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Old convict barracks, Queen St Brisbane in 1854.
My imagining of the old convict barracks, Queen St Brisbane in 1854 from the original 1832 sketch (in comments). The supreme court would sit top floor here.
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Old convict barracks, Queen St Brisbane in 1854.
My imagining of the old convict barracks, Queen St Brisbane in 1854 from the original 1832 sketch (in comments). The supreme court would sit top floor here.
21
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The Kabi daughters of Gilburri, Kitty and Maria - 1860 news article 😡😡😡
Listen to the way these colonial dawgs describe gilburri's beautiful baby girls in a 1860 news article.😭😭 I have been writing their story for over a year now as you can imagine it's been very emotional. Their story will be told available on Bonyi Bush Books in January 2024. #gilburri #stopborumbahydro #kabibonyidjha #kgari #kittymundi
The murder of William Stepbhens in 1866 at Mooloolah
The murder of William Stephens in 1866 at Mooloolah
It is useful to set the scene. In February 1866 the Gympie gold rush was two years in the future and the Gympie Road did not exist. There was a settlement at
Mooloolah Heads started by William Pettigrew. It was largely a base for the shipping of timber cut in the hinterland. William Grigor and James Lowe ran a store there where the basic rations could be purchased. Pettigrew ran steamships on the coastal run between Brisbane and Mooloolah Heads, his major vessel at the time being the Gneering. The hinterland was divided into a few large cattle runs, with Edmund Lander and the Westaway brothers being the main
operators in this area. As the following will demonstrate at least two timbercutters, Charles
Kinmond and Robert Keely had huts in the area that is now Glenview. They lived in slab huts and there were no roads as such, only bush tracks with very few travellers. There were no other towns or settlements north of Caboolture. When reading contemporary accounts of the events there are frequent references to ‘Mooloolah’. This can lead to confusion as they refer to the port of Mooloolah Heads (now known as ‘Mooloolaba’) not the present township of Mooloolah which did not exist in 1866.
The local Aborigines, the Kabi Kabi tribe or language group were, in general,peaceful and some worked in the timber industry. There were often a few hanging around the store and the settler’s huts at Mooloolah Heads, doing odd jobs.
One such person was known as Captain Piper and he had apparently worked for Tom Petrie as a foreman in a gang of cutters in the Mooloolah and Maroochy River area. He was a large, strong man and one writer describes him as a Hercules in comparison to other members of his race.
In February 1866 botanist William Stephens was at Mooloolah Heads waiting for the Gneering
to take him back to Brisbane. He was employed by the Queensland Government Botanist Walter
Hill to collect botanical specimens for a display at the forthcoming Melbourne Exhibition.
Included in his collections were seeds of the bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) which grows in the
area north and west of Mooloolah Heads. Stephens discovered that the Gneering would be some time before it arrived in port. Therefore he decided to travel on foot to Brisbane, a distance of about 84 miles, collecting plants along the way.
He purchased rations from the store and, in the
process, displayed a number of silver shillings which he carried to pay Aborigines for work they
carried out for him. One account suggests that Captain Piper, who was in the vicinity, mistook
these for gold sovereigns, perhaps providing an explanation for what was to follow.
The suggestion is that Stephens is alleged to have collected bunya seed from a tree which was
traditionally owned by Captain Piper, an act that would have made him an enemy of Piper.
Stephens hired Aborigine Tommy Skyring to guide him on the way to Brisbane. Skyring had
previously guided Stephens in the area. Local accounts describe Tommy Skyring as being
emaciated, weak and in poor health. He had consumption (tuberculosis) of which he died a few
months later. He declined offers by Captain Piper and Johnny Griffin to help carry Stephens’s
effects, but apparently these two followed Stephens and Skyring when they left on 24 February 1866. Robert Keely, a local timbercutter, was going in the same direction and joined Stephens and Skyring and they set out from Mooloolah Heads. One account says that Stephens intended to spend the night at the hut occupied by timbercutters Kinmond and Peter Campbell, but stopped at a waterhole on the Mooloolah River (later known as ‘Deadman’s Waterhole’) to boil the billy and cook some damper or johnny cakes for lunch. Keely declined an offer to stay and left them about 3:00 pm to carry on to his hut which was a little beyond Kinmond and Campbell’s hut, a few miles away. At this time, or shortly after, probably after Keely had departed, Captain Piper and Johnny Griffin arrived.
