Free Copy

May 2015

In This Edition: Page Page  Early Football Club 2  Machu Picchu 22  Lethbridge 3  How is Snow Formed? 23  The Lethbridge Truck System 4  Brazil—Fast Facts 24  The Koala 7  Turkish Coffee 25  Eastern Geelong Cemetery 8  James Henry Ashton 26  Augustus Alt 10  Recipe—BBQ Side Dishes 28  Darwin 12  Word Search—Shipwrecks 29  The Advertising Surgeon 14  Aust. Artists: Nolan 30  Corio-The Early Days Part 17 16  150 Years Ago 31  The Statue of Zeus 18  Then… & Now 32  Shakespeare 20

A newspaper clip from 150 years ago: “The annual meeting of the [Geelong Football Club] was held last evening at the Argyle Hotel. J. Middlemiss, Esq., occupied the chair, and nearly twenty members were present… The Geelong Football Club team c.1860 - a fearsome It was decided that practice should be sight for all opposition teams, even with that ball held on Tuesday, Thursday, and for which looks more like Mum’s plum pudding. general practice, Saturday, the same as heretofore. The secretary stated that he had received a letter from stating that they would be happy to play Geelong for a ten guinea trophy, the same being the gift of the Geelong Club, who, as is well known, refused to receive ten guineas towards their expenses in going to Melbourne to play a grand match on the cricket ground, the match to take place on the Queen’s Birthday*... It was resolved that umpires be appointed in every match played. The opening match will be played on Saturday next, sides to be chosen on the ground, and the game to commence at two o’clock. The secretary was authorised to have the ground cleared of any rubbish^… It was decided that at every match the members representing the Geelong Club should appear in uniform—which is a scarlet shirt and red, white, and blue cap. After a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting terminated.” (Geelong Advertiser Wednesday May 3, 1865 p.2 )

* Queen ’s birthday was celebrated with a public holiday each year on her real birth date—May 24th, regardless of which day of the week it fell. In 1865 her 46th birthday fell on a Wednesday. While Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, today her birthday is always celebrated in on the 2nd Monday in June. ^ The “ground” was simply the paddock behind the Argyle Hotel (now called Irish Murphy’s) on Aberdeen Street, between Latrobe Terrace and Pakington Street. 2

Lethbridge The township of Lethbridge is located on the Midland Highway, approximately 31km northwest of Geelong. While travelling from Geelong to Ballarat drivers are expected to lower their speed to 80km/h for about 2km as they pass through the town, but there is little to see from the main highway. This belies the amazing history of the once bustling town! The original site of Lethbridge was known as 'Muddy Water Holes,' and was used as a watering point for travellers on their way from the port at Geelong to the goldfields at Ballarat. The tracks made by their horse-drawn wagons carved the route for the present Midland Highway. The township was renamed Lethbridge in 1854 and 2 formal grids of streets were laid out on each side of the highway to entice more settlers into the area. And within 5 years the area was swarming Lethbridge General Store– Opposite the with up to 2,000 inhabitants, creating a tent city Railway Station in Russell Street. as far as the eye could see! Why? The Lethbridge area has relatively poor soil, and only a small water supply. But in the mid-1850s a rare deposit of a very high-quality basalt, called bluestone, was discovered there. Before the mass production of clay bricks heralded a worldwide change in construction material, stone was the favoured building material for quality work, and Lethbridge was located on a slab of hard bluestone 7m deep, resting upon clay, and nearly flawless in quality. While bluestone was also quarried around Melbourne at Clifton Hill, Brunswick and Coburg, that stone was of inferior quality compared with stone from Lethbridge—and the town was conveniently located directly between Geelong and Ballarat, making it the perfect source for stone required to construct the new railway line between the 2 towns. By 1860, four separate areas around town were being quarried, employing stonemasons, quarrymen, and stone-breakers. However, once the railway was completed in 1862, demand for Lethbridge bluestone waned. While many prominent buildings in Melbourne are built from Lethbridge bluestone, as well as St Mary of the Angels Catholic Basilica in Geelong, gradually the quality material went out of favour. Today, Lethbridge has a population of The railway still passes beside the main about 950, most who commute to Geelong for quarry area at Lethbridge. Only the chimney work. The quarries closed nearly 80 years ago, stack for the boiler house remains. and little remains of the once bustling township. 3

In 1854 the Victorian Government approved plans to build a railway connecting the town of Geelong with the gold fields at Ballarat. While a direct line between Melbourne and Ballarat was more desirable, rough terrain made it a lengthy and difficult proposition, compared with the relatively gentle landscape between Geelong and Ballarat. Although easier, it would still include what was considered the greatest engineering feat in the Southern Hemisphere up to that time—the Railway Viaduct Bridge near Batesford on the outskirts of Geelong. The contract for construction of the railway was eventually given to Evans, Merry & Co, who tendered a figure of £1,310,797.* The company planned to use the bluestone found at Lethbridge as its main construction material for all bridges, culverts, stations, and support buildings. Massive stone-crushing machines, driven by steam engines were imported from England and installed at the quarry to provide all the ballast stone which supported the rails. The company also advertised extensively throughout Australia and England, seeking skilled masons, stone-cutters, quarrymen, as well as labourers. When work started on the railway on July 3, 1858 many of the early workers were convicts. Hundreds of workers were soon sweating through their days labour at the quarry to the sounds of anvils, hammers, the letting off of steam, and the occasional blasting at the quarry face. Using only what we today would consider to be primitive tools, Lethbridge Railway Station, a beautiful master craftsman cut, chiselled and honed some of example of the fine stonework crafted the most exquisite work out of the very hard stones. by the early tradesmen. But not all was well among the workers. While the highly-skilled stonemasons had formed their own sort of union, and were earning 16 shillings ($1.60) per day for only 8 hours work, the other workers earned between 7s. 6d.—15s. (75c—$1.50) for a 10 hour work day, depending on how hard they worked. The masons got paid every fortnight, while everybody else got paid once a month. And then things got even worse for the employees, when Evans, Merry & Co established a ‘truck system’ in conjunction with local trader, W.H. Dyson. [See box “What is a Truck System? on the opposite page.] With hundreds of failed gold miners seeking employment, Evans, Merry & Co could hire and fire employees at will. Thus, the ‘truck system’ was ruthlessly enforced. If any workers were found not to be purchasing from Dyson’s they were ‘encouraged’ to support the system. For example, at the end of the work day each

