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The Fernery Hotel 2 Squatters at Geelong 4 Esther Anderson 7 The Oyster 8 Swan Island 10

GFC Nicknames and Grounds 11

Lakes-Bullen Merri & Gnotuk 12 A Game of Cricket 14

Indented Head—Part 4 16

Malaria 18

Australian Slang 20 Douglas Mawson 22 The Eiffel Tower 24 Chips Rafferty 26 Recipe— Fish Curry 28 Word Search—World Cities 29 Endangered! Pygmy Possum 30 150 Years Ago 31 Then… & Now 32

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In the late nineteenth century, one of the most popular meeting places of the gentry in Geelong was the Fernery Hotel, which used to adorn the south-west corner of Aphrasia Street and Shannon Avenue in Newtown. The licensee, Mr. W. Jeffery, in order to attract custom, erected a lookout tower at the rear of the hotel and established an extensive fernery and garden.

According to the Maning & Bishop's Geelong and Western District Directory 1882-3, the first of all places worth seeing in Geelong was “Jeffery's Fernery, containing one of the largest and most varied assortment of ferns to be found in any conservatory in the colony; and several pretty views of the Barwon and Moorabool rivers to be obtained from Herne Hill, and the high lands overlooking the valleys through which those rivers pass.”

Inside the hotel itself, for the amusement of patrons Jeffrey had gathered a fine collection of curios, including mementos from many famous shipwrecks along the coast. Styled on the model of a typical English pub, a skittles club (a game similar to indoor bowling) was established for the sporting minded, and the gambling instincts of many were catered for with regular cock-fighting events. The fame of Jeffrey’s venture spread far and wide. (see box: Relax at Geelong!)

A horse-drawn bus service, known as the “Sunbeam Line” made its terminus at the fernery and an hourly bus service between Newtown and Geelong was maintained for a number of years. It is recorded that this service, which departed daily at 8:30am, never once failed to arrive on time with passengers for the morning steamer, the Excelsior, which left promptly at 9am for Melbourne.

The Newtown and Jeffery’s Fernery horse-drawn bus service outside the Fernery Hotel in c.1890. The observation tower can be seen behind the building.

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In November 1895 the Fernery Hotel was sold by Jeffrey to Messrs. Hodges, the well-known brewers for £2,500. The Jeffrey’s moved to Melbourne to live, how-ever, the Hotel continued to serve and entertain the public for many years. Some time after World War I the hotel fell into disrepair and was de-licensed. It was then bought by Mr. T. Bragge and divided into two residences and a shop. By the late 1920’s only the shop tenanted by Mr. Emery and selling confectionary was occupied.

The sad end for this famous early Geelong landmark came on Sunday, January 6, 1930. At about 2am on that morning the old hotel built mainly of stone and rubble was destroyed by fire. Although the building was insured Mr. Emery lost about £200 in stock and fittings. Today, a fine private home has been built on the site, looking out over the busy Shannon Avenue intersection.

Relax at Geelong! (Excerpt from the Independent newspaper from Footscray Saturday, October 21, 1893. p.2)

“As a relaxation from the toils and worries of business so prevalent just now, no doubt many of our local residents will doubtless indulge in a "trip on the briny" to Geelong, during the summer months. Whilst there, a very enjoyable afternoon can be passed by visiting Jeffery's Gardens as they are locally termed. They join the Fernery Hotel owned by Mr W. Jeffery and are a source of pleasure to thousands of visitors. At the present time, the gardens which are prettily laid out, are a mass of flowers of every hue and colour, rich and rare. Part of the gardens are enclosed as ferneries, and there you will find the rarest palms, ferns and all manner of tropical plants, growing in profusion whilst the latticed roofs are converted into veritable flower gardens by the beautiful Wisteria which covers them and is now seen at its best. . .

In one part of the ground an elevated lookout has been erected and with the aid of field glasses one has a magnificent view of the town etc. Looking across the still, placid waters of Corio Bay the You Yangs mountains are to be seen in the distance whilst on the west side the Barwon Heads (where so many shipwrecks have occurred), Lake Connewarre, the Barwon River which had at the time of writing over-flowed its banks, and other pretty surroundings catch the eye, whilst an excellent view of the city is also obtained.

To add to the attractiveness of the place, fountains have been erected at intervals over the ground where also can be seen relics of the "monarchs of the ocean" which have come to an untimely end. Here is to be seen the wheel and compass of the ill-fated ship Loch Ard, life-buoys from the Cheviot, Osprey, Enterprise, Paul Jones, Joseph Scammell, Lightning and the figure head of the Loch Liven, all of which are sad remembrances of good steamers and ships which are now no more. . . Altogether the gardens reflect great credit on Mr. Jeffery and his gardener and are well worthy a visit from anyone who has a few hours to spend in that most salubrious town- Geelong.

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From 1835 onward, the Port Phillip District, including areas around Geelong and Melbourne were settled by squatters (see box). Of all districts explored throughout Australia up to that time, as far as Brisbane to the north, South Australia to the west, and Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) to the south, the Port Phillip area was considered the very best grazing and farming land. Within a few years, hundreds of new squatters flocked to the area, rapidly expanding farms and sheep stations as far west as Portland (considered the farthest point to the west in the Port Phillip District).

Blessed with fertile land and accompanied by sheer hard work and industriousness, the squatters soon carved out very comfortable lives for themselves. But powerful, influential men were watching and greedily sought some of this new-found wealth for themselves.

Enter Edward Gibbon Wakefield.

Writing in England as early as 1829, Wakefield lamented the difficulty experienced by men of noble birth or wealth, who chose to immigrate to Australia. What was the problem? According to Wakefield a man of means had great difficulty keeping his servants. If a free man arrived in the colony he may for a short time work as a servant, but as land was so excessively cheap, as soon as possible he obtained his own farm. After a year or two of heavy work, he had a good chance of becoming prosperous himself. Thus the colony was an excellent place for a poor man, but a wretched abode for a man of means and culture, who may even end up having to perform manual labour with his own hands. The Lords and other nobles in British society were appalled!

Wakefield proposed to found in Australia another colony which would be better adapted to those who had fortunes sufficient to maintain servants and yet desired to emigrate to a new country. His scheme was to charge a high price for

What was a Squatter?

In 19th-century Australia, the British Government laid claim to the entire continent, primarily to use as a penal settlement for convicts. However, when convicts had completed their sentences they were released and were able to stay in the colony as free settlers. These were joined by new immigrants from England and Ireland who came to Australia in search of a better life.

Land was abundant, and many simply selected acreage that had not been claimed by another person and started farming. They were called squatters. They had no legal ownership of land as far as the NSW government was concerned, but the practise was tolerated (initially) due to the growth and prosperity it brought to the fledgling nation.

