Author Archives: dgm

Early photography, and we’re talking 1850’s and early 1860’s here, was a cumbersome process. Photgraphic plates had to be prepared almost immediately before use – in itself a messy fume laden business, and then processed almost after exposure, so unstable … Continue reading →

Mount Buffalo was Victoria’s first National park, and really where winter sports began in  Victoria in the late 1800’s. So popular was the park that in 1910 someone had a plan to build a hotel for skiers and summer walkers … Continue reading →

At the top of the hill in Beechworth is a big complex of buildings set in spacious grounds which houses a hotel, some council offices, a day spa, the local ghost tour operators, the local arts society and possibly some … Continue reading →

Following on from yesterday’s family history investigation, I did what I should have done a long time ago, I had a look at the 1901 and 1891 censuses. The 1901 census was more or less what I expected: James, my … Continue reading →

I spent the week between last Christmas and New Year messing about with family history research. At then end of it I had some questions I had answered and I felt reasonably satisfied with my time spent with Scotland’s People. … Continue reading →

In colonial Australia bottles were valuable things. Before 1872 next to no glass was produced in Australia until Felton and Grimwade, better known as a pharmaceutical manufacturer, established a bottle works at Spotswood in Melbourne. Incidentally, the Spotswood glassworks is … Continue reading →

We were on Norfolk Island, a rock in the Pacific halfway between Australia and New Zealand. Getting there had been fun with an international flight on Air New Zealand between two parts of Australia – a legacy of the time … Continue reading →

We spent last week on Norfolk Island. J had arranged to go on a painting trip to the island, and it was only the cost of a second airfare for me to tag along, so why wouldn’t you, especially as … Continue reading →

When we went to Laos at the end of 2005, on a complete whim, I bought myself a hardback Moleskine notebook at the airport, and started keeping a travel journal of our trip. I later used these notes to write … Continue reading →