Wednesday, February 29, 2012

TEXT QUEENSLAND | QUEENSLAND'S PAST ONLINE





One of the best kept secrets with regards to all those hard to find things like copies of government gazettes, hansard, out of print books, journals, the copies of the very early publication, The Queenslander... so many hidden treasures, is the site, Text Queensland.

Make yourself a cuppa, set aside an hour, or maybe more, get comfortable and indulge yourself. Be sure to let me know what treasures you find... as for me, I'm heading off to read more of The Queenslander, which is actually accessed through Trove, another gem.



http://www.textqueensland.com.au/
http://trove.nla.gov.au



Just a couple of examples...



Queensland Government Gazette

Annual listing of Queensland government business, including jobs, tenders, and land transactions. These communications covered a range of issues including proclamations, official appointments (from teachers to railway employees), licences, legal notices, statistics, and bankruptcy notices, among others.Date range: 1859-1900.

Queensland Hansard

Hansard (Queensland Parliamentary Debates)

Hansard is the official record of the debates and proceedings of the Queensland Parliament's Legislative Assembly. Queensland's upper house, the Legislative Council, was abolished in 1922. This website link gives access to Hansard, a written record of speeches and statements to parliament, from 1980. It is keyword searchable by name and topic, and can be read sequentially or accessed by date. The website is maintained by the Queensland Parliament.
As part of the Text Queensland project, the Centre for the Government of Queensland at the University of Queensland financed the digitisation of Hansard from 1981-90.
Date range: 1860-63, 1981-today

Sunday, February 26, 2012

SELLING OUR ASSETS INDEED... CELIA LARKIN...


or


Celia Larkin: Our country cousins could teach us a thing or two about reaping what we sow

Selling our assets indeed. You wouldn't catch a farmer selling his/her main assets. Oh what fools we city slickers turned out to be. We thought we were sophisticated, with our million-euro properties, big cars and holiday homes.

"Look at us," we thought, "haven't we got it made." Not for us acres of land just to graze cattle on. No, land to us meant building sites, dollar signs, quick profits. No long-term investments, no tiddly little loans of €50k. It had to be millions or it wasn't worth the bother. And the banks bought into it.

As Connie Francis once sang: "Who's sorry now?"

Today, during one of the deepest recessions the county has ever witnessed, the farming industry is booming. The only property increasing in value is farmland. The bottom has fallen out of the fancy housing market, but the value of those boring acres of farmland has been rising steadily over the last two years.

And the banks? Those institutions that scoffed at the modest requirements of farmers wishing to invest €50k in farm buildings, machinery or livestock? Those institutions preferring to host a stand at the Ideal Homes exhibition rather than an agricultural show, as happened in Galway with the ACC bank (traditionally a farmers' bank) a few years ago? They'd give their right arm to have a farmer as a customer now.

Is it any wonder farmers are rapidly moving back up the list of Ireland's most eligible bachelors, according to Macra na Feirme? So what's the attraction, apart from the solvency issue?

Me, a Dub from Finglas, I live in the heart of rural Ireland in Co Clare. Who'd have thought it possible? But fact can often be stranger than fiction. I'd love to say I followed, or rather, lost my heart and that's what led me to Clare but, alas, my change of abode was an accident of circumstance rather than any great life-changing master plan.

And, as often happens when fate takes the lead, I couldn't be happier.

Living in the 'country' may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for me, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. In fact I'm finding it hard to think of any drawbacks.

Yes, you are further away from the shops (not a bad thing in my financial circumstances), and, yes, everybody does know your business, but then everybody seems to know my business anyway, so no great change there.

I could give you all the cliches about the open spaces, the clean air, the sounds of nature. And without doubt they are a factor. But it's the sense of community that gets me. It's the knowledge that if I didn't venture out for a couple of days, someone would come looking for me.

You rarely hear stories of people dead in their homes for weeks before being found. It's the knowing that if you have a problem you really can call on your neighbour for assistance. Of course the catch is, you have to be available to give assistance too. And there's

a respect for people that is sometimes hard to find in the city.

While people will know your seed, breed and generation, your comings and goings, your flaws and your failings, there's a tolerance for human weaknesses, an understanding and acceptance of human nature, warts and all.

The slow, steady pace of life sucks you in. There's no rush, just a steady moving forward, all things having their time and time for all things. The social life is very different. There is no doubt the drink-driving laws have knocked the stuffing out of the pub business, traditionally the hub of the rural social scene. However, communities still celebrate and mourn together. In fact, there can often be a bigger gathering for a funeral than there is for a wedding.

What I found most touching was the fact that neighbours dug the grave. Not for them the impersonal presence of a digging machine, but the slow process of hollowing out the earth where a neighbour and friend will finally rest.

