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GRAND YEARS.
Human interest and entertaining tales of yesteryear with respected journalist Frank Morris
20 March 24
Flashback! Air New Zealand celebrates a huge milestone
What an entrance, what a journey In April 1940, a flying boat lifted off from Mechanics Bay in Auckland and nine hours later it touched down on the glass-like waters of Rose Bay. It was the airline’s first scheduled passenger service between New Zealand and the rest of the world 75 ...
06 March 24
Marilyn Monroe started life as a model and ended up a movie star
How Marilyn Monroe became a movie legend Marilyn teamed with cover photographers that would take America head on. They planned to go around America, taking pictures, and having a great time. Instantly, Marilyn knew she was on the right track to end up in movies. All the film directors and producers wanted the ...
06 March 24
‘Stand up’ comedy – “Fudd” fixes your board within thirty minutes!
<< Surfabout Magazine, 1962-1968. Remember when … The day it all happened The bombora episode happened when I was editor of Surfabout magazine in 1963. Surfabout was the only magazine to have the story. It was also my first sighting of Scott Dillon. He was definably brilliant. We did a spread called Bare Island ...
21 February 24
The Great Aussie Firsts — New Series. They did it ‘first’
Great Aussie Firsts - People who were credited with doing it ‘first’. Apart from the fact that they’re all Australians, the bulk of the population have never heard of them. Their achievements cannot be emulated. They did it first. The first Labor PM John Watson was not only Australia’s first Labor Prime ...
21 February 24
Charles Fey: ‘‘The Father’ of the pokies!
Australia first had poker machines a hundred years ago. They were declared illegal in 1921, 1930 and 1940s – but still existed. The trouble, though, this period spans the problem of addicted gamblers. The next time you’re at the club, pub or casino playing the poker machines, spare a thought for ...
12 February 24
Up in the Air: Another chance to solve the Amelia Earhart puzzle!
Is the mystery solved? A group of researchers have recently discovered some startling evidence that the aircraft Amelia Earhart and her partner, Fred Noonan, the navigator, were flying, has been found at the bottom of the of the sea between Lae and Howland Island. The remains of the aircraft have to be ...
12 February 24
Queensland: Mackay and the Art Deco buildings
Mackay has an outstanding collection of art deco architecture constructed early in the 20th Century. Art Deco styling made its buildings look different, especially when you compared them with other cities in Queensland. A look at Art Deco … The Australian population did not know much about architecture. Mind you, a few ...
24 January 24
Flashback: Creator and Big Ted are together again
ABC Play School Big Ted recently polled 32 out of 100 TV when viewers took part in an entertainment magazine survey. Not a bad effort for Big Ted - one of the leading characters from the ABC Play School team. Graham Byrne was born in 1938 at a place called Watford, England. ...
24 January 24
At the Club: He was the equivalent of a true showman!
He dropped the ‘h’ like a true showman Veteran funny man, Billy Kearns, was summoned to the film studio. Kearns was asked was put down the ‘Udson without an “H”. He did like a true showman. Pioneer Ian Hudson, who came from the family of timber merchants, A. Hudson & Son Pty Ltd, ...