* Today, equivalent to approximately $60 million. The project was eventually completed for only £1,044,000, £267,000 less than the estimated cost 5 years earlier. 4

worker had his stones inspected and measured. The Measuring Clerk would ask the men if they purchased items from Dyson’s store. If they answered in the negative the work presented usually failed to pass the Clerk’s measuring ruler, meaning they would not be paid. However, a visit to Dyson’s store to purchase a few items always seemed to remedy this anomaly. In addition, most workers were paid, not as individuals, but as work gangs. On pay day at the end of the month the gang received a lump sum for all work completed by the gang, less Dyson’s share. They then had to calculate within the gang how much each had spent at Dyson’s, who had worked the hardest, and thus, how much each got paid out of the gang’s total wages. Cries for workers to be paid as individuals rather than part of a work gang were snubbed by the bosses. On another occasion, one worker had money deducted from his wages for goods allegedly obtained at Dyson’s store, but he had not purchased anything there for the previous month. He went to the store to check the records but was refused What is a Truck System? A ‘truck system’ is an arrangement in which employees are paid in commodities or some currency substitute (such as vouchers or token coins) rather than with standard money. The word truck came into the English language within this context, from the French troquer, meaning to "exchange" or "barter." The practice limits the ability of employees to choose how to spend their earnings— generally to the benefit of the employer. For example, at Lethbridge between 1858-60 the company building the railway, Evans, Merry & Co, struck a deal with store-owner, W. H. Dyson to provide foodstuffs and other goods to all workers at the quarry. Prices in the store were set artificially high, and provided kickbacks to the company. Other merchants were discouraged from operating near Lethbridge, allowing Dyson to monopolise all trade. Railway construction When a new employee started work at the quarry his name and company director, number was given to Dyson. The worker could then ‘purchase’ anything G.S. Evans he liked from the store, and the amount was deducted from his wages when he was paid at the end of the month, with Dyson being paid the balance. Dyson was permitted to examine the timesheets for any worker to ensure that he had wages owing to him of a higher amount than what he sought credit for in the store. Anyone who refused to buy from Dyson’s shop or complained about the ‘truck system’ was sacked. The practice of having a ‘truck system’ was widely criticized as exploitative because there was no competition to lower prices. Having little or no other opportunities to find employment workers easily became so indebted to their employers that they were unable to leave the system legally. Legislation to curtail the practice was eventually introduced by the government. 5

permission to examine them, the store clerk claiming he was too busy with other customers. When the worker became agitated the clerk told him to calm down, reimbursed him in full for the disputed amount and asked him to leave the store. It appears he was sacked soon after. Matters came to a head on Saturday, August 13, 1869 when a meeting was held by the The Lethbridge Pump House stands in the workers to discuss their grievances. Fear of picnic grounds beside the reservoir. Used to dismissal from their jobs meant that only pump water to the Railway Station, it is now about 100 of the 1,500 workers turned up, but a relic of days when trains were required to the meeting unanimously voted to write to the replenish their boilers to generate steam. government about the ‘trucking system,’ in the hope that government officials would remedy the situation. Others resolved to communicate with local newspapers, to inform the general public of their plight. The 8 directors of Evans, Merry & Co responded with severity. A witch-hunt was established to track down which worker had written a letter to the Geelong Advertiser (which had then syndicated the story throughout Australia). The Works Superintendent, Mr. Collins, was sent to interview one particular worker, Benin Shipman, who denied any knowledge of the published letter. His appeals were ignored and he was sacked on the spot. For the next 6 months Shipman continuously applied to be reinstated in his job to no avail. However, while a glut of ready workers and lax employment laws seemed to favour Evans, Merry & Co, the tide of public opinion started to turn against them. Having a disgruntled workforce led to lower than expected production, and the government pressured the company to speed up the work. A number of sacked workers also took legal action to recover disputed wages, and Evans, Merry & Co found themselves repeatedly having to attend court to answer charges of failing to pay legitimate wages. Finally, in February 1860 the 2 company principles, G.S. Evans and W.R. Merry resigned and walked away from the railway contract. For the sake of peace, and to speed up completion of the Geelong- Ballarat railway the government decided not to prosecute, but awarded the ongoing contract to William Williams and William Little. They soon quashed the truck system at Lethbridge. With full production now back on track, the railway was completed William Williams took and opened on April 10, 1862. A number of bluestone stations, over the railway contract railway bridges, and of course, the magnificent Railway Viaduct from Evans, Merry & Co near Batesford still stand as testament today to the skills of the and terminated the truck system at Lethbridge. Lethbridge quarrymen from 150 years ago. 6

Though often called a koala "bear," this animal is not a bear at all, but a marsupial, or pouched mammal. Koalas live in eastern Australia, where the eucalyptus trees they love are most plentiful. In fact, they rarely leave the treetops, and their sharp claws with opposable fingers easily keep them aloft. During the day they doze, tucked into forks in the trees, sleeping for up to 18 hours a day. When not asleep (especially at night) a koala feasts on eucalyptus leaves. They do not drink water often, getting most of their moisture requirements from the eucalyptus leaves they consume. Each animal eats a tremendous amount for its size—about 1kg of leaves a day. Even after their tummies are full, koalas will often store leaves in the pouch of their cheeks to enjoy as a snack later on. Over 400 koalas are killed There are over 600 types of eucalypts, but koalas will by cars each year, so when only eat 40-50 varieties with only about 10 beingtravelling in rural areas preferred. Eucalyptus leaves are toxic when consumed please drive carefully. by humans in large quantities. But a special digestive system (a long gut) allows koalas to break down the tough eucalyptus leaves and remain unharmed by their poison. In fact, koalas eat so many of these leaves that they take on a distinctive odour from their oil, reminiscent of cough drops. The breeding season for koalas runs roughly from September to March. Females generally start breeding at about three or four years of age and usually produce only one offspring each year. However, not all females in the wild population will breed each year. Some produce offspring only every 2-3 years, depending on factors such as the age of the female and the quality of its habitat. In the average female's life span of about twelve years, this means that one female may produce only 5 or 6 offspring over her lifetime. After giving birth, a female carries her baby in her pouch for about 6 months. When the infant emerges, it rides on its mother's back or clings to her belly, until it is about one year old. Koalas were widely hunted during the 1920-30s. Their populations then plunged, but they have now reappeared over much of their former range. Koalas need a lot of space, about a 100 trees per animal. Although not an endangered species, care needs to be shown to preserve the habitat of this most Koala distribution throughout Australia Australian of animals—the cuddly koala. 7

At the ripe old age of 176, the ancient patch of land known as the Geelong Eastern Cemetery is the oldest working cemetery in Victoria. During its lifetime it has seen some beautiful headstone adornments, but also body dumping, accidental deaths, suicides, and even a sheep invasion. Here are a few of her stories: The first recorded burial on the site was of early Scottish settler Hugh Niven. Thirty-four year old Niven had been in Australia for nearly 7 years and had leased 9,200ha (22,000 acres) near what would later be called Ballarat where he grazed 8,000 sheep and 100 cattle. However, on September 23, 1839 Niven fell from his horse and died. The nearest Presbyterian church group was at Geelong, and they were granted permission from the town council to use the upper slopes of the hill on the town’s eastern boundary to bury him. Over the years the Geelong Eastern During a grave restoration project, it was found that Cemetery has been also referred to by Niven’s grave was in need of urgent repair. Under such names as: the Geelong Cemetery, the Cemeteries Act, the trust was unable to the Geelong Old Cemetery, the Geelong contribute public funds to restore any private Old English Cemetery, the Wesleyan memorials. However a donation was received from Cemetery, along with others. the Sovereign Hill Museums Association to restore the gravesite. (Sovereign Hill is today built on part of Hugh Niven’s original land.) As Victoria grew in population during the gold rush of the 1850’s, many hopeful miners landed on tough times. The cemetery saw a few cases of bodies being dumped on the grounds in hope that the deceased may get a “proper” funeral. With no relatives, it was generally up to the friends of the poor to at least make sure they got to the cemetery. From its earliest days, the cemetery was divided into religious denominations, each containing their own sexton and gravediggers.* Initially, cooperation between the various religious groups was not forthcoming, and disputes arose from time to time. For instance, in May 1865 the Geelong Advertiser published a letter complaining about the state of the cemetery grounds, only to be replied to by the Secretary

