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GRAND YEARS.
Human interest and entertaining tales of yesteryear with respected journalist Frank Morris
13 March 25
Clipper Days: Men at large on top of the world!
Four men were tugging at the topsail masthead of an 1883 clipper. They were doing their job. The ship was travelling north, following the sun. All sails are at the ready. The men looked around them; they felt on top of the world. The clipper started to rock and sway. The ...
12 February 25
Out of this vortex … Waltzing Matilda!
The last load of wool leaves the property. It was another period of mayhem It was the worst of times. Australia was caught up in the depression of the early 1890s, the scar of which had contributed directly to the origins of a political labour movement and Federation. By the 1880s, Australia was ...
12 February 25
World ‘firsts’ – The Surf Newspaper
The Surf was produced at Bondi, Sydney, on December 1, 1917. It was the “world’s first surfing newspaper”. The editor was Con Drew. After 20 issues, it folded on April 27, 1918. At the time, a spokesperson was asked, “why did it close”. The spokesperson replied: “Because of the war.” ...
08 January 25
Fact of Life: Beach Umbrellas
In Beach Umbrellas, Nancy Kilgour painted the picture with a lot of glee. She found it to be characteristically Australian and that she uses the beach both as an Australian image and to explore her interest in colour. Kilgour uses, especially in the purple shadows, cast on the sea. The ...
08 January 25
Oz Spots: A bagful of goodies!
Betty Friedan set up a modern day movement for women everywhere! “Ageing didn’t really interest me because I was not interested in yucky age. It’s dull and boring.” These words come from the lips of Betty Friedan whose book, The Feminine Mystique in 1963, launched the modern women’s movement in America. In no ...
11 December 24
Whale crusaders: A golden moment!
The people who live in Hervey Bay have a birds eye view of the state’s whale crusaders, the Humpback Heroes, at play. That’s why whale-watching has caught on with he dedicated and passionate group of individuals who celebrate these giants of the deep. (Photo: Perfect Queensland.) Stay awake, stay alert, stay ...
11 December 24
Countdown 50 years on - Good on you Molly!
Ian Molly Meldrum’s Countdown 50 On is a program filled with loads of live interviews and archival footage that take you back to a far-away time. ‘Molly’ Meldrum, seemingly, has become part of television history. Countdown’s started in 1974. Let’s go back to an article I wrote in 1987: Ian ‘Molly” Meldrum, ...
14 November 24
RIP: "Keep riding those endless waves"–Legendary surfer Phyllis O’Donnell passed away
Surfing champion, Phyllis O’Donell, died in her mid-eighties, at her Pottsville Retirement Home, Queensland. The legacy O’Donnell left behind was to be named Australia’s first female World Surfing Champion. Femlins was the name given to female surfers of the 60s. Femlins Power had struck a blow. Surfer Phyllis O’Donell was one of ...
14 November 24
Autos: We Love 'em
Barney Oldfield and Henry Ford try out the speed demon, which Ford had designed and made. Ford knew the value of the race-circuit It was a sleek-looking machine. “l opened my throttle as wide as it would go,” said the great racing driver American Barney Oldfield. His car was No. 999, but he drove it 1000 ...