When it comes to weddings, boy do they know how to have a hooley. It's a three-day event and it would take you a week to recover. They never go to bed. I don't know where they get their energy from. They certainly know how to play hard, but they work hard too.

I laughed to myself when, last week, I saw on the front of the local paper. Mr Xi Jinping, vice-president of China no less, having an Irish coffee with James Lynch and his family from Six-Mile-Bridge. It wouldn't have happened a few years ago. It would have been hard hats and boots in front of some massive development with bankers and builders and TDs in tow. Oh, how the tables have turned.

The quiet progressive pace of a community that largely ignored the roar of the Celtic Tiger, the real keepers of our State assets, the custodians of the land providing one of the lifelines that will rescue us from the mire of our own making.

Our food and dairy industry has doubled its exports to China since 2008 and the fact that we still import so much food provides one of the few opportunities to improve the balance of payments with import substitution. And all the signs are that the export market will continue to grow.

We could learn a lot from our country cousins. I was particularly taken by a story told to me recently. Reminiscing about the purchase of his first car, a neighbour told me that back in 1964 he sold 10 cattle at £74 each to buy an Austin A 40.

To this day that is the country way. You sell something to buy something. You don't accumulate debt for non-essential goods.

Oh, what fools we city slickers are.



Originally published in


 





Saturday, February 18, 2012

GRAND OLD MAN OF IRISH ACTING DIES, AGED 82


Grand old man of Irish acting dies, aged 82

The Irish Times - Monday, February 13, 2012

ALISON HEALY

THE ACTOR David Kelly died in Dublin yesterday after a short illness. He was 82 years old.

He worked in theatre, television and film for more than 50 years and had continued to work up until last year. He was perhaps most highly-regarded for his portrayal of "Rashers" Tierney in the 1980 RTÉ series Strumpet City . He singled it out as one of his favourite pieces of work.

In 1975 he had a brief but memorable role in Fawlty Towers when he played the part of the hapless builder O'Reilly. He often remarked that he had performed on stage for more than 50 years but the nine minutes on Fawlty Towers made him recognisable all over the world.

Kelly was born in Dublin on July 11th, 1929 and educated at Synge Street Catholic Boys School. He started acting at the age of eight in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre but also trained as a calligrapher and was a talented watercolour artist.

He was a dapper dresser and known for his colourful bow ties. He later said the bow ties became his trademark as he tried to look the part of a bohemian artist.

He became a familiar face to British audiences in the 1960s and 1970s when he played eccentric Irish characters in sitcoms such as Oh Father, On the Buses and Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width. He performed in 50 episodes of the Richard OSullivan vehicle, Robin's Nest, in which he played the one-armed dishwasher Albert Riddle. Other television work included Glenroe, Ballykissangel and Emmerdale Farm.

He had a long list of film credits including the 1969 version of The Italian Job, Into The West and Waking Ned , which he credits for making him a sex symbol after he appeared nude on a motorbike.

He also appeared in films such as Agent Cody Banks 2, Laws of Attraction, Stardust and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , in which he played Grandpa Joe Bucket. He had been tipped for an Oscar nomination for that role.

On stage he will always be associated with Samuel Beckett because of his legendary performance in the title role of Krapp's Last Tape . He won many awards and acknowledgements for his work, including a Helen Hayes award for Moon for the Misbegotten , and a Screen Actors' Guild nomination forWaking Ned.

He won an ESB Theatre Award in 2003 and an Irish Film and Television Academy lifetime achievement award in 2005.

He recalled that he regularly played people much older than himself. In 2005, he told The Irish Times : "I remember, six years ago, on my 70th birthday, some journalist writing: David Kelly is 70 today. But what I want to know is how come he's been 70 for the past 40 years'. . ."And it's perfectly true. It's a very strange thing." He was asked if he had ever considered retiring and replied "Oh God, no. Ah no . . . I will continue hanging on to the script until they prise it from my cold, dead hands."

Kelly was married to actor Laurie Morton. The couple had two children, David and Miriam. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.


Thursday, February 9, 2012

FAMILY SEARCH CHANGES, and CHANGES AGAIN!


We've heard from many of you telling us that the link to the Classic FamilySearch

site no longer appears on the home page.

This was not intentional and we apologize for the premature removal of this link.

However, after careful consideration we've decided not to replace it. The reason

for this is because in the very near future, we will remove the Classic FamilySearch

site entirely. When that happens, the link to that site will no longer be needed.

The shutdown of the Classic FamilySearch site will take place after we have

completed the addition of some of our improved and new site features.

We also need to finish transferring all of our data to the new site. Until we make

that move, you can still get to the Classic FamilySearch by typing

classic.familysearch.org.

More details below...


IRISH ASSOCIATION QLD

Brisbane Irish Festival -St Patrick's Day Parade

On Saturday 10 March 2012 at 10:30AM the 23rd annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade, proudly supported by the Brisbane City Council, will once again fill the streets of Brisbane with colour and festivity. The Saint Patrick's Day Parade committee would like to extend an invitation to your organisation to enter a float/group in the parade and join us in the celebrations.

