August/September, 2020
SCOTS NEWS
magazine
TREASURE ISLANDS Lighthouses of Scotland
BATTLE OF DUNKELD August 21, 1689
150 YEAR ANNIVERSARY in Toowoomba Volume 9 Number 8
WIN CDs
FRONT COVER PHOTO
FROM THE EDITOR
IN the Princes Street Gardens, in the heart of Edinburgh, is Ross Fountain. Sculpted by artist JeanBaptiste Jules Klagmann, the 19th century sculpture is made from cast iron. The base of the fountain features mermaids, cherubs, lion heads and a walrus while the top has four female figures representing science, arts, poetry and industry. In 1862, local gun maker Daniel Ross saw the fountain in London at the Great Exhibition. Seven years later, Ross bought the sculpture as a gift to the city of Edinburgh, and had 122 pieces shipped to Leith for further forwarding to Princes Street Gardens for assembly. Ross missed the opportunity to see the masterpiece displayed in the gardens, as he died one year before it was completed and officially opened in 1872. Water was turned off in 2007 and it was closed again from July 2017 for restoration work to be undertaken by Lost Art Limited of Wigan, on behalf of the Ross Development Trust at a cost of 1.9 million pounds. On July 8, 2018 it was re-opened. The fountain is now painted in turquoise, brown and gold, and has a new pump.
ONE of Scotland’s leading infection experts, Prof Pennington, has said the biggest risk to Scotland now would be cases of COVID-19 imported through air travel. Australia faces the same risks. A few weeks ago, Melbourne had levels of infection lower than Scotland, and now we are dealing with another serious outbreak and lockdown. The sad reality is that no one will be going anywhere for the forseeable future. Planned visits to Scotland to see family and friends have been put on hold, and local Scottish Gatherings have been postponed as part of social distancing measures. There is no joy in this situation, but we are slowly learning to live with the fact that isolation, in one form or another, will be with us for some time. Here at Scots News Magazine, while we can’t bring you news of events, we can bring you stories about Scotland’s past and present, and local news, which I hope will entertain you. See more about the magazine on page 4. There is also news on our Facebook page, so if you haven’t already ‘liked’ our page, copy and paste this link (https:// tinyurl.com/lmaqr23) into your browser. You can also connect with other Scottish groups this way. If you are not familiar with Facebook, it’s easy to set up a free account at facebook.com. Take care Carmel
PUBLISHING AND CONTACTS SCOTS NEWS
magazine
is an independent publication for Scots in Queensland. The magazine is published bi-monthly and distributed on the first of the month. EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Carmel McMurdo Audsley COPYRIGHT: All stories appearing in the magazine are written by the editor unless otherwise stated and are subject to copyright laws. Stories may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the editor. COMPETITIONS: See page 8 for competition prizes and entry details. CONTACT: We welcome emails and would love to hear your news and views. Advertising enquiries are also welcome. EMAIL: scotsnews@iinet.net.au DEADLINE FOR OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ISSUE: September 10. 2
CONTENTS Toowoomba Scots Anniversary Virtual Ceilidh Importance of Local Media Highland Granny Scales Heights Electric Brae Speakin Scots Ploughing Up Our Past Robert Stevenson’s Lighthouses Prize Give-Away - CDs To Win Anniversary - Battle of Dunkeld Famous Scots - Fleming and Watt Directory of Goods and Services Calendar of Events
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WINNERS in our JUNE/JULY GIVE-AWAY are:
Patricia Auld, Gaye Sampson and Dave McKenzie We had a large number of entries to win copies of my books. Limited numbers are available for purchase. For details email scotsnews@iinet.net.au. Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Pipe Band 150 year celebrations postponed until next year TOOWOOMBA Caledonian Society and Pipe Band will this year celebrate 150 years of retaining and celebrating the Scottish traditions brought to Australia by the many Scots who flocked to the Darling Downs in the early to mid-1800s. Although an Anniversary Ceilidh had been planned for August, the event has been cancelled due to current restrictions - what’s a Ceilidh without dancing? A big celebration will be held next year, but we couldn’t let the occasion pass without remembering the wonderful history of the Society and Band. It has been estimated that thirty per cent of new arrivals to the Darling Downs area from Scotland were squatters who grazed livestock. To keep cultural links with their homeland, they formed Caledonian