The Outer Barcoo

This (Writing) Life - The Australian

At uni last year, we did a writing exercise based on The Australian's "This Life" column.  I submitted "This (Writing) Life" in April '08, and now 16 months later, the new editor has gone through the backlog of around 300 stories, and contacted me to see if I would still agree to have it published.  

The Australian?  Well of course - though it's unsettling in the harsh light of day to know my personal life will adorn the odd coffee table around Oz (till it's used to wrap the vege scraps on Monday at least).  I wonder if anyone will read past the first paragraph?  I wonder if anybody will gain anything from it.

Hopefully I'll continue to follow the journey it has started.  Where will it lead?  Who knows. 

And what are the ideal jobs?  Well, now let's dream on.  Researcher for Australian Story, Writer for RM Williams Outback, Country Style or other.  Maybe something in radio.  Publishing a book of Little Stories for the common gal.  Any other ideas?

Right now though, reality calls and it's time to cook dinner, then write a Spring feature for The New Woodend Star, because we just love it here in Woodend  -  and I have to try and explain why!   Maybe this morning's sky over Hanging Rock could offer a clue.

Slow Magazine

Last night was the launch of new magazine Slow, based in Castlemaine.  

The "baby" of Castlemaine local Jacqui Mott, Slow encompasses and promotes an unhurried approach, and profiles some great Central Victorian characters and ideas.  

Distributed by Gordon & Gotch, it is available in Victoria this year, and nationally in 2010.

The first issue has a lovely story about a small town barber who, in discussing his business over the last 40 years came up with a wonderful quote "...in the war years it was all short back and sides and then the Beatles came along and wrecked everything".  

There's a lively interview with veteran wine maker Gordon Cope-Williams, and Genevieve Barlow's colourful and totally intriguing story about European artist and now Central Victorian resident Katharina Rapp.  WHAT A LIFE she's had !!!

Anyway, hop off to the newsagents and grab a copy - you've got three months to enjoy it, and then subscribe.

The kettle's boiled and I'm going back to Katharina and her antics.  I just have to read  that story once again ....

Stand Up Comedy - What's funny?

What's not funny, is me doing my first and only stand up routine on Thursday night, talking about the airline pilot going into the ocean when Air France have yesterday done just that !

So, I've changed it and taken out all the airline and ocean stuff.  It's not funny you see, when it's so tragic and current.

What IS funny however, is this .... from Thank God You're Here.

Make sure you're seated.  It's very very funny (cos it's not real).

Here's praying to the Comedy God Thursday is less painful for the audience than it will be for me.

Landcare and the boundary trees

Good Morning World.

It was a lovely sunrise here in the Macedon Ranges this morning.

Landcare came on Saturday and we planted around 1000 trees along the eastern boundary.  Spring will see the other 3000 go in, so if anybody's got itchy fingers ... you know where to come the last weekend in August !  

Here's the moon rising last night

 and the sun rising this morning.

Anzac Day 1919 : Australian pilot Roby Manuel and the King of England

It's 90 years today since Roby Manuel did his memorable fly past for King George in London.  You can read the full story as published in Flightpath magazine here or keep reading this extract.

On the vast farming plains around Kerang, the gentle whisper of the Mallee wind may well resonate with the memory of local legend, Roby Lewis Manuel. 

Undeterred by rejections from the Brits for entry into the Royal Flying Corps - his solid frame deemed too heavy for the finely balanced fabric covered flying machines in use at the time - he “kept pestering for a chance to fly until they were sick of the sound of me”.

Anzac Day

 

On 25 April, 1919, five thousand Australian soldiers of the Australian Imperial Forces marched in London to commemorate the ill fated campaign at Gallipoli four years prior.

 

There was a request for 20 Australian Airmen to do a flyover and still in England working as a flight instructor, and one week before it was time to go home, Roby led the team, giving the onlookers more than they’d bargained for.

 

An interview from the 70s reveals “I was to lead this flight, and I still have in my possession the Air Minister’s Orders”. The last paragraph of the orders reads “No very low flying is to be done nor practices in aerobatics carried out over London; and to prevent mishaps, machines are to patrol between Australia House and Charing Cross, keeping to the right of the Strand”.

 

“I told the lads we would fly up and down The Strand as instructed.  I said “I will Loop the Loop, and then you can do what you like”.  We went right down amongst the buildings and everyone that could put on an Ace aerobatic display, did.  The papers said it was the best performance the Londoners had yet seen.”  It is widely understood that he finished off this display with a beat-up around Trafalgar Square and under Tower Bridge. 

 

“I was up before the Beek, but nothing happened and we left for home the next week from Southampton, where we boarded the “Kaisar-i-Hind” for Australia, and home and loved ones.”

In sharp contrast to what could have been, Capt. Roby Lewis Manuel lived until eleven days after his 80th birthday in 1975.  

 

Brian Clarke at VUT

Last night we were privileged at VUT's Rotunda in the West night to hear guest speaker John Clarke.

At $10 ticket with a free bowl o' soup, what more could you ask?   Most enjoyable to be able to listen to this very entertaining speaker on a range of topics about his writing, performing and long career, beginning with Fred Dagg, and this guy.  

David Lowy performing at Temora Airshow

Easter Sunday at Temora

Fosters, RSL/Legacy Anzac Day Ad

Part of the Fosters Anzac Day promotion was filmed by at our farm, out the front of the old cottage

You can read about it here.

Tia's Bushfire Quilt Project

I interviewed American expat Tia Curtis, currently on a three year posting to Alice, about the note she posted on Flickr seeking blocks for her bushfire quilt project.  

The response she tell me, was overwhelming and there are now enough blocks to make around 100 quilts, so anybody who feels like a weekend in Alice should contact her to discuss The Great Quiltathon of 2009 to put them all together.

Braving the harsh NT sun for this photo, Tia said "I knew that they would be lovely...but some are just breathtaking, all messy and wonky...I love all the thought and compassion that has been poured into these blocks".

As Tia is due to return to the States in July, I'm dreading on her behalf, the thought of sewing, packing and moving.  

A lovely girl with a fantastic project.  Do contact her if you'd like to be involved.

"What have you been writing?" It's all happening in May.

Well, the Victorian Aerobatics Championship story is submitted and should be in the May edition of the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) magazine Australian Pilot, which is also available in newsagents.  All my words and photos, and a hell of a story to get my head around.  Humpty Bumps, Cubans, Hammerheads.  Good Grief!  Will I get the cover photo?  The Burning Question.

Australasian Quilt Convention story is submitted and hopefully will be published in Quiltmania in May, using my words and a gazillion photos - well so it seemed while I was traipsing around trying to do photos without upsetting the general public.  Not always easy.  Next year it's a VIP pass two hours earlier, and the job will be done in 1/4 the time.  Will I make the cover?  The Burning Question.

Story on a Dodecker Hedron.  Got that?  It's a 12 sided two story house in FNQs Atherton tablelands, and will be in the Owner Builder magazine's May edition, using my words and photos.  

Next three on the cards are a story on Bushfire Quilts, and a profile of an 89 year old WW2 pilot.  Both should be very interesting.  

The "biggy" is a 900 word story on a local bloke for a FANTASTIC Australian Glossy that I looooove.  You'll have to wait till December for that one though.  

Photographically, my images have been used for Mondays Child's winter catalogue, and soon to be used on the website for a local real estate agent.

AAAAAND in the pipeline ... I'm pitching some lovely local businesses to some lovely Aussie magazines, so hopefully some good will come of that.  

Either way, it all requires some early mornings, and the fog is slowly returning here in our back yard at Hanging Rock.  

Is anybody else out there writing?