Another good read John, thanks for that

Re November 25 1880 - Reverend John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, is born.

It is not only beyond the black stump areas which rely on the RFDS
In the late 1960,s the Southern Cross area welcomed the fortnightly visit, as the town had no permanent doctor


Re November 26 1703 - Over 8,000 people die in Britain's worst storm on record.

First I heard of this tragedy, 8,000 people would have been a large number of the population, back in those days

The millenium bug....all that stressing out for nothing. Here we all are 16 years later probably stressing out about other things that won't ever happen.
Thanks for reminding us, rocky lizard.

Gday...

Yep Tony, incredible how and why Alfred Nobel chose to have his wealth dispersed after his death.

This is some further background -

Nobel Prizes
In 1888 Alfred's brother Ludvig died while visiting Cannes and a French newspaper erroneously published Alfred's obituary. It condemned him for his invention of dynamite and is said to have brought about his decision to leave a better legacy after his death. The obituary stated, Le marchand de la mort est mort ("The merchant of death is dead") and went on to say, "Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday." Alfred (who never had a wife or children) was disappointed with what he read and concerned with how he would be remembered.

On 27 November 1895, at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Nobel signed his last will and testament and set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes, to be awarded annually without distinction of nationality.

Cheers - John

Gday...

1660  -             The founding meeting is held prior to the formation of the Royal Society.

The Royal Society is also known as Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge. A voluntary organisation devoted to the advancement of Science, fellowship to the society is by peer election, and is considered a great honour.

The founding meeting for the Royal Society was held on 28 November 1660, at Gresham College in Bishopsgate. It followed a lecture by Sir Christopher Wren, who was Gresham's Professor of Astronomy. Those present included theologian, natural philosopher, chemist, physicist and inventor Robert Boyle, and English clergyman and author John Wilkins. All subsequent meetings, and the concept and design of the society, received endorsement from the restored monarchy of King Charles II.

The Royal Society of London was formally created after the passing of the Great Seal on 15 July 1662. Lord Brouncker was the first President, while Robert Hooke was appointed as Curator of Experiments in November 1662. A second Royal Charter was sealed on 23 April 1663, naming the King as Founder and changing the name to "The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge". Her Majesty The Queen is the current patron, and, since the foundation of the Royal Society, the reigning monarch has always been the patron.

1829  -             Captain Charles Sturt crosses the Murrumbidgee River on his way to solve the mystery of the inland rivers.

Captain Charles Sturt was born in India in 1795. He came to Australia in 1827, and soon after undertook to solve the mystery of where the inland rivers of New South Wales flowed. Because they appeared to flow towards the centre of the continent, the belief was held that they emptied into an inland sea. Drawing on the skills of experienced bushman and explorer Hamilton Hume, Sturt first traced the Macquarie River as far as the Darling, which he named after Governor Darling.

Pleased with Sturt's discoveries, the following year Governor Darling sent Sturt to trace the course of the Murrumbidgee River, and to see whether it joined to the Darling. On 28 November 1829, Sturt and his party crossed the Murrumbidgee near the present site of the town of Gundagai. Following the river in a whaleboat, Sturt discovered that the Murrumbidgee River flowed into the Murray (previously named the Hume), as did the Darling, and that the Murray River flowed to the ocean, emptying out at Lake Alexandrina on the southern coast.

1932  -             The 'Dog on the Tuckerbox' statue at Gundagai is unveiled.

The "Dog on the Tuckerbox" is an historical monument situated in southern New South Wales, Australia. Celebrated in Australian folklore, poetry, and song as being either five or nine miles from Gundagai, the Dog on the Tuckerbox sits approximately 5 miles, or eight kilometres, from Gundagai. Gundagai's Dog on the Tuckerbox originated out of an incident from the mid-1800s, when some travellers' bullock carts became stuck in the mud near Gundagai. The bullockies were unable to free their carts, and everything ended up coated in mud. The romanticised version of the story goes that the bullocky departed for help, and the dog stayed to faithfully guard his master's tuckerbox (food box). However, the reality is that the dog was in fact relieving itself directly above the tuckerbox, which was the only thing not submerged by the mud.

The story was originally captured by an unknown poet writing under the pseudonym of Bowyang Yorke and published in the Gundagai Times in the 1880s. A later version was written by Gundagai journalist and poet Jack Moses. The tale was then popularised in 1937 in the song "Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox" by Australian songwriter Jack O'Hagan who also wrote "Along the Road to Gundagai" and "When a Boy from Alabama Meets a Girl from Gundagai". Ironically, O'Hagan never visited Gundagai himself.

