1699 - Sea explorer William Dampier departs 'New Holland' after sailing along the western coastline for five days.
The first European to "discover" Australia was not Captain Cook. Numerous Dutch and Portuguese explorers had mapped sections of coastline of the "Great South Land" prior to Cook. Nor was he the first English sea captain to land on Australian soil. That honour went to William Dampier.
Dampier was born in 1652. As an experienced sea captain and pirate, he became the first Englishman to explore and map parts of New Holland and New Guinea. In 1688, he landed briefly at King Sound near Buccaneer Archipelago on the north-west coast of Australia. He was unimpressed by the dry, barren landscape, the lack of water and what he described as the "miserablest people in the world" - the native population.
Eleven years later, he was back, after the British Admiralty commissioned Dampier to chart the north-west coast, hoping to find a strategic use for 'New Holland'. He arrived at Shark Bay in the west, and spent five days exploring north. Having failed to find any fresh water, Dampier departed Roebuck Bay in disgust on 5 September 1699.
1880 - The first Salvation Army meeting in Australia is held in Adelaide.
The Salvation Army began on 2 July 1865 when William Booth preached the first of nine sermons in a tattered tent on an unused Quaker cemetery in London. Initially running under the name of the East London Christian Mission, Booth and his wife held meetings every evening and on Sundays, to offer repentance, Salvation and Christian ethics to the poorest and most needy, including alcoholics, criminals and prostitutes. Booth and his followers practised what they preached, performing self-sacrificing Christian and social work, such as opening Food for the Millions shops (soup kitchens), not caring if they were scoffed at or derided for their Christian ministry work. In 1878, the organisation became known as the Salvation Army. They adopted a uniform and adapted Christian words to popular tunes sung in the public bars.
The first Salvation Army meeting in Australia was conducted from the back of a greengrocer's truck in Adelaide Botanic Park on 5 September 1880. It was initiated by Edward Saunders and John Gore, two men with no theological training, but who both had a heart for their fellow man's physical and spiritual condition. Saunders and Gore had been converted by the Salvation Army in London. With the words "If theres a man here who hasnt had a square meal today, let him come home to tea with me", the men began a ministry that was soon to expand throughout Australia.
1885 - In the US, the first petrol pump, manufactured by Sylvanus F Bowser, is sold.
When automobiles were invented, the need became apparent for alternative fuel sources to power them. Coal gas, camphene and kerosene were inefficient fuels for the purpose, so petroleum became the fuel of choice. Early refiners could convert only a small percentage of their crude oil to petrol for cars. As automobiles became more common, there was increased need for higher quality in the fuels, to enhance the efficiency and power of engines. Once the refining system was improved, supply also became an issue. Whilst automobiles had not yet become available to the "man on the street", petrol-driven engines were emerging as more common in industry.
The first petrol pump (called gasoline in the USA) was manufactured by Sylvanus F Bowser of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in his barn. It was delivered to the very first petrol-pump owner, Jake D Gumper, on 5 September 1885. The pump tank used marble valves and wooden plungers, and had a capacity of one barrel or 42 gallons of petrol.
1994 - Australia's first political assassination occurs.
John Newman was born John Naumenko on 8 December 1946 to Austrian and Yugoslavian parents. He already had a strong history of involvement in the Australian Labor Party and the union movement by the time he opted to change his surname by deed poll to Newman in 1972. From 1970 to 1986, he was a State union organiser with the Federated Clerks Union, and he undertook post-graduate studies in industrial law at the University of Sydney, along with numerous Trade Union Training Authority education programs.
Newman first represented Fairfield Council in 1977, a position he retained until 1986. He was Deputy Mayor in 198586 and also served as Acting Mayor in 1986. A by-election in the seat of Cabramatta saw Newman elected to the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales early in February 1986. Here, in an electorate populated by a wide range of southeast Asians, and in which there were underlying racial tensions, Newman undertook a protracted campaign to fight Asian organised crime and corruption: a fight for which he would pay the ultimate price.
At around 9:30pm on 5 September 1994, Newman was shot twice in the driveway of his home. This was Australia's first political murder.
It was four years before an arrest was made. In 2001, after three earlier trials, two of which were aborted and another which ended in a hung jury, former Fairfield City Councillor and local club owner, Phuong Ngo, who had a history of conflict with Newman, was convicted of the assassination.
1997 - Mother Teresa, famous for ministering to lepers, the homeless and the poor in the slums of Calcutta, dies.
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on 27 August 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. When she was just 17, she joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Lareto, a Catholic order that did charity work in India. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, which was a new order devoted to helping the sick, disabled and poor, and continued to tirelessly minister to the world's most needy people. The Missionaries of Charity now operates schools, hospitals, orphanages, and food centres in over 100 cities worldwide. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace".
Mother Teresa died on 5 September 1997. She was given a full state funeral by the Indian Government, an honour normally given only to presidents and prime ministers. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2003.
PS - Mother Teresa, revered for her work with the poor in India, was yesterday proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican. Francis said St Teresa had defended the unborn, sick and abandoned, and had shamed world leaders for the "crimes of poverty they themselves created".
Two apparent cures of sick people after Mother Teresa's death in 1997 have been attributed to her intercession.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims attended the canonisation in St Peter's Square.
Cheers - John
The Belmont Bear said
11:52 AM Sep 5, 2016
thanks Rocky,
A bit of useless trivia for you -
William Dampier may have been the first Englishmen to land on Australian soil but I remember from back in my high school days that other Europeans like Dirk Hartog (who left a plate in Shark Bay dated 25th October 1616) beat him to it. In 1696 a Dutchman called Willem de Vlamingh came back and nailed a replacement plate to a post and took Hartogs back with him to Holland . I believe that the first European to record seeing the Australian coastline somewhere near Perth was Willem Jansoon in 1606. I also read in Wikipedia that there were around 50 European visitors to Australian waters between 1606 and Captain Cooks arrival in 1770. Maybe if our friend Mr Dampier had tried harder to communicate to those "miserable people" they could have pointed him in the right direction. I don't suppose you can really count Tasmania as being part of Australia (just kidding) but Abel Tasman found that rather large island in 1642. If you ever get a chance to visit Fremantle they have a great exhibition of the remains of the Batavia which was shipwrecked off the Abrolhos Islands in 1629 leading to the first mutiny, sexual assault, murder of over 100 people and the resultant hangings in Australian waters. 2 of the perpetrators were left marooned on the mainland and a group of aboriginal people called the Amangu have bloodlines that can actually be traced back to Laymen in Holland.
rockylizard said
08:01 AM Sep 6, 2016
Gday...
1620 - English emigrants on the pilgrim ship, the Mayflower, depart from Plymouth, England, on their way to the New World in America.
The 'Mayflower' was the first ship containing emigrants to arrive on American shores. It departed Plymouth, England, on 6 September 1620, with 102 men, woman and children passengers. This group is known as the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims departed England because of their desire for religious freedom. All religion in England was strictly dictated by the government, and all were required to conform to such dictates and restrictions. Individual beliefs and forms of worship were actively discouraged, by jailing, torture or, at worst, execution.
The Pilgrims wished to return to the simplicity of the church as seen in the example of the early churches in the New Testament; they did not want the rituals and restrictions of the Church of England. It was this freedom the Pilgrims sought when they left the shores of their homeland for the last time in 1620.
1941 - Nazi Germany dictates that all Jews over the age of 6 must wear the Star of David in public.
The World War II holocaust was the mass genocide of European Jews and others by the Nazis during World War II. Prior to the execution of hundreds of thousands of Jews, policies paved the way for the Nazis to quickly identify the people they sought to decimate.
On 6 September 1941, the German SS announced the policy of compulsory display of the Jewish symbol, the Star of David, to take effect on September 19, in all German-occupied areas. The policy stated that Jews who were over six years old were forbidden to show themselves in public without the Jewish Star. This consisted of a six-pointed star, outlined with black superscription, and with the word "Jude" (German for Jew) inscribed. It was required to be sewn on securely, and clearly visible on the left breast of clothing. At the same time, the policy was also announced prohibiting Jews from leaving their residential areas without police permission.
1972 - Nine Israeli athletes being held hostage are killed in a bungled rescue attempt during the Munich Olympic Games.
The 1972 Olympic Games were held in Munich, Germany. On September 5, with six days of the Olympics left to run, 8 Palestinian terrorists stormed the apartment building that housed the Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village. Two Israeli athletes were killed and nine more were taken as hostages. The terrorists demanded the release of over 200 Palestinians serving time in Israeli jails. Negotiations continued over the next 24 hours, but unsuccessfully. The next day, 6 September 1972, the terrorists took the hostages to the Furstenfeldbruck military airbase, where they intended to procure a flight back to the Middle East.
At the airport, police snipers opened fire, killing three of the Palestinians. In the ensuing gun battle, the terrorists blew up a helicopter with the hostages inside and then opened fire on the wreckage with automatic weapons. All nine of the hostages were killed, together with one policeman and two more terrorists. The remaining terrorists were captured, but eight weeks later were released when two Palestinians hijacked a plane in Beirut and demanded their release. The West German government immediately agreed to their demands, and they were flown to Libya. After this, Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service, formed a special unit to hunt down and kill all those responsible for the deaths of the Israeli athletes.
1997 - The first Saturday edition of the Australian Financial Review is produced.
The Australian Financial Review is a broadsheet newspaper published six days a week by Fairfax Media, one of the largest media companies in Australia and New Zealand. The publication aims to provide an independent source of business, investment, financial and political news.
The Australian Financial Review was launched on 16 August 1951 as a weekly newspaper. From October 1961 it was produced bi-weekly, and in 1963 it became a daily newspaper from Monday to Friday. In February 1995, a magazine supplement, the Australian Financial Review Magazine, was introduced. Forty-six years after the newspaper's launch, on 6 September 1997, the first Saturday edition of the newspaper was produced.
Cheers - John
rockylizard said
06:57 AM Sep 7, 2016
Gday...
1815 - Australian explorer John McDouall Stuart is born.
John McDouall Stuart was born in Dysart, Fife, Scotland, on 7 September 1815. He arrived in South Australia in 1839. He had a passion for exploration and gained experience when he was employed as a draughtsman by Captain Charles Sturt on an expedition into the desert interior. Sturt hoped to find the inland sea which had eluded him since he first followed the Murray River in the late 1820s. All the explorers found was Sturt's Stony Desert and the Simpson Desert. After Sturt's second-in-command, James Poole, died of scurvy, Sturt appointed Stuart in his place. Both men survived to return to Adelaide, but suffered greatly from scurvy. The effects of this remained with Stuart for a year, and returned to haunt him later during his own explorations in the early 1860s.
Following his experience with Sturt, Stuart was determined to cross Australia from south to north. It was on his fifth expedition and third attempt to cross the continent that he succeeded, returning alive, blinded from scurvy, but alive. His health suffered for the rest of his life, and he died in 1866, aged fifty years.
1825 - Major Edmund Lockyer arrives in Brisbane to explore the upper reaches of the Brisbane River.
Edmund Lockyer was born on 21 January 1784 in Plymouth, Devon. He arrived as a British soldier in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1825.
Later in 1825, Lockyer was given command of an expedition to explore the upper reaches of the Brisbane River, which ticket-of-leave convicts Pamphlett, Finnegan and Parsons had discovered, and informed explorer John Oxley about, in 1823. A new convict settlement had been established on the Brisbane River after the 1824 attempt to colonise the Redcliffe Peninsula had failed, due to lack of fresh water. Lockyer's commission was to explore further up the Brisbane River and report to the Governor.
The expedition left Sydney on 2 September 1825 in the cutter "Mermaid" and arrived at Brisbane on 7 September. Lockyer then used a smaller boat to explore the river. He became the first to sight coal on the banks near the junction of the (now) Bremer and Brisbane Rivers.
Lockyer later went on to lead an expedition to claim Western Australia for Britain. He established a military base at King Georges Sound which originally bore the name of Frederick's Town: it was later renamed Albany.
Major Lockyer died on 10 June 1860. The Lockyer Valley and Lockyer Creeks west of Brisbane are now named after Edmund Lockyer, first explorer of the southeast beyond the coastal waters.
1876 - C J Dennis, Australian journalist, poet and author of 'The Sentimental Bloke', is born.
C J Dennis was born Clarence Michael James Dennis on 7 September 1876. Born in Auburn, South Australia, as the son of a publican, he was brought up by his prudish aunts. He was keen on writing from a young age, and several of his early verses were published in the 'Critic' in 1898. Dennis became editor of the 'Critic' in 1904, and two years later he helped launch the satirical weekly magazine, 'The Gadfly'. After this, he worked as a freelance journalist in Melbourne, until his big success, 'The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke'.
'The Sentimental Bloke', as it came to be known, was a love story, written in slang. Initially rejected by a Melbourne publisher, it was picked up by Angus and Robertson and published in 1915. It became an immediate success for its irreverent larrikinism and use of Australian slang.
C J Dennis continued to write other satirical verses which were also popular. He died in 1939.
1936 - Buddy Holly, rock 'n' roll singer of the 1950s, is born.
Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley on 7 September, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas. Growing up in a musically-minded family, he played the violin, piano and guitar, and debuted in country and western music. He moved into the arena of rock 'n' roll, and became one of the first to use overdubbing and double-tracking during production of his music. He is best known for the songs "That'll Be The Day" and "Peggy Sue."
Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash in 1959, along with fellow rock 'n' roll musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. His death was recorded as 'the day the music died' in Don McLean's classic 'American Pie'.
1936 - The last known Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, dies.
The Thylacine is, or was, a carnivorous marsupial living in Australia, specifically the island of Tasmania, up until the twentieth century. It is believed that the Thylacine existed on the Australian mainland until the introduction of the dingo. Although the Thylacine is often called the Tasmanian Tiger or Tasmanian Wolf, it is neither of these. Its body was similar in shape to that of the placental wolf, but it was a marsupial, putting it in an entirely different class. It stood about 60cm tall, with a body length of up to 130cm, not including its tail, up to 66cm long.
With the arrival of the European settlers in Tasmania, the Thylacine was doomed. Farmers shot the creatures, fearing their threat to livestock, while hunters prized them as trophies; these acts were supported by the government of the time which offered a bounty of one pound for every dead adult Thylacine and ten shillings for each dead Thylacine joey.
The last known specimen of the Thylacine died in the Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936. The last captive animals were exhibited in zoos, where their needs were not understood, and the Thylacines in Hobart died from exposure. Despite numerous apparent "sightings" over the years, not one of these has ever been confirmed, and the Thylacine is now officially classified as Extinct.
1940 - The German airforce begins the 'Blitz' - its intensive bombing campaign on London in WWII.
The London Blitz was an intense bombing campaign on London in World War II by the German airforce, the Luftwaffe. The Blitz took its name from the German word Blitzkrieg, meaning 'Lightning War'. Hundreds of civilians were killed, and many more injured, in the initial attack which took place on 7 September 1940. The first raids were concentrated on the heavily populated East End, as about 300 bomber planes attacked the city over a 90 minute period. The attack started a series of fires which lit up the night sky, guiding in the German forces for another attack, commencing about 8:30pm.
Prior to this sustained attack, the German airforce had spent a month attempting to decimate the British airforce. Failure to achieve this objective had resulted in the Blitz, designed to crush the morale of the British people. The Blitz lasted for over 8 months, killed about 43,000 civilians and destroyed over one million homes. During the Blitz, the Luftwaffe lost most of its experienced aircrew and hundreds of aircraft. By drawing the focus away from the British air force, it gave the RAF time to regroup and rebuild. Despite the Luftwaffe's best attempts, the British people never lost their morale or their fighting spirit.
1986 - The last section of the sealed National Highway around Australia is completed, between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.
The first road in Australia, outside of Sydney, was completed in 1815. William Cox was commissioned to build the road to Bathurst, using convict labour. The original Great Western Highway covered 161 km and incorporated twelve bridges. This road was just the first step in the highway network that would eventually extend across and around the entire continent.
The National Highway Act was initiated in 1974 as a means to establish a fully sealed national highway around Australia. The Federal government funded the building of the highways, although construction and maintenance was the responsibility of the various State and Territory Governments. The final section of the sealed highway around Australia was opened on 7 September 1986. It had taken five years to widen and seal the 289 kilometre section of the Great Northern Highway between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek in Western Australia. Although other sections of the National Highway were rerouted in ensuing years, the Fitzroy Crossing-Halls Creek link was considered to be the last section to be sealed.
Cheers - John
Tony Bev said
05:57 PM Sep 7, 2016
Hello rockylizard
Re 1936 - Buddy Holly, rock 'n' roll singer of the 1950s, is born.
Twelve years of age when he died, he was a legend to a lot of people from my era
The Belmont Bear said
10:26 PM Sep 7, 2016
Took this shot of aboriginal art and explanation board in Kakadu believed to be thousands of years old.
I hadn't taken much notice of Buddy Holly's music (a little before my time ) that was until I saw the musical Buddy in Sydney quite a few years ago after that I became a fan.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Wednesday 7th of September 2016 10:29:41 PM
1792 - The first convict is believed to have been buried in the Old Sydney Burial Ground.
The Old Sydney Burial Ground is also known as the George Street Burial Ground, the Cathedral Close Cemetery or the Town Hall Cemetery. Bordered by George, Druitt, Bathurst and Kent Streets, it was laid out in 1793 by Governor Phillip and Reverend Johnson. Before it was officially set out, Phillip and Rev Johnson chose the site in September 1792, as it was far enough away from the main settlement to not pose a health hazard. The first interment was a convict named Michael Dunn, who was believed to have been buried at the site on 8 September 1792.
Around 2300 people, both convicts and free settlers, were interred at the Old Sydney Burial Ground before 1820, when a new burial ground was opened on Brickfield Hill, later the site of Central Railway Station. In 1869, the site needed to be cleared for the construction of the Sydney Town Hall, so the Old Burial Ground was moved to Haslem's Creek, to become the Rookwood Cemetery.
1854 - The handle of the public water pump in Broad St, London is removed in an attempt to end the deadly cholera epidemic.
Cholera was a common disease in previous centuries. Poor sanitation contributed significantly to outbreaks and the spread of cholera, but at the time, it was not known that this was the cause. London was one of many cities which suffered numerous cholera outbreaks, and it was hit by yet another in 1854.
John Snow was a doctor who had served as both colliery surgeon and unqualified assistant during the 1831-32 London Cholera epidemic. He then studied at the Huntierian School of Medicine in London and, within two years, was accepted into the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He graduated from the University of London in 1844. Snow believed that cholera developed and was transmitted via contaminated food and water, a theory he propounded in his 1849 publication, "On the Mode of Communication of Cholera". This was contrary to the prevailing belief that cholera was transmitted by inhaling contaminated vapours. Snow had neither evidence nor proof to back up his beliefs.
When London was again hit by a cholera epidemic, this time in 1854, Snow meticulously plotted the location of deaths resulting from the diseases. From this, he extrapolated the likely centre of contamination, noting that up to 500 deaths had occurred in under two weeks near the intersection of Cambridge and Broad Street. This prompted Snow to meet with the Board of Guardians of St. James's parish and demand the removal of the handle from the water pump on Broad St, which was freely accessed by the public. The handle was duly removed on 8 September 1854. An immediate reduction in deaths was reported, and the epidemic contained.
Although the evidence seemed clear, controversy dogged Snow's theory for years after the event. Some were of the belief that the epidemic had already reached its climax at the time of Snow's action, whilst others believed that Snow only mapped the locations after the removal of the pump handle. Nonetheless, credit goes to Snow for his bold actions, and the fact that his theory that cholera was transmitted through contaminated water was subsequently proved viable.
1900 - 8000 are killed when Galveston, Texas, is hit by a powerful hurricane.
Galveston is a city in Texas, on Galveston Island on the Gulf Coast of the United States. It was also the location of one the deadliest ever natural disasters in the United States.
The Great Galveston Hurricane was a category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with wind gusts up to 217 kilometres per hour. The hurricane made landfall at Galveston during mid-afternoon on 8 September 1900. The estimated death toll was between 6,000 and 12,000, while the official number was cited as 8,000.
The high death toll was attributed to a number of factors. The inhabitants of the city were familiar with the vagaries of the weather, so early morning warnings in the form of dark skies, high tides and heavy swells went unheeded. A fifteen-foot high wall of water preceded the hurricane, swamping the low-lying city. Extreme wind gusts hurled entire rows of houses into subsequent rows, and people were hit by flying bricks and slate roofs.
To minimise the effects of future hurricanes, a solid seawall was built along Gakveston's ocean front. The city authorities commenced extensive work raising buildings by up to seventeen feet by pumping sand beneath foundations. Of lasting economic impact, however, was the decision by several shipping companies to move their operations further north to Houston, where there was a safer harbour.
1921 - Harry Secombe, singer, comedian and actor, is born.
Harry Secombe was born on 8 September 1921 in Swansea, South Wales. He was one of the original Goons of the Goon Show, a British radio comedy programme originally produced and broadcast by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 on the BBC Home Service. Secombe appeared in the radio series as Neddy Seagoon, and played alongside "Goons" founder Spike Milligan, and Peter Sellers. He appeared in a variety of stage musicals, including Pickwick in 1963 and The Four Musketeers in 1967, and he also starred in the 1968 musical film "Oliver!" Harry Secombe was knighted in 1981, and died on 11 April 2001.