* The Catholic section of the cemetery was one of only two cemeteries in the region (along with Mt Moriac cemetery) to Tombstone for Hugh Niven, the first have ground consecrated for their deceased parishioners. person buried in the cemetery. Thus Catholics from far and wide were buried there. 8

of the Wesleyan Cemetery Committee defending the orderliness of “their” section of the cemetery and criticizing the other church groups for leaving their sections in a state of disrepair. In another incident, over 200 sheep were found grazing in the Jewish section. The Jews kept their section of fencing in good repair, compared to the neighbouring Church of England fence which was in such a “disgraceful state, that horses and cattle could get through it.” Tensions continued to simmer on for decades. Tragedy struck the cemetery when labourer George Duncan was killed while helping to erect a monument stone on May 20, 1868. A guy rope broke causing the stone and the scaffolding upon which Duncan was working to come crashing to the ground. While the other two workers were only shaken, Duncan had fallen on his back, breaking his spine. The coroner brought a finding of accidental death, but criticized his employer, the cemetery’s Nathaniel Brown, for not checking the condition of the rope before starting to use it. A suicide behind the cemetery office was recorded in June 28, 1877. Mr T. M. Sparks had taken an overdose of 7,000mg of the sedative chloral hydrate, which he had obtained at a local chemist shop. The body was identified by Mrs Bedford, the land-lady of the Terminus Hotel in Mercer St, where Sparks had been lodging. She also informed the police that Sparks had been troubled by ill health and had expressed a desire to die. Letters found in his room confirmed his wishes. Itis perhaps a gruesome thought that he chose the cemetery to carry out the deed. On a lighter note, in July 1879 it was reported that flowers and shrubs were being stolen from the Cemetery. With the full support of the police, the public were reminded that penalties for plucking any flower, or taking any flower or plant out of the cemetery was either a £20 (today $2,400) fine or 3 months imprisonment. And at a time when corpses could not be preserved by refrigeration, all cemeter- ies in Victoria usually allowed burials 7 days a week. However, the Geelong Ceme- tery was criticized for refusing to permit burials on Sunday, the Sabbath day. These few stories grant us an insight into how the living and the dead existed in Geelong during the early days of settlement.

The layout of the Eastern Cemetery shows the various sections, divided by religious affiliations. Sections are designated for Anglicans (Church of England), Catholics, Jews, Methodists, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, and those from the various Orthodox religions. Non-denominational areas are provided for independents and atheists. Well-known Geelong persons buried at the cemetery include: early settler Dr. Alexander Thomson; Police magistrate Foster Fyans, early graziers Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcomb; pastoralists Thomas Austin and George Armytage; football administrator Charles Brownlow and philanthropist Francis Ormond. 9

Augustus Alt was a member of the to Australia which arrived at (Sydney) on January 26, 1788. He became Australia’s first Surveyor- General, and earned the reputation as “the man who never lied.” Alt was born probably in in 1731, the son of German Justice Heinrich Alt and his English wife Jeanetta. He began service in the British army in 1755 when he was appointed ensign in the 8th Regiment. In 1757 he went with his regiment to the coast of France, under the command of Admiral Hawke and General Sir John Mordaunt. In 1760 the regiment joined the allied army in Germany under Prince Ferdinand. Alt remained as aide-de-camp to several generals until the conclusion of peace. By 1763 Alt had returned to England and was sent to build roads in the highlands of Scotland. For the next 18 years Alt gained experience within the British army engineers on various exercises at home in Britain as well as on the continent. Then, in 1781, Alt was sent to India to help raise three battalions of Swiss chasseurs. He returned to Britain in 1785 after his next engineering assignment to Madagascar was cancelled. In May 1787 Alt was appointed to the new colony of as its first Surveyor of Lands and as a member of its ‘Commission for Trial of Pirates’* and of its ‘Vice-Admiralty Court.’ After arriving in Australia in January 1788, the priority was on establishing a base of operations, finding water, clearing the scrub and other basic survival necessities. By the following July the Governor, ^ accompanied by Augustus Alt, laid out the first streets of a new town, to be named Sydney (see map). Many of the features on Alt’s map can still be seen today, demonstrating his clear vision for a substantial town located on the shores of Port Jackson. Four months later Phillip and Alt followed up earlier exploration to Arthur Phillip’s first map of Sydney, * There is no record of the Commission for Trial of prepared in July 1788 after Phillip and Pirates ever sitting in New South Wales. Alt surveyed the area together. Most ^ Interestingly, Arthur Phillip also had a German likely drawn by Alt, the modern city of father. Thus, 2 of the most influential men in the first British settlement on Australian soil (Governor Sydney can thank the two men for and Surveyor General/Magistrate) both came from the map that established the main German heritage. streets as they appear even today. 10 In 1794 Augustus Alt was granted 100 acres of land, and became the first landowner at the west, establishing a settlement Petersham Hill on the road (bush track) at the head of the River. between Sydney town and Parramatta. His Naming the area ‘Rose Hill,’ Alt was house became the very first home in the dis- obviously taken by the lay of the land in trict. Now named Ashfield, the inner western those western districts. Six years later, suburb is 9km from the city centre of Sydney. he applied for, and was granted 100 acres in the renamed Parramatta/ The area was home to the Wangal tribe of Ashfield area. (see box) Aborigines, but about half the tribe was decimated by an outbreak of smallpox in 1789. Alt’s duel role as Surveyor-General and magistrate kept him very busy. Under Tensions between local Aborigines and white his supervision public facilities were settlers obviously ran high at times. In August gradually constructed—shipping wharfs, 1798, while Alt was serving as magistrate in storehouses, government buildings, and Sydney, the local Aborigines burnt his house houses for the Governor and other along with all its belongings to the ground. officers. But by November 1791 the The name ‘Ashfield’ first appeared in 1816. workload had started to take its toll on Some writers have suggested that this name his health, and he asked Governor was chosen because of the destruction of Alt’s Phillip to relieve him as surveyor- home. However, it is more likely that early general. Until 1801 Alt continued to merchant and politician, Robert Campbell serve as a magistrate, but was then named the suburb after his father’s home at officially retired from the service and Ashfield in Scotland. given a pension of half-pay for life. Alt had two children, Lucy and Henry. Their mother was Ann George, a convict in the First Fleet, who died in 1814. Augustus Alt died on January 9, 1815. While other early Australians earned reputations for being good administrators, or hard workers, how refreshing it is to reflect on a good man, an honourable man, a man “who never lied.” What epitaph will be written on your gravestone?