The statue of the Dog on the Tuckerbox was created by Gundagai stonemason Frank Rusconi, and unveiled on 28 November 1932, by Joseph Lyons, then Prime Minister of Australia. The unveiling occurred on the 103rd anniversary of explorer Charles Sturt's crossing of the Murrumbidgee River at the place where Gundagai now stands.

1964  -             Mariner 4, the first spacecraft to transmit close range images of Mars, is launched.

Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to obtain and transmit close range images of Mars. It was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida, on 28 November 1964. The probe passed within 9844 kilometres of Mars on July 14, 1965, obtaining the first ever close-up photographs of the Mars surface. The images revealed that Mars had a vast, barren wasteland of craters scattered throughout a rust-coloured surface of sand, with some indications that liquid water had once etched waterways through the surface. Mariner 4 had various field and particle sensors and detectors, and a television camera which took 22 television pictures, each 48 seconds apart, covering about 1% of the planet.

1979  -             257 people are killed when an Air New Zealand sightseeing flight crashes into Mount Erebus, Antarctica.

Mount Erebus, located on Ross Shelf, Antarctica is the southernmost active volcano on Earth. Discovered on 27 January 1841 by explorer Sir James Clark Ross, the volcano rises 3,795 metres above sea level.

Sightseeing flights frequently include Mount Erebus on their tours. On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into Mount Erebus, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew members. The flight departed from Auckland International Airport with guide Peter Mulgrew standing in for Sir Edmund Hillary, who had acted as a guide on previous flights but had to cancel on this occasion. At the time of the crash, the altitude of the aircraft was 445m.

Following an inquest, the crash was attributed to pilot error. The pilot descended below the customary minimum altitude level, continuing at that height even though the crew was unsure of the plane's position. However, the New Zealand Government called for another inquiry in response to public demand. The Royal Commission of Inquiry, headed by highly respected judge Justice Peter Mahon, blamed Air New Zealand for altering the flight plan waypoint coordinates in the ground navigation computer without advising the crew. The new flight plan took the aircraft directly at the mountain, rather than along its flank.

Although all the bodies were recovered, the wreckage of the aircraft still remains on the slopes of Mount Erebus, buried by snow and ice. A wooden cross was raised above Scott Base to commemorate the accident, and was replaced in 1986 with an aluminium cross after the original was eroded by low temperatures, wind and moisture.

Cheers - John

Gday...

1314  -             King Philip IV, who orders the suppression of the Knights Templar, dies in a hunting accident.

King Philip IV, also known as Philip the Fair, was born sometime during the year 1268. His nickname referred to his fair hair and blue eyes, and generally pleasing appearance, rather than any sense of justice. On the contrary, Philip had ambitions for France to be the major power in the empire, and to that end, he sought the resources owned by others. This included the Jews, whom he expelled from France after taking their properties, the Italian bankers (Lombards) and the wealthy Knights Templar.

On 13 October 1307, Philip IV ordered the arrest of the entire order of Knights Templar in France, and had their possessions confiscated. The knights were put on trial and were tortured to extract confessions of sacrilegious practices, including heresy and witchcraft. Many were burnt and tortured, and under duress, admitted to a variety of heresies, admissions which were later retracted as being forced admissions.

Philip IV died on 29 November 1314, whilst out on a hunting expedition. It is believed he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage or stroke, possibly as a result of a fall from his horse.

1823  -             Oxley anchors off Pumicestone Channel to explore western Moreton Bay.

On 23 October 1823, Surveyor-General John Oxley set sail from Sydney to travel north along the coastline. His aim was to find a suitable settlement for convicts who had not been reformed, but continued to re-offend. Reaching Port Curtis (Gladstone), Oxley rejected the harbour as unsuitable, due to its many shoals and mangrove swamps. Oxley returned south and entered Moreton Bay, where he anchored off Pumicestone Channel, now Pumistone Passage, on 29 November 1823.

From here, Oxley set out in a smaller boat to chart the western shores of Moreton Bay. On 2 December 1823, he came across the entrance to the Brisbane River, which ticket-of-leave convict timber-getters, Parsons, Pamphlett and Finnegan had already discovered by accident.

1847  -             Missionary physician Marcus Whitman and thirteen others are killed by Native Americans in Washington state.

