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Author Topic: Australia by Tibrogargan January 2007 - present and 155216+ views later!  (Read 657809 times)
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Tibrogargan
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« Reply #380 on: April 01, 2007, 03:28:55 AM »

GUM TREES OR EUCALYPTS (continued)

Gum trees (eucalypts) are the essence of the Australian flora. Their range extends from sub-alpine areas to wet coastal forests, temperate woodlands and the arid inland. In fact, the only major environment where eucalypts are absent is probably rainforest. There are about 12 species which occur naturally outside of Australia but around 700 are Australian endemics. Only 2 species are not found in Australia. One of these, Eucalyptus deglupta, is the only eucalypt to be found growing naturally in the northern hemisphere, occurring in the southern Phillipines (as well as in New Guinea and parts of Indonesia).
Even Australians who wouldn't know a Banksia from a Begonia know what a gum tree looks like and smells like. Soldiers returning by ship from the first and second world wars are rumoured to have been able to smell the aroma of the eucalypt before land was visible on the horizon. Most Australians may not be able to identify a particular species (there are hundreds of them, after all!) but they will know "that's a eucalypt".
The term "gum tree" is derived from the habit of some eucalypt species to exude a sticky, gum-like substance from the trunk. This is by no means a general characteristic but "gum tree" has become a common generic term for most eucalypts. A number of other common names have been applied to certain groups of eucalypts based on features such as bark type, timber characteristics or growth habit. Some names in common usage are:
·   Apple - A name used by early European settlers due to a similarity in appearance of some plants to apple trees (eg. Angophora bakeri, "Narrow-leaved apple")
·   Ash - Timber is similar to the European ash trees (eg. Eucalyptus regnans, "Mountain ash")
·   Blackbutt - The lower part of the trunk has persistent bark which is usually black due to past fires (eg. Eucalyptus pilularis, "Blackbutt")
·   Bloodwood - Timber often has pockets of a dark red gum known as kino (eg. Corymbia eximia, "Yellow bloodwood")
·   Box - Bark is retained on the tree and is short fibred; plates of bark may shear off with age (eg. Eucalyptus melliodora ("Yellow box")
·   Ironbark - Bark is retained on the tree and is hard and deeply furrowed (eg. Eucalyptus crebra, "Narrow-leaved ironbark")
·   Mallee - Multi-stemmed trees, usually fairly small in height (eg. Eucalyptus albida, "White-leaved mallee")
·   Peppermint - The oil in the leaves has a peppermint-like aroma (eg. Eucalyptus dives, "Broad-leaved peppermint")
·   Ribbon Gum - Bark is deciduous and is shed in long strips which often hang from the branches (eg. Eucalyptus viminalis, "Ribbon gum")
·   Scribbly Gum - Bark is deciduous and the smooth trunk is marked with "scribbles" caused by an insect larva (eg. Eucalyptus sclerophylla, "Scribbly gum")
·   Stringybark - Bark is retained in long fibres which can be pulled off in "strings" (eg. Eucalyptus eugenioides, "Thin-leaved stringybark")
The most important commercial use of eucalypts is in forestry and this is an area where there has been considerable conflict between conservation and timber interests in the last 20 years or so, particularly as resistance to woodchipping and the move to preserve old growth forests have gained momentum.
Timber production from eucalypts is carried out in Australia and overseas. Many different species are used both from natural forests and from plantations. Eucalypt plantations can be found in more than 90 countries with the largest overseas plantations being in Brazil which has over 1 million hectares. Some of the uses for eucalypts are:
·   Building (for termite resistance);
·   Furniture;
·   Woodchips;
·   Paper;
·   Fuel;
·   Another commercially important feature of eucalypts is the extraction of the oils contained in the foliage. Eucalypt oil has been used in medicine, industry and for perfumes.
The flowers of all eucalypts contain nectar and many species are important in the beekeeping industry. Honey is often marketed under the name of the main species involved in its production (eg. Yellow box, Red ironbark



