney. 1836 - Snow falls in Sydney in the only significant snowfall event to occur in that city to date. read more P64 1880 - The first telephone exchange in Australia opens in Melbourne. June 29
1835 - The Port Phillip Association is formed for the purpose of settling land in the area that later becomes Melbourne. 1868 - The lighthouse is lit at Bustard Head, the first lighthouse constructed after Queensland separated from New South Wales, and the scene of many tragedies. 1949 - Due to the coal miners’ strike, severe restrictions are placed on electricity consumption in Queensland, Australia. June 30 1834 - A public meeting is held in Exeter Hall, London, to discuss plans for the new colony of South Australia. 1861 - The worst of the Lambing Flat Riots occur, during which Chinese gold miners are massacred. 1908 - The first Australian south to north transcontinental motor car journey begins. 2010 - Mildura, Victoria becomes the first Australian city to switch over entirely to digital television. July 1 1851 - Victoria separates from New South Wales. read more P64 1942 - Australia’s worst maritime disaster occurs when the Montevideo Maru is torpedoed by American submarine USS Sturgeon. 1959 - “Mr Squiggle” first airs on ABC TV in Australia. 1978 - Australia’s Northern Territory is granted self-government. 2000 - Australian PM John Howard introduces the GST. July 2 1882 - Sydney’s magnificent Garden Palace burns to the ground. 2007 - The MV Pasha Bulker is refloated after running aground off Newcastle, New South Wales, almost a month earlier. July 3 1850 - Work begins on the first NSW railway line from Sydney to Parramatta. 1915 - A medical report from Anzac Cove notes the increasing incidence of dysentery among the troops. 1922 - Queensland becomes the first state to abolish the death penalty. July 4 1991 - Prominent and highly respected heart surgeon, Victor Chang, is gunned down in Sydney July 5 1788 - Governor Arthur Phillip sends a despatch to the British under-secretary of state, detailing the dire situation with rations in the New South Wales colony. 1900 - British Parliament passes the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act. 1905 - Australia’s second Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin, commences his second term. July 6 1863 - Land to create the Northern Territory of South Australia is annexed. 1943 - The last of the heavy Japanese bombing attacks on Darwin occurs, though less serious attacks continue. read more P64 July 7 1817 - Explorer John Oxley declares the rich pasture land around the Lachlan River as “forever uninhabitable”. 1841 - Explorer Edward Eyre completes the first crossing of Australia from east to west, travelling across the Nullarbor Plain from Adelaide to Albany. 1835 - Escaped convict William Buckley, after whom the phrase “Buckley’s Chance” was named, gives himself up. 1996 - In Australia, the average cost of a Big Mac is $1.97. July 8 1886 - George Clunes-Ross is granted the Cocos Continued next page
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THIS MONTH IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY continued from Page 63 Islands ‘in perpetuity’ from Queen Victoria. 1904 - Sydney’s electricity supply is officially switched on. July 9 1857 - The Municipality of the Town of Gawler, South Australia, is proclaimed. 1900 - Queen Victoria approves the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Bill. July 10 1839 - Governor Gawler writes the letter in which he names the Flinders Ranges. 1852 - Sydney, Australia, is incorporated as a city. 1910 - Australia’s Commonwealth Naval Forces are granted the title of Royal Australian Navy by King George V. 1936 - The Thylacine, commonly referred to as the Tasmanian Tiger, is named a protected animal. July 11 1974 - Australian Prime Minister Whitlam appoints the man who would later dismiss him, Sir John Kerr, as Governor-General. 1992 - Seven people are drowned after being washed into the sea at the Kiama blowhole, on the New South Wales coast. July 12 1971 - The Australian Aboriginal flag is flown for the first time. July 13 1945 - Joseph Benedict Chifley, Australia’s fifth wartime Prime Minister, is sworn into office. July 14 1770 - The first European sighting of a kangaroo is recorded. 1814 - The book in which Matthew Flinders proposes the name of Terra Australis for the southern continent, is published. 1900 - Australia’s first Governor-General is appointed. 1967 - 4 digit post codes are introduced in Australia to help postal workers sort mail more efficiently. 2001 - British tourist Peter Falconio goes missing, presumed murdered, in the Australian outback July 15 1912 - The first branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia opens. 1922 - A platypus is displayed for the first time in the United States. 1964 - Rupert Murdoch unveils ‘The Australian’ newspaper in Sydney. Tuesday, June 28, 1836. : Snow falls in Sydney in the only significant snowfall event to occur in that city to date. Regular snow in Australia is restricted to the Snowy Mountains and high country of the southern states. Snowfalls have occurred during unusual weather patterns in southwest Western Australia and southern Queensland, but given the size of the continent, snow is very limited. Of all Australia’s capital cities, the one most likely to receive snowfalls is Canberra. While snow is not uncommon in the Blue Mountains and west to Orange, it rarely hits the New South Wales capital. Sydney recorded its first and only significant snow event on the morning of 28 June 1836. On this day, snow began around 6:00 am and continued through to mid-morning, coating the hills in white. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that “the terrified state of the natives indicated the rare nature of such a visitation”. Snow fell again to a lesser degree on 2 July and 5 July, as it was a particularly cold winter. 64 | Heartland Magazine