Societies and Burns Clubs, to promote their love of Celtic music, dancing, piping, literature and sport. On September 21, 1870 a meeting was held in R F Walker’s store in Ruthven Street Toowomba, for the purpose of forming a local Caledonian Society. Alderman James Farquharson was voted chairman, and 21 gentlemen put their names down as members. A Secretary and Treasurer “pro tem” were appointed, as was a Provisional Committee whose task was to draw up a code of rules and submit them to the next general meeting. The proposed meeting was held on September 27, 1870 at the School of Arts (where the present Town Hall is located). The Toowoomba Chronicle reported there was a ‘good attendance’ with 40 members on the books. Gilbert Eliot, the Police Magistrate, was voted to the chair, and the 25 rules were drawn up by the Provisional Committee to explain the object of the Society. The election of officers and committee for 1870-1871 then followed, and on December 3 an advertisement appeared in the Toowoomba Chronicle calling a Special General Meeting of the Darling Downs Caledonian Society in order to decide the best “mode of inaugurating the Society whether by a Gathering or otherwise”. It was unanimously agreed to hold a grand Gathering and Celebration of Games on January 2, 1871. The Royal Agricultural Society offered their grounds for the occasion and a ‘very liberal programme’ was proposed. It was hoped to organise special trains to bring people from Brisbane, Ipswich, Warwick and Dalby for the event. Secretary John McIntyre tendered for Publicans’ Booths and Confectioners’ and Fruit Stalls to be erected on the grounds. From 1884 to 1906 when the Hon. Sir Hugh Nelson of Gabbinbah, son of the first Presbyterian Minister of Toowoomba, Rev William Lambie Nelson was President, the Society was represented at the Warwick Gatherings each year as well as gatherings of their own. In 1904, with the declining health and age of Sir Hugh Nelson, discussions were held regarding winding up the Society. After Sir Hugh’s passing in January 1906, there was a short lapse in continuity and activities. On January 12, 1911, John McDonald called a meeting with the purpose of re-establishing the Society. He was appointed Chairman and it was agreed the name should be Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Burns Club. During WWI, various functions were held including a Grand “Scotch” Night in the Town Hall. The Rob Roy play followed on St. Andrew’s Night in 1923. As the struggling Society was planning its future, a sub-committee was formed to meet a small group of pipers who asked to be provided with kilts and pipes, which it was unable to do. However, in 1920, a letter from a Highland outfitter in Glasgow offered a gift of kilts for members of the Society, who quickly accepted the offer. In 1923, the Hibernian Society requested the pipe band be in attendance for the procession on St. Patrick’s Day, with all expenses covered by that Society. This request is still fulfilled today. Another service requested in March 1923, and still fulfilled today, is the attendance at the annual Anzac Day service. The Society took control of the band, and a pipe band committee under presidency of Chieftain Dr. David Horn was formed, with a guarantor for immediate expenses and pipe band uniforms, and the pledge that pipers attend all Society functions. The band was known as the Caledonian Pipe Band and members wore the Hunting Stewart kilt in honour of their Chieftain. Throughout the ‘90s regular annual functions were held, including the Burn Supper, Highland Gatherings, Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan, Highland Debutante Ball and social evenings in the Neil St Caledonian Hall. Ongoing maintenance costs of the Neil St Hall forced the Society in 2004 to sell the property. Weekly Band practices were successfully negotiated to rent a practice night at the Drayton Hall, where a number of Ceilidhs take place each year. Thanks to information compiled by late Chieftain Ron Douglas and further information from Marg Bond and current Chieftan Irene Batzloff. Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
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NEWS
Virtual Ceilidh on 4MBS FM
A Wee Bit o’ Scotland on Thursdays AFTER months of producing and broadcasting shows from their homes, the team from the Scottish Program at Radio 4EB 98.1FM are back in the studio at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane. A Wee Bit o’ Scotland is broadcast live every Thursday from 2pm and for an hour on Sundays with the Global Program. The program includes trivia, history, music, poetry, news, sports, weather and local Scottish events (of which there are few at the moment). Listen in for a great mix of entertainment and blether.