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the new land and so prevent the poorer people from purchasing it. The money received from the sale of the land would be used to bring out more young men and women as servants and farm labourers, for the service of the wealthier colonists. His proposal was applauded by many in England and the new colony of South Australia was subsequently set up, based upon Wakefield’s principles. In 1836 the first settle-ment in this new colony, free from any “convicts or paupers,” was formed on Kangaroo Island, followed by Adelaide.

Only four years later in 1840, South Australia was on the verge of bankruptcy. The problem? Wakefield lamented: "Who will pay £1 ($2) an acre for land in South Australia, when, by crossing to Port Phillip, he can obtain land equally good at 5 shillings (50c) an acre?" Back in England the Secretary of State, who was responsible for all British colonies was determined to help Wakefield’s plan succeed. Thus, he ordered the other colonies to charge a higher price for land—districts around Sydney and Brisbane were to charge no less than 12 shillings ($1.20) per acre, while around Port Phillip, where the land was of superior quality, land was never to be sold for less than £1 an acre.

Subsequently, all land around Port Phillip which had not been legally purchased from the government was put up for auction. Squatters were forced to bid against cashed-up new arrivals in the district to buy the land they had already worked on and improved for some time. Some had no choice but to borrow large sums from the banks to raise the necessary funds. Others refused to pay, and challenged the Government to evict them from their own properties. Although South Australia was saved from absolute ruin the decision to charge exorbitant fees for land was devastating for the other colonies.

By the end of 1840, the amount being received from land sales was three times as great as those received in 1838. However, the prices paid by the purchasers were far above the real value of the land. If a landowner tried to sell his property after a year or two, he would often discover its true value was only a fraction of what he originally paid for it. Many men who had borrowed money were unable to repay their debts and became insolvent. The banks who had lent them money, were also brought to the brink of ruin, and in 1843 one of the oldest, the Bank of Australia, declared bankruptcy.

In order to pay their debts, many land-owners and squatters around Geelong were now forced to sell their sheep and cattle, but there was scarcely anyone willing to buy, with the market glutted with farm animals. The prices fell to such an extent that sheep, which two years earlier had been bought for 30 shillings ($3), were gladly sold for 18 pence (18c) per head.

Edward Gibbon Wakefield

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So great was the distress that in 1843, the Governor in Sydney issued food provisions at less than cost price out of storage, in order to prevent the starvation of large numbers of people. Fortunately for many squatter farmers, it was discovered that about 6 shillings (60c) worth of tallow* could be obtained from each sheep by boiling it down. No doubt many sheep farmers would have been completely ruined if not for this process. Yet the Secretary of State in England, oblivious to the troubles he had caused, raised the price of land even higher, ordering that no land in Australia should be sold for less than £1 an acre.

Geelong citizens joined others who had become outraged. In 1845 James Harrison (the founder of the Geelong Advertiser newspaper five years earlier), became so incensed that he renamed his paper the Geelong Advertiser and Squatters’ Advocate. For the next three years he championed the rights of local settlers, demanding from authorities in Sydney and London that they change the laws to allow the common people to prosper from their own hard work, rather than work simply to enrich the privileged classes living back in England.

Despite these difficulties, squatters continued to contribute to the growth of the country’s farming industry, especially the wool trade. At the same time, despite the massive distances and slow communications that people all over the continent experienced, hardship had drawn the people together in one cause, to fight for better representation in government. By the late 1840’s the authorities recognized the economic good derived from the squatters’ activity and issued them leases for their sheep runs and properties extending as long as 14 years. The squatters now had a strong hold on the land and many started to become wealthy country gentlemen, controlling huge estates.

With the gold rush in the 1850’s came hundreds of thousands of new Australians who lamented the fact that all the good farming land had already been taken, mostly by squatters. Thus, in 1860 the Nicholson Land Act was passed, which opened up squatters' land to anyone who could afford to buy it, and restricted the amount of land an individual could own. Unfortunately, the Act wasn't as effective as first hoped. With the help of ‘dummy' bidders, the wealthy squatters could still purchase whatever land they required. They also used their knowledge of the land to buy up the best locations, leaving behind less fertile ground for any new farmers. But at least with all the land now legally purchased, the days of the early Australian squatter had mostly come to an end.

*Tallow: The fat of animals that sets into a white/grey paste at room temperature. Tallow has many uses both domestically (as lard to spread like butter on bread, as a cooking oil, and as animal food) and commercially (to make soap, fuel, shaving cream, and soldering flux to name a few).

James Harrison

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Esther Jackie Anderson was born on June 13, 1979 and grew up in Geelong. She always knew she wanted to be a perform-er. Now 33 years of age, Esther has seen much of the world while working as a model. For six years she was based in Japan, traveling between Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Korea and Europe for work.

Esther acting career started in Japan, appearing in commercials on television. She then decided to focus her sights on acting and presenting, moving back to Melbourne to take acting courses. At the start of 2007, Esther landed a gig with the local Victorian travel show Postcards. After a year in that role she had the opportunity to audition for the Australian TV series, Home and Away, landing the role of Charlie Buckton. “I have always wanted to be part of the show’” said Esther. “When I found out I had the role I was in complete shock; I’m still pinching myself now, but it feels right”

Four days after her audition, she started filming in Sydney. On her charac-ter, Esther said, “Charlie is strong-willed with lots of guts and she is never afraid to show who she is, which makes her genuine and likeable.” In 2011, after four years in the role, Esther Anderson quit the show to take up a new role in a pilot TV series being filmed in Canada. Her character, Charlie, was apparently killed off to allow her to leave Home and Away. However, in November 2012 she resumed working on the show for a few episodes to be screened in 2013. How will she “come back to life?” We will have to wait and see. Among her many accolades, last year Esther was nominated for a Gold Logie award for her work in Australian television.

During her spare time, Esther loves being outdoors, the beach and horse riding. Her ideal evening is a night out with great food, wine and great company. She loves going to the movies and lists Natalie Portman, Toni Collette, Reece Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix and George Clooney amongst her favourite actors.

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Whether you enjoy eating them, or marvel at the

beauty of a pearl formed inside one, oysters have fascinated people around the globe for generations.

The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve mollusks which live in the nearly all types of water– salty, brackish or fresh. Some kinds of oyster are commonly eaten by humans, either cooked or raw. Examples include the Pacific oyster and Sydney rock oyster. Other kinds are not considered very palatable, but excel at growing amazing pearls, either in the wild or in carefully monitored farms.