Tuesday, July 1, 1851. : Victoria separates from New South Wales. When James Cook became the first European to sight and map the eastern coastline of Australia, he claimed the eastern half of the continent for England under the name of New South Wales. After the arrival of the First Fleet, England sought to secure its claim on New South Wales be establishing further settlements south, and eventually north and west. In 1803, the British Government instructed LieutenantGovernor David Collins to establish a settlement on the southern coast. This settlement was not a success and the site was abandoned, but expeditions continued to be mounted to explore the land between Sydney and Port Phillip. Thanks to the initiative of John Batman, Melbourne was settled in 1835, and despite being regarded as an “illegal” settlement, the foundling colony thrived. Governor Bourke formally named Melbourne in 1837. The Port Phillip Colony encompassed Melbourne and “Australia Felix”, which was the fertile western district discovered by Major Thomas Mitchell. The first petition for formal separation of the colony from New South Wales was presented to Governor Gipps in 1840, but rejected. It was another ten years before the British Act of Parliament separating Victoria from New South Wales was signed by Queen Victoria. The New South Wales Legislative Council subsequently passed legislation formalising Victoria’s separation on 1 July 1851. Tuesday, July 6, 1943. : The last of the heavy Japanese bombing attacks on Darwin occurs, though less serious attacks continue. Darwin, capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory, was just a small town with a civilian population of less than 2000 during World War II. Nonetheless, it was a strategicallyplaced naval port and airbase. The first of an estimated 64 air raids against Darwin during 1942-43 occurred on 19 February 1942. At least 243 civilians and military personnel were killed, not counting the indigenous Australians whose deaths were not counted, as the Japanese launched two waves of planes comprising 242 bombers and fighters. Following the February raid, other parts of Australia including Darwin, northwest Western Australia and even regions of far north Queensland were subject to over one hundred more raids. Airport base areas attacked included Townsville, Katherine, Wyndham, Derby and Port Hedland, while Milingimbi, Exmouth Gulf and Horn Island were also targetted. 63 more Japanese raids occurred against Darwin and its immediate surroundings, some of them heavier than others. On 6 July 1943, the last of the heavy air attacks against Darwin occurred. The attack was directed against the US Liberator base at Fenton, located about 150 kilometres south of Darwin. Three pilots were killed, while three bombers damaged and eight Spitfires and a Liberator were destroyed. Three more minor attacks were carried out in August. The final attack on Australian soil occurred on 12 November 1943. There was only minor damage around the town of Darwin, and no casualties.
HALL OF FAME - AGAINST THE WIND (Mini Series) Against the Wind is a 1978 Australian television miniseries. It is a historical drama portraying both the British rule of Ireland, and the development of New South Wales and Australia. Jon English won the Logie Award in 1979 for “Best New Talent” for his role in the miniseries as “Jonathan Garrett”. It was the first major Australian TV production to be broadcast in the United States. A soundtrack was also released, topping the charts in Norway and reaching the top 10 in Australia and Sweden. The Plot Set during Australia’s colonial era over the period 1798–1812, the series follows the life of Mary Mulvane, a daughter of an Irish school master. At 18, she is transported to New South Wales for a term of seven years after attempting to take back her family’s milk cow which had been seized by the British “in lieu of tithes” to the local proctor. She endures the trial of a convict sea journey to New South Wales and years of service as a convict before her emancipation and life as a free citizen. During the journey out she makes a lifelong friend of fellow Irish convict, Polly, and in the course of the series we see their friendship continue, Polly’s relationship and life with taverner Will Price develop, and Mary’s relationship with Jonathon Garrett grows, leading to eventual marriage when both have served their term. Together they face the difficulties of establishing a farm and a young family in the new country, and must deal with the tyranny of the corrupt military running the colony. Production The series was the idea of Bronwyn Binns (née Fackerell), who had grown up in President Road, Kellyville, New South Wales, where she had found old convict remnants on the family land. Kellyville is not far from the site of the colonial Vinegar Hill uprising also known as the Castle Hill convict rebellion. Bronwyn worked as a researcher at Crawford Productions and had developed the project over a number of months, She teamed up with Crawford’s colleague Ian Jones and presented it to Channel Seven, who agreed to finance a series. The series was filmed at Old Sydney Town (near Gosford), and at Belgrave Heights, Warrandyte, Colac, Geelong and Emu Bottom. It had a budget of over a million dollars and was the first Australian mini series for a number of years. Soundtrack “Six Ribbons” is a song credited to Australian musicians Jon English and Mario Millo. The song was written by Jon English and was included on the soundtrack of the Australian miniseries, Against the Wind.
The Cast • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Mary Larkin as Mary Mulvane / Mary Garrett Kerry McGuire as Polly McNamara Jon English as Jonathan Garrett Warwick Sims as Ensign Greville Frank Gallacher as Will Price Fred Parslow as Captain Wiltshire Gerard Kennedy as Dinny O’Byrne Hu Price as Jonas Pike Lynn Rainbow as Louisa Wiltshire Charles Gilroy as Amos Julia Blake as Cook Bryan Brown as Michael Connor Jim Danton as Thief
Note Transportation was in reality a lifetime of exile from the United Kingdom. Although set free at the completion of their terms, ex-convicts were on their own for support. The Transportation Acts made return to the United Kingdom a capital offense.
A soundtrack was released by Polydor Records. “Six Ribbons” was released as a single, peaking at number one on the Norwegian charts in 1981. Success The series was a large ratings success, being the second most popular show on Australia that year, being seen by 2,174,000 people in four cities. It ushered in the cycle of Australian mini series.
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There is nowhere in Australia quite like Lightning Ridge. As a town it is the most bizarre, and compelling, combination of rural sophistication (the main street is sealed, curbed and gutted and has rows of regular shops - and there is a lot of money around) and the wildly eccentric - gasp at the house made from bottles and the rough cement “castle” of the Astronomer’s Monument; surrounded by a moonscape of mullock heaps under which literally hundreds of obsessed miners search and dig for the black opals which have made the town famous.
Origin of Name
Lightning Ridge is unlike the other major opal centres - Coober Pedy, Andamooka, White Cliffs - in the sense that it is accessible and consequently it attracts over 80,000 tourists, visitors and itinerants each year. This means that it has a a number of good quality motels, a rich array of souvenir and gift shops, some good restaurants, and a veneer of civilisation designed to meet the needs of visitors and fossickers who come for the winter months and spend their time digging for opals. In summer the temperature soars and the itinerants retreat to their cooler summer homes.