1925 - Peter Sellers, British comedian and actor, is born.
Peter Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers in Southsea, Hampshire, England, on 8 September 1925. His early entertainment experience came from playing the ukelele, banjo and drums for jazz bands. Sellers was one of the original Goons of the Goon Show, a British radio comedy programme originally produced and broadcast by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 on the BBC Home Service. Sellers appeared in the radio series alongside "Goons" founder Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe, who shared Sellers's birthday. He moved on to television and films. Sellers died on 24 July 1980, from a heart attack.
1943 - Italy's surrender to the Allies in WWII is announced.
Prior to World War II, Italy had allied itself with Hitler's Germany. The Italian forces had been defeated in northern Africa and the Balkans, reducing support for Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his leadership. Mussolini was ousted in July 1943 by the Italian Fascist Party's Grand Council: the Italian military then took over and negotiated a surrender to Anglo-American forces, which was announced on 8 September 1953. According to the commander in chief of Allied forces in the Mediterranean, General Eisenhower, Italy had agreed to end all hostilities with the United Nations.
Four days after the announcement, German troops acted swiftly to free Mussolini from where he was being held in detention. After his rescue, he set up and became leader of the Italian Socialist Republic in German-held northern Italy. Two years later, he was arrested again by Italian partisans, and executed.
1966 - Science fiction series 'Star Trek' airs for the first time.
Star Trek, the science fiction series which went on to spawn many more spinoff series and films, was created by Gene Roddenberry and debuted on 8 September 1966. Set in the 23rd century, Star Trek follows the adventures of the Starship Enterprise and her crew. Initially, the series did not rate well, and only a sustained campaign by its devoted fans kept the series going through two more seasons.
The show's success came after it was sold into syndication, and stations were able to air it at times more suited to its fans and potential audience. A new audience created a broad market for the franchise, thus paving the way for the success of six Star Trek movies based around the characters of the original series. The first of the spinoff series, 'Star Trek: the Next Generation', premiered in 1987.
Cheers - John
Dougwe said
09:58 AM Sep 8, 2016
1966 - now really......."Beam me up Scotty" um, Rocky.
I have always been a big fan of Star Trek but like the newer movies much better. The 'Starship Enterprise' looks much better on the big screen.
Still here reading daily Rocky but been busy play'n in the playground.
Tony Bev said
11:59 AM Sep 8, 2016
Hello rockylizard
Re 1921 - Harry Secombe, singer, comedian and actor, is born.
When he was knighted his friends asked what they should call him He told them to call him Sir Cumfrence
He had a rather err wide belly
rockylizard said
07:11 AM Sep 9, 2016
Gday...
1754 - Captain William Bligh, known best for his role in the mutiny on the 'Bounty', is born.
William Bligh was born in Plymouth, south-west England, on 9 September 1754. He was only 8 when he first went to sea. At age 22, he was chosen to join Captain Cook's crew on the 'Resolution', and became commander of the 'HMAV Bounty' eleven years later.
The famous mutiny on the Bounty occurred after Bligh left Tahiti on his way to the Caribbean. For reasons undetermined by historical records, Master's Mate Fletcher Christian led the mutiny, with the support of a small number of the ship's crew. Bligh and his own supporters were provided with a 7m launch, a sextant and enough provisions to enable them to reach the closest ports, but no means of navigation. Bligh chose not to head for the closer Spanish ports, which would have slowed down the process of bringing the mutineers to justice, but instead completed a 41 day journey to Timor. From here, he stood a better chance of communicating quickly to British vessels which could pursue the mutineers.
Bligh became Governor of New South Wales in 1805, but another mutiny, the Rum Rebellion, caused him to be imprisoned from 1808 to 1810. He was exonerated in 1811, after which he returned to England.
1803 - The Lady Nelson arrives in Van Diemens Land, now Tasmania, in preparation for the first British settlement.
The first European to discover Tasmania was Dutch trader Abel Tasman in November 1642. Tasman discovered the previously unknown island on his voyage past the "Great South Land", which he later called "New Holland". He named the island "Antony Van Diemen's Land" in honour of the High Magistrate, or Governor-General of Batavia.
After the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip claimed the entire eastern coast for the British Empire, including Van Diemens Land, though it was not yet known to be separate from the mainland. Tasman believed Van Diemens Land to be part of New Holland, and it was not until 1798-99 that Matthew Flinders and George Bass proved Van Diemens Land to be an island.
In order to offset continuing French interests in southern parts of Australia, Lieutenant John Gordon Bowen was sent to establish the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land. The ship Lady Nelson arrived at Risdon Cove on 9 September 1803, and Bowen arrived on The Albion three days later to establish a settlement on the Derwent River. There were 49 people in the initial settlement party.
Lieutenant-Governor David Collins, who had abandoned the new settlement at Sorrento on Port Phillip Bay due to lack of fresh water, arrived at Risdon Cove a month later. Unimpressed with the site chosen by Bowen, Collins moved the settlement to Sullivans Cove on the Derwent River in 1804. This settlement was later renamed Hobart Town.
1839 - Darwin Harbour, where the city of Darwin now stands, is discovered and named.
The city of Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, Australia is located on Darwin Harbour. The land was originally occupied by the Larrakia people of the Top End who had already been trading with the Macassans for many years before European settlers came. The first Europeans to the area were Dutch traders who visited Australia's northern coastline in the 1600s, charting the first European maps of the region.
Darwin Harbour was first discovered by Captain of the HMS Beagle, John Lort Stokes, on 9 September 1839 and named "Port Darwin" after British naturalist Charles Darwin, who had been on the Beagle on a previous journey. The harbour was initially not settled, as Port Essington, 300 kilometres north, was regarded as a more strategic site for settlement and a better prospect to offset any intended French colonisation of Australia's far north coast. Like other settlements along the northern coastline which preceded it, Port Essington floundered for some years, eventually being abandoned.
After John McDouall Stuart made the first successful crossing of Australia in 1862, this opened the way for the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line from Adelaide to the north coast, opening Australia to direct communication with the rest of the world. Thus, the settlement of Darwin was more successful than previous incursions into settling the north coast as it was to serve a very important link in this communication. Darwins first white settlers arrived on 5 February 1869. The town was initially named Palmerston after the Prime Minister of Britain, Lord Palmerston, Henry Temple. However, all shipping to the area was consigned to "Port Darwin". In 1911, when South Australia handed control of its northern half to the Commonwealth of Australia, the name Darwin was officially adopted.
1880 - Australian pioneer in physical therapy for polio sufferers, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, is born.
Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny was a pioneer in physical therapy. Born on 20 September 1880 at Kelly's Gully, a township just west of the New South Wales town of Warialda, her family then moved to the small town of Nobby on the Darling Downs, near Toowoomba, Queensland.
An accident during her teenage years, in which she broke her wrist, sparked her interest in anatomy. Whilst recovering, Elizabeth keenly questioned her doctor and mentor, Dr. Aeneas McDonnell, about the workings of the human body. Though untrained, in 1911 she began working as a bush nurse in the area, even starting up a hospital in nearby Clifton. At the outbreak of World War I, she volunteered to serve as a nurse. Due to the dire need for nurses, the untrained Kenny was accepted to work on soldier transport ships, and the experience she gained in this venture earned her the official title of "Sister".
Sister Kenny continued to work as a nurse after the war, and even improved the design of stretchers used in ambulances on the Darling Downs. Marketing the stretcher as the "Sylvie Stretcher", Kenny gave the profits to the Australian Country Women's Association who managed sales and manufacture of the invention. Her initiative gained the attention of a family on a cattle station near Townsville, who arranged for her to come and care for their daughter who had been disabled by polio. Her methods of care and treatment enabled the girl to completely recover. She gradually achieved acclaim for her methods by the many polio-stricken children she treated and cured, but criticism from the medical fraternity for her lack of training.
Unlike other methods of the time, Kenny's treatment opposed immobilising affected limbs with casts or braces. She advocated treating children during the acute stage of polio and using hot compresses. However, doctors would not permit her to treat patients until after the first stage of the disease or until muscle spasms had ceased. Instead, she designed a programme of passive exercises to stimulate function.
Kenny's pioneering methods were gradually adopted by more physicians as she travelled to the USA to promote them. During her 11-year stay in America, she opened numerous Kenny Treatment Centres. Although her processes were criticised by many doctors, her dramatic results in affected children spoke for themselves. Her lasting legacy is her methodology for rehabilitating muscles, which formed the foundation for physical therapy, or what is commonly known as physiotherapy.
Kenny returned to Australia in 1951, and died on 30 November 1952. Her grave lies in Nobby Cemetery.
1890 - Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, is born.
Harland Sanders was born in Henryville, Indiana, USA, on 9 September 1890. As his father died when he was young, and his mother had to work to support her children, Sanders learned to cook for his family. He worked a number of jobs through his youth, until he finally acquired a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, where he began to cook chicken for patrons. As his popularity grew, he was employed as a chef in a motel and restaurant, where he began perfecting the recipe that would eventually become a household name. He used the same 11 herbs and spices which are used in KFC today, and his use of a pressure cooker enhanced the process by ensuring quicker cooking, which helped seal in the flavour. Sanders was made an honorary Kentucky colonel in 1935 by Governor Ruby Laffoon.
2000 - For the first time in history, the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica extends over a populated city.
The Earth's ozone layer protects all life from the sun's harmful radiation, by absorbing ultra-violet light. Whilst ozone molecules are constantly being formed and destroyed in the stratosphere, man's use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has depleted the ozone layer. CFCs are used as refrigerants, solvents and fire extinguishing agents. Scientific research has found that CFCs release chlorine or bromine when they break down and winds drive the CFCs into the stratosphere, thereby damaging the protective ozone layer. Depletion of the ozone layer has been correlated with higher levels of cancer in humans and animals.
The depletion of the ozone layer is most obvious over the Antarctic, where scientists carefully monitor the size of a hole in the layer. The Antarctic ozone hole was discovered in 1985 by British scientists Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin of the British Antarctic Survey. Since its discovery, the hole has gradually increased in size.
Beginning on 9 September 2000 and continuing to September 10th, the ozone hole covered about 29.7 million square km, about three times larger than the entire land mass of the United States, stretching over a populated city for the first time. Approximately 120,000 residents of Punta Arenas, a city in southern Chile, were exposed to very high levels of ultra violet radiation. After reaching this peak, the hole then began to slowly shrink again in its usual fashion.
Cheers - John
Tony Bev said
03:50 PM Sep 9, 2016
Hello rockylizard
Re 1803 - The Lady Nelson arrives in Van Diemens Land, now Tasmania, in preparation for the first British settlement
I have seen the full size replica of that ship in a museum at (I think), Mount Gambier SA
I thought that it was very, very small, to have sailed halfway around the world I can only "dips my lid" to those who sailed in her
rockylizard said
08:04 AM Sep 10, 2016
Gday...
1846 - American inventor Elias Howe patents the sewing machine.
Elias Howe was born in Spencer, Massachusetts on 9 July 1819. After losing his job in a factory, he moved to Boston, where he was employed in a machinist's shop. This provided him with the opportunity to experiment with inventing a sewing machine. He successfully demonstrated his first sewing machine in 1846, and patented his lockstitch sewing machine on 10 September 1846 in New Hartford, Connecticut.
Howe faced a legal battle after Isaac Singer invented the up-and-down motion mechanism, and Allen Wilson developed a rotary hook shuttle, both filing for patents. After winning one suit, the three inventors pooled their patent rights in the Sewing Machine Combination. It was under this patent that the sewing machine was then successfully marketed.
1869 - American Baptist minister, the Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie, invents the rickshaw in Yokohama.
Rickshaws are a commonly used means of transportation in Asia. Originally, a runner pulled a two-wheeled cart which could seat one or two people. Nowadays, rickshaws are either drawn by bicycle or engine-driven. The word "rickshaw" or "ricksha" comes from the Japanese word 'jinrikisha', which means "human-powered vehicle".
The first rickshaw was believed to have been invented and utilised on 10 September 1869 by an American Baptist minister, the Reverend E Jonathan Scobie, who needed to transport his invalid wife around the streets of Yokohama, Japan. However, there is some dispute as to the identity of the original inventor of the rickshaw. Some sources credit American blacksmith Albert Tolman with inventing the rickshaw around 1848 in Worcester, Massachusetts for a missionary. Still others say the rickshaw was designed by an American Baptist minister in 1888. Japanese sources often credit Izumi Yosuke, Suzuki Tokujiro, and Takayama Kosuke, who are said to have invented rickshaws in 1868, inspired by the horse carriages that had been introduced to the streets of Tokyo shortly beforehand.
1897 - The world's first conviction for drunk driving occurs in London.
In 1831, Parliament in England passed the London Hackney Carriage Act, which made it a punishable offence for cab drivers to injure anyone or damage property as a result of having imbibed too much drink. The Licensing Act of 1872 extended the range of the previous legislation, making it an offence for anyone to be drunk while in charge of a carriage on the highway.
On 10 September 1897, a citizen by the name of George Smith became the first driver of a horseless carriage to be prosecuted under the new statute. After drinking two or three glasses of beer, Smith drove his electric cab up onto the footpath and ploughed into number 165, Bond Street, in London.
1906 - The first Australian licence plates and drivers licence are issued.
The first petrol-driven car to be manufactured in Australia is believed to have been produced by Harry A Tarrant in 1897. After modifications and improvements, Tarrant produced a second vehicle in 1901, which he named the Tarrant. This was followed by a number of improved designs, including the first fully enclosed body made in Australia, and later models included locally designed and manufactured engines, gearboxes and rear axles. Other vehicles began to be imported from 1900, when a Benz No 1 Ideal arrived in Sydney. Australians gradually embraced the concept of the motor car and the horseless carriage gained in popularity.
The first motor car and driving licence were issued in Adelaide on 10 September 1906. The recipient was Dr William Arthur Hargreaves, a chemist and government analyst, born on 29 October 1866 at Ipswich, Queensland. Hargreaves had moved to South Australia in 1899. Always interested in fuel sources, Hargreaves studied the problem of alternative fuels during both world wars and drove his car on a mixture of molasses and petrol at the end of World War I.
Licence plates and drivers licences were introduced in Victoria and New South Wales in 1910.
1976 - 176 are killed in a mid-air crash over Yugoslavia.
On 10 September 1976 near Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia), an Inex Adria Air aircraft collided in mid-air with a British Airways Trident, resulting in the deaths of all 176 aboard both planes. The British Airways Trident had been carrying 54 passengers and a crew of nine from London to Istanbul, while the Inex Adria Air DC-9 was heading to the Yugoslav resort of Split to Cologne with a crew of five and 108 Germans on holiday. Ultimately, five air traffic controllers and two supervisors were arrested. Whilst the others were released, Gradimir Tasic, who had been working short-handed that day, was given a seven-year sentence. He was released when fellow workers around the world brought attention to his plight as one of many overworked, over-stressed air traffic controllers.
Cheers - John
jules47 said
09:17 AM Sep 10, 2016
Well, that was interesting about the sewing machine, John. Thanks again.
rockylizard said
08:28 AM Sep 11, 2016
Gday...
1609 - Henry Hudson discovers the Hudson River and Manhattan Island, where New York City now stands.
Henry Hudson was an English explorer of the 1500s. He was the first European to sail up what is now known as the Hudson River, New York. In 1607 he was hired by the English Muscovy Company to lead an expedition from England to discover a northeastern sea passage to Asia and the spice islands of the South Pacific. Making his way as far as Greenland and Spitzbergen, he found his route was blocked by ice. He attempted a second voyage a year later, sailing farther to the east along the northern coast of Norway, but was again blocked by ice.
In 1609, he was hired by another company, the Dutch East India Company, to attempt yet another voyage to find a northeastern passage. After being thwarted by ice again at Spitzbergen, Hudson sailed in the opposite direction, to North America. He explored along the coast of Nova Scotia and down to what is now New York Harbor, sailing up the Hudson River on 11 September 1609 as far north as the site where Albany now stands.
Because Hudson had been hired by the Dutch East India Company, the Dutch later claimed the area and established a colony, naming it New Amsterdam. Peter Minuit of the Dutch West Indies Company bought the island in 1626 from the Manhattan Indians for $24 worth of merchandise. However, it was renamed New York when the English took control in 1664.
1863 - Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt escapes from the supposedly escape-proof C0ckatoo Island gaol.
Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt was born Frederick Ward at Wilberforce near Windsor, NSW, in 1836. As an excellent horseman, his specialty was horse stealing. For this, he was sentenced in 1856 to ten years on C0ckatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. On 1 July 1860, Ward was released on a ticket-of-leave to work on a farm at Mudgee. While he was on ticket-of-leave, he returned to horse-stealing, and was again sentenced to C0ckatoo Island. Conditions in the gaol were harsh, and he endured solitary confinement a number of times. On the night of 11 September 1863, he and another inmate escaped from the supposedly escape-proof prison by swimming to the mainland.
After his escape, Ward embarked on a life of bushranging, under the name of Captain Thunderbolt. Much of his bushranging was done around the small NSW country town of Uralla. A rock originally known as "Split Rock" became known as "Thunderbolt's Rock". After a six-year reign as a "gentleman bushranger", Thunderbolt was shot dead by Constable Alexander Walker in May 1870.
1914 - Australian troops land in New Guinea in the first significant Australian action of World War I.
The assassination by Serbian Nationals of His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in June 1914 caused a chain reaction, as countries throughout the world allied themselves with either Serbia or Austria-Hungary. Great Britains formal declaration of war on Germany on 4 August 1914 also brought its dominions and colonies into the war.
Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa were among the first to offer military and financial assistance. The day after Britains declaration of war, Australian Prime Minister Joseph Cook pledged support, offering Britain 20 000 troops, and stating that "...when the Empire is at war, so also is Australia." Britain was quick to accept this offer, with the Secretary of State for the Colonies sending a telegram stating His Majestys Government gratefully accept offer of your Ministers to send to this Country force of 20,000 men and would be glad if it could be despatched as soon as possible. A recruitment drive to form the first Australian forces was underway within days, using anti-German propaganda posters and recruitment songs.
Australias first significant action in World War I occurred when the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) landed in New Guinea. This volunteer expeditionary force of 1500 men departed Australia on the troop ship Berrima in early September. It was the first force ever to leave the country on an Australian ship, under the command of Australian officers. The ANMEF landed in Rabaul at dawn on 11 September 1914. German New Guinea was taken without opposition six days later, and the neighbouring islands of the Bismarck Archipelago the following month.
1978 - The coat of arms of the Northern Territory is granted by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, bordered by the states of Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. From 1825 to 1863, the Northern Territory was part of New South Wales. In 1863, control of the Northern Territory was handed to South Australia. This was as a result of the successful 1862 expedition of John McDouall Stuart to find an overland route through the desert from Adelaide to the north. This route was subsequently utilised for the building of the Overland Telegraph line, which provided an important communications link between Australia and the rest of the world. On 1 January 1911, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.
The coat of arms of the Northern Territory was granted by HM The Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II, on 11 September 1978. It is the only state or territory in Australia to incorporate all of the floral, animal and bird emblems, as well as reflecting the Territorys indigenous heritage. The coat of arms features a Wedgetailed Eagle holding an Aboriginal Tjurunga stone; two Red Kangaroos, one holding a Chiragra Spider Conch and the other holding a True Heart C0ckle; between them, the kangaroos are also holding a shield decorated with aboriginal motifs; a grassy sandy mound with two Sturts Desert Roses; and a female aboriginal figure.
2001 - The United States is hit by terrorist attacks, leaving thousands dead.
11 September 2001 will long be remembered as the day the Twin Towers fell. At 8:45am local time in New York City, American Airlines Flight 11 which had been hijacked 20 minutes earlier, crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Centre. At 9:03am, United Airlines Flight 175, which was hijacked within minutes of the first plane, was flown into the south tower. The impact of each plane and subsequent explosions killed hundreds immediately and trapped many more people on higher floors.
At 9:40am, a third hijacked airliner, American Airlines Flight 77, was flown into the side of the Pentagon in Washington, killing 64 passengers and 125 military personnel and civilians. A fourth hijacked aeroplane crashed into a field near Pittsburgh, killing the 45 on board after its suicide flight was thwarted by civilian heroes on board the plane. Its intended target remains unknown.
The south tower of the World Trade Centre collapsed an hour after being hit, and was followed shortly afterwards by the north tower, compounding the loss of life. 365 fire-fighters and police who were assisting with the evacuation were also killed in the collapse. Over three thousand people were killed in the terrorist attacks that day in September. The attacks were linked to al-Qaeda, the Islamic militant group headed by Osama Bin Laden. A sustained attack by British and American forces was carried out on a number of Afghanistan targets where Bin Laden was presumed to be hiding, and the regime in Afghanistan quickly fell. Almost a decade after the attacks, Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by United States Navy SEALs of the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group, on 2 May 2011.
