My computer died in the arse in this dessicating heat.
It's cactus-mucus...well, until Monday when the PC doctor can run his magic fingers over her innards and tickle her hard-drive into purring again.
So I'm pecking this out on the old, s l o w computer.
It's soooooooooo slow I have to reboot everytime I want to click from one website to another.
Thank goodness for Draft Save in Blogger coz I'll probably have to reboot it a gazillion times just to finish this post.
Which won't be of much substance as I have not got a copy of my home-made chronology...that is currently propped on the desktop of the new computer that spat the dummy and is sulking.
Oh, look, auto-saved the draft yet again.
*phew*
*She scrabbles to collect her pieces of paper of dates that she's scribbled from various websites in 8 previous reboot sessions....
It's National Gorilla Suit day!
So, rush back home and change ito the gorilla suit you've hidden at the back of your wardrobe since your high school days and be proud to wear your gorilla suit fetish on your sleeve.
Brought to you by the artistic genuis from MAD Magazine, Don Martin.
1880 That wonderful publication that became respected, well-read, popular and launched the careers of many of the famous (and infamous) writers, poets, artists and novelists, The Bulletin, made its grand entrance into polite - and not so polite - society today.
Yep. So well-respected its last owner ceased its publication recently.
1921 The first regular airmail service for NZ flitted its way from the Canterbury Aviation Company based in Christchurch to Ashburton to Timaru, a mere 2 years after George Bolt flew the first airmail service in 1919.
1942 The Aussie Govt gave us Manpower....Regulations.
Coz of the war.
And, no, they weren't the male stripper variety, either (dammit).
1968 The Powers That Be closed the Ballarat Racecourse platform, on the Waubra line, for good.
Because they were spoil-sports.
And penny-pinchers.
And drank their bath water.
1968 Nauru finally got the monkey off its back ( or Canberrans, if you insist on correct terminology) when it declared its independence on this day.
Which, for some odd reason, makes it Nauru Independence Day.
1991 Perth, that over-grown country town capital of Westralia (and we wouldn't have it any other way!) sizzled ever-so-gently in the Summery heat wave of 45.8 degrees C.
Nope, no conversion to Farenheit, there's a bit of homework for you!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Frying Friday Trivial History January 30
In this issue we will discuss the merits of sticking ones head under a tap, remembering to remove ones glasses beforehand and how one may juggle the dripping hair so as not to soak the keyboard too much.
Keyboards don't do water very well.
On another note a water bottle beside the bed works wonders for splashing on oneself without even getting up in the wee small hours when it's still a gajillion degrees.
1803 Charlie Grimes, who was on a sight-seeing tour of Port Phillip Bay (remember, he'd recently climbed Arthur's Seat?) popped ashore at Frankston, tripped over Kananook Creek and had the pleasure of being introduced to 30 of the local Aborigines.
You know it's hot when you try to break into the computer hard drive for the fans....
1854 Cobb & Co expanded their coaching empire to the goldfields of Victoria when the first coach waved ta-ta, taking its leave of Melbourne for Bendigo.
You figure it must be warm when the ice cream runs screaming from your hands back into the freezer....
1893 That grand edifice of Victorian Railways Head Office at 67 Spencer St, Melbourne, was ready for everyone to gawk at in awe. The 3rd floor was added in 1912, the 4th floor in 1922, all the Vic Rail staff ran away in 1988 and it's now the Grand Central Hotel.
It's getting hot when you rediscover the art of driving with only 2 fingers on the steering wheel...
1911 Today was the final race meeting where bookmakers were allowed on the NZ race courses, being at the extinct Takapuna Race course.
You guess it's warm when you can boil spuds in your birdbath....
1913 The teens of Tassie were all aflutter with butterflies when their first state high schools on the island state opened their doors in Hobart and Launceston.
It's too damn hot when your workmate complains of having hot flushes...and he's a bloke....
1954 The Kiwi royal tour of QE II and Phil the Greek finished at Bluff when thealien mothership returned for them they departed on SS Gothic.
It's getting really warm when you arrive at work early and leave late just for the air-con...
1954 Anotheree that disgracefully came to an end was the Dimboola to Rainbow diesel passenger train service.
It's hot when the ducks at the local park come in "extra crispy" and "original recipe"...
1966 Prince Charlie Windsor, unable to find a decent high school in Britain where the kids wouldn't pick on his sticky-out ears, lobbed on Melbourne's doorstep to attend Geelong Grammar's Timbertop School.
You know it's hot when cows eat crushed ice to prevent their milk from curdling.
1984 INXS had Oz in a spin with their number 1 single Original Sin.
It's hot when you learn to love the branding iron aka seat belt.
1984 Across the ditch it was that scrumptious Paul Young who had them in the palm of his hand at No. 1 with Come Back and Stay.
Finally...
You know it's hot when the trees are whistling for the dogs....
Keyboards don't do water very well.
On another note a water bottle beside the bed works wonders for splashing on oneself without even getting up in the wee small hours when it's still a gajillion degrees.
1803 Charlie Grimes, who was on a sight-seeing tour of Port Phillip Bay (remember, he'd recently climbed Arthur's Seat?) popped ashore at Frankston, tripped over Kananook Creek and had the pleasure of being introduced to 30 of the local Aborigines.
You know it's hot when you try to break into the computer hard drive for the fans....
1854 Cobb & Co expanded their coaching empire to the goldfields of Victoria when the first coach waved ta-ta, taking its leave of Melbourne for Bendigo.
You figure it must be warm when the ice cream runs screaming from your hands back into the freezer....
1893 That grand edifice of Victorian Railways Head Office at 67 Spencer St, Melbourne, was ready for everyone to gawk at in awe. The 3rd floor was added in 1912, the 4th floor in 1922, all the Vic Rail staff ran away in 1988 and it's now the Grand Central Hotel.
It's getting hot when you rediscover the art of driving with only 2 fingers on the steering wheel...
You guess it's warm when you can boil spuds in your birdbath....
1913 The teens of Tassie were all aflutter with butterflies when their first state high schools on the island state opened their doors in Hobart and Launceston.
It's too damn hot when your workmate complains of having hot flushes...and he's a bloke....
1954 The Kiwi royal tour of QE II and Phil the Greek finished at Bluff when the
It's getting really warm when you arrive at work early and leave late just for the air-con...
1954 Anotheree that disgracefully came to an end was the Dimboola to Rainbow diesel passenger train service.
It's hot when the ducks at the local park come in "extra crispy" and "original recipe"...
1966 Prince Charlie Windsor, unable to find a decent high school in Britain where the kids wouldn't pick on his sticky-out ears, lobbed on Melbourne's doorstep to attend Geelong Grammar's Timbertop School.
You know it's hot when cows eat crushed ice to prevent their milk from curdling.
1984 INXS had Oz in a spin with their number 1 single Original Sin.
It's hot when you learn to love the branding iron aka seat belt.
1984 Across the ditch it was that scrumptious Paul Young who had them in the palm of his hand at No. 1 with Come Back and Stay.
Finally...
You know it's hot when the trees are whistling for the dogs....
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Trumpeting Trivial Thursday History January 29
It's just a wee bit tad warm-ish, I'll admit that.
The fact that the heat isn't peaking until after 6pm at NIGHT I have a weeny tiny issue with.
43.5 C (110 F) at 6:15pm
Whoever left their damn oven door open can you Pullllll-eze shut it?!
Now, having written this up the night before (as always) I shall now hit publish and go stand under the hose in the backyard as it's currently 34.boil-them-and-make-'em-squeal-4 degrees C.
No, at this point in time I really don't give a fat rat's clacker about the roaming mobs of spiders looking for an innocent human to mug.
Tis the Feast Day of St Gildas who,( had you been paying attention eleventy hundreds months ago on Brian's blog you'd remember), was the real saint after which the island, ship and suburb of Melbourne was named.
Except they'd twisted it backwards around their tongues and ended up with St Kilda.
1842 Horse racing at Epsom may have been the flavour of the following years but the first Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, held on Waitmata Harbour, was such a resounding success that it made a gate-crashing comeback in 1850 and hasn't looked back since.
1878 The Cam River was minding its own business when all of a sudden the Kaiapoi Woollen Mills sprung up beside it.
1882 Melbournians were agog with the news that the Russiansare coming! were arriving for a friendly afternoon tea visit after they'd cast their baby blue eyes over Sydney and Hobart, with more and more sensational claims in the media about their intentions.
Oh look...we're still here in one piece.
Gosh.
How about that?
1895 The State ofsavagely money hungry, grasping, greedy Victoria introduced income tax.
Hope your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down.
1934 A nasty spot of mob violence broke out at Kalgoorlie and Boulder, in Westralia, against the Yugoslav and Italian communities after an Italian barman accidentally killed a Skip ( bet you haven't seen that mentioned for awhile) with the end result being 2 more deaths and many buildings burnt and looted.
1979Rotting Rocking Rod Stewart was top of the charts in Oz asking everyone "Does my bum look big in this?" "Do ya think I'm Sexy?"
2008 Over the ditch in NZ this time last year they were getting their booty all funky with Flo Rida singing Low.
The fact that the heat isn't peaking until after 6pm at NIGHT I have a weeny tiny issue with.
43.5 C (110 F) at 6:15pm
Whoever left their damn oven door open can you Pullllll-eze shut it?!
Now, having written this up the night before (as always) I shall now hit publish and go stand under the hose in the backyard as it's currently 34.boil-them-and-make-'em-squeal-4 degrees C.
No, at this point in time I really don't give a fat rat's clacker about the roaming mobs of spiders looking for an innocent human to mug.
Tis the Feast Day of St Gildas who,( had you been paying attention eleventy hundreds months ago on Brian's blog you'd remember), was the real saint after which the island, ship and suburb of Melbourne was named.
Except they'd twisted it backwards around their tongues and ended up with St Kilda.
1842 Horse racing at Epsom may have been the flavour of the following years but the first Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, held on Waitmata Harbour, was such a resounding success that it made a gate-crashing comeback in 1850 and hasn't looked back since.
1878 The Cam River was minding its own business when all of a sudden the Kaiapoi Woollen Mills sprung up beside it.
1882 Melbournians were agog with the news that the Russians
Oh look...we're still here in one piece.
Gosh.
How about that?
1895 The State of
Hope your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down.
1934 A nasty spot of mob violence broke out at Kalgoorlie and Boulder, in Westralia, against the Yugoslav and Italian communities after an Italian barman accidentally killed a Skip ( bet you haven't seen that mentioned for awhile) with the end result being 2 more deaths and many buildings burnt and looted.
1979
2008 Over the ditch in NZ this time last year they were getting their booty all funky with Flo Rida singing Low.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wombling Trivial Wednesday Tobermory History January 28
I shant bore you with the wild carry ons we've been up to, nor shall I regale you with the trips, treks and jaunts we've set out upon.
No, I will not be drawn into revealing our hectic tourist schedule in and around the CBD nor can I , in all honesty, expect you to listen to the amazing adventures we've enjoyed.
Coz sitting at home in the cool, dark house on our bums has been the most exciting activity in this heat.
Although I have drawn the line at opening our eyes as far too robust and energy sapping.....
Oh, look! It's National Kazoo Day!
Learn all about this splendid instrument....and listen to it being employed to play The Final Countdown.....I did say "listen" !
1827 Jules Sebastien Cesar Dumont d'Urville tried to pass himself off as an explorer but in reality he was a bit of a wag, a dare devil and a show off, none more so than the time he jauntily sailed his ship Astrolabe through the French Pass and into Admiralty Bay.
1851 An outbreak of fire destroyed a large section of Deans/Riccarton Bush.
1852 The Crow-eaters in South Oz passed the Bullion Act along with the brandy snifters and cigars which allowed for the pretty little gold ingots to be used as legal tender for a whole year.
1887 Someone in Montana, USA, had a lot of time on their hands during a snowstorm to be able to measure the snowflakes just to prove they were the largest ever (and to have the last word).
Oh, and for anyone thirstily dreaming of snowflakes they were 8 inches thick and 15 inches wide....
1893 The Federal Bank of Australia, located in Melbourne, was no longer located anywhere after this date as it went belly-up, taking most banks with it in a game of dominos.
1901 A Wellington blacksmith, William Hardham, went away to the Boer War in South Africa and came home with the only Victoria Cross won by a Kiwi in that bloody mess.
1931 A great and wonderous new political party was launched at a meeting in Sydney, the All For Australia League. Not a lot out there in cyber space about this party....unless you want to see the cover of the music sheet for the Official Anthem of the party they had prettily printed up? Or a dissertation on the party?
How about some nice scones with jam and cream and a fresh pot of tea, instead?
Goodness! All that finished and before the outbreak of WW2 !
Another very dull and uninspiring date in history.
Now close you eyes and sit in the cool dark with us........
No, I will not be drawn into revealing our hectic tourist schedule in and around the CBD nor can I , in all honesty, expect you to listen to the amazing adventures we've enjoyed.