Opals As Souvenirs One of the primary reasons for visiting Lightning Ridge is to buy wholesale opals and, if you have a little spare cash, to buy the rare and valuable black opals. The local tourism people advise that the serious purchaser should spend a couple of days visiting all the wholesalers and retailers in the town. Their argument is not about getting a bargain but about recognising that no two opals are the same and it may be that you will need a day to find the opal you want. The most sensible approach is to go to the Visitor Information Centre and ask for a comprehensive list of the places in town selling opals.
Lightning Ridge is known to be the only place in Australia, and one of the few places in the world, where the highly prized black opal is found. The black opal is prized not only because of its rarity but because it has carbon and iron oxide trace elements which produce a very dark stone with hints of blue, green and red. Location Lightning Ridge is located 729 km north west of Sydney via Mudgee and Dubbo; 773 km via Newcastle and Muswellbrook; and 78 km north of Walgett. It is 64 km south of the Queensland border.
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Initially the settlement was known as Nettleton’s Hill because Charles Nettleton discovered the opals in the district in 1902. It was later renamed by the New South Wales Lands Department as Warrangulla but after World War I it was named Lightning Ridge. It is claimed that the name dates back to the 1870s when a farmer, his dog and 600 sheep were all killed by lightning. It is almost certainly an outback myth. A few Things to See and Do
The town’s website has a section on “Buying Black Opals” (see http://lightningridgeinfo. com.au/buying-black-opal.html) but it is far from comprehensive. It is hard not to believe that the list has been written by each of the outlets involved. One insists it is “regarded by many as the best opal display in the ridge” and another as “one of the best collections of solid Lightning Ridge opal anywhere in Australia.” A handy guide is the section in the Lightning Ridge and the Walgett Region brochure which explains opals and the terms used by the industry. The Walk In Mine The Walk-In Mine at Bald Hill has been operating since the 1960s and is recognised
Lightning Ridge as the town’s oldest tourist attraction. It is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily and is located on the Ridge above the town. It has underground mine tours which run throughout the day (no need to book), an opal jewellery showroom and the town’s biggest mining hoist tel: (02) 6829 0473 or check out http://www.walkinmine.com.au/. It also arranges Opal Field Tours. These need to be booked. Big Opal Located on 3 Mile Road this is an opportunity to explore an underground mine. There are daily tours and a showroom where visitors can buy set and unset opals, tel: (02) 6829 0247. Astronomer’s Castle Known variously as the Universe Observatory, the Astronomer’s Castle and the Astronomer’s Monument this rough cement “castle” is symbolic of the eccentricity of residents in Lightning Ridge. It was built between 1983 and 1998 by a Polish miner, Alex Szperlak, to celebrate his fellow countryman, the astronomer Copernicus. Amigo’s Castle Started in 1985 by Italian-born miner Vittorio Stefanato, known as Amigo, this is really a folly. Based, very loosely, on Amigo’s home town it is a building that will never be completed. It grows and grows and grows as Amigo adds rooms, turrets, towers and parapets. Artesian Bore Spa Baths The Lightning Ridge Bore Baths, which are the result of an artesian bore sunk by local graziers in the 1960s, provide a permanent supply of warm mineralised waters bubbling up from 900 m below the surface. The baths are located in Pandora Street. They are open 24 hours a day and it is a special experience to sit in the spa and gaze up at the vast outback skies.
* By the 1870s opals were being discovered in the area but the district was not recognised as an important opal field. * In 1901 Jack Murray became the first registered miner at Lightning Ridge. * In 1902 Charles Nettleton, a professional miner, sank a shaft and discovered the opals at Angledool Station. This was to become the site of Lightning Ridge. The Lands Department later gazetted it as Warrangulla and it was known as that until after World War I when it became Lightning Ridge. * In 1905 there was an opal rush to the area. * In 1907 the government surveyed the site for a town. It was located away from the area where shafts were being dug. * By 1909 around 1,200 miners were in the area. * By 1910 the settlement had a post office and the following year the telegraph arrived. * In 1912 St George’s Anglican Church was consecrated. * In 1920 £2,000 was paid for four black opals from the district. * In the 1960s local graziers sank the bore which is now the Artesian mineral baths. Check out this useful Website on Lightening Ridge. There is a wonderful and comprehensive website, including a 40 minute video, check it out at http://lightningridgeinfo.com.au/.
History * Prior to the arrival of Europeans the area around Lightning Ridge was the home to the Kamilaroi Aboriginal people of northern New South Wales. The Kamilaroi believed that the opals were the result of a huge wheel of fire which fell to earth and sprayed the countryside with brilliant coloured stones. Heartland Magazine | 67
LET’S COOK - WINTER EDITION - CHICKEN POT PIE & LEMON MERINGUE TARTS
68 | Heartland Magazine
LET’S COOK - WINTER EDITION - CHICKEN POT PIE & LEMON MERINGUE TARTS A delicious chicken pie with carrots, peas and celery. Use chicken stock instead of the water if you like just watch you don’t use too much liquid. Ingredients Serves: 6
• • • • • •
500g skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup frozen green peas 1/2 cup sliced celery 85g butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup (40g) plain flour
• • • • • •
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1 3/4 cups (440ml) chicken stock 2/3 cup (85ml) milk 2 sheets puff pastry
•
Directions
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •
0:20 Prep 0:15 Cook Makes 12
2 1/2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed 1 cup water 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornflour 2 egg yolks 30g butter 1 finely grated lemon zest 2 egg whites 1/3 cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
Method Step 1 Preheat oven to hot, 200C. Lightly grease each recess of a (1/4 cup) muffin pan. Step 2 Using a 10cm cutter, cut 12 rounds from pastry. Ease pastry into prepared pans. Chill for 15 minutes. Prick bases and bake for 5-10 mins.
