Hardly surprisingly, Cold Light (the third in the Edith Trilogy) by acclaimed writer, Frank Moorhouse, was a Miles Franklin Award winner. Set in 1950s-1960s Canberra, 700-page Cold Light makes for superb reading. Its main character, Edith Campbell Berry, has extensive experience in working for the League of Nations (before its collapse) and years living overseas (including in Geneva) with her British diplomat husband, Ambrose Westwood, where their work seemed to help save Europe during World War II. … Read more.
Author: Geri Bryant-Badham Page 8 of 10
The Searchers Canberra concert was fun, with baby boomers and people of other ages keen to hear the band’s many hits from the early 1960s. And the fans weren’t disappointed. The group delivered in spades, belting out old favourites: Love Potion Number 9, When you Walk in the Room, Don’t Throw Your Love Away, the audience dancing in the aisles. … Read more.
This lovely old Queenslander in Hawthorne is a very comfortable and convenient place to stay when visiting Brisbane. Number 12 B&B is only three kms from the city, a short stroll to dining and shopping in nearby Hawthorne Road, or, Oxford Street, Bulimba and a short walk to the stop rivercat stop for the short trip to the city. … Read more.
Reckoning by comedian and actor, Magda Szubanski (especially remembered as Sharon in the ABC’s, Kath and Kim), is a stark reminder of the horrors of WWII and Nazi occupation of many parts of Europe, including her father’s homeland, Poland. Magda provides insights into many aspects of life, ranging from her father’s experiences of being “an assassin” during the war as he helped Jewish people escape Nazis as well as her mother’s Scottish heritage and the family’s life in Scotland before coming to 1960s Australia where they settled into a new, outer Melbourne suburb (Croydon). … Read more.
In Grant and I, writer and musician, Robert Forster provides fascinating stories of life with the Go Betweens, the Brisbane band which he and Grant McLennan formed in the 1970s. Forster’s use of language is exquisite as he traces aspects of his childhood from late 1950s Brisbane: a secure family life and education at a local primary school and Brisbane Grammar School and then teaming up at Queensland University drama school with Grant. … Read more.
Dating back to 1890, Yungaburra is charming little village a mere hour and a half from Cairns. This little village features great eateries, hotels and B&Bs and is a great place to wander around to check out its lovely old homes, churches and other historic places. The fourth Saturday of each month features the famous Yungaburra Arts and Crafts Markets, which are said to be the largest and most popular of all the region’s country markets. … Read more.
Various Australian universities including the University of Canberra, University of Sydney, Brisbane’s Griffith University and Swinburne in Melbourne, offer studies in journalism.
Numbers of students undertaking such degrees are increasing apparently despite that newspaper sales, numbers of media outlets, journalist jobs and cadetships are decreasing; journalists are being made redundant and free information and news are available on the Internet. … Read more.
After a European holiday mostly in Paris, Berlin and Barcelona, we boarded the very comfortable 300-passenger Silversea ship at Barcelona, looking forward to seven days of Mediterranean cruising to various French, Italian and Spanish port towns, and later, having a sojourn in England, including the Lake District.
We’d meandered around enchanting European towns and villages, visited magnificent cathedrals, galleries, museums and opera houses and sampled fine fare. … Read more.
Highlights of the recent Canberra Writers Festival included:
Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann launching their book, The Shadow Game, the third in their trilogy of The Marmalade Files and The Mandarin Code. Set in Canberra and centring largely on journalist, Harry Dunkley, The Shadow Game, has been described by the Sunday Canberra Times as ‘House of Cards, Canberra style’;
Sydney barrister, Mark Tedeschi QC, chatting with Canberra journalist, Robert Macklin, about how he fits researching/writing into his busy schedule. … Read more.
Canberrans on the Portuguese Camino
Our Camino Walk started in the World Heritage city of Oporto, Portugal. The Portuguese Camino begins at Lisbon or Oporto from where pilgrims travel north, cross the Lima and Minho Rivers to reach Spain’s Santiago de Compostela, the final resting place of the remains of James the Apostle. … Read more.