U3A Mandurah

122.  FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGY   -   GUEST SPEAKER: Professor Ian Dadour 24th August, 2010.

Written by: Kate Orr

Forensic Entomology:
"I dips me lid to the marvels of dipterology" (apologies to C.J Dennis)

Every child these days wants to be a forensic scientist. There is an ever growing awareness of the work forensic investigators are called upon to do. Popular TV shows like "Bones" and "Silent Witness" have heightened everyday knowledge and the fascination of working with forensics. Although Modern technologies can assist the forensic researcher to solve mysteries which were difficult to resolve in the last century, never underestimate the clues and consequences revealed by insects.

Our guest speaker, Professor Ian Dadour, (pictured) Director at the Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Western Australia, spoke with us about Forensic Entomology - and the mystery of maggots and flies. Living in a country like Australia, we are all only too well aware of flies and when we mention maggots, we all go "yuk". But our speaker helped us to discover the magic they can reveal. Entomology is the scientific study of insects, which is a branch of Arthropodology. An early leader in this field was Charles Darwin. The specific study of flies is known as Dipterology (2 wings).

There have been written legends of insects being attracted to dead bodies from the time of the Egyptians. 12th Century China produced written evidence of entomology being successfully used to catch murderers. Further advancement happened in the 17th century with the discovery of the microscope and with investigations in Italy. Further progress is noted from around 1895 when the French perfected the "Post Mortem Interval". Finally it was after World War II that forensic entomology became a science.

Forensic Entomology includes the analysis of insects and 'particulates' near to or attached to decomposed victims, often identifying the precise location where a murder originally occurred. Other clues which insects reveal are most valuable when used in Public Health matters. These clues can be helpful when dealing with suppurating wounds; in areas of disease caused by ingesting decomposing food. Recently certain mine sites and aged care facilities have come into disrepute for lack of hygiene, and possible diseases transmitted by flies.

Insects can identify poor care of animals and Veterinarians frequently request forensic entomological examination of their sick animals to pursue neglect by owners. Similarly the R.S.P.C.A engage the forensic entomologist. The nocturnal numbat, the animal symbol of Western Australia is tracked by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (C.A.L.M.) and the entomologist can identify the place and time of death of these protected marsupials. Forensic services are also used in Coronial Inquests as well as homicides. As Professor Dadour pointed out however, on average, there are around 33 homicides per annum in W.A. with a total of about 360 p.a. total in Australia. He suggested that he can't give up his day job because there are not enough homicides to keep him permanently employed.

Professor Dadour interspersed case histories of some of the more famous forensic entomology cases that are classic. He also told us that maggots metabolise and the scientist can identify if a cadaver had been a CHRONIC drug user, or had been taking Anti depressant medication or that they were addicted to Cocaine or Meth. Amphetamines.

Many can remember from Biology classes at school the life cycle of the fly and Professor Dadour reminded us of their life cycle mode: identifying for us the Green Blow Fly; the Blue Bodied Blowfly; the Hairy Maggot Blowfly, the Black Carrion Fly and the particularly fascinating Carrion beetles that abound in wet areas.

As many in the audience have passed their used by date for becoming a forensic entomologist, Professor Dadour mentioned a few practical hints from other research carried out by his Department. On a hot day, for example, say 35 degrees Celsius, in areas of restricted access, for instance cars or wheelie bins, the temperature inside the cabin or bin can rise up to 60 degrees in a short time. Greenish and red cars can get as much as 20 degrees hotter than white cars and black cars can be even five degrees higher again. Note: Never leave animals or children (or tennis rackets) inside a stationary car in high temperatures.

Of interest, currently in the U.K. a woman is being given Police Protection because she was seen on CCTV placing a cat into a "wheelie bin".

A fascinating afternoon was had by all who attended. Thankyou, Dr. Dadour.

121.  POSTCARD FROM THE MISSISSIPPI - Oops! I Sunk the Canoe.   20th August, 2010.

Written by: John Loveridge

Hi Norma,

Yeah, I agree. I'm not embarrassed about sinking my canoe. A full description of the incident might clarify the situation.

On Sunday I left my campsite 3.1 miles south of Lock No 25 intending to canoe through St Louis that day. I departed at 0700 hrs and paddled the 12 miles to and through the Chain of Rocks Canal to the last Lock at the end of the canal, Lock No 26. (Although I'd missed Lock No 1 I'd traversed 25 locks and was carried around lock No 20.)

I entered the Mississippi and paddled across to the western side and 2 miles down to the Eade Bridge and the Monumental Arch (pictured) hoping to find a camping spot. I stopped about a quarter of a mile south at the flooded river wall and river boat mooring, had some lunch, bought some ice and reorganised and repacked my cold box and clothes storage box and headed south. I must have been getting very tired because I almost immediately nearly collided with the river boat mooring buoy, which I might add was submerged but partially visible.

After I passed the next bridge, about a half mile, the barge and tug traffic on the river became very busy and I passed several craft on both sides of the river. After battling a very heavy wash and bow wave from a fast moving tug I started pulling into the bank and behind moorings to avoid the worst of the waves and large swells, which eventually caused my undoing. I paddled about a quarter mile behind a line of moored barges hoping to find a gap back to the main channel. No luck.

I tried paddling back against the current and managed to get about 200 metres before I gave up and boarded a barge. I walked along the row of barges pulling my canoe against a six or seven knot current. All went well until I rounded the stern of the barges. I traversed three barges and was climbing up on to the fourth when the 6 - 7 knot current pushed my canoe and its load down a two foot gap between barge 3 and 4 and instantly under the wedge bow sinking it despite my effort to hold it. But once the canoe was full of water there was no hope. As I told you, I was able to salvage some gear thanks to the help of an Army Engineer and thankfully had my wallet and passport in my pocket.

The river is a powerful opponent. Yeah, I'm not embarrassed.

Regards
John

120.  RECOLLECTIONS - The Teenage Years   -   19th August, 2010.

Group Leaders: Beryl Northey and Chris Baker

Written by: Ron Bellamy (pictured)

'Recollections' is the U3A program where members engage in oral history by telling stories about their own past experiences. People sit around a large table and take it in turns to hold the microphone. They say whatever they like for three minutes, with the agreement to stop when the little bell rings, or thereabouts.

The subject of this month's Recollections was our teenage years. There were plenty of different stories to be told from people from different parts of the world. We heard stories from Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, also the many areas of U.K., Liverpool, Wales, London and East Anglia. We had no Scots, we missed Ena.

It is amazing how people of the same era led almost the same lives, no matter where they lived. If you were a teenager in the 40's, 50's, or the 60's, the main difference was when TV was introduced, and the difference in the hotel opening hours in different parts of Australia and also the UK. The modes of transport from horses, trams, bikes to old cars was also the same.

119.  ART HISTORY: ANIMALS IN ART - From Cave Paintings in Europe to Aboriginal Artists.   18th August, 2010

Presented by: Jo Kreibich

Written by: Judy Brealey

On a very cold August day, Jo Kreibich took us on a fabulous journey through the world of more than one hundred examples of 'Animals in Art'.

We started off with Noah's Ark, a good place to start, then travelled on through the Hall of Bulls cave paintings in France, and on to early paintings of Bison. By this time we were in Spain. A golden bull sculpture from Greece stood 14 inches tall, and another golden bull from Russia was 3ft tall. We then travelled to a Hippo Hunt in Egypt in 2400BC. These early art pieces were not signed so the artists were all unknown. It wasn't until a great many more years had passed that signing art came into being. Skipping right along and back in Egypt we saw a Cat in bronze by Gaya Anderson. The cat is a symbol of the Bastet Goddess and is seen represented in many forms. It had a dung beetle on the head, golden earrings and the eyes were inlaid. That was followed by Tuscan Winged Horses.