Baron Augustus Alt was buried at St John’s Anglican cemetery at Parramatta in 1815. His tombstone reads in part: “He died universally regretted by his friends, who lost in the Baron a most complete gentleman, and also one who never told an untruth to the injury of any man.” Alt bore the title of ‘Baron,’ perhaps passed down from his father. But it was also an affectionate nickname, acknowledging his German heredity, along with his most honourable reputation. 11

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory. With a population of 146,400 it is the largest city in the Territory. While Aborigines have been in Australia’s north for hundreds of years, the first Europeans to visit the area were the Dutch in the 1600s. Navigator, Willem Janszoon, created the first European maps of the area.* The first British to see the area appears to have been the crew of HMS Beagle on September 9, 1839. The ship's captain, Commander John Wickham, named the port after Charles Darwin, the British evolutionist who had sailed with them on an earlier expedition around South America. For the next 30 years a number of unsuccessful attempts were made to establish a settlement on Australia’s north coast, to deter the Dutch and Portuguese from claiming the land, and also to explore links with the well-known trade routes in south-east Asia. Finally, on February 5, 1869, George Goyder, the Surveyor- General of South Australia, established a settlement of 135 people at Port Darwin. Goyder named the settlement Palmerston, after the then British Prime Minister. In an effort to connect the north coast with the rest of Australia, the following year (1870) construction of an Overland Telegraph was begun. As workers dug holes for the telegraph poles at nearby Pine Creek gold was discovered, spawning a gold rush which further boosted the young colony's development. By early 1875 Darwin's population had grown to approximately 300. Lyons Cottage—Darwin’s first stone In 1911 the Northern Territory was transferred building. Constructed in 1925, it was from control by South Australia to Federal used by British Australian Telegraph administration and the town’s name was changed Company workers who laid cables across from Palmerston to Darwin. On Australia Day, to Java, connecting Australia’s telegraph January 26, 1959, Darwin was granted city status. network to the rest of the world. Darwin has been almost entirely rebuilt twice— once due to Japanese air raids during World War II, and again after being devastated by Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Just before 10am on February 19, 1942, 188 Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin in two waves. It was the same fleet that had bombed Pearl Harbor, though a considerably larger number of bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl * For Willem Janszoon’s story see the September 2012 edition of the Jillong Pocket. 12

Harbor. The attack killed at least 243 people and caused immense damage to the town. It was the first, and most damaging of many raids on Darwin. Despite these attacks on Darwin, the town’s development was furthered considerably during the war, with sealed roads constructed connecting the region to Alice Springs in the south and Mount Isa in the south-east, and the Manton Dam was built to provide the city with a reliable water supply. Then, on December 25, 1974, Darwin was struck by Cyclone Tracy, which killed 71 people and destroyed over 70% of the town's buildings, including many old stone buildings such as the Palmerston Town Hall. After the disaster 30,000 of the 43,000 population were evacuated, in what turned out to be the biggest airlift in Australia's history. The town was subsequently rebuilt with newer materials and techniques, making it today one of the most modern cities in the world. The city, like the rest of the Top End, has a tropical climate, with a wet and a dry season. Especially during the wet season, Darwin experiences heavy monsoonal downpours and spectacular lightning shows. During the dry season, the city is met with blue skies and gentle sea breezes coming in from the harbor. Today the two largest economic benefits to the city come from mining and tourism. Mining and energy industry Remains of the Darwin Post Office after the first Japanese raid in 1942. production exceeds $2.5 billion per annum. The most important mineral resources are gold, zinc and bauxite (from which aluminium comes), along with manganese and many others. The energy production comes from mostly offshore facilities, with oil and natural gas platforms in the Timor Sea. Tourism currently employs about 8% of Darwin residents, and is expected to grow as more and more domestic as well as international tourists discover the delights the region has to offer. Strategically, Darwin is a major player in Australia’s defence. A substantial part of Australia’s military presence is maintained both within Darwin, and the wider Northern Territory. With an ongoing role in the stabilisation of East Timor just to the north, Darwin’s military population and United Nations presence adds to the bustling activity around the city. With the completion in 2004 of the railway link to the rest of Australia, many tourists have enjoyed taking The Ghan up through the centre of Australia to Darwin, before flying home again. Why not plan your next visit to Australia’s most northern capital.

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“Self-promoting,” “egocentric,” “a man ahead of his times” — are just some of the ways L. L. Smith, one of early Victoria’s most controversial doctors has been described. Louis Lawrence Smith was born on May 15, 1830 in London, the son of theatrical entrepreneur, Edward Smith and his wife Magdelana. He attended St Saviour's Grammar School in Southwark before being apprenticed for 5 years to the surgeon Sir Thomas Longmore. In 1848 he also studied medicine in Paris and by 1850 began training at Westminster Hospital. Two years later he migrated as a ship's surgeon, arriving in Melbourne on December 11, 1852. After a brief stint on the goldfields, Smith opened a surgery in Bourke St, Melbourne, and by 1862 had expanded it to include a museum of anatomy. He also invested in the Polytechnic Hall next door to his practise. While none of this appeared unusual, what was sensational was the fact the Smith unashamedly promoted himself and his services through advertising. By 1863 he was spending £3000 a year on newspaper ads. He had also begun consultations by post, inviting the public to write to him detailing their symptoms, (including a £1 payment), and Smith would reply with his diagnosis, and suggestions on which of his medications would help cure the ailing correspondent. This appeal proved popular, since the larger part of his practised involved treating those suffering from sexually transmitted diseases who wanted to avoid embarrassment. Smith’s lengthy advertisements included comments such as the following: “Many hypochondriacs and others whose cases were deemed hopeless, who have abandoned remedies and given According to L.L. Smith’s advertising, his pills cured themselves over to despair, have been the following complaints: restored to health.”  Stomach and bowel  Flatulence diseases  Giddiness “There are also many questions in  Sick headache  Lowness of spirits married life that should be answered, such as the cause why married life is a  Scurvy  Nervous affections burden and a curse rather than a round  Gravel (leaky bladder)  Face blotches of continual happiness and mutual  Costivence (constipation)  Piles enjoyment. The harmony of many a He went on to claim that, “though thousands of family has been brought about by Dr boxes have been sold, yet there never has been a L.L. Smith.” single complaint made against them.” He also claimed that “Persons of intemperate habits “There are other cases…that have been (alcoholics) will find great relief from the pills,” and the sources of irritation and mutual “As a female pill they stand unrivalled.” bickerings and unhappiness between Smith’s ointment was “especially adapted for man and wife—to all such Dr L.L. Smith Digger’s wounds, obtained by the jarring of the pick.” can be consulted with.” 14

“His reasons for advertising he has stated continually to the public, and may be summed up in a few words. He gains two things by it, money and experience in his profession; the first he benefits by, the latter the public.” Despite his claims, Smith’s methods were opposed by many doctors. In 1858 he had been acquitted of a charge of procuring an abortion, but mainly due to his focus on treating venereal disease and syphilis a seedy reputation continued to cling to him. Smith remained undaunted and in 1860 he published his first annual Medical Almanac which emphasized home treatment. His popularity grew through the publishing of cheap pamphlets throughout in the 1860s. When opponents closed his museum of anatomy in 1869 because it offended 'taste' Smith advertised himself more than ever. And it would appear that he had the last laugh, since by 1880 he was reportedly raking in £10,000 a year, at a time when the average worker annually earned about £200. During this same period of time, Smith searched for other ways to promote himself—and what better way to do it than by entering politics. From 1859 until 1894 his role in State politics was at times honourable, interspersed with moments of controversy. He also devoted much of his time to farming at Dandenong, Narre Warren, Nunawading and Beaconsfield. Married twice, and the father of 14 children, Smith died at East Melbourne on July 8, 1910, aged 80. Small and fashionably dressed he was remembered as being a witty conversationalist, and a lover of good wine. His success as a doctor came from unabashed self-promotion, and his techniques would certainly not be part of approved medicine today, but L.L. Smith remains one of the more unusual characters of Australian history.