See a list of Scottish radio programs throughout Queensland on page 12.
CEILIDH CLAN will perform on 4MBS Classic FM 103.7 at noon on Thursday August 20, as part of Queensland Seniors Week celebrations. The Brisbane-based collective of musicians is dedicated to supplying traditional Scottish music and dance for any event that requires an authentic Scottish touch. Join in with Scottish songs, sung in harmony, and listen to the music of fiddles, cello, guitar and flute from award-winning musicians Emma Nixon (fiddle), John Thompson (guitar), Nicole Murray (fiddle, flute, calling) Rebecca Wright (cello) and Donald McKay (bodhran, calling).
LOCAL PUBLICATIONS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER LOCAL NEWS is part of the social fabric of a community, and a local magazine or newspaper is the best medium to deliver news and views. As a Journalist and Editor who has spent a lifetime working on newspapers and magazines, it has been difficult for me to watch the recent closure of so many publications. It is sad for readers who have come to rely on these media to get news about local people and events. Scots News Magazine provides a meeting place for Scottish groups to promote local events to local people in Queensland (although the magazine is now read worldwide). I volunteer my time and experience (and keep overheads low) as a community service. This allows Scottish groups to promote their activities to a target audience, at little or no cost. The people who read the magazine all have a Scottish connection and are great supporters of local Scottish events and service providers. The best way to promote local events to local people is through a local publication. Scots News Magazine is proud to continue to publish, with the support of readers and advertisers. Carmel Audsley, Editor
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Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
UP THE HILL OR DOON THE BRAE?
NEWS
DRIVE along the A719 south of Ayr, maybe take a slight detour to the pretty village of Dunure with its ruined castle, then back on to the highway to Croy Shore. Stop in the layby that has been provided by South Ayrshire Council (after cars were stopping in the middle of the road) and release your handbrake. You will get the odd sensation of rolling uphill, towards the sea. Croy Brae - now known as Electric Brae - is a ‘gravity hill’ which forms an optical illusion, making it appear that downhill is up and uphill is down. The phenomenon was originally thought to result from a magnetic or ‘electric’ force acting on objects. The Victorians believed that the Isle of Arran was exerting a strong
magnetic pull. Electricity at that time was poorly understood and the natural phenomenon was attributed to the effects of electrical attraction. As the stone placed by the layby explains, the inland end of this stretch of road is 17 feet higher than the coastal end, giving an overall gradient of 1 in 86. Yet because of the way the surrounding landscape slopes, the road appears to incline the oppposite way, from its coastal end down to its inland end. Gravitational pull, optical illusion or magic, the slopes of the nearby field and more distant hillside make it fun to sit in a car with the engine switched off, and feel as though you are rolling backwards up a hill.
A 90-YEAR-OLD grandmother from Ardvar, Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands has been using her time well in lockdown, and raising money for charity. Margaret Payne has successfully climbed the stairs at her house which is the equivalent of 731 metres (2,398 feet) - enough to reach the top of iconic Scottish peak Suilven. The effort took her 73 days to complete 282 flights of her staircase, which she estimated would get her to the top of a mountain she climbed only once, when she was 15. “I just climbed a few stairs every day until I got to the top 282 times,” Mrs Payne told The Associated Press. She took on the challenge after being inspired by military veteran Tom Moore, who completed 100 laps of his garden just before his 100th birthday to raise money for the National Health Service. Mr Moore, who was recently knighted by the Queen, captivated the nation and raised around 33 million pounds.
Photo courtesy of the Payne family
Highland granny climbs equivalent of suilven
Mrs Payne turned her exercise routine on wet and windy Scottish days into a fundraiser for the NHS Highlands and Highlands Hospice. She raised 416,000 pounds, much of which has come from small donations from people who were struggling in the pandemic.
Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
Mrs Payne has receive a letter from Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, praising her ‘indomitable spirit’. ‘For every hardship there has been a hero or, of course, a heroine’. Her daily climbing has helped her deal with the grief of losing her husband last year. 5
NEWS Farming in the Cumnock Area a local history project
You can’t go to Scotland, and you can’t go to any Scottish events, but you can get involved in some Scottish groups, from the comfort of your own home. Here are some Facebook groups that may be of interest to you.
