Z is for Something Classy and Cultural

Z is for the children’s book “Zombie Bums And Uranus”, written by Andy Griffiths, one of Australia’s  most popular children’s authors.

Griffiths has written 33 books, including nonsense verse, short stories, comic novels and plays. His books have been New York Times bestsellers, won 80 children’s choice awards, been adapted as a television cartoon series, sold more than 12 million copies in Australia, and been adapted to the theatre. He is best known as the author of the “JUST!” series, “The Day My Bum Went Psycho” and the bestselling “Treehouse” series. ( I believe in America where the population is more refined and genteel ” bum” is replaced by “butt”.)

Andy is an ambassador for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Pyjama Foundation, and was awarded the Dromkeen Medal in 2015 to honour his outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature.

Yes, I know, you’re shaking your head – the title is somewhat off-putting. 

I am reminded of a time 25 years ago when I organised a book fair at the local primary school. You know the deal; the more books sold at the fair, the more books donated to the school library by the book wholesaler. This attempt to restock the school library had never been attempted before, and boy, was the concept embraced by the school community. One of the biggest sellers were the “Goosebumps” books. Remember them? We sold cartons of them! With two daughters who had never sampled a “Goosebumps” I was a bit flabbergasted by the popularity of this series, especially by little boys and particularly as there were so many other good novels, including classics, from which to choose. 

To this day I remember chatting with a frazzled mother of three young lads who shared with me that she was just thrilled that her sons had found books which interested them, which enticed them to read instead of jumping on beds, and that kept them interested. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Books that engage and encourage readers from an early age.

I’ve just purchased a book about insects and reptiles for three and half year old Harry. He’s told his mother that he wants to relocate snakes back to the bush when he grows up. His mother is unimpressed about his career choice of snake catcher……

Note:

Thank you for hanging in there throughout April, particularly the Aussie contingent of bloggers who also participated in this Challenge. Your support has been a huge help especially on those days when I was away out west and/ or floundering. I do enjoy participating in the April Challenge and the opportunity to share information about where I live.

I’m taking a break and have lots of self indulgent plans for May, including a holiday. I do have heaps to share- theatre performances, museums, adventures, workshops, and projects – but we could all do with a break. See you then.

#A-ZChallenge 2024

Australian Trivia

Y is for Yowie

Whilst the Americans have Bigfoot or Sasquatch, and the Asiatic countries have the Yeti and Abominable Snowman, Australia has the Yowie.

Though accounts of the Yowie from Europeans only date to the 19th century, stories from Australia’s Indigenous people are believed to go back much further. These tales speak of an enormous beast similar to an ape, earning the creature nicknames like the “hairy man of the wood.”

The Yowie is usually described as a Bipedal, hairy, and ape-like mythical creature standing upright at between 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) and 3.6 m (12 ft). The Yowie’s feet are described as much larger than a human’s, but alleged Yowie tracks are inconsistent in shape and toe number. 

Kilcoy, a small township situated on the D’Aguilar Highway 95 kilometres north west of Brisbane, is known as the Yowie Town with the last reported sighting in the 1970’s.

In 1979 two local Kilcoy boys claimed to witness a three metre tall Yowie and attempted to shoot it. It took off, allegedly leaving behind a sulfurous smell. Plaster casts were supposedly taken of its footprints and the boys became local folklore.

Kilcoy, Qld

Bonus Trivia : The Exchange Hotel in Kilcoy serves THE best wagyu steaks. I mean THE best.

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Australian Trivia

X is for………..

So Cat Balou in India issued a Challenge. 

“Mo, bet you a bottle of Peter Rumble Sparkling Shiraz that you can’t come up with something for the letter X”.

Darling girl of little faith, submit your order to Dan Murphy’s now.

For Australian trivia purposes X is for XANTIPPE, a small rural locality in Western Australia’s wheat belt. It is located 220 kms north east of the city of Perth and according to the 2016 Census has a population of 20.

It is the only locality name in Australia that begins with X.

Never heard of it. 

Established in 1925 it once was a thriving farming community. A school opened in 1930 on Struggle Street to cater to the needs of children, though closed in 1940. ( Anyone else getting Tim Winton vibes?)