Eucalypt bark types - clockwise from left top: Angophora bakeri, "Narrow-leaved apple"; Corymbia maculata, "Spotted gum"; Eucalyptus saligna, "Sydney blue gum"; Eucalyptus eugenioides, "Thin-leaved stringybark"
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« Reply #381 on: April 01, 2007, 03:46:39 AM »

SOME VARIEITIES OF EUCALYPTS

SPOTTED GUM



RED RIVER GUM



NORTHERN SALMON GUM

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« Reply #382 on: April 02, 2007, 02:58:32 AM »

MORE EUCALYPT VARIETIES

APPLE GUM



CAZNEAUX



MOUNTAIN ASH



MACROCARPA FLOWER

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« Reply #383 on: April 02, 2007, 03:03:54 AM »

STILL MORE EUCALYPTS

MOUNTAIN ASH



RED IRONBARK FLOWERS



WESTERN COOLIBAH



ILLYARRIE FLOWERS



SHOWING EUCALYT REGENERATION AFTER BUSHFIRE

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« Reply #384 on: April 02, 2007, 09:06:17 AM »

Quote from: "Tibrogargan"


The Irukandji (Carukua barnesi) inhabits Northern Australian waters. This is a deadly jellyfish, which is only 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) in diameter, which makes it very hard to spot in the water, but can cause death to humans within days.  It is related to another deadly marine creature, the box jellyfish.



The Box Jellyfish (also known as a Sea Wasp) is a very dangerous creature to inhabit Australian waters. The Jellyfish has extreme toxins present on its tentacles, which when in contact with a human, can stop cardio-respiratory functions in as little as three minutes.
This jellyfish is responsible for more deaths in Australian than Snakes, Sharks and Salt Water Crocodiles.
The creature has a square body and inhabits the north east areas of Australia. The tentacles may reach up to 80 cms (30 inches) in length. It is found along the coast of the Great Barrier Reef.


Oh My!! Those are quite scarey looking!! I certainly won't be adding them to my booty of critters I plan to bring back to the states.
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« Reply #385 on: April 02, 2007, 09:17:00 AM »

Quote from: "Tibrogargan"
STILL MORE EUCALYPTS

MOUNTAIN ASH



RED IRONBARK FLOWERS



WESTERN COOLIBAH



ILLYARRIE FLOWERS



SHOWING EUCALYT REGENERATION AFTER BUSHFIRE



I often thought Australia must be the most pleasant smelling place because of all the euclyptus trees, but I NEVER realized there was even more than ONE or two kinds lol.

I wonder what kind it is we find in our markets that I even have in my home. They have little round leaves , they come in browns and greens and reds ( loke a brick red). they are thick leaved like the MACROCARPA seems to be but with little and round leaves. We have some broad leafed ones too that I buy but those leaves are thinner.

 I also always assumed with all those lovely smelling trees around that Australians may run a lesser occurance of breathing problems. Is that true?
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« Reply #386 on: April 03, 2007, 07:57:55 AM »

Yes, Seamonkey I was amazed that there were 700 varieties of eucalypts.  They are trying to split them into sub-groups as they are so varied.  Unfortunately the proliferation of the eucalypts does not help with our breathing problems.  A lot of them are unscented or have very little scent, and we have so much dust especially in times of drought as at present.  Also there is a lot of pollen and other irritants everywhere. And of course there is pollution in the cities and industrial areas so we have a lot of asthma and other breathing problems just like everywhere else.
From what little I know, the round leaves you describe could be from the Spinning Gum.  I found a good site which describes these particular gums as growing well around Seattle.  I would expect their weather to be similar to where you live?  The site is www.arthurleej.com and on right hand side about 6 titles down you will find "Articles."   Somewhere in 1990 you will find "Spinning Gum" and may find his description and pictures help you to identify the leaves.
I hope you enjoy the next article.  Still on Eucalypts but a bit different than what I normally post.  Trying to find articles to interest most people  Wink
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« Reply #387 on: April 03, 2007, 08:03:15 AM »



MAY GIBBS

Cecilia May Gibbs.....1877 - 1969

"I could almost draw before I could walk" May Gibbs recalled when her thoughts travelled back to her childhood.