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.
Step 3 Meanwhile, combine water, lemon juice, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan, until smooth. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 mins.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas and celery. Add water barely to cover (not too much) and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
Step 4 Stir in yolks, butter and rind and allow to cool slightly. Spoon into prepared cases, leveling top. Chill until firm.
Preparation:20min › Cook:50min › Extra time:10min cooling › Ready in:1hour20min
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken stock and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. 4. Place one of the puff pastry sheets into 23cm pie dish and press it in. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with the top piece of pastry, seal edges and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape and crimp the edges and brush with milk if desired.
Step 5 To make the meringue, in a clean, dry bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves and foam is stiff, thick and glossy. Beat in vinegar. Step 6 Increase oven to very hot (220C). Dollop meringue roughly over filling in each tart. Bake for 4-5 mins until lightly browned. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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NATURAL PRODUCTS - MUSHROOMS
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF MUSHROOMS All mushrooms are fungi and they produce spores, similar to pollen or seeds, which allows them to spread or travel by the wind. The rest of the mushroom then matures, typically living in soil or wood. There are many different types of mushrooms, some of which are edible including well-known species such as button, oyster, porcini and chanterelles. There are, however, many species that are not edible and can in fact cause stomach pains or vomiting if eaten, and in some cases could be fatal, such as the common death cap mushroom. Nutritional benefits All types of edible mushrooms contain varying degrees of protein and fibre. They also contain B vitamins as well as a powerful antioxidant called selenium, which helps to support the immune system and prevent damage to cells and tissues. In particular, white button mushrooms are one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin D. When they are grown, whether indoor or outdoor, they are exposed to UV light which increases their concentration of vitamin D. Mushrooms are being increasingly researched and used for their important health benefits with different varieties having different medicinal properties. Can mushrooms help protect against cancer? In particular, certain varieties of mushrooms have been shown to have potential in protecting against cancer by protecting our cells against DNA damage but also inhibiting tumour formation. There is also some evidence that they may be beneficial in the treatment and management of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s. Can mushrooms protect heart health? Mushrooms have been shown to have some therapeutic properties that can help to lower cholesterol, particularly in overweight adults, as well as phytonutrients that can 70 | Heartland Magazine
help prevent cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and forming plaque build-up. This in turn then helps protect the heart by maintaining healthy blood pressure and circulation. What is the best way to cook mushrooms? Whilst mushrooms can be eaten raw and may have a beneficial effect on the digestive system, certain cooking methods have been shown to increase some of their nutrient status, especially if grilled or cooked in a micro-wave. New research by the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition looked at certain mushroom types (namely white button, shiitake, oyster and king oyster mushrooms) along with different cooking methods and found that when mushrooms are exposed to short cooking times they retain more of their vitamins and nutrients. Microwaving or grilling mushrooms significantly increased their antioxidant activity, even when grilled in a small amount of oil, when compared to boiling or frying. What is the best way to store mushrooms? Mushrooms can start to deteriorate quite quickly and, if bought pre-packaged, they are often best kept in their original packaging in the fridge. If you buy loose mushrooms, then they should be stored in a paper bag or in a container (without the lid) wrapped with plastic that is punched with a few air holes and stored in the fridge. However, there could be a way to boost the vitamin D in your mushrooms naturally at home. Place them on a windowsill for just 1-2 hours to give them an extra shot and place them ‘bottoms up’ so that the underside of the caps is exposed. This is the area most sensitive to light. WARNING ABOUT FORAGING FOR MUSHROOMS
Foraging has become popular in recent years, but with so many varieties of mushrooms, and not all being safe for human consumption, it’s important that you heed caution before dashing out to your nearest field. Take photographs with you of the common edible varieties, as generally they are quite easy to identify, and then make sure that they are cooked as only a few are safe to eat raw. If in doubt, don’t eat it! The foods listed are a recommendation only. Consult your doctor if you have any health problems first.
7 Feet Care Tips You Should Follow Everyday
While most of us are very particular about taking care of our facial skin, hair, and even hands; feet care is often relegated to the last spot on our list of body care priorities. Come to think of it, we apply moisturisers and cold creams on our facial skin several times a day, but we tend to ignore our feet for days at stretch. Ignoring the feet can have painful consequences including bacterial or fungal infections, corns, cracked skin and bad odour, among others. From the aesthetic point of view, neglecting the feet in your daily skincare regimen can turn you into the proverbial peacock - with a beautiful overall appearance but ugly unseemly feet. In winters, especially when the skin becomes chapped and dry all over the body, it becomes even more important to pamper your feet once in a while. If you experience skin irritation, swelling of the feet or peeling of the skin, do consult a doctor as this may be a severe skin allergy and may need immediate medical intervention. Here are 7 feet care practices that you should include in your schedule: 1. Washing Feet skin is most susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections since it is cloaked in socks and shoes for a major part of the day, or exposed to dust and grime. The skin between the toes is a perfect place for bacterial and fungal infections to flourish if it is not washed and cleansed properly. It is therefore very important to soap and wash your feet once every day to ensure the locked in dirt and sweat is cleansed off. 2. Keeping Them Dry Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection of the feet which causes itching, burning, peeling of the skin, and in some cases may also cause painful blisters. Dampness is a perfect environment for fungal infections like athlete’s foot to thrive. Drying the feet, especially the area between the toes is very essential after every wash, especially if you are wearing socks and shoes immediately afterwards. 3. Moisturising Don’t limit your moisturising routine to just your face and hands. Lack of moisture can leave your feet skin dry, scaly and chapped. The chapped skin can then become extremely dry and hard especially on the heels. This area can then become a magnet for dirt and grime which will start sticking to it. Chapped heals do not just have an
unseemly appearance but can also be painful. Make sure you apply a generous dose of moisturizing agent on your feet every day after washing your feet. Cocoa butter or petroleum jelly can be good options. 4. Removing Jagged Skin Moisturising dead skin will not serve any purpose. It is important to remove the dead layer first by exfoliation once every month. This can be done with pumice stones or loofas, but mildly. It also helps remove the dirt and grime stuck to the hardened dead skin. Follow it with a hydrating moisturiser and leave it overnight. Scrubbing can also be done with the mixture of sugar and olive oil, with a few drops of mint or tea tree oil added to it for anti-bacterial properties. 5. Occasional Pampering Leave your feet soaked in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes twice a month. This helps soften the skin. Then rub the feet mildly, dry them thoroughly and apply a Vitamin E rich cold cream. If your feet are susceptible to infections and inflammations, use an anti-bacterial cream. You can also use a mashed banana mixed with lemon juice as a hydrating mask. Apply it all over your feet and wash it with warm water after 20 minutes. Apply moisturising foot cream or petroleum jelly before going out and when you go to sleep. It is also very important to keep yourself hydrated in the winters because cold weather, high winds and hot central heating combined together can take away the moisture from your skin. So, it is important to drink plenty of water for the skin. 6. Wearing Socks Wearing socks is not only important to protect you from the cold but also to protect your feet against environmental damage. Socks shield the feet against dust and dirt which might stick to the cream applied on to the feet. They also protect against UV radiation. 7. Wearing Comfortable Shoes Always remember to wear shoes that you are comfortable in. Avoid wearing tight shoes as this may lead to skin infections or sores. Also avoid wearing high heels regularly as this may cause damage to the tissues and ligaments of your feet.