The locality’s big feature was the water tank built in 1927, designed to pump water to nearby Dalwallinu, but there were major issues pumping the water uphill. It doesn’t even have its own postcode.

It has been suggested that the name means “looking for water from a deeper well” which ties in with the proliferation of Gnamma holes in the area. 

What is a Gnamma hole? According to the Merriam -Webster Dictionary , “a hollow or hole eroded or indented in solid rock of Australian deserts that sometimes contains water.” Apparently these water holes are featured in the 2002 Australian movie, “Rabbit- Proof Fence”  which I will now source for the weekend’s *entertainment.

Western Australia extends across a massive area, at least one third of Australia. Honestly, I am familiar only with the Margaret River area and have no  enthusiasm to explore Xantippe and its environs. However, if anyone can shed any further light I’de be pleased to hear.

*Entertainment is a poor choice of word for this movie. Based on the book of the same name it is the true story of several young Indigenous girls taken away from their parents who escape the mission to return to their families. The Stolen Generation should not equate to entertainment.

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Australian Trivia

W is for War Memorials/Museums

Yesterday was ANZAC Day in Australia, a day during which the nation commemorates the victims of war and recognises the role of our armed forces. The day commences with a Dawn Service at the local cenotaph to remember the ill-fated campaign where Allied troops landed on the narrow beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula during WW1. This is generally followed by a march past, followed by lunch and other  “festivities.”

Cleveland, Qld

Australian regional memorials have long been at the heart of community commemoration of our servicemen and women.

When driving through most Australian towns, large or small, you can almost always find a war memorial, often at the town centre. They come in the form of granite obelisks, memorial gates, statues and more. They are found in parks, hospitals, post offices, swimming pools and halls. They include honour rolls found in bowling clubs, schools, town halls and other community buildings. Statues of mostly First World War soldiers, known as ‘Digger memorials’, are also a distinctive feature in regional towns.

Surat, Qld

There is a website collating these memorials in Australia. Go here :                       https://placesofpride.awm.gov.au/memorials

I admit to being a total sucker for our country towns. Their buildings, cemeteries, museums and war memorials offer so much more in the way of history than anything printed in the travel brochures or offered at Tourist Information Centres.

During a short road trip last week to see the Dingo Fence, and bonus find the  Rabbit Fence which I will share another time, we visited the Miles Historical Village on the Western Downs. Of particular interest was the War Museum loaded with local information pertinent to Miles in which I learnt that the Americans during WW2 established six artillery storage facilities near Miles, one being a current mine site which on occasion has unearthed refuse artillery. 

Oh, how this kind of useless information fuels my soul……

It must be an age thing but for the first time in twenty years I was unable to crawl out of bed at 4am to greet the dawn. I set the alarm alright, but just couldn’t face it. Instead, I listened to Vera Lynn for the day and read an article about a newly erected monument in rural Blackall, Queensland, of WW1 nurse Sister Greta Norman Towner, “as a reminder of the significant contribution Australian women in service have made to the nation.” Interestingly, this monument stands in the park opposite the statue of her brother Lieutenant Edgar Thomas Towner, VC MC.

And for those Aussie readers with a few free hours on their hands the AWM is calling for volunteers to help preserve war diaries and records within their collection by transcribing. It’s easy and I failed typing in a business course. Go here:https://transcribe.awm.gov.au/

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Australian Trivia

V is for Vegemite

Vegemite, the Australian sandwich spread, has a reputation much like Coriander (also known as Cilantro ) – people either love it or hate it. There is no middle ground.

I hail from a generation of Vegemite fanciers and grew up just like the song lyrics suggested – as a ” happy little vegemite”. My preference is to lay it on thick with oozing butter, and preferably on hot crumpets with a pot of tea. ( In the scheme of things , what’s a cholesterol issue? We all have a use by date. Thus my penchant for cheese and prawns too.) 

On the following scale I’m a serial killer.

