Australia - The Land Down Under

[Condobloke]

Convicted of murder, Percy Brown wants justice for the crime he insists he didn't commit

The 62-year-old Walmajarri man is on a mission to have his 1979 case reviewed in a bid to clear his name — and he hopes it will open the door for others to find justice.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Condobloke]

What's behind Sydney's more than 170 days of rain — it's not La Niña or climate change

There's a secret ingredient behind Sydney's more than 170 days of rain, and it's not because of the usual suspects of La Niña, climate change, the negative Indian Ocean Dipole or the Southern Annular Mode.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Condobloke]

The Sydney Opera House.

A few 'little' things you may not know about it

From a 15-metre organ to an underwater workshop: Five surprising facts about Sydney Opera House

In a new three-part series for ABC TV, cameras have been given exclusive backstage access to reveal some of the iconic building’s more curious facts.

www.abc.net.au

The organ. Not just any organ.

The world's largest mechanical action organ​

 

[KGIII]

I have often remarked about how I'd love to play an old-timey pipe organ. They're more like conducting an orchestra than they are about playing keyboards. I don't know how to play one, but I hardly think that matters. I'm pretty sure I'd have the best day ever.

 

[Condobloke]

I have played the one below. It would have been easy to shatter a few windows......but I kept myself in check!

 

[KGIII]

I have played the one below.

That looks like fun! I want to play the old-school ones, where everything is mechanic. Some of them even have horns and percussion sounds and they're amazing feats of mechanical engineering. I suppose we can make an exception for a modern air supply, so that I don't wear out the boys pumping the billows.

That and bells fascinate me. I'm fairly adept with some instruments, but I find the history of bells and bell ringing to be interesting. I'd like to try something known as 'change ringing'.

Many years ago, bells required effort to be rung. As such, they were rung by strong and burly men. Sometimes, these men would get drunk and lock themselves into the bell tower and ring it until they were good and ready to stop ringing them. 'Cause, you know, nobody's going to start breaking down church doors.

Bells have been a part of so many things, from celebrations to mourning. They have a fascinating history. But, alas, there aren't a whole lot of bell fans left - even though there are still plenty of bells. As we all know, even Big Ben is referring to the bell and not the clock or tower. It's fascinating stuff!

 

[Condobloke]

Just to give you the 'fuller' picture...

That thing can just about any sound you like. Care must be exercised, however.......the "windows' I spoke of.....

 

[KGIII]

I've sent out some emails, usually while drunk, and so far nobody has agreed to let me come play their organ. I'd like a three or four hour session with an old-timey organ. It should also be clothing optional, 'cause I'd like to eat some magic mushrooms beforehand.

Needless to say, nobody has so far invited me to come play their pipe organ.

 

[Condobloke]

Innovation in Wool | Avington Merino - AustralianFarmers

You may not think Milan Fashion Week and innovation in Australian farming have much in common, but Avington Merino brings these two worlds together. Noel and Lyndsay Henderson are the names behind Avington Merino, one of Australia’s leading growers of luxury merino wool. Their farm is located...

farmers.org.au

 

[Condobloke]

Anlaby Station runway connects farm to fashion - AustralianFarmers

It’s unlikely when Anlaby Station was established in 1839, its founders would have imagined a runway show gracing its Clydesdale pavilion, threading the glamour of a fashion runway with the sheep property. But it’s this connection between farm and fashion that is the cornerstone of a special...

farmers.org.au

 

[Condobloke]

How a couple from a sleepy NSW town organised an inauguration for one of Scotland's oldest clans

A couple from Berry on the NSW South Coast have ended up at the centre of an extravagant inauguration for the chief of one of Scotland's oldest clans, the first in more than three centuries.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Condobloke]

https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/northern-rivers-flood-buyback-scheme-offered-to-those-with-destroyed-and-damaged-homes/892123

 

[Condobloke]

Floods 'worse than drought' as farmers helpless to stop their 'most expensive wheat crop ever' going under

October is usually the busiest month for Jamie Janke, who is no stranger to an overnight shift driving a header. This year, however, he and his machines have been parked at his Emerald, central Queensland, home listening to rain on the roof. With most of eastern Australia experiencing...

www.weatherzone.com.au

 

[Condobloke]

Four Australian women and 13 children held in Syrian detention camps arrive in Sydney

The first group of Australian women and children held in a detention camp in north-east Syria since the fall of the Islamic State group in 2019 has been successfully repatriated.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Condobloke]

Tiny school's wheat crop harvest 'better than a cake sale', set to raise $50k

Hermidale Public's motto is "reach for the stars", but at the moment these youngsters are just waiting for a break in the rain so their wheat crop can be harvested.

www.abc.net.au

Hermidale Public School's seven students set to harvest their first wheat crop​

The kids can't wait for a break in the rain so they can get the crop off.(Landline: Olivia Ralph)

 

[wizardfromoz]

It should also be clothing optional, 'cause I'd like to eat some magic mushrooms beforehand.

I know this is off-topic, but I have this image of Terry Jones (and sometimes Terry Gilliam) from Monty Python, with what David said.

 

[Condobloke]

Good one !!!

 

[KGIII]

I need to day-drink and write more emails. If I ask enough organizations (see what I did there?), one of 'em is bound to let me play their organ.

 

[wizardfromoz]

That line is so close to me being able to retort with a one-liner, but I will observe the bounds of propriety.

 

[Condobloke]

The wildly contrasting histories of a fatal outback police shooting inside a cave at Uluru

The death of an Anangu man in the 1930s is at the centre of an outback tragedy involving race, murder and injustice. Almost a century later, his remains have been returned to country.

www.abc.net.au