Cheers - John
[edit: simply overcoming censorship limitations]
-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 11th of September 2016 08:32:17 AM
The Belmont Bear said
04:52 PM Sep 11, 2016
Thanks Rocky,
Fred Ward's parents moved to Maitland when he was around 10 years old he grew up and worked in that area until he was convicted for stealing horses and was held in the old the Maitand gaol before being transferred to ****atoo Island. After escaping from the island during his second stay there he became Australia's longest active bushranger (Captain Thunderbolt) roaming from the Hunter Valley up through the New England Tablelands and even the north western part of NSW . His grave is located in the local cemetery and a very good museum on his life is at the old mill at Uralla. Thunderbolt's Way from Walcha to Gloucester is part of the route that he supposedly used to travel regularly. Whenever I see Thunderbolt's Rock I wonder how may times he could actually hide there before the penny dropped with travellers - it seems to be the only large feature in that area.
rockylizard said
08:04 AM Sep 12, 2016
Gday...
1854 - Australia's first steam train makes its maiden voyage in Melbourne.
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, Australia. Although it was established as a settlement in 1835 and the new township surveyed and named in 1837, Melbourne quickly grew to rival Sydney. The discovery in 1851 of the Victorian goldfields which were richer than those discovered in New South Wales spurred the city on to even greater wealth, and greater rivalry.
Victoria became the first Australian state to have a completed railway line. Although South Australia had begun operations of horse-drawn trains on 18 May 1854 between Goolwa and Port Elliot, mechanical railways were first established in Victoria in 1854, with work on the line commencing in March 1853. At first, trains were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company of the United Kingdom, but shipping delays meant that the first trains had to be built locally. Robertson, Martin and Smith built Australia's first steam locomotive in ten weeks at a cost of £2700.
The first steam train in Australia, consisting of two first-class carriages and one second-class carriage, made its maiden voyage on 12 September 1854. It ran along the four kilometre track from Flinders Street to Sandridge, now Port Melbourne, a ten-minute journey. Aboard the first train were Lieutenant-Governor Sir Charles Hotham and Lady Hotham. Upon arriving at its destination at Station Pier, the train was met with gun-salutes by the warships HMS Electra and HMS Fantome.
The following year, the locomotives ordered from the UK arrived, and were named Melbourne, Sandridge, Victoria and Yarra.
1878 - Cleopatra's Needle, an ancient Egyptian obelisk, is erected on London's Thames Embankment.
Cleopatra's Needle is an ancient Egyptian obelisk of red granite, about 20m high, and inscribed with hieroglyphics. The obelisk actually has no connection with Cleopatra, but was originally erected in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis on the orders of Thutmose III. Rameses II added further inscriptions commemorating his military victories some 200 years later. There are in fact two Cleopatra's needles; one in London, the other in New York.
Cleopatra's needle in London was presented to England in 1819 by Mehemet Ali, viceroy of Egypt, in recognition of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Transporting the obelisk was to prove too costly for the British government. It was not until 1877 that anatomist and dermatologist Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, sponsored its transportation to London at a cost of around £10,000. Engineer John Dixon designed a special iron cylinder, 28m long and 5m in diameter for transporting the obelisk. However, the obelisk was nearly lost at sea when it became separated from the ship towing it during a gale in the Bay of Biscay. After drifting for many days, it was rescued by an English ship and taken to Spain for repairs. The obelisk arrived in Gravesend on 21 January 1878, and was erected on the Embankment on 12 September 1878.
1892 - Ambulance services commence in Queensland, Australia, the first such service anywhere in the world.
The Queensland Ambulance Service in its current form was established on 1 July 1991, with the amalgamation of 96 individual Queensland Ambulance Service Transport Brigades (QATB). However, Queenslands first ambulance service began operations almost a century earlier.
The need for an ambulance service in Queensland became apparent following an incident at the Brisbane Show in August of 1892. Stories vary, but the common element is that a rider fell from his horse and broke his leg at the showgrounds. The injury was either exacerbated when helpful bystanders assisted the rider, walking him from the field or, according to other accounts, when first aid personnel rushed onto the field and threw the man into a stretcher before bundling him off the field without due care for his condition. Witnessing the event was Military medic Seymour Warrian of the Army Medical Corps. Seeing how the victim should have been immobilised, Warrian canvassed support to form the new City Ambulance Transport Brigade, or CATB.
The first meeting of the brigade was held on 12 September 1892. Operations of Queenslands first ambulance station were initially conducted from the Brisbane Newspaper Company. Officers on night duty spent the night on rolls of newspaper on the floor rather than beds. Transportation of victims was limited to being on foot as, while there was a stretcher, there was no vehicle. As donations flowed in, more equipment was able to be purchased. After first aid kits were put together, one of the first major changes was a stretcher attached to a set of cart wheels, which could then be conveyed by two men at a running pace. Later, the first horse with harness for a cart was purchased.
Warrian's vision of a professional ambulance service was innovative and the service was the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Soon other cities, both in Australia and around the world, followed suit.
1910 - Alexander Langmuir, the man credited with saving thousands of lives through his work on epidemiology, is born.
Alexander Duncan Langmuir, born on 12 September 1910, is considered to be the father of infectious disease epidemiology. Epidemiology is the science of studying the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations. Because it is the science of connecting disease or injury with a cause, it enables the possibility of eliminating that cause.
In 1949, Langmuir created and headed up the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the National Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, now known as the Federal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. He has been credited with saving countless lives with his innovative research and analytical approach. His work contributed significantly to the virtual elimination of polio in the United States. Dr David Henderson, deputy of the assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services, led the World Health Organization's (WHO) program to eradicate smallpox. However, Henderson maintained that the real credit should have gone to Langmuir.
Langmuir died on November 22, 1993. His legacy lives on in the better quality of life enjoyed by millions throughout the world, thanks to his powerful contribution to the science of epidemiology.
2001 - US President George Bush declares war on terrorism.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, US President George Bush declared that the USA would use all of its resources to wage a war on terrorism. Bush acknowledged that such a war would be a long-term, sustained conflict, and formally declared war on terrorism on 12 September 2001. The war on terror began on 8 October 2001, as British and American forces staged an air bombardment of Afghanistan, where the perpetrator of the terror attacks, Osama bin Laden, was believed to be hiding.
Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011 by a United States special forces military unit.
Cheers - John
rockylizard said
06:51 AM Sep 13, 2016
Gday...
1824 - The first convict colony in what is now Queensland is founded at Redcliffe.
The city of Redcliffe is so named for its red cliff faces. The area was first recommended by Captain John Oxley as the site for a new convict settlement. However, Oxley cannot be truly credited with being the first white man to set foot in the area. In 1823, he set out to explore the Moreton Bay area, and it was there that he came across the stranded ticket-of-leave timber-cutter, Thomas Pamphlett, who together with his companion Finnegan had been living with the aborigines for seven months, after being shipwrecked off Moreton Island.
Oxley and Settlement Commandant Lieutenant Miller, together with a crew and 29 convicts, sailed on the 'Amity' from Sydney and arrived at Redcliffe on 13 September 1824 to found the new colony. The settlement was established at Humpybong, but abandoned less than a year later when the main settlement was moved 30km away, to the Brisbane River. The name "Humpybong" was given by the local aborigines to describe the "dead huts" left behind, "humpy" being huts, and "bong" meaning "dead", or "lifeless". The name is still used today.
1861 - Howitt's expedition to rescue missing explorers Burke and Wills arrives at the 'Dig' Tree.
Burke and Wills, with a huge party of men and supplies, departed Melbourne in August 1860 to cross Australia to the north coast and back. Burke, being impatient and anxious to complete the crossing as quickly as possible, split the expedition at Menindee. He moved on ahead to establish a depot at Cooper Creek. He left William Wright in command of the Menindee depot.
Splitting his party yet again at Cooper Creek, Burke chose to make a dash to the Gulf in the heat of Summer. He took with him Wills and two others, ex-seaman Charles Gray and former soldier John King. He left stockman William Brahe in charge with instructions that, should the small party not return in three months, Brahe was to return to Menindee. The trek to the Gulf and back took over four months, and during that time Gray died. A full day was spent in burying his body. When Burke returned to Cooper Creek, he discovered lettering freshly blazed on the coolibah tree at the depot, giving instructions to dig for the supplies Brahe had left. Thus the name 'Dig' Tree was spawned.
When Burke left the Dig tree to try to reach the police station at Mt Hopeless, 240km to the southwest, he failed to leave further messages emblazoned on the Dig tree. Thus, when Brahe and Wright returned to check the depot, they found no evidence of Burke's return. Believing Burke and Wills were lost, a rescue expedition was organised in Melbourne. Headed up by Alfred Howitt, the rescue party reached the Dig tree on 13 September 1861. Finding no sign of Burke and Wills, the men moved downstream. It was there that they found King, the only survivor, who was able to tell how Burke and Wills had died close by six weeks earlier.
1916 - Roald Dahl, children's writer and author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', is born.
Roald Dahl was born on 13 September 1916, in Llandaff, Wales. Dahl is known for his unique style of writing for children, which incorporates fantasy into the real world, and much of his writing was influenced by specific childhood experiences. His fondness for a particular candy shop formed the basis for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Being sent to boarding schools was also an unpleasant experience, which probably influenced the writing of "Matilda". The experience of being caned by his headmaster is reflected in "Matilda" and "Danny, the Champion of the World". The loss of his father when he was young can be seen in "James and the Giant Peach". Dahl died of leukaemia on 23 November 1990.
1982 - A second inquest begins into the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain at Ayers Rock in 1980.
Uluru, formerly Ayers Rock, is a huge monolith in central Australia. It has long been a popular tourist destination, but gained a new notoriety on the night of 17 August 1980, when two-month-old Azaria Chamberlain went missing from the nearby camping ground. When baby Azaria disappeared, her mother Lindy claimed that a dingo had stolen her baby. No trace of the child was ever found, although her bloodstained clothes were found a week later by another tourist. At the first inquest into her death, commencing in February 1981, it was found that the likely cause of Azaria's disappearance was a dingo attack.
Police and prosecutors, unhappy with this judgement, moved for a second inquest which began on 13 September 1981. This time, the new finding was made that Azaria had been killed with a pair of scissors and held by a small adult hand until she stopped bleeding. Lindy Chamberlain was convicted of murder on 29 October 1982, and her husband Michael was found guilty of being an accessory.
Lindy Chamberlain's acquittal came several years later when a British tourist fell to his death from the Rock. When his body was finally located 8 days later amid an area full of dingo lairs, Azaria Chamberlain's missing jacket was also found. New evidence was presented showing that the methods of testing previous evidence had been unreliable, and no conviction could be made on those grounds. Both Chamberlains were officially pardoned, Lindy was released, and eventually awarded AU$1.3 million in compensation for wrongful imprisonment.
Cheers - John
rockylizard said
08:00 AM Sep 14, 2016
Gday...
1741 - Handel finishes composing his Oratorio, "Messiah".
Georg Friedrich Handel was born on 23 February 1685, in Halle, Saxony. Already skilled on the harpsichord and organ at age 7, he began composing music when he was 9. During his composing career, he wrote around fifty operas, twenty-three oratorios, much church music and numerous outstanding instrumental pieces, such as the organ concerti, the Opus 6 Concerti Grossi, the Water Music, and the Fireworks Music.
Handel's best known work is probably the oratorio, "Messiah", written within a 24-day period, and completed on 14 September 1741. An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus, telling a sacred story without costumes, scenery, or acting. "Messiah" is the story of the prophecy of the coming Messiah as told in the old Testament, and the life and death of Jesus, set to texts from the King James Bible. Originally conceived as an Easter oratorio, it has become popular to perform it at Christmas, particularly as it culminates with the powerful "Hallelujah" chorus.
1849 - Ivan Pavlov, discoverer of the conditioned or learned reflex, is born.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was born on 14 September 1849, in Ryazan, Russia. After studying medicine in Russia and Germany, he became a professor in pharmacology and physiology. Pavlov's famous work with dogs actually started as a study of digestion. It was while performing experiments on dogs to show how digestive secretions are regulated that he discovered they are influenced by the sensory stimuli of sight, smell and taste.
Further experimentation proved that other stimuli could produce the same response; for example, Pavlov began ringing a bell at the same time as any of the other three stimuli were introduced. Thus, the dogs soon connected the sound of the bell with the appearance of food, and began to salivate accordingly. In 1903 Pavlov published his results, calling this a "conditioned reflex", meaning it was learned, rather than innate, or instinctive. Although Pavlov won the 1904 Nobel Prize for his work on digestive physiology, he is better known today as an early influence on behavioural psychology.
1898 - The Gideons Bible Association, responsible for placing Bibles in motel and hotel rooms around the world, begins.
A chance meeting between two Christians on 14 September 1898, began an association that has endured to this very day. The Central Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin, USA, was crowded due to a lumbermen's convention being held, and the manager asked two strangers if they would mind sharing a room. In that shared room above the saloon, travelling salesmen John H Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Samuel E Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin, discovered that they were both Christians. The two men prayed together, and discussed starting a Christian travelling mens association.
Nothing further came of the idea until the two met up again unexpectedly the following May. They were joined by a third man, William J Knights, on 1 July 1899, and founded the Gideons Bible Association, the primary purpose of which is personal evangelisation conducted by Christian business and professional men. The name comes from the Old Testament book of Judges, and refers to Gideon, who was willing to do whatever God asked of him. Today, the association has over 140,000 members in 175 countries, and distributes over 56 million Bibles and New Testaments every year.
The Hotel Boscobel, where the men met, is considered the Birthplace of the Gideon Bible and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1982 - Princess Grace of Monaco dies after receiving severe injuries in a car crash.
Hollywood actress Grace Kelly was born on 12 November 1929. She had a lucrative acting career, and was best known for her roles in Alfred Hitch**** films. She met Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1955, while attending the Cannes film festival, and the two were married on 18 April 1956. She put aside her acting career to take up new duties as the Princess of Monaco.
On 13 September 1982, the Princess was driving near Monte Carlo when she suffered a minor stroke. Losing control, she crashed down an embankment, injuring both herself and her youngest daughter, Stephanie. Whilst Stephanie suffered a serious cervical fracture, Princess Grace did not regain consciousness at all, dying on September 14. She was given a full royal funeral at the Cathedral of St Nicholas in Monte Carlo.
2001 - The announcement is made of the closure of Ansett Airlines, Australia.
Australia's national airline is Qantas. However, for nearly seven decades, there was a second major airline in Australia: Ansett Airlines.
Ansett Airways Pty Ltd was founded by Sir Reginald Myles "Reg" Ansett in 1935. The very first flight, a single engine Fokker Universal, departed Hamilton, Victoria bound for Melbourne, on 17 February 1936. In 1957, Ansett Airways became Ansett-ANA after taking over the private airline Australian National Airways (ANA), which had gone bankrupt. Further acquisitions of domestic airlines occurred in ensuing decades, and Ansett continued to operate very profitably, well into the latter years of the twentieth century.
In 1987, Ansett made its first international flights, expanding into New Zealand through its subsidiary Ansett New Zealand. Although Air New Zealand had previously become a 50% shareholder, it acquired full ownership of Ansett in February 2000. Unfortunately, the competition with QANTAS and other airlines, an ageing fleet and the constant grounding of aircraft for maintenance, together with a series of poor financial decisions meant that Ansett became more of a liability than an asset to Air New Zealand. The decision was made to place the airline into administration.
On 14 September 2001, the announcement was made that Air New Zealand had placed the Ansett group of companies into voluntary administration. Despite an attempt by the federal government to prop up Ansett via government guarantee, the last commercial flight, AN152 from Perth to Sydney, touched down just after 6am on 5 March 2002.
Cheers - John
The Belmont Bear said
03:29 PM Sep 14, 2016
Thanks Rocky,
When I first started flying for work back in the late 70s Ansett's main domestic rival was TAA not Qantas. I believe that Qantas may have bought them out sometime in the 90s and rebadged them to Qantas after a couple of years.
rockylizard said
07:04 AM Sep 15, 2016
Gday...
1846 - Explorer Thomas Mitchell discovers and names the Barcoo River, near the present site of Blackall.
Major Thomas Mitchell was born in Craigend, Scotland, in 1792. He came to Australia after serving in the Army during the Napoleonic Wars, and took up the position of Surveyor-General of New South Wales. He undertook four expeditions into the NSW interior. His fourth and final expedition spanned 1845-46, and extended to what is now western Queensland.
Mitchell discovered and named numerous western Queensland rivers. On 15 September 1846, he discovered the Barcoo River, whilst other discoveries on this expedition include the Balonne, Culgoa and Belyando rivers, which mostly flowed south-west into the Darling. However, Mitchell originally named the Barcoo the Victoria River, believing that it flowed north into the Gulf of Carpentaria. His theory was proved incorrect when Edmund Kennedy explored the region the following year, following the Barcoo until it became part of Cooper Creek.
Although this area was not as rich as the land he had found in Victoria on his third expedition, it would prove to be excellent grazing country in the future. The town of Blackall, with its current population of a little less than 2000, grew out of the huge pastoral leases taken up in the area and is situated on the Barcoo River.
1870 - Construction begins on Australia's Overland Telegraph Line, stretching across the continent from Adelaide to Darwin.
The Overland Telegraph Line was a major feat of engineering, which connected Australia to the rest of world via a single wire. The motivation for building the Overland Telegraph Line came from the fact that a submarine cable already reached from England to Java, and the British-Australian Telegraph Company was prepared to lay a submarine cable from Java to Darwin. It remained only to connect Darwin to the rest of Australia.
The line was to connect first with Adelaide, as Adelaide was the closest point linking to the major centres of Melbourne and Sydney. Thanks to the influence of Charles Todd, superintendent of telegraphs and government astronomer in South Australia, the South Australian government agreed to build the necessary 3200 kilometre overland telegraph line connecting Darwin with Port Augusta, north of Adelaide. The Line would closely follow the route charted by explorer John McDouall Stuart on his final expedition in 1862.
Begun on 15 September 1870, the Overland Telegraph Line was completed in 1872. It was an exceptional feat, carried out in searing heat through the Australian desert, and six men lost their lives during the construction. The northern and southern sections were joined on 22 August 1872, finally bringing Australia into telegraphic communication with the rest of the world.
1885 - The largest elephant in captivity, Jumbo, is accidentally killed by a train.
"Jumbo", born sometime in 1861, was an African bush elephant. After being transported from a Paris zoo to the London Zoo, where he was popular for giving rides, he was then sold to P.T.Barnum's circus in 1882, where his huge size made him a drawcard for the circus visitors.
Standing at around 3.25 metres in height, Jumbo was the largest known elephant in captivity, and his name has become synonymous with anything of extraordinary size. On 15 September 1885, the gentle giant Jumbo was killed by a train whilst crossing the tracks at a train marshalling yard in St Thomas, Ontario, Canada, while being loaded for transport with the circus.
Of unusual interest is the fact that, whilst stuffing the elephant for posterity, a taxidermist found within Jumbo's stomach an assortment of coins, key, rivets and even a London policeman's whistle.
1895 - Celebrated American writer and humorist, Mark Twain, arrives in Australia on tour.
American writer Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on 30 November 1835. He grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, and later worked as a licensed Mississippi river-boat pilot. Writing from a mixture of experience and imagination, the pseudonym 'Mark Twain' was spawned in 1863 when he signed a humorous travel account with that name. Twain is best known for stories such as "Tom Sawyer", "The Prince And The Pauper" and "Huckleberry Finn".
Twain arrived in Australia on a three-month lecture tour on 15 September 1895. He was fascinated by the unoccupied desert expanses of outback Australia which contrasted greatly with the populated, fertile inland areas of USA. He was captivated by the humble kookaburra, magpie, and Australian wildlife in general. He wrote extensively about his observations of Australian animals and birds, and was surprised by the problem of feral rabbits. In all, he was a man who, during his tour, displayed a keen interest to learn and explore, tempering his interest with his usual satirical comments.
2011 - The discovery by Australian researchers of a previously unknown species of bottlenose dolphin is announced.
There are almost 40 species of dolphins worldwide. Bottlenose dolphins are the most common, and belong to the genus 'Tursiops'. Found in temperate and tropical seas all over the world, for many years it was believed there were only two species of bottlenose dolphins: the Common Bottlenose Dolphin and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin.
On 15 September 2011, the discovery of a third species of bottlenose dolphin was announced. The new species of 'Tursiops australis' was named by Researcher Kate Charlton-Robb at Australia's Monash University after she determined unique features and differences between the dolphin and other bottlenose dolphins. Also known as the Burrunan dolphin, its common name was derived from an aboriginal word in the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung and Taungurung languages referring to a large sea fish. The species name of 'australis' came from the Latin adjective 'southern', and refers to the Australian range of this bottlenose dolphin.
Cheers - John
The Belmont Bear said
05:33 PM Sep 15, 2016
Thanks Rocky,
Mark Twain visited us in Newcastle in 1895 and later described the place as having one long main street with a graveyard at one end and a gentlemen's club at the other with no gentlemen in it. Not very nice especially after a local dentist had removed a painful tooth for him while he was here.
rockylizard said
08:21 AM Sep 16, 2016
Gday...
you piqued my curiosity ... found this interesting article -
1770 - Captain Cook becomes the first European to note the appearance of the Aurora Australis.