Some trivia about Vegemite you may not be aware of:

1. Vegemite is banned from some Australian gaols. This is to prevent inmates extracting the yeast to make booze.
2. In the late 1930’s Vegemite gained momentum as a health product because of its high concentration of B vitamins.
3. It became a staple in soldiers’ ration packs during World War 2. Posters hung up during wartime bore the slogan :“Vegemite: Keeping fighting men fighting fit.” 
4. To drum up publicity around their new product, The Fred Walker Company launched a nationwide competition to name it ahead of its debut. Hundreds of submissions were collected, and Walker’s daughter pulled the winning entry out of a hat. The coiners of the name “Vegemite” were awarded a £50 prize.
5. In 1984, a 66 cent jar of Vegemite became the  first product electronically scanned at a checkout in Australia at a Woolworths. 

Vegemite is more versatile than you realise. I add it to gravy when cooking, as well as stews and casseroles.

When my daughter was home for Easter following her first twelve months on contract in India all she wanted ( after prawns, bubbles and a *movie night) was a Vegemite Scroll.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 
• 80g butter, chilled, chopped 
• 2 tsp caster sugar 
• 2/3 cup milk 
• 2 tbsp Vegemite 
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese 

• Step 1 
  Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan-forced. Grease a 12-hole (1/3-cup-capacity) muffin pan. 
  
  Step 2 
  Process 2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting, 80g butter, chilled, chopped and 2 tsp caster sugar in a food processor until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Make a well. Add 2/3 cup milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir with a butter knife to form a sticky dough. Turn out onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out to form a 20cm x 40cm rectangle. 
• Step 3 
  Spread dough with 2 tbsp Vegemite, leaving a 1cm border. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated tasty cheese. Roll up dough from 1 long edge to enclose filling. Trim ends. Cut into 12 equal slices. Place, cut-side up, into holes of prepared pan. 
• Step 4 
  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a baking paper-lined wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

*I wont share the name of the movie. Just be reassured that I raised this kid well and she has exquisite taste.

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Australian Trivia

U is for Uluru

And ” It’s Raining On The Rock.”

Uluru is one of Australia’s most recognisable natural landmarks and has been a popular destination for tourists since the late 1930s. It is also one of the most important indigenous sites in Australia. Previously known as Ayres Rock, Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs,waterholes, rock caves and rock paintings. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Situated in the heart of the Australian Outback Uluru stands 350 metres high, with most of its bulk lying underground, and has a total circumference of nearly 10 kilometres. 

As Uluru has made media headlines over the years, from dingos stealing babies, tourists disrespecting the cultural significance of the sandstone monolith, and the number of heart attacks and falls that happen during the rock climb, for today let’s be reminded of what happens on those rare occasions when there is so much rain fall that waterfalls cascade down the surface of Uluru.

Australian singer/song writer, John Williamson, celebrated such an occurrence in his song, “It’s Raining On The Rock”. In 2011 Williamson said “it’s a song that probably means a lot to me because it’s about the heart of the country and I think the rock represents that. The ancient nature of the country that was here before any of us is the one thing that can draw us all together, putting religion, politics and race aside.”

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Australian Trivia

T is for Tasmania

Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 kilometres (150 miles) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated from it by the Bass Straight, with the archipelago containing the southern most point of the country. 

Some facts about the beautiful island state of Tasmania :-

*Tasmania is the world’s 26th largest island.

*Tasmania has the world’s cleanest air.

*More than 20% of Tasmania is Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

*Tasmania has the oldest trees in the world

*Tasmania has dense rainforests 

*The Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world

*Tasmania has over 2000km of walking tracks and 18 national parks

*Tasmania was once known as the “Apple Isle” as it was one of the world’s major producers.

*Tasmania is home to some of Australia’s oldest rocks, dating back to the Precambrian era about 1.4 billion years ago. 

*Tasmania is the home of the world’s largest lavender farm.

*The Cascade Brewery, based in Hobart, is Australia’s oldest brewery that is still in operation, having been established in 1824 by Peter Degraves. 

*English-born artist John Skinner Prout and his wife, a harpist, spent time travelling around Tasmania, and it was in Hobart in 1845 that he held a painting exhibition –Australia’s first known art exhibition. 

*Henry Savery, who originated from Somerset, England, actually published what was Australia’s first novel in Hobart, although at the time this was published anonymously.He was living in Tasmania and writing for The Tasmanian newspaper when he wrote Quintus Servinton – A Tale Founded Upon Incidents of Real Occurrence, which was published in 1831. This also made Henry Australia’s first novelist.