Geelong: The sign beside the door on this 1860 Geelong residence reads— “Dr. Smith, Surgeon.” L.L. Smith’s main practice was in Bourke Street, Melbourne, so this “respectable storekeeper’s” hut was likely a local agent for his pills and the ointment that he aggressively promoted throughout the colony. 15

PART 17—The Corio Farmer’s Feast or Famine While the Corio Shire busied itself with improving roads and bridges, it has to be remembered that, apart from a few small hamlets, the area to the north of Geelong remained a rural farming community for all of the 19th century. In 1854, the Moorpanyal Parish, which today is basically what we call Geelong North and Geelong West* had a total of 31 farmers tilling the soil and raising livestock. However, as the population around S.T. Gill’s 1864 painting of a farmer heading for Geelong grew, more and more took to home after tending his flock in the field. farming. Over the next 3 years the number of farmers quadrupled, and intensive crop growing began supplying an abundance of fresh food to Geelong, as well as cereal grains to the whole colony. The soil on the flat North Geelong plain, and especially up over the hills at Lovely Banks was generally free of stone and quite fertile. After the scrub was cleared, locals enjoyed a number of good crops, with wheat harvests up to 28 bushels per acre (1.8 tonnes/hectare).^ In districts located further away from the town of Geelong soil was not as fertile, but farmers could still make a good living from the land. Up until 1860 farmers were reporting crops being “as fine and abundant as could be desired.” But as they were to learn, the good years that farmers enjoy here in Australia are regularly interspersed with bad years caused by drought, storms, bushfires and flood. And if the weather did not work to beat them, insects and plant diseases ravaged crops. Soon ‘Blight’ (diseases that caused plant leaves to turn brown and die) started being reported through the Geelong districts on a regular basis. Flying beetles stripped any sign of leaves off the trees, and wet winters led to wheat leaf rust, a plant disease that reduces yields by up to 20%. Caterpillars destroyed root crops, and thistles competed for nutrition in the soil. Over time, excessive farming reduced soil fertility, and hence crop yields

* Moorpanyal Parish boundaries were—the Barwon River to the south and west, Latrobe Terrace and Corio Bay to the East, and Purnell Road to the north. ^ By comparison, over the last 10 years in Victoria, even with modern fertilization wheat crops have yielded between 0.75 and 2.5 tonnes per hectare. 16

plummeted. ‘Pleuro pneumonia’ began devastating cattle numbers. The lure of the gold-fields made finding labourers nearly impossible. Even tourists to the area were caught picking fruit off the trees, adding to the despair of local farmers and their hard-working wives. By 1864 conditions had become so bad that farmers were abandoning the land in droves, while the hardier sort battled on... By 1870 a shift in fortunes once again took place. Geelong townsfolk started to realise how quiet the local farmers had become, a sure sign, as the Geelong Advertiser noted, that things on the land were looking up! Local resident, Mr. Staughton, enjoyed a wheat crop of over 60 bushels per acre (4 tonnes/hectare), and he described his barley crop as “magnificent.” Horses and cattle were in fine condition and every farmer was jubilant! Over time, farmers learned to get the best out of their land. As the towns of Melbourne and Geelong increased in size demand for hay, (used for bedding and animal feed), led to many changing from seed cropping, to growing grass. Close proximity to Geelong and the railway made growing and carting hay just as lucrative and far less risky than grain or vegetables.

Despite the ongoing risks, farmers learned Loading hay onto the cart before heading to town from trial and experience how to provide a good income from their labours. But, above all this, there was one exceptional trait shown among local farmers that contributed to their success—their desire to support one another. For example, as early as 1854 the following notice appeared in the press: “We, the undersigned residents on and about the Little River, and Station Peak, do promise, that in case of any bushfire commencing in our neighbourhood, that we will each immediately on seeing or hearing of it, proceed to the spot, and assist in putting out the same; or we will send as many persons we can possibly spare without delay.” The newspapers in the following decades recount numerous stories of farmers racing to the rescue of neighbours in desperate need. It is a human trait still witnessed today when tragedy strikes our nation. When bushfire, floods, and drought do their worst, we fail to notice the colour of our neighbour’s skin, the accent in his voice, the size of his bank account, or the country he comes from. He and his family need our help, and we give it willingly. May we never lose this most noble of characteristics, clearly observed among our forefathers around Geelong from the early days. (Story with help from Ian Wynd’s Next month the story continues . . . book So Fine a Country) 17

The Statue of Zeus was a giant seated figure, about 13m tall, erected in the Temple of Zeus by the Greek sculptor Phidias around 435 BCE at the sanctuary of Olympia,* Greece. The approximate date of the statue was confirmed in the rediscovery (1954–1958) of Phidias' workshop, sited next to where the statue of Zeus was constructed. Archaeological finds included tools for working gold and ivory, ivory chippings, precious stones and terracotta moulds. Most of the latter were used to create glass plaques, and to form the statue's robe from sheets of glass, naturalistically draped and folded, then gilded. A cup inscribed "Ανήκω σε Φειδία" or "I belong to Phidias" was found at the site. The statue took 12 years to build. The statue of the King of the Gods, Zeus, was made from ivory plates and gold panels over a wooden framework. It is represented sitting on an elaborate cedar wood throne ornamented with ebony, ivory, gold and precious stones. No copy of the statue has ever been found, but details of its form are known from ancient Greek descriptions as well as pictures on coins. It is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In the 2nd century CE geographer and traveller, Pausanias, gave a detailed description. The statue was crowned with a sculpted wreath of olive sprays. It had gold sandals, and a golden robe carved with animals and lilies. In its right hand was a small chryselephantine statue of crowned Nike, the Goddess of Victory. Its left hand held a sceptre inlaid with many metals, supporting an eagle. The throne was decorat- ed in gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory.

* Olympia is the site of the Ancient Olympic games, held in honour of the Greek Gods, and forerunner of the modern Olympic Games held today. 18

The massive statue had a profound affect on all who gazed up at it. According to the Roman historian Livy, Roman general Aemilius Paulus saw the statue and “was moved to his soul, as if he had seen the god in person,” while the 1st century CE Greek orator Dio Chrysostom declared that a single glimpse of the statue would make a man forget all his earthly troubles. Because the weather in Olympia was so damp, the statue required care so that the humidity would not crack the ivory. To keep it in good shape the statue was constantly treated with olive oil kept in a special reservoir in the floor of the temple that also served as a reflecting pool. Light reflected off the pool from the Coin from southern Greece depicting the doorway may also have had the effect of Statue of Zeus illuminating the statue. A number of attempts were made to rob, disfigure or destroy the statue. According to Suetonius, the Roman Emperor Caligula (12-41 CE) gave orders that such all statues of the gods that were especially famous for their sanctity or for their artistic merit, including that of Zeus at Olympia, should be brought from Greece in order to have their heads removed and his own put in their place. However, before this could happen, the emperor was assassinated in 41 CE. In the 2nd century, writer Lucian of Samosata pleaded with the “King of Gods” to protect his own statue from robbers: "They have laid hands on your person at Olympia, my lord High-Thunderer, and you had not the energy to wake the dogs or call in the neighbours; surely they might have come to the rescue and caught the fellows before they had finished packing up the loot." Then, in the early 4th century CE after Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, much of Zeus’ grandeur was probably lost after he decreed that gold be stripped from all pagan shrines. The circumstances of the statue's eventual destruction are unknown. According to one tradition it was carried off to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in the great fire of the Lauseion, in 475 CE. Another suggested it perished along with it’s own temple, which burned down in 425 CE. Today, only stony ruins remain from the temple building itself. No sign of the statue exists anymore.

