Vintage Geelong

from w

An old book about Geelong has turned up compiled by Walter Hitchcock. It's a copy of Victoria Illustrated and was rebound in leather with reminiscences and drawings.  Here are three of the sketches. The story was in today's Geelong Advertiser.  It's interesting to see how different Malop Street and Moorabool street were and also the Railway Station in its early days.

Wedding Anniversary

Happy 14th wedding anniversary to George and Bale. We remember that day and feast at Vatuadova on that special day,  chasing the cow,  the girls performing a dance, my brother roaming around the Labasa shops, the lights going out, the hundreds of guests that I didn't even know but they come when there's a Fijian party going. The photo was taken yesterday evening.

Playing with Gimp

from w,
I had Gimp on another computer but we chucked out the hard drive so one of the boys installed it again on this computer, so I tried out Reverse colours to see what would happen. White becomes black etc. These are of Western Beach, Barwon Heads rocks, shells,

Population of Geelong region

from w
The stats from the most recent census are now out and here is a story from today's Advertiser about the Geelong region.  It doesn't just cover 'Geelong' as City of Greater Gecouncil boundary but is much wider so it's not really 'Geelong' as I would call it.

Geelong shows its age

Peter Begg   |  June 22nd, 2012

GEELONG'S population is ageing at an accelerating rate, with the median age of people in the region creeping up from 36 to 39 in the past decade.

There were 5896 people in Geelong aged 85 years and older last year.

Ten years earlier, in 2001, there were 3690 aged 85 and older.

The latest figures come from last year's census and were released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as the first instalment from the detailed 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

The figures show the Geelong region's population has grown from 214,381 in 2001 to 247,321 last year.

The Geelong region for ABS purposes extends west to Winchelsea, past Lorne down the coast and to Meredith in the north. It is therefore smaller than the G21 Regional Alliance area, which includes Colac and is expected to top 300,000 people later this year.

Geelong city councillor and member of the G21 Transport Pillar, Andy Richards, said the G21 Regional Growth Plan was being formulated to address the region's growth.

"Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast are growing and council and G21 are planning for that," he said.

"However, if the State Government does not fund public transport and better roads and cycling infrastructure, we will have to rethink that view.

"Population growth without transport infrastructure growth equals a problematic future."

In percentage terms, one of the fastest growing groups were indigenous people, with their local population growning from 1359 to 2019, or nearly 50 per cent, in the decade to 2011.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative David Tournier said there could be a number of reasons for the increase, including the fact that Geelong was such a good place to live.

"Another reason could be relatives," he said.

"Another reason could be because of the Institute of Koori Education out at Deakin University.

"There has also been a lot of births in the community recently."

The percentage of overseas-born people in the region increased in the same decade.

Last year, there were 37,354 Geelong residents who were born overseas up from 33,159 in 2001.

Average personal income has also made a sizeable leap from $335 in 2001 to $526 last year.

But people's income did nothing to match the leap in rents, which almost doubled in the past decade.

Last year, the average rent was $240, up from $125 in 2001.

Last year's census was the 16th national census and marked 100 years of national census-taking in Australia.

The series and data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing is now available on the ABS website. Visit www.abs.gov.au/census

Point Lonsdale sketches

from w

Yesterday was very cold but we needed some fresh air so drove down to Point Lonsdale and walked a bit and then climbed down steps to the shore beneath the lighthouse.  It was high tide so we couldn't walk around the rocks.  Peceli and I did sketches of the rocks and beach there. There was a biting bracing wind but good to revive the spirits.

Why an earthquake here?

from w
It's possible that fracking is the cause of the earthquake centred on Moe area because that's where the coal seeking companies have been busy.  Fracking in other parts of the world has been related to earthquakes where there were never earthquakes before.  Here is what I found on the web:

http://quitcoal.org.au/fracking-in-victoria/

What’s happening in Victoria?

Until now Queensland and NSW have borne the brunt of fracking activities (predominately CSG) in Australia. Previously operations in Victoria have been on a very small scale but a massive expansion is imminent. Melbourne sits between two major gas basins. To the East the gas basin extends right throughout Gippsland and to the West the Otway Basin extends all the way to the South Australian border.