Natural pearls are the result of an annoying accident. Oysters open their shells to feed, sometimes allowing a foreign object inside the shell at the same time. The oyster tries to defends itself, much like our immune system attacks bacteria and viruses. In the oyster’s case, it attacks the object by coating it with a substance called "nacre," transferred molecule by molecule from the mantle on the inside of its shell. Unless the object is expelled by the mollusc, the layers of nacre keep building. As the calcium carbonate-based nacre (mother-of-pearl) builds on the object, its layers develop a deep, shiny coating. A pearl is formed.

Oysters feed most actively at temperatures above 10°C. An oyster can filter up to 5 litres of water per hour. Excess sediment, nutrients, and algae can result in excessive plant and algae growth in a body of water, suffocating fish and other creatures in the water. Oyster filtration can mitigate these pollutants.

In addition to their gills, oysters can also exchange gases across their mantles, which are lined

Farming Pearls

The Chinese have perfected the art of growing cultivated pearls of all different colours in freshwater farms. When the oysters get to adult size they are ‘seeded’ with between 15-30 small plastic balls or discs. They are then inserted back into the water. Viewing the plastic balls as irritants, the oyster slowly coats the artificial objects with nacre, turning them into beautiful pearls.

Growing pearls is a lengthy process. It takes about six years for an oyster to grow the average sized freshwater pearl (8mm wide). Conditions have to remain just so for the sea animals to survive and the pearls to grow. So farmers are constantly battling natural disasters and water pollution levels.

After the workers lift the shells from the water, they care-fully remove the pearls and clean them. Once the oysters are taken from the water and opened, they die.

Tourists in China can purchase pearl jewellery at prices far lower than here in Australia.

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with many small, thin-walled blood vessels. A small, three-chambered heart, lying under the adductor muscle, pumps colourless blood to all parts of the body. At the same time, two kidneys, located on the underside of the muscle, remove waste products from the blood.

While some oysters have two sexes (European oyster and Olympia oyster), their reproductive organs contain both eggs and sperm. Because of this, it is technically possible for an oyster to fertilize its own egg. Once the female is fertilized, she discharges millions of eggs into the water. The larvae develop in about six hours and swim around for about two to three weeks. After that, they settle on a bed and mature within a year.

A group of oysters is commonly called a bed or oyster reef. The largest oyster-producing body of water in the world is located in Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of America, although these beds are starting to decrease in numbers due to overfishing and pollution. Large beds of edible oysters are also found in Japan and Australia.

Let’s Eat! maybe. . .

For thousands of years some cultures forbade the eating of shellfish, including oysters. Why? Modern science has provided support for this ancient, wise advice.

Oysters are filter-feeders, drawing water in over their gills through the beating of cilia. Suspend-ed plankton and other particles in the water are trapped in the mucus of a gill, and from there are transported to the mouth, where they are eaten. Thus oysters provide an invaluable service cleaning and purifying water as they feed.

However, not all they consume is healthy. Shellfish also gather, eat and store pollutants and dangerous bacteria. Eating raw oysters contaminated with bacteria or pollutants can make a person very ill and can even kill. Many people believe that simply adding lemon or lime juice or hot sauce to raw oysters can kill the bacterium. The truth is that only heat can destroy the bacteria.

Fisheries authorities monitor oyster farming and the collection of wild oysters very closely, so that they pose little risk to consumers here in Australia. However, to be safe, next time you want to enjoy oysters cook them thoroughly when dining at home, order only cooked oysters at a restaurant, and especially when travelling overseas.

Which Colour?

Peals can vary in colour quite dramatically. They can be white, silver, cream-colored, gold, green, pink, blue, or even black.

The natural colour of a pearl results from a combination of several factors—the type of oyster or mollusc that produces the pearl, the location of the forming pearl inside the shell, the composition of the water, and sometimes the type of nucleus which is implanted to stimulate the pearl's creation.

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Swan Island was first used for military purposes when a fort was built in 1879 to protect Port Phillip Bay from a feared Russian invasion during the Crimean War. During World War I, the island was used as a depot for naval stores and was linked to the Queenscliff Railway Station by a tramway for transporting military equipment.

In 1920 the Naval Board accepted the offer of 2,000 “H” mines as a free gift from the Admiralty (in England). The mines were stored on Swan Island and additional accommodation added to the old fort, enhancing the naval base.

The Australia Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) acquired the 175 hectare property in the late 1950’s from the Navy. The ASIS Swan Island Training Area is located on the eastern part of Swan Island, with the Queenscliff Golf Course using the western side of the island. In addition to training ASIS agents, it is also the location of a substantial ASIS communications facility and a special operations storage site. ASIS agents and other trained personnel returning from abroad are debriefed on the island.

In addition to its ASIS role, the Swan Island Training Area is used by the Australian Defence Force Special Forces, especially from the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). The base is also where special training is given to police counter terrorism squads.

The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), operates overseas as a sister organization to the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), which operates mainly in Australia.

“Swan Island is a Military Exercise Area. It provides a venue for naval training in the use of radar flares, facilities for Army Reserves training and a small demolitions range for Army use. While Defence maintains appropriate records in relation to its training exercis-es at this facility, some activities are classified.”—official government statement 2007.

Swan Island Naval Depot in 1950

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When the Geelong Football Club was first established in 1859 they were known as the Seagulls and wore a dark blue and white striped uniform which represented the blue water of Corio Bay and the white seagulls that inhabited the area.

Geelong Football Club’s first home ground was Argyle Square situated on the corner of Aberdeen Street and Pakington Street in Geelong West. They were forced to relocate in 1878 due to the private owner evicting the club as they had neglected to pay the rent.

The Geelong Football Club then moved to Corio Oval which was located near Limeburners Point, behind the

Botanic Gardens in East Geelong. Around this time the town of Geelong was referred to as ‘The Pivot’ due to it being the pivotal point for all shipping and railway routes in the region. The Geelong Football Club then became known as the Pivotonians.

The Geelong Football Club adopted a new nickname, the Cats, in 1923 when a spate of losses prompted a cartoonist to suggest Geelong needed a black cat to bring it good luck.

The early 1940s were a tumultuous time for the Geelong Football Club, with the club forced to move from Corio Oval as it was needed for military training during World War II. Kardinia Park, located in South Geelong, was decided upon as a temporary location. At the start of the 1941 season ticket boxes and turnstiles were relocated from Corio Oval to this new site.

The Geelong Football Club was unable to compete in the 1942 and 1943 seasons due to the wartime travel restrictions designed to conserve fuel, and a lack of players being available to make up the team.

At the start of the 1944 season there was much debate over whether the re-formed team should return to the now-vacated Corio Oval. However the final decision to stay at Kardinia Park prove to be a good choice. This year, further expansion of the facilities will see seating increased to over 33,000 and night games being held at AFL level for the first time. Go Cats!