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William Shakespeare is considered by many to be the greatest writer in the English language. Though no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date scholars acknowledge as William Shakespeare's birthday. Shakespeare was the third child of John Shakespeare, a successful leather merchant (or glove-maker), and his wife Mary Arden. John Shakespeare also served as an alderman and bailiff. William had two older sisters, Joan and Judith, and three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard and Edmund. For such a well-known and loved writer, little is known of Shakespeare’s upbringing. At the time, Stratford-upon-Avon was a small country village, 160km north-west of London. Scholars have surmised that he most likely attended the King's New School, in Stratford, which taught reading, writing and the classics. And being a public official's child, William would have undoubtedly qualified for free tuition. But this uncertainty regarding his education has led some to raise questions about the authorship of his work. How could such insight into human behaviour and emotions, and knowledge of the upper classes of society, woven into such vivid prose, come from a country boy with limited education? William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582, in Worcester, in Canterbury Province. William was 18 and Anne was 26 (and pregnant). Their first child, a daughter they named Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583. Two years later, on February 2, 1585, twins Hamnet and Judith were born. Hamnet later died of unknown causes at age 11. After the birth of the twins, there are seven years of William Shakespeare's life where no records exist. Scholars call this period the "lost years," and there only speculation on what he did during this period. By 1592, William Shakespeare was earning a living as an actor and a playwright in London and possibly had several plays already produced. The September 20, 1592 edition of the Stationers' Register (a guild publication) includes an article by London playwright Robert Greene that describes William Shakespeare as "an upstart,” suggesting that Shakespeare was working hard to break into the inner circle of prominent theatre groups of the time. From about 1594, documents show William Shakespeare was a managing partner 20 in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting company in London. After the crowning of King James I, in 1603, the company changed its name to the King's Men. The King's Men company was very popular, and records show that Shakespeare had works published and sold as popular literature during this time. By 1597, 15 of the 37 plays written by William Shakespeare were published. Civil records show that at this time he purchased the second largest house in Stratford, called New House, for his family. It was a four-day ride by horse from Stratford to London, so it is likely that Shakespeare spent most of his time in the city writing and acting and came home once a year during the 40-day Lent period, when the theatres were closed. By 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners had built their own theatre on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the Globe. And while finding success in the theatre world, he also proved capable with other business ventures. In 1605, he purchased leases of real estate near Stratford which doubled in value and earned him £60 a year. The income from investments gave him time to write his plays uninterrupted. With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare's first plays were mostly histories written in the early 1590s. Richard II, Henry VI (parts 1, 2 and 3) and Henry V dramatize the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers. He also wrote several comedies during his early period: the witty romance A Midsummer Night's Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wit and wordplay of Much Ado About Nothing, the charming As You Like It and Twelfth Night. It was in William Shakespeare's later period, after 1600, that he wrote the tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. In these, his characters present vivid impressions of human temperament and behaviour that are universal. William Shakespeare died at 52 years of age. Details of his death are lacking, but tradition has it that he died on his birthday, April 23, 1616. However, this is unlikely since church records show he was interred at Trinity Church on April 5, 1616. Today, Shakespeare’s plays are still highly popular. They are constantly studied and reinterpreted in modern performances. While written 400 years ago Shakespeare's characters express the same emotions, and respond the same way we do today when undergoing conflict and tragedy, London’s Globe Theatre, a recreation of Shakespeare’s making his plays appear timeless. theatre on the south bank of the Thames. 21

Situated 2,430m above sea level on the eastern slope of the Andes, often shroud- ed in fog, and overlooking the Urubamba River hundreds of metres below, is the breathtaking Inca city of Machu Picchu. Built in the 15th century, Machu Picchu is believed to have been a royal estate or sacred religious site for Inca leaders. It was only occupied as a living city for about 100 years before being abandoned and eventually covered by the surrounding jungle. Today, it is the most popular tourist attraction in South America. In fact, so many tourists want to visit the ruins that strict numbers of visitors (2,500) are only allowed to visit the site each day. In 1911, American explorer Hiram Bingham III, a professor at Yale University, visited the site and published its existence for the first time since it had been abandoned. The site’s excellent preservation, the quality of its architecture, and the exhilarating mountain vista it occupies has made Machu Picchu one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world today. The site covers 32,500 hectares (80,000 acres) of sacred buildings, shops, houses, and terraced fields which were once used for growing crops like maize and potatoes. Even a cemetery with 135 skeletons was located at the site. The structures were built by hand, stone by stone without the use of mortar! This method of construction has helped the city survive repeated earthquakes. How they moved and placed the enormous blocks of stones remains a mystery, although the general belief is that they used hundreds of men to push the stones up inclined planes. Reconstruction of the original buildings continues to this day. A popular tourist activity is to walk the Inca Trail. Starting from Cusco 80km away the 4-day hike weaves along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, where breathtaking scenery and the wonders of human effort tantalise the senses.

Some of the intricate stonework from Machu Picchu 22

Snow is formed when temperatures are low and there is moisture, in the form of tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere. When these tiny ice crystals collide they stick together to become snow- flakes. If enough ice crystals stick together, they'll become heavy enough to fall to the ground. How cold does it have to be to snow? Precipitation falls as snow when the air temperature is below 2°C. It does not need to be below zero to snow. In fact, the heaviest snowfalls tend to occur when the air temperature is between 0—2°C. The falling snow does begin to melt as soon as the temperature rises above freezing, but as the melting process begins, the air around the snowflake is cooled. If the temperature is warmer than 2°C then the snowflake will melt and fall as sleet rather than snow. If it is warmer still, it will fall as rain. Due to diffuse reflection of light snowflakes appear white, but the ice crystals are actually clear. Snowflakes can occur in an infinite variety of shapes and forms - including prisms, hexagonal plates or stars. Every snowflake is unique, but because ice crystals form with 6 sides they always join together in a hexagonal structure. While a massive number of different shapes are possible, it is not true that no two snowflakes look alike. At very low temperatures snowflakes are small and their structure is simple. They fall as powdery snowflakes that are ideal for snow sports. At higher temperatures the individual flakes may be composed of a very large number of ice crystals - making a complex star shape - and can have a diameter of several centimetres. These snowflakes tend to melt around the edges and stick together to become big, heavy flakes. This creates 'wet' snow which sticks together easily and is good for making snowmen (and soaking your socks). The world record for the highest seasonal total snowfall was measured in the USA at Mount Baker in the State of Washington. During the 1998 –1999 season Mount Baker received 28.96m (95 ft) of snow.