In a painting of St. Francis of Assisi, we learned that he had been banned from preaching to the people because of his heretic views and that is why he went into the forest to preach to the birds and if there happened to be people there at the time it did not matter. We saw a 13ft mosaic of an Unswept Room in Rome, dated 150AD, described as 'Detritus' after a feast of seafood left remains all over the floor!! Napoleon was depicted as a Romantic figure on a horse crossing the alps, when in actual fact he crossed on a donkey. We were shown bullfights by Goya and Picasso, 'Cat and Bird' by William Hogarth, 'God Created Adam' by William Blake, a Manet 'Cat on the Roof', and a poodle by Renoir. There were tapestries, frescoes, statues, paintings and a Celtic Cross to name a few. All of this was accompanied by the information from Jo as to where the works of art were now situated, who the artists were (when they were known), and the interesting points pertaining to each.

Finally to Australia, we saw one of John Gould's birds, McCubbin's 'Returning Home' featuring a dog, George Lambert's painting of dogs and a horse, 'Breakaway' by Tom Roberts, Sydney Nolan's 'Ned Kelly on Horseback', Albert Tucker's 'Birds', and an aboriginal bark painting of turtles and 3 Mimi spirits. Almost last was 'Puppy' a huge Neo-Pop sculpture by Jeff Koon which stood 11.5 metres tall.

And to a resounding finish, Jo showed us a beautiful very small puppy named Tushka, (pictured) which she announced is the latest addition to her own household. I have only touched on a small portion of what this fast moving and informative art tour contained. Thank you Jo.

118.  ENVIRONMENT AND HORTICULTURE - Plant Experimentation   -   17th August, 2010.

Presented by: Meri Forrest

Written by: Group Leader June Wanstall

Meri Forrest presented a potpourri of delight for the audience - a mixture of science, poetry, glorious artwork and wildflower photography. To set the mood Meri opened with a reading from her award-wining reflective poem and ended with an enchanting and humorous verse about the place of snakes and humans - an appropriate follow-up to the session last month about fauna relocation.

The scientific report came from a past visit to an experimental wildflower programme undertaken at the Medina Research Station. Scientist Digby Growns had been a previous guest presenter at the Mandurah Wildflower Group and invited them to visit to see some of the results of tissue culture hybrids. Strict hygiene and secrecy was required to safeguard the plants from disease and the technology from industrial espionage. Meri detailed the methods used to ensure the desired artificial pollination is successful. She explained tissue culture, hybridisation and genetic manipulation. The important cut flower export industry is a significant part of our export trade, especially in Asia.

Meri shared her experience of establishing a native garden on Mandurah's ocean waterfront and gave tips on pruning native garden plants. The importance of finding the correct location and consideration of soil types were covered in her comprehensive talk.

The beautiful photographs included the common Pig Face (Carpobrotus rossi), Templetonia - our local emblem, Corea, Verticordias, Hardenbergias, varieties of Banksia, Hibbertia and many others. Meri's native flower paintings were on display and some landscapes. We were treated to a personal account of how they came to feature. Altogether an uplifting and refreshing afternoon for anyone who appreciates the joys of what we have growing all around us. Thank you Meri.

117.  MIXED BAG - Russian Jack, Synchronicity and a Different JFK   -   12th August, 2010.

Presented by: Diane Oldman

Written by: Ainslie Sharpe

Diane referred us to Wikipedia's explanation of synchronicity which is "the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner." She then went on to relate the combination of unrelated events which sparked her interest and research into the background and history of Russian Jack, a legendary folk hero of the Kimberley district of Western Australia, who was variously known as Ivan Fredericks, John Fredericks, John Fredericks Kirkoss, and Jas. Frederick Kirkoss.

Despite his celebrated status in outback history, Diane explained that the details of his life are sketchy. He was believed to have been a Russian Finn, born in Archangel (Arkhangelsk) in Russia, sometime between 1852 and 1864; possibly arriving in Australia in 1872 on the 'Englebert'. It is recorded that he arrived in Fremantle in May 1886 from Melbourne and shortly afterwards travelled to Derby in June 1886 on the 'Afghan'. He died at a Fremantle private hospital on 17 April 1904, following a bout of pneumonia, and was buried in a pauper's grave.

Diane reflected that many stories of his life were written some years after he died in 1904 (including one by Daisy Bates who said she had met him during her travels in the Murchison) and therefore it is difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. He has been variously described as being "6 feet tall with a 48 inch chest", and as "5 foot 10 inches with a 60 inch chest". His appetite was said to have been enormous, and he was reputed to have been guilty of occasional drinking bouts. Similarly, the legend of his wheelbarrow ambulance varies in relation to the distance, the towns where this took place, the reason for the incapacity of the "mate", and the description of the wheelbarrow!

As usual, Diane provided an excellent handout with references to reading material and websites for further personal research into this immigrant pioneer prospector of Western Australian folklore.

116.  ENGLISH - A Walk With English Wildlife   -   11th August, 2010

Presented by: Christine Norman

Written by: Group Leader Margaret Pickering

This year, 2010, is the year of Bio-diversity in Britain. Talking on English wildlife, Christine led us along country lanes, over mountain-tops, through meadows and forests where we encountered every manner of fish, fowl and beast, together with flowers, insects and even fungii. Some familiar, such as the endearing hedgehog, the mysterious unblinking owl, the ballerina-like swans, the Christmas Robin, the cute red squirrels and the yew-trees found in every country churchyard; others, less well-known, were equally interesting in the bio-diversity chain.

Starting with the dawn chorus, Christine then included wonderful bird calls and a wealth of information about the eco- systems that supported each living entity. Did anyone know that the Slipper Orchid has Police protection? A slide showed the local copper surveying the plant, "all in the line of duty, ma'am".

Subject to pesticides and land clearing in England, many of Nature's inhabitants and food-chains have become disturbed, so it was fascinating to hear how resilient Nature is at promoting her species - survival seems to be her paramount aim. To take one example, the finches, which have been in the habit of feeding on seeds left in fields after harvesting, can no longer do so due to pesticides. However, thanks to the domestic feeding of finches in people's gardens, their numbers are now on the increase.

Christine talked of hares, snakes, toads, swans, curlews, deer, badgers, weasels..... we sat entranced as she entertained us with a wealth of research and knowledge. Many there present were fondly reminded of their English heritage and the joy of a walk in the country. Thanks go to Christine for a superb presentation together with a particularly appropriate afternoon tea - of HEDGEHOGS and FAIRY CAKES!!

115.  CURRENT EVENTS - A General Discussion.   -   10th August, 2010.

Written by Acting Group Leader: Jenny Ingle

Fifteen members attended our Current Events program this month. Someone said it was a very free flowing afternoon with which I agree, and I am sure all enjoyed it.

Since we were in the middle of an election campaign, there was general agreement that politics would not be our favourite subject for the day. Instead, the discussion turned to topics leaning slightly towards religion. Firstly, the question was raised as to whether churches and charitable institutions should pay income tax or not. Opinions varied on that matter. Next came the controversial case of the Muslim lady who is seeking permission to wear a niqab, the black veil that covers all of the face except the eyes, in the witness box of the Perth District Court. The Judge's ruling is to be handed down next week. It was noted that several nations had attempted to 'ban the burqa' and their experiences were also discussed.

Some people expressed dismay about the inconsistent shopping hours in Mandurah. Others were concerned about the growing amount of Australian land that is owned by foreign governments, and that such transactions are being allowed to happen. There were a few who wondered if we were becoming "tenants in our own country". These topics were freely discussed. Another person gave us a different picture of global warming as he explained more about carbon dioxide/monoxide, giving us all more food for thought. Crime in Mandurah was thought to be a serious issue.

Many of the items on Ron's usual list had already been discussed before his turn to nominate a new topic came around! Problems surrounding the new Solar Power Panels will be further discussed at the next Session in September. Hope to see you all there. Jenny Ingle.

114.  PEOPLE AND PLACES. WINDSOR CASTLE. Past and Present. Fire and Restoration   -   5th August, 2010.

Presented by: Pam Cowgill

Written by: Group Leader: Hep Powell

Pam provided a good attendance with an excellent handout that proved to be a great asset as she took us through Windsor Castle's history from 1066, when first built by William the Conqueror, and right up to modern times. Pam is an avid researcher and this became very evident as she combined the written notes with some really authentic images from the power point - none better I suggest, than the one titled 'Heavenly Bliss', a lovely illustration representing a quote from Queen Victoria on the subject of her honeymoon. This brought a spontaneous titter from the audience, plus a few oohs and aahs in the old Jim Barns style.