Accounts vary as to what happened next, but the end result was the murder of Stephens by blows
with a tomahawk to the neck and head probably about 4:00pm. Tommy Skyring and Captain
Piper were both accused of delivering the first blow, but the killing blow to the back of the neck
nearly severed the head and it seems highly likely it was the work of a strong man such as
Captain Piper, not the sickly Skyring.
Stephens’s body was thrown into the waterhole.
On reaching Kinmond and Campbell’s hut Keely informed Peter Campbell, the occupant, to
expect Stephens. One hour or more after dark, Keely was surprised by the arrival of both Piper
and Griffin, bringing not only a parcel for him from Mooloolah Heads, but also one for
Kinmond.
On challenging them as to their not having left the parcel at the other hut as they came by, they excused themselves on the ground that they were afraid to enter it, as they believed a policeman to be there.
At the later (1879) trial of Piper, Keely stated that Piper claimed a ‘wild blackfellow’ came out of the bush and murdered Stephens. On his arrest not
long after the murder, Piper laid the blame on Skyring who died in May 1866.
Suspicious of Piper’s story, Keely and Campbell along with Piper and Griffin next morning
proceeded to the waterhole and found the body of Stephens floating in the water. Skyring had
disappeared. Campbell then immediately rode to Mooloolah Heads and the following morning a
group rode to the waterhole and removed the body from the water and roughly covered it with
logs to prevent wild dogs from interfering with it. At the ‘Mooloolah Hearing’ in February 1879
a witness (Peter Campbell) stated that on 3 March he saw the body which was so decomposed it was impossible to move it and that it was washed away by a flood not long after.
One story published on 17 March 1866 states that on 12 March Tommy Skyring gave himself
up to timbercutter Richard Jones on the Maroochy River and admitted his part in the crime,
expressing extreme remorse. He told Jones that the murder was planned between himself,
Captain Piper and Johnny Griffin and that Piper struck the first blow to the neck nearly severing
the head. He apparently had several of Stephens’s effects. Jones placed him in a punt and set out to row Skyring to the mouth of the Maroochy River and then take him to Mooloolah Heads, but, thinking Skyring too weak to escape, did not restrain him and he slid off the boat swam ashore and hid in the bush.
There was criticism that only one policeman, constable Nalty, was sent to investigate this murderon 1 March. One newspaper stated: Much feeling has been expressed by the timber getters
regarding the apathy of the authorities in not taking measures for the arrest of these scoundrels.
Truly, one constable has been sent to the place, but as he can do nothing without assistance, he
will not be able to further the ends of justice, however zealous he may be. Our informant tells us that there would not be much difficulty in securing the delinquents, if any one was sent to
Mooloolah, with warrants and proper authority to receive the prisoners.
Tommy Skyring was seen no longer ago than Wednesday near Westaway's Station. Another account states that the police from Maryborough were unable to quickly follow up the murder due to the poor condition of their horses.
Naturally a hue and cry eventuated for the arrest of the perpetrators, resulting in the arrest of
Piper and Skyring on ‘Maradan’, Edmund Landers’s cattle run as reported in The Courier on 31 March 1866. Griffin was not apprehended at this time. These two were to be transported to Brisbane via the Gneering to stand trial, but Piper managed to free himself and swim ashore.
He remained at large in hiding for twelve years, allegedly always on the lookout for police
coming to arrest him.
Tommy Skyring did not survive long, dying from tuberculosis in Brisbane goal in May 1866. Captain Piper was arrested at Cobb’s Camp (Woombye) on 1 February 1879. Piper was brought to trial in Brisbane on 22 August 1879.
At this trial Griffin, who was about fourteen at the time of the murder, was present as a witness rather than as an accused. Griffin stated that he did not know why the other Aborigines wanted to murder Stephens. He claimed to have seen Stephens fall after Skyring threw a tomahawk at him. He (Griffin) stated that he then ran away but Piper brought him back and threatened to kill him if he ran away. At the trial Piper stated: Baal me hit first time; Tommy Skyring hit him with tomahawk long-aneck; me only hithim little bit, and take him damper and clothes.