There was much to remember. Her earliest recollections were of England, where she was born in Sydenham during the cold January of 1877. Then, when she was four, came the exciting voyage to join Papa who had gone ahead to South Australia. Her baby brother Ivan, forever to be called "The Wreck of the Hesperus" (the ship they sailed in from England), was born shortly before the storm-delayed ship reached Adelaide.

May had three brothers and when the family moved to The Harvey in Western Australia, the children enjoyed remarkably carefree growing years. After daily lessons with Mother came the joys of riding the pony, Brownie, swimming in waterholes, fishing and frog hunting, turning Kurrajong seeds into boats and, best of all, borrowing the big laundry tub to sail on the river. The children helped make the daily bread, sampled the preserves and eagerly listened to readings of Alice in Wonderland and other books. May drew and she painted, but she wanted to be an actress, not an artist. However, by her twelfth year one of her drawings was published in a Perth newspaper.

By then the family lived close to that city and the little girl with thick reddish-brown hair and bright brown eyes already had imaginatively observed the Western Australian bush. The Banksias on The Harvey district were destined to be immortalised by May. "I was out walking, over in Western Australia, with my cousins," she said. "We came to a grove of Banksia trees and sitting on almost every branch were these ugly little, wicked little men that I discovered and that's how the Banksia Men were thought of."

The creation of the gumnut babies was less defined for May. "It's hard to tell, hard to say, I don't know if the bush babies found me or I found the little creatures," she recalled. "Perhaps it was memories of West Australia's flowers and trips to Blackheath."

Whatever triggered their inspiration was probably after the seven years she spent studying formal art in London, just as her parents had done years before. Twice May made the long sea voyage to England and during her last stay she illustrated her first books - historical dramas. British publishers were not enthusiastic about the Australian environment of her own stories, so she wrote About Us, based on the imaginary chimney-pot people of London and this was later published in the UK and the USA, but not Australia.
It wasn't until 1913 when she returned to live in Neutral Bay, Sydney that the gumnut babies first appeared, unobtrusively peeping over the edge of a gumnut on the cover of Ethel Turner's book, The Missing Button.  Careless glances could easily overlook their debut.

During the years of World War I May received recognition for her indigenous, cheerful postcards and bookmarks, calendars, school magazine illustrations and her series of five booklets featuring gumnut babies and flower children. However, her mind searched for a story book. "I thought of the name Snugglepot for a book on bush babies," she remembered, ''but I could not get another name. I wanted two, and one night, lying in bed quietly, I thought Snugglepot. . .Cuddlepie!" The adventures of the two half-brothers were published during the Armistice celebrations of 1918. The book, which has remained in print, was dedicated to "The Two Dearest Children in the World, Lefty and Bill." Few people realised that they were May's beloved parents, Cecilia and Herbert.
Shortly afterwards May Gibbs married James Ossoli Kelly. Work continued, including weekly comic strips, Bib and Bub and Tiggy Touchwood. There were more books but she found time to learn to drive a car nicknamed Dodgem with Scottish terriers yapping on the back seat or riding in wicker baskets on the running board during camping trips. Eventually, in 1925, "Let's build her a house," said Bib to Bub. It was Nutcote with cheerful yellow walls and blue shuttered windows, and a cherished garden where generations of Scotties dug holes but inspired May, especially after the death of James in 1939.

May lived on, still working during her eighties. The nation honoured her with an MBE and a small literary pension. Best of all, generations of children have loved her books and immediately recognised "ugly little, wicked little men" lurking amongst the Banksia leaves.