The Victorian Baillieu Government has effectively given the green light for mining corporations to explore and exploit vast tracks of land throughout the state. Three exploration licenses have been approved where the sole purpose of exploration is Coal Seam Gas fracking (an additional license was approved and later withdrawn), with a further 3 pending approval. There are an additional 26 licenses, either approved or pending approval, where CSG is one of the commodities being surveyed. Collectively, these licenses cover an enormous chunk of the state, affecting hundreds of different communities, vast areas of prime farmland and precious ecosystems.

The companies involved have an appalling track record when it comes to protecting local communities and the land from potentially devastating consequences.

Where are they doing it?

THE OTWAY BASIN

Western Victoria: Exploration License (EL)5082 (approximately 94km North-West of Warrnambool -1 130km²)-Leichhardt Resources Pty Ltd, EL5298, EL5297, EL5299 (Bordering SA) (All Pending)- Mercus Resources Pty Ltd, EL5294(Pending) (3km West of Sunbury)-Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd, Coal Bed Methane, Coal (Brown or Black) [Coal to liquids potential; underground coal gasification potential], EL5323,EL5324,EL5325 (All Pending?)(Bacchus Marsh)-Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd

THE GIPPSLAND BASIN

East Gippsland: EL4416 (3 700km²)-Ignite Energy Resources Pty Ltd, Greenpower Natural Gas Pty Ltd [underground coal gasification potential], EL5333, EL 5334, PRL 2- Commonwealth Mining (Lakes Oil)[Details here],

Central Gippsland: EL5336 (Strezleckis, northern slopes-Pending)-Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd, EL4877 (Six Sites: 1 South of Trafalgar, 2 South of Gormondale)- Sawells Pty Ltd, EL5210 (North of Trafalgar)-Resolve Geo Pty Ltd, EL5320(Drouin to Warragul –Pending)-ECI Pty Ltd (exclusively CSG)- [Information available here], EL5275(Eastern Strezleckis, Wellington-Pending)-ECI Pty Ltd (exclusively CSG)

Gippsland Plains: EL 5394(Toongabbie and Cowwarr area) Commonwealth Mining Pty Ltd (Lakes Oil), CSG [Check here for details], EL4860 (Immediately South of EL5394)-Sawells Pty Ltd,

West Gippsland:), EL4681-Monash Energy Coal Ltd, EL5227 (covers Ellinbank to Darnam)-Greenpower Natural Gas Pty Ltd, EL4500 (covers Lang Lang area as well as other sites in South and West Gipsland)-Greenpower Natural Gas Pty Ltd

South Gippsland: EL 5416- Leichhardt Resources Pty Ltd [Check here for further information], EL5322 (Pending)-ECI Pty Ltd, EL5081(Fish Creek to Meeniyan)-Leichardt Resources Pty Ltd, EL5170 (Pending)-Latrobe Fuels Ltd, EL5180 (Bass to Kilcunda)–Seamair Pty Ltd, EL5212 (Port Welshpool)-Resolve Geo Pty Ltd, EL5229 (West of Yarram-Pending)-Wassylko, Stanislaw, EL5270 (Leogatha and Korumburra)-Clean Global Energy Ltd, EL5274 (Between Foster and Mirboo North-Pending)-ECI International Pty Ltd (exclusively CSG), EL5276 (U-shaped, covering South of Poowong, North of Korumburra and East of Leongatha)-ECI International Pty Ltd (exclusively CSG), EL5281-Seamiar Pty Ltd, EL5321 (Poowong area – Pending) – ECI International Pty Ltd (exclusively CSG), EL5322 (Pending)- ECI International Pty Ltd (exclusively CSG), EL5333 (South West of Sale, North of Foster – Pending)-Commonwealth Mining Pty Ltd [more info – http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=node/1115, EL5337(Thorpdale, almost to Mirboo North-Pending)- Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd, EL5338 (Mirboo North-Pending)- Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd,

CENTRAL AND NORTH-EAST VIC

EL5308-Wassylko, Stanislaw, EL5203-Oscar Mining Pty Ltd, EL5268-BTB Mining Pty Ltd, EL5271-Gold of Ophir Pty Ltd, EL5308-Wassylko, Stanislaw

Earthquake

from w
About twenty minutes ago, members of the family started yelling in the lounge room, rushing into the house from their various bungalows and garage rooms and even a caravan shook. Walls, beds shaking. The second earthquake in four days.  Looked up Age breaking news - it's in Melbourne too and even hundreds of kilometres away. Then in facebook and twitter of course.  Peceli and I were just about to pray, and then it all happened!  So we make a cup of coffee instead.