Marcus Whitman was an American physician and missionary in Oregon, born in 1802. As a young man, Whitman was interested in becoming a minister, but studied medicine instead. In 1835 he travelled with missionary Samuel Parker to present-day north-western Montana and northern Idaho, to minister to the Native American bands of the Flathead and Nez Percé. Two years later he returned to live with the Indians, after marrying Narcissa Prentiss, a teacher of physics and chemistry. Whitman and Narcissa established several missions along their journey and their own settlement, Waiilatpu, near the present day city of Walla Walla, Washington. The settlement was in the territory of both the Cayuse and the Nez Percé tribes of Native Americans. Marcus farmed the land and utilised his medical skills, while Narcissa set up a school for the Native American children.

In 1843, Whitman organised the first large caravan of wagon trains along the Oregon Trail, opening it up to more settlers. The influx of white settlers brought to the region diseases to which the Indians had not developed immunity: in 1847, measles killed a large number of them. Whitman was unsuccessful in treating many of them, and his attempts to administer the measles vaccine resulted in more deaths. The recovery of many white patients resulted in the belief among the Native Americans that Whitman was causing the death of his Indian patients. To avenge the deaths, Cayuse tribal members murdered Marcus and Narcissa Whitman in their home on 29 November 1847, along with twelve other white settlers in the community.

1876  -             The Queensland flag is officially adopted.

Queensland began as the colony of the Moreton Bay District. It was founded in 1824 when explorer John Oxley arrived at Redcliffe with a crew and 29 convicts to begin a settlement on the Redcliffe Peninsula. This settlement, which was later dubbed Humpybong by the indigenous people for its dead huts, was abandoned less than a year later when the main settlement was moved 30km away, to the Brisbane River. The new settlement was given the name of Brisbane, after the Brisbane River which Oxley had explored earlier.

In 1859, Queen Victoria signed Letters Patent declaring that Queensland was now a separate colony. Queensland was the last of the states to be separated from New South Wales. In 1869, Queen Victoria proposed that each of the colonies in Australia adopt a flag, which should consist of a Union flag with the state badge in the centre. Queensland had no badge at that time, so one needed to be designed. William Hemmant, then Queensland Colonial Secretary and Treasurer designed the badge, which is officially described as "On a Roundel Argent a Maltese Cross Azure surmounted with a Royal Crown".

The flag of Queensland, with the new badge, was introduced on 29 November 1876. As well as the badge, the flag featured the Imperial Crown, also known as the Tudor Crown, an emblem that changes in accordance with the ruling Monarch. Queen Victoria used the Imperial Crown, as did Edward VII and George VI, whilst George V and Elizabeth II used the St Edward's Crown. If the next ruling Monarch were to revert to the Imperial Crown when he ascends the throne, then the Queensland flag would change again.

1898  -             C S Lewis, author of the 'Narnia' series of books, is born.

C S Lewis was born Clive Staples Lewis on 29 November 1898, in Belfast, Ireland. As a young teenager, he abandoned the Christian faith with which he was raised, but returned to it when he was in his thirties. Lewis taught as a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1954, and later became the first Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

After embracing Christianity, Lewis's first novel was "Pilgrim's Regress", an unorthodox take on John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress", but which was based on his own experiences with his departure from and return to Christianity. Following this, Lewis penned the science-fiction "Space" trilogy, comprising "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra" - also known as "Voyage to Venus" - and "That Hideous Strength". Other Christian fiction followed, including "The Screwtape Letters", in which an elderly demon, Screwtape, instructs his nephew, Wormwood, via a series of letters on the best ways to secure the damnation of a particular human. Lewis also wrote numerous theological works on Christianity. Although he became an Anglican upon his return to Christianity, he was greatly influenced by his Roman Catholic friend J R R Tolkien, writer of "Lord of the Rings".

Among Lewis's best-known works are the Narnia Chronicles, a series of seven fantasy novels for children, which describe the adventures of children who visit a magical land called Narnia. The novels effectively incorporate some elements of Christian theological concepts in ways that are easily understood by children and adults alike. Although C S Lewis died on 22 November 1963, the Narnia Chronicles remain as popular as ever still today.

1948  -             Australian Prime minister Ben Chifley launches the first mass-produced Australian car, the Holden FX.

"Made in Australia, For Australia".

These are the words spoken by Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley when he launched the Holden FX on 29 November 1948. The real name of the Holden FX is 48/215. '48 was the year it started production, and 215 indicated a Standard Sedan. The name "FX" originated as an unofficial designation within Holden after 1953, and was a reference to the updated suspension of that year.

The Holden company began as 'J.A. Holden & Co', a saddlery business in 1856, and moved into car production in 1908. By 1926, Holden had an assembly plant in each of Australia's mainland states, but due to the repercussions of the great Depression, production fell dramatically, from 34,000 units annually in 1930 to just 1,651 units in 1931. In that year, it became a subsidiary of the US-based General Motors (GM).