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Blue Pyrenees Estate Cabernet Blend 2013
In the glass: Deep red with a purple hue. On the nose: Cassis and cool climate spice. On the palate: Rich and concentrated fruit with a deep core of cassis, plum and spice, balanced by good acid and oak support.
Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe Cabernet & Cabernet Franc 2014
In the glass: Deep ruby red. On the nose: Cassis, plum, bay leaf and cedar. On the palate: Blackcurrants and plums with notes of bay and toasty oak adding complexity. Classic Cabernet tannins underpin the deep core of fruit and drive the long, lingering finish. Please drink sensibly, do not drink and drive or drink while pregnant. If you have a drinking problem please see www.aa.org.au or call 1300 222 222
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Redgate Bin 588 Cabernet Blend 2017
In the glass: Youthful dark red. On the nose: Cherry and raspberry fruit lift with some leafy notes. On the palate: Light to mid weight, dry and savoury with some herbaceous varietal intensity, fresh acidity and savoury oak.
Woody Nook Cabernet Merlot 2014
In the glass: Deep red purple. On the nose: Blackberry, dark cherry, black pepper and five spice. On the palate: Decadent with fine tannin structure. A huge core of black fruit, spicy complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Please drink sensibly, do not drink and drive or drink while pregnant. If you have a drinking problem please see www.aa.org.au or call 1300 222 222 Heartland Magazine | 73
Kevin Hogan - MP
Chris Gulaptis - Member for Clarence Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway upgrade almost finished
The GlenugieTyndale highway section has opened. I inspected the new 36-kilometre section before it opened to traffic. It is the longest stretch of new highway to open. As part of these changes South Grafton and Ulmarra will be bypassed. This upgrade is all about reducing fatalities. We have lost far too many people, in far too many road accidents. This new section features: • 60 bridges, including nine overpass bridges • 2 major interchanges • Northbound and southbound rest areas at Pine Brush and Tucabia • 101 fauna passages It will improve travel times between Glenugie and Tyndale via south Grafton from 32 minutes to around 20 minutes. Over 85% of the 155-kilometre Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade is complete. Fantastic to be getting on with this important upgrade. Rappville – the recovery Rappville was devastated by recent bushfires. More than 50 homes destroyed, lives lost, livelihoods shattered. I recently announced funding to rebuild important community assets. Richmond Valley Council received over $1.4 million in Federal Government grants following the bushfires. This is on top of funding they receive to rebuild damaged infrastructure. Council have chosen the following projects: • • • •
$500,000 to Rappville Hall to rebuild the hall and provide an improved space for outdoor covered areas. $230,000 to build pedestrian/cycle access from the school to the post office. $50,000 to develop a Rappville master plan aimed at expanding the scale of the village. $220,000 for Rappville Sportsground to replace burnt infrastructure and allow for upgraded facilities.
Coraki Caravan Park Upgrade The amenities block at the park needs an upgrade. I secured a $550,000 grant to completely redevelop this. Great to join Mayor Robert Mustow to officially turn the sod recently. The project includes the complete replacement of the old existing facility. It will provide all-ability access to showers, laundry and a camp kitchen.
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The final piece of the largest road infrastructure project in regional Australia is taking shape, with a 36-kilometre section of the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade between Glenugie and Tyndale now open. The Pacific Highway upgrade has been a major investment in our regional communities, creating more than 3000 jobs during the peak of the Woolgoolga to Ballina project alone and injecting millions into local economies. This started as a response to a horrific crash at Cowper near Grafton in 1989, but it has now become much more than just a safety upgrade – it’s transforming tourism, freight and local journeys into smoother, and more reliable ones, which is critical for our regional economies. Local communities will experience safe and reliable access to the highway via the Glenugie and Tyndale interchanges, with the project team also working hard on the Iluka interchange, which is expected to open this month.