The success of the Parade is largely due to the fantastic line up of floats that participate in the Parade each year. The quality of floats continues to impress and entertain the people of Brisbane. The participation of diverse groups and a modern expression of St. Patrick's Day Celebrations are greatly welcomed. The 2012 parade theme is 'Ireland: Land of Legends'.

2012 will also see the launch of the Brisbane Irish Festival which will run from the 9-17 March 2012. The Festival events will aim to encompass the entire spectrum of Irish culture including music, dance, film, food etc. If you are interested in getting involved in the festival and/or holding an event in your area, please contact us today on (07) 3221 5699.

Available for download is a Nomination Form that you will need to complete and return to the address below as soon as possible. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact our Event Manager Susan McAndrew on (07) 3221 5699 or email promotions@queenslandirish.com.

Please bear in mind that the St. Patrick's Day Parade Association is a non-profit organization and the costs involved in staging this free community event increase annually, I would appreciate that you consider this when requesting a fee for participation.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and look forward to seeing you at the parade.

Yours sincerely

Éamon Gaffney – President

Saint Patrick's Day Parade Committee

The 2012 St Patrick's Day Parade kick's off at 10:30am sharp from the corner of George and Elizabeth St. Join us for a fantastic family day out!

Watch a Video of the 2011 St Patrick's Day Parade Brisbane!

The History....

History indicates that the Saint Patrick's Day Parade first started in Brisbane in the 1890's and was a Brisbane annual event up until WWII.

shamrockParade organisers of the 1890's met to organise the Parade at what was then, the Valley Hotel.

In 1989 Jan Dooley, founder of Brisbane's first Irish pub and an Irish descendant decided to re-establish the Saint Patrick's Day Parade much to the delight of the Queensland Irish community and the thousands of people who turn up each year to cheer it on. Today the Parade is administered by the The Irish Club (Queensland Irish Association), Queensland's longest running national association. The Club has been in existence for over 100 years and is the hub of Irish culture and activity in Brisbane, ensuring the relevance and cultural integrity of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

A large percentage of Queenslanders have some Irish heritage thanks to our convict beginnings and our immigrant policy of last century. Even if you're not Irish or have no Irish roots it seems throughout Queensland there has always been a strong cross cultural affiliation with the Irish. Maybe it's because Queensland has always been a place in which you may have been taught by an Irish brother or nun, your local policeman or publican was an Irishman or the local shopkeeper was Irish. You may have cut cane or knew a farmer who was Irish or you may have worked the railroad, had a drink with or heard a great story from someone Irish.

Regardless of race or religion Saint Patrick's Day has always been a popular day for celebration in Queensland. The Parade's main vision is to celebrate and honour the feast day of Saint Patrick. In doing so the Saint Patrick's Day Parade also works to educate, promote and celebrate the contribution of Irish immigrants and their descendants to Queensland. It is about fun, music and the craic and welcoming anyone and everyone to celebrate and enjoy a day of celebration. It's a way of sharing with the wider community a culture that has been a major influence in the development of our Queensland and Australian way of life.





IRISH COMMUNITY NEW SOUTH WALES

We have a very active Irish Community throughout Australia. This is for NSW, other states to follow.

Céad Míle Fáilte!

Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day

It's that time of year again and the Sydney St Patrick's Parade and Family Day Committee would like to invite you to participate in the 2012 Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade. The 2012 Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day celebrations will be held on Sunday 18 March 2012.

For further details check out www.stpatricksday.org.au/st-patricks-day-parade or contact Kevin Duffy on 0439 042 629.

Wednesday, 1 February, 2012 - St Patrick's Day Fundraiser Trivia Night at The Porterhouse

St Patrick's Parade and Family Day Fundraising Trivia at The Porterhouse, cnr Campbell and Riley Streets, Surry Hills. Starting at 7.30pm. Tickets: $30 per team (max. table of 6)

Friday, 3 February, 2012 - Seniors Computer Class

Come along and join this enthusiastic group for all the basics you need to get up and running on the computer and internet. This class suits everyone from the very beginner to those who already have a bit of experience and would like to learn more. Every Friday 10.30am - 12.30pm at IAWB Resource Centre, 2 Wellington St, Bondi. Call 9300 8019 to book a place.

Saturday, 4 February, 2012 - St Patrick's Day Fundraiser Gaels Got Talent

St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day Fundraiser - 2012 Gaels Got Talent Competition auditions at the Gaelic Club, 64 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills - 9211 1687.

