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Author Topic: Australia by Tibrogargan January 2007 - present and 155216+ views later!  (Read 657650 times)
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LilPuma
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« Reply #120 on: January 31, 2007, 12:02:14 AM »

Yep, you blew the margins, but I haven't seen Lala's Mom here, and I won't tell.   Wink

Beautiful pics though.  Pretty amazing world we live in.
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« Reply #121 on: February 02, 2007, 10:55:53 PM »

A COUPLE OF ITEMS FROM OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER TODAY THAT MAY INTEREST SOME OF MY MONKEY FRIENDS.

IRWIN  GRANT

Steve Irwin's environmental legacy will live on with a fellowship giving US high school students the chance to travel to Australia.  The fellowship will enable a US Midwest high school student to travel to Australia for two weeks to work closely with staff at the Irwin family's Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.

The Examiner 3 Feb 2007
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« Reply #122 on: February 02, 2007, 11:14:50 PM »

TASSIE SEARCH FOR CIVIL WAR VETERANS
by Fran Voss,  The Examiner Newspaper 3 Feb 2007

Two American Civil War veterans lie in unmarked graves in the north of Tasmania - an oversight that Hobart historian and author Reg Watson wants to redress.  After 15 years of research, Mr Watson has discovered that one veteran lies at Beaconsfield and one in the former Cypress St cemetery in Launceston.  Two others - Henry Wells, at Somerset and James Francis Waters, in Hobart - have markers on their graves.  Mr Watson said that any American veteran buried in an unmarked grave was entitled to have a marker or plaque placed in his honour, courtesy of the US government.
According to Mr Watson's research, the veteran buried in Launceston is Capt.  John Johnston, of ex Company A, 48th Illinois Infantry Regiment.  He died on May 10, 1886. The veteran buried in an unmarked grave at Beaconsfield is Charles Baker, but Mr Watson is unsure of his history.  "He was probably a miner" Mr Watson said.
Yesterday Mr Watson visited the old Cypress St cemetery in Launceston, now playing fields, to determine a suitable site for erecting a plaque for Capt. Johnston.  "Because we don't know the exact location of his grave, the most suitable site is probably the gate" he said.  The tombstones were believed to have been removed from the park in the 1950s.

Mr Watson became interested in the fate of the many American Civil War veterans who emigrated to Australia through his membership of the American Civil War Round Table, a historical group.  "There are hundreds of veterans buried around Australia" he said.
Mr Watson will now apply to the US Department of Veterans Affairs for assistance in erecting a plaque for Johnston and a marker for Baker.
He is also hoping his story will raise community awareness of the project, prompting descendants of the men to come forward with any information about them.
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« Reply #123 on: February 03, 2007, 12:17:02 AM »

BALLARAT AND THE EUREKA STOCKADE

Ballarat began in 1838 as a sheep run with about 70 inhabitants on the shore of Lake Wendouree in the state of Victoria.  The floodgates of settlement opened in 1851 when Thomas Hiscock discovered gold nearby.  People of all nationalities flocked to the diggings in search of riches.  One was a young Irishman named Peter Lalor who rallied rebel miners under the flag of the Southern Cross to protest against the mining licence fees demanded by the authorities and the brutal methods used by the troopers collecting them.  The oath of allegiance was stated by Lalor and sworn by the miners at Bakery Hill on 28 November 1854. On 3 December soldiers stormed the diggers' flimsy barricades at Eureka Stockade.  Twenty two diggers and six soldiers died, scores more were wounded and Lalor lost an arm in the battle, but the iniquitous system was changed.  The rebellion was a short lived revolt and although a military disaster led to political and personal benefits for many Australians.

Ballarat has always had a reputation for its well preserved buildings and beautiful public gardens.  The very rich goldfields petered out eventually and the last mine closed in 1918.

The old Mining Exchange


Some Parks and Gardens in Ballarat :






The Eureka Oath and Flag  (The flag is not an official Australian flag)

We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties.

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« Reply #124 on: February 03, 2007, 12:48:54 AM »

RICHMOND BRIDGE, SOUTHERN TASMANIA

Surrounded by fields of crops and grazing sheep and cattle with a background of  forested hills the small town of Richmond presents a scattering of russet-coloured buildings beside the twisting Coal River. In the 1840s it was an important stopping place on the busy highway between Hobart and Port Arthur.  It was decided the road needed a bridge to ford the river and between 1823-1825 one was built by convict labour.  This bridge is the earliest large stone arch bridge in Australia and has had very little change since it was first constructed.  Richmond town has become a smaller tourist town since other more direct traffic links have been built, but it is noted as a treasure chest of well preserved historic buildings.