Coz sitting at home in the cool, dark house on our bums has been the most exciting activity in this heat.
Although I have drawn the line at opening our eyes as far too robust and energy sapping.....
Oh, look! It's National Kazoo Day!
Learn all about this splendid instrument....and listen to it being employed to play The Final Countdown.....I did say "listen" !
1827 Jules Sebastien Cesar Dumont d'Urville tried to pass himself off as an explorer but in reality he was a bit of a wag, a dare devil and a show off, none more so than the time he jauntily sailed his ship Astrolabe through the French Pass and into Admiralty Bay.
1851 An outbreak of fire destroyed a large section of Deans/Riccarton Bush.
1852 The Crow-eaters in South Oz passed the Bullion Act along with the brandy snifters and cigars which allowed for the pretty little gold ingots to be used as legal tender for a whole year.
Oh, and for anyone thirstily dreaming of snowflakes they were 8 inches thick and 15 inches wide....
1893 The Federal Bank of Australia, located in Melbourne, was no longer located anywhere after this date as it went belly-up, taking most banks with it in a game of dominos.
1901 A Wellington blacksmith, William Hardham, went away to the Boer War in South Africa and came home with the only Victoria Cross won by a Kiwi in that bloody mess.
1931 A great and wonderous new political party was launched at a meeting in Sydney, the All For Australia League. Not a lot out there in cyber space about this party....unless you want to see the cover of the music sheet for the Official Anthem of the party they had prettily printed up? Or a dissertation on the party?
How about some nice scones with jam and cream and a fresh pot of tea, instead?
Goodness! All that finished and before the outbreak of WW2 !
Another very dull and uninspiring date in history.
Now close you eyes and sit in the cool dark with us........
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Vote for The Queen of Teh Awesome Shoes!
The 9th Bloggies are in the final stages for voting and we have one of THE abso-bloody-lutely BEST chickybabe bloggers up there as a finalist.
Vote now!
Mz. Kelley is up for The Best Australian Or NZ weblog.
Hides her toothbrush inside sweet potatoes.
Vote now!
Has a fetish for chocolate coated Clinkers.
Vote now!
Has just discovered the delicious awesomeness of Adam Hills.
Vote now!
Someone with such excellent taste surely deserves to win this years Bloggie.
Vote now!
Mz. Kelley is up for The Best Australian Or NZ weblog.
And she rocks.
She is damn funny.
She makes reading about bathroom murals fun.
Vote now! Hides her toothbrush inside sweet potatoes.
Vote now!
Has a fetish for chocolate coated Clinkers.
Vote now!
Has just discovered the delicious awesomeness of Adam Hills.
Vote now!
Someone with such excellent taste surely deserves to win this years Bloggie.
Trivial Tuesday Trekkin' Through The Universe History January 27
Feral Beast and I tramped the Rosstown Rail Trail yesterday, all 8.5 kms of it in 2 and a bit hours.
Yes, "a bit" is an acceptable form of measurement....just like "as big as a bee's dick", "half a mo" and "two fingers of scotch". (And if I don't start losing weight soon with all this tramping about I'll know for certain that aliens are shoving food down my gullet whenever I'msnoring breathing heavily).
Nice walk, very easy gradients, no swinging from the treetops or throwing myself over fences to escape wild buffalos....just mild suburbia.
It's an ok beginners trail, well-signposted and a pleasant journey but there's sweet FA remaining of the old railway line and you'll be whistling Dixie looking for any.
But the houses in Elsternwick...!
Dahhhhlinks, they are worth the walk! They are a veritable sumptuous feast for the eyes!
We picked out at least a dozen slate-shingled, triple storied, heritage listed beauties to take home with us (in our backpack, of course) before we stumbled over the block of flats doing a RL version of The Secret life of Us; BBQ burning meat bits, very fashionable wenches trying to not drool over the Samuel Johnson look-a-like, party lights and music, Emo bois draping themselves over the balcony very prettily whilst fluttering their lashes at the David Tredinnick look-a-like...it looked almost as entertaining as the original but somehow I doubt they would have let me pull up a sun lounge in the middle of the street to watch the rest of the performance....but I could sell tickets...
1820 Finding that any old dollop of dirt just didn't do the deed for the dead The Powers That Be had the Sydney Burial Ground, later known as Sandhills Cemetary, consecrated.
It was known even later than that as Central Station.
1859 The grand old gutter of Australia aka the Darling River became a highway on this day when the paddle steamer ship "Albury" debuted on the watery road, heralding the beginning of the popular (and ratherrheumatic romantic) means of transport.
1860 Infamous Erewhon novelist Samuel Butler leapt ashore at Lyttelton and proceeded to spend the next 3 years living in the Canterbury High country in a cob hut where he scribed his life and experiences into letters home to his dear Papa....and threw in a few articles for the press for bread and butter.
1962 Cook's Gardens in Wanganui was the setting for speedy Kiwi Peter Snell's world record for galloping the mile in 3 mins 54 secs.
1974 8,000 Brivegas-ites were evacuated from their home, sweet homes as flood waters washed through the streets. With all the practice they've had they should have it down to a fine art by now!
1984 Due to all that cloud juice falling from the sky in Southland the day before, a State of Emergency was screeched from the rooftops while 4,000 were evacuated and they had the pleasure of eyeballing a damages bill to the tune of NZ$55 million.
2000 Macy Gray was in the top 50 NZ singles charts for 21 weeks and hit the No.1 spot with I Try.
Yes, "a bit" is an acceptable form of measurement....just like "as big as a bee's dick", "half a mo" and "two fingers of scotch". (And if I don't start losing weight soon with all this tramping about I'll know for certain that aliens are shoving food down my gullet whenever I'm
Nice walk, very easy gradients, no swinging from the treetops or throwing myself over fences to escape wild buffalos....just mild suburbia.
It's an ok beginners trail, well-signposted and a pleasant journey but there's sweet FA remaining of the old railway line and you'll be whistling Dixie looking for any.
But the houses in Elsternwick...!
Dahhhhlinks, they are worth the walk! They are a veritable sumptuous feast for the eyes!
We picked out at least a dozen slate-shingled, triple storied, heritage listed beauties to take home with us (in our backpack, of course) before we stumbled over the block of flats doing a RL version of The Secret life of Us; BBQ burning meat bits, very fashionable wenches trying to not drool over the Samuel Johnson look-a-like, party lights and music, Emo bois draping themselves over the balcony very prettily whilst fluttering their lashes at the David Tredinnick look-a-like...it looked almost as entertaining as the original but somehow I doubt they would have let me pull up a sun lounge in the middle of the street to watch the rest of the performance....but I could sell tickets...
1820 Finding that any old dollop of dirt just didn't do the deed for the dead The Powers That Be had the Sydney Burial Ground, later known as Sandhills Cemetary, consecrated.
It was known even later than that as Central Station.
1859 The grand old gutter of Australia aka the Darling River became a highway on this day when the paddle steamer ship "Albury" debuted on the watery road, heralding the beginning of the popular (and rather
1860 Infamous Erewhon novelist Samuel Butler leapt ashore at Lyttelton and proceeded to spend the next 3 years living in the Canterbury High country in a cob hut where he scribed his life and experiences into letters home to his dear Papa....and threw in a few articles for the press for bread and butter.
1962 Cook's Gardens in Wanganui was the setting for speedy Kiwi Peter Snell's world record for galloping the mile in 3 mins 54 secs.
1974 8,000 Brivegas-ites were evacuated from their home, sweet homes as flood waters washed through the streets. With all the practice they've had they should have it down to a fine art by now!
1984 Due to all that cloud juice falling from the sky in Southland the day before, a State of Emergency was screeched from the rooftops while 4,000 were evacuated and they had the pleasure of eyeballing a damages bill to the tune of NZ$55 million.
2000 Macy Gray was in the top 50 NZ singles charts for 21 weeks and hit the No.1 spot with I Try.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Singe Another Skippy on the Barbie January 26
Went for a wander on part of the Outer Circle Rail Trail yesterday with Feral Beast and it's a great amble that I can highly recommend for interested rail fans. Be sure to get the guide to take with you as it not only stops you from falling down Alice's rabbit hole but points out many remaining features of the original railway line that 100 yrs of nature hasn't quite obliterated.
A little something extra we discovered when we trotted back and headed for Hell (aka Chadstone) was the former Reg Hunt Holden site on Dandy Road - right beside the former railway line- has many pieces of old rail track dotted around the property boundaries set in concrete.
Hoping to walk the old Rosstown Rail Trail sometime this coming week and, hopefully, finish off the other end of the Outer Circle, too.
Reuben wanted to know why there's a station named Jewell on the Upfield line.
It was originally unoriginally named South Brunswick until February 1st, 1954 when some bright spark changed its title to Jewell, named after James Robert Jewell, a former steam engine driver, Brunswick councillor and mayor, and Parliamentary Whip.
1788 Some peoples pitched their tents and did their thing at Port Jackson...or so they want us to believe!
1798 Ever helpful George Bass picked up 5 stranded convicts on Glennie Island and dropped them on the mainland to walk back to Sydney.
Strangely they were never seen or heard from again.
Not an email or txt.
1798 Something that was sighted, although they're fast disappearing, were the first koala and lyrebird near Bargo NSW.
The animals didn't rate the Europeans very highly.
1808 Poor old Governor Bligh - who wasn't hiding under any bed - was arrested by that silly power-hungry upstart called Major George Johnston (who got his Karma right in his rear).
1844 Governor FitzRoy pottered across to NZ and, despite the demands for revenge in the Wairau Massacre of 22 settlers, he decreed the Maori had been provoked by the Europeans' unreasonable actions.
So revenge was off the menu.
1938 Aborigines held a public meeting in the Australia Hall in Sydney where they declared today the first Day of Mourning, and demanded land rights, citizenship rights and the right of self-determination. Further info HERE.
1966 Something that still makes us hug our children close and sends shivers down our spines was the Beaumont children disappearing into thin air.
1974 Two Kiwis who made like fish and were dipped in gold for their efforts were Christchurch teens Janie Parkhouse and Mark Treffers when they won in the Commonwealth Games swimming events.
Mark Treffers Drive and Parkhouse Road are vehicle carriageways named after the 400mts and 800mts stars.
1984 A record daily total of 84.8 mms (3.33 inches, 0.27 feet or perhaps 0.0169 rods) saw most of Southland (NZ) floating along with their back teeth with the water-logged streets around Invercargill, Bluff, Riverton, Otautau and Tuatapere.
1986 And Elton was warbling from the top spot in NZ - while wowing the girls with his large "lens" - with Nikita.
1994 Prince Charlie Windsor was attacked by a chap who fired 2 shots from a starter's pistol during some kind of function at Darling Harbour.
A little something extra we discovered when we trotted back and headed for Hell (aka Chadstone) was the former Reg Hunt Holden site on Dandy Road - right beside the former railway line- has many pieces of old rail track dotted around the property boundaries set in concrete.
Hoping to walk the old Rosstown Rail Trail sometime this coming week and, hopefully, finish off the other end of the Outer Circle, too.
Reuben wanted to know why there's a station named Jewell on the Upfield line.
It was originally unoriginally named South Brunswick until February 1st, 1954 when some bright spark changed its title to Jewell, named after James Robert Jewell, a former steam engine driver, Brunswick councillor and mayor, and Parliamentary Whip.
The origins of the Australia Day holiday, from 1818, were to build up a sense of pride and awareness in Aussie history and traditions.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with celebrating the mastering of anyone else, contrary to popular revisionists belief.
1788 Some peoples pitched their tents and did their thing at Port Jackson...or so they want us to believe!
1798 Ever helpful George Bass picked up 5 stranded convicts on Glennie Island and dropped them on the mainland to walk back to Sydney.
Strangely they were never seen or heard from again.
Not an email or txt.
1798 Something that was sighted, although they're fast disappearing, were the first koala and lyrebird near Bargo NSW.
The animals didn't rate the Europeans very highly.
1808 Poor old Governor Bligh - who wasn't hiding under any bed - was arrested by that silly power-hungry upstart called Major George Johnston (who got his Karma right in his rear).
1844 Governor FitzRoy pottered across to NZ and, despite the demands for revenge in the Wairau Massacre of 22 settlers, he decreed the Maori had been provoked by the Europeans' unreasonable actions.
So revenge was off the menu.
1938 Aborigines held a public meeting in the Australia Hall in Sydney where they declared today the first Day of Mourning, and demanded land rights, citizenship rights and the right of self-determination. Further info HERE.
1966 Something that still makes us hug our children close and sends shivers down our spines was the Beaumont children disappearing into thin air.
1974 Two Kiwis who made like fish and were dipped in gold for their efforts were Christchurch teens Janie Parkhouse and Mark Treffers when they won in the Commonwealth Games swimming events.
Mark Treffers Drive and Parkhouse Road are vehicle carriageways named after the 400mts and 800mts stars.