Captain Cook, the first European to chart Australia's eastern coast, was hired in 1766 by the Royal Society to travel to the Pacific Ocean to observe and record the transit of Venus across the Sun in mid-1769. Following this, Cook's next orders were to search the south Pacific for Terra Australis Incognita, the great southern continent. Cook came across New Zealand, which Abel Tasman had discovered in 1642, and spent some months there, charting the coastline. Nearly a year later, Cook set sail west for New Holland, which was later to become Australia.
Some time after beginning his journey up the eastern coast of the continent, Cook became the first European to note the appearance of the Aurora Australis. On 16 September 1770, Cook described a phenomenon which was similar in some ways to the Aurora Borealis, but different in other ways: they had "a dull reddish light" with other "rays of a brighter coloured light" passing between them, and "entirely without the trembling or vibratory motion" he had seen in the Aurora Borealis.
By this time, Cook was as far north as Timor, and the Aurora Australis is not usually seen at that latitude. However, considerable solar activity in September 1770 is believed to have contributed to the appearance of the phenomenon.
1847 - Explorer Edmund Kennedy returns to his depot to find that Aborigines have ransacked his supplies.
Edmund Kennedy was born on 5 September 1818 on the Island of Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. He arrived in Australia in 1840, and took up the position of Assistant-Surveyor of New South Wales. Kennedy accompanied Major Thomas Mitchell's 1845-46 expedition to the interior of Queensland, where he gained much experience in exploration.
In 1847, Mitchell appointed Kennedy to lead a second expedition to trace the course of the Barcoo River (originally named the Victoria River) in the hope that it would lead to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The expedition left on 13 March 1847, and followed the river north to Cooper Creek. This then flowed into the desert, proving it was not linked to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Never one to give up, Kennedy continued southwest, and discovered the Thomson River, on 20 August 1847. He returned to his depot on 16 September 1847, planning to continue north to the Gulf. However, he was dismayed to find that Aborigines had dug up the expedition's carefully buried provisions, and mixed 181kg of flour with clay. This prevented Kennedy from continuing his northward trek, and he was forced to return prematurely to Sydney.
1908 - General Motors Corporation (GM) is founded in the USA.
General Motors Corporation (GM) was founded on 16 September 1908 when William C Durant consolidated several motor car companies, including Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. In GM's early years, Durant bought out 30 other companies, including Chevrolet, Delco, the Fisher Body Company, and Frigidaire. By 1929, GM had surpassed Ford to become the leading American passenger-car manufacturer, and amassed manufacturing facilities and branch sales offices in countries around the world as far as Europe, Asia and Australia. By 1955, it was the first company in America to exceed over $1 billion in a single year.
1956 - Australia's first television broadcast is made by TCN Channel 9 in Sydney.
Although John Logie Baird first demonstrated the television in 1926, it was not until the 1940s that steps were made to bring the medium to Australia. They began with the initial Broadcasting Act of 1948, which prohibited the granting of commercial television licences. In 1950, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced a gradual introduction of television in Australia, commencing with a launch of an ABC station. Three years later his government amended the 1948 Broadcasting Act to allow for commercial television licences.
Test transmissions commenced in Sydney and Melbourne in July 1956. At 7:00pm on 16 September 1956, Australia's first TV broadcast was made by TCN Channel 9 in Sydney. Bruce Gyngell introduced the broadcast with the words "Good evening, and welcome to television".
At the time, there were approximately 2,000 television sets in Sydney. The station was owned by Frank Packer, but it was his son Kerry who later saw and developed the potential of television as an informative media source. Packers TCN 9 launched approximately two months ahead of its nearest competitor, ABN 2. However, a regular broadcasting service was not provided until January of the following year, by GTV 9. GTV 9 had already been granted permission to use the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne for test transmissions, and officially opened with a regular broadcasting service on 19 January 1957.
1975 - Papua New Guinea is granted full independence from Australia.
Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, positioned to the north of Australia. Consisting of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, as well as numerous offshore islands, it shares the island with the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. The country is renowned for being largely unexplored, with ancient tribes still occupying dense jungles in the rugged mountains, while it is also believed that undiscovered flora and fauna species lie in its interior.
The first known European incursions into the island began with the Dutch and Portuguese traders during the sixteenth century. The name 'Papua New Guinea' is a result of the country's unusual administrative history prior to Independence. 'Papua' comes from a Malay word, pepuah, used to describe the frizzy Melanesian hair, while 'New Guinea' is derived from 'Nueva Guinea', the name used by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who coined the term due to the physical similarities he noted in the people to those occupying the Guinea coast of Africa.
The northern half of the country fell to German control in 1884, and in 1899 the German imperial government assumed direct control of the territory. At this point, the territory was known as German New Guinea. In 1884, Britain had taken control of the southern half, annexing it completely in 1888. The southern half was known as British New Guinea. After the Papua Act of 1905, the British portion was renamed to Territory of Papua. During World War I, Australian troops began occupying the island to defend the British portion. Once the Treaty of Versailles came into effect following World War I, Australia was permitted to administer German New Guinea, while the British portion came to be regarded as an External Territory of the Australian Commonwealth, though in effect still a British possession. The two territories remained separate and distinct as 'Papua' and 'New Guinea'.
Following the New Guinea Campaign of World War II, the two territories were merged as 'Papua New Guinea'. Australia continued to administer the country until it was granted full independence on 16 September 1975. Since independence, the two countries have retained close ties.
1982 - Over 1000 Palestinian refugees are massacred by Lebanese Maronite Christians.
Between 1975 and 1990, civil war raged in Lebanon between groups which allied themselves with neighbouring countries. The Lebanese Maronite Christians, led by the Phalangist party and militia, were allied with Syria, then with Israel. Palestinians and Shiites from the south fleeing the war, found refuge in the neighbouring areas of Sabra and Shatila, in the southern outskirts of West Beirut.
On 16 September 1982, Lebanese Maronite Christian militias in then-Israeli-occupied Beirut stormed into the Palestinian refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila. An undetermined number of refugees were killed, but estimates range between 850 and 3,500, with entire families being wiped out. In 1983, an Israeli judicial inquiry report into the massacre condemned the Israeli Government's role for failing to prevent the bloodshed.
Cheers - John
rockylizard said
08:05 AM Sep 17, 2016
Gday...
1853 - Australia's first paddlesteamer, the 'Lady Augusta', reaches Swan Hill on its maiden voyage from Goolwa.
In 1828-29, Captain Charles Sturt became the first explorer to follow the course of the Murray River down to its mouth at Lake Alexandrina in South Australia. In doing so, he opened up the possibilities for a new means of transporting goods and passengers through inland NSW to the southern coast.
In 1851, the South Australian Government offered 2,000 pounds reward to the first two steamships to reach the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers. 31-year-old Scottish shipbuilder, Francis Cadell, had the 32m iron paddlesteamer, 'Lady Augusta', built in Sydney with 2x20hp steam engines. He departed Goolwa on 25 August 1853, travelling 2,200 km upstream, reaching Swan Hill on 17 September 1853. Cadell's competitor, William Randell, built his own 17m paddlesteamer 'Mary Ann' at Gumeracha and Mannum, with a single 8hp engine and a square boiler. Randell reached Swan Hill several hours behind Cadell, after the two had raced neck-and-neck most of the way.
Cadell went on to carry cargo mostly along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers; the small Murray River town of Cadell in South Australia now bears his name. Randell plied his trade along the Murray-Darling system. The town of Mannum grew up around his boat-yards and docks at his Reedy Creek station.
1892 - The Coolgardie, WA, gold rush begins.
The small town of Coolgardie lies about 570km east of Perth, Western Australia. The gold rush began when prospectors Arthur Bayley and William Ford found a rich reef of gold in 1892, which they named "Bayley's Reward". On 17 September 1892 they carried almost 16kg of gold into a bank in Southern Cross, 368km northeast of Perth. Thousands departed Southern Cross that very night, sparking a huge gold rush to Coolgardie.
Coolgardie grew rapidly, becoming the third largest town in the state after Perth and Fremantle. However, within a few years, nearby Kalgoorlie was attracting more interest, as the gold deposits were much larger. The population of Coolgardie dropped dramatically, falling to below 200 at one stage. Now the town stands as a monument to its gold rush days, with a steady population of around 1300.
1908 - The first air fatality occurs when a plane being piloted by Orville Wright crashes, killing his passenger.
Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with being the first to build a flying machine. After several years of building and selling airplanes, the Wright brothers had attracted interest from the army. As Orville Wright was demonstrating his airplane to Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge at Fort Meyer, Virginia, on 17 September 1908, the propeller cracked. The plane plummeted to the ground, injuring both men. Selfridge died shortly afterwards, whilst Wright suffered a fractured thigh and ribs, from which he later recovered.
1939 - The Soviet Union joins Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland.
World War II was a bitter time for countries experiencing invasion by Nazi Germany. On the last day of August 1939, Germany staged an attack by Poland, dressing Nazi S.S. troops in Polish uniforms and leaving behind dead German prisoners in Polish uniforms as evidence of the 'Polish attack'. Using this as propaganda served to pave the way for Germany to invade Poland the next day.
On 17 September 1939 the Soviet Red Army also invaded eastern Poland. This was in co-operation with Nazi Germany, as a means of carrying out their part of the secret appendix of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which involved the division of Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence. Later in September that year, Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union.
2001 - Today is Australian Citizenship Day, inaugurated in the twenty-first century.
Australian Citizenship Day was first celebrated in Australia on 17 September 2001. The date chosen as 17 September was the day that the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was renamed, in 1973, to the Australian Citizenship Act 1948.
Australian Citizenship Day is an opportunity for Australians to take pride in their citizenship and consider what it means to be Australian. Australians are encouraged to reflect on the history and changes that have shaped the nation, and on the individuals' roles in shaping the country's future. This is a time to uphold Australia's values of democracy and the concept of a fair go, as well as equality and respect for each other. Common venues for Australian Citizenship Day include the Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra, the Sydney Opera House, Government House in Tasmania and the Adelaide Zoo.
2013 - Stricken Italian cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, is set upright in the largest salvage operation of its kind to date.
The Costa Concordia was a massive cruise ship which ran aground off the coast of Italy in January 2012. The vessel was 290.20 metres long, had a beam of 35.50 metres, and 1500 cabins across thirteen decks. It departed Civitavecchia, Italy at 21:18 local time on 13 January 2012, with over 4000 passengers and crew on board. Shortly afterwards, at 21:45, it hit a rock off Isola del Giglio, after Captain Francesco Schettino ordered an unauthorised deviation from its planned route, steering the vessel close to the island in a salute to the locals. The impact created a 53 metre long gouge in the port side hull along 3 compartments of the engine room, causing the ship to take in water and list to one side. It finally rolling over onto its starboard side, where it lay atop an underwater rocky ledge at a depth of about 20 metres of water, from where it was feared it could sink into deeper water.
Captain Schettino gave the order to evacuate over an hour after the initial incident. Many passengers were able to escape in lifeboats, although this was rendered difficult by the angle of the listing ship. Rescue crews were quickly dispatched, but 300 passengers remained aboard after both the captain and the second master abandoned the vessel. 32 passengers perished, with two not being found until some time after the rescue operations ended. Rescue operations were hampered by the shifting of the vessel several times in the shallow water.
Costa Concordia was officially declared a "constructive total loss" by the insurance company, while Captain Schettino was later charged with failing to describe to maritime authorities the scope of the disaster, and for abandoning incapacitated passengers. In May 2012, the decision was made to salvage the ship, rather than break it up. Around 2200 tonnes of fuel were removed. The parbuckle salvage of the ship was commenced on 16 September 2013. In what was the largest salvage operation of its kind to date, the Costa Concordia was set upright shortly after midnight on 17 September 2013. In July the following year, the vessel was refloated and towed to Genoa, where the dismantling process began.
Cheers - John
Dougwe said
10:24 AM Sep 17, 2016
2013......I Remember it well Rocky.
It's good to remember something for a change
Tony Bev said
01:13 PM Sep 17, 2016
Hello rockylizard
Re 2013 - Stricken Italian cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, is set upright in the largest salvage operation of its kind to date
As Dougwe has already said I also remember it well
The main gentleman concerned, (Captain Schettino), will always be remembered as Captain Coward
rockylizard said
08:20 AM Sep 18, 2016
Gday...
1797 - Coal is officially discovered in New South Wales, Australia, providing the foundation for the establishment of Newcastle.
Newcastle is the second largest city in New South Wales, Australia. It was not a settlement at the time when a group of convict escapees discovered the first-known coal deposits in 1791. The discovery was not made known, as the convicts sought obscurity rather than notoriety. It was a British soldier, Lieutenant John Shortland, who found a coal seam while looking for the escapees in 1797.
Shortland first found a river which had been overlooked by Captain Cook who had charted the eastern coast 27 years earlier. Shortland named this river the "Hunter", after Governor Hunter, but then discovered a rich seam of coal, on 18 September 1797. For some time after this, the river was known as the Coal River. Shortland took a sample of the coal back to Sydney. Within a year, workers on ships began collecting coal from the riverbanks and selling it in Sydney. The first export of local coal took place in 1799.
In order to have sufficient workers to mine the coal and cut timber, a convict camp for particularly hardened criminals was established in 1801. It was initially known as King's Town, after Governor King. From this settlement came the thriving city of Newcastle.
1876 - A sea monster is reported to have been seen in the Straits of Malacca.
Reports have abounded of sightings of sea monsters for thousands of years. Usually such sightings involve only a small number of witnesses. However, occasionally such creatures have been seen by large numbers of people. On 18 September 1876, the 'Straits Times Overland Journal' ran an editorial, reporting on an unusual sea creature which had been seen by a Captain and his shipload of passengers one week earlier.
The "monster" was seen in the Malacca Straits, which link the Indian and Pacific Oceans between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In his log, John W Webster, Captain of the SS Nestor, described the creatures as having a body which was "quite fifty feet broad" and its total length "over two hundred feet". Its head "was about twelve feet broad and appeared ... about six feet above the water." It had a "long dragon tail with black and white scales". The monster continued its course alongside the ship, taking no note of either ship or occupants, who were entertained by its presence for about half an hour.
1895 - Daniel Palmer, founder of chiropractic treatment, makes the first chiropractic adjustment on a patient.
Daniel David Palmer was born on 7 March 1845 near Toronto, Canada. His family moved to the United States when he was very young. Originally, he worked as a magnetic healer in Davenport, Iowa, but two patients who both presented with problems associated with spinal disorders changed his focus. Palmer corrected the spinal dislocation of the first patient, whose deafness immediately cleared up. This occurred on 18 September 1895. Palmer's second patient, who was suffering from heart disease, also improved after adjustment of a spinal dislocation which Palmer believed exerted pressure on the nerves leading to the heart.
From this, Palmer extrapolated the theory that decreased nerve flow could cause disease, and that misplaced spinal vertebrae could cause pressure on the nerves. Thus, he developed the theory of chiropractic treatment.
1961 - UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld is killed in a plane crash.
Dag Hammarskjöld was born in Sweden on July 29 1905. His distinguished career in public service included Swedish financial affairs, Swedish foreign relations, and global international affairs. He was Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 to 1961. An excellent diplomat, in 1954-55 he personally negotiated the release of American soldiers captured by the Chinese in the Korean War. During the Suez Canal crisis of 1956, he was instrumental in getting the UN to nullify the use of force by Israel, France, and Great Britain following Egyptian President Nasser's commandeering of the Canal.
Hammarskjöld was on a peacekeeping mission the night he was killed, September 18, 1961. His plane crashed near the border between Katanga and North Rhodesia. It was never established whether his plane was deliberately shot down or the crash was accidental.
1997 - Media tycoon Ted Turner establishes the United Nations Foundation with a pledge of one billion dollars.
Ted Turner, born Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III on 19 November 1938, is a media tycoon and philanthropist. As co-founder of CNN, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network, together with a series of shrewd business purchases, Turner has become one of America's wealthiest men. On 18 September 1997, Turner pledged one billion US dollars, an estimated third of his wealth, to establish the United Nations Foundation. The UN Foundation supports the charter of the United Nations to address issues such as prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS, environmental conservation and the prevention of deadly conflict.
Cheers - John
The Belmont Bear said
04:36 PM Sep 18, 2016
In 1799 the colony of NSW's first export was coal from the Coal River (Newcastle) sold to a captain of a ship who was returning to Bengal. The money earn't helped to prop up the 11 year old settlement at Port Jackson - not much seems to have changed over the last 207 years.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Sunday 18th of September 2016 04:52:41 PM
rockylizard said
07:53 AM Sep 19, 2016
Gday...
I love to get my curiousity piqued ... there are so many interesting things in our past
On December 14th, 1799 the Martha of 30 tons arrived at Sydney Cove and sailed for the Hunter River but entered Lake Macquarie where she landed with very fine coals. The lake was called Reids Mistake because Captain Wm. Reid made the mistake of believing he had entered the Hunter River. These coals were exported to the Cape or Bengal and were the first export.
Cheers - John
rockylizard said
08:00 AM Sep 19, 2016
Gday...
1783 - The first hot-air balloon is tested - with a duck, a sheep and a rooster as its passengers.
Jacques Étienne Montgolfier was the French pioneer of the hot air balloon. Montgolfier was born on 6 January 1745. Together with his brother Joseph-Michel, he developed and tested the hot air balloon, progressing to untethered flights. On 19 September 1783, he tested the first balloon to carry passengers, using a duck, a sheep and a rooster as his subjects. The demonstration occurred in Paris and was witnessed by King Louis XVI. The rooster did not survive the landing.
The first manned, untethered balloon flight occurred on November 21 of that year, and carried two men.
1799 - A huge ball blazing with white light is witnessed throughout England.
Unidentified Flying Objects are not restricted to the twentieth century and later. On 19 September 1799, all of England was apparently witness to a spectacular sight. The "Gentleman's Magazine" reported that at 8:30pm, a huge ball, blazing with a brilliant white light and the occasional red spark, was seen to pass from the northwest to the southeast. The phenomenon apparently moved quickly and silently, with a gentle "tremulous motion".
1839 - Chocolate manufacturer George Cadbury is born.
George Cadbury was born on 19 September 1839. The son of a tea and coffee drinker, he was compelled at an early age to take over the business when both his parents suffered ill health. After 5 years, he and his older brother Richard developed the popular use of cocoa as a drink, sold as a powder so customers could add water or milk. Over time, the brothers improved the quality of the cocoa through developing a new cocoa bean processing technique.
George Cadbury was an employer who truly practised the tenet that if you look after your employees, they'll look after you. He built homes for his workers among attractive surroundings and gardens, was generous with time off, provided sporting and recreational facilities, provided health treatment and a retirement fund. This was a hugely progressive step from the workhouse conditions endured by many employees of the time.
1919 - The Great Ocean Road project in Victoria is officially launched.
The Great Ocean Road is a scenic highway in southern Victoria which begins at Torquay and extends west for 243 km, ending at Allansford, just east of Warrnambool. Hailed as an engineering feat for its time, the road was built by around 3000 returned servicemen, or Diggers, following World War I.
The concept of such a road was first put forward as early as the 1870s. Settlers along the coast could only reach the larger communities inland via rough tracks over the Otway ranges, so calls were made for either a rail or road route connecting these otherwise isolated coastal settlements. Shortly after Geelong businessmen E H Lascelles and Walter Howard Smith proposed a road be built between Geelong and Lorne, the Country Roads Board (CRB) was formed in 1912. Following World War I, CRB chairman William Calder suggested that returned Diggers be gainfully employed on various road projects, including a road extending from Barwon Heads to Warrnambool. The plan was soundly approved by Mayor of Geelong, Howard Hitch****, who saw not only the value in such a road for tourism, but also as a permanent memorial to the many thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in the Great War.
The Great Ocean Road Trust was officially formed on 22 March 1918, and surveying began in August of that year. On 19 September 1919, the project to construct the Great Ocean Road was officially launched by the Premier of Victoria, Harry Lawson. Taking 13 years to complete, the road is regarded as a tremendous engineering feat for the 1920s. With the absence of any machinery at the time, it required back-breaking manual labour as the men had only shovels, picks and horse-drawn carts to hew out the rocky cliffside. The first section, extending from Lorne to the Eastern View section of the Great Ocean Road, was officially opened on 18 March 1922. The second official opening occurred on 27 April 1932, and this celebrated the extension of the road to Warrnambool.
Although modernised since its original construction, the Great Ocean Road continues to stand as the world's largest memorial to the soldiers of World War I.
1985 - Mexico City is hit by the first of two devastating earthquakes.
Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is built on landfill above the mud and sediment of an ancient lake. In 1985, the city boasted a population of 23 million, larger than the entire population of Australia in the year 2005. On the morning of 19 September 1985 an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale struck Mexico's western coast. It affected an area of 13, 875 square kilometres. The mud of the lakebed acted as a spring in response to the earth's upthrusts and vibrations. This compounded the damage to buildings, as many had not been built to withstand the force of such movement, and building collapse was the major contributing factor to the high death toll.
Thirty-six hours later, a huge aftershock hit the city, registering 7.3 on the Richter scale. Many more were killed, and buildings which survived the first earthquake came crashing down in the second. Officially, the death toll for the two quakes was around five thousand. Unofficially, it was estimated that the final figure was closer to 30,000.