Speakin Scots in Dumfries an Gallowa Devorgilla Bridge, Dumfries
Photos courtesy Robert Stevenson
CUMNOCK HISTORY GROUP, in Ayrshire Scotland, has secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to research farms in Cumnock and its neighbouring parishes of Auchinleck, New Cumnock and Ochiltree with the support of the Coalfield Communities Landscape Partnership. The project has been titled Ploughing Up Our Past. Anyone with farm stories or photos from the area, is invited to become a member of the group. Facilitator Kay McMeekin who lives in Cumnock and is very active in preserving the history of the people and places of the area, said general information about farming in Ayrshire was also of interest. If you can contribute, or are just interested in the subject, go to: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/203859154220530/
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Hullo, yin an aw! Hello, one and all! The purpose of this group is to help promote the learning and usage of the Scots leid (language) in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The dialects spoken here are called South Central Scots, South West Central Scots, or Gallawa Scots, which is spoken in Wigtownshire, the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and western Dumfriesshire, and South Scots or Border Scots in central Dumfriesshire and eastern Dumfriesshire as well as the Borders Region. Posts in English as well as any Scots dialect including Modern Scots are welcome. The Speakin Scots in Dumfries an Gallowa group is facilitated by Kevin Robb who lives in Bethania in Queensland. “My Robb ancestor came from Galloway to Victoria in 1855 to look for gold,” Mr Robb said. “He was on the maiden voyage of the SS Schonberg, which was wrecked south-west of Geelong on a sandbar, so he landed on Boxing Day with only the clothes on his back. He wasn’t successful in finding gold - he always seemed to come to the diggings late. He died alone in 1905, and as far as I know, he didn’t write letters home or return to visit Scotland.” While he knew his ancestors were from Crocketford and Bridge of Dee in Galloway, Mr Robb said it was while studying the Luath Scots Language Learner textbook that the ‘penny dropped’ that his forebears would have spoken Scots rather than English. He said he wanted to understand their world better, and has since become quite involved in his family history and the Scottish language. “A few years ago, I started a petition to stop the Church of Scotland from selling off Balmaghie Kirk (my ancestral Kirk) as housing.” If you would like to join the group, go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/798737537298188/
Band competition postponed again BRISBANE BOYS’ COLLEGE PIPE BAND has again had to postpone the Pipes and Drums Competition and Gathering, due to COVID-19 restrictions. “We have made the unfortunate decision to cancel the competition for 2020,” Stevie Stanley said. “We tried to postpone it from March to September, with the hope of some improvement in the situation. However, it is not to be. We will aim for 2021 and hope to make it bigger and better.” Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
FAMOUS SCOTS Robert Louis Stevenson made his mark as a writer, but his civil engineer grandfather was also a shining light in Scotland ROBERT Stevenson was born in Glasgow in 1772 and was educated in a charity school after his father died during a fever epidemic. His mother Jane had wanted him to join the ministry, but when Robert was 15 years old, Jane married tinsmith, and ingenious mechanic, Thomas Smith and Robert’s life course was set. In 1786, Thomas Smith was appointed engineer to the newly formed Northern Lighthouse Board. The family had been living near the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, but in 1798 moved to newly-built premises at Baxter’s Place at the head of Leith Walk. Robert served as his stepfather’s assistant and was so successful that, at age 19, he was entrusted with the supervision of the erection of a lighthouse on the island of Little Cumbrae in the River Clyde. He devoted himself to the profession of civil engineering and attended lectures in mathematics and physical sciences at the Andersonian Institute at Glasgow. During the course of his studies, he began working on his next project, building lighthouses on Orkney. In 1797, he was appointed engineer to the Lighthouse Board in succession to Smith, and two years later married his step-sister Jean. Three years later, he was taken on as Smith’s business partner.