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« Reply #125 on: February 03, 2007, 01:39:30 AM »

EVANDALE, NORTHERN TASMANIA

Evandale is a small village not far from where I live.  During the early colonial times the first white men to visit the Evandale district were shepherds.  These pioneers were seeking new grazing lands for the rapidly growing flocks of sheep.  By 1816 formal titles to prescribed areas of land began to replace grazing licences and the farming settlement sprang up in no time.  A grand scheme was evolved to provide a permanent water supply for Launceston from the South Esk River.  The evacuation works were carried out by convicts who laboured to build a huge tunnel through a hill which was intended to link up with a canal which would carry the water the 12 miles to Launceston.  The scheme was eventually abandoned after several convicts died in cave-ins and continual flooding frustrated attempts to line the tunnel.
The countryside around the town was soon supporting the many sheep and wheat and oats were being sown.  But even such a quiet rural community could not escape the brutal convict elements of what was still known as Van Dieman's Land.  Escaped convicts often turned to bushranging (highwaymen) and movement between settlements could be a risky business.  For several years in the 1820-1830s notorious convicts Matthew Brady and Ben Ball and their gangs terrorised travellers on the road to Launceston.  They were eventually betrayed by other escapees and shot by the troopers.
Evandale now is a busy little tourist town and at their yearly village fair hold the famous penny-farthing bicycle races.

Evandale cafe



St Andrews Church at sunset



One of the original buildings now used as an art gallery



Penny farthing Race

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« Reply #126 on: February 03, 2007, 06:58:43 PM »

Quote from: "Tibrogargan"
A COUPLE OF ITEMS FROM OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER TODAY THAT MAY INTEREST SOME OF MY MONKEY FRIENDS.

IRWIN  GRANT

Steve Irwin's environmental legacy will live on with a fellowship giving US high school students the chance to travel to Australia.  The fellowship will enable a US Midwest high school student to travel to Australia for two weeks to work closely with staff at the Irwin family's Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.

The Examiner 3 Feb 2007


Pretty darn cool!  I still get such a feeling of loss when I see his shows on TV.  I wasn't so much a fan of his shows, but the realization that his kinda zany personality brought so much attention and joy to the whole issue of animal care and environmental issues.  Truly a loss to the world.
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« Reply #127 on: February 03, 2007, 07:05:40 PM »

Quote from: "Tibrogargan"
TASSIE SEARCH FOR CIVIL WAR VETERANS
by Fran Voss,  The Examiner Newspaper 3 Feb 2007

Two American Civil War veterans lie in unmarked graves in the north of Tasmania - an oversight that Hobart historian and author Reg Watson wants to redress.  After 15 years of research, Mr Watson has discovered that one veteran lies at Beaconsfield and one in the former Cypress St cemetery in Launceston.  Two others - Henry Wells, at Somerset and James Francis Waters, in Hobart - have markers on their graves.  Mr Watson said that any American veteran buried in an unmarked grave was entitled to have a marker or plaque placed in his honour, courtesy of the US government.
According to Mr Watson's research, the veteran buried in Launceston is Capt.  John Johnston, of ex Company A, 48th Illinois Infantry Regiment.  He died on May 10, 1886. The veteran buried in an unmarked grave at Beaconsfield is Charles Baker, but Mr Watson is unsure of his history.  "He was probably a miner" Mr Watson said.
Yesterday Mr Watson visited the old Cypress St cemetery in Launceston, now playing fields, to determine a suitable site for erecting a plaque for Capt. Johnston.  "Because we don't know the exact location of his grave, the most suitable site is probably the gate" he said.  The tombstones were believed to have been removed from the park in the 1950s.

Mr Watson became interested in the fate of the many American Civil War veterans who emigrated to Australia through his membership of the American Civil War Round Table, a historical group.  "There are hundreds of veterans buried around Australia" he said.
Mr Watson will now apply to the US Department of Veterans Affairs for assistance in erecting a plaque for Johnston and a marker for Baker.
He is also hoping his story will raise community awareness of the project, prompting descendants of the men to come forward with any information about them.