Later - next morning the Herald Sun wrote it up in a sensational way - and they say it was the worst in 109 years. The epicentre apparently was in the Moe area in Gippsland, but felt over a wide area even southern NSW.  The worry now is that it could happen again and be worse. Fortunately there have been no stories of people being hurt - so far.

VICTORIA has been shaken by its largest 
earthquake in more than a century.

THE CHEMIST WAREHOUSE IN MORWELL FELT THE IMPACT OF THE EARTHQUAKE. PICTURE: DANIELLE TERRANOVA HERALD SUN

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Millions across the state felt the tremor, which had an epicentre 16km south-west of Moe, at theLatrobe Valley in Victoria's east.The magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook homes, cracked windows and walls, and threw residents from their chairs.

The quake struck at 8.53pm and lasted for 30 seconds, Geoscience Australia spokesman Chris Thompson said.

Up to four aftershocks have been felt surrounding the earthquake's epicentre, he said.

''We've had reports from central Melbourne and as far as right up the top of the state. Most people would have felt it,'' Mr Thompson said.

Initial estimates put the quake as high as magnitude 5.5, but Geoscience Australia revised its final calculation to 5.3.

“We’ve studied the quake in depth and we’re very sure,” he said.

Seismology Research Centre spokesman Adam Pascale said the quake was almost as strong as the magnitude 5.6 quake that killed one person in Newcastle in 1989.

But he said it had not caused the same level of damage because its epicentre was in a less populated area.

"We haven’t felt something like this in Melbourne for a very long time," he said.

Slash and burn at the Age newspaper

from w
This was expected as we no longer can sustain so much paper being used for throwaway to recycling. The broadsheet ought to have gone tabloid size long ago for convenience and who bothered to read three quarters of it anyway.  The internet news has taken over but is free so they'll soon be charging I guess.  But there will be tears for some people who love to read a daily paper, hold it in their hands, browse as they wished.  Not everyone has a computer and internet also.  Anyway this is how one media outlet told the story. Mediaspy.  Is the Geelong Advertiser part of this company?

Monday, 18 June 2012. By Cyril Washbrook.

Cutting deep: Fairfax to axe 1,900 staff, downsize papers and erect paywalls

In its Monday morning announcement, Fairfax said that it hoped to save $235 million a year by 2015 as a result of its multi-pronged overhaul, which will see total job losses of around 1,900. In earlier announcements of cost-cutting measures, the company had projected annual savings of $170 million from its "Fairfax of the Future" review. The downsizing spree will cut deep. Fairfax will close its printing presses at Chullora (NSW) and Tullamarine (Victoria) by mid-2014, while around 150 to 200 editorial staff at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald will be among the employees to be shown the door between now and 2015. The company claimed that despite the editorial cuts, the company was committed to "continued investment in quality journalism".

)Fairfax Media will slash nearly two thousand staff over the next three years, shift its major metropolitan newspapers from broadsheets to a compact format, and put the online editions of those papers behind paywalls as part of its efforts to cut costs and move the company to a "digital-first" orientation.

Meanwhile, The Age and the Herald will move to a tabloid-sized "compact" format from March next year, described by Fairfax as "more accessible and convenient" and an option favoured by readers.

Fairfax also announced that it would follow News Limited's lead by introducing paywalls for its two major metropolitan broadsheets, starting in the first quarter of next year; precise details of the subscription model will be made available by the end of the year.

With online "reach" now substantially larger than its print readership, the introduction of paywalls represents an attempt by Fairfax to monetise its popular but as yet unprofitable digital presence. In its announcement, the company suggested that it would be adopting a New York Times-style "metered" payment model - also known as a "soft" paywall - whereby readers can access a certain number of free articles before being asked to purchase a subscription.

Reactions

Greg Hywood, Fairfax's chief executive and managing director, portrayed the sweeping overhaul as "bold" but "difficult, particularly as they will impact on some of our people". He said that changes to the group's business structure and operations were necessary in the face of "challenging times" for traditional media in Australia.