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120km west of Geelong is the town of Camperdown, with its two unusual lakes—Bullen Merri and Gnotuk. Located in a very volcanic area, the two lakes are old craters (called “maars”) that have become filled with water. The larger and deeper of the two lakes, Bullen Merri, is situated over two craters that were close together, forming a cloverleaf shape on the surface today.

Volcanic activity in the region ceased many thousands of years ago, and in the time since then, the two lakes have grown or shrunk, depending on the weather patterns of history. While Lake Bullen Merri is partly filled with water from underground (seepage from the water table), Lake Gnotuk is only filled from rainfall runoff from the surrounding slopes. In fact, scientific study of the sediment at the bottom of Lake Gnotuk has shown the lake to be a very accurate ‘rain gauge’ that has allowed researchers to track the changes in dry and wet seasons through history. About 4,000 to 6,000 years ago the weather was so wet that the two lakes filled to the brim, with Lake Bullen Merri overflowing into Lake Gnotuk on a regular basis. In modern history, the last time this happened was back in 1841, when a local squatter, Mr. Manifold, recorded it in his diary. Since then both lakes have receded quite dramatically, with Lake Gnotuk only about half as deep as it was 170 years ago.

While the bottom of both lakes is about the same level (80m above sea-level) Lake Bullen Merri is approximately 65 metres deep, whereas Lake Gnotuk is about 18 metres. Lake Bullen Merri has very steep flanks below water level, right down to its bottom. When young children and poor swimmers enter the lake, they should be aware that the bottom drops away rapidly beneath their feet. In contrast, Lake Gnotuk has a flat bottom with shallow waters at the edge. Thus it may appear the Gnotuk is the more comfortable lake to swim in, but you would be wrong! Why? As we said earlier, the lakes are quite unusual!

Lake Bullen Merri

Lake Gnotuk

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Originally, both lakes contained about the same concentration of salt. However, Gnotuk is now over twice as saline as sea-water (about 70g/l), whereas Bullen Merri is considered fresh to brackish, with approximately 1/8th of sea water salinity (about 3g/l).*

With the lakes situated only 800m apart, how can one lake be over 20 times more salty than the other? Perhaps the most important reason is that, when full and overflowing, water from Bullen Merri has drained into Gnotuk taking much of the salt with it, while being replaced with fresh runoff from rainwater. Another reason is that Lake Bullen Merri has a much larger volume of water—190 million cubic meters compared to 30 million for Gnotuk. A third reason is that, the more saline the water, the greater the evaporation-precipitation ratio and the shallower the lake will become, mak-ing Gnotuk even saltier.

The lakes remain important archives of climate history and deserve preservation in their ‘pristine’ state. Efforts are being made to maintained the lakes water catchment areas in as natural a state as possible, to keep the two lake’s sediment record intact. Otherwise significant recorders of climate variability that are well worth preserving for future generations will be lost.

The lakes are also important sites for unusual micro-organisms that live in the lakes, especially since many saline lakes in the Western District are now dry.

Recreational facilities abound around Lake Bullen Merri, with two boat ramps, picnic grounds, a caravan park and golf course. The lake is stocked with Atlantic Salmon, Australian Bass, along with Rainbow and Brown Trout, making it popular with fishermen.

Golf has been enjoyed at the course located between the two lakes for over 100 years,

as shown in this photo from the 1890’s.

As this 1902 map of Camperdown and the two lakes shows, the water level of both lakes was much deeper than today. Lake Gnotuk is shown as 34m deep compared

to today’s 18m.

*This concentration of salt is slowly increasing as the lake shrinks in size, and is no longer able to flow into the lower Lake Gnotuk nearby.

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With today’s technology any spectator to the game of cricket has a huge amount of information delivered to him, to enhance his appreciation of the finer points of the game. Photographs, radio, television, the internet, slow-motion replays, Hawkeye, infrared cameras, radar (for bowling speed), along with computer-aided graphics that assist sports commentators in their efforts to describe what is happening on the field. One hundred and fifty years ago, none of this technology existed, and it was up to the descriptive writing of the newspaper journalist to try to make the game come alive for his readers. Enjoy the following commentary of a game played at Geelong in 1863, as recorded in The Star (Ballarat) newspaper (Monday March 2, 1863 p.1S):

CRICKET MATCH, GEELONG.

“The eleven of the Corio Club and Ballarat Club met on Saturday last, on the ground of the former, to contest for the honors* of the game.

Corio won the toss and sent the Ballarat men to the willow, Smith and Oldham being sent in to the bowling of H. Timins and W. Timins. The maiden run was obtained from the bowling of H. Timins by Smith for 2, then another 1; Timins then bowled a wide, and Oldham immediately cut for 3. Smith made three singles from his bowling. W. Timins then took the bowling at the top end, and in the next over he was alternately cut about by Smith and Oldham, each for twos, when, after adding one more to Smith’s runs, he was beautifully bowled: 1st wicket, 16 runs. Sweeney, the captain of the Ballarat team, handled the willow, who, after adding three to the score, was caught and bowled by W. Timins. 2 wickets for 21. In the next over Oldham unfortunately got run out, the ball being splendidly fielded by Armitage as long-leg. Phillips then took the bat, and making in a few minutes a 2, and 2 3’s, was caught by H. Timins off the bowling of his brother. 3 wickets for 26.

Braithwaite immediately filled the vacant place, and after adding 1 was caught and bowled by H. Timins. Neep then succumbed to the bowling of W. Timins after adding 6 to the score by 3 2’s. Sanders then appeared, and after scoring 5 was caught by Rippon off the bowling of W. Timins. 7 wickets for 46 runs. Greville was bowled by W. Timins, after scoring two singles, Murray then went in, and very pluckily in two hits made 6 by 2 3’s. Osborne next added 5 to the score, and was then bowled by H. Timins. Goujon carried out his bat, never having had a ball delivered to him. 10 wickets for 61 runs. The fielding on the side of the Geelong men was good; the long stopping of Quin remarkably fine.

Ballarat then went into the field, and Corio sent A. Timins and V. Giblin to the bowling of Sanders and Philips. Of Sanders first over Timins made 2 singles, and then having placed his leg in front of the stumps he was given out. 1 wicket for 4 runs. W. Timins then took his brother’s vacant place. Gibbin received the bowling

*We have kept all spelling and grammatical errors from the original article.