Post-World War II Australia was a time when only one in eight people owned an automobile, and many of these were American styled cars. Prior to the close of World War II, the Australian Government put into place initiatives to encourage an Australian automotive industry. Both GM and Ford responded to the government, making proposals for the production of the first Australian designed car. Although Ford's outline was preferred by the government, the Holden proposal required less financial assistance. Holden's managing director, Laurence Hartnett, wished to develop a local design, but GM wanted an American design. Compromises were made, and the final design was based on a previously rejected post-war proposed Chevrolet. Thus, in 1948, the Holden was launched - the first mass-produced Australian car.

Although the automobile's official designation was the 48/215, it was marketed as the "Holden". This was to honour Sir Edward Holden, the company's first chairman and grandson of J.A. Holden, who established the original Holden saddlery. Other names that were considered included the 'Austral', 'Woomerah', 'Boomerang', 'Melba', 'GeM', 'Emu' and even the 'Canbra', a name derived from Australia's capital city. The original retail price was AU£760.

1970  -             Recreated goldfields town, Sovereign Hill in Victoria, is officially opened.

In August 1851, the Australian state of Victoria had its first gold strike at Sovereign Hill near Ballarat, in the same month it gained its independence from the NSW colony. While the Ballarat goldfields were rich and promising, the real goldrush began when gold was discovered at Mt Alexander, 60km northeast of Ballarat, and close to the town of Bendigo.

Nowadays, Sovereign Hill offers a re-creation of life on the goldfields and in a goldmining town. Officially opened on 29 November 1970, Sovereign Hill is an interactive outdoor museum which covers some 25 hectares on the southern outskirts of Ballarat. The town has been recreated with historic authenticity, complete with antiques, confectionery and foods, machinery, books, documents, livestock and other animals, carriages and other transport, all appropriate to the 1850s goldrush era. Visitors to the site can pan for alluvial gold, which can still be found in Sovereign Hill's Red Hill Gully Creek.

1990  -             The United Nations Security Council passes 'Resolution 678', authorising military intervention if Iraq does not withdraw its forces from Kuwait by 15 January 1991.

In the early hours of 2 August 1990, 100,000 Iraqi troops backed by 300 tanks invaded Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. US economic aid to Iraq had inadvertently allowed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to amass weaponry which was then deployed for the invasion. The United Nations acted immediately to implement economic sanctions against Iraq. Over the ensuing months, a series of UN Security Council and Arab League resolutions were passed regarding the conflict. One of these was Resolution 678, passed on 29 November 1990. This ordered Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait by 15 January 1991, and authorised the use of force via military intervention if Iraq did not comply.

Iraq had not complied by January of the following year, so a coalition force of armies from 34 nations, led by the United States, set out to free Kuwait. The Gulf War lasted around 6 weeks, and resulted in a decisive victory for the coalition forces.

Cheers - John

Another good read John, so once again thanks for that

Re 1314 - King Philip IV, who orders the suppression of the Knights Templar, dies in a hunting accident.

It looks like the good King was having two bob each way, to ensure a good financial outcome, below is a quote from the net

Many of the Templar's were tortured into confessing their crimes and then killed. Others were killed for refusing to confess.

I was certainly unaware that this King expelled the Jews, and the Italian bankers, as well as the Knight Templar's, purely for financial gain

Gday...

1876  -             Aboriginal stockman Sam Isaacs and teenager Grace Bussell rescue about 40 people from a stricken steamship off Western Australia.

The SS Georgette was a steamship built in 1872, which was sold in England to Western Australia, and used as a coastal trading and passenger service between Fremantle, Albany and Champion Bay. On 1 December 1876, the Georgette sprang a leak 32km out to sea, whilst carrying fifty passengers and a cargo of jarrah wood. The pumps failed to work, and despite passengers and crew bailing water non-stop, by 6pm the water had risen to put out the steamship's fires, leaving the ship adrift. A boatload of passengers was lowered into the sea but the lifeboat was smashed against the ship's side and broken. Some of the survivors were rescued by a second lifeboat, but twelve were killed. Each lifeboat that was released was swamped or capsized in the storm-driven seas.

As the stricken Georgette drifted into Calgardup Bay, it was seen by the Bussell family's Aboriginal stockman, Sam Isaacs. He and sixteen-year-old Grace Bussell raced down to the surf on horseback, and Grace then rode her horse into the bay until it was alongside one of the swamped lifeboats. People clung to her and her horse as she returned to shore and landed them. One man was left on the boat, and Isaacs was sent to collect him. Bussell and Isaacs continued their rescuing efforts, taking over four hours to land all the passengers.