1984 A record daily total of 84.8 mms (3.33 inches, 0.27 feet or perhaps 0.0169 rods) saw most of Southland (NZ) floating along with their back teeth with the water-logged streets around Invercargill, Bluff, Riverton, Otautau and Tuatapere.
1986 And Elton was warbling from the top spot in NZ - while wowing the girls with his large "lens" - with Nikita.
1994 Prince Charlie Windsor was attacked by a chap who fired 2 shots from a starter's pistol during some kind of function at Darling Harbour.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Slammin' Trivial Sunday History January 25
I know it's been a loooooooooooooong time since I sewed, and I'm prepared to accept that commonplace items have changed....like the fact we no longer need to cure the hide before having material to make things.
Or use fish bones as needles.
But when did "tailors chalk" become a "dressmaking pencil" but still carry the packaging calling it chalk?
Bought a packet that stated it was "tailors chalk", got it home and inside were "dressmaking pencils".
If I'd have known that I would have saved my pennies and just raided Feral Beast's pencil case!
There's a theme to today's trivial stuff....see if you can pick it.
HINT - it's nothing to do with the batch of scones, self-saucing double chocolate pudding and honeycomb mousse I made for sweets last night.
1848 The final convict ship to regurgitate the shackled sort into Victoria, "Marion", propped herself up at the bar at Port Melbourne.
1865 Australia, and Melbourne in particular, was in a lot of hot water when the US Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah sailed jauntily into Hobson's Bay and was slipped at Williamstown for repairs. Click HERE for a pic. The US Consul demanded that the ship be seized as a pirate but she was allowed to go on her merry way on February 18.
1868 The City of Melbourne was destroyed by fire.
No, not the city itself, you goose, the steamer ship named for the actual city.
Anyways, it was loaded with wool and all sorts of goodies while it was in Williamstown , then it got a tad warm under the gunwale, and went belly up.
Full story from the newspaper report of the time HERE.
1878 The world's very first torpedo fired in battle ( woohoo.) was launched by a Russian boat to sink a Turkish steamer ship.
1883 The New Zealand Shipping Company kept doing what they did best - shipping - except they did it longer and in other countries when they began a direct steam shipping service to the UK.
1950 HMAS Tarakan , a tank landing ship, was in dock at Garden Island for repairs when she exploded, resulting in 8 deaths.
1992 Number 1 top single in NZ was Gun 'n' Roses Live and Let Die.
Or use fish bones as needles.
But when did "tailors chalk" become a "dressmaking pencil" but still carry the packaging calling it chalk?
Bought a packet that stated it was "tailors chalk", got it home and inside were "dressmaking pencils".
If I'd have known that I would have saved my pennies and just raided Feral Beast's pencil case!
There's a theme to today's trivial stuff....see if you can pick it.
HINT - it's nothing to do with the batch of scones, self-saucing double chocolate pudding and honeycomb mousse I made for sweets last night.
1848 The final convict ship to regurgitate the shackled sort into Victoria, "Marion", propped herself up at the bar at Port Melbourne.
1865 Australia, and Melbourne in particular, was in a lot of hot water when the US Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah sailed jauntily into Hobson's Bay and was slipped at Williamstown for repairs. Click HERE for a pic. The US Consul demanded that the ship be seized as a pirate but she was allowed to go on her merry way on February 18.
1868 The City of Melbourne was destroyed by fire.
No, not the city itself, you goose, the steamer ship named for the actual city.
Anyways, it was loaded with wool and all sorts of goodies while it was in Williamstown , then it got a tad warm under the gunwale, and went belly up.
Full story from the newspaper report of the time HERE.
1878 The world's very first torpedo fired in battle ( woohoo.) was launched by a Russian boat to sink a Turkish steamer ship.
1883 The New Zealand Shipping Company kept doing what they did best - shipping - except they did it longer and in other countries when they began a direct steam shipping service to the UK.
1950 HMAS Tarakan , a tank landing ship, was in dock at Garden Island for repairs when she exploded, resulting in 8 deaths.
1992 Number 1 top single in NZ was Gun 'n' Roses Live and Let Die.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Saddles 'n' Spurs Suggested for Trivial History Saturday January 24
I've polished the silverware, dusted, washed and dried the lead crystal, dusted,re-arranged the family photos, dusted, changed the doilies over, dusted, re-arranged a few small pieces of furniture, dusted, now all that's left to do is dust.............
No, I'm not nesting.
But I will be doing that filthy 4-letter word in the near future - using the i...r...o...n !
Just before you reach Pakenham train station there's a paddock to the right with orange signs declaring "Train station here".
Is this a request, a statement of fact or a demand? If I donate FB's Lego blocks will this help the phantom station fetier? Will I get an ice cream for my trouble?
Please help as it's kept me awake at night for several nights puzzling my small grey matter.
Although that might have been the heat....
1679 A wise move by King Charles II of Old Blighty was to disband Parliament.
I say we all dub ourselves Kings and Queens - although I see some of us have already done so! - and disband a bit of Govt that doesn't agree with you.
Oh, Kosky....? Where for art thou...?
1828 Governor Darling decided to pull the plug on the Sullivan Bay settlement at Westernport Bay so he sent the schooner - that's a ship not an Aussie beer glass size - to collect everyone.
1865 The Lame Seagull aka General Cameron and his 1,200 troops waltzed themselves out of Wanganui to invade South Taranaki....as one does when one has nothing better to do.
1865 Another something puffing a lot of hot air in NZ was the first horse-drawn steam fire engine, imported for the Dunedin Brigade, dubbed "Extinguisher".
1883 The bloke in charge of the native police in Cloncurry, Qld, Marcus de la Poer Beresford (try saying that mouthful with your back teeth floating in beer and no teeth in at all) and 4 police were ambushed and killed by Aborigines which caused more than a year of battles.
1922 Most importantly Christian Nelson, of USA, patented the yummy Eskimo Pie.
1974 Christchurch was playing host to Prince Phillip as he officially opened the 10th British Commonwealth Games (yes, that was the correct title back in the day).
1980 Excitment gripped the populace of Melbourne when the first section of the underground loop was flung open for service......which is frequently cancelled, delayed or just simply doesn't exist.
But have an ice cream, perhaps an Eskimo Pie, instead
1990 Prince Edwrad had a hankering for Auckland so he got the job of opening the 14th Commonwealth Games.
No, I'm not nesting.
But I will be doing that filthy 4-letter word in the near future - using the i...r...o...n !
Just before you reach Pakenham train station there's a paddock to the right with orange signs declaring "Train station here".
Is this a request, a statement of fact or a demand? If I donate FB's Lego blocks will this help the phantom station fetier? Will I get an ice cream for my trouble?
Please help as it's kept me awake at night for several nights puzzling my small grey matter.
Although that might have been the heat....
1679 A wise move by King Charles II of Old Blighty was to disband Parliament.
I say we all dub ourselves Kings and Queens - although I see some of us have already done so! - and disband a bit of Govt that doesn't agree with you.
Oh, Kosky....? Where for art thou...?
1828 Governor Darling decided to pull the plug on the Sullivan Bay settlement at Westernport Bay so he sent the schooner - that's a ship not an Aussie beer glass size - to collect everyone.
1865 The Lame Seagull aka General Cameron and his 1,200 troops waltzed themselves out of Wanganui to invade South Taranaki....as one does when one has nothing better to do.
1865 Another something puffing a lot of hot air in NZ was the first horse-drawn steam fire engine, imported for the Dunedin Brigade, dubbed "Extinguisher".
1883 The bloke in charge of the native police in Cloncurry, Qld, Marcus de la Poer Beresford (try saying that mouthful with your back teeth floating in beer and no teeth in at all) and 4 police were ambushed and killed by Aborigines which caused more than a year of battles.
1922 Most importantly Christian Nelson, of USA, patented the yummy Eskimo Pie.
1974 Christchurch was playing host to Prince Phillip as he officially opened the 10th British Commonwealth Games (yes, that was the correct title back in the day).
1980 Excitment gripped the populace of Melbourne when the first section of the underground loop was flung open for service......which is frequently cancelled, delayed or just simply doesn't exist.
But have an ice cream, perhaps an Eskimo Pie, instead
1990 Prince Edwrad had a hankering for Auckland so he got the job of opening the 14th Commonwealth Games.
Friday, January 23, 2009
No Funky Frills Trivial History Friday January 23
I stupidly bravely trotted out to Hurstbridge in the heat yesterday to have my wicked way with their op shop.
Some odd people use the train out that way (she says, looking in the mirror).
A middle aged lady I dubbed Glinda Von Trapp (the black sheep of magic dressmaking and lonely goats that Julie Andrews never mentions) leapt into the carriage with alien energy. Her arms were filled with dresses, shirts, and skirts while she managed to generously swig from a soft drink bottle that appeared to have been doctored.
It briefly crossed my mind that this may be JahTeh on the run having helped herself to the frock exhibition but this person had one eye pointing to the Scotch while the other pointed past the gin and straight onto the meths.
The train was an old creeping Comeng that took almost 20 mins to reach the next station so we were treated to a small, personal exhibition as Glinda Von Trapp performed a version of the fan dance with various articles of clothing (Feral Beast had a book on fossils which he hid behind) while I thanked Goddess for low vision.
Sadly, Glinda obviously didn't feel the appreciation from the carriage audience and deserted us only 2 further stops along the line, leaping from the carriage with nary a wobble of her pins in those mile high stilettos, still swigging from her bottle.
1796 Blasphemy!!! A general order was issued in the colony that prohibited all distilling of spirits.
1803 Charles Grimes (Chas to his mates) led a party of sight-seeing tourists from the ship Cumberland, who were exploring the far reaches of Port Phillip Bay, when they decided to climb Arthur's Seat.
Because it was there and they could.
1833 And they say those colonials had no sense of fun in the old days....Bathurst was gazetted as a town.
1855 As the Wellingtonians were celebrating the 15th anniversary of plonking themselves on the lump of dirt the earth moved for them; or rather the earthquake moved the earth for them.
It had great benefits, although I wouldn't recommend any body help themselves to an earthquake going cheap down the pub. This one measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale and levelled off a nice foundation of land for the CBD of Wellington, created a nifty bit of dirt for a road and train line to the Hutt Valley and (really must thank Mother Nature for this last one) drained the swamp to create the famous Basin Reserve Cricket Ground.
2008 After 128 years The Bulletin was put to bed for the final time.
Some odd people use the train out that way (she says, looking in the mirror).
A middle aged lady I dubbed Glinda Von Trapp (the black sheep of magic dressmaking and lonely goats that Julie Andrews never mentions) leapt into the carriage with alien energy. Her arms were filled with dresses, shirts, and skirts while she managed to generously swig from a soft drink bottle that appeared to have been doctored.
It briefly crossed my mind that this may be JahTeh on the run having helped herself to the frock exhibition but this person had one eye pointing to the Scotch while the other pointed past the gin and straight onto the meths.
The train was an old creeping Comeng that took almost 20 mins to reach the next station so we were treated to a small, personal exhibition as Glinda Von Trapp performed a version of the fan dance with various articles of clothing (Feral Beast had a book on fossils which he hid behind) while I thanked Goddess for low vision.
Sadly, Glinda obviously didn't feel the appreciation from the carriage audience and deserted us only 2 further stops along the line, leaping from the carriage with nary a wobble of her pins in those mile high stilettos, still swigging from her bottle.
1796 Blasphemy!!! A general order was issued in the colony that prohibited all distilling of spirits.
Cringe factor = 10+ with Convoy
1803 Charles Grimes (Chas to his mates) led a party of sight-seeing tourists from the ship Cumberland, who were exploring the far reaches of Port Phillip Bay, when they decided to climb Arthur's Seat.
Because it was there and they could.
For LOTR and sci-fi fans - Mr Spock singing The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.
1833 And they say those colonials had no sense of fun in the old days....Bathurst was gazetted as a town.
Captain Kirk, putting the story straight...or so he thinks.
1855 As the Wellingtonians were celebrating the 15th anniversary of plonking themselves on the lump of dirt the earth moved for them; or rather the earthquake moved the earth for them.
It had great benefits, although I wouldn't recommend any body help themselves to an earthquake going cheap down the pub. This one measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale and levelled off a nice foundation of land for the CBD of Wellington, created a nifty bit of dirt for a road and train line to the Hutt Valley and (really must thank Mother Nature for this last one) drained the swamp to create the famous Basin Reserve Cricket Ground.
Go on, see who wins out of Eminem and Lou Vega, you know you want to...
2008 After 128 years The Bulletin was put to bed for the final time.
Doctor Who gets close and chummy with the Cybermen....
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Juggling Thursday Trivial January 22 History
I have an alarming memory of visiting the thunderbox while at my uncle's house.
It was evening so the cute, fluffy noturnal animals were up and about....including the possum that lived in the roof of the thunderbox.
Yes, the Possum Mafia have been haunting my every move for quite some time now.
