Every year around this time, some lucky members of Waverley Library, and other interested parties, are invited to a special breakfast for The Nib Awards. The award, in its 16th [...]

Typical of Australian art is an appreciation of contrasting styles. At Everglades Gardens, it's mainly European flowers and trees, but at some places in nature, and in botanic gardens, such [...]

John Cade wrote in 1979: "Depressive illness is the most painful illness known to man, equalling or exceeding even the most exquisite physical agony. The patient is inconsolably despairing, often [...]

Way back then, at Armidale Teachers' College, Liz was reminiscent of one of those Botticelli angels, but without the curls.  She looked a lot like Miranda from Picnic at Hanging [...]

We live at the northern end of the beach in Coogee. This was once the “poor cousin” side of Coogee Bay, with dilapidated buildings and a rusting dome on top [...]

“Flame Trees” was sung by Jimmy Barnes to commemorate Australia Day on 26th January this year (2016). The song depicts for me the two sides of Grafton, its  polarities. This [...]

I manage to write more in winter, because there’s not the pull of the outside and nature:  swimming, walks in the sun by the sea and all that to tempt [...]

This House of Grief The First Stone 1995 Monkey Grip 1977 Congratulations to Helen Garner Helen Garner, one of my favourite Australian writers, deserves [...]

A Genteel Ghost a true story by Roger Britton I never believed in ghosts before, but now I am not quite sure … perhaps a “presence” is what I mean [...]

Here's a story from my Teachers' College friend, Ian Wells. It's great for me to re-live that all-important primary school teaching experience through his words. It's the kids' future that [...]