Piper was acquitted of murder on the basis of lack of evidence (the crime was thirteen years in
the past). No further action was taken against Piper nor against Griffin who had given Queen’s
evidence in the trial. It remained unclear what part Griffin had played in the crime and he lived
on, later assisting the Native Police as a tracker in the capture of the notorious Johnny Campbell,
and becoming a more or less respected member of the community. An account of the trial states:
Johnny Griffin, an aboriginal, and principal witness in the case against Captain Piper, the
aboriginal charged with the murder of Stevens, botanist, at Mooloolah, has himself been
charged to-day with having committed the crime, it is unlikely that Griffin will be committed.
After being acquitted due to lack of evidence, Piper continued to live with his tribe, (the Gubbi
Gubbi or Kabi Kabi). However he had enemies within the tribe and allegedly was later
murdered by poisoning.
The site of Stephens’s grave is subject to flooding and was later mined for the extraction of sand.
It is certain that no trace remains today. Deadman’s Waterhole lies just off the Mooloolah River and just north-north-east of the junction of Connection Road and the Steve Irwin Way.
#Mooloolah #TommySkyring #bonyi #KabiBonyiDjha
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The murder of William Stepbhens in 1966 at Mooloolah.
The murder of William Stephens in 1866 at Mooloolah
It is useful to set the scene. In February 1866 the Gympie gold rush was two years in the future and the Gympie Road did not exist. There was a settlement at
Mooloolah Heads started by William Pettigrew. It was largely a base for the shipping of timber cut in the hinterland. William Grigor and James Lowe ran a store there where the basic rations could be purchased. Pettigrew ran steamships on the coastal run between Brisbane and Mooloolah Heads, his major vessel at the time being the Gneering. The hinterland was divided into a few large cattle runs, with Edmund Lander and the Westaway brothers being the main
operators in this area. As the following will demonstrate at least two timbercutters, Charles
Kinmond and Robert Keely had huts in the area that is now Glenview. They lived in slab huts and there were no roads as such, only bush tracks with very few travellers. There were no other towns or settlements north of Caboolture. When reading contemporary accounts of the events there are frequent references to ‘Mooloolah’. This can lead to confusion as they refer to the port of Mooloolah Heads (now known as ‘Mooloolaba’) not the present township of Mooloolah which did not exist in 1866.
The local Aborigines, the Kabi Kabi tribe or language group were, in general,peaceful and some worked in the timber industry. There were often a few hanging around the store and the settler’s huts at Mooloolah Heads, doing odd jobs.
One such person was known as Captain Piper and he had apparently worked for Tom Petrie as a foreman in a gang of cutters in the Mooloolah and Maroochy River area. He was a large, strong man and one writer describes him as a Hercules in comparison to other members of his race.
In February 1866 botanist William Stephens was at Mooloolah Heads waiting for the Gneering
to take him back to Brisbane. He was employed by the Queensland Government Botanist Walter
Hill to collect botanical specimens for a display at the forthcoming Melbourne Exhibition.
Included in his collections were seeds of the bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) which grows in the
area north and west of Mooloolah Heads. Stephens discovered that the Gneering would be some time before it arrived in port. Therefore he decided to travel on foot to Brisbane, a distance of about 84 miles, collecting plants along the way.
On challenging them as to their not having left the parcel at the other hut as they came by, they excused themselves on the ground that they were afraid to enter it, as they believed a policeman to be there.
At the later (1879) trial of Piper, Keely stated that Piper claimed a ‘wild blackfellow’ came out of the bush and murdered Stephens. On his arrest not
long after the murder, Piper laid the blame on Skyring who died in May 1866.