"Readers' behaviours have changed and will not change back. As as result, we are taking decisive actions to fundamentally change the way we do business," he said.

Fairfax has lost 85 per cent of its market value in the past five years, and the strategic shift is widely regarded as long overdue, if not too late altogether. Investors reacted swiftly and with relief in response to the company's announcement, sending shares in the company up by more than seven per cent at the close.

In the middle of the night

from w
Last night - maybe 3 a.m. I was woken up by the sounds of animals barking and even cats kind of crying. It was weird. I thought at first it was our pet rabbit and guinea pig but the sound was different to guinea pig noises.  In the daytime one of the boys in the family said he had been woken up by loud noises and a crash from next door. Later he said BayFM had something on facebook about an earthquake in Geelong. Well, here is the story:

It struck just after 3.30 and was centred to the city’s north-west, measuring 2.3 on the Richter scale.

But while it may have been a relatively minor tremor it was certainly noticed by residents.

Several people said they thought their nightmare of an explosion at Corio’s Shell refinery had finally come true.

“ My dogs were going berserk barking and … there was a huge bang, a couple more barks, then silence – I thought Shell or the LPG site had gone up,” said Annette Butcher of Corio.

Many people took to Facebook to say they were woken by the quake.

One said, “My whole unit shook all the windows were shaking like mad I thought they were gonna smash.”

Another person reported, “Rumbled (sic) noise, dog going berserk,woke me up, bedside lamps shook and windows, live near power plant. Damn scary. Then complete silence.”

Geelong has never been hit by a major earthquake but smaller tremors are not uncommon.

The most recent quake measuring over five on the Richter scale was in 1965 but more than one hundred smaller incidents have been recorded over the last 170 years.

There are numerous fault lines near Geelong with the biggest located to the city’s north, known as the Lovely Banks Fault.

Experts say it has a “scarp” (surface displacement) of over 100 metres, the second largest in Australia.

The Rowsley Fault starts about 16km west of Geelong and was the cause of a 4.7 magnitude quake that shook Balliang in 1977.

Snow and sea and shells

from w

Some unfinished sketches were used to tidy up a bit, work on them with more pen or pencil. Maybe they would have been better off being just with a light touch. Anyway here goes.  One of shells which started as a photo. Some of beaches - Western Beach Geelong and Barwon Heads, and images of snow I drew from a train ride through the countryside near Castlemaine.

Like Mickey Mouse at the piano

from w
I discovered a cute youtube of Mickey Mouse playing the piano  -
 and it reminded me of myself last Sunday morning when I messed up
playing the hymns at the local church.  Go to

Mickey Mouse Piano Solo - The Opry House (1929) - YouTube to see Mickey in action. As for me and my music - well, the first hymn was written wrong into the newsletter - given wrong number. Second hymn - they didn't like the tune, wanted an old one. Third hymn - chorus was not up on the powerpoint projection yet I persisted in playing it four times.  Fourth hymn - the drummer sounded rather off and I looked behind me and a six year old kid was enjoying himself instead of a ten or thirteen year old. Okay, Next time I might have a better day at playing the church organ.  At least I hadn't tackled a classical piece and played it upside down.  Perhaps I can blame the whole debacle on the cough medicine I've been taking. The drawing is of me as a seven year old.

Barbecue for a holiday

from w.

It was a sunny day for a change after the dismal drizzly weather lately, - so good for the Queen's Birthday weekend holiday, so we had a barbecue in the back yard for the family - chicken, hamburgers, potatoes, salads.  We expected visitors but they weren't able to come at the last moment, so we really ought to have invited the people from the streets and lanes. Well, another time.  NO, we did not cook the guinea pig!!!! He just happened to be outside enjoying the sunshine and he and the pet rabbit were in a play pen most of the time.