Amazing that US civil war vets even got to Australia back then!   Shocked Most Americans say it's too expensive or takes to long to get there, then you lose a few days to jet lag.  I wonder how long it took them to go by boat?  Nice though that they want to give them proper markings.  My mom's side of the family was in the US going back to the civil war, I think, but my Dad's parents came over from Holland.
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« Reply #128 on: February 03, 2007, 07:06:58 PM »

Some pretty cool pics, Tibro.  Very pretty, but the one does show that you guys still drive on the wrong side of the road!   Shocked  Wink  Laughing
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« Reply #129 on: February 03, 2007, 09:35:04 PM »

Quote from: "LilPuma"
Some pretty cool pics, Tibro.  Very pretty, but the one does show that you guys still drive on the wrong side of the road!   Shocked  Wink  Laughing

 Laughing  Laughing  Laughing  Laughing

Yes we do drive on the left hand side of the road.

Steve Irwin has done a lot for conservation.  A lot of Aussies thought he was a bit "over the top" and were sure he would be eaten by a crocodile eventually as he seemed to take such risks.  To lose his life by such a freak event was a big shock to all.  

I was surprised that we had Civil War veterans here, too.  I know we have a lot of WW11 US servicemen here who decided to stay or to return here after spending time at bases here or in the Pacific areas during the war.
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« Reply #130 on: February 03, 2007, 10:16:05 PM »

AN ABORIGINAL LEGEND OF HOW THE SUN WAS MADE

For a long time there was no sun, only a moon and stars. That was before there were men on the earth, only birds and beasts, all of which were many sizes larger than they are now.

      One day Dinewan the emu and Brolga the native companion were on a large plain near the Murrimbidgee River. There they were, quarrelling and fighting. Brolga, in her rage, rushed to the nest of Dinewan and seized from it one of the huge eggs, which she threw with all her force up to the sky. There it broke on a heap of firewood, which burst into flames as the yellow yolk spilt all over it, which flame lit up the world below, to the astonishment of every creature on it. They had only been used to the semi-darkness, and were dazzled by such brightness.

      A good spirit who lived in the sky saw how bright and beautiful the earth looked when lit up by this blaze. He thought it would be a good thing to make a fire every day; which from that time on he has done. All night he and his attendant spirits collect wood and heap it up. When the heap is nearly big enough they send out the morning star to warn those on earth that the fire will soon be lit.

      The spirits, however, found this warning was not sufficient, for those who slept saw it not. Then the spirits thought they must have some noise made at dawn of day to herald the coming of the sun and waken the sleepers. But for a long time they could not decide to whom should be given this office.

      At last one evening they heard the laughter of Goo-goor-gaga the laughing jackass ringing in the air.

      "That is the noise we want,"  they said.

      Then they told Goo-goor-gaga that, as the morning star faded and the day dawned, he was every morning to laugh his loudest, that his laughter might awaken all sleepers before sunrise. If he would not agree to do this, then no more would they light the sun-fire, but let the earth be ever in twilight again.

      But Goo-goor-gaga saved the light for the world.

      He agreed to laugh his loudest at every dawn of day; which he has done ever since, making the air ring with his loud cackling, "Goor goor gaga, goo goor gaga, goo goor gaga."

      When the spirits first light the fire it does not throw out much heat. But in the middle of the day when the whole heap of firewood is in a blaze, the heat is fierce. After that it begins to die gradually away until only red embers are left at sunset; and they quickly die out, except a few the spirits cover up with clouds, and save to light the heap of wood they get ready for the next day.

      Children are not allowed to imitate the laughter of Goo-goor-gaga, lest he should hear them and cease his morning cry.

      If children do laugh as he does, an extra tooth grows above their eye-tooth, so that they carry a mark of their mockery in punishment for it, because well the good spirits know that if ever a time comes wherein the Goo-goor-gagas cease laughing to herald the sun, the time will have come when no more Daens are seen in the land; and darkness will reign once more.
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« Reply #131 on: February 03, 2007, 10:34:08 PM »

MORE STATE FLORAL EMBLEMS

Queensland -  Cooktown Orchid



Victoria -  Common Heath




South Australia's emblem -  Sturt's Desert Pea is pictured on page 5 of this thread
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« Reply #132 on: February 04, 2007, 01:30:47 AM »

SOME TASMANIAN BIRDS

CAPE BARREN GEESE

The birds are grey in colour and about the same size as the domestic geese.  Endangered it lays about 5 eggs in the tussocks where they live and the eggs hatch in the winter which means the babies are ready to fly in the spring.
The birds eat tussocks, herbs and grasses and drink salt water.