Anyway the possum appeared to believe the thunderbox was its own personal dunny and let rip through the ceiling with what anyone would assume was the sole domain of koalas.
It pissed on me.
Dirty little beast couldn't hold on till it passed the lemon tree????
Enjoy some comedy songs today....beginning with Banana Boat Song and Tele-Vee-Shun.
1788 Phillip and Hunter were left less than impressed with the lack of atmosphere at Botany Bay so they went for a stroll and decided Port Jackson had more elan as a site for a settlement.
1788 Whilst on another of his strolls, Phillip was left breathless at the manly bearing of the Aboriginals at a quaint beach spot which he dreamily named Manly.
1836 A town began to grow, throwing out its tendrils of commerce, when the first land sales were held at Singleton in NSW.
1840 The good ship Aurora fetched up in Petone, filled to the brim with bright shiny new European settlers the New Zealand Company was ready to park on lumps of land in the area that was to become known as Wellington, after Arthur Wellesley the first Duke of Wellington.
1901 After a record-breaking 63 years on the throne Queen Vicky popped her clogs at the grand old age of 82 (and the stake through the heart, silver bullet and garlands of garlic are merely rumours, people!).
1903 Having a botox party night without the dart-board left everyone at a loose ends until someone suggested they create The Christchurch Tramway Board and hold their first meeting.
Which they did after they gave up asking what botox was....
1920 For the obligatory bit of politics - the Australian Country Party was not throwing another snag on the barbie but was, in fact, getting birthed at a meeting of farmers on this day.
1953 The NT Legislative Council passed legislation to give Northern Territory Aboriginals full citizenship rights unless they were under state care.
1960 INXS singer who just kept us hanging on for more *groan* Michael Hutchence was pupped.
1976 Malcolm Fraser didn't have much of an ear for music so he reinstated the dirge God Save The Queen as the Oz National Anthem.
1987 Those in The Shaky Isles did have an ear for music and pushed Gwen Guthrie's Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent.
It was evening so the cute, fluffy noturnal animals were up and about....including the possum that lived in the roof of the thunderbox.
Yes, the Possum Mafia have been haunting my every move for quite some time now.
Anyway the possum appeared to believe the thunderbox was its own personal dunny and let rip through the ceiling with what anyone would assume was the sole domain of koalas.
It pissed on me.
Dirty little beast couldn't hold on till it passed the lemon tree????
Leechbabe put my onto a great NZ history blog yesterday, Timespanner, and I'm having a wow of a time reading through Lisa's work.
Pop over and have a good peruse through, it's certainly worth your while!
Enjoy some comedy songs today....beginning with Banana Boat Song and Tele-Vee-Shun.
1788 Phillip and Hunter were left less than impressed with the lack of atmosphere at Botany Bay so they went for a stroll and decided Port Jackson had more elan as a site for a settlement.
How about some St George and The Dragnet ?
1788 Whilst on another of his strolls, Phillip was left breathless at the manly bearing of the Aboriginals at a quaint beach spot which he dreamily named Manly.
C'mon, some Sh-Boom should get you going...
1836 A town began to grow, throwing out its tendrils of commerce, when the first land sales were held at Singleton in NSW.
A handful of The Great Pretender with a little Quest For Bridey Hammerschlaugen to twist around your tongue?
1840 The good ship Aurora fetched up in Petone, filled to the brim with bright shiny new European settlers the New Zealand Company was ready to park on lumps of land in the area that was to become known as Wellington, after Arthur Wellesley the first Duke of Wellington.
1901 After a record-breaking 63 years on the throne Queen Vicky popped her clogs at the grand old age of 82 (and the stake through the heart, silver bullet and garlands of garlic are merely rumours, people!).
There's a lesson in Be kind to your web-footed friends...
1903 Having a botox party night without the dart-board left everyone at a loose ends until someone suggested they create The Christchurch Tramway Board and hold their first meeting.
Which they did after they gave up asking what botox was....
Some belated Christmas Dragnet....
1920 For the obligatory bit of politics - the Australian Country Party was not throwing another snag on the barbie but was, in fact, getting birthed at a meeting of farmers on this day.
PC madness with Elderly Man River.....
1953 The NT Legislative Council passed legislation to give Northern Territory Aboriginals full citizenship rights unless they were under state care.
A touch of Yankee Doodle name calling, maybe?
1960 INXS singer who just kept us hanging on for more *groan* Michael Hutchence was pupped.
Don't panic, I'm My Own Grandpa comes with diagrams...
1976 Malcolm Fraser didn't have much of an ear for music so he reinstated the dirge God Save The Queen as the Oz National Anthem.
Rick Dees may have had His Cast of Idiots but Disco Duck buried itself in everyone's brains.
1987 Those in The Shaky Isles did have an ear for music and pushed Gwen Guthrie's Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent.
Something I try to refrain from is Poisoning Pigeons In The Park.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Warbling January 21 Wednesday Trivial History
It's a bit of a musical mish-mash today, dear readers, some of my favourite silly nonsense songs to distract you from the fact that I haven't really written much.
Oops.
Shouldn't have thought out loud again.
But, just for WS, we all know I won't learn my lesson contrary to the song History Never Repeats.
It's National Hugging Day.
RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!
Or you can pencil in National Whiner's Day for Boxing Day '09.
1801 Port Jackson was graced with the presence of the US ship Follensbe but as she was weighted down with that demon drink Governor King refused to give it permission to touch his pure-as-the-driven-snow shore.
1842 The first public execution in Melbourne was that of two Tasmanian Aborigines, Tunnerminnerwait and Peevay, convicted for the murder of 2 whalers. Stories abound of sightings of their ghosts at the Queen Victoria Market (former cemetery) where they are still buried.
For the story of the shameful execution click HERE.
1863 Poor silly old Robert O'Hara Burke and John Wills were given their final resting place in the Melbourne General Cemetery with all the pollies having a half-day holiday and joining in the funeral procession.
1887 Brisvegas was showing off again when it received a daily record of a mere 465mms (18.3 inches).
Of rain.
Inside one day.
1930 Just for Lee - according to various websites today the first sci-fi comic strip appeared to the masses ; Buck Rogers.
1944 Oz and NZ put their mark on a scrap of paper known as The Canberra Pact (ohh! CAPITALS - be impressed!) where they agreed to work more closely together, co-operate on international matters and try to not humiliate each other in sporting events.
1951 Only one out of the 22 starters who began the Wellington to Christchurch centennial yacht race managed to finish it when a dreadful storm blew up sinking the yachts Argo and Husky, with the loss of 10 lives.
1974 TV host Rove McManus was dropped down the chimney by the stork.
1998 All Saints had the Kiwis bopping till they burst to Never Ever.
Oops.
Shouldn't have thought out loud again.
But, just for WS, we all know I won't learn my lesson contrary to the song History Never Repeats.
It's National Hugging Day.
RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!
Or you can pencil in National Whiner's Day for Boxing Day '09.
Remember what happened at the Mississippi Squirrel Revival?
1801 Port Jackson was graced with the presence of the US ship Follensbe but as she was weighted down with that demon drink Governor King refused to give it permission to touch his pure-as-the-driven-snow shore.
Find out what Little Blue Riding Hood was smuggling in her basket...
1842 The first public execution in Melbourne was that of two Tasmanian Aborigines, Tunnerminnerwait and Peevay, convicted for the murder of 2 whalers. Stories abound of sightings of their ghosts at the Queen Victoria Market (former cemetery) where they are still buried.
For the story of the shameful execution click HERE.
Full violent details on how to rid yourself of The Little Blue Man.
1863 Poor silly old Robert O'Hara Burke and John Wills were given their final resting place in the Melbourne General Cemetery with all the pollies having a half-day holiday and joining in the funeral procession.
Just do as the song says - Never Hit Your Grandma With A Shovel!
1887 Brisvegas was showing off again when it received a daily record of a mere 465mms (18.3 inches).
Of rain.
Inside one day.
See what grown men do when Nellie The Elephant runs amok...
1930 Just for Lee - according to various websites today the first sci-fi comic strip appeared to the masses ; Buck Rogers.
Would you believe James Bond Lives Down Our Street ?
1944 Oz and NZ put their mark on a scrap of paper known as The Canberra Pact (ohh! CAPITALS - be impressed!) where they agreed to work more closely together, co-operate on international matters and try to not humiliate each other in sporting events.
For a good education listen carefully to the lyrics of the Red Symons-penned Smut
1951 Only one out of the 22 starters who began the Wellington to Christchurch centennial yacht race managed to finish it when a dreadful storm blew up sinking the yachts Argo and Husky, with the loss of 10 lives.
And what else do you order at the counter but a Wangaratta Wahine.....
1974 TV host Rove McManus was dropped down the chimney by the stork.
Pick which Goodie is playing dress-ups in The Urban Spaceman.
1998 All Saints had the Kiwis bopping till they burst to Never Ever.
Now, boys and girls, save your arms and say Farewell Aunty Jack!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Don't look now but it's January 20th Trivial History!
A wonderfully sweltering something or other day awaits you all ...while I shall be dipping my not-so-dainty tootsies in the salty brine at Mordialloc Beach.
Fear not!
I shant be divesting myself of the miles of fabric I refer to as clothing to don a swimsuit as both Greenpeace and PETA have warned me that I shall not only be rolled back in (and coralled out to open water) but that I'd have the beach swarming with Japanese whalers within a heartbeat.
And I'm so not doing a sushi side dish.
*Edit - I shall be parking my posterior at home and not venturing out into 37 C heat for love nor money.
The beach remains a safe haven for families.
1788 The last of the First Fleet finally limped into Botany Bay, late due to playing silly buggers up the back of the fleet when Governor Phillip wasn't looking.
1854 I have a notation stating that " a fire destroyed a city block in Hobart".
What city block that may have been or how the fire began I have not the foggiest.
Obviously one of those notes I didn't get off my rear to investigate properly, so if you happen to know the juicy gossip of this fire, let me in on the secret!
1882 New Zealand's first sewerage farm began doin' its stuff when the drainage pumping station (most importantly!) did its stuff on this day.
1898 Bushfires swept through the Otway Ranges, and both the South and West Gippsland districts of Victoria, flaring up again later on February 1 and becoming known as Red Tuesday for the ferocity of the flames and loss of life.
1952 Excitingly the first express choo choo made its way between Melbourne and Adelaide.
1957 Sir Edmund Hillary had a free spot in his dance card so he established the Kiwi's main presence in Antarctica in the form of Scott Base.
1984 Across the ditch they were gettin' funky with Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.
As was Billy Joel himself...
Not to mention the Oc. Health and Safety issues in that garage!
1986 We thought we were all that while bopping away to Starship's We Built This City.
And some of us were all that...until all that disappeared with nappies and kids.
1998 Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Oh, well, ok, if you insist....the Metcard ticketing system began making its presence felt on several railway stations around Melbourne.
2003 Trade Union Leader John Halfpenny left the Trades Hall of Life for good.
Fear not!
I shant be divesting myself of the miles of fabric I refer to as clothing to don a swimsuit as both Greenpeace and PETA have warned me that I shall not only be rolled back in (and coralled out to open water) but that I'd have the beach swarming with Japanese whalers within a heartbeat.
And I'm so not doing a sushi side dish.
*Edit - I shall be parking my posterior at home and not venturing out into 37 C heat for love nor money.
The beach remains a safe haven for families.
1788 The last of the First Fleet finally limped into Botany Bay, late due to playing silly buggers up the back of the fleet when Governor Phillip wasn't looking.
1854 I have a notation stating that " a fire destroyed a city block in Hobart".
What city block that may have been or how the fire began I have not the foggiest.
Obviously one of those notes I didn't get off my rear to investigate properly, so if you happen to know the juicy gossip of this fire, let me in on the secret!
1882 New Zealand's first sewerage farm began doin' its stuff when the drainage pumping station (most importantly!) did its stuff on this day.
1898 Bushfires swept through the Otway Ranges, and both the South and West Gippsland districts of Victoria, flaring up again later on February 1 and becoming known as Red Tuesday for the ferocity of the flames and loss of life.
1952 Excitingly the first express choo choo made its way between Melbourne and Adelaide.
1957 Sir Edmund Hillary had a free spot in his dance card so he established the Kiwi's main presence in Antarctica in the form of Scott Base.
1984 Across the ditch they were gettin' funky with Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.
As was Billy Joel himself...
Not to mention the Oc. Health and Safety issues in that garage!
1986 We thought we were all that while bopping away to Starship's We Built This City.
And some of us were all that...until all that disappeared with nappies and kids.
1998 Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Oh, well, ok, if you insist....the Metcard ticketing system began making its presence felt on several railway stations around Melbourne.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Yes, I'm late January 19 Trivial History Blah!
I have a perfectly good excuse for my tardiness, sir/miss....
I was off galivanting and having a ripper of a time in rural Hurstbridge.
Well, I would have been if the op shop hadn't been closed (darn those volunteers actually having a life *shakes fist at sky* ).