Tru energy door knockers telling lies

from w
Even though we have a sticker on the gate (maybe it's come off) to say no to door knockers, two young men of Indian descent came knocking late yesterday afternoon.  'Your bill number is different to your new box number,' one lied to me.  How would he know that - the rabbit and guinea pig live in the enclosed verandah and the two men couldn't get in there!  'Show us your last bill,' demanded one of them.  I was suspicious for a start and asked to see their ID.  It did say Tru Energy but I didn't have time to write down names and ID numbers. I said, 'I'll ring up myself then.' Then the two skidaddled very quickly out the front garden.  Seems like they are doing the rounds of our suburb, but how many gullible people would actually believe they are from our electricity supplier and show them a bill and the details would then be used to change the provider?  I rang up Smartbox or whatever it's called, got Comsumer Affairs and told them.
 It happened in other towns too - e.g. in Griffith. And then an apology came from Truenergy in one of the papers. Hmmm. Not good enough.

BY EMILY TINKER

17 Jun, 2011 12:00 AM

AN ELECTRICITY company accused of using "bully tactics" to sign locals up to their service has apologised to the residents targeted by rogue doorknockers.

Earlier in the week, The Area News was contacted by a number of residents who claimed salespeople from TRUenergy were using underhand tactics and even downright lies to get them to switch energy providers.


TRUenergy initially denied having any doorknockers in the area but, following Wednesday's front page article, the company has since retracted its statement and apologised to the community.


"We did have doorknockers in the Griffith area between May 30 and June 4. The original statement referred to TRUenergy not having doorknockers in Griffith at the time the newspaper called us," a spokesperson said. "We would like to apologise for any anxiety or distress caused by the experience."


The spokesperson said TRUenergy contracted out the doorknocking jobs and the company in charge of the Griffith salespeople had been notified about their behaviour.


"We do not condone any misleading conduct and we have asked the company to investigate and take steps to address the issue," the spokesperson said. "We expect them to take firm steps including, where necessary, suspension or dismissal."


While such discipline is usually handled by the electricity company involved, the office of the minister of resources and energy is now also looking into the violation. "The government has already raised this issue both with IPART and TRUenergy," a spokesperson for the minister's office said. "The NSW government requires energy retailers to stick to strict marketing rules under its energy marketing code."


The TRUenergy spokesperson gave assurances no doorknocker would return to Griffith until the company was confident the employees understood the code of conduct.

It's raining, it's pouring

from w
We are sick and tired of the rain, the cool weather. For seven years we had a drought and from last year the weather pattern has certainly changed. The last few days have been so wet, breaking records.  However the highest rainfall is in the Otways - near the town of Forrest - nearly 300mm in three days. There are numerous flood warnings as the Barwon River fills up and the waters will reach Geelong in a few days.
From today's Addie:

Geelong has its wettest June day in 73 years

Peter Begg   |  June 6th, 2012

GEELONG had its wettest June day for 73 years in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday.

Geelong Weather Services director Lindsay Smail said the three consecutive days of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were also a record, being the wettest three days in June sine the year of the "great floods" in 1952.

"At 9am Geelong's rain was 38mm (for the previous 24 hours) at the race course, and previously the highest total in June was a day on June 1, 1939, when 39mm fell," he said.

"Over the last three days, on June 3, 4 and 5, we have had between 60 and 61mm, and the previous highest over three consecutive days was June 16, 17 and 18, 1952, when 61mm fell, and that was the year of the great floods.

"My collector in Hamlyn Heights, on June 3, 4 and 5 of this year got 65.8mm, so if you use that then that means it was even wetter than the three days in 1952."

The figures for Geelong were nothing, however, compared to those in the Otways. The Mount Sabine weather station in the Otways recorded 283mm over the past three days.

Geelong's main water storage at West Barwon Reservoir was a beneficiary of the rain. Storage levels at West Barwon were standing at 81.2 per cent yesterday, after an intake of 5523 megalitres.

Birthdays

from w

A birthday last week for Jordan who was fifteen on 31st March, and today it's George's turn. Here's an old photo from Rakiraki days when we had that cute Volkswagon car.  And a recent photo of Jordan.

Are you a subject of the Queen?

from w
With celebrations this week for the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth's reign, people are asking about her relevance to people in Australia. Here are some responses to an internet question posed by the Sun Herald and at the bottom - my response..

