Stories about Australia
It was the year 1916 when William made his screaming daylight entry to a world in transition. Europe was at war, and many Australians had been conscripted and shipped overseas in support of the motherland. His birthplace was Brisbane, Australia. Mother Eunice raised her head wearily to study the doctor’s face as he briefly glanced at the upside down baby in his hands and administered … Continue reading Willy
Ever had an urge to return to your roots and check out the place where you grew up? I got that urge to make the trip 80 k north from the Sunshine Coast to the little city of Gympie, Australia some time ago. Gympie was a frontier town bursting with restless energetic miners in the early 1800’s prospecting for gold on their return from the … Continue reading Memories of Home
Some time ago I went to get my car serviced. The Subaru agents are a well organized lot and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. They offered to take me to the Sunshine Plaza which straddles a small river, one of my favorite places on the Sunshine Coast Australia where I happen to live. I can sit and enjoy a cool drink while watching … Continue reading The Massage Chair
My parents tell me I was six years old when this event happened, which means the year would have to be 1942. We were residing in the old mining town Gympie, Australia where my Father Eric had business interests and was beginning to take an interest in politics. The town sits astride a river in the beautiful Mary Valley. By 1942 memories of a frontier … Continue reading My First Ocean Dip
Not long after Joe the sulphur-crested Cockatoo (see one of my early blogs) joined our family in the 1940’s my Father Eric came home one evening with a cage containing an injured Galah parrot. To us children this multi-coloured bird was a thing of beauty and by common consent it was agreed we should call our new pet “Pretty.” Pretty was a young bird and … Continue reading Our “Pretty”
One of my favorite pastimes is to spend time in a bookshop. During shopping expeditions with Georgine I confess to becoming weary of craft shops and the dress section of superstores, where GG examines each of these items with meticulous care. After fifteen minutes of that I know its going to be a long haul, so with appropriate excuses gravitate to the nearest bookstore. Georgine … Continue reading The Back of the Book
You can imagine how happy we were as children in 1948 when our father Eric returned home one evening with a white sulphur-crested cockatoo. One of the farmers had found the bird on his property, and as it was obvious the young bird was unable to fly took it home to look after. Not having much to do of an evening the farmer spent considerable … Continue reading Joe
Beth studied her index finger pointed toward the ceiling. There was a long silence as she tried to remember why she was doing this. Her daughter Ellen glanced up from her knitting and frowned. “What are you doing Mum?” Beth lowered her finger and glanced toward the doorway. The cleaning crew were giving the corridor a once over and the racket diverted her from her … Continue reading The Activity Room
The above image copyright to http://www.featurepics.com It’s funny how things seem to hide in the deep dark recesses of memory to be triggered long afterward by a ‘happening now’ event. Now I’m aware the further you get from early childhood events the recalled scene is sugar coated with an added element of mythology. However there are things which are so seminal in one’s experience they … Continue reading Brotherhood of Mankind
Thursday February 12, 1942 dawned a pleasant summer day and this five year old climbed out of bed and headed for Eric and Maude’s bedroom as usual, to be tucked in for a few moments and enjoy parental conversation before all emerged to greet the day together. For some time now little boy Ian had been rescheduled to Eric’s side of the bed, a source … Continue reading The Day the Stork Arrived
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