Olympic Games

A Mural in the city of a Tasmanian Olympic and Champion Swimmer Ariarne Titmus born here in Launceston in 2000.  Ariarne and her parents moved to Queensland in 2015 for better training opportunities.  

Ariarne is an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) she is the reigning Olympic Champion in the women's 200 meter and 400 meter freestyle, having won both events at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and the world record holder in the long course 200 meter freestyle and 400 meter freestyle events.

We Tasmanian's along with the State of Queensland and all of Australia wish her well for the Paris Olympic Games this year as well as all our Athletes. 

Invention of the Notepad!

Did you know who invented The Notepad?

It was a Tasmanian, J.A Birchall and it took 500 years of human evolution for Mr. Birchall to change the way we look at single sheets of paper.  In 1902 he decided to stick them together to form the first notepad!

J.A Birchall was the once owner of Birchalls bookstore here in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.  

Founded in 1844 by Samuel Tegg, then a few owners until it became Birchalls, then owned by the Tilley family in 1969. 

Birchalls was oldest bookstore in Australia at the time of its closing in 2017. The store sold other items as well, such as hobby things and so on. The store closed due to retirement of the Tilley family who couldn't find a buyer for the store as it was.

In 1902

Birchalls in recent times

The West Coast of Tasmania, Australia

These photos are on the West Coast of Tasmania more to the North of the Island of Tasmania. Map below.  You just stand there an you hear the sea roar.

Arthurs River Bridge

Not far from Marrawah is this beach and the windfarm is at Bluff Point near Woolnorth a cattle farm.

Bluff Point Wind Farm near Woolnorth a cattle farm.  We the public can not go there.

Punchbowl Reserve, Launceston, Tasmania

Punchbowl Reserve not far from home and where we had many family picnics once.  The Reserve has been around for many a year, once looked after by volunteers, now the City Council. There are barbecues, Toilets, seats and tables, ducks, Turbo Chooks (Native Hens) playground, a big area of green grass to play cricket, or run along.  The walking paths are picturesque in the area. 

These photos were taken on one my visits with two of the grandchildren a few years back.

A Tasmania Native Hen.  We call them Turbo Chook because they run fast. 

Up the Highlands

Yes, it snows up in The Highlands of Tasmania in Winter though it only looks like a dusting of snow.  The black swans seem to love the snow. 

The local Hotel, well part of the roof collapsed in the accommodation section.

The Highlands are near enough in the middle of Tasmania, Australia and the town of Miena is about 1,000 meters above sea level.

We used to go up there in winter and take photos but I can't find them and I think they were taken before digital cameras.

These photos are borrowed, hoping you enjoy and for those that are having heatwaves, hope these photos cool you down a little.  Don't know who took these photos as it didn't say.

Where we live it's -4 deg C for several mornings in a row, afternoon temperature between 9 to 12 deg C, many frosts which in turn causes a beautiful sunny day. The forecast is the frosts are finished for awhile and daytime temperature will probably rise to 16 deg C.

John Lewin, Tasmanian Artist

Something different for me to post today.

The first Australian Artist.

When John Lewin stepped off the boat in Sydney, Australia on January 11, 1800, he was about to wield his paintbrush as the first free-settler professional artist in a wild frontier land.  He's already missed his first boat to Australia, the Buffalo, which his wife Anna Maria (also and artist) had boarded 18 months earlier.

So, he took the long journey to Australia alone, and he began his life in a new land amid controversy, when Anna Maria was accused in court of misconduct with the Buffalo's second mate - a charge which she was acquitted of.

Nonetheless, once he was settled, Lewin painted some of the earliest and most valuable paintings of Australia's fauna and flora, exhibiting a relaxed style at odds with the traditional European art, but well suited to the colonies.

John Lewin died in Sydney in 1819 as is buried at Botany Bay.

The Tasmanian Tiger, now extinct.

A Parakeet painted in water colours in 1810

Eastern Ground Parrot 1809. The parrot will fly at dawn and duck only. This parrot is only one of four ground parrots in this world.

Oil Painting done in 1819.

Waratah, water colour done in C 1805

Tuckers Creek, Tasmania

 We headed into the city here in Launceston to buy something then we went to Scottsdale again, bought our lunch at the bakery, ate it at Tuckers Creek where there is an area for caravans and motorhomes at a small cost.  It's a nice view of the Creek. 

Scottsdale is 62.4 km on a windy road from Launceston, Tasmania.

The area was first surveyed in 1855 and was described as, 'the best soil on the island, well-watered, with a mild climate' by the surveyor James Reid Scott, for whom the town was named. The first land was selected in 1859 and the hamlet of Ellesmere grew up.  Ellesmere Post Office opened in 1865 and was renamed Scottsdale in 1893.  I have no idea why the creek is called Tuckers Creek.

Mildura, Victoria. Australia.

The Murray River, also known as The Mighty Murray.  Mildura is in the northern area of the State of Victoria.  Mildura is known for growing citrus fruit especially oranges, wine and supply 80% of grapes to the State of Victoria.  You can take a ride on steamboats, hire a boat house to 'do' part of the Murray River if you wish.  It's 1,092  kms (678m mile) from Launceston where we live. It takes 18 hours and 22 minutes as we have to go across the sea, Bass Strait then drive there.

We took our car on the ship (ferry) in 2003, stayed in motels each night. 

I'm enjoying being reminded of what I've seen with wonderful memories.

The camera I used was a Samsung Digimax 350SE and I had the date set to come onto the photos, some photos I've taken the date off.  It was about this time that I became interested in photography.

Did you know?

Tasmania is the world's 26th largest Island.  Tasmania has an area of 90,758km2 located 240 km off the southeast of Australia.  There are 334 other islands that lie just off Tasmania, ranging from rocky outcrops to three sizeable, inhabited islands.

House boats above then steamboat.

Good place to fish.

The George Chaffey Bridge in the distance which was opened in 1985.  George and his brother founded the irrigation colonies in the Mildura area, they were Canadian. 

I recall that we brought some beautiful oranges from this place along the road from Mildura.

The road north from Mildura.