So, we ambled our arses back down the track to Greensborough where we frolicked in the 30+ eggs-over-easy-on-the-footpath weather, then trotted on home via Ventura Bus lines.
Can I take a moment to mention the fantabulous Wattle Cafe in Hurstbridge?
Yep...it was closed, too.
But the Stoneground Bakery had the most scrumptious smells drifting out from its doors that it almost made me forsake my tuna and onion home-made sangas.
Almost.
The crusts of which we donated to the baby Magpie who begged ever-so-politely from the tree above us.
1835 The "last remaining" Tassie Aborigines were rounded up and put onto Flinders Island.
Apparently all those others in Tassie were figments of our imaginations.
1840 William Hobson stalked off into the sunset from Sydney to become Lt-Governor of NZ.
These days you're allowed to exchange things for cruddy workmanship.
1845 Hone Heke was a tad miffed with the Brits...so he chopped the flagpole down.
For the 3rd time.
1900 Sydney excitedly discovered its very first case of the plague; in the following 8 months 103 people were carried off this mortal coil from the disease.
1935 The Duke of Gloucester descended upon the Canterburians ? Christchurchians ? for 3 days.
1947 The TSMV Wanganella was completing her first trans-Tasman since the Second World War broke out when she went aground at the entrance to Wellington Harbour on Barrett Reef.
All 400 passengers were safely rescued without harm and the ship was refloated off the reef on February 6th but she was out of commission for almost 2 years.
1954 QE II and Phil the Greek descended upon the Christchurchians ? Canterburians ? for 3 days in the first visit to The Shaky Isles by a monarch plopped on the throne.
1956 Two brand spanking new banks opened their doors - The Bank of NSW and the ANZ.
1957 A Melbourne icon, The Argus newspaper hit the seedy city streets for the final time.
1967 An explosion at the Strongman Mine , at Runanga, left 19 dead due to safety regs not being followed.
1976 Every Aussie was rockin' to Ted Mulry Gang at the top spot with the original, un-Hoff-molested Jump In My Car .
Or you could revisit The Angels Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (no way get flocked, flock off)...
1995 Pope John Paul II conducted a mass at Rankwick Racecoursefor horse number 11 in the 5th race who didn't have a snow flake's hope of even making it around the course to celebrate Mary MacKillop's beatification.
2000 S Club 7 had the Kiwis bopping away to the number one S Club Party.
Or you could re-visit one of their other hits Don't Stop Movin
I was off galivanting and having a ripper of a time in rural Hurstbridge.
Well, I would have been if the op shop hadn't been closed (darn those volunteers actually having a life *shakes fist at sky* ).
So, we ambled our arses back down the track to Greensborough where we frolicked in the 30+ eggs-over-easy-on-the-footpath weather, then trotted on home via Ventura Bus lines.
Can I take a moment to mention the fantabulous Wattle Cafe in Hurstbridge?
Yep...it was closed, too.
But the Stoneground Bakery had the most scrumptious smells drifting out from its doors that it almost made me forsake my tuna and onion home-made sangas.
Almost.
The crusts of which we donated to the baby Magpie who begged ever-so-politely from the tree above us.
1835 The "last remaining" Tassie Aborigines were rounded up and put onto Flinders Island.
Apparently all those others in Tassie were figments of our imaginations.
1840 William Hobson stalked off into the sunset from Sydney to become Lt-Governor of NZ.
These days you're allowed to exchange things for cruddy workmanship.
1845 Hone Heke was a tad miffed with the Brits...so he chopped the flagpole down.
For the 3rd time.
1900 Sydney excitedly discovered its very first case of the plague; in the following 8 months 103 people were carried off this mortal coil from the disease.
1935 The Duke of Gloucester descended upon the Canterburians ? Christchurchians ? for 3 days.
1947 The TSMV Wanganella was completing her first trans-Tasman since the Second World War broke out when she went aground at the entrance to Wellington Harbour on Barrett Reef.
All 400 passengers were safely rescued without harm and the ship was refloated off the reef on February 6th but she was out of commission for almost 2 years.
1954 QE II and Phil the Greek descended upon the Christchurchians ? Canterburians ? for 3 days in the first visit to The Shaky Isles by a monarch plopped on the throne.
1956 Two brand spanking new banks opened their doors - The Bank of NSW and the ANZ.
1957 A Melbourne icon, The Argus newspaper hit the seedy city streets for the final time.
1967 An explosion at the Strongman Mine , at Runanga, left 19 dead due to safety regs not being followed.
1976 Every Aussie was rockin' to Ted Mulry Gang at the top spot with the original, un-Hoff-molested Jump In My Car .
Or you could revisit The Angels Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again (no way get flocked, flock off)...
1995 Pope John Paul II conducted a mass at Rankwick Racecourse
2000 S Club 7 had the Kiwis bopping away to the number one S Club Party.
Or you could re-visit one of their other hits Don't Stop Movin
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sleep in Trivial History Sunday January 18
I'm off to the local Sunday Trash and Treasure Market but I'm not holding out any hope of getting a decent price for The Spouse.
Someone once stopped and prodded him a bit but when I offered them money to take The Spouse away I was told there wasn't enough money in the world to tempt them.
Mind you, a few of the stall-holders like the look of him as a pack horse but when they found out how often he suffered from Man-Flu they poked him to move along with their barge poles.
I might leave him at home this time and have fun unencumbered!
1794 Being such artistic and sensitive souls the NSW Corps rioted after a play was held to celebrate the Queen's birthday on Norfolk Island.
Commandant Phillip Gidley King had to stamp his foot - twice! - and take stern measures to keep those naughty lads in line.
1815 Macquarie opened his experimental Native School at Parramatta with the grand sum of 6 boys and 6 girls.
1894 The New Brighton Pier was officially opened in Christchurch. Click HERE for more info and some pics of the new pier.
1933 The Aussie Cricket Board of Control was feeling slightly out of spin when they cabled the MCC to protest at the unsportsmanlikehead-hunting bodyline bowling that "was likely to upset friendly relations existing between Australia and England".
1971 George Harrison was in the top Aussie singles spot for a whole 8 weeks with My Sweet Lord.
Or you could listen to While My Guitar Gently Weeps...which wasn't in the charts at the time but it rocks.
1980 The Kiwis home-grown son Jon Stevens made it back to back number 1 hits in NZ when his Montego Bay kicked his other song Jezebel from the top spot.
* Links now added, after leaning my lesson from trying to write my posts while yakking on the phone.
Someone once stopped and prodded him a bit but when I offered them money to take The Spouse away I was told there wasn't enough money in the world to tempt them.
Mind you, a few of the stall-holders like the look of him as a pack horse but when they found out how often he suffered from Man-Flu they poked him to move along with their barge poles.
I might leave him at home this time and have fun unencumbered!
Commandant Phillip Gidley King had to stamp his foot - twice! - and take stern measures to keep those naughty lads in line.
1815 Macquarie opened his experimental Native School at Parramatta with the grand sum of 6 boys and 6 girls.
1894 The New Brighton Pier was officially opened in Christchurch. Click HERE for more info and some pics of the new pier.
1933 The Aussie Cricket Board of Control was feeling slightly out of spin when they cabled the MCC to protest at the unsportsmanlike
1971 George Harrison was in the top Aussie singles spot for a whole 8 weeks with My Sweet Lord.
Or you could listen to While My Guitar Gently Weeps...which wasn't in the charts at the time but it rocks.
1980 The Kiwis home-grown son Jon Stevens made it back to back number 1 hits in NZ when his Montego Bay kicked his other song Jezebel from the top spot.
* Links now added, after leaning my lesson from trying to write my posts while yakking on the phone.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Slippin' and Slidin' Trivial Saturday History January 17
Another Saturday just lying around, waiting for you to shift yourself out from under the blankets, to leap forth and greet the day, to embrace the early morning and race it off to search out the potential....and to see that the leaves get cleaned out from the spouting at long last.
1773 Captain Jimmy Cook became the first to dip his big toe in the Antarctic Circle.yippie.
1839 Bust out the piggy bank, Mabel, they upped the minimum price of land in NSW from 5 to 12 shillings per acre.
1853 The NZ Constitution Act of 1852 was declared up and running by Gov Sir George Grey.
The act established a system of representative government for NZ.
1877 Yippeee! Errr... The City Council officially opened its swimming pool it had built on the Avon River...only 150 mts from the Christchurch Hospital effluent out-flow pipe.
Oops.
1877 A fantastic children's author we called our own was dropped intothe cabbage patch Nutcote, the mother of the Gum Nut Babies May Gibbs.
1899 Another wonderful author we Aussies adopted as our own, Nevil Shute, was pupped in Ealing, London, who went on to write many novels but who could forget the end of the world in On The Beach?
1944 The Powers That Be introduced meat rationing but they forgot about the underground mutton (wabbits).
1985 Beslubbering barnacle-brainedBrit Tel Big Cheese Phone Company did thus blaspheme when it did announce the retirement, stage left, of the beloved and adored iconic red telephone boxes from the Isle of Britain.
And, behold, thy public did curse and howl at thee, odiferousBrit T Big Cheese Phone Co. and thy toad-snouted knave was bereft of any choice but to bow to the wishes of the masses and leave some of the red boxes pure and untouched by its villainous mitts.
1988 The very first episode of Home and Away, one of the longest Oz soapies, debuted on Aussie idiot boxes across the land.
1999 The top song single in the Land of The Kiwi was Take Me There warbled by Blackstreet featuring Mya, Mase and Blink Blink.
1773 Captain Jimmy Cook became the first to dip his big toe in the Antarctic Circle.yippie.
Did you know....NZ has 6,000 kms of coastline? Which makes for a hell of a lot of potential fishing spots.
1839 Bust out the piggy bank, Mabel, they upped the minimum price of land in NSW from 5 to 12 shillings per acre.
Tried looking for something silly in the UK entertainment news but it was as boring as bat shyte...in fact, it was so bad watching wet bat shyte dry in the Qld wet season would have been more exciting.
1853 The NZ Constitution Act of 1852 was declared up and running by Gov Sir George Grey.
The act established a system of representative government for NZ.
That's cruel to name your child after her country of birth - she's only going to keep remembering that Australia is better at cricket than she is!
1877 Yippeee! Errr... The City Council officially opened its swimming pool it had built on the Avon River...only 150 mts from the Christchurch Hospital effluent out-flow pipe.
Oops.
New lyrics, old song. (If you're going to San Francisco)
If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to burn a dunny for a dare....
1877 A fantastic children's author we called our own was dropped into
Attention all Men!
You do not have to strip naked to prove that you're completely unarmed in the battle of wits with women.
1899 Another wonderful author we Aussies adopted as our own, Nevil Shute, was pupped in Ealing, London, who went on to write many novels but who could forget the end of the world in On The Beach?
This is why you should never, ever jump queues.
Because someone, somwhere will unleash some bitchin' Karma on your arse.
1944 The Powers That Be introduced meat rationing but they forgot about the underground mutton (wabbits).
This story alerted authorities that the life guards on the Gene Pool were too munted to care.
1968 The rockin', rollin' riding group on the Morning Town Ride, The Seekers, were named Australians of The Year.Shocking!
Female stripper does her job in a prison and male guards don't stop her!
1985 Beslubbering barnacle-brained
And, behold, thy public did curse and howl at thee, odiferous
First they retrenched the tram conductors, then they ditched train station staff now they're trying to put the heat on tram drivers the hard way.
1988 The very first episode of Home and Away, one of the longest Oz soapies, debuted on Aussie idiot boxes across the land.
It must be really bad in The Shaky Isles when escaped prisoners hand themselves back in under 24 hours at large.
1999 The top song single in the Land of The Kiwi was Take Me There warbled by Blackstreet featuring Mya, Mase and Blink Blink.
Kids,when there's not a lemon tree in sight, plant sunflowers.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Fun times Friday ahead for the next 50 Trivial History kms January 16
Exciting times, dear readers, when one can...ohhh, licorice!
A whole tin of licorice begging to be eaten....yummmmmmm...
Yes, exciting things are happening here...have you seen the aniseed rings? I'm sure there was a bagstuffed down the back of the couch tucked away somewhere here....
Getting back to the subject at hand...now, where was...ohhhh, cheese and bacon balls, hmmmmm, they make a nice midnight snack...
Oh, yes, well you see we've enrolled Feral Beast in a Uni subject.
At Uni.
For him to study. In Australian Studies.
Hmmmm chicken chippies...just the one unit, so far.....barbeque flavoured chippies, too!
If FB survives and manages to find some iota of enjoyment from this study there's a second unit on archaeology I've marked for him....or was that the chocolate marshmallows I circled....?
1793 The good shipLollipop Bellona rocked up in Port Jackson with the first freebie immigrant settlers and a whole 17 convict women.
And lo; the male convicts did behold them in a radiant light *ahem*.
