Tuesday 31 December 2013

Scott's first day at school...


Scott's first day at Camden Primary School, Camden
Right from their young days, Scott and Danica have been more than brother and sister.
They have been best friends.

Monday 30 December 2013

precious young moments...


Danica in thoughtful mode at Penshurst
and Scott - who always loved animals - at Taronga Park Zoo, NSW.

Sunday 29 December 2013

Saturday 14 December 2013

Tea Rooms


Old tea rooms at Liffey Tea Gardens.
The big windows at the front had views of Dry's Bluff.

Friday 13 December 2013

My Liffey World - Dry's Bluff


A view of Dry's Bluff viewed from my Liffey Tea Gardens in Tasmania


The trees in the foreground are just a glimpse of the extensive number of trees on our 50 acre mountain property.


Gardens round the gallery on our property with Dry's Bluff in the background wrapped in low cloud.


Another view of Dry's Bluff from one of the walkways round the property.


View of Dry's Bluff from our mountain side and looking down on our house.

Sunday 10 November 2013

Still More of Wagga Region Tour in 1990s


Here Charlie is telling us an incredible story about a place called Murdering Island
in the Murrumbidgee River - a major tributary of the Murray River.
The recorded story says that aboriginals were shot there by early settlers
to keep them away from farming land settlers wanted by the Murrumbidgee.
(One official story is HERE)
But Charlie's story said most were driven there and also died of starvation.
They were only shot if they tried to escape - and many did try.


A view of the Murrumbidgee River near where Charlie was telling his story.
It was next to impossible to photograph the island because it just seemed to blend into the other river bank.
Charlie said that the river level was higher and it flowed faster in early colonial days.


And all the while a large herd of cattle quietly watched us.

Saturday 9 November 2013

More of Wagga Region Tour 1990s


Charlie, our amazing aboriginal, guide took us to this fascinating area.
I believe it was an area called Coolamon but still in the Wagga region.
Once this was a lake.
But this day there were pockets of water on what looked like a huge plain.
The little pegs in the ground behind the student mark middens.
We found many odd artefacts but we were warned not to handle them and to be careful where we walked.

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Wagga Region Tour in the 1990s


In the 1990s, when I was teaching in New South Wales,
another teacher - Susan McCarthy - and I took a small group of Aboriginal Studies students
to Wagga for a field trip.
Our guide was a Wiradjuri aboriginal based in Wagga.
His name was Charlie.
He took us round the Wagga region to areas used by the aboriginal people in past times.
One was this amazing tree - carefully carved to make a canoe by the Murrumbidgee River.


Charlie took the first photo for us and, in the above photo, he appears on the far right.
All he asked for payment was to be collected in our mini bus and to be given lunch.
At first, the girls only agreed to the trip because "they had nothing better to do" for the holidays.
By the end of the journey, they were excited about all the special places Charlie had shown them.
They said it was an unforgettable memory for them.

Monday 4 November 2013

Echo Point in the 1990's


Walkway at Echo Point, overlooking the Jamieson Valley in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.


Views of the Three Sisters at Echo Point


Extensive, scenic Jamieson Valley

Sunday 3 November 2013

The Carrington in the 1990's


The Carrington in Katoomba, New South Wales opened in 1883 as The Great Western.
It was renamed in 1886 as The Carrington after the Governor of NSW, Lord Carrington.


Until the 1960's, it was a premier tourist resort in the Blue Mountains.
By the 1970's, the Blue Mountains became less popular as a holiday destination
and The Carrington closed in 1985.


After 8 years of restoration, it re-opened in December 1998.


These photos represent The Carrington in those waiting years.

Saturday 2 November 2013

many many years ago...


31.12.50 - when I was just 1 year old.


My Dad
I was 6 months old in the photo

 
My mother's mother Ruth on the left at age 18 and her mother ("Mowa" to my mother) on the right.



My mother

Thursday 31 October 2013

Berrara Beach 1996


Beautiful waters at Berrara.
Berrara is a village south of Jervis Bay in New South Wales.
It has beaches, a lagoon and is surrounded by national park lands.
It is also a favourite haunt for kangaroos.
If you take a walk at sundown, watch for hopping traffic.