Do kookaburras live in other parts of the world? Did the first kookaburras migrate to Australia from other parts of the world? Lets explore these questions. Kookaburras are part of a very large family of birds called kingfishers, or Alcedinidae. They are very widely distributed on all continents, except Antarctica, and in every environment, except […]
Donnybrook
Donnybrook is a suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is thought that St. Broc established a convent or monastery in the area in the eighth or ninth century. This was destroyed in the late ninth century by Viking invaders, but the area continued to be known as “Domnagh Broc” or the “Church of St. Broc”. […]
The Tea and Sugar Train
Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Whilst the Trans Australia Railway was being constructed, the Tea and Sugar Train was established to supply food and other staples to the men at the various work camps along the line. Also, along the line, settlements were established at 30km intervals to maintain the line after it had officially opened. […]
The Lennie Gwyther Story
Compiled for Westprint by Barry Ridding. The Plucky Boy’s Ride The boy from Gippsland Charles James Lenard (Lennie) Gwyther was the eldest of three sons born to Leo Tennyson Gwyther and Clara Amelia Simon[2]. He was a “plucky”[a] young lad, just like his father who was a lieutenant in the Australian Army in the Great […]
Operation Mosaic – Australian History
British Atomic Tests in Australia On May 16, 1956, the first of a series of two atomic tests, Operation Mosaic, detonated in Australian Territory at the Monte Bello Islands. The British Government and the Royal Air Force exploded two devices code-named Mosaic G1 and Mosaic G2 in the Monte Bello Islands, off the coast near […]
Australian General Knowledge Quiz
Westprint Outback Maps General Knowledge Quiz. How’s your Australian general knowledge? Something different in the blog this week – an Australian fun quiz. I’ve done a bit of research about what people want to see in the blog. The top answers were , trips and hints, tracks, history and trivia quizzes. Try your hand at […]
Witchelina Nature Reserve, South Australia
Places to Visit – Witchelina. Witchelina Nature Reserve, purchased in 2010 by Nature Foundation SA (NFSA) a not-for-profit environmental organisation, is working to Save, Protect, Restore and sustainably manage South Australia’s natural heritage. (They also own Hiltaba Station in the Gawler Ranges). The Westprint Oodnadatta Map will help you get there. Witchelina’s Traditional owners Witchelina […]
Anzac Day – local stories.
Do you know your family’s war stories? Or the local stories from your community? Too often we are losing our war veterans without recording their stories. To commemorate Anzac Day, this week in the blog I’m sharing a couple of local stories from WWII. One of Nhill’s local heroes Max Davey (1925-2019) flew Kittyhawks in […]
Bill Binns and the Binns Track
Bill Binns – the man and the Track. Bill Binns has spent most of his life in the Australian bush. His 32-year career with the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service from the 1960s to 1990s shows his passion for wildlife and conservation. The 2,200 kilometre track from Mt Dare to Timber Creek is the […]
What happened to Ludwig Leichhardt?
Ludwig Leichhardt was last seen on April 3, 1848. Ludwig Leichhardt, the enigmatic Prussian scientist vanished along with seven men, 20 mules, 50 bullocks, seven horses and masses of gear. Despite extensive searches and the efforts of some of the best indigenous trackers in the world, the entire expedition team vanished without trace. The Overland […]