The Castle went through various stages of development. Originally built on the banks of the River Thames to protect London, it reached the present extent under Edward III and was then said to be the 'Most Magnificent Palace in England'. Further improvements led to another elevated description - the 'Most Romantic Castle in the World' - this time by Samuel Pepys in 1674.

The second half of Pam's presentation related to the terrible events of November 20, 1992 when a large section of the Castle was devastated by fire. This not only caused great distress to the Royal Family and the wider community, it also raised many questions about the restoration, including of course, the question of who was going to pay for such a complex project. Windsor Castle, like Buckingham Palace, had long since been owned by the State, but in the best tradition of compromise, the Queen agreed to open Buckingham Palace to the public to defray the cost of restoration, which totalled 38 million pounds.

We are blessed with a great variety of subject matter in our programs, and the same can be said of our presenters. In her quiet Yorkshire accent and subtle humour, Pam in her 4th presentation showed that she has become a valued member of our team. I loved her closing quote, "The Queen, like Queen Victoria is not amused by the aircraft going over the Castle but she still likes to go there at weekends".

113.  'CONTACT' A unique story about Western Australian Aboriginals.   -   29th July, 2010.

Presented by: Ray Smith and Terry Long

Written by: Ray Smith

'Contact' looks at some of the last Aborigines to meet the modern world - a mob of 20 desert-dwelling Martu people. Remarkably, there is film of that 1964 meeting, taken by Native Welfare patrol officers from Woomera, Wally McDougall and Terry Long, from the Native Welfare Department of Western Australia. Terry was our Special Guest at U3A today.

The two men were to make sure the area was cleared before the launch of the Blue Streak test rockets from Woomera in the South Australian desert, scheduled to impact in the remote north of Western Australia in the Lake Percival area. Their unique film showed a nearly naked mob of women and children, hunter-gatherers who travelled with few possessions, and pet dingoes for company.

'Contact', which shared the Best Documentary prize at this year's Sydney Film Festival, lets Yuwali and others - black and white - tell an emotional and historic story with a light touch. One of the aboriginal women was Yuwali, who was 17 at the time. Now a genial 62, (pictured) she returned to the Percival Lakes region of the Western Desert for the film and remembers being terrified by the patrol officers' truck. "You know those big rocks that we always play on?" she told her friends. "The rock has come alive."

The Martu were so frightened of being killed and eaten by the white-skinned 'devil men' that they headed back into the desert, only to be tracked down again before a second rocket launch in October 1964. Being held by the patrol officers was a rude awakening. The Martu children were tied around the ankles to stop them escaping then moved to Jigalong mission, 200 kilometres away, ending their nomadic lifestyle but at the same time saving their lives.

Terry, who later became the Commissioner for Native Affairs and concurrently Federal Regional Director has written his autobiography, "Memoirs of a Minor Transgressor" ISBN 978-1-906050-71-9, published by Melrose Press Limited UK. A life with many achievements Terry willingly shares with his readers. He treated us to an enjoyable and informative question and answer session at the end of the presentation.

112.  ENVIRONMENT AND HORTICULTURE - Fauna Relocation:   -   20th July, 2010.

Presented by: Khristle Allison

Written by: Liz Rushton

On Tuesday 20 July the Environment and Horticulture group had a most interesting and informative presentation from a Fauna Relocation expert. Khristle Dixon (a.k.a. Allison) runs her own business retrieving threatened fauna from various locations and relocating them safely. The fauna range from threatened birds such as red tailed black cockatoos to tiger snakes. The locations range from 'turkey's nests' on construction sites to offices where a snake had holed up, and where a group of 'big blokes' (wimps?) ushered Khristle into the office with the snake and closed the door on the pair - with themselves firmly outside!

Khristle showed us a great many wonderful photographs as she described her activities and how she 'bags' a snake, which would probably be very frightened to find itself among humans, to relocate it. She described the snake she has been trying to rescue for three years from the Centro Halls Head shopping centre - if you don't like snakes don't go near the wheelie bins there, as the snake lies in wait around the bins for the rodents that come for the discarded food!

We also heard how the same species of snake can appear in different colours, such as western brown snakes and dugites, both of which can appear in any of six shades of colour, from sea green to black. Also did you know that brown snakes and dugites lay eggs from which the young hatch, but tiger snakes give birth to live young?

Khristle didn't only talk about snakes - she also told us about mountain ducks that mate for life and lay their eggs in tree hollows; and other birds that manage to raise their chicks in an untidy nest balanced on 3-4 twigs. And we saw ospreys who have worked out the most aerodynamic angle to hold a fish in their beaks. She also reminded us that animals such as possums, if raised from babies on a bottle by humans, should not be released back into the wild as they will not survive there. Altogether a wonderful and rewarding afternoon, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

111.  RECOLLECTIONS - Tales from Childhood   -   15th July, 2010.

Group Leaders: Beryl Northey and Chris Baker

Written by: Linda Bowron

On Thursday July 15, I had a most pleasant and interesting afternoon at Beryl and Chris's first presentation in the new semester series of "Recollections". (Beryl left, Chris right). The members who attended were welcomed and the format outlined, allowing a 3-minute time frame for musings of their individual childhood experiences. The microphone travelled around the table to each person in turn.

We began with a man who told of his rabbit trapping days including skinning, gutting, and pegging, which produced some blood letting. Oddly enough, there were several similar stories on rabbits, as a number of members described incidents from a childhood spent on a farm. It was such a learning experience for many of us, some from wealthy families, others poor, of strict parentage, some with health problems and a few with experiences of unhappy childhoods.

One lady told the story of her father of Swedish birth working as a valet in a royal houshold and his request from the Prince of Wales to borrow his sixpenny (from Woolworths) cuff links. Others told of the consequences of being caught for stealing fruit from local orchards, or 'scrumping' as it was called in Britain.

With members from diverse places of birth and homes, including South America (Peru), United Kingdom, Holland, the various states of New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, I'm sure all who attended are looking forward to remembrances of teenage escapades at the next session in August.

110.  ENGLISH - An Architectural Tour of English Cathedrals, Abbeys and Churches.  -   14th July, 2010.

Presented by: John Pickering

Written by: Judy Brealey

Those attending this session were taken on a trip around the cathedrals, abbeys and churches of England and what a fascinating trip it was. John Pickering, a retired architect, was very well qualified to give this talk about some of the magnificent buildings in his original homeland. John and his wife (pictured) treated themselves to a trip around the abbeys and cathedrals of the United Kingdom a few years ago, and his discussion followed a path similar to the touring holiday they took on that occasion.

We shared some of his childhood memories, saw where he was christened, all the time admiring the beautiful architecture and hearing stories about the various Cathedrals. We were left thinking, 'How did these get built without the help of electric power tools, fork-lifts, cranes, and all the modern equipment available today?'

The talk was interspersed with John's wife Margaret reading passages from Ken Follett's book 'Pillars of the Earth' (one of my very favourite books). This told us some of the ways they used to erect these wonderful structures. We also saw the occasional small village church that had something interesting about it, including the one where 'The Vicar of Dibley' was filmed.

A very lively discussion followed the conclusion of John's talk with members adding their comments or recalling their own experiences. I even added my visit to Ely cathedral and seeing some of the damage that was done to the statues in Oliver Cromwell's days.

An excellent presentation, an afternoon well spent, and topped off by exquisitely appropriate stained glass window cake and home-made shortbread. Yum. Thank you Margaret and John.

109.  CURRENT EVENTS - Jack Sue   -   Tuesday, 13th July 2010.

Written by: Group Leader Ena Garden and Stan Perkins

The first discussion was about the way Jack Sue was treated by 'The West Australian' newspaper in its front page headline last Saturday. Jack Sue was a World War II RAAF Veteran and Z Special Unit hero. His most valued attributes were his Asian appearance and fluency in Malay and Chinese. He spent many months behind enemy lines and told in his book how Z force commandoes killed many Japanese and trained thousands of guerillas. However those present objected strongly to his vilification by a war historian who claimed that Jack Sue had not taken part in two operations as he had claimed in his book. The highly decorated war hero passed away in November 2009.