Bell Rock Lighthouse, built in 1811, is the world’s oldest surviving seawashed lighthouse
During the six years he worked with the Lighthouse Board, he oversaw the construction of many lighthouses, the most famous of which was the Bell Rock Lighthouse, off the coast of Angus in Scotland. He invented intermittent and flashing lights on lighthouses, which earned him a gold medal from the King of Netherlands. Although most known for his work with lighthouses, Robert also engineered roads, bridges and railways. Robert and Jean had 13 children, however only five survived into adulthood. Three of his sons - Alan, David and Thomas (Robert Louis Stevenson’s father) - also became lighthouse engineers. His daughter Jane’s illustrations of the Bell Rock Lighthouse appear in Alan Stevenson’s biography Biographical Sketches of the Late Robert Stevenson:Civil Engineer (Edinburgh:Blackwood, 1861). Although Thomas Stevenson wanted his son to follow the family tradition and become a lighthouse engineer, Robert Louis knew he wanted to be a writer. He was fascinated by his grandfather Robert, and wrote about him in Records of a Family of Engineers (1896). Robert Stevenson died on July 12,1850, in the house he had inherited from his step-father at Baxter’s Place. He is buried in the Stevenson family plot at New Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
Mull of Galloway lighthouse on the southernmost point of Scotland, is still active
Calf of Man, off the south-west coast of the Isle of Man, built in 1818 (now disused).
Point of Ayre lighthouse, at the north-east end of the Isle of Man is the oldest operational lighthouse on the island.
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GIVE-AWAY WIN one of these great CDs. All you have to do is email scotsnews@iinet.net.au by Friday August 7, with ‘competition’ in the subject line, to go into the draw. You can even nominate which CD you would like to win.
ANNIVERSARIES IN SCOTTISH HISTORY August August 1, 1747- Proscription Act introduced, banning tartan and the carrying of weapons. Penalty for a first offence was six months in jail. Second offence resulted in transportation for seven years. August 6, 1678- First Glasgow/Edinburgh coach service began from White Horse Inn, Edinburgh. August 15, 1771- Novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott born. August 16, 1766- Birth of Carolina Oliphant (Lady Nairne), poet and author of many Jacobite songs, including Charlie is my Darling. Her songs are second only in popularity to Burns.
Celtic Thunder Voyage CD 17 tracks from this male vocal ensemble. (Value $AUS12)
August 19, 1745- Charles Edward Stuart, raises his standard at Glenfinnan, at the start of the ’45 uprising. August 21, 1689- Battle of Dunkeld when the newly formed Cameronians defended the town against 3,000 Highlanders. August 22, 1282- Devorgilla, Countess of Galloway founded Balliol College, Oxford. She was mother of John Balliol (who acceded to the Scottish throne in 1292). August 22, 1567- James Stewart, Earl of Moray and a half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots, proclaimed Regent of Scotland. August 22, 1582- James VI taken to the Castle of Ruthven by the Earls of Mar and Gowrie - the so-called “Ruthven Raid”.
September September 1, 1644 - Battle of Tippermuir, in which Marquis of Montrose defeated Covenanters .
Red Hot Chilli Pipers Hundred Chilli Pipers CD 4 track CD includes Flower of Scotland (Value $AUS17)
September 3, 1745- Prince Charles Edward Stuart proclaimed his father as King James VIII of Scotland at Perth. September 6, 1715- The Earl of Mar unfurled the standard of the “Old Pretender” in Braemar at the start of the first Jacobite Uprising. September 14, 1402- Scots led by 4th Earl of Douglas defeated at the Battle of Homildon Hill by English army led by Percy ‘Hotspur’. September 14, 1745- Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles Edward Stuart, occupied Edinburgh. September 15, - St Mirren Day (patron saint of Paisley). September 15, 1773- The Hector from Loch Broom, near Ullapool, arrives at Pictou, Nova Scotia, carrying emigrants escaping from the “Clearances”.
Celtic Woman Ancient Land CD 18 tracks including Ae Fond Kiss (Value $AUS15) 8
September 28, 1396- “Battle of the Clans” between clans Chattan and Kay on the North Inch, Perth, in front of King Robert III.
Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
ANNIVERSARY
BATTLE OF DUNKELD AUGUST 21, 1689 The Highlanders advanced in their traditional charge - 'a sharp trot, a discharge of firelocks and then a wild gallop with the sword on the men lining the dykes'. The 26th Foot or Cameronian Regiment, was raised on May 14, 1689 in Douglas Lanarkshire from the ranks of the Covenanters, taking its name from one of the most famous of their number, Richard Cam er on, 'The L i on of the Cov enant'. The Covenanters were men and women who had fought for - and won – the right to follow their Presbyterian faith and discipline, when the Stuart kings tried to impose the Episcopal form of church government upon the Scottish people. The unique background and the traditions of the Presbyterian Church were maintained by the Regiment throughout its long and illustrious history. Only three months after its Lt. Col. William Cleland commanding forces at Dunkeld formation, and with no battle experience, the Regiment was despatched to defend Dunkeld, arriving there on Saturday August 17. Experts felt that the town would be unable to hold out against the impending attack of some three thousand Jacobite soldiers, jubilant and confident after their victory at the Battle of Killiecrankie. Historian Sir Richard Burton, describing Dunkeld as the site for a battle wrote: 'it is difficult to imagine a position by the nature of the ground more dangerous for a Lowland force, for it is deep sunk among hills, commanding it and cutting off a retreat while a rapid river forms the diameter of the semi-circle’. But the next day - despite the fact that it was a. Sunday - the garrison set about fortifying Dunkeld Cathedral tower and the Duke of Atholl's new mansion Dunkeld House. On Monday morning, August 19, two troops of horses and three of dragoons arrived as reinforcements, but later that day after a brief skirmish, they were withdrawn to Perth. On Wednesday August 21, the whole Jacobite army 'crowded the hills', and the commanding officer of the Cameronians, Lieutenant Colonel William Cleland, skilfully withdrew his outposts and limited his defensive line to the church, the mansion house and the edge of the park. When the Highlanders, led by Colonel Cannon, advanced in their traditional charge ('a sharp trot, a discharge of firelocks and then a wild gallop with the sword on the men lining the dykes') , the Cameronian defenders repeatedly drove them back with pikes and halberts, which proved to be excellent weapons at close quarters. Defence was hampered, however, by attack from musketry in nearby houses, and in retaliation the Cameronians sent out a party 'with blazing fagots on the ends of long pikes' to set fire to the dry thatch which roofed the buildings. They burned every house in Dunkeld except three, in which some of their own troops were posted. Fierce fighting raged until eleven o'clock that night, when the Highland army fled to the hills, leaving three hundred dead and saying that it 'could fight against men but was not fit to fight any more against devils'. These 'devils' threw their caps in the air and cheered; they then joined in praising God and thanking Him for giving them the victory. Although the Battle of Dunkeld was a relatively small event, it had the effect of a major conflict, in that it helped materially to determine Scotland's future as a Presbyterian nation. The defeated Highlanders returned home with whatever plunder they could find on the way, leaving their leader virtually without an army. Lieutenant Colonel Cleland, who had so masterfully conducted the defence, was killed in action. His body lies buried in the nave of the Cathedral, beneath a simple stone bearing only his name. Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
~ Courtesy Dunkeld Cathedral 9
FAMOUS SCOTS JAMES WATT Born: January 18, 1736 at Greenock, Scotland Died: August 25, 1819 Occupation: Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer and chemist, famous for inventing the first
STEAM ENGINE. JAMES WATT was home schooled by his mother, due to ill health as a child. He also helped out in his father’s workshops where he learned the basics of engineering. To pursue his mechanical and scientific interests, Watt went to Glasgow and then London to be trained as a mathematical instrument maker. He showed a capacity to teach himself, and learned German and Italian so that he could study more scientific manuals. At Glasgow University he befriended economist Adam Smith and chemist Joseph Black. Around 1759, one of his friends, Professor John Robinson, talked about the possibility of a steam-driven car, which sowed a seed of intrigue in the fertile mind of young James. About four years later, he came into contact with his first Newcomen steam