'Magical': What happened inside the recording studio with ABBA
"[Tabloid Magazine writers take note of Arthenian poet Agathon who recently said: one thing is denied even to God. To make undone that which has been done. Not many worshipers of great films are aware that Baz Luhrman was employed by Dr Cope at the NSW Parliamentary Library in early 1980s. His kinomatic (sic) dreams brewed alongside the sentences embroided inside the amazing collection of monographs at the library stack area. It is impossible to dance among the tightly lined compactus, but Buz did. Orwellian 1984 was still fresh in memory when Buz took his Strictly Ballroom to Czechoslovakia. The year was 1986 (BC - Before Children), in fact. The subversive play, whose main female character could have come from the reference desk of the parliamentary library, was a great success among the communist audience. No audience can whistle as loudly as the spectators born in the land of Juraj Janosik. It is even lesser known fact that Sonia Todd our neighbour almost caused a diplomatic incidence on the stage in Bratislava. In 1987, Reagan might have spoken the words of wisdom Tear Down That Wall!, but the actors from the land Down Under literally tore that Curtain Down a year before the famous speech! Australia had been blessed with a number of firefighting diplomats especially at the heights of the Cold War and as a result no actual hot war is recorded. Antipodean James Cumes was one of those fighting the spectre of totalitarian bushfire dangers on the European soil and still unofficially is ...
The Antipodean amazing recent and not so recent history lesssons brought back the memories of more stories from 1980s. The late George Dorman introduced me to many Antipodean stories Including the classic Fortunate Life by AC Facey and Dorman's family connection to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Underworld.
Bernard and Janet introduced us last night to the amazing Coasters Retreat origins of the Sydney to Hobart race and I cannot wait to share it with Jaya who is planning to sail next year. The members of the Cruising Yacht Club who drink at the Coaster Retreat Bar know that Pittwater adventurers are responsible for the idea to sail beyond New Beach and Foucart lane boundaries... They know how one innocent and dreamy observation 72 years ago by a Coastiers Retreat yachtsmen created the icon of Australia's summer sport.
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km). The race is run in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, and is widely considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.
"In 1939, the year, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, the Pittwater lovers of sailing sowed the seeds for Sydney invasion of Hobart"
In 1939, local sailors Togo Middows and George Griffin, were the prime movers in the formation of the Middle Harbour Cruising Yacht Association. Early that year, Togo invited a small group, including Griffin, to his home in Mosman, where the formation of a club was proposed.
The first official meeting was held in the Griffin Brothers' Boatshed at the Spit. Mr Dick Down, a life member and past Commodore of the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club, was invited to be President and Togo Middows became Secretary. George Griffin, a first-class boat builder, remained an active member of Middle Harbour until his death and was the subject of many stories regarding his legendary strength and sailing abilities. Nicknamed, "Gorilla", Griffin built the first registered club yacht, "Flying Cloud", which was owned by Togo Middows. Throughout the war years the club still conducted races and after the war Middle Harbour Yacht Club, as it had now become known, started to go from strength to strength.
In 1944, the club introduced Saturday racing in two divisions; A and B class yachts. The fleet was mainly small craft, and a yacht had to have a fixed keel to be eligible to race. By 1947, there were eight yachts in A Division and ten yachts in B Division. There were fifteen other yachts which did not race so the total fleet numbered 33.
On November 27, 1954 the first clubhouse was opened by the Mayor of Mosman. At the time, members had little idea that by the 1980s the club would grow larger than all the combined clubs of the time. Nor could they have foreseen the explosion in popularity that their beloved sport of sailing was about to experience.
To boot from Ivanka's and Melanja's Cold War River, we swam down history lanes, that were even older than ABBA band, -rich history of Morpeth- and how the real and spiritual rivers were created. Ian knows his Australian fauna and flora as he is the one who identified our 65 years old oak - He even knows foreign kiwi birds such as Kapapo. There is also that less known connection to the first fleet family tree and the Media Dragon's poeticly rich licence to the heritage of the Morpeth churches and the imaginative story why the holy wine was grown at The Hunter Valley ...
Known also by its Aboriginal name 'Illalung', Morpeth formed one third of a land grant made to Lieutenant Edward Charles Close by Governor Brisbane in 1821. Influenced by its desirable location on the Hunter River and the realisation of the area's immense potential, Morpeth evolved into a frontier town and busy river port.
Morpeth's role as one of the most important river ports in New South Wales began in the 1820s and under the instruction of the Colonial Secretary, 1833 saw the development of the public wharf for Morpeth. Queens Wharf as it was named was to become a heavily frequented river port by settlers, merchants, mariners, timber getters and farmers. During its time as a major industrial and agricultural hub, Morpeth helped to lay the foundation for the development of the entire Hunter Valley. Whilst no longer famous for its primary industry, the Morpeth of today continues to thrive with many visitors exploring the township each year.