The discussion inevitably got around to other things that Jack did in his lifetime, which included opening a diving school. He had dived on the 'Alkimos', a ship that had been wrecked on Eglinton Rocks north of Perth after many previous mishaps, and in his later years, Jack wrote a book about it. A number of our members spoke well of Jack and also of their recollections about the 'Alkimos'. Stan Perkins told us that he and his two sons were lucky to be at the wreck site the day after the events of 1964 and took many pictures of the beached vessel. He gave the 35mm slides to the WA Maritime Museum. The image of the 'Alkimos' (right), shows Stan's 2 sons, now aged 56 and 58, but more particularly the significant happenings of that day that brought about the demise of the ship.

In the background is the 'Pacific Star' a tug sent from Singapore or Manila, which was more than capable of taking the ship off and towing it to Fremantle for repair, but it was prevented from doing so. The smaller boat is the police launch from Fremantle that boarded the tug and delivered a Warrant for the arrest of the tug for failing to pay its dues before it left its base. The 'Alkimos' stayed where she was.

Many of those present had seen the wreck and discussed the story that it was haunted. We were told of a young man who had his mask ripped off underwater and there was no one to be seen. The young man vowed that he would never dive that wreck again.

On a lighter note we were shown a personal alarm [supplied by Silver Chain] and agreed we should invest in one. An e-mail was read which said pensioners should be in prison where they would be supervised and provided with all 'mod cons', while prisoners could be put in nursing homes which could be part of their punishment! We discussed how many personalities sponsor charities and heard how Veronica Beckham's charity had helped a child in U.K. and, for once, had not expected publicity.

Photo of 'Alkimos' courtesy of Stan Perkins.

108.  MIXED BAG - Holiday on the Cheap.   -   8th July, 2010.

Presented by: Ron Bellamy

Written by: Group Leader - Liz Rushton

Our first session of "Mixed Bag" for the new semester was an entertaining talk from Ron Bellamy, when he described his recent trip to England and how he did it "on the cheap". We heard about Air Asia and how the fare might have been cheap but didn't include food or much luggage allowance! On the other hand, Ron was full of praise for Stansted Airport, in Essex.

After visiting relatives, Ron spent a week in Hemsby near Gt. Yarmouth in Norfolk, at an "Over 55's Holiday Camp" (shades of Butlin's?) where among other activities, Ron won a fair bit at Bingo and came first in the fancy dress parade. (If you want to know what he dressed up as, you will have to ask Ron.)

This holiday camp also had an offer to spend four days in another at a special rate, so Ron then moved west along the north Norfolk coast to Mundesley, near Cromer. He told us that Cromer, like a lot of East Anglia, has many old and historic buildings (it is very Edwardian) but that Cromer Crabs are not as good as Mandurah ones!

Ron finished his holiday in Essex, in Harold Wood, (named after King Harold), where he was born, and in Maldon, and illustrated his talk with his photographs and some from the internet, showing the lovely scenery of Norfolk and Essex, particularly the River Chelmer and Thames barges under sail.

At the start of his talk Ron paid tribute to his old friend Henry Carver, a long-standing member of Mandurah U3A, who passed away recently at the age of 88.

107.  INTRODUCTION TO SUDUKU   -   6th July, 2010.

Presented by: Group Leader Jock Fyfe

Written by: Norma Vaughan

One of the recurring themes of the day is Mental Health. The health professionals say that taking part in intellectually stimulating activities may reduce the risk of, or help delay, the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. This week's new "Introduction to Suduku" session made my brain ache, so it must have been doing me good.

Mine was not the only furrowed brow around the table as other un-brain-trained people like me came to grips with the new challenge. Some people had been doing Suduku out of the newspaper for a long time, but there were others, like me, who had never tried it before. Jock Fyfe (pictured) led us through the first three strategies for solving the puzzle, then demonstrated the basic concepts on a white-board, while inviting us to volunteer solutions, or to go ahead with working on our own copy. It was a masterpiece of teaching.

Suduku is a numbers puzzle which is based on logic, not guess-work. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes contain the digits from 1 to 9 only once. The present name had its origins in a long Japanese phrase meaning "the numbers must occur only once". It was a Japanese company who made the game popular in 1984, but it is hard to pinpoint an exact time and place at which the original concept of Sudoku or Suduku (Jock's preferred spelling) emerged. It is said that the Arabs had a variant known as the Magic Square as early as the eighth century, and that they imported it from China.

After some warm sweet tea at the break, (some said it was treatment for shock), the second puzzle seemed to be a lot easier, even though it was graded a little higher. At the end of the session there were great cries of enthusiasm for more, and everyone present swore they would return next month. As for me, I turned the TV off last night, and reached for a Suduku.

John Eales, the dual World Cup winning Australian rugby captain, was crowned the Australian suduko champion in Perth last week.

106.  PEOPLE AND PLACES - Rupert Brooke: his life, loves and poetry.   -   1st July, 2010.

Presented by: Bill and Kath Dean (pictured)

Written by: Group Leader Hep Powell

Bill and Kath Dean, ably assisted with poetry readings from Jo Kreibich, began the July offerings with a delightful presentation on Rupert Brooke. Bill opened with a tribute to the late Frank Pridham and gave a special welcome to his widow, Shirley (pictured, seated). This was entirely appropriate because of Frank's love for Rupert Brooke's poetry and also served as a reminder to those present of the respect and affection we shared for Frank.

Bill then proceeded to sketch out the poet's early life, firstly at Rugby School where he became an avid reader and after five years' schooling, won the King's medal for prose, then at the age of 19, achieved entry to King's College, Cambridge. It was here that Brooke formed a lifelong friendship with Hugh Dalton and became a regular contributor with his poems to local magazines. This was also where Rupert befriended George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy, John Barrie and quite a few of the local girls who seemed to regard him as a young Adonis.

After 3 years of life within the college, Rupert decided to look for digs at nearby Grantchester and his subsequent walk from Cambridge along the enchanting countryside with all the associated history of Lord Byron and Chaucer, clearly proved to be a source of inspiration, as shown by the following: "Here was history, poetry and the essence of England at her best". At this point Jo captured the spirit of the moment with a reading of 'These I Have Loved', beautifully articulated and expressed with great sensitivity. Here also, the power point display illustrated these captivating features with great effect - the winding river, apple blossom, orchards, the vicarage and historic cottages dotted around the tree lined meadows.

But this idyll was soon shattered by the sudden death of his father followed by a troubled relationship with Katherine Cox, the latter, or perhaps both, leading to a mental breakdown. On the advice of his doctor, Rupert travelled extensively before returning to his beloved Grantchester and soon after, at the age of 23 had his first book of poems printed in London. In the year of 1912 Rupert graduated from Cambridge University, won a prize for the best poem of the year, and met the love of his all too brief life, Cathleen Nesbitt.

Bill and Kath went on to describe the crowded events from 1912 - 1915, when he finally succumbed to a mysterious poison while serving as a British Officer and was buried on the Greek island of Skyros. Included in this period was his tour of America, Canada, and Tahiti; followed by a reunion with Cathleen - idyllic, but tragically thwarted by WW1. And to those present who came from the 'Old Country', rejoice in the following quote from 'The Soldier'.

"If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England".

Space does not allow for justice, but mention must be made of the second half of the presentation, where Bill and Kath recalled their personal journey as innkeepers of the Green Man pub at Grantchester; fascinating anecdotes, full of charm, love and humour - all delivered with laconic endearment. This presentation was quite brilliant - and a great team effort. Well done All!!

105.  POSTCARD FROM JOHN - Canoeing down the Mississippi River.   -   30th June, 2010.

Written by: John Loveridge   30th June, 2010

Hi Norma,

Just thought that I'd let you know that I'm still alive, the cougars, alligators and bears haven't found me yet. I'm progressing slowly but inexorably south. I started on the Minnesota River near Minneapolis, entered the Mississippi at St Pauls and after some interesting sightings, (the wild life is wonderful) have made my way to Lansing Iowa (IA).