Jean Chapman
All quotes are from a taped interview with May Gibbs produced by Hazel de Berg for the National Library of Australia, Canberra.
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« Reply #388 on: April 03, 2007, 08:06:48 AM »

SNUGGLEPOT AND CUDDLEPIE



GUMNUT BABIES



KOALA BOAT



NUTCOTE AT NEUTRAL BAY, SYDNEY

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« Reply #389 on: April 03, 2007, 08:10:26 AM »

UNRIPE GUMNUTS



RIPE GUMNUTS

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« Reply #390 on: April 03, 2007, 10:40:21 AM »

Thank you Tibro.after going to the site you posted I found it is a spinning gum. Seattle is a lot like where I am as far as wetness,  but I think thier temps stay a bit higher than Maine for longer periods of time.

 I LOVED that story about May Gibbs. I also think I have seen her illistrations before. I never heard of those stories, but am very intrigued to look them up. I love her sense of whimsy and imagination which never seemed to ebb even late in life. I can admire that since I am also one of those " I never wanna grow up kinda kids " lol. I often feared if I grew up TOO much inside I ( my mind's eye) will no longer see the fairies or other characters I create.

 Thank you so much for sharing her story, I totally enjoyed it and learning of an author and artist I never heard of before. She is such an inspiration!!
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« Reply #391 on: April 04, 2007, 03:18:38 AM »

I though you would enjoy that story about May Gibbs.  Most generations of Australians have grown up with Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and their friends.  I do hope it is not too unsophisticated for our current children.  Imagination and dreaming never hurt anyone.  The illustrations are magical.

Now for an unusual photo :

A MOB OF RED KANGAROOS DRINKING :

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« Reply #392 on: April 04, 2007, 03:23:08 AM »

ST ANDREWS CROSS SPIDER'S WEB

Orb-weaving spiders have puzzled, charmed and inspired people over the centuries. If you observe closely, you’ll notice that the web of each species is unique in its pattern. The St Andrews Cross spider usually spins one that is a complete and vertical orb, but this springtime juvenile only spun the bottom two thirds of his web. It’s fascinating to watch the spider build as it walks around each circle, using a leg to measure off the exact distance to lay down the next thread.

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« Reply #393 on: April 05, 2007, 02:01:06 AM »

PINT-SIZED WAVE KING

April 05, 2007 12:00am
Article from: The Courier Mail

HE might be just two years old, but Jaylan Amor is making giant waves in the world of surfing.
The toddler is believed to be the youngest boarder on the Gold Coast and is already winning sponsorship deals with surf businesses.
He first stepped on a board at Currumbin beach six months ago and now brings the beach to a standstill each time he catches a wave.

"No one here has ever seen anyone this young surf before – he's just incredible," dad Peter said.
Jaylan's surfing skill came as no surprise though, as his four-year-old sister Shayla learned to surf a year ago.
"They both took to swimming like ducks to water and love the beach. Their mum and I were keen surfers when we were younger, so I guess our kids have got it in their blood," Mr Amor said.

Jaylan sits on his board while his dad paddles out to the open water. The toddler then hops up and rides waves back to the beach, sometimes cruising along for more than 50m.
"When he falls in he just dog-paddles back to the board and waits for me to get him," Mr Amor said.

But Jaylan is under no pressure to become the next Kelly Slater.
"We'll just let nature take its course. He's a pretty good soccer player so he might become the next Harry Kewell instead," his father said.
"The most important thing is that he enjoys surfing. You only have to watch him smiling to see that he loves being on the water."

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« Reply #394 on: April 06, 2007, 02:16:43 AM »



EASTER IN AUSTRALIA

Easter commemorates the resurrection (return to life) of Jesus Christ following his death by crucifixion. It is the most significant event of the Christian calendar. Easter, also known as Resurrection Day, is observed between late March and late April (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity). It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which his followers believe occurred on the third day after his death by crucifixion. In the Roman Catholic Church, Easter is actually an eight-day feast called the Octave of Easter.
The Christian churches began Easter celebrations about 300 years after the death of Jesus Christ, however pagan Spring equinox festivals associated with birth, the renewal of life, fertility and sunrise date back long before Christianity. Many of the present-day customs of Easter have their origins in these festivals. The date on which Easter falls varies from year to year.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE

The Christian churches in Australia observe the Easter Christian Calendar which begins with Shrove Tuesday, some 40 days before Easter, and ends with Whitsun (or Pentecost) which is 50 days after Easter Sunday.
Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and is a day of mourning in church. During Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and on his last words spoken from the cross: 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' (New English Bible, Luke 22: 34)
Easter Sunday is the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is celebrated with great enjoyment by Christians. Churches are usually filled with flowers and the celebrations include the singing of special hymns.