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from Phillips and scored two singles. In the next over, Sanders bowled Timins, leaving him only two to the score. Rennie then appeared, and in Sanders next ball, he was given out leg before wicket. Giblin, after adding by some fluky hits and good play, was run out, the ball being finely fielded and thrown in by Sanders. Rippon was the next man who made any stand, having scored 19 when he was prettily caught by Oldham. Quin, after scoring six, was bowled by Phillips. Armitage then retired with a round 0, being nicely caught by Murray at point—a beautiful catch. Smith, after scoring a goose’s egg, was caught and bowled by Phillips. Harrison next took the bat, and after making two was caught by Oldham. At this stage the redoubtable Tommy Wills# made his appearance on the ground, was immediately taken into the play and sent to the wicket, and after scoring two was run out. Elmalie, the last man, made three, and carried out his bat. The fielding on the part of the Ballarat men was remarkably fine, no slips having occurred, it was the best working team that had met for many a long day. At the fall of the last wicket, the announcement of 63 was hoisted on the telegraph, being only two in advance of their opponents.

It now being two o’clock, both parties then repaired to lunch.

After lunch, Ballarat again went to the wickets, to the bowling of Wills and W. Tims. Sweeney scored one off Wills. In the next over, Timins directed his ball to Sweeney’s leg, which, being in front of the stumps, the owner was, unfortunately, placed hors de combat¤. In the next over, Smith was caught by H. Timins (Oldham and Phillips having replaced them), and after scoring seven singles the latter was caught by Smith. Gongou then appeared, and was disposed of for 1, being bowled by Wills. Directly, Oldham’s timber was floored. After some unfortunate hits and bad luck the team was disposed of for 42 runs, leaving the Corio to make 40 in their second innings.

The Corio men then took the willow, and six of their best men were, by good play, fielding, and bowling on the part of their opponents, disposed of for 18 runs. Wills then went to protect the timber and save the game, which he did successfully (scoring 25 not out). To him alone can be attributed the defeat of the Ballarat team.” #Thomas Wills was a sporting legend in the colony of Victoria, a keen Melbourne cricketer and the founder of Australian Rules Football 5 years earlier in 1858. His late arrival for the game was probably caused by having to come down to Geelong by steam-train from Melbourne, the quickest mode of transportation between the two towns. The stir caused by his arrival suggests that he was a welcome guest to the ground, especially by the Corio team, who came off victorious on the day, due to Wills’ second innings performance.

¤A French term that literally means “outside the fight.”

Thomas Wills

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(Continued from the February issue of the Jillong Pocket)

While John Helder Wedge started his exploration of the Geelong region, on August 16, 1835, only 80 days after John Batman had entered Port Phillip Bay for the first time, another ship entered the bay. John Pascoe Fawkner had chartered a boat, the Enterprise, and come to see what the Port Phillip Association was raving about. Batman was not happy to see this rival on ‘his’ turf. He ordered his associates to have nothing to do with them.

Three days later, another ship sailed into the bay. The Endeavour was sailed by John Aitken, who had heard the news of endless grassy pastures, and had come over from Van Diemen's Land to see where he could land his own sheep. Aitken followed Fawkner to the top of the bay, and after exploring the area, returned to anchor off the settlement at Indented Head (the Bellarine Peninsula). The race was on for European control of the Port Phillip District!

Batman became suspicious of the two boats sailing to the top of the bay. When Wedge returned from his first exploration trip on August 25, Batman ordered him to take the smaller boat they had brought with them and find out what was going on up at the “Eastern River” (Yarra River). Taking Thomson and five of the Sydney aborigines with him, Wedge sailed to Geelong and walked to the Yarra River. There he found four of Fawkner’s men, Lancey, Jackson, Marr and Evans,

John Batman ”purchasing” 600,000 acres from the aborigines in June 1835.

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making preparations for a settlement. Wedge warned them in no uncertain tone that all the land belonged to John Batman and his Port Phillip Association, and that “unpleasant consequences” would follow if they persisted in trying to settle in the area. Wedge’s threats were ignored.

Meanwhile, back at Indented Head, by August 23 the house being constructed was completed, apart from the doors and windows which still had to come from Van Diemen’s Land. The house was then occupied by Batman’s family while construction of a blacksmith’s workshop was begun. However, when Wedge’s party returned on September 9 there was great consternation about the rival groups establishing bases up on the Yarrow River (as Wedge now called it). Thus, when Batman’s supply ship, Mary Anne, arrived on September 13, the decision was quickly made to relocate to the Yarra, with John Batman ordering Wedge, Gumm, and two Sydney aborigines to depart that afternoon on the Mary Anne. Leaving at 2pm, they were instructed to start building a house for Batman to relocate his family up on the Yarra.

Batman was still aware that his entire exercise was being funded by the members of the Port Phillip Association. The original 15 members had decided to split the land ‘purchased’ from the aborigines into 17 shares, of which John Batman received two shares. He now decided to select his land from the area surrounding the Yarra River, where grass was plentiful, the soil was rich, and fresh water was in abundance. But, more importantly, where he could also keep a watchful eye on his adversary, John Fawkner.

Soon, the town of Melbourne started to spring up and overtake Indented Head in importance, but the first settlement at Indented Head was never abandoned. When Batman loaded his family on board the Mary Anne on September 15, 1835 to relocate them to the Yarra, he left behind William Todd, Alexander Thomson, Johnny Allen, and Bungett, with provisions to last them 2 months. They were to continue establishing the settlement in preparation for other members of the Port Phillip Association to join them. These members would eventually take over their allocation of lands on the Bellarine Peninsula and around Geelong.

By January 1836 all the members of the Port Phillip Association, or their agents had inspected the land allocated to them, and had started planning to transport their flocks, herds, house and farm implements, as well as families to their new homeland. One of these early settlers, along with Wedge, was a prime-mover in the Association, and just as determined as Wedge to explore his new home and it’s native inhabitants—but his goals were short-lived. His name was Joseph Tice Gellibrand. Next month the story continues. . .

(story with help from Ian Wynd’s book Balla-wein)

John Pascoe Fawkner

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Malaria Malaria is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which are carried by mosquitoes. Plasmodium falciparum is the most devastating of the four parasite species that cause malaria. Twenty percent of people who are infected with this parasite will die.

Transmission Malaria parasites undergo a complex life and developmental cycle that takes place in the mosquito as well as in the human host. Humans acquire the parasite from sporozoites (infected cells) within the saliva of the mosquito which enter the blood-stream as soon as an infected female feeds on human blood. The sporozoite then embeds itself in a liver cell and 5 to 18 days later releases hundreds to thousands of daughter cells called merozoites.

The merozoites infect red blood cells, where they multiply, producing 8–24 copies every 48 hours. The blood cells finally burst, releasing the merozoites, which then infect more red blood cells. A full blown malarial attack is then felt by the host human. Sometimes the malaria parasites may lie dormant in the liver for months or even years before becoming reactivated and causing a typical malarial relapse.