More for local sport Thirteen sports organisations across the Clarence and Richmond Valleys have won a total of more than $87,000 to improve the enjoyment and safety of members and spectators as the region emerges from the coronavirus lockdown. Sports is a big deal for locals and these modest grants are tailored are going to make a big difference. Many of the grants will achieve is to make sport participation more accessible to girls and women. Examples include new female showers for the Maclean Dirt Bike Club and new kayaks for women at the Big River Canoe Club. The winning organisations are the Big River Canoe Club; Maclean Dirt Bike Club, Minnie Water Surf Lifesaving Club, Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Cub, Casino Netball Association, Woodburn Pony Club, Yamba Breakers Netball Club, Coraki Golf Club, Casino Town Tennis Club, Lawrence Golf Club, Maclean Golf Club, Yamba Touch Football and the Grafton Sporting Car Club.
Showground upgrades The much-loved showgrounds in Casino, Grafton and Maclean are set for a serious facelift thanks to more than $600,000 in funding from the Nationals in NSW Government. This is part of the NSW Government’s coronavirus stimulus package that is supporting local tradies and local jobs. Works at the Casino Showground include replacing the floor of the Ray Mison building, installing a new kitchen, refurbishing the main pavilion’s floor, upgrading lighting and fans, and fixing fencing. Grafton Showground will get new roofs on five cattle sheds and the old tea rooms. Damaged concrete flooring will be replaced as will timber seating on ten portable grandstands. The toilet block will also get a makeover. The funding for Maclean Showground will be used to strengthen its arena fence posts, put a new awning and relocate a gas bottle on the Jim Thompson building, and seal the showground entrance and access road and construct kerb and guttering.
Janelle Saffin - MP
•
Sporting clubs on a winner with Local Sport Grants
Total: $93,780.
CONGRATULATIONS to 11 local sporting clubs who will share a total of $93,780 in funding under the NSW Government’s 2019-2020 Local Sport Grant Program. I phoned them with the good news. These small grants will go a long way in the community to increasing regular and ongoing participation opportunities in sport and active recreation across my electorate of Lismore. Our sporting clubs are administered and supported by dedicated bands of volunteers who are at the very heart of our local communities. It is great to see that their hard work has been recognised with the awarding of these grants, some enjoying success with multiple projects. Successful sporting clubs and projects for 2019-2020 include: • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Lismore Tennis Club, hit-up wall fencing at Elaine Blanch Tennis Courts -- $4000. Northern United Rugby League Football Club, installation of 48-person capacity grandstand seating at Clifford Park -- $10,066. Northern United Rugby League Football Club, purchase of a computer and financial software for club administration; projector and screen for training purposes -- $1844. Northern United Rugby League Football Club, purchase of club jerseys for Dirrawong youth players -- $1750. Lismore Basketball Association Incorporated, 2020 representative team uniforms -- $5000. Lismore Rugby Club, installation of new seating with shelter at Lismore Rugby Union Club -- $15,000. Lismore Rugby Club, purchase of playing and training gear for female team -- $4990. Richmond River Gun Club IncorporatedLismore Clay Target Club, purchase of ride-on mower for grounds maintenance -- $2500. Far North Coast Hockey Incorporated, travel subsidy for bus hire to Parkes for State representative competition -- $2800. Lismore Touch Association, purchase of uniforms and travel subsidy for Under-14 girls’ team to compete in the State Cup 2020 -- $5000. Urbenville and District Campdraft Association, purchase of steel portable panels to rebuild the external ring fence at Urbenville Showgrounds -- $14,830. Northern Rivers Kart Club Limited, upgrade off track edging and ripple strips at Lismore Kart Club -- $13,000. Northern Rivers Kart Club Limited, purchase of an electronic lap counting board -- $5000. Northern Rivers Kart Club Limited, design and implement a program for all karters joining the club to get race ready -- $2000 Murwillumbah Vulcans Australian Football Club Incorporated, subsidised fees for youth players, uniforms and storage cabinet -- $4000.
Murwillumbah Rowing Club, purchase of rowing exercise bike -- $2000.
Valuing our volunteers Nominations are open for the 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards, giving the community an opportunity to nominate selfless locals who have stood tall during drought, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards, run by The Centre for Volunteering, are in their fourteenth year and have grown to become one of the largest celebrations of volunteering in Australia. You can nominate someone for one of the following seven categories: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Adult Volunteer of the Year. Young Volunteer of the Year. Senior Volunteer of the Year. Volunteer Team of the Year. Corporate Volunteer of the Year (Individual). Corporate Volunteer of the Year (Team). Excellence in Volunteer Management. Nominations close on Friday, July 3, 2020. For more information or to nominate a volunteer, visit www.volunteering.com.au/awards.
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“While older people are more commonly affected by superannuation scams, the new early-access scheme means a range of age groups are now experiencing these scams,” Ms Rickard said. Phone scam - requesting bank account details for the JobKeeper payment We’re receiving reports of scammers pretending to be from the ATO calling members of the public and asking them to provide their bank account details. They are telling them that their employer has registered them for the JobKeeper Payment, but that the ATO needs their bank account details to deposit the funds into their account. Do not provide the information requested. Employees that are eligible for JobKeeper payments will be paid by their employer and the ATO will reimburse their employer for these payments. The ATO does not need the bank account details of individual employees. If you are not sure whether an ATO call is legitimate, hang up and phone us on 1800 008 540 to check. Scammers are constantly developing new ways to steal from the community, and will often try to take advantage of people when they are most vulnerable. You can help us stop scammers in their tracks by warning your friends and family to stay alert. Scammers targeting superannuation in COVID-19 crisis Scammers are now trying to exploit Australians financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis with new superannuation scams being reported to Scamwatch in recent weeks. Scammers are already trying to take advantage of the Government’s recent announcement that people suffering financial hardship can have partial access to their superannuation from mid-April. “Scammers are cold-calling people claiming to be from organisations that can help you get early access to your super,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said. “For most people, outside of their home, superannuation is their greatest asset and you can’t be too careful about protecting it.” “The Australian Taxation Office is coordinating the early release of super through myGov and there is no need to involve a third party or pay a fee to get access under this scheme.” “Never follow a hyperlink to reach the myGov website. Instead, you should always type the full name of the website into your browser yourself,” Ms Rickard said. Since the Government’s announcement in March, there have been 87 reports of these scams, but no reported losses. In most cases the scammers are seeking to obtain personal information, including information that will help them fraudulently access the victim’s superannuation funds.