EASTER TRADITIONS

Pancake Day

Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday because they were a dish that could use up perishable foodstuffs such as eggs, fats and milk, with just the addition of flour, prior to the beginning of the 40 days of fasting during Lent.
Many Australian groups and communities make and share pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Selling pancakes to raise money for charity is also a popular activity.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are sweet, spiced buns made with dried fruit and leavened with yeast. A cross, the symbol of Christ, is placed on top of the buns, either with pastry or a simple mixture of flour and water. The buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, however in Australia they are available in bakeries and stores many weeks before Easter.
A recent variation on the traditional fruit bun has become popular in Australia. A chocolate version is made with the same spiced mixture, but cocoa is added to the dough and chocolate chips replace the dried fruit.

Easter Eggs

Eggs, symbolising new life, have long been associated with the Easter festival. Chocolate Easter eggs, along with other forms of confectionery specially manufactured for Easter, have become a favourite part of Easter in Australia.
In the lead up to Easter, many organisations take the opportunity to raise funds by selling tickets in raffles for baskets of Easter eggs. Community groups organise Easter egg hunts for children in parks and recreational areas.
Easter eggs are traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday, however stores start stocking Easter treats well before the Easter holiday period.

The Easter Bunny

Early on Easter Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny 'delivers' chocolate Easter eggs to children in Australia, as he does in many parts of the world.
The rabbit and the hare have long been associated with fertility, and have therefore been associated with spring and spring festivals. The rabbit as a symbol of Easter seems to have originated in Germany where it was first recorded in writings in the 16th century. The first edible Easter bunnies, made from sugared pastry, were made in Germany in the 19th century.

The Easter Bilby

Rabbits are an introduced species in Australia and are unpopular because of the damage they do to the land.
In 1991 a campaign was started by the Anti-Rabbit Research Foundation to replace the Easter Bunny with the Easter Bilby (an endangered species). Author Jenny Bright wrote a children's story called Burra Nimu the Easter Bilby to support the campaign.

Greek Orthodox Easter traditions

The celebrations for Greek Easter begin two months before Christian Easter celebrations with Mardi Gras. The Carnival or Apokria season starts on the Sunday of Teloni and Fariséou and ends on Shrovetide Sunday with the Burning of the Carnival King , which involves setting fire to an enormous papier-mâché effigy of Judas.
For Greeks, Clean Monday is one of the most festive holidays of the year. As Lent begins, children and their parents go into the hills of Athens and the Greek countryside to fly kites and feast at local tavernas or outdoor picnics.
On Holy Thursday the bright dyed red eggs that are symbolic of Easter in Greece are prepared. Tradition says that the Virgin Mother, Mary, dyed eggs this colour to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and to celebrate life. On Good Friday or Great Friday, flags at homes and government buildings are set at half mast to mark the mournful day.
Celebrations continue with the cracking of eggs and The Resurrection Table. The dyed red Easter eggs that are found on the Resurrection Table become pieces of a traditional game. Each person takes an egg and challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs, which is meant to symbolise Christ breaking from the Tomb. The person whose egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the year.

The Ulladulla Blessing of the Fleet Festival on the New South Wales south coast is an old tradition which originated in Sicily to ensure that the fishermen would return to port and have a bountiful catch.
In 1956, Italian fishermen and their families organised Ulladulla's first Blessing of the Fleet, with St. Peter being chosen as the patron Saint of Fishermen. Activities included the spaghetti-eating contest, climbing of the greasy pole, apple on a string, greasy pig and the naming of the Fishermen's Princess, traditions which still continue.
 