1889 Cloncurry in Queensland (oooo she typed the full name that time!) was roasting its residents slowly to gain the record of the highest temperature in Oz with 127.6 F (that's 53 C to you).
1936 The Kiwi inter-island commercial air service got off to a roaring start when Union Airways, based at Milson Aerodrome, took to the skies between Palmerston North and Dunedin.
1937 The Hawke's Bayfish wrapper Herald, which was pupped waaaay back in the dim dark past of 1857, inked its final issue before climbing into bed merging with The Hawke's Bay Tribune to create The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune which went on with progress to become part of Hawke's Bay Today.
1941 Today saw the girls finally let loose from the kitchen with the birth of the New Zealand Women's Auxiliary Air Force.
1948 Renown Kiwi singer and entertainer Dalvanius Prime was dropped off by the stork.
1962 Frank Hurley, appointed as the first official AIF photographer in 1917, died.
1980 Just for Reuben - Today saw the birth of Michelle Wild aka Katalin Vad, Hungarian Pornstar.
Yes, you may shoot me now, Reuben.
1992 Some unexpected guests dropped by for a cuppa tea at Doongan cattle station in Westralia when 34 male and female teachers and students from Beijing turned up after spending the better part of 10 days strolling from their wrecked boat at Swift Bay.
2005 Today was declared the NZ national day of mourning for the victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami, with 1 minutes' silence at 2.59pm exactly 3 weeks after the horrific event.
2007 Large areas of Victoria learned to love Scrabble by torch light when bushfires knocked out transmission lines causing blackouts.
A whole tin of licorice begging to be eaten....yummmmmmm...
Yes, exciting things are happening here...have you seen the aniseed rings? I'm sure there was a bag
Getting back to the subject at hand...now, where was...ohhhh, cheese and bacon balls, hmmmmm, they make a nice midnight snack...
Oh, yes, well you see we've enrolled Feral Beast in a Uni subject.
At Uni.
For him to study. In Australian Studies.
Hmmmm chicken chippies...just the one unit, so far.....barbeque flavoured chippies, too!
If FB survives and manages to find some iota of enjoyment from this study there's a second unit on archaeology I've marked for him....or was that the chocolate marshmallows I circled....?
1793 The good ship
And lo; the male convicts did behold them in a radiant light *ahem*.
1889 Cloncurry in Queensland (oooo she typed the full name that time!) was roasting its residents slowly to gain the record of the highest temperature in Oz with 127.6 F (that's 53 C to you).
1936 The Kiwi inter-island commercial air service got off to a roaring start when Union Airways, based at Milson Aerodrome, took to the skies between Palmerston North and Dunedin.
1937 The Hawke's Bay
1941 Today saw the girls finally let loose from the kitchen with the birth of the New Zealand Women's Auxiliary Air Force.
1948 Renown Kiwi singer and entertainer Dalvanius Prime was dropped off by the stork.
1962 Frank Hurley, appointed as the first official AIF photographer in 1917, died.
1980 Just for Reuben - Today saw the birth of Michelle Wild aka Katalin Vad, Hungarian Pornstar.
Yes, you may shoot me now, Reuben.
1992 Some unexpected guests dropped by for a cuppa tea at Doongan cattle station in Westralia when 34 male and female teachers and students from Beijing turned up after spending the better part of 10 days strolling from their wrecked boat at Swift Bay.
2005 Today was declared the NZ national day of mourning for the victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami, with 1 minutes' silence at 2.59pm exactly 3 weeks after the horrific event.
2007 Large areas of Victoria learned to love Scrabble by torch light when bushfires knocked out transmission lines causing blackouts.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Another Rollicking Thursday Trivial History January 15
The heat has abated, for a little respite, and we can all breathe in Melbourne again although I suspect many of us will still be sleeping with windows wide open to enjoy any tiny wisp of breeze.
Fans don't count.
Nor do air-cons.
No, the creepy weirdo breathing heavy outside your window doesn't count either though you may want to poke him with the electric cattle prod you got for Christmas.
Well, ok, you forgot to buy batteries but you can piff the out-of-date jar of cranberry sauce at him.
Yes, you may toss that leg of ham Great Aunt Phryne insisted you take on Boxing Day.
Heck, throw Great Aunt Phryne at him while you're at it, it's the only way you'll shoe-horn her out of the house before Easter.
1797 James Hetherington invented the Top Hat in London, plonked it on his head and caused such a riot that a child had him arm broken in the crush to escape the frightening (?!) headwear.
Poor old James was tossed in gaol for 6 months.
1842 The only Aussie to be Beatified, Mary MacKillop, was pupped (oh, yea, I can feel the flames licking my ankles) on this day.
1872 Just around the corner from where Andrew hangs his hat in St Kilda the last surviving member of the Burke and Wills expedition, John King, stopped surviving from TB aged 33.
1900 Adelaide played host to several cases of Bubonic Plague, a shocking little guest which kept popping up, uninvited, in all the mainland states for the next 10 years.
1930 US film director/producer Alexander Markey, who'd caused no end of mischief when filming another NZ-based flick only 2 years earlier, turned up like the proverbial bad penny to organise everything to begin filming Hei Tiki around Taupo the following month.
1950 Aussies pushed Burl Ives into the top of the charts with Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) for 8 weeks.
1970 Police and anti-Vietnam War protesters clashed outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Auckland where US Vice President Spiro Agnew was staying.
1980 The Kiwis were singing along with Joe Dolce with the number 1 single Shaddup You Face.
1988 Aboriginal TV station Imparja began transmitting in the Red Centre aka Alice Springs.
1990 Those over a certain age will remember London Bridge Arch on the south west coastline of Victoria at Port Campbell; well it falled down and went boom on this day...and some tourists squealed a bit.
2008 Sea Shepherd activist (watch the hits come flooding in now!) Benjamin Potts found himself detained upon the Japanese whaling vessel, Yushin Maru, he'd popped onto without an engraved invite *gasp* at the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary near Antarctica.
Fans don't count.
Nor do air-cons.
No, the creepy weirdo breathing heavy outside your window doesn't count either though you may want to poke him with the electric cattle prod you got for Christmas.
Well, ok, you forgot to buy batteries but you can piff the out-of-date jar of cranberry sauce at him.
Yes, you may toss that leg of ham Great Aunt Phryne insisted you take on Boxing Day.
Heck, throw Great Aunt Phryne at him while you're at it, it's the only way you'll shoe-horn her out of the house before Easter.
1797 James Hetherington invented the Top Hat in London, plonked it on his head and caused such a riot that a child had him arm broken in the crush to escape the frightening (?!) headwear.
Poor old James was tossed in gaol for 6 months.
1842 The only Aussie to be Beatified, Mary MacKillop, was pupped (oh, yea, I can feel the flames licking my ankles) on this day.
1872 Just around the corner from where Andrew hangs his hat in St Kilda the last surviving member of the Burke and Wills expedition, John King, stopped surviving from TB aged 33.
1900 Adelaide played host to several cases of Bubonic Plague, a shocking little guest which kept popping up, uninvited, in all the mainland states for the next 10 years.
1930 US film director/producer Alexander Markey, who'd caused no end of mischief when filming another NZ-based flick only 2 years earlier, turned up like the proverbial bad penny to organise everything to begin filming Hei Tiki around Taupo the following month.
1950 Aussies pushed Burl Ives into the top of the charts with Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) for 8 weeks.
1970 Police and anti-Vietnam War protesters clashed outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Auckland where US Vice President Spiro Agnew was staying.
1980 The Kiwis were singing along with Joe Dolce with the number 1 single Shaddup You Face.
1988 Aboriginal TV station Imparja began transmitting in the Red Centre aka Alice Springs.
1990 Those over a certain age will remember London Bridge Arch on the south west coastline of Victoria at Port Campbell; well it falled down and went boom on this day...and some tourists squealed a bit.
2008 Sea Shepherd activist (watch the hits come flooding in now!) Benjamin Potts found himself detained upon the Japanese whaling vessel, Yushin Maru, he'd popped onto without an engraved invite *gasp* at the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary near Antarctica.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Water-free Wednesday Trivial History January 14
Yes, we're such devotees of The Simpson's in Oz *gag* we've even now got our own mutant fish.
For all the fishy dirt click HERE.
Yes, we here in Oz continue using chemicals long after other civilised countries ban them...Aren't we just lucky little sunbeams of sunshine?
You think we're freaking out about contaminated water?
Hell yeah! Coping with fish fornicating in it was bad enough!
But it'll be ok once the politicians do their double-speak mumbo jumbo, flash their rabbits in hats at the media and no one will know they're eating Soylent Green...errr, 2 headed fish.
1834 Charles Waldron of the Illawarra district was belted to death although he took a good long 4 days to expire when convicts Mary Maloney and Sarah McGregor battered their tyrant boss (though not with a nice beer fish batter).
Over-whelming public sympathy saw their death sentences changed to 3 years imprisonment.
1852 Damn and blast it!
Melbourne failed miserably in it's bid totake over the whole world while we Melbournians could laugh maniacly, rubbing our hands together and plot the demise of some despot, somewhere, who displeased us greatly become the capital of Oz.
*sigh* We can still dream of being world boss....
1876 Collingwood - which is really and truly much more than just a bloody football team that loses the plot when it gets to the finals (waves to Eddie McGuire) - was proclaimed a city.
SEE?! Proof HERE it exists outside the damn footy oval!
1886 The "Great Peninsula Fire" ,as it came to be called, destroyed much of the native bushland on the Banks Peninsula of the South Island of NZ.
1891 Kiwi Bob Fitzsimmons knocked Jack Demspey out in New Orleans, winning the world middleweight boxing title.
1939 Bushfires throughout NSW claimed 8 lives with temperatures in Sydney reaching 113.6 F (45.3 C).
1985 Aussies, for 4 weeks, were singing every.little.word to number 1 single Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?
2003 Those in the Shaky Isles were pushing Las Ketchup to number 1, for 7 weeks, with The Ketchup Song.
For all the fishy dirt click HERE.
Yes, we here in Oz continue using chemicals long after other civilised countries ban them...Aren't we just lucky little sunbeams of sunshine?
You think we're freaking out about contaminated water?
Hell yeah! Coping with fish fornicating in it was bad enough!
But it'll be ok once the politicians do their double-speak mumbo jumbo, flash their rabbits in hats at the media and no one will know they're eating Soylent Green...errr, 2 headed fish.
1834 Charles Waldron of the Illawarra district was belted to death although he took a good long 4 days to expire when convicts Mary Maloney and Sarah McGregor battered their tyrant boss (though not with a nice beer fish batter).
Over-whelming public sympathy saw their death sentences changed to 3 years imprisonment.
1852 Damn and blast it!
Melbourne failed miserably in it's bid to
*sigh* We can still dream of being world boss....
1876 Collingwood - which is really and truly much more than just a bloody football team that loses the plot when it gets to the finals (waves to Eddie McGuire) - was proclaimed a city.
SEE?! Proof HERE it exists outside the damn footy oval!
1886 The "Great Peninsula Fire" ,as it came to be called, destroyed much of the native bushland on the Banks Peninsula of the South Island of NZ.
1891 Kiwi Bob Fitzsimmons knocked Jack Demspey out in New Orleans, winning the world middleweight boxing title.
1939 Bushfires throughout NSW claimed 8 lives with temperatures in Sydney reaching 113.6 F (45.3 C).
1985 Aussies, for 4 weeks, were singing every.little.word to number 1 single Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?
2003 Those in the Shaky Isles were pushing Las Ketchup to number 1, for 7 weeks, with The Ketchup Song.
Vale Nancy Bird Walton, superb pioneering aviator who helped save many lives.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
False Witness.......
..........a review of a Brit/Oz large pile of steaming horse Crap.
And yes, it needed a capital C for Crap...in fact you cannot make the capital C big enough.
Whoever directed, edited and wrote this needs to be horse-whipped from Britain to Oz.
The stellar cast, who had pedigrees and enough acting ability to steam-roll Cate "I'm going to populate the world all on my own" Blanchett at 100 paces, were left with muck sliding out of their hands no matter how hard they tried to salvage this shocker.
Note to director - when there's nothing happening on screen do NOT fill every scene with topless women. Even men started to make jokes about the over-abundance of naked flesh and lack of storyline/plot/anything that came within a bull's roar of making sense.
Another note to the tosser in charge - do NOT hammer a point home to your audience or, like we were able, they will accurately predict the outcome before halfway through the first part.
Flashbacks over and over and over and over and over again are just.So.Bloody.Annoying.
And come on ; 1 angry undercover agent + 1 dead son + 1 murdered wife = a It's Going To End In Tears ending that Blind Freddy could see coming a mile off.
What was with the prostitute? A character that went nowhere, contributed nothing in the long run and was just another excuse to flash some flesh on screen.
The old guy with the car? Another character that was superfluous, a wasted opportunity, like pearls before swine, where the director could have explored the main character more but was Too.Lazy.