engine, the most powerful of its kind on the market. The inefficiency of this early steam engine meant it was limited to a stationary point in mines. Without any formal training, Watt began to learn how they operated and how they could be fixed. He soon concluded the inefficiency was due to energy repeatedly being used to heat the cylinder and he decided to try to invent an alternative. “The idea came into my mind that as steam was a gas, it would rush into vacuum and, if I linked the engine’s cylinder to a vessel at low pressure the steam would rush into it,” he said. “The steam would condense there and it wouldn’t cool the engine-cylinder. I then saw that I must get rid of the condensed steam from the cylinder.” He soon had a working model and by 1775 had received a patent called A New Invented Method of Lessening the Consumption of Steam and Fuel in Fire Engines. After a few years spent working as a land surveyor, which took him all over Scotland surveying routes for building canals, he moved to Birmingham and developed a double-action engine so that power was used in both the up and downstroke, and insulated the steam cylinder to increase efficiency. The new steam engine was developed with a ready market of mine owners, however as the engine became more sophisticated, Watt found new markets on canals, in distilleries and cotton mills. 10
ALEXANDER FLEMING Born: August 6, 1881 in East Ayrshire, Scotland Died: March 11, 1955 Occupation: Scottish biologist and pharmacologist famous for his discovery of the antibiotic substance
PENICILLIN. ALEXANDER FLEMING worked for a shipping company, until an inheritance gave him the chance to train as a physician at St Mary’s Hospital London. From here, he moved to the research department, specialising in the relatively new science of bacteriology. During WWI he served in the medical corps and in hospitals on the Western Front where he was mentioned in dispatches. It wasn’t until ten years after the war had ended when, by chance, he discovered an effective antibacterial agent. “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928 I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic or bacterial killer - but I guess that was exactly what I did”, he said. He had left a jar of mould unattended during his August vacation. Upon his return to work he noticed that a jar of Staphylococcus bacteria - a green-yellow mould - had covered the dish, except for one area which was clear of the bacteria, rather like a halo effect. He correctly deduced that some antibacterial agent had crept in and successfully stopped the bacteria. He later identified this antibacterial agent as a rare form of Penicillium notatum which had drifted in from a mycology lab nearby. “I have been trying to point out that, in our lives chance may have an astonishing influence. Never neglect an extraordinary appearance or happening. It may be a false alarm that leads to nothing, but may be the clue provided by fate to lead you to some important advance.” The following year he published his work in the British Journal of Experimenta Pathology, however for the next decade his discovery remained relatively unknown. He was not able to produce penicillin to inject rats in sufficient quantities, and by 1932 he had all but abandoned his research. However in 1939, a team of scientists at Oxford University began work on trying to make a large quantity of antibacterial agents. A team under Howard Florey and Dr Ernst Chain started to use Fleming’s penicillin culture and were able to extract penicillin in sufficient quantities to start producing it on a commercial scale. This enabled them to start producing the world’s first antibiotics. In 1945, Fleming, Florey and Chain were jointly awarded a Nobel Prize for Medicine. Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
DIRECTORY OF GOODS AND SERVICES
P l ea s e s u p po r t th e o r g a n is a t io n s a s e nd b usi n e s ses
PIPER
CLANS
PIPER JOE
DONALD
AUSSIE-SCOT EVENTS
Clan Donald Society of Queensland
Bagpipes for all occasions.
Contact Neil Macdonald - Ph 0412 090 990
Phone 0412 785 216 Email joe@piperjoe.com.au Visit www.piperjoe.com.au
clandonaldqld@optusnet.com.au http://www.clandonaldqld.org
SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING
SOCIETY
FUN FOR ALL AGES
AUSTRALIAN SCOTTISH COMMUNITY QLD INC
A Club or Class near You No need to dress up or bring a partner
visit www.aussie-scots.org.au email president@aussie-scots.org.au Promoters of International Tartan Day Phone 3359 8195
Email queensland@rscds.org.au or phone 07 3374 1468
RECRUITMENT
SOCIETY
Lynch Doc Staffing Pty Ltd
TOWNSVILLE SCOTTISH COMMUNITY Inc.
Labour Hire and Recruitment Services – Trades, Warehouse/Office Staff.
See Facebook or email mlg7@optusnet.com.au to receive newsletter.