As Australians we owe no allegiance to any crown. She is not my Queen and we are not British, we are Aussies and should learn to grow up as a nation. This woman has nothing to do with Australia. A republic and Aussie head of state would make people even prouder to call themselves true-blue. Until then we will be nothing more than a colony and this mentality will slow our national progress. The day cannot come soon enough when the people of Australia vote yes to a republic.
Kevin Chan, Eastlakes

Yes, she is our Queen, and will be until such time as we hold a referendum and she is voted out. Anyway, our system works and has done for 100-plus years. Why change it? Imagine if pollies were to pick a head of state? Also she doesn't interfere in our affairs and all we have to do is pay a few bucks out when she visits.
Michael Schrier, Dulwich Hill

One fundamental requirement for our head of state should be unequivocal support for Australians in contests against other nations, be it in the commercial or sporting arenas. For example, at the coming Olympics, will our athletes get the Queen's 100 per cent support? Not likely; she is head of state of 16 countries including Australia, and if that doesn't give her conflicts of interest, then it's a fair bet that she will be cheering for her homeland, Great Britain. How can we put up with a system where our head of state will - publicly or privately - support the adversaries of Australians? Grow up, Australia, and move forward.
Simon Pratt, Bangkok

From my perspective as a Generation Xer, she could hardly be anything else but my Queen. She has reigned during my entire life and the office she holds is infinitely older. To some, this stability is unfashionable, but to me it is both a great asset and a reassuring constant in a world of constant change. Not everything new is better. Her life of service is in stark contrast to a world becoming more self-centred and less giving. You bet she is my Queen! May she be so for many more years to come.
Alexander Drake, Middle Cove

I do not consider myself as anyone's ''subject'', but neither do I want a president of Australia. The monarch is a position, not a person. The monarch does not have to get elected and therefore does not owe favours to anyone. Could we say the same for a president, however you chose one? Not having much faith in the integrity of our self-serving politicians, it's a comfort to know that they have to go to the monarch's representative to be given the legitimacy of governing us. In all honesty, I can't make a good case for a family in Britain being our monarchs, but the alternatives are a lot worse.
Roger Wilkinson, Randwick

Technically, yes (to say otherwise is still treasonous). The question should be: Should she be your queen? The answer: a resounding NO. The very concept of a hereditary monarchy, even one without teeth, is an anachronism and Australia as an egalitarian nation should have no part of it. Unearned privilege can never be respected.
Robert Hogan, Hornsby

I admire the Queen, her lifelong dedication to her position. But the Queen is an English queen, not, I believe, our queen.
Roger Mika, Lake Cathie

I've just reached my 40th year and I'm proud to say Queen Elizabeth is my queen. I remember lining up in Parliament House to see her the day that Paul Keating dared to put his arm around her. While waiting I chatted with the leader of the opposition, Mr Hewson, and was ever so proud when I shook her majesty's hand. She brings some sparkle to a dull and warring world and I believe that few people appreciate how hard her job is. I look forward to celebrating the day when she becomes our longest-reigning monarch.
Matthew Erickson, Kempsey

I certainly consider myself a subject of Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, as a child I remember my mother telling me as I stood in the living room of our little home in Forsyth Street, Wagga Wagga, when it was announced on the wireless that King George had passed away: ''We have a new Queen.'' From that point on I have been a devout follower of her majesty. A most gracious monarch and long may we say, God save the Queen.
Peter Reedman, Northbridge

As someone who is deeply ashamed of the terrible things done to Australia's indigenous people since 1788, I am very happy to have Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia. That nice old lady in London prevents greedy white politicians from making the final symbolic act of ownership over this continent. Having an absentee Queen reminds everyone who has come here in the last 200 years that we are guests.
Angus Harker, Camperdown

I accept her as the constitutional head of state and have some affection for her as she has reigned throughout my entire life, and visited my country town in 1977 when I was 10 and probably susceptible to pageantry. I don't think of her so much as ''my'' queen, but ''the Queen''. But then again, I don't think of Julia Gillard as ''my'' prime minister either (I think she has actually made public statements marginalising the likes of me from her list of favoured constituents), but I am forced to accept her as ''the Prime Minister''.
Peter Walker, Katoomba

One-hundred-and-fifty words you say … I only need one … NO.
Dave Scorpecci, Ryde

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/are-you-a-subject-of-the-queen-20120602-1zog7.html#ixzz1whAbGpgW

and from me:
I am not happy with the 'royal family' getting enormous privileges just because of their birth, though Elizabeth certainly has worked hard to be a dutiful Queen and symbol of order in a fragile world.  She's an admirable person, but as Queen of Australia, not really what I think is okay. There's too much history of British colonialism that isn't kind to indigenous peoples and other cultural groups. For example - some letters signed by Queen Victoria and so on assumed that British men and women could just take land from other people. And so on. And I am not one to bow or bend the knee, but rather look at people at eye level.