1991 - Otzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old Bronze Age hunter, is found.
Otzi the Iceman was discovered on 19 September 1991 by two German mountaineers. His frozen, preserved body was found at an altitude of 3,200m in the Alps on the Italian-Austrian border. Samples taken from his stomach indicated that his last meal consisted of meat, probably from an alpine goat, the bones of which were found nearby, wheat, plants and plums. Otzi was found alongside a copper axe, a knife, a bow made out of yew and 14 wooden arrows.
Otzi's probable cause of death was an arrowhead buried beneath his upper left shoulder. Because he has been so perfectly preserved, scientists have even been able to determine the position from which the arrow was fired, and the fact that it missed vital organs, but probably caused nerve damage and internal haemorrhaging.
Gday...
1699 - Sea explorer William Dampier departs 'New Holland' after sailing along the western coastline for five days.
The first European to "discover" Australia was not Captain Cook. Numerous Dutch and Portuguese explorers had mapped sections of coastline of the "Great South Land" prior to Cook. Nor was he the first English sea captain to land on Australian soil. That honour went to William Dampier.
Dampier was born in 1652. As an experienced sea captain and pirate, he became the first Englishman to explore and map parts of New Holland and New Guinea. In 1688, he landed briefly at King Sound near Buccaneer Archipelago on the north-west coast of Australia. He was unimpressed by the dry, barren landscape, the lack of water and what he described as the "miserablest people in the world" - the native population.
Eleven years later, he was back, after the British Admiralty commissioned Dampier to chart the north-west coast, hoping to find a strategic use for 'New Holland'. He arrived at Shark Bay in the west, and spent five days exploring north. Having failed to find any fresh water, Dampier departed Roebuck Bay in disgust on 5 September 1699.
1880 - The first Salvation Army meeting in Australia is held in Adelaide.
The Salvation Army began on 2 July 1865 when William Booth preached the first of nine sermons in a tattered tent on an unused Quaker cemetery in London. Initially running under the name of the East London Christian Mission, Booth and his wife held meetings every evening and on Sundays, to offer repentance, Salvation and Christian ethics to the poorest and most needy, including alcoholics, criminals and prostitutes. Booth and his followers practised what they preached, performing self-sacrificing Christian and social work, such as opening Food for the Millions shops (soup kitchens), not caring if they were scoffed at or derided for their Christian ministry work. In 1878, the organisation became known as the Salvation Army. They adopted a uniform and adapted Christian words to popular tunes sung in the public bars.
The first Salvation Army meeting in Australia was conducted from the back of a greengrocer's truck in Adelaide Botanic Park on 5 September 1880. It was initiated by Edward Saunders and John Gore, two men with no theological training, but who both had a heart for their fellow man's physical and spiritual condition. Saunders and Gore had been converted by the Salvation Army in London. With the words "If theres a man here who hasnt had a square meal today, let him come home to tea with me", the men began a ministry that was soon to expand throughout Australia.
1885 - In the US, the first petrol pump, manufactured by Sylvanus F Bowser, is sold.
When automobiles were invented, the need became apparent for alternative fuel sources to power them. Coal gas, camphene and kerosene were inefficient fuels for the purpose, so petroleum became the fuel of choice. Early refiners could convert only a small percentage of their crude oil to petrol for cars. As automobiles became more common, there was increased need for higher quality in the fuels, to enhance the efficiency and power of engines. Once the refining system was improved, supply also became an issue. Whilst automobiles had not yet become available to the "man on the street", petrol-driven engines were emerging as more common in industry.
The first petrol pump (called gasoline in the USA) was manufactured by Sylvanus F Bowser of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in his barn. It was delivered to the very first petrol-pump owner, Jake D Gumper, on 5 September 1885. The pump tank used marble valves and wooden plungers, and had a capacity of one barrel or 42 gallons of petrol.
1994 - Australia's first political assassination occurs.
John Newman was born John Naumenko on 8 December 1946 to Austrian and Yugoslavian parents. He already had a strong history of involvement in the Australian Labor Party and the union movement by the time he opted to change his surname by deed poll to Newman in 1972. From 1970 to 1986, he was a State union organiser with the Federated Clerks Union, and he undertook post-graduate studies in industrial law at the University of Sydney, along with numerous Trade Union Training Authority education programs.
Newman first represented Fairfield Council in 1977, a position he retained until 1986. He was Deputy Mayor in 198586 and also served as Acting Mayor in 1986. A by-election in the seat of Cabramatta saw Newman elected to the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales early in February 1986. Here, in an electorate populated by a wide range of southeast Asians, and in which there were underlying racial tensions, Newman undertook a protracted campaign to fight Asian organised crime and corruption: a fight for which he would pay the ultimate price.
At around 9:30pm on 5 September 1994, Newman was shot twice in the driveway of his home. This was Australia's first political murder.
It was four years before an arrest was made. In 2001, after three earlier trials, two of which were aborted and another which ended in a hung jury, former Fairfield City Councillor and local club owner, Phuong Ngo, who had a history of conflict with Newman, was convicted of the assassination.
1997 - Mother Teresa, famous for ministering to lepers, the homeless and the poor in the slums of Calcutta, dies.
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on 27 August 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. When she was just 17, she joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Lareto, a Catholic order that did charity work in India. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, which was a new order devoted to helping the sick, disabled and poor, and continued to tirelessly minister to the world's most needy people. The Missionaries of Charity now operates schools, hospitals, orphanages, and food centres in over 100 cities worldwide. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace".
Mother Teresa died on 5 September 1997. She was given a full state funeral by the Indian Government, an honour normally given only to presidents and prime ministers. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2003.
PS - Mother Teresa, revered for her work with the poor in India, was yesterday proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican. Francis said St Teresa had defended the unborn, sick and abandoned, and had shamed world leaders for the "crimes of poverty they themselves created".
Two apparent cures of sick people after Mother Teresa's death in 1997 have been attributed to her intercession.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims attended the canonisation in St Peter's Square.
Cheers - John
thanks Rocky,
A bit of useless trivia for you -
William Dampier may have been the first Englishmen to land on Australian soil but I remember from back in my high school days that other Europeans like Dirk Hartog (who left a plate in Shark Bay dated 25th October 1616) beat him to it. In 1696 a Dutchman called Willem de Vlamingh came back and nailed a replacement plate to a post and took Hartogs back with him to Holland . I believe that the first European to record seeing the Australian coastline somewhere near Perth was Willem Jansoon in 1606. I also read in Wikipedia that there were around 50 European visitors to Australian waters between 1606 and Captain Cooks arrival in 1770. Maybe if our friend Mr Dampier had tried harder to communicate to those "miserable people" they could have pointed him in the right direction. I don't suppose you can really count Tasmania as being part of Australia (just kidding) but Abel Tasman found that rather large island in 1642. If you ever get a chance to visit Fremantle they have a great exhibition of the remains of the Batavia which was shipwrecked off the Abrolhos Islands in 1629 leading to the first mutiny, sexual assault, murder of over 100 people and the resultant hangings in Australian waters. 2 of the perpetrators were left marooned on the mainland and a group of aboriginal people called the Amangu have bloodlines that can actually be traced back to Laymen in Holland.
Gday...
1620 - English emigrants on the pilgrim ship, the Mayflower, depart from Plymouth, England, on their way to the New World in America.
The 'Mayflower' was the first ship containing emigrants to arrive on American shores. It departed Plymouth, England, on 6 September 1620, with 102 men, woman and children passengers. This group is known as the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims departed England because of their desire for religious freedom. All religion in England was strictly dictated by the government, and all were required to conform to such dictates and restrictions. Individual beliefs and forms of worship were actively discouraged, by jailing, torture or, at worst, execution.
The Pilgrims wished to return to the simplicity of the church as seen in the example of the early churches in the New Testament; they did not want the rituals and restrictions of the Church of England. It was this freedom the Pilgrims sought when they left the shores of their homeland for the last time in 1620.
1941 - Nazi Germany dictates that all Jews over the age of 6 must wear the Star of David in public.
The World War II holocaust was the mass genocide of European Jews and others by the Nazis during World War II. Prior to the execution of hundreds of thousands of Jews, policies paved the way for the Nazis to quickly identify the people they sought to decimate.
On 6 September 1941, the German SS announced the policy of compulsory display of the Jewish symbol, the Star of David, to take effect on September 19, in all German-occupied areas. The policy stated that Jews who were over six years old were forbidden to show themselves in public without the Jewish Star. This consisted of a six-pointed star, outlined with black superscription, and with the word "Jude" (German for Jew) inscribed. It was required to be sewn on securely, and clearly visible on the left breast of clothing. At the same time, the policy was also announced prohibiting Jews from leaving their residential areas without police permission.
1972 - Nine Israeli athletes being held hostage are killed in a bungled rescue attempt during the Munich Olympic Games.
The 1972 Olympic Games were held in Munich, Germany. On September 5, with six days of the Olympics left to run, 8 Palestinian terrorists stormed the apartment building that housed the Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village. Two Israeli athletes were killed and nine more were taken as hostages. The terrorists demanded the release of over 200 Palestinians serving time in Israeli jails. Negotiations continued over the next 24 hours, but unsuccessfully. The next day, 6 September 1972, the terrorists took the hostages to the Furstenfeldbruck military airbase, where they intended to procure a flight back to the Middle East.
At the airport, police snipers opened fire, killing three of the Palestinians. In the ensuing gun battle, the terrorists blew up a helicopter with the hostages inside and then opened fire on the wreckage with automatic weapons. All nine of the hostages were killed, together with one policeman and two more terrorists. The remaining terrorists were captured, but eight weeks later were released when two Palestinians hijacked a plane in Beirut and demanded their release. The West German government immediately agreed to their demands, and they were flown to Libya. After this, Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service, formed a special unit to hunt down and kill all those responsible for the deaths of the Israeli athletes.
1997 - The first Saturday edition of the Australian Financial Review is produced.
The Australian Financial Review is a broadsheet newspaper published six days a week by Fairfax Media, one of the largest media companies in Australia and New Zealand. The publication aims to provide an independent source of business, investment, financial and political news.
The Australian Financial Review was launched on 16 August 1951 as a weekly newspaper. From October 1961 it was produced bi-weekly, and in 1963 it became a daily newspaper from Monday to Friday. In February 1995, a magazine supplement, the Australian Financial Review Magazine, was introduced. Forty-six years after the newspaper's launch, on 6 September 1997, the first Saturday edition of the newspaper was produced.
Cheers - John
Gday...
1815 - Australian explorer John McDouall Stuart is born.
John McDouall Stuart was born in Dysart, Fife, Scotland, on 7 September 1815. He arrived in South Australia in 1839. He had a passion for exploration and gained experience when he was employed as a draughtsman by Captain Charles Sturt on an expedition into the desert interior. Sturt hoped to find the inland sea which had eluded him since he first followed the Murray River in the late 1820s. All the explorers found was Sturt's Stony Desert and the Simpson Desert. After Sturt's second-in-command, James Poole, died of scurvy, Sturt appointed Stuart in his place. Both men survived to return to Adelaide, but suffered greatly from scurvy. The effects of this remained with Stuart for a year, and returned to haunt him later during his own explorations in the early 1860s.
Following his experience with Sturt, Stuart was determined to cross Australia from south to north. It was on his fifth expedition and third attempt to cross the continent that he succeeded, returning alive, blinded from scurvy, but alive. His health suffered for the rest of his life, and he died in 1866, aged fifty years.
1825 - Major Edmund Lockyer arrives in Brisbane to explore the upper reaches of the Brisbane River.
Edmund Lockyer was born on 21 January 1784 in Plymouth, Devon. He arrived as a British soldier in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1825.
Later in 1825, Lockyer was given command of an expedition to explore the upper reaches of the Brisbane River, which ticket-of-leave convicts Pamphlett, Finnegan and Parsons had discovered, and informed explorer John Oxley about, in 1823. A new convict settlement had been established on the Brisbane River after the 1824 attempt to colonise the Redcliffe Peninsula had failed, due to lack of fresh water. Lockyer's commission was to explore further up the Brisbane River and report to the Governor.
The expedition left Sydney on 2 September 1825 in the cutter "Mermaid" and arrived at Brisbane on 7 September. Lockyer then used a smaller boat to explore the river. He became the first to sight coal on the banks near the junction of the (now) Bremer and Brisbane Rivers.
Lockyer later went on to lead an expedition to claim Western Australia for Britain. He established a military base at King Georges Sound which originally bore the name of Frederick's Town: it was later renamed Albany.
Major Lockyer died on 10 June 1860. The Lockyer Valley and Lockyer Creeks west of Brisbane are now named after Edmund Lockyer, first explorer of the southeast beyond the coastal waters.
1876 - C J Dennis, Australian journalist, poet and author of 'The Sentimental Bloke', is born.
C J Dennis was born Clarence Michael James Dennis on 7 September 1876. Born in Auburn, South Australia, as the son of a publican, he was brought up by his prudish aunts. He was keen on writing from a young age, and several of his early verses were published in the 'Critic' in 1898. Dennis became editor of the 'Critic' in 1904, and two years later he helped launch the satirical weekly magazine, 'The Gadfly'. After this, he worked as a freelance journalist in Melbourne, until his big success, 'The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke'.
'The Sentimental Bloke', as it came to be known, was a love story, written in slang. Initially rejected by a Melbourne publisher, it was picked up by Angus and Robertson and published in 1915. It became an immediate success for its irreverent larrikinism and use of Australian slang.
C J Dennis continued to write other satirical verses which were also popular. He died in 1939.
1936 - Buddy Holly, rock 'n' roll singer of the 1950s, is born.
Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley on 7 September, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas. Growing up in a musically-minded family, he played the violin, piano and guitar, and debuted in country and western music. He moved into the arena of rock 'n' roll, and became one of the first to use overdubbing and double-tracking during production of his music. He is best known for the songs "That'll Be The Day" and "Peggy Sue."
Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash in 1959, along with fellow rock 'n' roll musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. His death was recorded as 'the day the music died' in Don McLean's classic 'American Pie'.
1936 - The last known Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, dies.
The Thylacine is, or was, a carnivorous marsupial living in Australia, specifically the island of Tasmania, up until the twentieth century. It is believed that the Thylacine existed on the Australian mainland until the introduction of the dingo. Although the Thylacine is often called the Tasmanian Tiger or Tasmanian Wolf, it is neither of these. Its body was similar in shape to that of the placental wolf, but it was a marsupial, putting it in an entirely different class. It stood about 60cm tall, with a body length of up to 130cm, not including its tail, up to 66cm long.
With the arrival of the European settlers in Tasmania, the Thylacine was doomed. Farmers shot the creatures, fearing their threat to livestock, while hunters prized them as trophies; these acts were supported by the government of the time which offered a bounty of one pound for every dead adult Thylacine and ten shillings for each dead Thylacine joey.
The last known specimen of the Thylacine died in the Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936. The last captive animals were exhibited in zoos, where their needs were not understood, and the Thylacines in Hobart died from exposure. Despite numerous apparent "sightings" over the years, not one of these has ever been confirmed, and the Thylacine is now officially classified as Extinct.
1940 - The German airforce begins the 'Blitz' - its intensive bombing campaign on London in WWII.
The London Blitz was an intense bombing campaign on London in World War II by the German airforce, the Luftwaffe. The Blitz took its name from the German word Blitzkrieg, meaning 'Lightning War'. Hundreds of civilians were killed, and many more injured, in the initial attack which took place on 7 September 1940. The first raids were concentrated on the heavily populated East End, as about 300 bomber planes attacked the city over a 90 minute period. The attack started a series of fires which lit up the night sky, guiding in the German forces for another attack, commencing about 8:30pm.
Prior to this sustained attack, the German airforce had spent a month attempting to decimate the British airforce. Failure to achieve this objective had resulted in the Blitz, designed to crush the morale of the British people. The Blitz lasted for over 8 months, killed about 43,000 civilians and destroyed over one million homes. During the Blitz, the Luftwaffe lost most of its experienced aircrew and hundreds of aircraft. By drawing the focus away from the British air force, it gave the RAF time to regroup and rebuild. Despite the Luftwaffe's best attempts, the British people never lost their morale or their fighting spirit.
1986 - The last section of the sealed National Highway around Australia is completed, between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.
The first road in Australia, outside of Sydney, was completed in 1815. William Cox was commissioned to build the road to Bathurst, using convict labour. The original Great Western Highway covered 161 km and incorporated twelve bridges. This road was just the first step in the highway network that would eventually extend across and around the entire continent.
The National Highway Act was initiated in 1974 as a means to establish a fully sealed national highway around Australia. The Federal government funded the building of the highways, although construction and maintenance was the responsibility of the various State and Territory Governments. The final section of the sealed highway around Australia was opened on 7 September 1986. It had taken five years to widen and seal the 289 kilometre section of the Great Northern Highway between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek in Western Australia. Although other sections of the National Highway were rerouted in ensuing years, the Fitzroy Crossing-Halls Creek link was considered to be the last section to be sealed.
Cheers - John
Hello rockylizard
Re 1936 - Buddy Holly, rock 'n' roll singer of the 1950s, is born.
Twelve years of age when he died, he was a legend to a lot of people from my era
Took this shot of aboriginal art and explanation board in Kakadu believed to be thousands of years old.
I hadn't taken much notice of Buddy Holly's music (a little before my time ) that was until I saw the musical Buddy in Sydney quite a few years ago after that I became a fan.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Wednesday 7th of September 2016 10:29:41 PM
Gday...
1792 - The first convict is believed to have been buried in the Old Sydney Burial Ground.
The Old Sydney Burial Ground is also known as the George Street Burial Ground, the Cathedral Close Cemetery or the Town Hall Cemetery. Bordered by George, Druitt, Bathurst and Kent Streets, it was laid out in 1793 by Governor Phillip and Reverend Johnson. Before it was officially set out, Phillip and Rev Johnson chose the site in September 1792, as it was far enough away from the main settlement to not pose a health hazard. The first interment was a convict named Michael Dunn, who was believed to have been buried at the site on 8 September 1792.
Around 2300 people, both convicts and free settlers, were interred at the Old Sydney Burial Ground before 1820, when a new burial ground was opened on Brickfield Hill, later the site of Central Railway Station. In 1869, the site needed to be cleared for the construction of the Sydney Town Hall, so the Old Burial Ground was moved to Haslem's Creek, to become the Rookwood Cemetery.
1854 - The handle of the public water pump in Broad St, London is removed in an attempt to end the deadly cholera epidemic.
Cholera was a common disease in previous centuries. Poor sanitation contributed significantly to outbreaks and the spread of cholera, but at the time, it was not known that this was the cause. London was one of many cities which suffered numerous cholera outbreaks, and it was hit by yet another in 1854.
John Snow was a doctor who had served as both colliery surgeon and unqualified assistant during the 1831-32 London Cholera epidemic. He then studied at the Huntierian School of Medicine in London and, within two years, was accepted into the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He graduated from the University of London in 1844. Snow believed that cholera developed and was transmitted via contaminated food and water, a theory he propounded in his 1849 publication, "On the Mode of Communication of Cholera". This was contrary to the prevailing belief that cholera was transmitted by inhaling contaminated vapours. Snow had neither evidence nor proof to back up his beliefs.
When London was again hit by a cholera epidemic, this time in 1854, Snow meticulously plotted the location of deaths resulting from the diseases. From this, he extrapolated the likely centre of contamination, noting that up to 500 deaths had occurred in under two weeks near the intersection of Cambridge and Broad Street. This prompted Snow to meet with the Board of Guardians of St. James's parish and demand the removal of the handle from the water pump on Broad St, which was freely accessed by the public. The handle was duly removed on 8 September 1854. An immediate reduction in deaths was reported, and the epidemic contained.
Although the evidence seemed clear, controversy dogged Snow's theory for years after the event. Some were of the belief that the epidemic had already reached its climax at the time of Snow's action, whilst others believed that Snow only mapped the locations after the removal of the pump handle. Nonetheless, credit goes to Snow for his bold actions, and the fact that his theory that cholera was transmitted through contaminated water was subsequently proved viable.
1900 - 8000 are killed when Galveston, Texas, is hit by a powerful hurricane.
Galveston is a city in Texas, on Galveston Island on the Gulf Coast of the United States. It was also the location of one the deadliest ever natural disasters in the United States.
The Great Galveston Hurricane was a category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with wind gusts up to 217 kilometres per hour. The hurricane made landfall at Galveston during mid-afternoon on 8 September 1900. The estimated death toll was between 6,000 and 12,000, while the official number was cited as 8,000.
The high death toll was attributed to a number of factors. The inhabitants of the city were familiar with the vagaries of the weather, so early morning warnings in the form of dark skies, high tides and heavy swells went unheeded. A fifteen-foot high wall of water preceded the hurricane, swamping the low-lying city. Extreme wind gusts hurled entire rows of houses into subsequent rows, and people were hit by flying bricks and slate roofs.
To minimise the effects of future hurricanes, a solid seawall was built along Gakveston's ocean front. The city authorities commenced extensive work raising buildings by up to seventeen feet by pumping sand beneath foundations. Of lasting economic impact, however, was the decision by several shipping companies to move their operations further north to Houston, where there was a safer harbour.