Call Phil Docherty 0404 005 527
SWEETS
SWEETS
PIPE BANDS The Pipes and Drums, National Servicemen’s Memorial Band (P&DSMB) is seeking Pipers and Drummers. Military background not required. Tuition and support provided. We are not a competition band but play at official, ceremonial and community functions.
A sweet treat for any occasion. contact.whynotcupcakes@gmail.com
and follow on Instagram and Facebook @why.not.cupcakes. Delivery in Brisbane only.
The cakes that are always a hit! Made for any occasion. Fully customisable inside & out! Search Brisbane Smashcakes on Facebook and Instagram.
Call Rolly McCartney on 0409 302 574. Like us on Facebook PipesandDrumNationalServicemanMemorial Band@NashosPipesDrums
SCOTTISH BUSINESS NETWORK AUSTRALIA Michael J Reid - Qld Chairman michaeljreid@mail2me.com.au www.scottish-business-network-australia.com
Scots News Magazine August/September 2020
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS WHAT’S ON in AUGUST and SEPTEMBER August 20 - The Ceilidh Clan sing along as Brisbane band performs on 4MBS Classic FM 103.7 at 12 noon. August 22 - Best of British Concert Qld Pops Orchestra at QPAC
WHAT’S COMING UP October 3 - Celtic Grandeur presented by Qld Pops Orchestra October 10 - Sounds of Scotland Concert presented by Brisbane Boys’ College Pipe Band
CANCELLED October 17 - Clan Event at Bankfoot House Glass House Mntns August 22 - Tennents Tattoo - tribute to William Wallace at Fox and Hounds Country Inn at Wangawallan in Gold Coast Hinterland.
November 1 - Celtic Festival of Queensland at Helidon
August 29 - Tow oomb a Caledonian Soc iety and Pip e Band will host a Clan Ceilidh at City Golf Club. Phone Marg on 0429 700 217.
November 28 - Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Pipe Band St Andrew’s Night at Drayton Hall. Phone Marg on 0429 700 217.
CANCELLED
November 30 - St Andrew ’s Day
Sep temb er 1 9 - Brisbane Boys’ C ollege S olo Pipi ng and Dr ummi ng C ompetiti on
TBA - The Celtic Sea at Newstead House Brisbane
CANCELLED September - Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Pipe Band Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan and Carnival of Flowers parade.
Small Pipe learning and playing held at Milton on the first Tuesday of each month from 7pm. Contact Malcolm on 3820 2902 or Ken on 3279 4093. Gaelic classes are held each month in Brisbane. Visit www.facebook.com/BrisbaneGaelic for details. CANCELLED
QUEENSLAND IN 2021 April 10 and 11 - Highland Dancing Championships at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre June 12 and 13 - Clydesdale Spectacular at Boonah July 10 - Mackay Scottish Bluewater Fling July 24 - Tartan Day in Brisbane August - Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Pipe Band 150th anniversary celebrations
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6 is FATHER’S DAY in Australia INTERSTATE IN 2021 NSW April 17, 2021 - Brigadoon: Bundanoon Highland Gathering
Buy Dad a book, signed by the author, without having to leave home.
Easter, 2021 - Maclean H ighl and Gat heri ng
VICTORIA IN 2020 October 24 and 25 - Australian Pipe Band Championships to be held at Princes Park Maryborough Victoria.
Visit www.scottishbooks.webs.com, choose your book and email scotsnews@iinet.net.au. Limited books available. Orders must be received by August 22 to ensure on time delivery.
SCOTTISH TUNES AND CONVERSATION ON THE RADIO Join Ron Tannock every Thursday night from 7pm to 9.30pm and every second Saturday from 9am to noon for the Sounds of Ireland (and Scotland), on Burnett River Radio 91.5FM broadcasting to Gayndah and Central Burnett region. Colin Nightingale hosts Acoustic Harvest every second Thursday night at 8pm on bayFM100.3. Enjoy ‘A wee bit o’ Scotland on Thursday’ on 4EBFM98.1 from 2.15pm to 4.30pm. Scottish Program on Global Digital Radio (4EB) each Sunday from 2pm to 3pm. Triple T 103.9 Townsville Community Radio’s Scottish Program each Sunday from 3pm to 5pm with Don MacDonald. 12
Scots News Magazine August/September 2020