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“We also have reports of scammers offering to check if a person’s super account is eligible for various benefits or claiming the new scheme will lock people out of their accounts.” In 2019, Australians lost over $6 million to superannuation scams with people aged 45–54 losing the most amount of money. “Never give any information about your superannuation to someone who has contacted you. Don’t let them try to pressure you to make a decision immediately, take your time and consider who you might be dealing with.” “Be wary of callers who claim to be from a government authority asking about your super. Hang up and call the organisation directly by doing an independent search for their contact details,” Ms Rickard said. If you have provided information about your superannuation to a scammer, immediately contact your superannuation institution. If you have provided personal or banking details, you should also contact your financial institution. You can also contact IDCARE, a free Government-supported service which will work with you to develop a specific response plan to your situation and support you through the process. Jobs & employment scams Jobs and employment scams trick you into handing over your money by offering you a ‘guaranteed’ way to make fast money or a high-paying job for little effort. The scammer contacts you by email, letter or phone and offers you a job that requires very little effort for high returns, or a guaranteed way to make money quickly. You may even come across false job opportunities on classified ad websites. The job on offer may require you to do something simple such as stuffing envelopes or assembling a product using materials that you have to buy from the ‘employer’. To accept the job you will be asked to pay for a starter kit or materials relevant to the job or scheme. If you pay the fee you may not receive anything or what you do receive is not what you expected or were promised. For example, instead of a ‘business plan’, you may be sent instructions for how to get other people to join the same scheme. On completion of your work, the scammer will refuse to pay you for some or all of your work, using excuses such as the work not being up to the required standard. Another type of job opportunity scam asks you to use your bank account to receive and pass on payments for a foreign company. The scammers promise you a percentage commission for each payment you pass on. This is likely to be a form of money laundering which is a criminal offence.
If you provide your account details the scammer may use them to steal your money or commit other fraudulent activities. Warning signs • • • • • •
You come across an advertisement or receive an email, letter or phone call offering you a guaranteed income or job. The message may claim lots of money can be made with little effort using your personal computer, or guarantee large returns. The message is not addressed to you personally. The message asks you to provide personal details or a fee for more information about the job or start-up materials. The message does not have a street address, only a post office box or an email address. You are asked to transfer money on behalf of someone else, which may be money laundering.
Protect yourself • • Be suspicious of unsolicited ‘work from home’ opportunities or job offers, particularly those that offer a ‘guaranteed income’ or require you to pay an upfront fee. • If the job involves making or selling a certain type of product or service, find out if there is really a market for it. • Ask for references from other people who have done the work or used the product, and make the effort to speak to these people. • Do not deal with an employer or company that does not have a street address, they can be difficult to contact or trace later on • Avoid any arrangement with a stranger that asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card or electronic currency. It is rare to recover money sent this way. • Never agree to transfer money for someone else - this is money laundering and it is a criminal offence. Pyramid schemes Pyramid schemes are illegal and very risky ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes that can end up costing you a lot of money. You may hear about a pyramid scheme from friends, family or neighbours. Usually, pyramid schemes recruit members at seminars, home meetings, over the phone, by email, post or social media. In a typical pyramid scheme, you pay to join. The scheme relies on you convincing other people to join up and to part with their money as well. In order for everyone in the scheme to make a profit there needs to be an endless supply of new members. In reality, the number of people willing to join the scheme, and therefore the amount of money coming into the scheme, will dry up very quickly. Some pyramid scheme promoters disguise their true purpose by introducing products that are overpriced, of poor quality, difficult to sell or of little value. Making money out of recruitment is still their main aim.
other payments made by those who join under them. When the scheme collapses, relationships, friendships and even marriages can be damaged over money lost in the scam. It is against the law to promote or participate in a pyramid scheme. Warning signs • • • •
You are offered a chance to join a group, scheme, program or team where you need to recruit new members to make money. The scheme involves offering goods or services of little or doubtful value that serve only to promote the scheme, such as information sheets. There are big up-front costs. The promoter makes claims like ‘this is not a pyramid scheme’ or ‘this is totally legal’.
Protect yourself • • •
• •
Do not let anyone pressure you into making decisions about money or investments - always get independent financial advice. Be wary of schemes or products that claim a guaranteed income. Consider whether the rewards you have been promised are dependent on product sales. If so, are the products of real value, sold at a reasonable price and something that there is actually consumer demand for? Remember that family members and friends may try to involve you in a pyramid scheme without realising that it is one. It is against the law not only to promote a pyramid scheme, but to participate in one.