1921 - Harry Secombe, singer, comedian and actor, is born.
Harry Secombe was born on 8 September 1921 in Swansea, South Wales. He was one of the original Goons of the Goon Show, a British radio comedy programme originally produced and broadcast by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 on the BBC Home Service. Secombe appeared in the radio series as Neddy Seagoon, and played alongside "Goons" founder Spike Milligan, and Peter Sellers. He appeared in a variety of stage musicals, including Pickwick in 1963 and The Four Musketeers in 1967, and he also starred in the 1968 musical film "Oliver!" Harry Secombe was knighted in 1981, and died on 11 April 2001.
1925 - Peter Sellers, British comedian and actor, is born.
Peter Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers in Southsea, Hampshire, England, on 8 September 1925. His early entertainment experience came from playing the ukelele, banjo and drums for jazz bands. Sellers was one of the original Goons of the Goon Show, a British radio comedy programme originally produced and broadcast by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 on the BBC Home Service. Sellers appeared in the radio series alongside "Goons" founder Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe, who shared Sellers's birthday. He moved on to television and films. Sellers died on 24 July 1980, from a heart attack.
1943 - Italy's surrender to the Allies in WWII is announced.
Prior to World War II, Italy had allied itself with Hitler's Germany. The Italian forces had been defeated in northern Africa and the Balkans, reducing support for Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his leadership. Mussolini was ousted in July 1943 by the Italian Fascist Party's Grand Council: the Italian military then took over and negotiated a surrender to Anglo-American forces, which was announced on 8 September 1953. According to the commander in chief of Allied forces in the Mediterranean, General Eisenhower, Italy had agreed to end all hostilities with the United Nations.
Four days after the announcement, German troops acted swiftly to free Mussolini from where he was being held in detention. After his rescue, he set up and became leader of the Italian Socialist Republic in German-held northern Italy. Two years later, he was arrested again by Italian partisans, and executed.
1966 - Science fiction series 'Star Trek' airs for the first time.
Star Trek, the science fiction series which went on to spawn many more spinoff series and films, was created by Gene Roddenberry and debuted on 8 September 1966. Set in the 23rd century, Star Trek follows the adventures of the Starship Enterprise and her crew. Initially, the series did not rate well, and only a sustained campaign by its devoted fans kept the series going through two more seasons.
The show's success came after it was sold into syndication, and stations were able to air it at times more suited to its fans and potential audience. A new audience created a broad market for the franchise, thus paving the way for the success of six Star Trek movies based around the characters of the original series. The first of the spinoff series, 'Star Trek: the Next Generation', premiered in 1987.
Cheers - John
I have always been a big fan of Star Trek but like the newer movies much better. The 'Starship Enterprise' looks much better on the big screen.
Still here reading daily Rocky but been busy play'n in the playground.
Hello rockylizard
Re 1921 - Harry Secombe, singer, comedian and actor, is born.
When he was knighted his friends asked what they should call him
He told them to call him Sir Cumfrence
He had a rather err wide belly
Gday...
1754 - Captain William Bligh, known best for his role in the mutiny on the 'Bounty', is born.
William Bligh was born in Plymouth, south-west England, on 9 September 1754. He was only 8 when he first went to sea. At age 22, he was chosen to join Captain Cook's crew on the 'Resolution', and became commander of the 'HMAV Bounty' eleven years later.
The famous mutiny on the Bounty occurred after Bligh left Tahiti on his way to the Caribbean. For reasons undetermined by historical records, Master's Mate Fletcher Christian led the mutiny, with the support of a small number of the ship's crew. Bligh and his own supporters were provided with a 7m launch, a sextant and enough provisions to enable them to reach the closest ports, but no means of navigation. Bligh chose not to head for the closer Spanish ports, which would have slowed down the process of bringing the mutineers to justice, but instead completed a 41 day journey to Timor. From here, he stood a better chance of communicating quickly to British vessels which could pursue the mutineers.
Bligh became Governor of New South Wales in 1805, but another mutiny, the Rum Rebellion, caused him to be imprisoned from 1808 to 1810. He was exonerated in 1811, after which he returned to England.
1803 - The Lady Nelson arrives in Van Diemens Land, now Tasmania, in preparation for the first British settlement.
The first European to discover Tasmania was Dutch trader Abel Tasman in November 1642. Tasman discovered the previously unknown island on his voyage past the "Great South Land", which he later called "New Holland". He named the island "Antony Van Diemen's Land" in honour of the High Magistrate, or Governor-General of Batavia.
After the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip claimed the entire eastern coast for the British Empire, including Van Diemens Land, though it was not yet known to be separate from the mainland. Tasman believed Van Diemens Land to be part of New Holland, and it was not until 1798-99 that Matthew Flinders and George Bass proved Van Diemens Land to be an island.
In order to offset continuing French interests in southern parts of Australia, Lieutenant John Gordon Bowen was sent to establish the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land. The ship Lady Nelson arrived at Risdon Cove on 9 September 1803, and Bowen arrived on The Albion three days later to establish a settlement on the Derwent River. There were 49 people in the initial settlement party.
Lieutenant-Governor David Collins, who had abandoned the new settlement at Sorrento on Port Phillip Bay due to lack of fresh water, arrived at Risdon Cove a month later. Unimpressed with the site chosen by Bowen, Collins moved the settlement to Sullivans Cove on the Derwent River in 1804. This settlement was later renamed Hobart Town.
1839 - Darwin Harbour, where the city of Darwin now stands, is discovered and named.
The city of Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, Australia is located on Darwin Harbour. The land was originally occupied by the Larrakia people of the Top End who had already been trading with the Macassans for many years before European settlers came. The first Europeans to the area were Dutch traders who visited Australia's northern coastline in the 1600s, charting the first European maps of the region.
Darwin Harbour was first discovered by Captain of the HMS Beagle, John Lort Stokes, on 9 September 1839 and named "Port Darwin" after British naturalist Charles Darwin, who had been on the Beagle on a previous journey. The harbour was initially not settled, as Port Essington, 300 kilometres north, was regarded as a more strategic site for settlement and a better prospect to offset any intended French colonisation of Australia's far north coast. Like other settlements along the northern coastline which preceded it, Port Essington floundered for some years, eventually being abandoned.
After John McDouall Stuart made the first successful crossing of Australia in 1862, this opened the way for the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line from Adelaide to the north coast, opening Australia to direct communication with the rest of the world. Thus, the settlement of Darwin was more successful than previous incursions into settling the north coast as it was to serve a very important link in this communication. Darwins first white settlers arrived on 5 February 1869. The town was initially named Palmerston after the Prime Minister of Britain, Lord Palmerston, Henry Temple. However, all shipping to the area was consigned to "Port Darwin". In 1911, when South Australia handed control of its northern half to the Commonwealth of Australia, the name Darwin was officially adopted.
1880 - Australian pioneer in physical therapy for polio sufferers, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, is born.
Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny was a pioneer in physical therapy. Born on 20 September 1880 at Kelly's Gully, a township just west of the New South Wales town of Warialda, her family then moved to the small town of Nobby on the Darling Downs, near Toowoomba, Queensland.
An accident during her teenage years, in which she broke her wrist, sparked her interest in anatomy. Whilst recovering, Elizabeth keenly questioned her doctor and mentor, Dr. Aeneas McDonnell, about the workings of the human body. Though untrained, in 1911 she began working as a bush nurse in the area, even starting up a hospital in nearby Clifton. At the outbreak of World War I, she volunteered to serve as a nurse. Due to the dire need for nurses, the untrained Kenny was accepted to work on soldier transport ships, and the experience she gained in this venture earned her the official title of "Sister".
Sister Kenny continued to work as a nurse after the war, and even improved the design of stretchers used in ambulances on the Darling Downs. Marketing the stretcher as the "Sylvie Stretcher", Kenny gave the profits to the Australian Country Women's Association who managed sales and manufacture of the invention. Her initiative gained the attention of a family on a cattle station near Townsville, who arranged for her to come and care for their daughter who had been disabled by polio. Her methods of care and treatment enabled the girl to completely recover. She gradually achieved acclaim for her methods by the many polio-stricken children she treated and cured, but criticism from the medical fraternity for her lack of training.
Unlike other methods of the time, Kenny's treatment opposed immobilising affected limbs with casts or braces. She advocated treating children during the acute stage of polio and using hot compresses. However, doctors would not permit her to treat patients until after the first stage of the disease or until muscle spasms had ceased. Instead, she designed a programme of passive exercises to stimulate function.
Kenny's pioneering methods were gradually adopted by more physicians as she travelled to the USA to promote them. During her 11-year stay in America, she opened numerous Kenny Treatment Centres. Although her processes were criticised by many doctors, her dramatic results in affected children spoke for themselves. Her lasting legacy is her methodology for rehabilitating muscles, which formed the foundation for physical therapy, or what is commonly known as physiotherapy.
Kenny returned to Australia in 1951, and died on 30 November 1952. Her grave lies in Nobby Cemetery.
1890 - Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, is born.
Harland Sanders was born in Henryville, Indiana, USA, on 9 September 1890. As his father died when he was young, and his mother had to work to support her children, Sanders learned to cook for his family. He worked a number of jobs through his youth, until he finally acquired a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, where he began to cook chicken for patrons. As his popularity grew, he was employed as a chef in a motel and restaurant, where he began perfecting the recipe that would eventually become a household name. He used the same 11 herbs and spices which are used in KFC today, and his use of a pressure cooker enhanced the process by ensuring quicker cooking, which helped seal in the flavour. Sanders was made an honorary Kentucky colonel in 1935 by Governor Ruby Laffoon.
2000 - For the first time in history, the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica extends over a populated city.
The Earth's ozone layer protects all life from the sun's harmful radiation, by absorbing ultra-violet light. Whilst ozone molecules are constantly being formed and destroyed in the stratosphere, man's use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has depleted the ozone layer. CFCs are used as refrigerants, solvents and fire extinguishing agents. Scientific research has found that CFCs release chlorine or bromine when they break down and winds drive the CFCs into the stratosphere, thereby damaging the protective ozone layer. Depletion of the ozone layer has been correlated with higher levels of cancer in humans and animals.
The depletion of the ozone layer is most obvious over the Antarctic, where scientists carefully monitor the size of a hole in the layer. The Antarctic ozone hole was discovered in 1985 by British scientists Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin of the British Antarctic Survey. Since its discovery, the hole has gradually increased in size.
Beginning on 9 September 2000 and continuing to September 10th, the ozone hole covered about 29.7 million square km, about three times larger than the entire land mass of the United States, stretching over a populated city for the first time. Approximately 120,000 residents of Punta Arenas, a city in southern Chile, were exposed to very high levels of ultra violet radiation. After reaching this peak, the hole then began to slowly shrink again in its usual fashion.
Cheers - John
Hello rockylizard
Re 1803 - The Lady Nelson arrives in Van Diemens Land, now Tasmania, in preparation for the first British settlement
I have seen the full size replica of that ship in a museum at (I think), Mount Gambier SA
I thought that it was very, very small, to have sailed halfway around the world
I can only "dips my lid" to those who sailed in her
Gday...
1846 - American inventor Elias Howe patents the sewing machine.
Elias Howe was born in Spencer, Massachusetts on 9 July 1819. After losing his job in a factory, he moved to Boston, where he was employed in a machinist's shop. This provided him with the opportunity to experiment with inventing a sewing machine. He successfully demonstrated his first sewing machine in 1846, and patented his lockstitch sewing machine on 10 September 1846 in New Hartford, Connecticut.
Howe faced a legal battle after Isaac Singer invented the up-and-down motion mechanism, and Allen Wilson developed a rotary hook shuttle, both filing for patents. After winning one suit, the three inventors pooled their patent rights in the Sewing Machine Combination. It was under this patent that the sewing machine was then successfully marketed.
1869 - American Baptist minister, the Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie, invents the rickshaw in Yokohama.
Rickshaws are a commonly used means of transportation in Asia. Originally, a runner pulled a two-wheeled cart which could seat one or two people. Nowadays, rickshaws are either drawn by bicycle or engine-driven. The word "rickshaw" or "ricksha" comes from the Japanese word 'jinrikisha', which means "human-powered vehicle".
The first rickshaw was believed to have been invented and utilised on 10 September 1869 by an American Baptist minister, the Reverend E Jonathan Scobie, who needed to transport his invalid wife around the streets of Yokohama, Japan. However, there is some dispute as to the identity of the original inventor of the rickshaw. Some sources credit American blacksmith Albert Tolman with inventing the rickshaw around 1848 in Worcester, Massachusetts for a missionary. Still others say the rickshaw was designed by an American Baptist minister in 1888. Japanese sources often credit Izumi Yosuke, Suzuki Tokujiro, and Takayama Kosuke, who are said to have invented rickshaws in 1868, inspired by the horse carriages that had been introduced to the streets of Tokyo shortly beforehand.
1897 - The world's first conviction for drunk driving occurs in London.
In 1831, Parliament in England passed the London Hackney Carriage Act, which made it a punishable offence for cab drivers to injure anyone or damage property as a result of having imbibed too much drink. The Licensing Act of 1872 extended the range of the previous legislation, making it an offence for anyone to be drunk while in charge of a carriage on the highway.
On 10 September 1897, a citizen by the name of George Smith became the first driver of a horseless carriage to be prosecuted under the new statute. After drinking two or three glasses of beer, Smith drove his electric cab up onto the footpath and ploughed into number 165, Bond Street, in London.
1906 - The first Australian licence plates and drivers licence are issued.
The first petrol-driven car to be manufactured in Australia is believed to have been produced by Harry A Tarrant in 1897. After modifications and improvements, Tarrant produced a second vehicle in 1901, which he named the Tarrant. This was followed by a number of improved designs, including the first fully enclosed body made in Australia, and later models included locally designed and manufactured engines, gearboxes and rear axles. Other vehicles began to be imported from 1900, when a Benz No 1 Ideal arrived in Sydney. Australians gradually embraced the concept of the motor car and the horseless carriage gained in popularity.
The first motor car and driving licence were issued in Adelaide on 10 September 1906. The recipient was Dr William Arthur Hargreaves, a chemist and government analyst, born on 29 October 1866 at Ipswich, Queensland. Hargreaves had moved to South Australia in 1899. Always interested in fuel sources, Hargreaves studied the problem of alternative fuels during both world wars and drove his car on a mixture of molasses and petrol at the end of World War I.
Licence plates and drivers licences were introduced in Victoria and New South Wales in 1910.
1976 - 176 are killed in a mid-air crash over Yugoslavia.
On 10 September 1976 near Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia), an Inex Adria Air aircraft collided in mid-air with a British Airways Trident, resulting in the deaths of all 176 aboard both planes. The British Airways Trident had been carrying 54 passengers and a crew of nine from London to Istanbul, while the Inex Adria Air DC-9 was heading to the Yugoslav resort of Split to Cologne with a crew of five and 108 Germans on holiday. Ultimately, five air traffic controllers and two supervisors were arrested. Whilst the others were released, Gradimir Tasic, who had been working short-handed that day, was given a seven-year sentence. He was released when fellow workers around the world brought attention to his plight as one of many overworked, over-stressed air traffic controllers.
Cheers - John
Gday...
1609 - Henry Hudson discovers the Hudson River and Manhattan Island, where New York City now stands.
Henry Hudson was an English explorer of the 1500s. He was the first European to sail up what is now known as the Hudson River, New York. In 1607 he was hired by the English Muscovy Company to lead an expedition from England to discover a northeastern sea passage to Asia and the spice islands of the South Pacific. Making his way as far as Greenland and Spitzbergen, he found his route was blocked by ice. He attempted a second voyage a year later, sailing farther to the east along the northern coast of Norway, but was again blocked by ice.
In 1609, he was hired by another company, the Dutch East India Company, to attempt yet another voyage to find a northeastern passage. After being thwarted by ice again at Spitzbergen, Hudson sailed in the opposite direction, to North America. He explored along the coast of Nova Scotia and down to what is now New York Harbor, sailing up the Hudson River on 11 September 1609 as far north as the site where Albany now stands.
Because Hudson had been hired by the Dutch East India Company, the Dutch later claimed the area and established a colony, naming it New Amsterdam. Peter Minuit of the Dutch West Indies Company bought the island in 1626 from the Manhattan Indians for $24 worth of merchandise. However, it was renamed New York when the English took control in 1664.
1863 - Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt escapes from the supposedly escape-proof C0ckatoo Island gaol.
Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt was born Frederick Ward at Wilberforce near Windsor, NSW, in 1836. As an excellent horseman, his specialty was horse stealing. For this, he was sentenced in 1856 to ten years on C0ckatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. On 1 July 1860, Ward was released on a ticket-of-leave to work on a farm at Mudgee. While he was on ticket-of-leave, he returned to horse-stealing, and was again sentenced to C0ckatoo Island. Conditions in the gaol were harsh, and he endured solitary confinement a number of times. On the night of 11 September 1863, he and another inmate escaped from the supposedly escape-proof prison by swimming to the mainland.
After his escape, Ward embarked on a life of bushranging, under the name of Captain Thunderbolt. Much of his bushranging was done around the small NSW country town of Uralla. A rock originally known as "Split Rock" became known as "Thunderbolt's Rock". After a six-year reign as a "gentleman bushranger", Thunderbolt was shot dead by Constable Alexander Walker in May 1870.
1914 - Australian troops land in New Guinea in the first significant Australian action of World War I.
The assassination by Serbian Nationals of His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in June 1914 caused a chain reaction, as countries throughout the world allied themselves with either Serbia or Austria-Hungary. Great Britains formal declaration of war on Germany on 4 August 1914 also brought its dominions and colonies into the war.
Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa were among the first to offer military and financial assistance. The day after Britains declaration of war, Australian Prime Minister Joseph Cook pledged support, offering Britain 20 000 troops, and stating that "...when the Empire is at war, so also is Australia." Britain was quick to accept this offer, with the Secretary of State for the Colonies sending a telegram stating His Majestys Government gratefully accept offer of your Ministers to send to this Country force of 20,000 men and would be glad if it could be despatched as soon as possible. A recruitment drive to form the first Australian forces was underway within days, using anti-German propaganda posters and recruitment songs.
Australias first significant action in World War I occurred when the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) landed in New Guinea. This volunteer expeditionary force of 1500 men departed Australia on the troop ship Berrima in early September. It was the first force ever to leave the country on an Australian ship, under the command of Australian officers. The ANMEF landed in Rabaul at dawn on 11 September 1914. German New Guinea was taken without opposition six days later, and the neighbouring islands of the Bismarck Archipelago the following month.
1978 - The coat of arms of the Northern Territory is granted by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, bordered by the states of Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. From 1825 to 1863, the Northern Territory was part of New South Wales. In 1863, control of the Northern Territory was handed to South Australia. This was as a result of the successful 1862 expedition of John McDouall Stuart to find an overland route through the desert from Adelaide to the north. This route was subsequently utilised for the building of the Overland Telegraph line, which provided an important communications link between Australia and the rest of the world. On 1 January 1911, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.
The coat of arms of the Northern Territory was granted by HM The Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II, on 11 September 1978. It is the only state or territory in Australia to incorporate all of the floral, animal and bird emblems, as well as reflecting the Territorys indigenous heritage. The coat of arms features a Wedgetailed Eagle holding an Aboriginal Tjurunga stone; two Red Kangaroos, one holding a Chiragra Spider Conch and the other holding a True Heart C0ckle; between them, the kangaroos are also holding a shield decorated with aboriginal motifs; a grassy sandy mound with two Sturts Desert Roses; and a female aboriginal figure.
2001 - The United States is hit by terrorist attacks, leaving thousands dead.
11 September 2001 will long be remembered as the day the Twin Towers fell. At 8:45am local time in New York City, American Airlines Flight 11 which had been hijacked 20 minutes earlier, crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Centre. At 9:03am, United Airlines Flight 175, which was hijacked within minutes of the first plane, was flown into the south tower. The impact of each plane and subsequent explosions killed hundreds immediately and trapped many more people on higher floors.
At 9:40am, a third hijacked airliner, American Airlines Flight 77, was flown into the side of the Pentagon in Washington, killing 64 passengers and 125 military personnel and civilians. A fourth hijacked aeroplane crashed into a field near Pittsburgh, killing the 45 on board after its suicide flight was thwarted by civilian heroes on board the plane. Its intended target remains unknown.
The south tower of the World Trade Centre collapsed an hour after being hit, and was followed shortly afterwards by the north tower, compounding the loss of life. 365 fire-fighters and police who were assisting with the evacuation were also killed in the collapse. Over three thousand people were killed in the terrorist attacks that day in September. The attacks were linked to al-Qaeda, the Islamic militant group headed by Osama Bin Laden. A sustained attack by British and American forces was carried out on a number of Afghanistan targets where Bin Laden was presumed to be hiding, and the regime in Afghanistan quickly fell. Almost a decade after the attacks, Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by United States Navy SEALs of the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group, on 2 May 2011.