For their acts of bravery and heroism, Grace was awarded the Royal Humane Society's silver medal and Isaacs received a bronze. The wreck of the Georgette still lies about 90 metres off Calgardup Beach.

1959  -             The Antarctic Treaty is signed, ensuring the protection of the world's most remote and inhospitable continent.

Antarctica is the driest and coldest continent on Earth. An inhospitable place, the continent itself does not support any animal life as just 2% of the Antarctic is free of ice, but the Antarctic waters and coastline are teeming with marine mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates. The continent is often referred to as the Last Frontier, being a remote and still relatively pristine wilderness.

During the twentieth century, improved technology meant increased exploration of the previously inaccessible Antarctica. Scientific research stations were established, and territorial claims were made, though these were not recognised by all countries. Disputes and even armed conflicts ensued, as was the case when, in 1948, Argentine military forces fired on British troops in territory claimed by both countries. As it became more apparent that the Soviet Union was also interested in laying claim to the frozen continent, the United States suggested that Antarctica be made a trustee of the United Nations. The proposal was refused by the nations which stood to lose their claims of sovereignty to an international organisation.

The treaty is comprised of fourteen articles which control activities on the continent, and which stipulate that Antarctica should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes such as scientific research. The Treaty established Antarctica as a military-free zone, forbidding military presence and all testing of weapons of any sort, although it permitted the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes. In addition, the treaty stipulated that previous territorial claims remain unaffected by the Treaty, but that no new claims can be made.

1987  -             Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen is forced to resign as Queensland's longest-serving Premier.

Johannes Bjelke-Petersen was born in Dannevirke, New Zealand on 13 January 1911. He was the son of Danish immigrants, and his father was a Lutheran Pastor. When young Johannes, or Joh, was two years old, the family migrated to Australia, taking up dairy farming at Kingaroy in south-eastern Queensland. An industrious lad, despite a lifelong limp which was the result of polio, Joh learned to clear land efficiently, explored other agricultural pursuits such as peanut farming, obtaining a pilot's licence and started aerial spraying and grass seeding. All of these successful pursuits showed the drive and initiative which would serve him well later in politics.

Bjelke-Petersen entered politics in 1963, as minister for works and housing under Country Party leader Frank Nicklin. Following Nicklin's retirement in January 1968, Jack Pizzey became Country Party leader and hence Premier, but died unexpectedly within seven months of taking office. Bjelke-Petersen won the election for leadership of the Country Party and subsequently became Premier of Queensland on 8 August 1968.

Bjelke-Petersen enjoyed a long and successful career as premier, largely thanks to the electoral mal-apportionment which had been introduced by the Labor Party in 1949 to improve and concentrate its base of rural voters in as many districts as possible. The system worked well for the Country Party and, assisted by further redistributions by Bjelke-Patersen in 1972, worked to further weaken the Labor Party in Queensland's country areas. Ironically, Bjelke-Petersen was created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for "services to parliamentary democracy" in 1984. Nonetheless, the state of Queensland thrived under Bjekle-Petersen's leadership and saw enormous economic and population growth.

In his later years as Premier, Bjelke-Petersen's leadership was marred by controversy and allegations of corruption. The two-year-long Commission of Inquiry into "Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct", chaired by barrister Tony Fitzgerald and known as the Fitzgerald Inquiry, uncovered evidence of corruption which implicated the Police Commissioner as well as senior members and associates of the Bjelke-Petersen government. Increased party tension led Bjelke-Petersen to announce he would retire as premier in August 1988, the twentieth anniversary of him becoming Premier. However, he was deposed by caucus and, after an extended standoff, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen resigned as Premier on 1 December 1987, and retired from politics altogether.

1990  -             The final wall of rock is drilled out, to join the two halves of the Channel Tunnel and link Britain to France.

The Channel tunnel is a rail tunnel, 50 kilometres in length, beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover, connecting Cheriton in Kent, England and Coquelles near Calais in northern France. The concept of such a tunnel linking Britain and France had been under discussion for centuries, but it was only seriously realised in 1957 when le Tunnel sous la Manche Study Group was formed. Following the group's report in 1960, the project to construct the Tunnel was launched in 1973, but financial problems in 1975 halted progress beyond a 250m test tunnel.