The prostitute's kid? Nope, another exercise in treading water and hoping no one will notice it was a space-filler.
But what pisses me off, apart from the fact that those are 4 hours of my life I'll never have back again, is that what let the whole thing down was simply pure laziness.
Laziness in attention to detail, laziness in tightening the script, laziness that painted the characters all 1 dimensional so that no one gave a fat rat's clacker if they lived or died and just plain laziness in expecting the excellent reputation of the cast to cover up the glaring fact that no one in charge gave a damn about the quality of the product.
And yes, it needed a capital C for Crap...in fact you cannot make the capital C big enough.
Whoever directed, edited and wrote this needs to be horse-whipped from Britain to Oz.
The stellar cast, who had pedigrees and enough acting ability to steam-roll Cate "I'm going to populate the world all on my own" Blanchett at 100 paces, were left with muck sliding out of their hands no matter how hard they tried to salvage this shocker.
Note to director - when there's nothing happening on screen do NOT fill every scene with topless women. Even men started to make jokes about the over-abundance of naked flesh and lack of storyline/plot/anything that came within a bull's roar of making sense.
Another note to the tosser in charge - do NOT hammer a point home to your audience or, like we were able, they will accurately predict the outcome before halfway through the first part.
Flashbacks over and over and over and over and over again are just.So.Bloody.Annoying.
And come on ; 1 angry undercover agent + 1 dead son + 1 murdered wife = a It's Going To End In Tears ending that Blind Freddy could see coming a mile off.
What was with the prostitute? A character that went nowhere, contributed nothing in the long run and was just another excuse to flash some flesh on screen.
The old guy with the car? Another character that was superfluous, a wasted opportunity, like pearls before swine, where the director could have explored the main character more but was Too.Lazy.
The prostitute's kid? Nope, another exercise in treading water and hoping no one will notice it was a space-filler.
But what pisses me off, apart from the fact that those are 4 hours of my life I'll never have back again, is that what let the whole thing down was simply pure laziness.
Laziness in attention to detail, laziness in tightening the script, laziness that painted the characters all 1 dimensional so that no one gave a fat rat's clacker if they lived or died and just plain laziness in expecting the excellent reputation of the cast to cover up the glaring fact that no one in charge gave a damn about the quality of the product.
Woosh - there it goes over your head Trivial History January 13
Time Team has finally at long bloody last been dragged onto the History Channel on Foxtel but, Lordy, we've travelled back in time to the very beginning. Saw bits of the first episode last week- EEK! Beards were big, hair was long, Mick still had colour in his grey hair and BEARD, Phil wore jeans (yay) Tony had hair and BIG glasses and was so geeky at hosting it's almost painful. Every man and his dog - and sometimes his missus, too - had a beard, some bushy enough to scrub pots down the local pub for a counter meal.
Saw the second episode last night and, yes, they've improved with age....despite Phil's shorter-than-short-shorts.
1854 Fire and timber buildings really didn't bode well for prime real estate when sparky flames burnt down 3 stores and 5 houses in Elizabeth Street in Melbourne.
1890 Kiwi boxer Torpedo Billy Murphy took out the World Featherweight boxing title, the first NZ-er to win a professional world boxing title when he defeated Ike Weir in San Francisco.
1891 Edison's phonograph was being flashed around Aotearoa when it went on public display.
1926 Just for Brian - Author of his favourite Paddington Bear, Michael Bond, was pupped on this day in cave somewhere in darkest Peru.
1939 Came to be known as Black Friday due to the raging bushfires throughout Victoria that claimed 71 lives, millions of hectares of forest and thousands of homes as Melbourne sweltered in 114.1 F (45.6 C in the new money).
What is largely forgotten is the heatwave, that triggered the many bushfires of Black Friday, claimed 438 lives in Victoria.
1962 The banks in every state, except Victoria, opened for the very final time on a Saturday...until recently when they've found it to be beneficial to the coffers to ply their trade on a Saturday once more.
1966 The Kiwi's were bopping to the top single that was The Hollies with Stop,Stop, Stop!
1968 Top Aussie single was Sadie The Cleaning Lady by Johnny Farnham...though I've never seen a cleaning lady wearing less than a cleaning rag like the ones in the video....
1969 Captain Cook carelessly lost his cannons, from the ship Endeavour, just off Cooktown Qld on the Endeavour Reef - he claimed it was something to do with lightening the load of the boat - but they were finally returned to the lost property box on this day.
1978 The Crown Prince Reza of Iran - who was about to become the exiled Crown Prince Reza - stopped off for a 2 day visit to NZ on his way to USA.
2003 The Bali Memorial Garden was officially opened , within the Victorian Parliamentary Gardens, in memory of those who died in the 2002 Bali bombings.
Saw the second episode last night and, yes, they've improved with age....despite Phil's shorter-than-short-shorts.
1854 Fire and timber buildings really didn't bode well for prime real estate when sparky flames burnt down 3 stores and 5 houses in Elizabeth Street in Melbourne.
1890 Kiwi boxer Torpedo Billy Murphy took out the World Featherweight boxing title, the first NZ-er to win a professional world boxing title when he defeated Ike Weir in San Francisco.
1891 Edison's phonograph was being flashed around Aotearoa when it went on public display.
1926 Just for Brian - Author of his favourite Paddington Bear, Michael Bond, was pupped on this day in cave somewhere in darkest Peru.
1939 Came to be known as Black Friday due to the raging bushfires throughout Victoria that claimed 71 lives, millions of hectares of forest and thousands of homes as Melbourne sweltered in 114.1 F (45.6 C in the new money).
What is largely forgotten is the heatwave, that triggered the many bushfires of Black Friday, claimed 438 lives in Victoria.
1962 The banks in every state, except Victoria, opened for the very final time on a Saturday...until recently when they've found it to be beneficial to the coffers to ply their trade on a Saturday once more.
1966 The Kiwi's were bopping to the top single that was The Hollies with Stop,Stop, Stop!
1968 Top Aussie single was Sadie The Cleaning Lady by Johnny Farnham...though I've never seen a cleaning lady wearing less than a cleaning rag like the ones in the video....
1969 Captain Cook carelessly lost his cannons, from the ship Endeavour, just off Cooktown Qld on the Endeavour Reef - he claimed it was something to do with lightening the load of the boat - but they were finally returned to the lost property box on this day.
1978 The Crown Prince Reza of Iran - who was about to become the exiled Crown Prince Reza - stopped off for a 2 day visit to NZ on his way to USA.
2003 The Bali Memorial Garden was officially opened , within the Victorian Parliamentary Gardens, in memory of those who died in the 2002 Bali bombings.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The only time you'll find that lump of giant bird poo handy....
...is when you swim the ditch to NZ and a palaeontologist takes you on a hot date to a local cave!
More dirty details HERE!!!
More dirty details HERE!!!
Tangling Trivial History January 12
I'm mastering the arty farty stuff and gaining a black belt in Mosaics and Macrame.
Yes, remember that really daggy string art from the 70's that left you with a lop-sided pot holder and matching rope burns on fingers and toes? I found an old how-to book in the op shop the other week and, as Feral Beast needs to explore different areas of art in his education, I thought he could betormented taught the fine art of knotting and braiding and go slightly potty like the rest of us who survived to tell the tale.
While I plot a TARDIS in mosaic for the door of the shed.
*Yes, I really do need a life*
Today is, or was, when the Compitalia to celebrate The Lares was held; when all good and sensible people paid homage to their Roman household Gods and Goddesses.
Today is also the sacred day of the Norse Goddess of the sky, Frigg.
And don't forget to do something about that dreadful dead pine tree; it's shedding needles all over the house and the cats are starting to make a home for themselves in the top branches.
1836 Charlie Darwin popped his head in at Sydney to make our acquaintance while he was parked on board HMS Beagle.
1896 Bourke started experiencing a heatwave on this day that did not let up until January 25th with daily temps of 47 C (117 F in the old money) which resulted in the deaths of forty-seven people.
1903 Patrick Kenniff had the dubious honour of being the last bushranger to die in Qld...although, unsurprisingly, it wasn't by natural causes.
1939 The hottest place to be was Adelaide as she set the record for the sizzlingest capital city of Oz when the mercury hit 117.7F (or 47.6 C for you youngins).
1954 QE II beamed down from the mothership to open the Kiwi Parliament only to find 50,000 souls grouped in Wellington to eye-ball Her Maj in all her youthful beauty. *ahem*
1971 Just for Anja - All In The Family began on American TV.
1976 Top of the Aussie pops was ABBA with SOS for a whole week.
1986 While across the ditch some years later the top Kiwi single from December 14, 1985 - January 17, 1986 was Peking Man with Room that Echoes.
Yes, remember that really daggy string art from the 70's that left you with a lop-sided pot holder and matching rope burns on fingers and toes? I found an old how-to book in the op shop the other week and, as Feral Beast needs to explore different areas of art in his education, I thought he could be
While I plot a TARDIS in mosaic for the door of the shed.
*Yes, I really do need a life*
Today is, or was, when the Compitalia to celebrate The Lares was held; when all good and sensible people paid homage to their Roman household Gods and Goddesses.
Today is also the sacred day of the Norse Goddess of the sky, Frigg.
And don't forget to do something about that dreadful dead pine tree; it's shedding needles all over the house and the cats are starting to make a home for themselves in the top branches.
1836 Charlie Darwin popped his head in at Sydney to make our acquaintance while he was parked on board HMS Beagle.
1896 Bourke started experiencing a heatwave on this day that did not let up until January 25th with daily temps of 47 C (117 F in the old money) which resulted in the deaths of forty-seven people.
1903 Patrick Kenniff had the dubious honour of being the last bushranger to die in Qld...although, unsurprisingly, it wasn't by natural causes.
1939 The hottest place to be was Adelaide as she set the record for the sizzlingest capital city of Oz when the mercury hit 117.7F (or 47.6 C for you youngins).
1954 QE II beamed down from the mothership to open the Kiwi Parliament only to find 50,000 souls grouped in Wellington to eye-ball Her Maj in all her youthful beauty. *ahem*
1971 Just for Anja - All In The Family began on American TV.
1976 Top of the Aussie pops was ABBA with SOS for a whole week.
1986 While across the ditch some years later the top Kiwi single from December 14, 1985 - January 17, 1986 was Peking Man with Room that Echoes.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Why must we have seconds when we'd rather have the first helping repeated?
What is it with tv shows being re-made into American-style versions then being flogged on our Aussie idiot boxes when we've already seen the Brit/Scottish/Irish/Russian/Swedish maid in fishnet tights or even our own home-grown versions?
The Office, Kath and Kim, and now Life On Mars is being regurgitated into our lounge rooms, as if the network programmers think we won't notice a repeat helping of something we've recently seen...except the second serving is usually a tepid, microwaved plastic meal of nothingness compared to the original.
And I bet the US version of Life on Mars doesn't include the accidental wet t-shirt contest at the convent during an undercover operation!
What is wrong with buying a show and letting the audience make up their own mind about it, or even learn about another culture and sense of humour rather than re-film an entire show just because the audience "mightn't get the jokes" ?
TV bosses seem to be labouring under the misunderstanding that viewers are as stupid as the bosses.
The Office, Kath and Kim, and now Life On Mars is being regurgitated into our lounge rooms, as if the network programmers think we won't notice a repeat helping of something we've recently seen...except the second serving is usually a tepid, microwaved plastic meal of nothingness compared to the original.
And I bet the US version of Life on Mars doesn't include the accidental wet t-shirt contest at the convent during an undercover operation!
What is wrong with buying a show and letting the audience make up their own mind about it, or even learn about another culture and sense of humour rather than re-film an entire show just because the audience "mightn't get the jokes" ?
TV bosses seem to be labouring under the misunderstanding that viewers are as stupid as the bosses.
Wonderous Trivial History January 11
Well, there's not that much wonderous about this particular day but we had to make it sound promising otherwise every man and his dog (or cat) would spend the whole of Sunday lazing about under the doona with the gossipy newspapers while claiming it's "cricket research" or some such blather.
So, between you , me and the fence-post it's an average day that could do with a bit more sparkle, a dollop or 3 of sun showers and maybe a sprinkling of no tennis on the telly.
1837 Colonel Light stood upon the hill and surveyed Adelaide...or rather, what was about to become Adelaide, once he'd surveyed her credentials rather closely and laid her out, so to speak.
1846 During the Northern War between the Maori and British, the Ruapekapeka pa was taken over and occupied by the British soldiers...right after Kawiti and his followers had abandoned it.
1851 The very first issue ofanother fish wrapper the Lyttelton Times was let loose on the public at large and you can read that very first issue HERE.
1928 Rarely will I celebrate the death of anyone let alone that of a writer but the good Lord truly delivered us from Brit author Thomas Hardy's drivel when He collected him on this day.
1949 Lead singer of Aussie rock band Sherbet, Daryl Braithwaite, was pupped.
1973 Gov-Gen Sir Paul Hasluck announced Australia had ceased hostilities in Vietnam, ending 11 years of Australia's involvement in the war.