Symptoms The repeated infection of red blood cells depletes the body of oxygen and usually leads to the onset of the classic malaria symptoms such as fever, chills, sweating, headache or muscle pains. Some patients develop severe compli-cations which can often prove to be fatal: cerebral malaria, anemia and kidney failure. Others, however, do not show symptoms at all. The severity of infection depends on the type of parasite, the genetic background of the host and his immune system.

Treatment Medications have been developed to successfully treat malaria and prevent

19

complications and death. Quinine and its derivatives as well as anti-folate combination drugs are the most widely used chemical agents. Treatment should start as early as possible. Success depends on the infecting parasite, possible drug resistance and the severity of symptoms.

Resistance to anti-malarial drugs is threatening malaria control in many countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two of the four malaria parasites naturally infecting humans have already developed resistance. Unfortunately, P. falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria has acquired at least some resistance against all anti-malarial drugs currently being used.

Prevention Control of mosquitoes is the main objective of global malaria control. The two main ways mosquitoes are controlled are 1. Spraying of long-acting insecticides and 2. The use of insect nets while sleeping. These have been shown to effectively stop transmission of the malaria parasites and reduce the number of infections. However,

increasing resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides is currently hampering efforts to protect populations at risk.

Spread of Malaria & Vaccination

A malaria vaccine is not available. Several candidate drugs are being tested,

and one agent (RTS,S/AS01) has shown promise in early trials, providing both infants and young children with significant protection against malaria.

Malaria does not occur in Australia. Approximately 40% of the world’s population is at risk, mostly in Africa, were about 90% of cases occur. According to WHO in 2010 216 million cases occurred globally, with an estimated 655,000 dying from the dis-ease, with children under 5 years of age being at most risk. Since the year 2000 mortality has dropped by about 25%, thanks to the hard work of educational and health professionals.

When travelling internationally, Australians should take care to follow health warnings wherever they go, including the use of mosquito nets and anti-malarial drugs if touring infected areas.

Malaria in short

an infectious disease caused by parasites

transmitted by mosquitoes

is curable and preventable

without treatment, infection is often fatal

an effective vaccine is not available

kills up to 1 million people each year, half

of them children under 5 years of age

according to estimates, between 200 and

500 million people become ill annually

Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria

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“Acca Dacca” - rock band 'AC DC'

“Ace” – excellent

“Ambo” - Paramedic, Ambulance Officer

“Aussie” - person from Australia (pronounced: Ozzey)

“ ‘Ang on” – wait a moment

“ ‘Avago” – have a go (usually ‘ya mug’ – you fool – is add-ed); try harder

21

“Beyond the black stump” – far from the city; the outback

“Bewdy” – good; the best

“Bludger” – lazy person

“Bickie” - biscuit or cookie

“Buckleys” - no chance of success

“Burl” - as in 'give it a burl' give it a go; attempt something

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Sir Douglas Mawson is perhaps best known today as Australia’s most famous explorer of Antarctica. However, his first love, and greatest passion was always science, especially geology.

Mawson was born on May 5, 1882 in Yorkshire, England, second son of cloth merchant Robert Mawson, and his wife Margaret. The family immigrated to Sydney, in 1884. At the University of Sydney in 1899-1901 he studied mining engineering, graduating in 1902. His first job was as a junior demonstrator in chemistry. Next year he took six months leave to make a geological survey of the New Hebrides (Vanuatu). This was Mawson's introduction to scientific exploration, carried out in rugged country with dense jungle. His report, 'The geology of the New Hebrides,’ was one of the first major works on the geology of Melanesia.

In 1905 Mawson was appointed lecturer in mineralogy and petrology at the University of Adelaide. Following his interest in radioactivity, he identified and first described the mineral davidite, containing titanium and uranium, in the region now known as Radium Hill. That deposit was the first major radioactive ore body discovered in Australia. For the next two years he continued lecturing at the university and pursuing his study of rock formations, especially around Broken Hill.

In November 1907 Ernest Shackleton, leader of the British Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole, visited Adelaide on his way south. Mawson approached him with a view to making the round trip to Antarctica with him, giving him an opportunity to explore the geology of Antarctica. Shackleton agreed, appointing him physicist for the expedition.

In March 1908 Mawson was one of the first party to climb Mount Erebus. He was then among the first group to reach the south Magnetic Pole, having to man-haul their sledges 2000km. Later, Shackleton described Mawson as ‘a man of infinite resource, with splendid physique, and astonishing indifference to frost.’

Mawson returned to Antarctica in an expedition that lasted from 1910 to 1913, a trip dedicated to scientific exploration. At Commonwealth Bay construction of a base was completed by February 1912. The following summer Mawson took charge of the Far Eastern expedition, which included two other men, Belgrave Ninnis and Xavier Mertz. When 500km out, Ninnis broke through snow over a large crevasse and disap-peared. He was never seen again. Most of the team’s rations, their tent and 6 of the dogs disappeared with him. With seriously depleted provisions Mawson and Mertz began their return, progressively eating their dogs to supplement their food supply.

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Poisoned by eating the dogs' livers and weakened from phys-ical exertion, both men became very ill. Mertz died on January 8, 1913, leaving Mawson to struggle on alone for the next 30 days before reaching the main base.

Mawson was knighted in 1914. During World War I, he worked with high explosives, chemicals and poison gas programs in Britain and Russia. After the war Mawson returned to the University of Adelaide. Appointed professor of geology and mineralogy in 1921, he developed an effective teaching and research department. In 1920 he was appointed O.B.E. After the war, until 1923, he also served as a committee-member of the Australian War Museum.

However, Mawson’s main interest was always geology. During the next thirty years travelling on foot, by horse-and-cart, camel, and with motor vehicles he scoured the South Australian landscape, especially around the Flinders Ranges. He was usually accompanied by students, who learned not only about geology but also about camping and survival in the bush, an activity which Mawson always enjoyed.

Mawson did return to Antarctica in 1929-30 and 1930-31, leading research teams. They made extensive geological and biological investigations along 2500km of coastline of Antarctica, mapping most of it for the first time.

Mawson cultivated a broad range of interests including conservation, farming and forestry. He retired at 70, and died in Adelaide on October 14, 1958 following a cerebral haemorrhage, one of Australia’s greatest historical figures.

Scientific Discoveries of the 1911–1914 Expedition Scientific advances made during the expedition included: work in cartography, geology, aurora, biology and marine science.

Their land exploration included over 6437km in Adelie Land, King George V Land and Queen Mary Land. They recorded features of the land and charted coastlines on the continent and at Macquarie Island. Biological species on land and sea, never before encountered by man, were described. Meteorological and geomagnetic measurements were made for 18 months.