Cheers - John
[edit: simply overcoming censorship limitations
]
-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 11th of September 2016 08:32:17 AM
Thanks Rocky,
Fred Ward's parents moved to Maitland when he was around 10 years old he grew up and worked in that area until he was convicted for stealing horses and was held in the old the Maitand gaol before being transferred to ****atoo Island. After escaping from the island during his second stay there he became Australia's longest active bushranger (Captain Thunderbolt) roaming from the Hunter Valley up through the New England Tablelands and even the north western part of NSW . His grave is located in the local cemetery and a very good museum on his life is at the old mill at Uralla. Thunderbolt's Way from Walcha to Gloucester is part of the route that he supposedly used to travel regularly. Whenever I see Thunderbolt's Rock I wonder how may times he could actually hide there before the penny dropped with travellers - it seems to be the only large feature in that area.
Gday...
1854 - Australia's first steam train makes its maiden voyage in Melbourne.
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, Australia. Although it was established as a settlement in 1835 and the new township surveyed and named in 1837, Melbourne quickly grew to rival Sydney. The discovery in 1851 of the Victorian goldfields which were richer than those discovered in New South Wales spurred the city on to even greater wealth, and greater rivalry.
Victoria became the first Australian state to have a completed railway line. Although South Australia had begun operations of horse-drawn trains on 18 May 1854 between Goolwa and Port Elliot, mechanical railways were first established in Victoria in 1854, with work on the line commencing in March 1853. At first, trains were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company of the United Kingdom, but shipping delays meant that the first trains had to be built locally. Robertson, Martin and Smith built Australia's first steam locomotive in ten weeks at a cost of £2700.
The first steam train in Australia, consisting of two first-class carriages and one second-class carriage, made its maiden voyage on 12 September 1854. It ran along the four kilometre track from Flinders Street to Sandridge, now Port Melbourne, a ten-minute journey. Aboard the first train were Lieutenant-Governor Sir Charles Hotham and Lady Hotham. Upon arriving at its destination at Station Pier, the train was met with gun-salutes by the warships HMS Electra and HMS Fantome.
The following year, the locomotives ordered from the UK arrived, and were named Melbourne, Sandridge, Victoria and Yarra.
1878 - Cleopatra's Needle, an ancient Egyptian obelisk, is erected on London's Thames Embankment.
Cleopatra's Needle is an ancient Egyptian obelisk of red granite, about 20m high, and inscribed with hieroglyphics. The obelisk actually has no connection with Cleopatra, but was originally erected in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis on the orders of Thutmose III. Rameses II added further inscriptions commemorating his military victories some 200 years later. There are in fact two Cleopatra's needles; one in London, the other in New York.
Cleopatra's needle in London was presented to England in 1819 by Mehemet Ali, viceroy of Egypt, in recognition of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Transporting the obelisk was to prove too costly for the British government. It was not until 1877 that anatomist and dermatologist Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, sponsored its transportation to London at a cost of around £10,000. Engineer John Dixon designed a special iron cylinder, 28m long and 5m in diameter for transporting the obelisk. However, the obelisk was nearly lost at sea when it became separated from the ship towing it during a gale in the Bay of Biscay. After drifting for many days, it was rescued by an English ship and taken to Spain for repairs. The obelisk arrived in Gravesend on 21 January 1878, and was erected on the Embankment on 12 September 1878.
1892 - Ambulance services commence in Queensland, Australia, the first such service anywhere in the world.
The Queensland Ambulance Service in its current form was established on 1 July 1991, with the amalgamation of 96 individual Queensland Ambulance Service Transport Brigades (QATB). However, Queenslands first ambulance service began operations almost a century earlier.
The need for an ambulance service in Queensland became apparent following an incident at the Brisbane Show in August of 1892. Stories vary, but the common element is that a rider fell from his horse and broke his leg at the showgrounds. The injury was either exacerbated when helpful bystanders assisted the rider, walking him from the field or, according to other accounts, when first aid personnel rushed onto the field and threw the man into a stretcher before bundling him off the field without due care for his condition. Witnessing the event was Military medic Seymour Warrian of the Army Medical Corps. Seeing how the victim should have been immobilised, Warrian canvassed support to form the new City Ambulance Transport Brigade, or CATB.
The first meeting of the brigade was held on 12 September 1892. Operations of Queenslands first ambulance station were initially conducted from the Brisbane Newspaper Company. Officers on night duty spent the night on rolls of newspaper on the floor rather than beds. Transportation of victims was limited to being on foot as, while there was a stretcher, there was no vehicle. As donations flowed in, more equipment was able to be purchased. After first aid kits were put together, one of the first major changes was a stretcher attached to a set of cart wheels, which could then be conveyed by two men at a running pace. Later, the first horse with harness for a cart was purchased.
Warrian's vision of a professional ambulance service was innovative and the service was the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Soon other cities, both in Australia and around the world, followed suit.
1910 - Alexander Langmuir, the man credited with saving thousands of lives through his work on epidemiology, is born.
Alexander Duncan Langmuir, born on 12 September 1910, is considered to be the father of infectious disease epidemiology. Epidemiology is the science of studying the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations. Because it is the science of connecting disease or injury with a cause, it enables the possibility of eliminating that cause.
In 1949, Langmuir created and headed up the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the National Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, now known as the Federal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. He has been credited with saving countless lives with his innovative research and analytical approach. His work contributed significantly to the virtual elimination of polio in the United States. Dr David Henderson, deputy of the assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services, led the World Health Organization's (WHO) program to eradicate smallpox. However, Henderson maintained that the real credit should have gone to Langmuir.
Langmuir died on November 22, 1993. His legacy lives on in the better quality of life enjoyed by millions throughout the world, thanks to his powerful contribution to the science of epidemiology.
2001 - US President George Bush declares war on terrorism.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, US President George Bush declared that the USA would use all of its resources to wage a war on terrorism. Bush acknowledged that such a war would be a long-term, sustained conflict, and formally declared war on terrorism on 12 September 2001. The war on terror began on 8 October 2001, as British and American forces staged an air bombardment of Afghanistan, where the perpetrator of the terror attacks, Osama bin Laden, was believed to be hiding.
Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011 by a United States special forces military unit.
Cheers - John
Gday...
1824 - The first convict colony in what is now Queensland is founded at Redcliffe.
The city of Redcliffe is so named for its red cliff faces. The area was first recommended by Captain John Oxley as the site for a new convict settlement. However, Oxley cannot be truly credited with being the first white man to set foot in the area. In 1823, he set out to explore the Moreton Bay area, and it was there that he came across the stranded ticket-of-leave timber-cutter, Thomas Pamphlett, who together with his companion Finnegan had been living with the aborigines for seven months, after being shipwrecked off Moreton Island.
Oxley and Settlement Commandant Lieutenant Miller, together with a crew and 29 convicts, sailed on the 'Amity' from Sydney and arrived at Redcliffe on 13 September 1824 to found the new colony. The settlement was established at Humpybong, but abandoned less than a year later when the main settlement was moved 30km away, to the Brisbane River. The name "Humpybong" was given by the local aborigines to describe the "dead huts" left behind, "humpy" being huts, and "bong" meaning "dead", or "lifeless". The name is still used today.
1861 - Howitt's expedition to rescue missing explorers Burke and Wills arrives at the 'Dig' Tree.
Burke and Wills, with a huge party of men and supplies, departed Melbourne in August 1860 to cross Australia to the north coast and back. Burke, being impatient and anxious to complete the crossing as quickly as possible, split the expedition at Menindee. He moved on ahead to establish a depot at Cooper Creek. He left William Wright in command of the Menindee depot.
Splitting his party yet again at Cooper Creek, Burke chose to make a dash to the Gulf in the heat of Summer. He took with him Wills and two others, ex-seaman Charles Gray and former soldier John King. He left stockman William Brahe in charge with instructions that, should the small party not return in three months, Brahe was to return to Menindee. The trek to the Gulf and back took over four months, and during that time Gray died. A full day was spent in burying his body. When Burke returned to Cooper Creek, he discovered lettering freshly blazed on the coolibah tree at the depot, giving instructions to dig for the supplies Brahe had left. Thus the name 'Dig' Tree was spawned.
When Burke left the Dig tree to try to reach the police station at Mt Hopeless, 240km to the southwest, he failed to leave further messages emblazoned on the Dig tree. Thus, when Brahe and Wright returned to check the depot, they found no evidence of Burke's return. Believing Burke and Wills were lost, a rescue expedition was organised in Melbourne. Headed up by Alfred Howitt, the rescue party reached the Dig tree on 13 September 1861. Finding no sign of Burke and Wills, the men moved downstream. It was there that they found King, the only survivor, who was able to tell how Burke and Wills had died close by six weeks earlier.
1916 - Roald Dahl, children's writer and author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', is born.
Roald Dahl was born on 13 September 1916, in Llandaff, Wales. Dahl is known for his unique style of writing for children, which incorporates fantasy into the real world, and much of his writing was influenced by specific childhood experiences. His fondness for a particular candy shop formed the basis for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Being sent to boarding schools was also an unpleasant experience, which probably influenced the writing of "Matilda". The experience of being caned by his headmaster is reflected in "Matilda" and "Danny, the Champion of the World". The loss of his father when he was young can be seen in "James and the Giant Peach". Dahl died of leukaemia on 23 November 1990.
1982 - A second inquest begins into the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain at Ayers Rock in 1980.
Uluru, formerly Ayers Rock, is a huge monolith in central Australia. It has long been a popular tourist destination, but gained a new notoriety on the night of 17 August 1980, when two-month-old Azaria Chamberlain went missing from the nearby camping ground. When baby Azaria disappeared, her mother Lindy claimed that a dingo had stolen her baby. No trace of the child was ever found, although her bloodstained clothes were found a week later by another tourist. At the first inquest into her death, commencing in February 1981, it was found that the likely cause of Azaria's disappearance was a dingo attack.
Police and prosecutors, unhappy with this judgement, moved for a second inquest which began on 13 September 1981. This time, the new finding was made that Azaria had been killed with a pair of scissors and held by a small adult hand until she stopped bleeding. Lindy Chamberlain was convicted of murder on 29 October 1982, and her husband Michael was found guilty of being an accessory.
Lindy Chamberlain's acquittal came several years later when a British tourist fell to his death from the Rock. When his body was finally located 8 days later amid an area full of dingo lairs, Azaria Chamberlain's missing jacket was also found. New evidence was presented showing that the methods of testing previous evidence had been unreliable, and no conviction could be made on those grounds. Both Chamberlains were officially pardoned, Lindy was released, and eventually awarded AU$1.3 million in compensation for wrongful imprisonment.
Cheers - John
Gday...
1741 - Handel finishes composing his Oratorio, "Messiah".
Georg Friedrich Handel was born on 23 February 1685, in Halle, Saxony. Already skilled on the harpsichord and organ at age 7, he began composing music when he was 9. During his composing career, he wrote around fifty operas, twenty-three oratorios, much church music and numerous outstanding instrumental pieces, such as the organ concerti, the Opus 6 Concerti Grossi, the Water Music, and the Fireworks Music.
Handel's best known work is probably the oratorio, "Messiah", written within a 24-day period, and completed on 14 September 1741. An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus, telling a sacred story without costumes, scenery, or acting. "Messiah" is the story of the prophecy of the coming Messiah as told in the old Testament, and the life and death of Jesus, set to texts from the King James Bible. Originally conceived as an Easter oratorio, it has become popular to perform it at Christmas, particularly as it culminates with the powerful "Hallelujah" chorus.
1849 - Ivan Pavlov, discoverer of the conditioned or learned reflex, is born.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was born on 14 September 1849, in Ryazan, Russia. After studying medicine in Russia and Germany, he became a professor in pharmacology and physiology. Pavlov's famous work with dogs actually started as a study of digestion. It was while performing experiments on dogs to show how digestive secretions are regulated that he discovered they are influenced by the sensory stimuli of sight, smell and taste.
Further experimentation proved that other stimuli could produce the same response; for example, Pavlov began ringing a bell at the same time as any of the other three stimuli were introduced. Thus, the dogs soon connected the sound of the bell with the appearance of food, and began to salivate accordingly. In 1903 Pavlov published his results, calling this a "conditioned reflex", meaning it was learned, rather than innate, or instinctive. Although Pavlov won the 1904 Nobel Prize for his work on digestive physiology, he is better known today as an early influence on behavioural psychology.
1898 - The Gideons Bible Association, responsible for placing Bibles in motel and hotel rooms around the world, begins.
A chance meeting between two Christians on 14 September 1898, began an association that has endured to this very day. The Central Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin, USA, was crowded due to a lumbermen's convention being held, and the manager asked two strangers if they would mind sharing a room. In that shared room above the saloon, travelling salesmen John H Nicholson of Janesville, Wisconsin, and Samuel E Hill of Beloit, Wisconsin, discovered that they were both Christians. The two men prayed together, and discussed starting a Christian travelling mens association.
Nothing further came of the idea until the two met up again unexpectedly the following May. They were joined by a third man, William J Knights, on 1 July 1899, and founded the Gideons Bible Association, the primary purpose of which is personal evangelisation conducted by Christian business and professional men. The name comes from the Old Testament book of Judges, and refers to Gideon, who was willing to do whatever God asked of him. Today, the association has over 140,000 members in 175 countries, and distributes over 56 million Bibles and New Testaments every year.
The Hotel Boscobel, where the men met, is considered the Birthplace of the Gideon Bible and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1982 - Princess Grace of Monaco dies after receiving severe injuries in a car crash.
Hollywood actress Grace Kelly was born on 12 November 1929. She had a lucrative acting career, and was best known for her roles in Alfred Hitch**** films. She met Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1955, while attending the Cannes film festival, and the two were married on 18 April 1956. She put aside her acting career to take up new duties as the Princess of Monaco.
On 13 September 1982, the Princess was driving near Monte Carlo when she suffered a minor stroke. Losing control, she crashed down an embankment, injuring both herself and her youngest daughter, Stephanie. Whilst Stephanie suffered a serious cervical fracture, Princess Grace did not regain consciousness at all, dying on September 14. She was given a full royal funeral at the Cathedral of St Nicholas in Monte Carlo.
2001 - The announcement is made of the closure of Ansett Airlines, Australia.
Australia's national airline is Qantas. However, for nearly seven decades, there was a second major airline in Australia: Ansett Airlines.
Ansett Airways Pty Ltd was founded by Sir Reginald Myles "Reg" Ansett in 1935. The very first flight, a single engine Fokker Universal, departed Hamilton, Victoria bound for Melbourne, on 17 February 1936. In 1957, Ansett Airways became Ansett-ANA after taking over the private airline Australian National Airways (ANA), which had gone bankrupt. Further acquisitions of domestic airlines occurred in ensuing decades, and Ansett continued to operate very profitably, well into the latter years of the twentieth century.
In 1987, Ansett made its first international flights, expanding into New Zealand through its subsidiary Ansett New Zealand. Although Air New Zealand had previously become a 50% shareholder, it acquired full ownership of Ansett in February 2000. Unfortunately, the competition with QANTAS and other airlines, an ageing fleet and the constant grounding of aircraft for maintenance, together with a series of poor financial decisions meant that Ansett became more of a liability than an asset to Air New Zealand. The decision was made to place the airline into administration.
On 14 September 2001, the announcement was made that Air New Zealand had placed the Ansett group of companies into voluntary administration. Despite an attempt by the federal government to prop up Ansett via government guarantee, the last commercial flight, AN152 from Perth to Sydney, touched down just after 6am on 5 March 2002.
Cheers - John
Thanks Rocky,
When I first started flying for work back in the late 70s Ansett's main domestic rival was TAA not Qantas. I believe that Qantas may have bought them out sometime in the 90s and rebadged them to Qantas after a couple of years.
Gday...
1846 - Explorer Thomas Mitchell discovers and names the Barcoo River, near the present site of Blackall.
Major Thomas Mitchell was born in Craigend, Scotland, in 1792. He came to Australia after serving in the Army during the Napoleonic Wars, and took up the position of Surveyor-General of New South Wales. He undertook four expeditions into the NSW interior. His fourth and final expedition spanned 1845-46, and extended to what is now western Queensland.
Mitchell discovered and named numerous western Queensland rivers. On 15 September 1846, he discovered the Barcoo River, whilst other discoveries on this expedition include the Balonne, Culgoa and Belyando rivers, which mostly flowed south-west into the Darling. However, Mitchell originally named the Barcoo the Victoria River, believing that it flowed north into the Gulf of Carpentaria. His theory was proved incorrect when Edmund Kennedy explored the region the following year, following the Barcoo until it became part of Cooper Creek.
Although this area was not as rich as the land he had found in Victoria on his third expedition, it would prove to be excellent grazing country in the future. The town of Blackall, with its current population of a little less than 2000, grew out of the huge pastoral leases taken up in the area and is situated on the Barcoo River.
1870 - Construction begins on Australia's Overland Telegraph Line, stretching across the continent from Adelaide to Darwin.
The Overland Telegraph Line was a major feat of engineering, which connected Australia to the rest of world via a single wire. The motivation for building the Overland Telegraph Line came from the fact that a submarine cable already reached from England to Java, and the British-Australian Telegraph Company was prepared to lay a submarine cable from Java to Darwin. It remained only to connect Darwin to the rest of Australia.
The line was to connect first with Adelaide, as Adelaide was the closest point linking to the major centres of Melbourne and Sydney. Thanks to the influence of Charles Todd, superintendent of telegraphs and government astronomer in South Australia, the South Australian government agreed to build the necessary 3200 kilometre overland telegraph line connecting Darwin with Port Augusta, north of Adelaide. The Line would closely follow the route charted by explorer John McDouall Stuart on his final expedition in 1862.
Begun on 15 September 1870, the Overland Telegraph Line was completed in 1872. It was an exceptional feat, carried out in searing heat through the Australian desert, and six men lost their lives during the construction. The northern and southern sections were joined on 22 August 1872, finally bringing Australia into telegraphic communication with the rest of the world.
1885 - The largest elephant in captivity, Jumbo, is accidentally killed by a train.
"Jumbo", born sometime in 1861, was an African bush elephant. After being transported from a Paris zoo to the London Zoo, where he was popular for giving rides, he was then sold to P.T.Barnum's circus in 1882, where his huge size made him a drawcard for the circus visitors.
Standing at around 3.25 metres in height, Jumbo was the largest known elephant in captivity, and his name has become synonymous with anything of extraordinary size. On 15 September 1885, the gentle giant Jumbo was killed by a train whilst crossing the tracks at a train marshalling yard in St Thomas, Ontario, Canada, while being loaded for transport with the circus.
Of unusual interest is the fact that, whilst stuffing the elephant for posterity, a taxidermist found within Jumbo's stomach an assortment of coins, key, rivets and even a London policeman's whistle.
1895 - Celebrated American writer and humorist, Mark Twain, arrives in Australia on tour.
American writer Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on 30 November 1835. He grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, and later worked as a licensed Mississippi river-boat pilot. Writing from a mixture of experience and imagination, the pseudonym 'Mark Twain' was spawned in 1863 when he signed a humorous travel account with that name. Twain is best known for stories such as "Tom Sawyer", "The Prince And The Pauper" and "Huckleberry Finn".
Twain arrived in Australia on a three-month lecture tour on 15 September 1895. He was fascinated by the unoccupied desert expanses of outback Australia which contrasted greatly with the populated, fertile inland areas of USA. He was captivated by the humble kookaburra, magpie, and Australian wildlife in general. He wrote extensively about his observations of Australian animals and birds, and was surprised by the problem of feral rabbits. In all, he was a man who, during his tour, displayed a keen interest to learn and explore, tempering his interest with his usual satirical comments.
2011 - The discovery by Australian researchers of a previously unknown species of bottlenose dolphin is announced.
There are almost 40 species of dolphins worldwide. Bottlenose dolphins are the most common, and belong to the genus 'Tursiops'. Found in temperate and tropical seas all over the world, for many years it was believed there were only two species of bottlenose dolphins: the Common Bottlenose Dolphin and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin.
On 15 September 2011, the discovery of a third species of bottlenose dolphin was announced. The new species of 'Tursiops australis' was named by Researcher Kate Charlton-Robb at Australia's Monash University after she determined unique features and differences between the dolphin and other bottlenose dolphins. Also known as the Burrunan dolphin, its common name was derived from an aboriginal word in the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung and Taungurung languages referring to a large sea fish. The species name of 'australis' came from the Latin adjective 'southern', and refers to the Australian range of this bottlenose dolphin.
Cheers - John
Thanks Rocky,
Mark Twain visited us in Newcastle in 1895 and later described the place as having one long main street with a graveyard at one end and a gentlemen's club at the other with no gentlemen in it. Not very nice especially after a local dentist had removed a painful tooth for him while he was here.
Gday...
https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2013/07/20/why-mark-twain-lost-a-tooth-in-newcastle/
Cheers - John
Gday...
1770 - Captain Cook becomes the first European to note the appearance of the Aurora Australis.
Captain Cook, the first European to chart Australia's eastern coast, was hired in 1766 by the Royal Society to travel to the Pacific Ocean to observe and record the transit of Venus across the Sun in mid-1769. Following this, Cook's next orders were to search the south Pacific for Terra Australis Incognita, the great southern continent. Cook came across New Zealand, which Abel Tasman had discovered in 1642, and spent some months there, charting the coastline. Nearly a year later, Cook set sail west for New Holland, which was later to become Australia.