FORTY SPOTTED PARDALOTE

One of the smallest and rarest birds found only in eastern Tasmania and is highly endangered.  They live in eucalyptus trees and eat insects and the sweet resin from the white gum trees.



TASMANIAN NATIVE HEN

This bird cannot fly but is a fast runner and can swim.  When in danger it will flick it's tail to warn the others in the flock.  If it is chased it seeks to hide in grasses and reeds, and uses it's short wings for balance.  Ii can run up to 30 miles per hour.  The baby birds eat insects and the adults eat grasses and seeds only feeding at dawn and dusk.  Can be seen most everywhere in Tasmania and has survived so well because it is impossible to eat the tough flesh.  It has been said that to cook them you add a couple of pieces of blue metal to the pot and when the stones are soft the bird will be tender enough to eat.

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« Reply #133 on: February 05, 2007, 07:45:47 PM »

I have met several Aussies at UAB,and one that I admire at ST Judes.I know the Platypus can when they spur you and the snakes are deadly.You might explain the Wallace line to the monkeys.I enjoyed Bryson's Book"In A Sunburned Land"  CAT
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« Reply #134 on: February 06, 2007, 01:52:41 PM »

I thought this was interesting.  We think of swans as being white.  All white.  That's what most of us see when we see swans.  They're known for mating for life.  When I looked them up, I see that the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia and Tasmania, have black swans, who also mate for life.  
Northern:

Southern:  


They're are other swans, some black & white, but these are supposedly the most commonly known.  I couldn't find an explanation for the black v. white in the different hemispheres.
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« Reply #135 on: February 06, 2007, 07:13:11 PM »

Yes LilPuma we do have the white and the black swans.  The black ones are native to here and the white would have been introduced by the Europeans.  
The young birds are a greyish brown colour until they get their glossy black feathers when they are about two years old.  Their wing tips are pure white but you can only see them when they are flying which is very rare.  They are just as graceful on water as the white ones.
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« Reply #136 on: February 06, 2007, 07:53:30 PM »

I posted a little blip on the Holloway thread, but the whole post was skipped over  Laughing so I'll repeat it here.  I heard on CNN this morning that a kangaroo was found (and caught by Animal Control) in CALIFORNIA this morning.  I hope they treat this as the criminal act it is and start looking for the poachers.
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« Reply #137 on: February 06, 2007, 08:15:06 PM »

Yep, I saw that post and answered on page 10   Laughing
Maybe the roo was someone's pet or a zoo escapee?  I cannot imagine how else it got thee except for smuggling which carries a heavy penalty if caught.  Always someone trying to smuggle birds and animals out of the country regardless  Crying or Very sad
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« Reply #138 on: February 06, 2007, 08:17:05 PM »

LilPumaCan you get my email address off Klaas sometime?  Just mark it LilPuma or Monkey in the subject line so it does not get eaten by my spam filters.
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« Reply #139 on: February 06, 2007, 09:25:03 PM »

THE WALLACE LINE

The Wallace Line is a boundary that separates the zoogeographical regions of Asia and Australasia. West of the line are found organisms related to Asiatic species; to the east, mostly organisms related to Australian species. The line is named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who noticed the apparent dividing line during his travels through the East Indies in the 19th century. The line runs through the Malay Archipelago, between Borneo and Sulawesi (Celebes); and between Bali (in the west) and Lombok (in the east). Evidence of the line was also noted in Antonio Pigafetta's biological contrasts between the Philippines and the Spice Islands, recorded during the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The limit of Asian flora and fauna is modified by Weber. He moved the line to the east. The limit is not fixed, but determined by the type of flora and fauna. This new line is called "Wallace-Weber".

The distance between Bali and Lombok is small, a matter of only about 35 kilometers. The distributions of many bird species observe the line, as many birds refuse to cross even the smallest stretches of open water. Many volant mammals (bats) have distributions that cross the Wallace Line, but non-volant species are usually limited to one side or the other, with a few exceptions (e.g., rodents [Hystrix]).

Australasia does not conform to a single zoological area since New Zealand's fauna are completely different to those on the Australian continent. Zoologists have suggested a term for the distinct area containing Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea that is dominated by marsupials. Suggestions are Meganesia, Sahul or Australinea.

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