In 1984, a joint United Kingdom and French government request for proposals to build a privately funded link brought forth four submissions, one of which closely resembled the 1973 route. The Fixed Link Treaty was signed by the British and French governments on 12 February 1986, and ratified in 1987. It took 15,000 workers over seven years to dig the tunnel, with tunnelling operations carried out simultaneously from both ends. On 1 December 1990, workers bored through the final wall of rock to join the two halves of the Channel Tunnel.

1997  -             Eight of the known planets in the solar system form a rare alignment from west to east.

On 1 December 1997, eight of the known planets of our solar system aligned from west to east. The alignment, which also included the Earth's moon, began with Pluto and continued with Mercury, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Saturn in that order. All but the farthest planets, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune, could be seen with the naked eye. Uranus and Neptune were visible with binoculars, but a telescope was needed to see Pluto. Another alignment occurred in May 2000, but the planets were too close to the sun to be visible from the Earth.

2004  -             Two years after being destroyed by bushfires, Mount Stromlo Observatory in the ACT becomes fully operational again.

In March 1973, the Geoscience Australia Lunar and Satellite Laser Ranging programme was established with the signing of a NASA-Division of National Mapping agreement under the USA-Australia Hornig Treaty for cooperation in Science. Australia has three Satellite Laser Ranging Stations and Observatories connected with this programme. They include Orroral Observatory, in the Namadgi National Park, New South Wales; the Moblas 5 (Yarragadee) SLR facility, 100 km south east of Geraldton, Western Australia; and Mount Stromlo, 18km southwest of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.

The Mount Stromlo Observatory was established in 1924 as the Commonwealth Solar Observatory. It serves as the headquarters of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics of the Australian National University (ANU). The site currently holds the administrative centre; offices of the astronomers and students; the mechanical, electronic and optical workshops; and the computer laboratories. It also once held research telescopes, but this changed in January 2003, when the Mt Stromlo facility was destroyed by bushfires that swept through the ACT. The firestorm, ignited by lightning strikes in nearby national parks and fuelled by high temperatures and winds of up to 200 km per hour, destroyed five historically significant telescopes. Instrumentation and engineering workshops, the observatory's library and the main administration buildings were also consumed.

One of the first facilities to be constructed after the devastating bushfires was the Precision Engineering Centre, for the purpose of enabling ongoing manufacturing and engineering of instrumentation. Research telescopes were not reinstalled: the Observatory now uses telescopes located at Siding Springs, near Coonabarabran, in northern NSW. The newly rebuilt Mount Stromlo Observatory was officially opened on 1 April 2004. Following further testing and validating, it became operational on 1 December 2004.

Cheers - John

Thanks John - and newhorizons - that was an interesting story re the Bussel family.

One area where the 1500 numbats live is Dryandra Woodland, Northeast of Narrogin WA. This area is about to become (as early as 2017), WA's next national Park. At the nocturnal sanctuary there (Barna Mia), they have other threatened species (eg Wolylies, Bilbies) but strangely enough, no numbats. They can be spotted in the woodland area but you'd have to be lucky I think. The new national park (being fairly close to Perth) is planned to be a "must see" for international tourists in the future. Let's hope it doesn't get too popular!

Another good read John, so thanks for that

Re 1800 - James Grant discovers and names Mount Gambier in South Australia.

The water in the blue lake, is the bluest I have ever seen

It is on my list to show the wife

Interesting to learn of the West Australia's oil exploration.

Growing up on east coast you would only hear about Queensland oil reserves and then latter on Bass Straight, never WA.

Thank you for Today in History I look forward to the read each day.

Gday...

1901  -             American animator and film producer, Walt Disney, is born.

Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 5 December 1901. After serving with the Red Cross Ambulance Corps during World War I, he worked first as a commercial artist, then established his own studio, producing animated cartoons. After the company failed to turn a profit, Disney gained animation experience with the Kansas City Film Ad Corporation, working on primitive animated advertisements for local movie houses. He then established Laugh-O-Grams, Inc, which produced short cartoons based on popular fairy tales and childrens stories. When the company went bankrupt, Disney was invited to join his brother Roy in Hollywood, where they started the Disney Brothers Studio. The Disney Brothers Studio became the Walt Disney Studio in 1926, and then Walt Disney Productions in 1928.

Disney is best known for creating Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and for establishing the first theme park, Disneyland, in the USA. Disney currently holds the record for career Academy Award nominations, having gained 64 nominations. Among Disney's better known animated characters are Winnie the Pooh, Pinocchio and Ariel the Mermaid. Disney died from lung cancer on 15 December 1966.