*The island of Tasmania includes 334 surrounding islands, most are uninhabited, and some are privately owned.

*Holland, which is renowned for its tulips, actually imports tulips from Tasmania.

*There are no passenger trains in Tasmania. Only freight trains exist, and a few privately owned restored historic steam and diesel trains, which offer rides through the Tasmanian wilderness and coastline. 

*Tasmania is like a small town with only 2% of Australia’s population, of just over half a million people.

*Tasmania  has 69 golf courses.

* Mary, Queen Consort of Denmark, was born in Tasmania

Some personal thoughts about Tasmania:

For one reason or another I’ve been visiting Tassie every couple of years since I was 21 years of age. I love these trips and despite the island being small in size I continue to discover new and interesting places. I’ve toured in a camper van and have also played Lady Muck, sleeping in the same beds as Heads of State, ( and opting for the floor because their politics were offensive.)

Some of my favourite things about Tassie include scallop pies, apple cider, wombats, farmland, historic buildings, book shops, log fires, Grant Burge Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay, the Cradle Mountain National Park, and the glorious east coast.

And I didn’t mention Mr Flynn once.

S is for (The) Seekers

The Seekers were an Australian musical group originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group (with a touch of folk) to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Essentially Australia’s first “supergroup” the band’s most popular configuration consisted of Judith Durham, Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley with best selling songs including “Georgie Girl”, “I’ll Never Find Another You” and ” The Carnival Is Over.”

In 1967 The Seekers were named joint “Australians of the Year”. In 1995 the group was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. They were individually honoured as Officers of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of June 2014.

Sadly, we lost lead singer Judith Durham in 2022.

Have a listen to this: considered by many as an alternative National Anthem.

https://youtu.be/BVUU68X6F5g?si=zmdZ4TLSWkGzV5xp

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Australian Trivia

R is for Red Dog

Louis de Bernières is an English novelist, best known for his 1994 historical war novel, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” I’ve mentioned previously that I would have enjoyed the movie of the same name about Italian soldiers who occupy the Greek Island of Cephalonia during World War 2 except for three things:

1. Nicholas Cage
2. Nicholas Cage
3. Nicholas Cage

The writer holidayed in Australia at one stage where he came upon a statue of a dog during a visit to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. What can I tell you about the Pilbara? It’s remote mining country, wickedly hot and with nothing but red dust for miles.

But I digress. Back to the statue …….

The dog’s name on the statue was “Red Dog” ( 1971 – 1979), a kelpie/cattle dog cross.

He had a series of owners and lengthy periods travelling on his own, essentially becoming a beloved friend and mascot of the greater Pilbara community. “Red Dog” was made a member of the Dampier Salts Sport and Social Club and the Transport Workers Union and was also given a bank account with the Bank of New South Wales which was said to have used him as a mascot, with the slogan. “If Red banks at the Wales, then you can too.“

When “Red Dog” died, presumed poisoned, a local vet had him buried in a secret unmarked grave. There is a plaque, fixed to a boulder, very close to this site, just outside of the town of Cossack WA. The plaque states: 

                                   ” Red Dog

                                     The Pilbara Wanderer

                                      Erected by the many friends

                                      Made during his travels.”

This story so inspired de Bernieres that he wrote the novella, “Red Dog”, published in 2001, which was adapted to a film of the same name in 2011.

As of 17 November 2011, the film made more than A$21 million at the Australian box office since opening in August 2011.  Red Dog is ranked eighth in the list of (Cinema of Australia) highest-grossing Australian films of all time. Eleven days after opening, Red Dog became the highest-grossing Australian film of 2011. Much of this success is because Nicholas Cage was not involved.

*For bonus trivia, the soundtrack to the movie features some truly great Aussie  pop music.  Grab a glass of plonk and prepare to flit across the lounge room floor.

*I remember seeing this movie with Cat Balou. There was laughter, tears, and bopping to the music in our seats. It was my last time being in a cinema where everyone clapped at the end of the movie.

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Australian Trivia

Q is for Quokkas and Quolls

The quokka is a small marsupial the size of a domestic cat. The quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal.

The quoll is a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. 

Unfortunately, I have never spied either of these creatures in the wild. Add to Must Do List.

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Australian Trivia