I wish that I could send you some photos, but I have to use public computer services which doesn't allow for such niceties. When I've finished my first card I'll send it home with some notes. I've about 200 photos to go. The trouble is all the good things I want to snap seem to escape before I can activate the equipment. I've seen at least three beavers and otters, hundreds of turtles, dozens of Ospreys and one raccoon. Amazingly with all the squirrels in the Minneapolis parks and gardens I've only seen two in the wild, one this morning.

I've only managed two accidents; One, I fell out of the canoe, only into about three feet of water, and two, I tumbled down a small levee bank and tore some skin off. These, I have successfully lived through.

Give my best to everybody,

Regards

John

104.  GUEST SPEAKER - Leprosy Mission of Australia   -   22nd June, 2010.

GUEST SPEAKER: Peter Warren (pictured)

Written by: Chris Baker

I thought Peter Warren's talk was interesting and informative, particularly as nobody I spoke to knew anything up to date about leprosy. Merchandise was available for sale as a means of fund raising. There were also application forms available should anybody wish to apply to join the next group of volunteers going to India in September to help with the programmes assisting people with leprosy.

Leprosy is an ancient disease that dates back thousands of years BC. It is also known as Hansen's disease after the Norwegian researcher Annuer Hansen who identified the causative organism in 1873. In 1840 Father Damien, a Belgian priest, went to the Hawaiian island of Molokai where people with leprosy were quarantined. He could not leave the island, contracted the disease and subsequently died there. In October 2009 he was canonised for his work. Other people recognised for their work with leprosy sufferers are Wellesley Bailey, an Irish teacher who went to the Punjab in 1874 and remained there, and Mother Teresa of the daughters of Charity in Calcutta.

Leprosy is a mildly infectious chronic disease for which 96% of the population have natural immunity. It is caused by a bacteria similar to the one causing TB and spread by coughing, sneezing etc. The infection migrates to the extremities where it affects the sensory nerves, lack of sensation results in injuries which become infected resulting in ulcers and other tissue damage and contractures of the hands (claw hands) are common. The incubation period is six months to several years. Symptoms are pale patches on the skin, lack of sensation, raised lesions, inability to blink resulting in blindness and no eyebrows.

Treatment is with a combination of antibiotics for six to twelve months and it is no longer infectious within forty-eight hours of commencing treatment. Disfigurements and contractures are treated with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and tendon grafts. Daily soaks for twenty minutes stops the skin cracking and gloves and shoes provide protection. Self help groups, education and vocational training assist with rehabilitation and $45 will support a child for six months.

Leprosy Missions have a group in Mandurah and they have an appeal day in October.

103.  DISEASES THROUGHOUT THE AGES.   Syphilis, or The Great Pox  -   17th June, 2010.

Presented by: John Cowan

Written by: Norma Vaughan

Syphilis is no laughing matter. So why was the audience showing signs of amusement at the lecture on The Great Pox? It was because John Cowan, not a medical man, spoke with the utmost delicacy and tact in his overview of the history and social aspects of the dreaded venereal disease. He did not, however, shield us from the gruesome details. For instance, having flashed a graphic image of an infected penis on the screen for a few seconds, he moved on to the next image with modest dignity and a modicum of haste.

The geographical origins of the disease are still being debated today. One theory is that when Christopher Columbus sailed home with his lusty sailors from the Caribbean to Spain in the late 15th century, he may have had a microscopic stowaway aboard in the form of what is now known to be the spirochetal bacterium Treponema pallidum, which is the carrier of the sexually transmitted disease of syphilis. The baby's foot, (pictured) shows a disturbing example of congenital syphilis, that is, passed from mother to child.

In 1495 after the French invasion of Naples, a new plague that challenged all social boundaries swept across Europe. No group or class seemed immune. The French blamed the Spaniards, the Neopolitans blamed the French, the Islanders later blamed the British and meanwhile the tiny spirochetes were busy wriggling their way around Africa and Asia. The disease was dubbed the 'Great Imitator' because it had symptoms in common with other maladies, which made diagnosis difficult. Remedies were bizarre, often as bad or worse than the ailment itself. Mercury was the most common treatment until the discovery of penicillin in the early 1940's. The 'pox' was first identified under a microscope in 1905.

John quoted the following paraphrased example of a medical opinion from 'The Breviary of Health', (1547) by Andrew Board.

"...it may come by lying in the sheets where a pocky person, the night before hath lain....it may come with lying with a pocky person....it may come by sitting on a draught or sege (privy) whereas a pocky person did lately sit....it may come by drinking oft with a pocky person....but especially it is taken when one pocky person doth sin in lechery, the one with the other. All kinds of the pocks be infectious".

Indeed, a serious matter.

102.  ART HISTORY - Two Revolutionary Figures From Spain - Goya and Picasso   -   16th June, 2010.

Presented by: Jo Kreibich

Written by: Ena Garden

To-day we watched two thought-provoking films about Goya and Picasso who used their art to depict man's inhumanity to man. Goya [1746-1828] changed dramatically during his career. He moved from his native village to the city and first learned to do religious paintings for the local church. In 1770, he painted murals for a Carthusian monastery but unfortunately, these were ruined by leakage and were 'restored' by inferior painters. He moved to Madrid and worked with tapestry weavers then became the Royal Court painter. He loved painting women: society ladies and street girls alike.

In 1792 he was ill and became stone deaf. His attitude to his work changed. Goya's paintings became intense, mostly about disasters, prisons, mad-houses and witchcraft. His art now showed his wildness and became weird and unpredictable. Robert Hughes, art critic, described him as 'crazy as a genius'. An example of this was a painting he did early in his career of a city pilgrimage with lovely, happy people then 30 years later he painted a very dark version of the same scene. His '3rd of May' painting depicts the execution of Spanish insurgents and influenced Picasso's famous painting which was the subject of the second film we watched.

Picasso [1881-1973] like Goya, was born in Spain, but lived most of his life in France. His war was against the confines of art. The 8 years of Republican Spain were disastrous. In 1934 Picasso went back to Spain and painted the poverty as ancient dreams and nightmares. The Germans and Italians supported Franco and when a bomb fell on the Prado Museum in Madrid, Picasso was appointed the Director and chose the art to be evacuated.

Other artists of the time were mentioned, (Salvador Dali, above) but the main part of the film described Picasso's famous work titled 'Guernica', a huge painting, 20ft by 12ft, which changed as he worked on it in 1937. Guernica is a town in the north of Spain, in Basque country. It was heavily bombed by the Germans, 'just to show they could' it was said. 5,000 bombs were dropped, followed by incendiary bombs and 1600 people died. Picasso painted it as a night massacre although the raids came in the daytime. It has been described as 'cubism with a conscience - a modern, lusty painting'. Picasso explained that the work was not specifically about the bombing of Guernica nor the Spanish Civil War, but a broad statement about human beings fighting amongst themselves.

101.  ENVIRONMENT AND HORTICULTURE - Peel Preservation Group   -   15th June, 2010.

Presented by: Judy Trembath, Beryl Francis and Griselda Hitchcock

Written by: Chris Baker

Today's presentation was a joint effort by three dedicated ladies (pictured) from the Peel Preservation Group(PPG). Judy Trembath arrived with a car full of photo display boards of environmental scenes in the Peel region. She displayed them round the room which really set the scene. The 'then' and 'now' photo of the erosion round one of the bridge pylons makes one sit up and think. Judy gave a comprehensive outline of the tremendous effort put in by a small band of PPG members in their endeavours to protect our environment. In recognition of PPG's input into the routing of the Mandurah Railway, Judy was one of a select group of people who were invited to inspect the underground excavation site in the city during the construction phase.

Beryl Francis spoke of the prolonged fight to save Mandurah's Creery Wetlands from the developers and without PPG's sustained efforts one wonders how much would have been left for the birds. She made special mention of Len Howard and his hard work in campaigning to protect the local estuarine network. For those of us who did not know him, (he passed away in 1998), having Len Howard's photo up on the scene at the beginning was a lovely tribute.