THE EASTER HOLIDAY IN AUSTRALIA

The four-day 'weekend'

In addition to its religious significance, Easter in Australia is enjoyed as a four-day holiday weekend starting on Good Friday and ending on Easter Monday.
This extra-long weekend is an opportunity for Australians to take a mini-holiday, or get together with family and friends. Easter often coincides with school holidays, so many people with school aged children incorporate Easter into a longer family holiday. Easter is the busiest time for domestic air travel in Australia, and a very popular time for gatherings such as weddings and christenings.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia's largest annual event and celebrates all everything from our bush heritage to the vitality of city life. It takes place annually at Sydney Olympic Park over a two-week period which includes the Easter long weekend.
The Show is part of the long tradition of agricultural shows that are held in towns and cities across Australia. At these shows, rural and farming communities showcase their livestock and produce, and exhibitors, organisations and companies provide people in urban areas with a glimpse of rural life.
Shows are also a time for competition, spectacle and entertainment. The Sydney Royal Easter Show includes the Sydney Royal Rodeo, and the visitors to the show can enjoy the latest on offer in the way of extreme rides and attractions.

Festivals

There are many festivals held over the Easter holiday in Australia. Performers and audiences travel long distances to attend music festivals as diverse as the National Folk Festival in Canberra, the East Coast International Blues & Roots Festival at Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, and the Australian Gospel Music Festival in Toowoomba in Queensland.
There are also festivals with a more local or regional nature such as the Bendigo Easter Festival, in Victoria.

Sport

The football season is well under way by Easter and all football codes schedule major league matches over the Easter holiday period which are well attended.
The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, a 308 nautical mile ocean race, is Queensland's premier blue water classic and one of Australia's major sporting events over the Easter weekend.
For horse racing fans there is a four-day Easter Racing Carnival at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Caufield Racecourse in Melbourne holds an Easter Saturday Meeting and an Easter Monday Meeting, and other cities and regional centres also schedule racing events at this time of year.
The Tasmania Three Peaks Race, a four-day, non-stop 335 nautical mile sailing and endurance running race around Tasmania's east coast every Easter attracts contestants from around the world. Teams of two runners leave their yachts at three points on the coast for 133 km of running. Each run involves scaling a rugged mountain peak.
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« Reply #395 on: April 06, 2007, 02:25:58 AM »

CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, BUCKLAND, TASMANIA

The village of Buckland sits in a district known as Prosser Plains by the first European settlers. White settlement here began in the 1820s.  The name Buckland was bestowed upon the small hamlet by Governor Franklin in 1846, in honour of the Dean of Westminster (1845-56), William Buckland.

The year 1846 was also when the sandstone St John the Baptist Church was built in Buckland. Designed in the English-style by architect Crawford Cripps Wegman, the church features a stained glass east window, which has been authenticated as dating from the 14th century. The window depicts the life of John the Baptist and has been linked historically as being originally designed for England's Battle Abbey on the site of the Battle of Hastings. The means by which the window arrived in Buckland has been disputed but it is said that in the 1800s the Marquis of Salisbury gave the window to Buckland's first rector, the Reverend T.H. Fox. It was installed in the church in 1849.

ENGRAVING BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DONE AROUND 1848




The stained glass window referred to is pictured above.
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« Reply #396 on: April 07, 2007, 05:46:03 AM »

SOME AUSTRALIAN EASTER ACTIVITIES

THREE PEAKS RACE :

One of the many international events conducted each year in Tasmania is the Three Peaks Race.
It starts near AMC's campus at Beauty Point each year on Good Friday, and comprises:
·   A sail leg of 90 nautical miles to Flinders Island from Beauty Point on the Tamar River
·   A 65 kilometre run to Mt. Strezlecki on Flinders Island
·   A sail leg of 145 nautical miles from Flinders Island to Coles Bay on the East Coast
·   A 33 kilometre run across the "The Hazards"
·   A final sailing leg to Hobart of 100 nautical miles
·   A 35 kilometre run up Mt. Wellington and back down to finish at Constitution Dock.