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 Brazil is the largest country in South America and the 5th largest in the world by land size as well as population.  The name Brazil comes from the brazilwood tree found commonly throughout the country.  Portuguese is the official language spoken in Brazil.  With the Pope’s blessing Portugal conquered the land of Brazil in the year 1500.  During the 1600s sugar cane was the country’s largest export, while slaves brought in from Africa were the country’s largest import.  Independence from the Portuguese was declared in 1822.  The population in 2014 was around 202 million people.  The capital city is Brasilia, while the largest city is Sao Paulo (11.3 million people).  Other major cities include Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Fortaleza.  Brazil has a large coastline on the eastern side of South America, stretching 7,491 kilometres in length.  Brazil shares a border with all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador.  Brazil covers 3 time zones.  Brazil has the 7th largest economy in the world.  The 2nd longest river in the world, the Amazon flows mostly through Brazil.  Around 60% of the Amazon Rainforest is located in Brazil.  The climate in the majority of Brazil is tropical.  Brazil is home to a wide range of animals, including armadillo, tapirs, jaguars and pumas.  Human activities such as logging, mining fishing and agriculture are important to the Brazilian economy but are also a serious threat to Brazil's diverse environment.  There are around 2,500 airports in Brazil.  Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Brazil with the national team winning the World Cup a record 5 times.  The 2016 Olympics will be held in Brazil. 24

From the days of the Ottoman Empire through to the present, coffee has played an important role in Turkish lifestyle and culture. In 1555 two Syrian traders brought coffee to Istanbul, the capital of modern-day Turkey. By the mid-17th century, drinking coffee had led to a number of elaborate traditions throughout the country. Coffee makers even ceremoniously prepared and served coffee for the sultan. Young women received intensive training in the proper technique of preparing Turkish coffee, and prospective husbands would judge a woman's merits based on the taste of her coffee.* Groups of women socialized over coffee and sweets. Men socialized in coffee houses where they played backgammon and discussed politics. Ever since, Turkish coffee houses have become social institutions providing a place to meet and talk. Today, Istanbul offers many new and delightful cafes and restaurants where friends and family meet to discuss topics of the day over a cup of traditional Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called a "cezve." Derived from the Arabica bean, Turkish coffee is a very fine, powder-like grind. An aromatic spice called cardamom is sometimes added to the coffee while it is being ground. One can also boil whole seeds with the coffee and let them float to the top when served. Turkish coffee has six levels of sweetness ranging from very sweet to black. Since sugar is not added to the coffee after it is served, spoons are not needed. As the coffee begins to heat, it begins to foam. A rule of the Turkish coffee ceremony dictates that if foam is absent from the face of the coffee, the host loses face. "To drink one cup of coffee Certain Turkish coffee-drinking traditions state that after the guest has consumed the coffee and the cup is turned together guarantees forty upside down on the saucer and allowed to cool, the years of friendship.” hostess then performs a fortune reading from the coffee —Turkish saying grounds remaining in the cup. While such forecasts have no basis in truth, there is no doubting the fact that Turkish coffee is rich in tradition and flavour, and remains a favourite today, even here in Australia.

* Today prospective brides, as a test of their housekeeping skills, are still expected to make and serve coffee to the boys' parents - and have been known to avoid unwanted marriages by using salt instead of sugar or spilling the coffee all over the guests! 25

James Henry Ashton was the original founder of Ashton’s Circus in Australia. Named Golding Ashton in 1819 at his birth, during his early adult years he changed his name to “James Henry Ashton” to distance himself from a criminal past. He was reputedly a excellent clog-dancer (similar to a tap dancer), horseman and circus performer from Essex, England, who arrived in Australia in the 1840s. During 1848-49 he was described as a ‘bold and fearless’ equestrian at Radford’s Amphitheatre in Hobart Town, and later in the Port Phillip District of NSW (around Melbourne). He performed at John Malcolm’s Amphithe- atre, Sydney in September 1851 and later at J. S. Noble’s Olympic Circus. Ashton first registered his own Circus company in 1852. It is reputed to be the second company ever to be officially recognised as a legitimate trader in Australia. His first shows were performed in a ring made out of a circle of brambles on the site of what is now Sydney’s Central Railway Station. Admission cost 1 shilling. Ashton’s first wife Mary was an Irish immigrant. She died in childbirth aged 19 at Maitland (near Newcastle) in 1852. Her death was to have a profound affect on the rest of James’ life—starting a tradition of charity work for hospitals that the circus that bears his name continues honouring to this day. James was also known for generously giving any hungry swaggie a meal. The following year (1853) near Tamworth, James Ashton married circus performer Elizabeth ‘Mary’ Critchley. Together they had seven children, three boys and four girls. By May 1854 he had formed Ashton‘s Royal Olympic Circus and for the next thirty-five years he toured eastern Australia with his grandly titled circus. While caring for her growing family his wife Mary also did trick riding during performances. Legend has it that the “Kelly Gang” rode for 80km (50 miles) to see his show at Glenrowan. In 1865 Ashton’s Circus toured South Australia, but his name became a household word especially in the country areas of New South Wales and in Queensland as far north as Rockhampton. Ashton acquired a James Ashton performing in York Street, Sydney in 1855 26

reputation for developing Australian circus talent, and he often featured Aboriginal performers such as the acrobatic rider Mungo Mungo. In 1889 James Henry Ashton died at the Metropolitan Hotel in Gladstone, QLD, aged 70 and was buried in the local cemetery. At the time of his death he was still on the road. Two of his children, brothers James and Freddie eventually took over managing the circus but due to sibling rivalry they continually fell out. Fred, nicknamed “Flash Fred” or “Captain,” was the forefather of the current family. Between them the brothers fathered 22 children from two sisters Nellie and Elizabeth Ryan whom they married in the country town of Inverell in northern NSW. A later generation of the Ashton circus family, 6 brothers and a sister, comprised the acrobatic troupe of the Seven Ashtons, popular throughout the United States and Europe during the late 1940s and early 1950s. During the Depression in the 1930s, they left the main Ashton circus and developed their own acrobatic act in the backyard of their Sydney home. Their specialty became a 'Risley' act, where one or more performers, lying on his back, juggled smaller members of the troupe with his feet. Eminent British circus historian Antony Hippisley Coxe described the Seven Ashtons' act as the best Risley act he had ever seen. The Seven Ashtons toured the United States with Sonja Henie's famous ice show and appeared in a Royal Command performance before George VI at the London Coliseum. Today, after some 160 years of activity, the 7th-generation Ashton progeny conduct Ashton's Circus, the oldest circus travelling Australia – if not the world. With acts ranging from clowning, horse riding, performing animals, acrobatics and the internationally acclaimed Flying Ashton's, up to 4 generations of Ashton family members can be seen performing in the ring at any one time. Today, members of the original Ashton's Circus have formed separate circuses. They travel nationally with Ashton family members still forming the core troupe. Circus Joseph Ashton; Lorraine Ashton's Classic Circus and Circus Xsavia offer entertainment for adults and children of all ages. When was the last time you visited the circus?

