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GRAND YEARS.
Human interest and entertaining tales of yesteryear with respected journalist Frank Morris
28 June 23
Great Aussie First: The ‘Black Box’ tells all!
An invention called the ‘Black Box’ made the world sit up when it was first developed. Not even Einstein could have imagined that a ‘Black Box’, holding the secrets of a plane disaster, would come to the fore. Dr David Warren had suggested his theory to a meeting and was told, ...
14 June 23
‘Mo’ Flashback: Night of gold as Johnny comes up a winner, again!
Johnny Farnham has bounced back as one of Australia’s greatest entertainers. At the 1981 gala MO Awards night at the Regent Theatre, Farnham walked off with the gold Mo for the year’s best male vocalist. He later capped that off by being named Entertainer of the Year. Farnham was lost for words. “There’s ...
14 June 23
The legend of Cobb & Co was up and running!
The biggest byword of Australian Coach history was Jim Rutherford who ran it for 58 years. The rumble and rattle of coaches, the fast clip of strong horses, and the rigours of an arduous journey were under the pilotage of hard-bitten, raucously cheerful coachmen. This is the raw stuff of the biggest ...
31 May 23
The Champs: In memory of Donald Campbell, Aussie takes water speed record
Warby had nerves of steel! Australian Ken Warby, became the fastest on water after he cracked a new official record of 464.46 kph (288.6 mph) at Blowering Dam, Tumut, in 1977. He had another go at his own world-shattering record at Blowering Dam 1978. Forty five years later, his time on the ...
17 May 23
Up in the Air: Passengers missing – plane went down!
It was distressing and horrendous at what was found when the plane crashed at the bottom of the mountain. Australian newspapers and the disappearance of a Stinson airliner in early 1937, gripped the nation. The plane had been missing for some weeks and was found on Lamington Plateau in the MacPherson Range ...
17 May 23
Up in the Air: A photo gallery of Bert Hinkler, “airman extraordinaire”
Hinkler set out to construct a glider of his dreams. His efforts paid off. Bert, only 19 at the time, flew his glider to a height of 30 feet. A beach, 12 miles from Bundaberg, was the staging place for this epic flight. Everybody turned up. Travelling shows and carnivals ...
03 May 23
Clipper Days - when sailing ships thrashed their way across the seas
The Clippers were referred to as “racehorses of the sea.” Modern thought it may be, there is a group of people who considers them slow. But, with all conditions at sea, they were supa-faaaaast! Sailing ships spread their white sails and set forth for the other side of the world. There ...
03 May 23
Clipper Days: A photo gallery of stunning ‘racehorses of the sea’
THE PORT JACKSON This beautiful four-masted barque was constructed in 1882. The clipper was 286 feet long and cost 29,000 pounds; she spent most her career trading between the Old Country and Port Jackson. On April 28, 1917, while on a voyage to London from Buenos Aires she was hit, without ...
19 April 23
Anzac Day: Australia is at war – What it’s like shopping in times like this?
Sorry - ‘no waste in the kitchen’! Business gets more serious every day Australian housewives are hoping to hear from the Government that some of the wartime delivery restrictions can be eased, said The Women’s Weekly at the time. “Suburban shoppers from four of our capital cites give some idea of ...