The concept of a race combining sailing and climbing or running first arose in 1976 in a small seaside Welsh village of Barmouth, the home of the famous seaman and mountaineer, Major Harold William (Bill) Tilman.
From the start, the race flourished. The unique combination of the two disciplines giving a much wider appeal than a simple yacht race. The competitiveness on land by dedicated runners was augmented by boats of increased performance and so, fast multihull vessels started to come to the fore. Being so fast and spectacular, the multihulls also attracted the sponsors and so the race as a whole benefited even further from the increased publicity.

In 1987 Martin Pryor led the first Australian team to compete in the British event in a chartered formula 40 catamaran. Although very fast and leading at the time, the team was forced to retire due to damaged rudders.
During the planning of that campaign, Pryor came up with the idea of a sister event in Australia. It was obvious that the only place to satisfactorily replicate the British event was Tasmania. The uncanny similarity of the Tasmanian course, in terms of terrain, distances and waters to be sailed made course selection relatively easy. In addition, the event could encompass the two largest cities in the State, Launceston and the capital, Hobart.

On returning to Australia, planning began in earnest, culminating in the highly successful inaugural race over Easter 1989, followed by exciting events being held at Easter each year since.

The Australian Three Peaks Race is a non-stop event, commencing at Beauty Point just north of Launceston on the Tamar River and finishing in Hobart on the Derwent River. En-route, teams have to scale Mt Strzelecki, Mt Freycinet and Mt Wellington.

The east-coast course around Tasmania affords the best combinations of suitable mountains, coastal centres, accessibility for followers, press crews and the public. It brings publicity and exposure to two of the more beautiful but remote areas of the State, Flinders Island and the Freycinet Peninsula, and takes competitors, supporting groups and the media the length of the beautiful east coast.

For competitors it offers an interesting alternative for the yachting fraternity and a challenging new activity for runners, climbers and bushwalkers. It is this unique combination of the two disparate disciplines which provides for such a challenging event.
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....And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars..  A.B (Banjo) Paterson
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« Reply #397 on: April 07, 2007, 05:48:49 AM »

THE SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is the largest annual event staged in Australia, attracting on average around one million Showgoers each year.  Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park is transformed to play host to a festival that is unique to Australia and its diverse cultural and rural heritage.  

The Show runs for 14 days over the Easter period and is a pinnacle event enjoyed by Australians of all ages.  Each year, the Sydney Royal Easter Show aims to highlight Australian agricultural excellence through competitions and education and to promote national and international awareness of the country’s proud rural heritage.  

Approximately 15,000 competitors submit some 35,000 entries for judging in over 50 unique and diverse Sydney Royal competitions including livestock, domestic animals, District Exhibits, apiculture, poultry, arts, woodchopping and horticulture to name but a few. The Sydney Royal Easter Show is a festival of diversity, culture and lifestyle, a celebration of the legacy that is Australian agriculture.  

The Sydney Showground literally overflows with entertainment, excitement and educational opportunities. Whether it’s a culinary feast you desire or a day of adrenaline pumping action, fireworks and fashion, rides and races, the Sydney Royal Easter Show is your ticket to the real Australia.

On Easter Sunday 8 April, the The RAS and the Salvation Army will host an Easter service in the Amphitheatre.  The service welcomes all denominations and is a great opportunity for all the entire Show family to come together on site to commemorate Easter at the Show.   The service will take place from 8.30-9.30am.
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....And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars..  A.B (Banjo) Paterson
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« Reply #398 on: April 07, 2007, 05:52:29 AM »

SOME PHOTOS FROM THIS YEAR'S SHOW (2007)

SECTION OF THE CROWD



ANIMAL NURSERY



YARD DOGS DEMONSTRATION

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....And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars..  A.B (Banjo) Paterson
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« Reply #399 on: April 07, 2007, 05:55:39 AM »

A WINNING EXHIBIT TITLED "BUTTERFLY ENCOUNTERS"



PART OF THE GRAND PARADE OF LIVESTOCK

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....And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars..  A.B (Banjo) Paterson
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