MAWSON

Mawson Station, on Antarctica is named after the famous Australian

explorer.

From 1984 until 1996 Douglas Mawson appeared on the Australian $100 banknote.

24

The Eiffel Tower located in Paris, France, is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Named after engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower, it originally served as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.

The tower stands 320 metres tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to assume the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built

in 1930. However, because of the addition (in 1957) of the antenna atop the Eiffel Tower, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France, after the Millau Viaduct.

The design of the Eiffel Tower originated with Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers who worked for Eiffel. In May 1884 Koechlin, after discussions with Nouguier, made an outline drawing of their proposal for a suitable centrepiece at the 1889 World's Fair, which would celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution. The two engineers then asked Stephen Sauvestre, the head of company's architectural department, to contribute to the design. Sauvestre added decorative arches to the base, a glass pavilion to the

first level and other embellishments. This enhanced version gained Eiffel's support, and he bought the rights to the patent on the design which Koechlin, Nougier and Sauvestre had taken out, and the design was exhibited at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in the autumn of 1884 under the company name.

Little else happened until May 1, 1886 when the French government announced an alteration to the terms of the open competition which was being held for a centrepiece at the Exposition. Obviously impressed with Eiffel's design, the new rules favoured the Eiffel Tower: all entries had to include a study for a 300m four-sided metal tower. After the winner was announced, and debate about the exact site for the tower settled, a contract was finally signed on January 8, 1887. The government paid Eiffel 1.5 million francs, less than a quarter of the estimated cost of six and a half million francs. Eiffel was

DID YOU KNOW? The Eiffel Tower is getting heavier all the time—Every 7 years up to 60 tonnes of paint is applied to the tower to protect it from rust.

25

expected to raise the extra funding privately to complete the project. How-ever, he was to receive all income from the commercial exploitation of the tower during the exhibition and for the following twenty years.

From the opening of the World Fair the tower was an instant hit with visitors from all over the world. The French were very proud of their achievement; so much so that, 51 years later when the German army occupied Paris in 1940, the lift cables were cut by the French so that Adolf Hitler would have to climb the steps to the summit. The parts to repair them were allegedly impossible to obtain because of the war. German soldiers climbed to the top

to hoist the swastika, but the flag was so large it blew away just a few hours later, and was replaced by a smaller one. When visiting Paris, Hitler never climbed the tower, leading Parisians to proclaim that, although Hitler conquered France, he never conquered the Eiffel Tower.

In August 1944, when the Allies were nearing Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to demolish the tower—an order Von Choltitz disobeyed. The lifts of the tower were working normally within hours of the liberation of the city.

The Eiffel Tower remains the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world, with 7.1 million people ascending it in 2011. The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift (elevator), to the first and second levels. The walk from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by lift (stairs exist but they are not usually open for public use). Both the first and second levels feature restaurants.

The third level observatory's upper platform is at 279m, currently the highest accessible viewing platform for the public in all of Europe. The tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010. No visit to “the city of love” would be complete without experiencing the breath-taking views from the Eiffel Tower.

DID YOU KNOW? The height of the Eiffel Tower varies by up to 15cm depending on whether it is a hot or cold day.

26

Chips Rafferty was an early Australian actor, who starred in many films during the 1940-60 period.

Born John William Pilbean Goffage on March 26, 1909 at Broken Hill, NSW, he was the son of John Goffage, an agent from England, and his native-born wife Violet. Nicknamed 'Chips' by his school-mates, he was educated in country towns and at Parramatta Intermediate Boys' High School. While at school he learned to ride and to box, and developed a lifelong love of painting.

Like many young men, Chips took time to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Initially apprenticed as an iron-moulder at the Clyde Engineering Co. Ltd, Sydney, he quit his job to roam through the eastern Australian bush as a drover, shearer and boundary rider. He later worked as a deckhand in coastal boats and as an assistant in a Sydney wine cellar. He even tried his hand at writing, selling poems and stories to newspapers and magazines. He also sold the occasional water-colour painting.

On November 16, 1935, aged 26, Chips married Colina Ferguson, a 19-year-old dental nurse, at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Sydney. They ran an ice-cream parlour together before they were divorced in March 1941.

With his thin build, height of 198cm (6’6”), and an irreverent sense of humour, Goffage first entered show business as a magician's assistant, before being hired as an extra in the film, Come up Smiling (1939), produced in Sydney. He attracted attention for a small role he played as a gangling member of a slapstick bushfire-fighting team in Dad Rudd, M.P. (1940), and was promptly cast as the comic lead in Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940), Charles Chauvels much-publicized tribute to the Australian Light Horse in the Sinai desert campaign of World War I. An outstanding commercial success at home, the film screened favourably in Britain and the United States of America, bringing 'Chips Rafferty' (the screen-name Goffage adopted) instant fame in Australia.

On May 28, 1941 at the registrar general's office in Sydney, Goffage married again, this time to Ellen Jameson, a 37-year-old dressmaker. Known as 'Quentin,'

27

she was to be his close and constant companion until her death on May 27, 1964. They had no children.

The very next day, May 29, 1941, Goffage enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force. Commissioned in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch in April 1943, he performed welfare and entertainment duties in Australia and New Guinea. He also acted in several Australian propaganda films for the Department of Information, including South West Pacific (1943), and The Rats of Tobruk (1944). He was demobilized with the rank of flying officer in February 1945.

Now better known by his stage name, Rafferty's first post-war film, The Overlanders (1946), marked a turning-point in his career. Chips looked natural in the character of the tough, laconic Australian bushman, the role which he continued to play, with minor variations, for the rest of his life, both in public and on screen. Following a post-war decline in local production, Rafferty took numerous roles in British and American films made on location in Australia, most notably Bitter Springs (1950), Kangaroo (1952), Smiley (1956) and The Sundowners (1960). Like many Australi-an actors, he went overseas to find work, and was given parts in The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947), The Desert Rats (1953) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962).

An outspoken advocate of government support for the film and television industries in Australia from the 1950s, Chips was a man of strong opinions, strongly expressed. He used his considerable public image to take a patriarchal role in the local film community. He continued to work as an actor at home and abroad in films such as They're a Weird Mob (1966) and Double Trouble (1967) with Elvis Presley. He also made numerous guest appearances on television, including Skippy (1970), and American TV series’ The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1967) and Tarzan (1969). In 1971 he gave one of his finest performances—and his last in a feature film—as an outback policeman in Wake in Fright.

On May 27, 1971 while walking along a Sydney street, Chips Rafferty suffered a heart attack, collapsed, and died. He had advanced lung and heart disease as a result of a life of heavy drinking and smoking. He was 62 years old.