Griselda Hitchcock, who lives near Lake Goegrup, spoke of the registered aboriginal sites and flora and fauna in the vicinity that need protecting. In 1994 several concerned PPG members who lived around the lake formed a group called Goegrup Lake And Serpentine Society (GLASS), to identify present and future threats to the waterways. The practice of washing untreated piggery manure into the Serpentine River was a major problem that has now been rectified. The Dawesville Cut has been responsible for a 0.5m overall rise in the depth of the lake and increased salinity in the lake and the Serpentine River. This has affected the bird life but even so the lakes were recommended in 2008 for inclusion on the Ramsar Convention wetlands sites list. GLASS was represented on the Kwinana Freeway extension committee and was instrumental in having the route changed away from the lakes.

U3A Group Leader June added a lovely touch to the occasion by inviting a special guest Vic Beacham, who is over 90 years of age. Vic appears to never go anywhere without his camera. Two years ago Vic was the Mandurah recipient of the Premier's Australia Day Active Citizenship Award for his commitment to preserving the environment in the region.

Photo Courtesy of Vic Beacham

100.  BANKNOTE BIOGRAPHIES AND COINS   -   10th June, 2010.

Presented by: Christine Norman (Coins) and Robert Boyne (Banknote Biographies).

Written by: Robert Boyne

Christine commenced her presentation discussing the 2000 Sydney Olympic commemorative coins. We were surprised to find the wide range of coins now available for collectors. Two examples Christine referred to were coins featuring Dame Edna Everage (pictured) and Barbie! Christine had a variety of coins displayed on a table at the front of the room. It was a rare opportunity to see and touch a selection of attractive and historic coins.

Coin technology has advanced rapidly in recent years with the Perth Mint leading the way. New features now include highly coloured sections on coins, inserts (such as fragments of precious stones) and even dynamic, holographic displays. Christine then reviewed coins through the ages concentrating on the history of Australian coins. She finished the first half of the presentation on a slightly quirky note with coins from the Hutt River Province.

John Monash, whose image appears on the $100 note, was Robert's topic in Banknote Biographies during the second half of the presentation. Monash was equally brilliant as an engineer, military commander and administrator. As an engineer he pioneered the use of reinforced concrete in construction work in Victoria and South Australia. Monash was one of the most outstanding Allied commanders during World War I. He introduced new strategies which led to quick victories with relatively few casualties. He was highly respected by the troops under his command. During the 1920s he built the Yallourn Power Station. Monash was also one of the driving forces behind the construction of the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. Monash well deserves his place on our highest denomination note.

Everybody handles banknotes almost every day. Banknote Biographies has been an interesting way of presenting brief biographies of some people who have made a significant contribution to Australia's heritage. Today marked the fifth and final presentation in the popular series.

99.  ENGLISH WATERWAYS - East Anglia   -   9th June, 2010.

Presented by: Group Leader Margaret Pickering

Written by: Christine Norman

We were very pleased to welcome eight members of U3A North Coast (pictured) who had travelled by train to Mandurah to visit us.

Our presenter Margaret Pickering (left, green scarf) spent many happy holidays in East Anglia, and gave us a comprehensive presentation about an area that she loves. Many people are not as familiar with East Anglia as other parts of England. East Anglia consists of the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. The area is very flat and without major rivers. The Norfolk broads (lakes) are a very popular holiday destination for "messing about in boats".

We heard about the major towns - Ely, Norwich, Cambridge and Colchester - and stately homes including Sandringham. Famous East Anglian people included Matthew "Nosey" Parker, Edith Cavell, Horatio Nelson, Arthur Ransome and artists Constable and Turner. Margaret spoke about the rich history of East Anglia and the influence of Dutch people and trade. John Pickering read a historical piece about the agriculture of Norfolk during the mid 19th century. Corn, fat cattle, sheep and poultry, especially turkeys, were sent to London and other places.

Important industries included worsted cloth weaving and Coleman's mustard. A large herring fleet was based at Great Yarmouth but today the herring have gone. Local crustaceans were an enjoyable source of food. As a girl, Margaret often peeled shrimps for the table. She provided a mystery object which turned out to be an implement for extracting the meat from lobster claws/legs.

We enjoyed Norfolk vinegar cake which Margaret made using an old Elizabethan recipe. These words, pictures and taste will last in our memory for a long time. Thank you, Margaret and John.

Photo Courtesy of Christine Norman

98.  EXCURSION to Weatherburn Lecture   -   Sunday, 6th June, 2010.

Written by: Excursion Leader Chris Baker

Today's excursion was to attend a lecture which was held in the Weatherburn Lecture Theatre at the University of WA in Perth (pictured). The June lecture was hosted by Hills U3A. It was entitled "Universal Access" and was presented by Dr Iain Murray of Curtin University. Mandurah was well represented with six of us attending.

Dr. Murray spoke about the projects he and his team are working on, to enable visually impaired and blind people to access education and jobs training necessary to participate in the work force. The team is also working with the hearing impaired and those with other disabilities. In Australia in 2007, 68% of the visually impaired workforce was unemployed. That year, of the twenty-five who enrolled in these educational courses, only one of them is now not working.

This is how CUCAT (Curtain University Centre for Accessible Technology) describes itself on its website. 'CUCAT is a multi- disciplinary research group that includes members with qualifications and experience in engineering, social sciences, occupational therapy and psychology, focusing on assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering solutions for people with print and/or vision disabilities. The group develops both hardware and software solutions and methods of their application, with particular emphasis on eLearning and educational requirements, techniques and curriculum development for this demographic'.

The importance of this programme is that it uses visually impaired instructors for the visually impaired. There are now more than a hundred students globally with Cisco Academy for Visually Impaired in USA, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa and Canada. Funding is on a voluntary basis and Iain works on the programme in his free time at Curtin University.

If anybody would like more information the website is http://www. cucat.org.

97.  PEOPLE AND PLACES - Gone For a Soldier -   2nd June, 2010.

Presented by: Diane Oldman

Written by: Hep Powell

If anyone was intrigued by this rather strange title, well I must say - me too. Very simply, 'Gone for a Soldier' is an abbreviation of the cry "Johnnie has gone for a Soldier" during the American Revolution. Set to music during the conflict, it's origin lay in a 17th century song of Irish extraction.

Diane's presentation was basically the story of three English soldiers who were all killed in action toward the end of WW1. I say basically advisably, because they represented the skeleton frame for a subject Diane presented in great detail, and to her credit, was replete with entertaining cameos of human interest.

We were issued with two handouts and both were valuable assets in following the power point presentation. The first gave us the overall sequence -

• Three lives - before, during and after WW1.
• The war - conflict and death.
• Remembrance. (Loos Memorial - Right)
• A battlefield tour.
• Records of WW1 soldiers.

The second handout gave us maps, plus the necessary facts and figures. Bringing this all together successfully was some feat and it was here that we saw the expertise and passion for genealogy come into play. The descriptions of the war itself were the usual obscenities that accompany insane warfare, but our focus remained on the facts of the three soldiers - John Jarvie, Herbert Gammons, and Seth Gammons.

In the second half the trench foot and gassing gave way to some delightful little stories and personal anecdotes - a shift from carnage to remembrance if you like. Telegrams, medals, letters and memorials - some quite inspiring, and all very interesting.

Diane's personal tour was a highlight, as shown by her floral tribute at the grave site; the yarn-spinning Scot who was their Tour Director and of course, the Aussie touch of humour with the Madonna statue. I was particularly impressed by Diane raising the question about all this madness - beautifully expressed with sad, sad irony - quoting Seth, "They'll be just picking over the bones by the time I get there." Well done Diane - especially your close - a touch of humour and a dash of the poignant.

96.  COFFEE MORNING - VALE Peter Ruhland   -   4th June, 2010.

Organised by: Ena Garden and Jenny Ingle

We paused for a moment to pay a final tribute to Peter Ruhland this morning. Our regular Coffee Morning was held on the balcony of Pronto's near the old Mandurah Bridge, one of the many venues that Peter and his wife Margo (pictured) had shared with us during their long years of leadership of the group.