Saturday, 11 February, 2012 - 3 Sisters Irish Set Dancing Festival

We are putting on another dance and music weekend in the Blue Mountains Saturday on Saturday 11th - Sunday 12th February 2012. This program is suitable for beginners and we will also introduce some interesting sets and steps for more experienced dancers. Dance workshops from 1pm-4.30pm at The Masonic Centre, Station Street & Civic Place, Katoomba.

Sunday, 12 February, 2012 - 3 Sisters Irish Set Dancing Festival

We are putting on another dance and music weekend in the Blue Mountains Saturday on Saturday 11th - Sunday 12th February 2012. This program is suitable for beginners and we will also introduce some interesting sets and steps for more experienced dancers. Dance workshops from 1pm-4.30pm at The Masonic Centre, Station Street & Civic Place, Katoomba.

Wednesday, 15 February, 2012 - Information Talk on Advance Care Planning

A speaker from Sydney Local Health District will be giving a talk on the steps you can take to Plan for your Medical Care in Advance, so that if, in the future, you become unable to speak for yourself, your wishes are known and can be respected. Please join us at 2 Wellington St, Bondi, Tel 02 9300 8019. This is a Free Event.

Saturday, 18 February, 2012 - St Patrick's Fundraiser - Bachelor of the Year 2012

The 2012 Sydney Irish Bachelor of the year event will take place at The Ivy Room - The Ivy, 320 - 330 George Street, Sydney at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start, Tickets $160.00 per person

Friday, 2 March, 2012 - Seniors Computer Class

Come along and join this enthusiastic group for all the basics you need to get up and running on the computer and internet. This class suits everyone from the very beginner to those who already have a bit of experience and would like to learn more. Every Friday 10.30am - 12.30pm at IAWB Resource Centre, 2 Wellington St, Bondi. Call 9300 8019 to book a place.

Saturday, 3 March, 2012 - St Patrick's Day Fundraiser Gaels Got Talent Final

St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day Fundraiser - Finals of the 2012 Gaels Got Talent. Penrith Gaels, Glebe Place Kingswood - 4722 8180

Wednesday, 7 March, 2012 - Daniel O'Donnell

Ireland's most popular 'easy listening' singer, DANIEL O'DONNELL returns to Australia in March with special guest Mary Duff. at the State Theatre, 49 Market Street, Sydney.

Wednesday, 7 March, 2012 - St Patrick's Day Fundraiser Trivia Night at The Gaelic Club

St Patrick's Parade and Family Day Fundraising Trivia at The Gaelic Club, 64 Devonshire Street Street, Surry Hills. Starting at 7.30pm. Tickets: $30 per team (max. table of 6)

Thursday, 8 March, 2012 - Shannon Sharon

Sharon Shannon is coming back to Australia in March 2012. As well as bringing the finest of talent from Ireland and the UK, she is also recruiting some of Australia and New Zealand's top musicians to create a truly unique and global sound. At The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville - 9550 3666.

Friday, 9 March, 2012 - Seniors Computer Class

Come along and join this enthusiastic group for all the basics you need to get up and running on the computer and internet. This class suits everyone from the very beginner to those who already have a bit of experience and would like to learn more. Every Friday 10.30am - 12.30pm at IAWB Resource Centre, 2 Wellington St, Bondi. Call 9300 8019 to book a place.

Saturday, 17 March, 2012 - St Patrick's Day Mass

St Patrick's Day Mass will be celebrated at St Mary's Cathedral at 10.30am.

Sunday, 18 March, 2012 - St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day

Sydney turns green on Sunday 18th March for the 2012 Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day. The Parade commences with pre-parade entertainment in front of Town Hall on George St from 10.30am to midday, to keep early crowds entertained. The parade commences at midday and consisting of floats, marching bands and walking groups, starting at the corner of Town Hall on George Street and Bathurst Street continuing to Park St and around Elizabeth St, ending at Hyde Park near St James Station. The festivities continue at the Family Day at Hyde Park, from 1.00pm until 6.30pm. There will be two stages with Irish music and dancing, Irish food stalls to sample the best of the nation's cuisine, children's areas and of course, the bar will stock Guinness to toast St Patrick himself!

Thursday, 5 April, 2012 - Tullamore Irish Festival

Come and enjoy the fun and excitement of Tullamore Irish Festival on Easter weekend. Contact (02) 6862 6000 for more details.

Friday, 6 April, 2012 - Tullamore Irish Festival

Come and enjoy the fun and excitement of Tullamore Irish Festival on Easter weekend. Contact (02) 6862 6000 for more details.

Saturday, 7 April, 2012 - Tullamore Irish Festival

Come and enjoy the fun and excitement of Tullamore Irish Festival on Easter weekend. Contact (02) 6862 6000 for more details.

Sunday, 8 April, 2012 - Tullamore Irish Festival

Come and enjoy the fun and excitement of Tullamore Irish Festival on Easter weekend. Contact (02) 6862 6000 for more details.