A story

Here's a short story I wrote in response to a view of the Barwon River. It was on this blogside  few years ago. I'm trying out that blog paragraph trouble. I think it should be okay now. Just press on 'Compose'. I've added the photo of the postcard that I used as  a trigger for writing this particular story.

Figures in a Landscape


The Barwon River is tranquil, shining silver, but in the distance the landscape is flattened as in a Chinese ink painting, by a mist in the hills, a mist amidst the hollows. Can I replicate that style in my own painting? I put my stool down, easing it into the damp ground then clip rough-textured paper to my board and lay out my brushes and inks in a tray. 


Dry-bush reeds will provide a good foreground, the large S curve of river and banks a middle-ground and the foggy banks beyond, a smudged background. The river is barely astir except for a young boy poling his small white boat along. A dot in the mid-ground. I work carefully, drawing outlines in 5B pencil, then brush pale colours as flat sheets of watery ink, not bothering about details and dark areas at this stage.


The girl comes slowly along the path, her lemon dress almost sculptured to her thin body. On her shoulder she has slung a woven bag, the kind you buy from Asian hill tribes – possibly Thailand. It is patterned in yellow, turquoise and white diagonals. Her straight, shiny black hair with a bold fringe is striking as it frames her pale face. She seems fragile, vulnerable, perhaps the way I felt when I was a young woman her age.


I would love to put her in the picture. In her paleness she would enhance the pale tints of the landscape. A Pale Figure in a Landscape.


She walks up to me as most people do, stands behind me and watches me at work. She does not speak, just watches the ink wash become a smudge of distant banks.
Eventually I decide not to be anxious about the intrusion – I am a very private person really and do not like being disturbed.


Maybe she will oblige me. ‘Would you mind if I paint you into the picture? If you stand over there, perhaps look at the water or the distance?’


‘Oh no. Not now,’ she says. Her smooth hair swings as she speaks and her hands lift lightly in a gesture implying she might agree if pressed.


‘Okay, I was just wondering.’ I am used to knock-backs.


She considers the matter for a while and then says, ‘Alright. I suppose so. It doesn’t really matter one way or another. Where do you want me to stand? I can’t stand for too long though. My parents will expect me back at the car-park in twenty minutes or else they’ll worry about me.’


I am surprised because she is not a child. Perhaps in her early twenties, she hardly needs a caretaker. She has a classical face without makeup, small breasts, a lean body, and she wears sandals. When I notice her wrists are scarred and bruised with pin-pricks barely healed, I am dismayed that she may be damaged. An addiction may account for her ethereal look.


She stands quietly for me and then I notice her reflection in the water caught in the stillness so I will paint that too. I work quickly now, aware that she is not a trained model and may become anxious after maintaining a pose for more than ten minutes. Yet she is excellent, her eyes fixed on the distant haze. Now I can see the nearby water is moving ever so slightly. Life often moves so delicately.


‘That’s fine,’ I call out. ‘Excellent. Come and see.’


She throws a pebble into the water shattering the reflection and the rings eddy right into the bank.


‘That’s nice,’ she says, ‘but it’s really not me at all. Not like before…’


I am puzzled by her attitude.


The weather is changing as a rain cloud shadows the river.


‘I’d better go back. You might read about me in the papers one day,’ she says. As she walks she flings her head, raises a hand to pull off the swathe of black hair, and pushes the wig into her shoulder bag.


When I see her smooth hairless head, I am shocked but now understand. The eternal question. Life rips at us and we approach death in fear and trembling.