People had thought well of the few words that Bob Tyndall had said at Peter's funeral, so with Bob and Margo's kind permission, they were repeated this morning. This is what he said.

"Soon after Gill and I moved to Mandurah in late 2005 we joined U3A. The first couple we met were Margo and Peter. Margo was the Greeting and Hospitality Officer and Peter was one of the Presenters. We were impressed by the welcoming and gregarious nature of both of them and their friendliness helped us settle in to Mandurah.

In Peter's case we were impressed by his presentations which were interesting and often attracted a full house - it is no mean feat to keep an audience absorbed for up to two hours, and to have them come back again. As part of the hospitality role, Margo, with Peter's assistance, organized a monthly morning tea. After one of these Gill and I were invited back to the Village to view their home. Afterwards, Peter walked us through the clubhouse and some of the Village facilities. We were impressed and put a deposit on a house and moved in about 2 years ago. It was after this that we got to know them much better.

Peter's health had deteriorated and he found difficulty walking their dog Mitzi, and I was asked if I could walk her every now and then. This involved a short walk followed by a yarn over a cup of coffee - and occasionally something stronger. We enjoyed our yarning and found Peter's life very interesting as he had many tales to tell of his life in Germany in the 1940's and of his later life in Australia on outback cattle stations and in the aviation industry. We also had spirited discussions on many other subjects, (sport, current events), or occasionally watched TV (the footy, 'Hogan's Heroes' and 'F Troop' were favourites).

Peter was lively and uncomplaining right up to our last visit, even though he must have experienced considerable discomfort. Thank you Peter for the opportunity to get to know you and for sharing your experiences with us."

95.  VOLCANOES IN HUMAN HISTORY   -   1st June, 2010.

Presented and Written by: Chris Baker

In this presentation I set out to explain some of the geology associated with how and why volcanoes occur, benefits they provide and damage they cause, both short and long term. Geologists had for some time been aware of continental drift and there was much conjecture as to what caused it. In 1965 a Canadian Geologist J Tuzo Wilson published a paper in which he explained how the forces or conditions within the earth cause movements of the crust such as earth quakes, folds, faults and volcanoes.

The earth's crust is composed of what he termed tectonic plates which move about on the molten magma below. Where the plates converge on each other they form a fault line enabling the molten magma known as lava to be forced out under enormous pressure. There have been several programmes on TV recently which show what happens when that occurs.

Volcanic eruptions have both beneficial and detrimental effects which are both short and very long term. Some scientists think all of the earth's water could have originally come from volcanoes; they recycle the earth's elements, provide minerals, sulphur and carbon which are necessary for plant growth to mention just a few. Negative effects are destruction of all types of living things, gross environmental damage, climate change, interruption to air travel and infrastructure destruction.

After a listing of some notable volcanic eruptions and the turning points they caused in the history of the areas where they occurred, an excellent DVD entitled 'The Eruption of Mount Saint Helens' was shown. This short film demonstrated very clearly both the destruction and rehabilitation of the area in the USA in which the eruption occurred. Do Google some of the photos of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland.

94.  READING FOR PLEASURE - 'THE MERRY GO ROUND IN THE SEA' by Randolph Stow   -   27th May, 2010.

Group Leader: Lorraine Hume

Written by: Norma Vaughan

Book of the Month for May was 'The Merry Go Round In the Sea' (1965), by Western Australian author Randolph Stow. His novel 'To the Islands' won the Miles Franklin Award in 1958 and he was awarded the Patrick White Literary Award in 1979.

It was Clem White's turn to act as Lead Speaker. After a few opening remarks, he played a recording of Henry Lawson's poem, 'Andy's Gone With the Cattle'. Having evoked an appropriate mood, Clem went on to review the novel about a boy growing up in the country town of Geraldton, 260 miles north of Perth, during and after the years of the Second World War. Rob, the naïve young central character in the book, idolized his older cousin Rick, who went to war but came home a shattered man. The narrative follows the coming of age of both of them; Rob as his perceptions change, and Rick, who searches for an escape from his demons.

In the discussion that followed, various metaphors for the merry go round were proposed, with variations on the theme that it represented Rob's dream of Utopia, or the going around of life. Most readers related to Stow's description of the sheltered sense of community within the extended family that existed back then, and mourned its loss in the modern age. At least three members had found the book 'hard to get in to', but agreed that it turned out to be surprisingly charming. The vivid imagery was appreciated, while several of the men enjoyed being reminded of the old sayings, like 'drongo', 'drip', and 'you dill'.

People not born in Australia compared the experience of growing up in London during the war, with the portrayal of growing up in the vast Australian countryside in an age of innocence. Others remarked on the flashes of characteristic Australian humour that helped the characters through their troubles. One lady who had also grown up in Geraldton during the war, and whose grandchildren had played on the merry go round that was there, remarked on the pleasure of books that "ring bells in people's minds".

Next month's selection is 'The Wife of Martin Guerre' by Janet Lewis.

93.  GUEST SPEAKER:   Paddi Creevey - Mayor of Mandurah   -   25th May, 2010.

Written by: June Wanstall

Mandurah Mayor, Paddi Creevey, was the guest speaker at our General Meeting on the 25th May. Born in Queensland and now very much part of Western Australia, she quipped that she held "dual citizenship" as she was at home in both states. With grace and humour she took us along with her on a fascinating and very personal journey.
Paddi (right) grew up in a working class area of Brisbane, "just 17 tram stops from the city". Expectations of what girls might aspire to academically were then very different. A variety of work experiences followed and these she recalled with entertaining wit and honesty. Later she joined an order of nuns and gained further practical skills, although several mishaps whilst working in the laundry proved to be very entertaining for her audience.

It was a time of significant change within the Roman Catholic Church and this affected change at all levels. Whilst working with a group of disadvantaged young girls, Paddi and others left the protection of the order and started an independent group more in tone with modern, practical ideas. Funds for mere survival then became a real issue. The need to earn extra money to keep things going led to a spell as a dishwasher and other creative ways to provision the group. Eventually when political changes allowed adults to pursue tertiary studies, Paddi gained her degree in Social Work. She recounted with candour and mirth her experiences at a Bunbury hospital and in a senior position at Royal Perth Hospital. Accepting a social work position in Mandurah in the latter half of the 1980s, she recalled how different from her expectations this proved to be, as the previously quiet, relaxed holiday town grew at a phenomenal rate and developed into the current busy city.

Paddi admitted that when she first became involved with local government, her knowledge of it had been only as a rate payer and once, as a protestor. She was voted in as mayor for a second time in 2009. Following her talk she fielded questions from the floor which ranged from postal voting, local amenities, to environmental issues. The warmth, humour and sincerity of this speaker was well received and appreciated by her audience.

92.  EXCURSION - ARMY MUSEUM OF WA   -   21st May, 2010.

Written by: Norma Vaughan

Everyone should go on a mini walking tour of the back streets of Fremantle. It is the best way to see the delightful rows of tiny restored cottages that perch on the side of Cantonment Hill. Yesterday's excursion group did it quite by accident. We had become a little bit lost.

Our sense of direction had evidently been lulled by the scones and jam and cream that we had just had in the beautiful old walled courtyard of the Fremantle Arts Centre. It was a bit uphill after that. As directions go, we should have gone downhill.

Having eventually arrived at the Army Museum of WA, we were greeted by the best exhibit of all, that is, the group of beautifully turned out old soldiers in their regimental ties and their shining shoes, who made up the team of volunteer tour guides. The exhibition is housed in the 1910 heritage listed Artillery Barracks, a building which has a long and glorious history in its own right. It is accessed by crossing the former parade ground that is surrounded by an impressive outdoor collection of tanks and guns all standing rigidly to attention.

Inside, the display is arranged in galleries representing the various wars, with the focus being on the involvement of Western Australian men and women. We walked through the sandbags of a Trench Scene from WWI; a disturbing bamboo Prisoner of War exhibit from WW2, and other rooms full of a vast collection of medals, uniforms, weapons, artifacts and stories.