For the post-war generation of Australians, Rafferty was admired as the ‘typical’ Australian bloke—physically strong, tough, a bit of a larrikin, but with honest family principles. He is fondly remembered by many older Australians, who wish modern film stars could be more like him.

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Apples and sultanas add sweetness to this spicy Thai curry.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste

1 small red capsicum, sliced

1 green apple, diced

1/4 cup fruit chutney

1/2 cup sultanas

1 1/2 cups reduced-salt chicken stock

700g firm white-fleshed fish (such as barramundi or ling), cut into 3cm cubes

1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

steamed basmati rice, to serve Method: Step 1. Heat a wok over medium heat. Add oil, onion, ginger and curry paste. Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Step 2. Stir in capsicum, apple, chutney, sultanas and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Step 3. Add fish. Cook for 4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Stir in coriander. Serve with rice.

Recipe by: Kim Meredith. For more recipes like this one go to www.taste.com.au

Servings: 4 Ingredients: 12 Rating:

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Word Search– World Cities N E C A N A S R D I R D A M M D E L M

H Y T B T N E I A T M C H I A B I I B

R I O H K A L L N J N E E A H R L E R

O B E K S V E O O A O E N O G A R A S

O N W O O A G M L K T D E A N L N K H

S M O O V H N B E A S I W N I R H O I

D E S D C U A F C R U T D N M C C K I

H L A B N S S M R T O I E Y R H B G M

D B O R A O O I A A H O L U I A B N G

I O P C O N L M B N N U H M B M S A N

U U A H I M E X I C O C I T Y B U B I

G R U B S R E T E P T N I A S U T S O

B N L R Y E N D Y S H V D S I R A P E

D E O N O R U T I C I E J A C G Y O N

S W I Y A B O R I E N A J E D O I R O

M Y K J L R H T N K I U D I D H K H D

O O O I I C Y N M S S E O U L D G U B

T R N A E N A R H E T A L E O Y A A L

E K C T C T G K I O E R D D B R A H B

ATHENS

BAGHDAD

BANGKOK

BARCELONA

BEIJING

BERLIN

BIRMINGHAM

CAIRO

CASABLANCA

CHRISTCHURCH

DELHI

DUBLIN

HAMBURG

HANOI

HAVANA

HO CHI MINH CITY

HOUSTON

JAKARTA

JEDDAH

LONDON

LOS ANGELES

MADRID

MELBOURNE

MEXICO CITY

MILAN

MOSCOW

NEW DELHI

NEW YORK

PARIS

RIO DE JANEIRO

ROME

SAINT PETERSBURG

SAN FRANCISCO

SAO PAULO

SEOUL

SYDNEY

TEHRAN

TOKYO

VIENNA

YOKOHAMA

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Mountain Pygmy Possum

There are only three known populations of the Mountain Pygmy Possum left in the wild covering a range of just 10 square kilometers (largely coinciding with Australia’s ski resorts). Since the populations are so small and isolated they are very susceptible to inbreeding and catastrophic events.

The Mountain Pygmy Possum is one of the world’s only hibernating marsupials. It does not sleep for the entire winter but will hibernate for up to 3 weeks at a time. It keeps a stash of seeds and nuts to snack on when it wakes up during the winter months.

Appearance: This tiny possum has a mouse-like body covered in thick greyish fur. Its long tail and agile front feet are designed for gathering food while the strong back feet are made for gripping. It also has enlarged front teeth which are perfect for cracking seeds. It is distinguished from other pygmy possums by its long, scaly tail, which is almost 1 1/2 times its body length. The Mountain Pygmy Possum is the largest of Australia’s five species of pygmy-possum, yet it only weighs 45 grams and could easily fit in the palm of your hand!

Habitat :The Mountain Pygmy Possum is well adapted to life in Australia’s snow-covered alpine and sub-alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) where there is a continuous period of snow cover for six months. Unlike its tree-dwelling cousins, the Mountain Pygmy Possum lives among rock crevices and boulder-fields associated with the Mountain Plum Pine and Bogong Moths.

Diet: The Mountain Pygmy-possum feeds during the night. In spring and summer months it builds up fat reserves by eating mostly nutrient-rich Bogong moths. It will also eat the seeds and fruit of plants like the Mountain Plum Pine, Rambling Bramble and Snow Beard-heath.

Existing populations and their habitats are being monitored and protected through national park boundary extensions, artificial corridors and tunnels link-ing fragmented populations, along with weed control work. Regular fox and cat control programs and public awareness campaigns are being conducted to hopefully protect this small Australian marsupial.

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About this brochure: This brochure 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. If you have any comments about information contained in this brochure, or suggestions for future issues please write to: Workskil WFTD Unit 1001 Corio Shopping Centre.

Bacchus Marsh Rd. Corio 3214 Ph: (03) 5245 3000

Geelong– 150 years ago this month

“There is a simple institution existing in Geelong, which is well

worthy of adoption by other towns in the colony, and which owes its

origin to Mr. William Stitt Jenkins. The institution I allude to is that

weekly amusement known as “Sober Concerts for the People,” and

these are held every Monday night in the Temperance-hall. The fees

for admission are almost nominal—6d. and 3d. (6c and 3c today); and

latterly the programmes have been very good, and the audiences well-

behaved and numerous. The old Teetotal Society did not seem to work

well; there was too much austerity and gloom about it. The

consequences was that its object was not accomplished; the working-

men would not patronize the teetotallers.

Finding this to be the case, Mr. Jenkins hit upon the expedient of

offering a more attractive amusement than teetotal songs and

discourses, and started his

“Sober Concerts.” These have

been successful hitherto, and if

they continue to be well conduct-

ed I have no doubt the good

influence they exercise may be

much extended. Although well

patronized, there is room for fur-

ther support, as the Temperance

-hall is still in debt, and a little

extra assistance from the public

might possibly enable this to be

speedily wiped out.”

(The Argus Tuesday, March 24, 1863 p.5)

The Jillong Pocket is available online. Go to www.workskil.com.au and select the “Community Programs” tab.

Geelong “Sons of Temperance” on parade in 1913.

Museum Victoria Photo

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Corner of Moorabool St and Myer St– Looking toward Corio Bay Only 2 blocks up the hill from Market Square, the fine town clothes of shoppers is replaced with the street clothes of the working class going about their business. Ox carts were a common sight in Geelong streets, but turned the unpaved roads to dust in Summer and knee deep mud in Winter. Eventually they were banned from entering the town centre all-together, in an effort to keep dust and mud out of shops, and to keep the town traffic moving. In the picture below, the same result is achieved today with bitumen, traffic lights and meter parking.

1857

Drawing by S.T.Gill