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Cheesy chilli and lime corn Ingredients:  2 tablespoons olive oil.  1 tablespoon grated lime rind.  ½ teaspoon chilli powder.  1 cup finely grated parmesan.  4 corn cobs, husks and silk removed, halved. Directions: Combine oil, lime rind and chilli powder in a shallow dish. Add corn. Toss to coat all over. Cover. Set aside for 30 minutes. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue grill over medium heat. Cook corn, turning, for 10 minutes or until tender and charred. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with parmesan. Season with pepper and serve. Salmon pasta salad Ingredients:  One salmon fillet, diced  45 grams rotini pasta  One carrot peeled and shredded  One handful of shredded lettuce  Four cherry tomatoes  ¼ of a cup of grated cheese. Dressing:  1/3 of a cup of mayonnaise  1/3 of a cup of Italian dressing  Half a teaspoon of Rosemary (plus salt and pepper to taste) Directions: 1) Cook pasta 8-10 minutes. Dice and cook salmon in pan until browned. 2) Melt mayonnaise in a microwave 35 seconds. In a separate bowl mix Italian dressing, warmed mayonnaise, Rosemary, salt and pepper. 3) Prepare the salad by placing carrot, lettuce, diced tomatoes and cheese into a bowl. Add cooked salmon and mix. Adding dressing and mixing one final time. Add pasta on top of the salad mixture. 28 Word Search– The Shipwreck Coast T A E L L W B M R O A A H A H T A V N S S O N I S A C R E W S C O O I N G S M C M A R I T I M E A U A C D A W R Y H E S F S P M T E R V T O Y R O I Y A U Q R O T A B I C O E R L O S S N R W E R A R K S R R O A S O B R H F D L T P C C M Q I H U B C V M A I S A F O O E N E A C S R S S E O R P H A S S R E D A R T E E R F S B R W I T P W W L P A R I I J E E S L A R L J L F M G N A P A S O D L E A Y E S H I P S O L A C R S H N T L B S C G E T F D I N N O T G N I S S E A K L R P N A R O C K S P S L I E L E D A P O L L O B A Y S I C F H A L T S I L I G H T H O U S E O V T M A N V H C N S P E C U L A N T A R E S F E N O T S E M I L L B O T R I N L ANTARES FIJI MARITIME SURF FORMATIONS NAPIER THISTLE APOSTLES FREE TRADER NEWFIELD TORQUAY AUSTRALIA GORGE TOURISM BASS STRAIT JOHN SCOTT ROCKS WHALERS BOMBORA LA BELLA SEAMEN WAVES CAPE OTWAY LIGHTHOUSE SHIPS WIND CASINO LIMESTONE SHIPWRECK WRECK BEACH CRASH LOCH ARD SOCRATES VESSELS ESSINGTON LONDON ARCH SPECULANT VICTORIA FLINDERS LYDIA SPLIT POINT YARRA 29

Sir Sidney Robert Nolan OM, AC was born in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton on April 22, 1917. The eldest of 4 children, the Nolan family were of Irish descent and his father was a tram driver. The family moved to St. Kilda, where Sydney was educated at the Brighton Road State School and then Brighton Technical School, before leaving at age 14. Nolan enrolled at the Prahran Technical College (now part of Swinburne University), Department of Design and Crafts, in a course which he had already begun part-time by correspond- ence. From 1933, at the age of 16, he began almost 6 years of work for Fayrefield Hats, Abbotsford, producing advertising and display stands with spray paints and dyes. From 1934 he attended night classes sporadically at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School. Throughout the 1940’s he was part of the “Heide Circle,” a loose grouping of artists who lived and worked at "Heide," a former dairy farm on the floodplain at Bulleen. Run by John and , Nolan painted alongside contemporaries Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, and John Perceval. Nolan married his first wife Elizabeth in 1938, but the marriage collapsed when Nolan entered into a 3-way sexual relationship with John and Sunday Reed. In 1948 when Sunday refused to divorce her husband and marry him, Nolan married John’s sister, Cynthia. He married for a third time in 1978. During World War II Nolan was conscripted into the army. When confronted with the being sent to Papua New Guinea in 1944 he deserted. Viewing himself as a rebel from society, during 1946-7 Nolan started painting his most well-known works—a series of 27 paintings that In March 2010 ’s feature Ned Kelly. In 1977 Sunday Reed donated 25 of painting of Ned Kelly: “First Class the Kelly series to the National Gallery of Australia. Marksman” sold for $5.4 million. Nolan migrated to London in 1951 and he would remain in England until his death in 1992. A second series of “Kellys” were completed in the 1950s and can be found at famous galleries such as the Tate Modern in London and the Museum Of Modern Art in New York. Nolan would later become a diverse artist—from displaying artworks at music festivals, through to theatre stage design. Despite his desertion from the army, in 1981 Nolan was made a Knight Bachelor, for services to art. By 1983, he was also recipient of the Order Of Merit (OM). In 1988, he received the Companion Of The Order Of Australia. 30

Geelong– 150 years ago this month “A meeting of the Committee of Management of the Botanical Gardens took place yesterday, at the office of Mr Ibbotson… The following donations to the gardens were acknowledged by the Curator – Master James Cowie, 1 black duck; the hon. J. T. Smith, per James Cowie, Esq., senr., seeds from India; the hon. J. F. Strachan, seeds of Moreton Bay Fig and New Zealand Koracca (Kawaka). Mrs Bannister, pine seeds from the Cape of Good Hope; the Secretary of the Benevolent Asylum, Ballarat, seeds from India; Mr Seidel, of Ceres, a fine supply of two species of native callitris or Cyrpus pine and Cryptomeria Japonica. Mr Bunce drew the attention of the meeting to the great inconvenience to the public and damage to the gardens, in consequence of the large number of cows and goats allowed to graze in Garden-street,* which made of point of rushing into the gardens as soon as the gates were opened; and that he was consequently compelled to adopt the unpleasant alternative of impounding the same in the name of the trustees. This course was approved of by the meeting.” (Geelong Advertiser Tuesday May 2, 1865 p.3 ) Daniel Bunce—Geelong Botanic Gardens founder * See last month’s article in the Jillong Pocket on the Geelong and curator. See his story Town Common to learn why all these animals could be in the June 2012 edition found grazing in Garden St, beside the Botanic Gardens. of the Jillong Pocket.

About this magazine: This magazine has been produced as a community service by participants in the Work For The Dole scheme at Workskil- Corio branch office. This is part of a Job Services Australia initiative. All comments and views expressed in this publication are the opinions of the participants in the scheme and not necessarily the views of Workskil or Job Services Australia.

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1936

Bay View Hotel— 2 Mercer Street, Geelong Originally called the Western Hotel, the Bay View Hotel was built in 1853-54 at the height of the Ballarat gold rush. It was originally designed to profit from the many gold-seekers who travelled through Geelong on their way to the gold fields. As the gold rush lost momentum in the late 1860s, the building was used for a short while as a private school, and later as a boarding establishment. It reverted to its original use as a hotel in the 1880s. Today the three-storey Barrabool sandstone structure has adapted once more. Currently the Sky Software company uses the building at street level, while the upper two floors have been converted into the Bayview Apartments.

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