The first Victoria Cross won by a Western Australian, Frederick William Bell, was there, (right) together with a rare Florence Nightingale Medal and other medals of significance, all beautifully documented. Tucked away in a front room, in special drawers, were the precious former Colours of various Western Australian CMF and other battalions. The polished wooden and glass display cases in the galleries were a notable feature themselves, and probably had a historical significance of their own. The WA Army Museum in Burt Street, Fremantle is definitely worthy of a second visit.

91.  ART HISTORY:   LONDON ART GALLERIES   -   19th May, 2010.

Presented by: Carol Wauchope and Christine Norman

Written by: Kath Dean and Margaret Pickering

In the first half of the afternoon, Carol took us through a tour of the Tate, Courtauld (pictured)  and Victoria and Albert Galleries, to show us the things she would like to see if she had the chance. It was a varied collection of over 30 pieces starting with the Jan Van Eyck portrait of the Arnolfini family complete with dog (which is much analysed even today), to an aluminium teapot made in 2001 which could be the mysterious object in the TV 'Collectors' program.

We saw Gainsborough, Blake, Turner, Renoir and Manet and learned that the reality of Constable's skies was due to his painting out of doors in all weathers. Picasso's style changed from beauty in a bunch of flowers (1901) to his cubism form of a nude woman, with far too many female bits and pieces in odd places, done in 1968 when he was 87!

Carol also chose a beautiful triptych of the Virgin and Child which has survived since 1338 and a lovely black chalk sketch of a young man by Michelangelo. We found out that Anthony Blunt, the secret agent, spent 27 years at the Courtauld Gallery. What secrets did he learn in that elite society?

There was a life sized statue of a Newfoundland dog by Matthew Cotes Wyatt, for which the poor animal posed 50 times. Wyatt died before it was finished. It was worth five thousand pounds then, but at its last sale it brought just two hundred pounds. Carol's choice was an interesting selection of all styles of art, finishing with the logo of the Rolling Stones' lips and tongue by John Pasche.

"Genealogy meets Art History" could have been the title of the talk that Christine Norman gave in the second half of the afternoon. She spoke on The Guildhall Art Gallery, to be found in the City of London near St Paul's Cathedral. Christine was able to trace a family connection with its curator of 36 years - Sir Alfred George Temple, FSA (Fellow of the Society of Antiquities). She offered us a history of Sir Alfred's many and innovative achievements, together with paintings of London. The pair of presentations were a most valuable contribution to Art History.

90.  ENVIRONMENT AND HORTICULTURE   -   18th May, 2010.

Presented by: Peg Foreman and Graham Smith

Written by: Margo Hodgkins

On Tuesday 18th May, the Environment and Horticulture group was treated to a very interesting talk by our own Peg Forman. Peg announced to all interested parties, that the new Mandurah Herbarium had opened its doors at 423 Pinjarra Rd. Many of the Wildflower Group's carefully prepared and pressed specimens of local flora are now on display, and for anyone interested in the local environment, this must surely be worth a visit.

The second part of Peg's presentation was on pollens, and the amazing ways that nature has adopted to ensure plant pollination.

This led to the second part of the afternoon, when Graham Smith, renowned native orchid lover and expert, treated us to some of the unusual and sneaky ways that some orchids have, of tricking their special pollinating wasp into actually believing that part of their flower is actually a female wasp, waiting to be fertilised! Orchid pictured right is Drakaea livida, a hammer orchid from the south-west of Western Australia.

It was a friendly and informative afternoon, with a delicious afternoon tea which involved some cherry slice, and a particularly delicious cheese biscuit..... I must get the recipe. Thanks Peg and Graham.

89.  ENGLISH - Anton Chekhov, Russian Dramatist   -   12th May, 2010.

Presented by: Sybil Smith

Written by: Elizabeth Bleach

On Wednesday 12th May, Sybil Smith (right) gave us a fascinating insight into the life and works of Anton Chekhov from her own angle as an actress and student. She had begun an MA thesis when a new career challenge took up her time.

Chekhov was born at Taganrog in 1860, and died of TB at Badenweiler in Germany in 1904. He described himself as a Khol Kol, the topknot that is worn by Ukrainians. He wrote over 300 short stories, and only five plays, the last being 'Cherry Orchard'. He practised as a doctor and his wife was an actress.

Sybil appeared in three Chekhov plays, and played the lead in 'Cherry Orchard'. She explained some of the many problems of accurate translation. Not only did Sybil work with a student of Stanislavski, but she travelled to Russia as a student herself. On a later tour she visited Chekhov's home at Taganrog.

Some slides and music accompanied parts of the talk, and it became evident that acting in a Chekhov play was not easy. Actor Ian McKellan described it as follows, "Actors climb up Chekhov like a mountain, roped together, sharing the glory if they ever make it to the summit".

'The Three Sisters' was the play Sybil then concentrated on and we found out amongst many other insights, why Russians don't put "The" in the title as we do. John and Margaret Pickering read some parts for us, and this also helped our understanding.

I have read that Chekhov strove for a kind of realism, an even-handed representation of his characters, and supreme control of his forms. Many were full of unreleasable domestic tensions that one could not call tragic or comic. I will look forward to finding out if this is the case, when we have another enlightening lecture from Sybil.

88.  GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY - Immigration and Shipping   -   6th May, 2010.

Presented by: Liz Rushton

Written by: Ainslie Sharpe

Today, Liz described for us the types of migration which contributed to the population of Australia over the years, namely:

• Convicts - when during the 80 years 1788 to 1868, over 162,000 were transported to the various penal colonies throughout Australia.
• Military personnel, warders, and ship's crews.
• Unassisted passengers, who paid their own way.
• Assisted passengers - whose passages were paid by either sponsors, or the Government under various schemes.

It appears that nothing is new, as Liz explained, in the restrictions and requirements of migration. There was a £10 surcharge for the Chinese, and later an English language test was introduced - long before the time of John Howard! Fares for passengers over the age of 50 increased dramatically.

Most immigrants arrived in Australia by ship - clipper ships in the 1800s, steam ships in the 1900s. By the 1970s, most immigrants arrived by air, the journey to their new country cut, initially to 3 -4 days, and now to less than 24 hours.

In the second part of her presentation Liz shared her family research with us, which showed where she inherited her love of travel. One of her Benson ancestors and his family left Ireland for North America, proceeded to Upper Canada, and finally travelled to Australia in 1851 on the 'Red Gauntlet'. William Akehurst made his way to Port Philip district, which later became Victoria. Her grandfather, Charles Rushton, as a 21 year old, worked his passage to Victoria on the 'Lancing', a voyage which was only 88 days. After spending some time in Victoria, he moved to Claremont in Western Australia, but returned to England in 1919, leaving behind her father who also later returned to England in 1927.

Although her preferred method of travel is by air (having worked for BOAC in England), Liz arrived in Australia by sea nearly 40 years ago, thus repeating the odyssey undertaken by her ancestors all those years ago.

87.  PEOPLE AND PLACES - BUSH TALES FROM THE GASCOYNE   -   5th May, 2010.

Presented by: Hep Powell

Written by: John Cowan

Hep began by describing his early life and talked about events that led to his striking out for places far from home.

While we, his attentive audience, grasping finely drawn maps, followed Hep on a journey through time to the interior of a land with strange sounding names.

In his series of projected images we saw isolated homesteads, camel trains and many of the people who played out their lives there. Characters, every one of them, each a unique figure, resilient and adapted to survival in an Australia hardly imagined by city people. Station work was done under the blazing sun, on horseback, or close to the ground in the red dust.

However, the heat and the hardships were, in some measure, lightened by warm hospitality. Horse races and gymkhanas drew folk from Yinnietharra, Bidgemia, Towrana and Mooloo Downs, stations separated by vast distances, often by flooded rivers.

In the humour of his telling there were echoes of the light-hearted mood that helped the station families and the stockmen to see challenge and adventure in even the worst of days.

Hep wound up his presentation with some amusing caricatures of dubious horsemanship, and a clever piece of bush poetry.

Image reproduced by kind permission of the author, Rhonda McDonald.