2008 Sir Edmund Hillary left us mere mortals behind when he soared higher than the summit of Mt Everest.
2008 The brand spankers Wilkins Runway at the Australian Antarctic Territory hosted the arrival of Airbus A319 which was the first passenger flight from Oz.
So, between you , me and the fence-post it's an average day that could do with a bit more sparkle, a dollop or 3 of sun showers and maybe a sprinkling of no tennis on the telly.
1837 Colonel Light stood upon the hill and surveyed Adelaide...or rather, what was about to become Adelaide, once he'd surveyed her credentials rather closely and laid her out, so to speak.
1846 During the Northern War between the Maori and British, the Ruapekapeka pa was taken over and occupied by the British soldiers...right after Kawiti and his followers had abandoned it.
1851 The very first issue of
1928 Rarely will I celebrate the death of anyone let alone that of a writer but the good Lord truly delivered us from Brit author Thomas Hardy's drivel when He collected him on this day.
1949 Lead singer of Aussie rock band Sherbet, Daryl Braithwaite, was pupped.
1973 Gov-Gen Sir Paul Hasluck announced Australia had ceased hostilities in Vietnam, ending 11 years of Australia's involvement in the war.
2008 Sir Edmund Hillary left us mere mortals behind when he soared higher than the summit of Mt Everest.
2008 The brand spankers Wilkins Runway at the Australian Antarctic Territory hosted the arrival of Airbus A319 which was the first passenger flight from Oz.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Help find Andrew John Thompson
Four-year-old Andrew John THOMPSON was illegally abducted from Australia by his mother Melinda Margaret THOMPSON (who could also be using the name Melinda Margaret STRATTON)on 24th April 2008 and has since disappeared without trace. Shortly before the abduction, one of Australia’s leading psychiatrists found that Melinda has an underlying
mental state that affects her judgement - particularly in relation to
Andrew.
Andrew is now at grave risk of emotional and physical harm. In addition
to an extensive search that has been underway by international
authorities for several months, an international multi-media campaign
has now been launched to help the authorities find him as quickly as
possible. This campaign has the full support of Australian authorities
and Interpol.
This is a genuine campaign. Andrew’s abduction can be confirmed by
taking the following link to the Missing Children website of the Family
Court of Australia.
The following link takes you to a poster that contains links to a flyer
that can be downloaded and printed. It also includes suggestions for
displaying the flyer in public places. Please print this poster and
display it wherever possible no matter what country you are in.
This next link will take you to another missing person website
containing more information and photos of Andrew and Melinda.
A Facebook site has been established for Andrew and can be accessed at
The next link will take you to an article published in the Daily
Telegraph in Sydney (Australia) on 13th December 2008. A video interview with Andrew’s father is also contained within the article.
They could be in Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, Asia, or anywhere else.
Please forward this email to as many people as possible and ask them to
pass it on to as many people as possible as well. Ask them to use the
flyers to raise awareness about Andrew in their local areas in as many
countries as possible.
It will only take one person to recognise either of them and to report their whereabouts to the authorities for Andrew to be found safe and well and returned to his home.
ANDREW WILL REMAIN AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF RISK TO EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL HARM UNTIL HE IS FOUND AND RETURNED TO HIS HIS FAMILY, HIS FRIENDS, AND HIS HOME.
Many thanks for taking part in the Global Search for Andrew, from
Andrew’s Dad and Andrew.
Tauntingly Trivial History January 10
Yay, it's Saturday!
For those readers on the other side of the planet who are still in Friday let me assure you it's a particularly nice Saturday that's coming up, worthy of leaping out of bed and frolicking in every second of it.
Unless you've got stuff like doing your tax audit, polishing your tv aerial, painting your chooks' claws or grouting your serial killer bathroom to do....
1838 Catholic Missionaries, led by French Bishop Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier, rocked up to Hokianga on the North Island of NZ and had the first Roman Catholic Mass there 3 days later.
1867 Having eradicated the native insect-eating birds of The Shaky Isles the settlers realised what a large boo-boo they'd made when their crops were a nasty mess so imported birds were introduced on this day at Lyttelton - blackbirds, starlings, thrushes, chaffinches, pheasants, partridges, skylarks and linnets (and the odd partirdge in a pear tree).
1887 New Brighton, near Christchurch, was blessed with the completion of it's new tramline.
New Brighton was a forward thinking place in the world's most forward thinking country; the first Kiwi Surf Life Saving Club opened there in 1910 and it was the only place for many decades where Saturday trading was allowed for general retail stores.
1927 Radiovision was here!
Well, a rather early version of television was demonstrated by young clever clogs Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald (love those parents!) when they used a scanning system to transmit cartoons from radio stations 3UZ and 3DB in Melbourne.
We then played like an ostrich and never had the idiot box again until 1956.
1928 George Hood and John Moncrieff were daring young men in their flying machine; perhaps too daring for their own good when they took off from Oz in the attempt to swoop from Oz to NZ in a plane named Aotearoa but after 12 hours their radio signals stopped and they were never seen again.
1929 Another for Lee - Herge's character Tintin made his grand entrance on the world stage when he appeared in the comic Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets.
Which makes this his 80th birthday....and he doesn't look a day over 15.
1958 The first Opera House Lottery was drawn in NSW; tickets were £10 each with a prize of £100,000.
1985 Former member of NZ/Oz rock band Dragon keyboard player and hit song-writer Paul Hewson was found passed away in his car in Henderson, Auckland.
1999 The top No. 1 single in NZ was Believe by Cher.
For those readers on the other side of the planet who are still in Friday let me assure you it's a particularly nice Saturday that's coming up, worthy of leaping out of bed and frolicking in every second of it.
Unless you've got stuff like doing your tax audit, polishing your tv aerial, painting your chooks' claws or grouting your serial killer bathroom to do....
1838 Catholic Missionaries, led by French Bishop Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier, rocked up to Hokianga on the North Island of NZ and had the first Roman Catholic Mass there 3 days later.
1867 Having eradicated the native insect-eating birds of The Shaky Isles the settlers realised what a large boo-boo they'd made when their crops were a nasty mess so imported birds were introduced on this day at Lyttelton - blackbirds, starlings, thrushes, chaffinches, pheasants, partridges, skylarks and linnets (and the odd partirdge in a pear tree).
1887 New Brighton, near Christchurch, was blessed with the completion of it's new tramline.
New Brighton was a forward thinking place in the world's most forward thinking country; the first Kiwi Surf Life Saving Club opened there in 1910 and it was the only place for many decades where Saturday trading was allowed for general retail stores.
1927 Radiovision was here!
Well, a rather early version of television was demonstrated by young clever clogs Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald (love those parents!) when they used a scanning system to transmit cartoons from radio stations 3UZ and 3DB in Melbourne.
We then played like an ostrich and never had the idiot box again until 1956.
1928 George Hood and John Moncrieff were daring young men in their flying machine; perhaps too daring for their own good when they took off from Oz in the attempt to swoop from Oz to NZ in a plane named Aotearoa but after 12 hours their radio signals stopped and they were never seen again.
1929 Another for Lee - Herge's character Tintin made his grand entrance on the world stage when he appeared in the comic Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets.
Which makes this his 80th birthday....and he doesn't look a day over 15.
1958 The first Opera House Lottery was drawn in NSW; tickets were £10 each with a prize of £100,000.
1985 Former member of NZ/Oz rock band Dragon keyboard player and hit song-writer Paul Hewson was found passed away in his car in Henderson, Auckland.
1999 The top No. 1 single in NZ was Believe by Cher.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Trivial History January 9
Not much happened on this day in history....apparently every man and his dog stayed in bed, not doin' nufin' to create any form of historical note....no random acts of silliness in public toilets, no little old ladies discovering rare metals in the compost heap in their garden and certainly no blokes emerging from their sheds announcing the reinvention of the wheel.
1799 Back in the Old Dart Bill Pitt the younger did a dastardly crime - he introduced income tax.
(Not a good start, scraping the bottom of the barrel from the beginning).
1902 To flirt in public became a crime when a law against it was introduced in New York.
(Throw in a hint of sex and it might interest someone....some where).
1911 The tramline that meandered ever so meekly between Curl Curl and that oh-so Manly was excited beyond compare when it was electrified.
(Public transport, an ever-disappearing assest in any state/country).
1923 The far too early death of NZ author Katherine Mansfield from TB aged only 34. To read her bio click HERE.
(A Kiwi Lit Chick is worth a lot more than money hungry Bill Pitt!).
1799 Back in the Old Dart Bill Pitt the younger did a dastardly crime - he introduced income tax.
(Not a good start, scraping the bottom of the barrel from the beginning).
1902 To flirt in public became a crime when a law against it was introduced in New York.
(Throw in a hint of sex and it might interest someone....some where).
1911 The tramline that meandered ever so meekly between Curl Curl and that oh-so Manly was excited beyond compare when it was electrified.
(Public transport, an ever-disappearing assest in any state/country).
1923 The far too early death of NZ author Katherine Mansfield from TB aged only 34. To read her bio click HERE.
(A Kiwi Lit Chick is worth a lot more than money hungry Bill Pitt!).
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Controversial Trivial History January 8
Feral Beast is ok, still sound asleep as he was worn out with all the TV watching at the hospital last night *sigh* poor little poppet!
1789 The first European baby pupped on Norfolk Island, son of Superintendent Philip Gidley King and convict woman Ann Inett, was named (drumroll for those unimaginative parents) Norfolk.
You think that's bad, she had another son to King, back in Sydney that was named....Sydney.
1818 Gov Macquarie was a tad miffed at the Flogging Parson Samuel Marsden so he told him not to darken the doorstep of Govt House again!
So there!
1856 or 1857 Today or January 1
Now either the Victorian State Govt has their facts wrong (good golly gosh, no! that couldn't be, surely?!) or every other website has the year wrong...and the date. Anyway Melbourne City proper got lit up by applying flame to gas lamps on this day in 1856...or 1857...either back on New Years' Day or on this one.
1863 Julius von Haast was a geologist who began trotting all over the South Island looking for a footpath from the east to the west coasts and got himself all whipped into a frenzy by stumbling over gold, coal and mountain passes...and other stuffs in NZ.
1877 Riccarton was a wild and daring place where they trialled the use of those new infernal harvesting machines *cue horror music*.
1918 PM Billy Hughes threw his resignation into the ring after the 2nd conscription referendumtold him to take a flying leap voted "NO".
1960 Top 40 Aussie single was She's My Baby by Johnny O'Keefe.
Where you can see a lot of likeness to his nephew TV host Andrew O'Keefe who is with the Umbilical Brothers HERE, HERE and HERE.
1979 The Transport Board Buses, in Christchurch, were equally daring when they *gasp* allowed women drivers behind the wheels of their big buses!!!
1789 The first European baby pupped on Norfolk Island, son of Superintendent Philip Gidley King and convict woman Ann Inett, was named (drumroll for those unimaginative parents) Norfolk.
You think that's bad, she had another son to King, back in Sydney that was named....Sydney.
1818 Gov Macquarie was a tad miffed at the Flogging Parson Samuel Marsden so he told him not to darken the doorstep of Govt House again!
So there!
1856 or 1857 Today or January 1
Now either the Victorian State Govt has their facts wrong (good golly gosh, no! that couldn't be, surely?!) or every other website has the year wrong...and the date. Anyway Melbourne City proper got lit up by applying flame to gas lamps on this day in 1856...or 1857...either back on New Years' Day or on this one.
1863 Julius von Haast was a geologist who began trotting all over the South Island looking for a footpath from the east to the west coasts and got himself all whipped into a frenzy by stumbling over gold, coal and mountain passes...and other stuffs in NZ.
1877 Riccarton was a wild and daring place where they trialled the use of those new infernal harvesting machines *cue horror music*.
1918 PM Billy Hughes threw his resignation into the ring after the 2nd conscription referendum
1960 Top 40 Aussie single was She's My Baby by Johnny O'Keefe.
Where you can see a lot of likeness to his nephew TV host Andrew O'Keefe who is with the Umbilical Brothers HERE, HERE and HERE.
1979 The Transport Board Buses, in Christchurch, were equally daring when they *gasp* allowed women drivers behind the wheels of their big buses!!!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I'm slack, so sue me
Just back from a visit to hospital with Feral Beast.
He's ok, they confirmed his concussion and ruled out any nasties but he's not allowed to go swimming, rock climbing, sky diving or trampolining for at least 1 week.
And we're all ready to hit the hay so I'll be a tad late with tomorrow's trivial history....sometime tomorrow.
Nighty night!
He's ok, they confirmed his concussion and ruled out any nasties but he's not allowed to go swimming, rock climbing, sky diving or trampolining for at least 1 week.
And we're all ready to hit the hay so I'll be a tad late with tomorrow's trivial history....sometime tomorrow.
Nighty night!
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