Suspicious of Piper’s story, Keely and Campbell along with Piper and Griffin next morning
proceeded to the waterhole and found the body of Stephens floating in the water. Skyring had
disappeared. Campbell then immediately rode to Mooloolah Heads and the following morning a
group rode to the waterhole and removed the body from the water and roughly covered it with
logs to prevent wild dogs from interfering with it. At the ‘Mooloolah Hearing’ in February 1879
a witness (Peter Campbell) stated that on 3 March he saw the body which was so decomposed it was impossible to move it and that it was washed away by a flood not long after.
One story published on 17 March 1866 states that on 12 March Tommy Skyring gave himself
up to timbercutter Richard Jones on the Maroochy River and admitted his part in the crime,
expressing extreme remorse. He told Jones that the murder was planned between himself,
Captain Piper and Johnny Griffin and that Piper struck the first blow to the neck nearly severing
the head. He apparently had several of Stephens’s effects. Jones placed him in a punt and set out to row Skyring to the mouth of the Maroochy River and then take him to Mooloolah Heads, but, thinking Skyring too weak to escape, did not restrain him and he slid off the boat swam ashore and hid in the bush.
Traveston Dam threat to a decade of restoration of the Mary Rivet
The banks of the Mary River and its tributaries were once covered with rainforest species that protected the
banks from erosion during floods. However these streams have generally become wider and shallower as a
result of clearing, with many banks actively eroding, destroying valuable ecosystems and river flats in the
process.
The Mary Catchment has been identified in studies as an aquatic biodiversity hotspot and contains a
number of endemic endangered species. Over the past decade, millions of dollars in government funding for
river restoration has helped landholders and other interested community members to establish programs for
restoration of the Mary River catchment. In 2004, the Mary River community was awarded the coveted
National Rivercare Award. Now legislative and policy changes empowering the State Government and water
corporations to capture, store and transfer large quantities of water out of the catchment into the proposed
South East Queensland water grid, place these successful restoration activities and the community that has
participated since 1995 at risk.
The second most rarest freshwater turtle in the world, Na'bar and their nesting habits.
Learn about the second most rarest freshwater turtle in the world, Na'bar.. aka Mr.T (Mary River Turtle) and their nesting habits. The Borumba Hydro project will have serious impacts on the nesting grounds of Na'bar.
#stopborumbahydro #qldhydro #saveyabbacreek #maryriverturtle
Nuclear N0w (2022)
Nuclear Now is a 2022 American documentary film, directed and co-written by Oliver Stone. The movie argues that nuclear energy is a solution needed to fight climate change because other renewable energies by themselves will not be sufficient in time for the planet to obtain carbon neutrality before climate change becomes irreversible.
The movie is based on the book A Bright Future: How Some Countries Have Solved Climate Change and the Rest Can Follow written by the US scientists Joshua S. Goldstein and Staffan A. Qvist. Goldstein co-authored the screenplay together with Oliver Stone.
The documentary premiered out of competition at the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival. Stone and Goldstein later also pledged for their propositions at the 53rd World Economic Forum 2023 in Davos, Switzerland.[3] It features one of the final film scores of Vangelis.
Plot
As the narrator of the movie, Stone advocates nuclear power as a safe source of energy that can replace fossil fuels and thereby help to fight climate change. He predicts a doubling or quadrupling of the demand for electricity worldwide in the coming 30 years. In order to ensure sufficient backing with low-carbon power, Stone suggests a mass-production of nuclear power plants.
Stone argues that recycling, electric cars and consumption of environmentally friendly products are just attempts of middle class citizens to feel good but will not make a real difference for the climate. The script writers accuse the anti-nuclear movement of equating nuclear power with nuclear weapons and thus creating a primal fear against this form of energy. The writers furthermore imply that the oil and gas industry has been funding the campaigns.
Reception
A review in Variety points out that two sides debating pros and cons of nuclear power have been entrenched for a long time. The reviewer recommends an open-minded look at the movie, however, and speculates that it may have an impact similar to An Inconvenient Truth.[5] At the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (CICT ICFT) awarded Nuclear with the Enrico Fulchignoni prize. The jury stated that the movie adds new and bold scientific insights to the discussion of a controversial topic.[6] Damon Wise of Deadline reviewed the film, calling it "a hard watch", but stating that it "puts forward a lot of unexpected proposals about nuclear energy, debunking powerful myths along the way."