Some time after beginning his journey up the eastern coast of the continent, Cook became the first European to note the appearance of the Aurora Australis. On 16 September 1770, Cook described a phenomenon which was similar in some ways to the Aurora Borealis, but different in other ways: they had "a dull reddish light" with other "rays of a brighter coloured light" passing between them, and "entirely without the trembling or vibratory motion" he had seen in the Aurora Borealis.
By this time, Cook was as far north as Timor, and the Aurora Australis is not usually seen at that latitude. However, considerable solar activity in September 1770 is believed to have contributed to the appearance of the phenomenon.
1847 - Explorer Edmund Kennedy returns to his depot to find that Aborigines have ransacked his supplies.
Edmund Kennedy was born on 5 September 1818 on the Island of Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. He arrived in Australia in 1840, and took up the position of Assistant-Surveyor of New South Wales. Kennedy accompanied Major Thomas Mitchell's 1845-46 expedition to the interior of Queensland, where he gained much experience in exploration.
In 1847, Mitchell appointed Kennedy to lead a second expedition to trace the course of the Barcoo River (originally named the Victoria River) in the hope that it would lead to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The expedition left on 13 March 1847, and followed the river north to Cooper Creek. This then flowed into the desert, proving it was not linked to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Never one to give up, Kennedy continued southwest, and discovered the Thomson River, on 20 August 1847. He returned to his depot on 16 September 1847, planning to continue north to the Gulf. However, he was dismayed to find that Aborigines had dug up the expedition's carefully buried provisions, and mixed 181kg of flour with clay. This prevented Kennedy from continuing his northward trek, and he was forced to return prematurely to Sydney.
1908 - General Motors Corporation (GM) is founded in the USA.
General Motors Corporation (GM) was founded on 16 September 1908 when William C Durant consolidated several motor car companies, including Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. In GM's early years, Durant bought out 30 other companies, including Chevrolet, Delco, the Fisher Body Company, and Frigidaire. By 1929, GM had surpassed Ford to become the leading American passenger-car manufacturer, and amassed manufacturing facilities and branch sales offices in countries around the world as far as Europe, Asia and Australia. By 1955, it was the first company in America to exceed over $1 billion in a single year.
1956 - Australia's first television broadcast is made by TCN Channel 9 in Sydney.
Although John Logie Baird first demonstrated the television in 1926, it was not until the 1940s that steps were made to bring the medium to Australia. They began with the initial Broadcasting Act of 1948, which prohibited the granting of commercial television licences. In 1950, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced a gradual introduction of television in Australia, commencing with a launch of an ABC station. Three years later his government amended the 1948 Broadcasting Act to allow for commercial television licences.
Test transmissions commenced in Sydney and Melbourne in July 1956. At 7:00pm on 16 September 1956, Australia's first TV broadcast was made by TCN Channel 9 in Sydney. Bruce Gyngell introduced the broadcast with the words "Good evening, and welcome to television".
At the time, there were approximately 2,000 television sets in Sydney. The station was owned by Frank Packer, but it was his son Kerry who later saw and developed the potential of television as an informative media source. Packers TCN 9 launched approximately two months ahead of its nearest competitor, ABN 2. However, a regular broadcasting service was not provided until January of the following year, by GTV 9. GTV 9 had already been granted permission to use the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne for test transmissions, and officially opened with a regular broadcasting service on 19 January 1957.
1975 - Papua New Guinea is granted full independence from Australia.
Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, positioned to the north of Australia. Consisting of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, as well as numerous offshore islands, it shares the island with the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. The country is renowned for being largely unexplored, with ancient tribes still occupying dense jungles in the rugged mountains, while it is also believed that undiscovered flora and fauna species lie in its interior.
The first known European incursions into the island began with the Dutch and Portuguese traders during the sixteenth century. The name 'Papua New Guinea' is a result of the country's unusual administrative history prior to Independence. 'Papua' comes from a Malay word, pepuah, used to describe the frizzy Melanesian hair, while 'New Guinea' is derived from 'Nueva Guinea', the name used by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who coined the term due to the physical similarities he noted in the people to those occupying the Guinea coast of Africa.
The northern half of the country fell to German control in 1884, and in 1899 the German imperial government assumed direct control of the territory. At this point, the territory was known as German New Guinea. In 1884, Britain had taken control of the southern half, annexing it completely in 1888. The southern half was known as British New Guinea. After the Papua Act of 1905, the British portion was renamed to Territory of Papua. During World War I, Australian troops began occupying the island to defend the British portion. Once the Treaty of Versailles came into effect following World War I, Australia was permitted to administer German New Guinea, while the British portion came to be regarded as an External Territory of the Australian Commonwealth, though in effect still a British possession. The two territories remained separate and distinct as 'Papua' and 'New Guinea'.
Following the New Guinea Campaign of World War II, the two territories were merged as 'Papua New Guinea'. Australia continued to administer the country until it was granted full independence on 16 September 1975. Since independence, the two countries have retained close ties.
1982 - Over 1000 Palestinian refugees are massacred by Lebanese Maronite Christians.
Between 1975 and 1990, civil war raged in Lebanon between groups which allied themselves with neighbouring countries. The Lebanese Maronite Christians, led by the Phalangist party and militia, were allied with Syria, then with Israel. Palestinians and Shiites from the south fleeing the war, found refuge in the neighbouring areas of Sabra and Shatila, in the southern outskirts of West Beirut.
On 16 September 1982, Lebanese Maronite Christian militias in then-Israeli-occupied Beirut stormed into the Palestinian refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila. An undetermined number of refugees were killed, but estimates range between 850 and 3,500, with entire families being wiped out. In 1983, an Israeli judicial inquiry report into the massacre condemned the Israeli Government's role for failing to prevent the bloodshed.
Cheers - John
Gday...
1853 - Australia's first paddlesteamer, the 'Lady Augusta', reaches Swan Hill on its maiden voyage from Goolwa.
In 1828-29, Captain Charles Sturt became the first explorer to follow the course of the Murray River down to its mouth at Lake Alexandrina in South Australia. In doing so, he opened up the possibilities for a new means of transporting goods and passengers through inland NSW to the southern coast.
In 1851, the South Australian Government offered 2,000 pounds reward to the first two steamships to reach the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers. 31-year-old Scottish shipbuilder, Francis Cadell, had the 32m iron paddlesteamer, 'Lady Augusta', built in Sydney with 2x20hp steam engines. He departed Goolwa on 25 August 1853, travelling 2,200 km upstream, reaching Swan Hill on 17 September 1853. Cadell's competitor, William Randell, built his own 17m paddlesteamer 'Mary Ann' at Gumeracha and Mannum, with a single 8hp engine and a square boiler. Randell reached Swan Hill several hours behind Cadell, after the two had raced neck-and-neck most of the way.
Cadell went on to carry cargo mostly along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers; the small Murray River town of Cadell in South Australia now bears his name. Randell plied his trade along the Murray-Darling system. The town of Mannum grew up around his boat-yards and docks at his Reedy Creek station.
1892 - The Coolgardie, WA, gold rush begins.
The small town of Coolgardie lies about 570km east of Perth, Western Australia. The gold rush began when prospectors Arthur Bayley and William Ford found a rich reef of gold in 1892, which they named "Bayley's Reward". On 17 September 1892 they carried almost 16kg of gold into a bank in Southern Cross, 368km northeast of Perth. Thousands departed Southern Cross that very night, sparking a huge gold rush to Coolgardie.
Coolgardie grew rapidly, becoming the third largest town in the state after Perth and Fremantle. However, within a few years, nearby Kalgoorlie was attracting more interest, as the gold deposits were much larger. The population of Coolgardie dropped dramatically, falling to below 200 at one stage. Now the town stands as a monument to its gold rush days, with a steady population of around 1300.
1908 - The first air fatality occurs when a plane being piloted by Orville Wright crashes, killing his passenger.
Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with being the first to build a flying machine. After several years of building and selling airplanes, the Wright brothers had attracted interest from the army. As Orville Wright was demonstrating his airplane to Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge at Fort Meyer, Virginia, on 17 September 1908, the propeller cracked. The plane plummeted to the ground, injuring both men. Selfridge died shortly afterwards, whilst Wright suffered a fractured thigh and ribs, from which he later recovered.
1939 - The Soviet Union joins Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland.
World War II was a bitter time for countries experiencing invasion by Nazi Germany. On the last day of August 1939, Germany staged an attack by Poland, dressing Nazi S.S. troops in Polish uniforms and leaving behind dead German prisoners in Polish uniforms as evidence of the 'Polish attack'. Using this as propaganda served to pave the way for Germany to invade Poland the next day.
On 17 September 1939 the Soviet Red Army also invaded eastern Poland. This was in co-operation with Nazi Germany, as a means of carrying out their part of the secret appendix of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which involved the division of Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence. Later in September that year, Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union.
2001 - Today is Australian Citizenship Day, inaugurated in the twenty-first century.
Australian Citizenship Day was first celebrated in Australia on 17 September 2001. The date chosen as 17 September was the day that the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was renamed, in 1973, to the Australian Citizenship Act 1948.
Australian Citizenship Day is an opportunity for Australians to take pride in their citizenship and consider what it means to be Australian. Australians are encouraged to reflect on the history and changes that have shaped the nation, and on the individuals' roles in shaping the country's future. This is a time to uphold Australia's values of democracy and the concept of a fair go, as well as equality and respect for each other. Common venues for Australian Citizenship Day include the Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra, the Sydney Opera House, Government House in Tasmania and the Adelaide Zoo.
2013 - Stricken Italian cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, is set upright in the largest salvage operation of its kind to date.
The Costa Concordia was a massive cruise ship which ran aground off the coast of Italy in January 2012. The vessel was 290.20 metres long, had a beam of 35.50 metres, and 1500 cabins across thirteen decks. It departed Civitavecchia, Italy at 21:18 local time on 13 January 2012, with over 4000 passengers and crew on board. Shortly afterwards, at 21:45, it hit a rock off Isola del Giglio, after Captain Francesco Schettino ordered an unauthorised deviation from its planned route, steering the vessel close to the island in a salute to the locals. The impact created a 53 metre long gouge in the port side hull along 3 compartments of the engine room, causing the ship to take in water and list to one side. It finally rolling over onto its starboard side, where it lay atop an underwater rocky ledge at a depth of about 20 metres of water, from where it was feared it could sink into deeper water.
Captain Schettino gave the order to evacuate over an hour after the initial incident. Many passengers were able to escape in lifeboats, although this was rendered difficult by the angle of the listing ship. Rescue crews were quickly dispatched, but 300 passengers remained aboard after both the captain and the second master abandoned the vessel. 32 passengers perished, with two not being found until some time after the rescue operations ended. Rescue operations were hampered by the shifting of the vessel several times in the shallow water.
Costa Concordia was officially declared a "constructive total loss" by the insurance company, while Captain Schettino was later charged with failing to describe to maritime authorities the scope of the disaster, and for abandoning incapacitated passengers. In May 2012, the decision was made to salvage the ship, rather than break it up. Around 2200 tonnes of fuel were removed. The parbuckle salvage of the ship was commenced on 16 September 2013. In what was the largest salvage operation of its kind to date, the Costa Concordia was set upright shortly after midnight on 17 September 2013. In July the following year, the vessel was refloated and towed to Genoa, where the dismantling process began.
Cheers - John
2013......I Remember it well Rocky.
It's good to remember something for a change
Hello rockylizard
Re 2013 - Stricken Italian cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, is set upright in the largest salvage operation of its kind to date
As Dougwe has already said
I also remember it well
The main gentleman concerned, (Captain Schettino), will always be remembered as Captain Coward
Gday...
1797 - Coal is officially discovered in New South Wales, Australia, providing the foundation for the establishment of Newcastle.
Newcastle is the second largest city in New South Wales, Australia. It was not a settlement at the time when a group of convict escapees discovered the first-known coal deposits in 1791. The discovery was not made known, as the convicts sought obscurity rather than notoriety. It was a British soldier, Lieutenant John Shortland, who found a coal seam while looking for the escapees in 1797.
Shortland first found a river which had been overlooked by Captain Cook who had charted the eastern coast 27 years earlier. Shortland named this river the "Hunter", after Governor Hunter, but then discovered a rich seam of coal, on 18 September 1797. For some time after this, the river was known as the Coal River. Shortland took a sample of the coal back to Sydney. Within a year, workers on ships began collecting coal from the riverbanks and selling it in Sydney. The first export of local coal took place in 1799.
In order to have sufficient workers to mine the coal and cut timber, a convict camp for particularly hardened criminals was established in 1801. It was initially known as King's Town, after Governor King. From this settlement came the thriving city of Newcastle.
1876 - A sea monster is reported to have been seen in the Straits of Malacca.
Reports have abounded of sightings of sea monsters for thousands of years. Usually such sightings involve only a small number of witnesses. However, occasionally such creatures have been seen by large numbers of people. On 18 September 1876, the 'Straits Times Overland Journal' ran an editorial, reporting on an unusual sea creature which had been seen by a Captain and his shipload of passengers one week earlier.
The "monster" was seen in the Malacca Straits, which link the Indian and Pacific Oceans between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In his log, John W Webster, Captain of the SS Nestor, described the creatures as having a body which was "quite fifty feet broad" and its total length "over two hundred feet". Its head "was about twelve feet broad and appeared ... about six feet above the water." It had a "long dragon tail with black and white scales". The monster continued its course alongside the ship, taking no note of either ship or occupants, who were entertained by its presence for about half an hour.
1895 - Daniel Palmer, founder of chiropractic treatment, makes the first chiropractic adjustment on a patient.
Daniel David Palmer was born on 7 March 1845 near Toronto, Canada. His family moved to the United States when he was very young. Originally, he worked as a magnetic healer in Davenport, Iowa, but two patients who both presented with problems associated with spinal disorders changed his focus. Palmer corrected the spinal dislocation of the first patient, whose deafness immediately cleared up. This occurred on 18 September 1895. Palmer's second patient, who was suffering from heart disease, also improved after adjustment of a spinal dislocation which Palmer believed exerted pressure on the nerves leading to the heart.
From this, Palmer extrapolated the theory that decreased nerve flow could cause disease, and that misplaced spinal vertebrae could cause pressure on the nerves. Thus, he developed the theory of chiropractic treatment.
1961 - UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld is killed in a plane crash.
Dag Hammarskjöld was born in Sweden on July 29 1905. His distinguished career in public service included Swedish financial affairs, Swedish foreign relations, and global international affairs. He was Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 to 1961. An excellent diplomat, in 1954-55 he personally negotiated the release of American soldiers captured by the Chinese in the Korean War. During the Suez Canal crisis of 1956, he was instrumental in getting the UN to nullify the use of force by Israel, France, and Great Britain following Egyptian President Nasser's commandeering of the Canal.
Hammarskjöld was on a peacekeeping mission the night he was killed, September 18, 1961. His plane crashed near the border between Katanga and North Rhodesia. It was never established whether his plane was deliberately shot down or the crash was accidental.
1997 - Media tycoon Ted Turner establishes the United Nations Foundation with a pledge of one billion dollars.
Ted Turner, born Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III on 19 November 1938, is a media tycoon and philanthropist. As co-founder of CNN, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network, together with a series of shrewd business purchases, Turner has become one of America's wealthiest men. On 18 September 1997, Turner pledged one billion US dollars, an estimated third of his wealth, to establish the United Nations Foundation. The UN Foundation supports the charter of the United Nations to address issues such as prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS, environmental conservation and the prevention of deadly conflict.
Cheers - John
In 1799 the colony of NSW's first export was coal from the Coal River (Newcastle) sold to a captain of a ship who was returning to Bengal. The money earn't helped to prop up the 11 year old settlement at Port Jackson - not much seems to have changed over the last 207 years.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Sunday 18th of September 2016 04:52:41 PM
Gday...
On December 14th, 1799 the Martha of 30 tons arrived at Sydney Cove and sailed for the Hunter River but entered Lake Macquarie where she landed with very fine coals. The lake was called Reids Mistake because Captain Wm. Reid made the mistake of believing he had entered the Hunter River. These coals were exported to the Cape or Bengal and were the first export.
Cheers - John
Gday...
1783 - The first hot-air balloon is tested - with a duck, a sheep and a rooster as its passengers.
Jacques Étienne Montgolfier was the French pioneer of the hot air balloon. Montgolfier was born on 6 January 1745. Together with his brother Joseph-Michel, he developed and tested the hot air balloon, progressing to untethered flights. On 19 September 1783, he tested the first balloon to carry passengers, using a duck, a sheep and a rooster as his subjects. The demonstration occurred in Paris and was witnessed by King Louis XVI. The rooster did not survive the landing.
The first manned, untethered balloon flight occurred on November 21 of that year, and carried two men.
1799 - A huge ball blazing with white light is witnessed throughout England.
Unidentified Flying Objects are not restricted to the twentieth century and later. On 19 September 1799, all of England was apparently witness to a spectacular sight. The "Gentleman's Magazine" reported that at 8:30pm, a huge ball, blazing with a brilliant white light and the occasional red spark, was seen to pass from the northwest to the southeast. The phenomenon apparently moved quickly and silently, with a gentle "tremulous motion".
1839 - Chocolate manufacturer George Cadbury is born.
George Cadbury was born on 19 September 1839. The son of a tea and coffee drinker, he was compelled at an early age to take over the business when both his parents suffered ill health. After 5 years, he and his older brother Richard developed the popular use of cocoa as a drink, sold as a powder so customers could add water or milk. Over time, the brothers improved the quality of the cocoa through developing a new cocoa bean processing technique.
George Cadbury was an employer who truly practised the tenet that if you look after your employees, they'll look after you. He built homes for his workers among attractive surroundings and gardens, was generous with time off, provided sporting and recreational facilities, provided health treatment and a retirement fund. This was a hugely progressive step from the workhouse conditions endured by many employees of the time.
1919 - The Great Ocean Road project in Victoria is officially launched.
The Great Ocean Road is a scenic highway in southern Victoria which begins at Torquay and extends west for 243 km, ending at Allansford, just east of Warrnambool. Hailed as an engineering feat for its time, the road was built by around 3000 returned servicemen, or Diggers, following World War I.
The concept of such a road was first put forward as early as the 1870s. Settlers along the coast could only reach the larger communities inland via rough tracks over the Otway ranges, so calls were made for either a rail or road route connecting these otherwise isolated coastal settlements. Shortly after Geelong businessmen E H Lascelles and Walter Howard Smith proposed a road be built between Geelong and Lorne, the Country Roads Board (CRB) was formed in 1912. Following World War I, CRB chairman William Calder suggested that returned Diggers be gainfully employed on various road projects, including a road extending from Barwon Heads to Warrnambool. The plan was soundly approved by Mayor of Geelong, Howard Hitch****, who saw not only the value in such a road for tourism, but also as a permanent memorial to the many thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in the Great War.
The Great Ocean Road Trust was officially formed on 22 March 1918, and surveying began in August of that year. On 19 September 1919, the project to construct the Great Ocean Road was officially launched by the Premier of Victoria, Harry Lawson. Taking 13 years to complete, the road is regarded as a tremendous engineering feat for the 1920s. With the absence of any machinery at the time, it required back-breaking manual labour as the men had only shovels, picks and horse-drawn carts to hew out the rocky cliffside. The first section, extending from Lorne to the Eastern View section of the Great Ocean Road, was officially opened on 18 March 1922. The second official opening occurred on 27 April 1932, and this celebrated the extension of the road to Warrnambool.
Although modernised since its original construction, the Great Ocean Road continues to stand as the world's largest memorial to the soldiers of World War I.
1985 - Mexico City is hit by the first of two devastating earthquakes.
Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is built on landfill above the mud and sediment of an ancient lake. In 1985, the city boasted a population of 23 million, larger than the entire population of Australia in the year 2005. On the morning of 19 September 1985 an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale struck Mexico's western coast. It affected an area of 13, 875 square kilometres. The mud of the lakebed acted as a spring in response to the earth's upthrusts and vibrations. This compounded the damage to buildings, as many had not been built to withstand the force of such movement, and building collapse was the major contributing factor to the high death toll.
Thirty-six hours later, a huge aftershock hit the city, registering 7.3 on the Richter scale. Many more were killed, and buildings which survived the first earthquake came crashing down in the second. Officially, the death toll for the two quakes was around five thousand. Unofficially, it was estimated that the final figure was closer to 30,000.
1991 - Otzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old Bronze Age hunter, is found.
Otzi the Iceman was discovered on 19 September 1991 by two German mountaineers. His frozen, preserved body was found at an altitude of 3,200m in the Alps on the Italian-Austrian border. Samples taken from his stomach indicated that his last meal consisted of meat, probably from an alpine goat, the bones of which were found nearby, wheat, plants and plums. Otzi was found alongside a copper axe, a knife, a bow made out of yew and 14 wooden arrows.
Otzi's probable cause of death was an arrowhead buried beneath his upper left shoulder. Because he has been so perfectly preserved, scientists have even been able to determine the position from which the arrow was fired, and the fact that it missed vital organs, but probably caused nerve damage and internal haemorrhaging.
Cheers - John