‘I’m not afraid any more, ‘I hear her say, ever so faintly.

testing re spacing

Have had trouble since blogspot changed how to write new posts and I lost all paragraphing. So I looked up some guy's website on hotmail and got into a circular spam session so closed down. Now a tip to use Shift/Enter every time I want a new para might work. Let's see. NO, IT DOESN'T WORK! i'LL HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE. Okay, now I'll try Firefox instead of Chrome and see what happens. Okay, now I'll try Firefox instead of Chrome and see what happens. Okay, now I'll try Firefox instead of Chrome and see what happens. Okay, now I'll try Firefox instead of Chrome and see what happens. NOPE, DOESN'T WORK. I really don't want to get into those tags etc.

Next, someone said to press 'Compose'.
 I've done that  so now does it work?
I"ll check that again.
And again.
And again.

The Barwon at Winchelsea

from w An idea some time go was to track the Barwon River from source (sources), take photos, make drawings, and maps and write poems and short pieces to make up a book. Well, it didn't happen, but I still do make visits to parts of the Barwon River to draw and take photos. These were taken near the bridge at the town of Winchelsea, a stopover when driving from Colac to Geelong or back. Very Australian trees though it's a park.

This is one of the stories I wrote based on a view of the Barwon River. Figures in a Landscape The Barwon River is tranquil, shining silver, but in the distance the landscape is flattened as in a Chinese ink painting, by a mist in the hills, a mist amidst the hollows. Can I replicate that style in my own painting? I put my stool down, easing it into the damp ground then clip rough-textured paper to my board and lay out my brushes and inks in a tray. Dry-bush reeds will provide a good foreground, the large S curve of river and banks a middle-ground and the foggy banks beyond, a smudged background. The river is barely astir except for a young boy poling his small white boat along. A dot in the mid-ground. I work carefully, drawing outlines in 5B pencil, then brush pale colours as flat sheets of watery ink, not bothering about details and dark areas at this stage. The girl comes slowly along the path, her lemon dress almost sculptured to her thin body. On her shoulder she has slung a woven bag, the kind you buy from Asian hill tribes – possibly Thailand. It is patterned in yellow, turquoise and white diagonals. Her straight, shiny black hair with a bold fringe is striking as it frames her pale face. She seems fragile, vulnerable, perhaps the way I felt when I was a young woman her age. I would love to put her in the picture. In her paleness she would enhance the pale tints of the landscape. A Pale Figure in a Landscape. She walks up to me as most people do, stands behind me and watches me at work. She does not speak, just watches the ink wash become a smudge of distant banks. Eventually I decide not to be anxious about the intrusion – I am a very private person really and do not like being disturbed. Maybe she will oblige me. ‘Would you mind if I paint you into the picture? If you stand over there, perhaps look at the water or the distance?’ ‘Oh no. Not now,’ she says. Her smooth hair swings as she speaks and her hands lift lightly in a gesture implying she might agree if pressed. ‘Okay, I was just wondering.’ I am used to knock-backs. She considers the matter for a while and then says, ‘Alright. I suppose so. It doesn’t really matter one way or another. Where do you want me to stand? I can’t stand for too long though. My parents will expect me back at the car-park in twenty minutes or else they’ll worry about me.’ I am surprised because she is not a child. Perhaps in her early twenties, she hardly needs a caretaker. She has a classical face without makeup, small breasts, a lean body, and she wears sandals. When I notice her wrists are scarred and bruised with pin-pricks barely healed, I am dismayed that she may be damaged. An addiction may account for her ethereal look. She stands quietly for me and then I notice her reflection in the water caught in the stillness so I will paint that too. I work quickly now, aware that she is not a trained model and may become anxious after maintaining a pose for more than ten minutes. Yet she is excellent, her eyes fixed on the distant haze. Now I can see the nearby water is moving ever so slightly. Life often moves so delicately. ‘That’s fine,’ I call out. ‘Excellent. Come and see.’ She throws a pebble into the water shattering the reflection and the rings eddy right into the bank. ‘That’s nice,’ she says, ‘but it’s really not me at all. Not like before…’ I am puzzled by her attitude. The weather is changing as a rain cloud shadows the river. ‘I’d better go back. You might read about me in the papers one day,’ she says. As she walks she flings her head, raises a hand to pull off the swathe of black hair, and pushes the wig into her shoulder bag. When I see her smooth hairless head, I am shocked but now understand. The eternal question. Life rips at us and we approach death in fear and trembling. ‘I’m not afraid any more, ‘I hear her say, ever so faintly.