Report a scam Use the form on the ACCC website to report a scam to the ACCC. Before completing it, please read our privacy statement. https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam Many scammers are based overseas so from time to time the ACCC may also provide your report to government organisations overseas for the purposes of law enforcement and sharing intelligence about scam activity. The ACCC may also contact you about your report if any additional information is required. If you think you have been scammed, find out where to get help. https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ get-help/where-to-get-help The ACCC is unable to help you recover money lost to a scam or assist in tracking down a scammer. Information supplied from https://www.scamwatch. gov.au/ and https://www.ato.gov.au © 2020 Copyright
The promoters at the top of the pyramid make their money by having people join the scheme. They pocket the fees and Heartland Magazine | 77
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
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DO YOU REMEMBER - ICE CHEST Its an appliance that people use more then once a day and think nothing of how convenient and effective the modern-day refrigerator has become. Australia has always been challenged when it comes to keeping food and drinks cool because of its harsh and quite dry heat in some parts of the country. The first ice trade came to Sydney in January 1839 from Boston. Suppliers also brought ice chests which were popular among the wealthier households. It was a free standing wooden chest with a hinged lid on the top for where the block of ice was to sit. The chest was lined with galvanised-iron or porcelain enamel and normally had cork or coal insulation. A small bag of coal was hung within the food compartment which removed odours from accumulating. Ice chests were used commercially from the 1800’s. James Harrison from Geelong built a prototype of a vapour compression refrigerator, based on an 1834 British design. Australia began manufacturing ice in the 1860’s with the establishment of The Sydney Ice Company where Harrison was a partner. Arthur Patrick McCormack invented the Coolgardie safe in the late 1890’s. The Coolgardie safe helped in the cooling of food with hessian walls which had to be kept wet. The inside temperature depended on the cool breeze flowing through the hessian walls and was usually kept on the veranda or where there was constant moving cool air flow. The Coolgardie safe could be purchased ready-made, however the design was simple so many households were able to reconstruct their own. Food still needed to be purchased daily as this was not effective enough to ensure the safety of fresh meat and milk. Australia made their own ice chests from about 1939 but was only practical to households who had access to an ice works nearby. Ice was delivered by horse and cart or picked up by bicycle or on foot. Hallstrom’s developed the kerosene powered refrigerator in Sydney from 1928. This was very practical for properties which didn’t have electricity especially in the out-back areas of Australia. Although the refrigerator was available and necessary, it wasn’t a common household item until the 1950’s when people had more money to be able to afford the electricity it took to run the machine. The ice chest now is known better as an esky. The same principal of an insulated box with ice inside is now used as a portable cooling system on a smaller and more manageable scale. Although Australians now have electric refrigeration, most households also have an ice chest or esky which is used throughout the year when camping, beach trips or any outdoor activity.
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HEARTLAND CROSSWORD Issue 42 Answers will be revealed in Issue 43 of Heartland Magazine
Across 1. Dairy product 6. Fired a gun 10. Pull apart 14. Immature insect 15. Apiece 16. Margarine 17. Climbing vines 18. Detroit product 19. Sorrowful word 20. Looks intently 21. School friend 23. Mexican dish 25. Trinity’s boyfriend 26. Cul-de-____ 29. Stop 31. Likewise 36. Most transparent 38. Let fall 39. Dated ditty 40. Young child 42. Warn 43. Hollow stalk 44. Make again 46. Brought to a close 48. Spanish title 49. Koppel or Kennedy 50. Bear’s lair 52. Baby’s “piggies” 54. Dancer 59. Drive too fast 63. Diva’s forte 64. Long tale 65. Exchange 66. Contact ____ 67. Prison room 68. Creepy 69. Trigonometry, e.g. 70. Forest plant 71. Fender nicks Down 1. Paper fastener 2. Enthusiastic review 3. Toledo’s lake 4. Ward off
5. “The Texas Chainsaw ____” 6. Ocean beach 7. Carry 8. Gasoline rating 9. The things there 10. Ramble 11. ____ Fitzgerald 12. Cool! 13. Medicinal portion 22. Lawn material 24. Passing grade 26. Orchestrate 27. Comic Tim ____ 28. Surrendered 30. Boutique 32. Not busy 33. Trick or ____! 34. Rich dessert
Answers for Issue 41 Page 80 80 | Heartland Magazine
35. Selected 37. Helper 41. Octopus arm 42. Took into custody 45. Talk amorously 47. Ike’s inits. 48. Hidden gunman 51. Construct 53. Shopping binge 54. Soothing salve 55. Range 56. Pocket fluff 57. Tie firmly 58. Egyptian river 60. Merit 61. Correct copy 62. Poor grades
HEARTLAND CROSSWORD Issue 42 Answers will be revealed in Issue 43 of Heartland Magazine
Across 1. Donkey’s cry 5. Guess 9. Business gp. 14. Advertising symbol 15. Explorer Marco ____ 16. Horned animal, for short 17. Asleep 18. The ____ of March 19. Motor court 20. Singer Frank ____ 22. Earliest 24. Explosive inits. 25. Percentage 27. Diner dessert 28. Chart of days 30. Authorizes 33. Confess (2 wds.) 36. Open-minded 38. Ambition 39. Levels 41. District 42. Dawdler 44. Cheapskate 45. Building addition 46. Motherly 49. That man’s 50. Consider 51. ____ diem 54. Landed properties 58. Inert pill 60. Bird’s perch 61. School orgs. 63. Top pilots 64. Furious 65. Cleveland’s locale 66. Agra attire 67. Surrendered 68. Shore bird 69. Poker bet Down 1. Explosion 2. Batman’s sidekick 3. Broker 4. Jedi master 5. Type of staircase 6. Until now (2 wds.)
7. Beerlike brew 8. Supervisor 9. Clothes cabinet 10. Glistened 11. Spot 12. Individuals 13. Foal 21. Capture 23. Iridescent gems 26. Went in 28. Religious sect 29. ____ Quixote 30. Boat paddles 31. Leg joint 32. “A ____ Is Born” 33. Eye amorously 34. Warm fabric 35. Hammer’s target 37. Banister 39. Obliterate 40. Animal doc
43. Gave off 44. Papa’s spouse 47. Mend 48. Singer Willie ____ 49. Undue speed 51. Pie nut 52. Reviewer Roger ____ 53. ____ O’Donnell of TV 54. Clapton or Idle 55. Achy 56. Frog’s kin 57. Dog’s name 59. Roberto’s house 62. “Sex and ____ City”
Answers for Issue 41 Page 81 Heartland Magazine | 81
Heartland Magazine Issue 43 available mid July Check with your Newsagent or Heartland Magazine stockists
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