1909  -             George Taylor, little-known pioneer in Australian aviation, achieves the first Australian flight of a heavier-than-air machine.

George Augustine Taylor was born in Sydney on 1 August 1872. As a young man, he trained as a builder and then worked as a cartoonist. However, emerging developments in science and technology began to capture his imagination. In 1908, he established a factory for the purpose of building light aircraft.

As a student and admirer of aviator Lawrence Hargrave, Taylor developed a keen interest in gliding. Inspired by Hargrave's experiments with flying using a box kite, Taylor built a biplane from coachwood, covered with oiled calico, and with a box-kite tail for balance. On 5 December 1909, together with Edward Hallstrom (later known for his developments in the manufacturing industry rather than his aviation achievements), Taylor launched his glider from the sandhills at the northern Sydney beach of Narrabeen, thus pioneering gliding in Australia. He conducted more than 20 flights that day, varying in distance from 100 to 250 metres, at heights ranging from 1 to 3 metres above the sand. Taylor's wife, Florence, also tried her hand at gliding that day, becoming the first woman to fly in Australia. She later complained that her biggest problem was her clothes, and having to tuck in her skirts as she flew.

Taylor went on to be an architect, engineer, founder and Secretary of the Australian Air League, and cartoonist for Bulletin and Punch magazines. He also founded the Wireless Institute of Australia, contributing much to the spread and development of wireless technology in Australia.

1933  -             Prohibition in the United States ends.

Prohibition generally refers to the time between 1920 and 1933 during which the Eighteenth Amendment was in place. The Eighteenth Amendment, forbidding the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," was passed by Congress and ratified on 16 January 1919. The ensuing Volstead Act, which made provisions for the enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment, was passed on 28 October 1919.

Prohibition failed to enforce sobriety, and the federal and state governments lost billions in tax revenue. In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was passed and on 5 December 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the required three-quarters majority of states' approval. Whilst this ended national Prohibition, some individual states continued to uphold their own temperance laws. Mississippi, for example, was the last state to end Prohibition, doing so only in 1966.

1952  -             The Great Smog of London starts, lasting until March of 1953.

London has long been known as a city of fog and pollution, a combination which turned deadly on 5 December 1952. November 1952 had been considerably colder than average, with heavy falls of snow in southern England. Londoners had already been burning more coal than usual for heating. Being the end of Autumn, the city was also converting from using electric trams to diesel-burning public transport. The formation of an atmospheric inversion meant that the layer of cold fog filled with dirty particles was trapped by warmer air above. The smog was so thick that it reduced visibility for drivers, and Heathrow Airport was closed. The smog entered indoors as well, causing the cancellation of concerts, theatrical performances and even films, as the audience could not see the stage or screen.

Around 4,000 people died during the first week, mostly the very young, elderly and those already suffering from respiratory problems. However, as the weeks dragged on and the smog hung around, the death toll continued, with another 8,000 dying before the smog finally lifted the following Spring, in March 1953. The Great Fog altered perceptions regarding the dangers of London's "pea-souper" fogs. Whereas Londoners had always been complacent about their smog, new regulations were put in place restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. These included the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and of 1968, and the City of London (Various Powers) Act of 1954.

2013  -             Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid campaign er and the first democratically-elected President of South Africa, dies.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918. Rolihlahla Mandela was seven years old when he became the first member of his family to attend school: it was there that he was given the English name "Nelson" by a Methodist teacher.

In his university days, Mandela became a political activist against the white minority government's denial of political, social, and economic rights to South Africa's black majority. He became a prominent anti-apartheid activist of the country, and was involved in underground resistance activities. Although interred in jail from 1962 to 1990 for his resistance activities, including sabotage, Mandela continued to fight for the rights of the South African blacks. He was eventually freed, thanks to sustained campaigning by the African National Congress, and subsequent international pressure. He and State President F.W. de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela was elected to the Presidency of South Africa in 1994. He retired in 1999, and died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.

Cheers - John

1797....And what a sight it is too when blowing at it's best, Rocky. I sat there all day a few years back admiring it blowing it's cool. Got back to where I was staying soaked. Well worth it though.

Gday...

1782  -             A flying haystack, accompanied by fire and smoke, is reported in Banbury, England.

Through the ages there have been many reports of unusual flying objects, dubbed UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects. Many times, the incidents can be explained as weather balloons, military exercises and even natural phenomena.

On 7 December 1872, an unusual UFO was reported in Banbury, England. A haystack was seen flying through the air on an irregular course, emitting fire and dense smoke. Witnesses stated that at least 17 trees were uprooted and another 36 damaged, a long stone wall was felled as it flew past, whilst a shack was also disassembled.

Prior to the appearance of the fiery flying haystack, the skies were heavily overcast, leading to a sudden downpour. Lightning flashed, whereupon appeared the flying haystack, making a noise rather like a whistling steam train, travelling irregularly, sometimes high and sometimes low. A strong "sulphurous" smell was noted, which is often connected to ozone and nitrogen oxides, created by the effect of electricity on air. The object appeared to continue for around a mile and a half, when it suddenly disappeared.

Meteorologist, Mr Thomas Beesley of Banbury, visited the area and concluded that the haystack fireball was due to a tornado that swept through the area. It was believed that the appearance of fire came from the friction of tree branches as they were propelled through the air at a terrific speeds.

1800  -             James Grant discovers and names Portland Bay and Cape Otway on the southern coast.

James Grant was a young lieutenant sent out on a survey voyage of the southern coast of Australia. Grant was given orders to take possession in the King's name of any large rivers and good pastureland, as long as such possession was done with the consent of any native inhabitants who might be present. On 7 December 1800, Grant discovered Portland Bay, describing it as "picturesque and beautiful", and naming it after the Duke of Portland. He was unable to land, however, due to the windy conditions and strong surf. Sailing further east on the 7th, Grant sighted and named Cape Albany Ottway, after his friend Captain William Albany Ottway. The Cape, and later the nearby Ranges, were renamed Otway.

1846  -             Leichhardt departs Jimbour Station on his second but unsuccessful expedition.

Ludwig Leichhardt was born in Prussia and studied in Germany. He was a passionate botanist who had an interest in exploration, although he lacked necessary bush survival skills. In October 1844, he left from Jimbour Station on the Darling Downs on an expedition to find a new route to Port Essington, near Darwin. The trip took 14 months and covered over 4,800km.

On 7 December 1846, Leichhardt departed from Jimbour Station on his second expedition. His intention was to cross Australia from east to west. However, the expedition was beset with sickness, paper-wasp bites, and discontent among his men after travelling only 800km. The wet weather season set in with a vengeance, forcing the party to wade through deep mud. Six months later Leichhardt returned to Jimbour Station, achieving nothing of his aim. It was nearly another year before Leichhardt attempted the crossing again, this time disappearing with his entire party somewhere in the centre of Australia.

1941  -             Japanese fighters bomb the US navy base at Pearl Harbor, precipitating America's entry into WWII.

During the early stages of World War II, the United States willingly assisted Britain as one of its allies, but did not declare war on any of the countries involved. This changed on the morning of 7 December 1941, when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.

Tensions had been rising between the United States and Japan since Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and had continued to encroach on Chinese territory. Earlier in 1941, the USA and the UK reacted to continued Japanese military action in China by imposing boycotts on several industries critical to Japan, freezing assets and closing the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. Peace negotiations between the US and Japan were unsuccessful, and Japan launched a pre-emptive strike against the US, hoping to gain the upper hand.

Six aircraft carriers launched approximately 360 Japanese warplanes, with the first attack wave occurring at 7:55am, local time. A second wave attacked an hour later. Further attacks by battleships, cruisers, and destroyers ensued. 2,403 Americans were killed, including 68 civilians, and a further 1,178 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk, including five battleships. Ultimately, the Japanese were successful in their aim of crippling the US navy. However, the attack pushed the US into WWII, and provided the catalyst and the motivation for the development of the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1967  -             Otis Redding records an unfinished "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", three days before his death in a plane crash.

Otis Redding was an American "soul" singer. Born in Dawson, Georgia on 9 September 1941, his singing career began in the Macon church choir. He was a devoted fan of singer Little Richard, by whose music he was largely inspired, even though Redding moved more into "soul" later on.

Redding had an immensely successful career, and was a prolific songwriter. While touring with his backup band, the Bar-Kays in August 1967, he wrote the first verse of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" under the shortened title "Dock of the Bay". Further lines and additions were jotted onto hotel napkins and paper over the next few months. The first version of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was recorded on 22 November 1967, with overdubbing completed on 7 December 1967. One verse was whistled, as Redding intended to write more lyrics and complete the recording later.

On 9 December, Redding and the Bar-kays appeared on the local "Upbeat" television show in Cleveland, Ohio. The next day, his chartered Beechcraft 18 airplane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, killing Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of The Bar-Kays. The cause of the crash was never determined.

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was released posthumously on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968. It became Redding's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the first posthumous single in US chart history.

Cheers - John